Free Web NovelChapter 203: Heretics
Ye Jun was genuinely surprised to hear that, and the same went for Song Liangxue. The silence stretched across the underground vault, the dense, concentrated Qi humming quietly around the massive shelves of forbidden artifacts.
But as the initial shock receded, his mind began to trace the logic of the revelation. If he thought about it calmly, it was only natural. The prophetic dream he had witnessed about the Convergence had placed an immense, absolute emphasis on the Monarchs.
In those fragmented memories of the apocalyptic sky, they were the towering pillars who repelled the encroaching madness every single time. Nothing else seemed to work. Not the massive armies of sects, not the high-tier array formations, and not the combined strength of the Saint Realm powerhouses.
Yet, a deeper, more troubling question surfaced in his thoughts. Just how strong were the true Monarchs? And more importantly, just how terrifying was the Convergence itself if even those seven legendary beings could only manage to stall it and push it back into the void, rather than defeating it completely?
Each cycle merely bought the world another hundred years before the factory reset triggered again. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
Song Yanyan caught the subtle shift in his expression and smiled faintly, though her eyes remained sharp beneath the pale blue torchlight.
"The true state of the world is a closely guarded secret, dear," she said, her dark silk sleeves rustling as she lightly rested her fingers on the ancient beast-hide ledger. "The current Monarch Clans are actively pretending to still possess true Monarch powerhouses, hiding the reality of their hollow state from the rest of the world. They have their reasons for this theatrical display. Foremost among them is the threat of the Heretics."
Song Liangxue frowned, her regal gaze shifting from the handwritten scrolls to her mother. "The Heretics? What truly are they, Mother? You have already mentioned them so many times, but what even are they? Why do even the Monarch Clans fear them?" freёwebnovel.com
Song Yanyan shrugged her shoulders slightly, a touch of genuine helplessness softening her mature features. "To be completely honest, nobody really knows their exact nature aside from the core leadership of the Monarch Clans themselves. What we do know is that the Heretics are a group of people... an ancient cult, if you will...that has existed since time immemorial. Their origin is entirely untraceable, and their ultimate goals remain completely blank to outside intelligence."
She stepped around the heavy stone table, her expression turning deeply serious. "But they have one definitive behavior. They actively attempt to wipe out every single trace, record, or artifact related to the Convergence. It is as if they do not want the cultivators of this world to know about the absolute Apocalypse they will inevitably face. They are incredibly mysterious, highly organized, and terrifyingly powerful. Our scouts have confirmed that they possess a few Saint Realm powerhouses within their ranks."
She paused, her voice dropping into a quiet, chilling whisper. "And my greatest fear is that they might even have Half-Step or Quasi-Monarch Realm cultivators hiding in the shadows. That is the primary reason why even the proud Monarch Clans are incredibly hesitant to launch an all-out purge against them. But this is only a theory. The world hasn’t seen a true Quasi-Monarch make a public appearance since the ancient era concluded. If it wasn’t for certain hidden signs and broken seals left behind in the ruins of the outer provinces, our ancestors wouldn’t even know such monsters existed."
Turning her focus entirely toward Ye Jun, Song Yanyan’s gaze became heavy with maternal concern. "Which is why you must be extra careful, Ye Jun. This is the first time in the history of our clan’s records that I have heard of an active legacy left behind by the Convergence, a legacy that reacts directly to a person. I am certain that neither the Heretics nor the Monarch Clans are currently aware of its existence. If they were, they would have already deployed their absolute strength to destroy it before you could even leave the White Gale Pavilion. But the moment you trigger something massive, you will become their primary target."
She let out a soft sigh, but then a spark of profound anticipation lit up her eyes. "However, this is also an incredibly important piece of news. A variable that could change the entire board. Every single Song Clan head before me has been deeply worried about the impending Convergence. We knew it was coming eventually, but how could we prepare to deal with a world-ending event when we possessed so little information?"
She leaned forward slightly, a proud smile gracing her lips. "But with you, Ye Jun, everything changes. You are a living key. Through your legacy, we might be able to gather a massive amount of actionable intelligence regarding the nature of the crisis without actually alerting the Monarch Clans or drawing the eyes of the Heretics. You are our greatest hidden card."
"I understand," Ye Jun replied, nodding slowly. Inwardly, he couldn’t help but think, *’Great. No pressure at all. I just went from a target of a local inner peak elder to the prime target of a continent-flattening ancient cult. As if the Monarch Clans weren’t enough. Just six months ago, my greatest concern was a Qi Condensation Realm Cultivator.’*
Still, his face remained completely steady, his bold, unbothered nature refusing to let the scale of the threat break his composure.
"That is why you must exercise extreme caution when you enter the Heaven Opening Chasm," Song Yanyan warned, her tone turning into a strict command.
"It’s different this time. Previously, it was a simple Secret Realm, a very desired one but nothing more. Now the chasm is directly related to the fractures of the Convergence, it seems. It can be an incredibly dangerous zone, far beyond what the standard orthodox and unorthodox disciples expect. Do not let your guard down for even a fraction of a breath."
Seeing the sudden, heavy tension settling over both her daughter and her son-in-law, Song Yanyan’s strict expression instantly collapsed, reverting back into her sweet, extroverted warmth. She reached out, playfully patting Ye Jun’s shoulder with a bright chuckle.
"But inside our domain, you don’t need to carry the weight of the entire heavens on your shoulders just yet," she said reassuringly. "The ultimate future of the realm might depend on the growth of you young variables, but the weight of the present still rests squarely on the shoulders of your elders. Let your mother-in-law handle the external variables, the clan politics, and the deployment of our border forces. I promise you that as long as the Frostwall stands, I will handle everything out here to keep the field clear for your growth."
"Thank you. With your backing, I can focus entirely on refining my path," Ye Jun offered a sincere, grateful bow, genuinely touched by the absolute, protective nature of the northern matriarch. Song Liangxue beside him also relaxed her posture, her hand tightly squeezing his fingers in a silent show of unity.
But as the immediate tactical plans settled, a lingering, fundamental blind spot remained in their understanding. Ye Jun and Song Liangxue exchanged a quick look before turning back to the Matriarch.
"Senior," Ye Jun spoke up, his voice serious as he looked into her dark eyes. But before he could continue, Song Yanyan stopped him.
She pouted, "Are you still going to call me with such informal titles? I’ve already given you the biggest secret of my clan, yet you don’t even consider me your family."
’Damn! Why is this grown up women so cute!’ Ye Jun’s lips twitched, as he said, "I’m sorry but I can’t call you mother. I just can’t give that name to anyone else."
That was the one thing he could do to honour the previous Ye Jun. The man had lived a terrible life and died for him. It was the least thing to do.
Song Yanyan’s expression softened as she said, "Just call me Yanyan then. This little rascal already calls me that whenever she gets unruly."
Beside him, Song Liangxue rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything.
"Fine, then. Yanyan," Ye Jun sighed and said. "You’ve explained the hierarchy, the hidden factions, and the history of the cycles. But throughout all of this, we still don’t know the exact nature of the core threat. We know the Convergence is a world-ending event, but what truly is it? What does the term actually represent?"
Song Yanyan’s playful smile vanished instantly. The ambient warmth radiating from her flame affinity seemed to drop, replaced by a cold, solemn gravity that made the pale blue torches flicker wildly against the dark mountain stone.
She looked at both of them, her expression completely empty of any previous warmth as she delivered the absolute truth.
"The Convergence is not a natural disaster, nor is it a simple spatial defect, Ye Jun," Song Yanyan said, her voice hollow and heavier than the stone walls surrounding them. "The Convergence is the literal, physical death of our world. It is the moment the universe decides to breathe out, and everything we have built is pulled back into the absolute void."
