Chapter 157: End of the Lower Realm Arc

Li Xun slowly woke in a haze, eyes scanning his surroundings in confusion.

“Wait, didn’t I already die? Where is this? And why are you all here?!”

Qiao Ling’er, Lu Tingxue, An Peisheng, Li Zai’an, and Lu Jingquan all rushed over and hugged Li Xun without hesitation.

Lu Tingxue’s face broke into a bright smile. “Li Xun, here’s the thing—Gu Qingyi, our Sword God, used an incredible power to bring you back to life!”

“That’s right! And not only did Sword God Gu wipe out Lin Mo, he also managed to overthrow the Will of Heaven itself!” Li Zai’an chimed in.

Gu Qingyi stared at the Mercy Sword in her hand, lost in deep thought for a moment before walking over to Xuyan’s side as if she remembered something.

She leaned close and whispered, “Xuyan, I’ve got this right, yeah? You have some divine skill that lets you move anything forward by one day in time!”

“Host, I told you, I’m not ‘little Xuyan’—I’m plenty grown up! But you’re right, I do have a skill like that. Still, I can only use it four times a day. What are you plotting, host?” Xuyan shot her a quick glance.

Gu Qingyi smiled slyly. “Xuyan, my Mercy Sword has a time limit—it can only be used once a day. But if we combine it with your skill, maybe we can save a few more lives!”

“That trick burns through a ton of my divine power! But hey, I guess that’s the price of being beautiful and kind. Give it here!” Xuyan held out her hand.

“Here you go.” Gu Qingyi placed the Mercy Sword into Xuyan’s hand.

As soon as Xuyan received the sword, she gripped its hilt tightly and flooded it with her divine power. The Mercy Sword glowed brilliantly after a while.

“All yours! You can use it four times now!” Xuyan cheerfully handed the Mercy Sword back.

“Fantastic! See, raising you wasn’t a waste after all!” Gu Qingyi grabbed the sword and, caught up in her excitement, gave Xuyan a playful smack.

Xuyan shot her a disgruntled look. “Host, what was that for? Did you just smack me?”

Gu Qingyi cleared her throat, forcing a laugh. “Haha, don’t worry about it—just a slip up! Honest mistake!”

Right away, Gu Qingyi strode over to Li Xun, Mercy Sword in hand.

With a bright smile she said, “This Mercy Sword can now be used four more times. Let me bring back the Sky Sword Sect elders for you!”

“Mercy Sword, hear my call! Bring salvation to those lost in darkness—An Muran, Mo Lin, Luo Sen, Li Ran! Return them to the land of the living!” Gu Qingyi swept the longsword in a powerful arc.

A deep hum filled the air.

From the Void, the shattered remnants of An Muran, Mo Lin, Luo Sen, and Li Ran slowly reassembled, piece by piece, until their bodies stood whole again.

One by one, they opened their eyes, bewilderment gradually clearing as they realized what had happened. As everyone exchanged tearful greetings…

“I knew you could do it!” Murong Qingxue darted forward and threw her arms around Gu Qingyi.

Gu Qingyi looked startled. “Miss Murong, something’s up with you, isn’t it? I can’t sense even a hint of your spiritual energy!”

“Sigh, that’s a long story…” Murong Qingxue replied, her expression bittersweet.

While they chatted, Gu Qingyi suddenly felt her Skydome Sword resonating with an immense, earthly force.

A pillar of golden light soared into the sky.

“Uh-oh! The Will of Heaven is gone—our Lower Realm’s about to ascend! Everyone, hold on!” Li Xun shouted as realization struck.

No sooner had he spoken than the whole continent shot upwards at breakneck speed. Far away in Sky Sword City, a Mysterious Man watched with a faint smile before vanishing silently.

As Sword Qi Continent surged upward,

everyone felt a crushing pressure in their heads and their vision went black as they all slipped into unconsciousness.

In their sleep, they wandered through a dream—with no end in sight—where they found themselves in a land of absolute darkness and nothingness, devoid of all color.

This strange world was like countless giant cages tangled together to form the whole universe.

……………………………………

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Through the storm, keep pressing forward: Even in chaos, don’t lose sight of your true self.

Life throws plenty of setbacks our way. You don’t always have to force yourself to do things you hate; when you’re exhausted, take some time to relax.

Glance back every now and then.

Have those childhood wishes you once made come true now that you’re older—do you still feel the same excitement you once did?

Maybe that pure joy is gone, but do you still stick to your original heart?

Learn to admit your own ordinariness.

Accept your limitations. We’re all ordinary people—nobody’s perfect.

Don’t be anxious or afraid.

Learn to make peace with your flaws. Don’t force yourself to take on more than you can handle.

Every age brings its own challenges; don’t rush what’s meant to come in its own time.

But don’t just give up, either. Do what you need to do, walk the road you have to.

Don’t let your moods rule your days, and don’t think you’re better than anyone else.

It’s fine to admire others. Don’t let jealousy consume you, and don’t let someone else’s success unsettle you.

Never think you’re completely worthless, and don’t let that drain your motivation.

Don’t get swept away by the noise online and lose touch with real life.

Instead, learn to see things clearly, face reality, and use your time to improve yourself.

Pick up new knowledge, broaden your horizons, and keep trying new things.

Like the saying goes—failure is the mother of success.

Absorb lessons along the way, grow through every misstep, and eventually find your way to success.

And most of all, never forget to smile.

Thank you for sticking with me all this way. There are even better stories ahead.

……End of the Lower Realm Arc……