Chapter 306: The Five Decays of Heaven and Man

After learning about the concept of the Five Decays of Heaven and Man from Daoist Ling Xi, Gu Ning’an compared it to what he had known in his past life about the same term.

There were similarities between the two, yet they were not entirely the same.

In his past life, the Five Decays of Heaven and Man were categorized into greater and lesser declines.

Their manifestations included—clothing becoming filthy, withering of the flower on one’s head, cessation of heavenly music, sudden extinguishing of bodily radiance, and so on.

However, in this world, there was no such distinction between greater and lesser; it was simply referred to as the Five Decays of Heaven and Man. The phenomena it manifested were diverse and nearly irreversible.

Upon reaching the True Immortal Realm, the most significant characteristic was the Three Essences Converging at the Crown (of the head), appearing as a splendid coronet.

When this Three-Essence Crown began to decay, it signified the arrival of the Five Decays of Heaven and Man. As the decay progressed and the coronet completely vanished, the cultivator’s realm would fall accordingly.

Afterward, various strange and bizarre occurrences would follow one after another.

Among the examples Daoist Ling Xi gave Gu Ning’an, a few left a particularly strong impression on him.

For instance, while flying with wind manipulation, a cultivator’s mystical power could suddenly freeze and stagnate, causing them to plummet from the sky; during meditation or sleep, one could be plagued by nightmares, and if their Dao heart was unstable, they might directly fall into demonization; even while simply walking, a cultivator could suddenly be struck by heavenly tribulation, leading to severe injuries or even instant death.

Therefore, once one fell from the True Immortal Realm, the worsening of the Five Decays of Heaven and Man would determine how long they could survive—partly depending on one’s cultivation and mental fortitude, and partly on pure luck.

As the sun set, the tea in the cup formed from white clouds had turned as clear as water.

Gu Ning’an stood up and cupped his hands. “It’s getting late. Many thanks for your hospitality today, Fellow Daoist. I shall take my leave.”

“Very well.” Daoist Ling Xi also stood up and returned the gesture. She then looked toward Half-Moon Lake and asked with a smile, “Those two princes are still waiting for you. Would you like me to drive them away?”

Gu Ning’an waved his hand. “No need. If I wish to leave, how could they possibly stop me?”

Hearing this, Daoist Ling Xi smiled lightly. “Indeed. Safe travels, Mr. Gu.”

“No need to see me off.” With that, Gu Ning’an rose into the air and flew toward Half-Moon Lake in the distance.

In just a short while, his figure disappeared into the white mist above the lake’s surface.

Watching him leave, Daoist Ling Xi couldn’t help but murmur, “How did someone who knows so little about even the basics of the cultivation world reach the True Immortal Realm?”

The night was as dark as ink, and two thousand iron cavalry soldiers coiled like a giant dragon along the shores of Half-Moon Lake.

They were clad in heavy iron armor, wore steel helmets, and wielded long spears and sharp swords. The flames of their torches flickered across their stern faces, casting a deep sense of foreboding.

Behind the cavalry, two princes, along with Royal Prince Ye, sat at a white jade table, drinking tea at their leisure.

The Fifth Prince lounged comfortably against his chair, while his personal maidservant stood behind him, her slender hands skillfully massaging his shoulders. Judging by the relaxed expression on his face, her technique was quite effective.

Across from him, the Third Prince held a wine cup in one hand and rested the other on the table. His gaze occasionally drifted toward Half-Moon Lake.

Ever since Gu Ning’an entered the lake, he had ordered all scattered iron cavalry troops to regroup and stand guard in this location.

Yet, after waiting for several hours, from daylight to nightfall, there had been no movement from the lake.

Even though he had Royal Prince Ye repeatedly attempt to contact Young Princess Ye, they had received no response.

Draining the strong wine in his cup, the Third Prince glanced at his younger brother, whose demeanor resembled that of a useless noble, and couldn’t help but speak:

“Fifth Brother, wouldn’t it be better if you refrained from fighting for the throne and simply became a leisurely royal prince?”

“Beautiful women and fine wine—you would not lack either.”

“So why must you insist on competing with me for this position?”

Hearing this, the Fifth Prince reached out to guide his maidservant’s hands to a different pressure point and said, “Press here.” Only then did he slowly respond:

“Third Brother, that’s the imperial throne—the seat of the Son of Heaven!”

“Who wouldn’t want to sit there?”

“To be honest, I didn’t want to at first… but Father, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, Fourth Brother… they’re all dead. Now, it’s just you and me competing.”

“Even if you have the upper hand, I still have to fight for it!”

“Take Uncle for example—living as a leisurely royal prince, free and unrestrained… but does he really have freedom? The moment he does anything of significance, isn’t he immediately watched by hundreds of Father’s spies?”

“It’s as if they were afraid he’d usurp the throne…”

“When our cousin entered the immortal sect, you saw how Father nearly had our uncle confined within the imperial city…”

“That kind of life—I don’t want to live it…”

As the two brothers continued their discussion, dragging him into the conversation, Royal Prince Ye smiled helplessly. “You two are talking about your own affairs—don’t bring me into it.”

“Sigh…” The Fifth Prince let out a long sigh. “Uncle, tell me the truth—now that Father is dead, if there were no other princes left, wouldn’t you naturally ascend the throne?”

“Don’t you covet the imperial seat?”

At these words, a fleeting glimmer flashed in Royal Prince Ye’s eyes, but he quickly responded with a chuckle. “I’m too old. Even if I wanted to compete with you younger ones, I wouldn’t be able to keep up.”

“Why? Are you asking because you think your uncle has ambitions for the throne as well?”

The Fifth Prince narrowed his eyes, smirked, and remained silent.

Across from him, the Third Prince downed his cup of wine in one gulp and solemnly said, “Fifth Brother, speaking from my heart, as your elder brother, I truly don’t wish for us to turn against each other. If you willingly withdraw, I will immediately draft a decree, promising never to monitor you. You’ll have your freedom to do as you please—what do you say?”

“A decree?” The Fifth Prince suddenly gripped the hand of his attendant maid, opened his eyes, and sneered at the Third Prince. “How did our eldest brother die? Killed by his own father… Can an emperor’s words be trusted?”

“Changing decrees at a whim is nothing unusual.”

“Third Brother, if you truly don’t want us to turn against each other, why not withdraw yourself?”

“If that happens, forget a single decree—I’d draft a thousand, ten thousand for you. How about that?”

“Sigh… I’ve said all I can. If you insist, so be it…” The Third Prince set down his wine cup, appearing deeply troubled, then rose and walked toward the shore of Half-Moon Lake.

At that very moment, a voice filled with amusement rang out from the front.

“Even at this late hour, are you all still waiting for me?”

Hearing this, the elite cavalry, who had been on high alert, immediately took formation—bows drawn, arrows nocked, blades unsheathed.

In an instant, a suffocating killing intent filled the air!

At the same time, Gu Ning’an emerged from the white mist, landing lightly on the lakeshore. He swept his gaze around and said in a calm voice,

“You are all battlefield-honed elites—how is it that you can so easily turn your blades upon the very people you were meant to protect?”