I Ruined the Long Ao Tian Script-Chapter 148

The Southern Heavenly Gate

On this day, a deafening roar shook the heavens, shattering the eternal tranquility that had long defined immortal life.

Xu Shulou felt as if the entire realm trembled beneath her feet, and she couldn’t help but silently applaud the efficiency of her companions.

Truly, they were worthy of having ascended to immortality—bold and resourceful. It had taken little persuasion on her part, and once they heard her plan, one among them, who had been an alchemist before his ascension, even concocted black powder, which they then planted in various corners of the celestial realm.

"What’s happening? What’s going on?"

In the Hundred Flowers Garden, a rain of debris came crashing down. Xu Shulou swiftly snatched her wine cup and a flask from the table before they could be crushed.

"The stars are falling! This must be a sign of the heavens collapsing!" Xu Shulou mingled among the crowd, deliberately mislabeling the rubble as falling stars, spreading rumors with practiced ease. It seemed that after centuries of peace, the immortals had grown too trusting—no one questioned the origins of those stones.

After laying the groundwork, Xu Shulou cleared her throat, ready to escalate the chaos with an even wilder fabrication, when Xi'e suddenly seized her arm. "Come with me," she said.

Xu Shulou followed her through the bewildered crowd until they reached a secluded spot.

"I’ve seen you with those people," Xi'e cut straight to the point. "Tell me the truth—is this your doing?"

"Perhaps a little."

"Why?" Xi'e looked disappointed. "I thought you were someone who knew how to enjoy life."

"Likewise," Xu Shulou replied, still cradling her beloved wine cup. "Mortals have a saying: ‘You may know a person’s face, but not their heart.’ Have you been among the heavens so long that you’ve forgotten such earthly wisdom?"

"You’re just bored. You need a hobby."

"My hobby is grand spectacles."

"You—you’ll cause panic!"

Xu Shulou scoffed. "Please. These are people who ascended to immortality. If they can’t handle a little excitement, what’s the point?"

"What do you really want?"

"The truth."

"The truth will only destroy you."

"So you do know something," Xu Shulou smiled. "It seems you spend your days not in pursuit of pleasure, but in hiding secrets."

"..."

Xi'e stared at her in silence. Xu Shulou met her gaze unflinchingly until, finally, Xi'e relented. "I’ll tell you the truth."

"Oh?"

"But only you," Xi'e added. "On one condition—you make those people stop."

"No."

"No?"

Xu Shulou drained her cup. "Are you the only one who knows the truth? If we turn the heavens upside down, someone else will talk. Why should I bargain with you? What leverage do you have? Or do you possess the power to silence me?"

Her last words dripped with mockery. Xi'e, unused to dealing with such defiance, fell silent again.

Xu Shulou rapped her knuckles on the table. "Well? Speak. If your reasons are good enough, I might even help you."

"Fine," Xi'e gritted her teeth. "I’ll tell you."

"Go on."

"A thousand years ago, it wasn’t just the path back to the mortal realm that was sealed. There was another passage… upward."

"Upward? To where?"

"No one knows," Xi'e said bitterly. "Perhaps it leads to the very heavens you speak of—the ones with the Supreme Old Lord and the Moon Goddess."

"Why was it sealed?"

"I don’t know."

"Why keep it hidden?"

"We’re trapped here—unable to ascend or descend. Don’t you understand? Everyone could have been happy, but if they knew the truth, how could they bear the despair?"

Xu Shulou arched an eyebrow.

Xi'e studied her face. "Your expression tells me you disagree."

"I do."

"What would you have done differently?"

"Unite everyone’s strength to forge a path," Xu Shulou declared. "If the passage can’t be opened, then blast through the heavens. Why wait for death?"

"..."

"Don’t look at me like that," Xu Shulou waved a finger. "This time, I’m certain—my way is the rational one."

"You make it sound easy. We tried to open the passage," Xi'e’s voice trembled with sorrow. "The three strongest among us volunteered to explore it. They never returned. The seal remains—if they couldn’t break it, they must be lost in time. I didn’t want the same to happen to you. Is that wrong?"

"I’m willing to take the risk."

"Why? Isn’t this peaceful existence enough?" Xi'e pleaded. "We all worked so hard to ascend. Why throw it away for nothing?"

"Does a slow death hurt any less?" Xu Shulou countered. "I could live carefree now, but what of a thousand years from now? What if I grow weary of this life, my strength fades, and I no longer have the will to fight? What then?"

"..."

"Take me to this passage."

This time, Xi'e didn’t refuse. Xu Shulou and the other "madmen" who had helped bomb the heavens followed her to the edge of the celestial realm.

There, ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‍a dim pillar of light pierced through the firmament, its ends vanishing into infinity.

Xu Shulou tied a long silk ribbon around her waist and handed the other end to the group. "When you feel me tug, pull me back."

"You’re really going in?"

"My mind’s made up."

Once they had a firm grip, Xu Shulou leaped into the light.

The sensation was like plunging into a vat of thick, gelatinous glue. Struggling to move, she looked around and spotted a faintly glowing barrier above her. Beneath it floated three motionless figures.

Xu Shulou swam toward them and saw their eyes wide open—horrifyingly, they were still conscious.

According to Xi'e, they had been trapped here for nearly a millennium. To be aware yet unable to move or speak, imprisoned in their own bodies amidst nothingness…

Quickly, she untied the ribbon and fastened it around each of them, signaling Xi'e and the others to pull them out.

Then she turned toward the barrier. Moving through the viscous space, she felt her motions growing sluggish—so subtly that one might miss it in the heat of the moment. The three before her had likely been studying the seal with minimal movement, unaware until it was too late.

Xu Shulou set a mental timer—about the length of a cup of tea. She began counting. No matter what she found, once time was up, she would retreat.

But the moment her fingers touched the shimmering barrier, the ring on her finger—the Must-See Ring—flashed with light, and she was abruptly pulled inside.

For an instant, she thought she saw a rainbow, its vibrant hues rushing toward her before streaking past her sides. Only a heartbeat later did she realize—it wasn’t the colors that were moving at such speed, but herself.

When the swirling colors finally settled, her vision cleared to reveal a breathtaking sight: golden rays piercing through crimson mists, auspicious vapors unfurling in violet tendrils.

In the distance, towering above all, stood a majestic gate. At its zenith, an inscribed plaque bore three unmistakable characters: "Southern Heavenly Gate."

Xu Shulou’s eyes widened in awe.

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