Chapter 81: Supporting the Summit

The overwhelming will of the genes surged from the depths of every cell, utterly devouring the Detta Waves unique to each Pulsebearer. Yet, it could not digest them smoothly—especially Zhang Liaoyuan’s Invulnerable Body, which lodged within the torrent of genetic will like an unyielding stone, forcing Adonsa to abandon it entirely.

This single moment of observation granted Adonsa a deeper insight into the nature of spirit and matter, illusion and reality, and promised to elevate his research into superpowers and genetic will to new heights.

The collision between Crimson Dragon Path and Invulnerable Body—manifestations of true martial arts—seemed unremarkable on the surface. The ferocious blood dragon shattered instantly under Zhang Liaoyuan’s indomitable fist. Countless, minuscule blood leeches scattered, attempting to burrow into Zhang Liaoyuan, only to evaporate into nothingness in the air.

Zhang Liaoyuan’s Invulnerable Body perfectly suppressed all of Weng Dongqi’s proudest techniques and transformations. His fist landed squarely on Weng Dongqi’s blurred face.

In that instant, the impact of the two martial manifestations sparked the unexpected—an enlightenment as sudden and profound as a thunderbolt. Weng Dongqi exclaimed with joy, “I see it—the Heavenly Path! It’s the Heavenly Path!”

His Detta Waves erupted like a volcanic explosion; in a heartbeat, the crimson dragon reformed into his own body. The surrounding light twisted, spread, and scattered.

Chen Tu trembled. “It’s the Surge to Heaven’s Gate! So it’s not a legend—this realm truly exists!”

Beyond martial manifestation lies the Surge to Heaven’s Gate—a mortal’s attempt to open the way to the Heavenly Path, to touch the domain of divinity.

The Heavenly Gate opens; mortals ascend to immortality, uniting with the Way itself!

In the heat of battle, Weng Dongqi, having broken through, was consumed with excitement. He reveled in the tremendous power, throwing his head back in a long, exultant howl.

He reached out, grasping the air, and the very light before him seemed to vibrate like taut threads.

He barely held the laws of physics together around him, for he knew nothing of any law beyond them—should they collapse and he fail to forge new ones, who knew what catastrophe would unfold?

With a glance, he saw countless points, lines, and planes entwined across all things. A mere flick of the wind from his hand sliced a massive boulder apart.

He saw the weakness in all things—the convergence of stress. The power he gained after the Surge to Heaven’s Gate was the Eye of Stress, allowing him to cut through the structure of all things by following the tangled lines of force. Nothing in this world could stand unshaken before him.

Not even Zhang Liaoyuan’s Invulnerable Body.

Zhang Liaoyuan watched in silence. There was no fear or joy in his eyes—only a fathomless sorrow.

He sighed softly. “It’s here.”

“What did you say—no, what is this?” Weng Dongqi felt a sharp pain in his chest; all the energy channels of his body suddenly boiled.

His once-perfect inner world crumbled like a sand sculpture soaked in water. The once flawless energy meridians exploded in an instant.

Adonsa grew suddenly alert, glancing warily around.

He sensed a hidden malice, lurking deep within the world, stirring restlessly all about.

It was like a person suddenly hearing the flow of their own blood—an unnatural terror that sent even Adonsa into a shiver.

This malice came not only from without, but from within Weng Dongqi himself. From the moment he united with the Way—no, from the instant he became a Pulsebearer, perhaps even from the moment of his birth—it had hidden in his heart and his energy channels, watching his every move.

Weng Dongqi abruptly ceased his struggle, a hopeless resignation dawning on his face. “So that’s it… This is not the Heavenly Path. It’s poison. It’s the serpent… No wonder, Zhang Liaoyuan, that you—”

Before he could finish, the Detta Waves enveloping his body lost all signal. His form, under the twisted laws of physics, disintegrated and warped.

Poison and serpent—both classic symbols of deadly venom. Weng Dongqi’s words were both metaphor and, perhaps, a hint at the true mastermind.

When all was done, nothing remained but a shapeless mass of green, gelatinous matter.

There was no need for tests—Adonsa knew that Weng Dongqi’s body had been destroyed down to the atomic level. Not even the smallest fragment of DNA retained its form, hence the jelly-like remains.

Stable physical laws are the foundation of life. Even the slightest change can bring vast, catastrophic consequences. Pulsebearers were like children who’d suddenly learned to wield a gun, always at risk of being undone by their own powers.

But—

Why do Pulsebearers possess such gifts?

Why does this world harbor such forces beyond all sense?

Why can the Detta Waves interfere with the fabric of matter itself?

What sort of consequences might this interference bring?

And what was it that killed Weng Dongqi the moment he broke through?

A thousand new questions flooded Adonsa’s mind. Dimly, he sensed a vast shadow behind all this, gazing cold and indifferent at the planet—a colossal petri dish…

But faced with this outcome, Chen Tu could not accept it. Stunned, he demanded, “What was that? Why would the Surge to Heaven’s Gate end up like this? What did you do to Weng Dongqi?!”

Zhang Liaoyuan sneered, “Fool. Still unwilling to face reality? There is no path beyond martial manifestation. Someone has severed the way.”

Chen Tu shook his head in disbelief. “No, no, no… It’s impossible. Could this truly be the end of the martial path?”

All that Pulsebearers pursued—summed up—was transcendence. Yet, at the moment of transcendence, only self-destruction awaited. Such reality was unbearable for any Pulsebearer; no wonder Chen Tu was so distraught.

Adonsa asked, “Is that… the Heavenly Path?”

Zhang Liaoyuan did not answer. He simply sighed deeply, as if mourning the loss of yet another extraordinary Pulsebearer to the ruin at the path’s end.

Chen Tu remained rooted to the spot. “No, it can’t be. The ultimate martial way should not be like this. The energy channels should be the key to transcendence—how could it be…”

Zhang Liaoyuan no longer paid heed to his disciple. He stepped slowly into the water.

“Adonsa, if you wish to come, then come. I, along with the Black Death Emperor, will be waiting for you.”

In a flash, like starlight, Zhang Liaoyuan vanished from the water’s surface. In that instant, Adonsa sensed a shift in the entire space.

He approached the shore, peering at the underwater grass and the darting fish. Reaching out a tendril, he tapped the water, only to feel the surface turn instantly pitch black, as if opening onto another realm of darkness.

Some shapeless, black substance writhed within, and faintly, black scales glinted in the gloom.

Without further hesitation, Adonsa leapt into the water.

The colossal form of the Chimera made not a single splash—it vanished silently from the world.

At last, Chen Tu collected himself and resolutely dove after them.

The sun drifted slowly across the sky. Waves of spatial distortion gradually subsided.

Then, others began to arrive.

There was Judah and Lin Jicang, along with several familiar faces.

There were also a handful of elite Pulsebearers led by Qi Qiuchan.

And finally, a team whose style was clearly foreign to these lands descended from the sky, plunging into the water.

After this succession of uninvited guests, the surface of the water grew utterly still. No matter how the latecomers disturbed it, there was no response.

Sunlight cast long shadows. On the muddy shore, a trail of unhurried footprints appeared, only to be quietly washed away by the tide.

By the lakeside, a Pulsebearer seemed to sense something, but soon lapsed into a daze, responding absently only when his companion called out.

Ripples shimmered across the surface of the Witchwater. Nothing more changed.

Thus, the expedition to the Black Death Emperor’s Tomb had truly begun.