Total Destruction

Xia Empire is a small empire full of mortals within the Nine Sovereigns Continent. This is of great luck for the empire because the Nine Sovereigns Continent is an area in the cultivation world ruled mainly by the immortal beings of the righteous path. The righteous path has many rules, with the most strict being called Immortal Commandments. The most important of which being that without due reason immortals may not harm mortals.

For this reason, the deacon usually referred to as Deacon Xu was sweating profusely. For an immortal being to have the confidence to go against the Immortal Commandments, they must be an extremely powerful being. But Deacon Xu has no choice regarding investigating this matter because if he ignores it, his sect, the establishment that is his true home and trained him, will hunt him as a traitor. The consequences are so extreme for deacons like him because if the deacons assigned to protect the mortal empires are too afraid to investigate, rogue immortals who don't belong to the righteous path would be let loose to do as they wish.

Deacon Xu pulled out a small painting brush with black runes covering, as he channeled his power into the brush, one of its hairs detached from the brush and transformed into a two-meter-long black sword. As the sword slowly levitated, Deacon Xu placed both his feet on top of the sword and flew away from the jade tower at a speed so fast that the space surrounding it seemingly shattered. It was a speed no mortal could comprehend.

...

Lin Xun took a look around him. It was as if the world around him had crumbled, shattering into an abyss. No longer were there majestic buildings that represented the beauty of the city, what was left was merely the ruins of its former glory. The children who used giggle as they played, the merchants that haggled for every cent, the elders that reminisced on their past fondly, were all gone. All that was left in their place were corpses and shattered memories.

Why had he survived? Why did he, a mere beggar live? The reek of blood invaded Lin Xun's nostrils, stealing his soul. In his blurry memories, Lin Xun remembered a painting, a terrifying painting of the back of a youth with a sword of black, leaving behind him a path of blood. When he saw that painting many years ago, Lin Xun admired it for dashingness, but now he realized how disgusting such a scene was.

As Lin Xun walked around, trying to find someone that survived, anyone that had a remaining breath, his hopes were shattered. Most in the city treated him like scum, yet in his own way, he loved them all. Maybe it was Lin Xun's naivety, but he was optimistic about the nature of people, no matter their past, he believed everyone had the potential for good. It was definitely his naivety.

As Lin Xun walked around, his hope for finding life slowly diminished as he came to the realization that there was no hope. What had happened to cause this destruction?

Suddenly Lin Xun was reminded about Shang Yuan's actions, that coincidentally occurred just as the explosion ensued. Lin Xun ran back to where he woke up with a haste that only man filled with pure desperation could exhibit.

'Could it be that weird bead?'

Lin Xun reached the scene of his wake and looked around for Shang Yuan. After moments of searching, Lin Xun found Shang Yuan's body under a piece of rubble. At first, he was disheartened, but he then realized that although Shang Yuan was injured, he hadn't exploded like the others.

Lin Xun went to assist Shang Yuan, but due to his weak body, he couldn't pick up the piece of rubble on top of Shang Yuan.

'Dammit, why do I have to be so weak!'

As Lin Xun was about to lose hope all again, Shang Yuan made a sound.

"Waaater, water…"

Lin Xun took out his only possession, a broken gourd filled with water and poured it in Shang Yuan's mouth.

"Here you go, brother Yuan."

As a surprise to Lin Xun, Shang Yuan then proceeded to left the giant piece of rubble with ease.

"But how did-..."

Shang Yuan interjected, "It's not important, let's look around to see what's going on."

To Lin Xun's surprise again, Shang Yuan seemed to be unaffected by his circumstances.

'Did that bead really cause this?'

As the two started to walk around, they heard a loud scream. They ran towards the area of the scream, a once-towering building that had been broken in half.

Inside the building was a stunning young lady, her left leg smashed under a giant rock. Blood spilling underneath.

When Shang Yuan caught sight of the young lady, he was shocked and angered both at the same time. Lin Xun followed, slightly slower even though he hadn't been injured, due primarily to his malnourished body.

Just as Lin Xun approached the building he saw Shang Yuan's fists scrunched up, with his nails digging blood through his hand.

"It's you!" Shang Yuan screamed with the intensity of a thousand suns. If glares could kill, the young girl would have been turned to a bloody gore.

The young lady was the daughter of Chen Clan's patriarch, the same one that gained the help of the immortal. Her name was Chen Mingyue.

Chen Mingyue was too preoccupied with her leg to pay any attention to Shang Yuan, but through Lin Xun's pan of view, he saw Shang Yuan pick up a broken shard of glass from the floor.

Before Lin Xun could say anything, a giant gust of wind passed through the city, causing both Lin Xun and Shang Yuan to fall on the ground.

A few meters above the ground was a long sword with a terrifying figure in white, standing on top. The exalted being's hair flowed in the air majestically and his eyes looked like they were the core of a burning sun. He was no different from a god.