Ashes of the Ruined Gate

This chapter is the **real watershed** in the book, completely ending the foreshadowing in the early stage and officially kicking off the main plot battle of the book. If walking out of the dungeon in the previous chapter was the farewell between Wei Jin and his young and gentle self**, then this chapter is a complete transformation in which he confronts all the people in public and overturns the millennium trend, completely taking up his identity as a Taoist and no longer giving in, being complacent, or compromising with compassion. The former Wei Jin endured, yielded, remained silent, and carried on. After being imprisoned for nineteen years, he did not defend his stigma, and he did not complain about the world when he was reviled. Even if he suffered all the injustice, he always retained a trace of hope for the recovery of people's hearts. But after exposing the thousand-year-old scam of the elders with his own eyes and seeing clearly the greed and viciousness of the top dignitaries, his final softness was completely frozen. He does not hate the ignorant people. He knows very well that the people are just victims of thousands of years of lies. They are blind and helpless, so he neither kills nor gets angry, nor defends nor disputes. But he will never allow hypocritical people in power to kill people with righteousness or steal the law of heaven. The core line of this chapter - "I am not guilty" - is the reversal of mentality in the entire book. Thousands of people were convicted, thousands of years of rules were finalized, and the general situation crushed him to death, but he still stood upright and proud. The world kidnapped him for the safety of all peoples and the orthodoxy of heaven, so he would use the right way to destroy the illusion, and use his true body to sacrifice thousands of years of lies. Shi Mang's struggle is also the focus of this chapter's hidden plot. He is a sober person in the game, able to see through right and wrong, but he is tightly bound by the righteousness of his family and country. He watches helplessly as justice is obliterated and good people are convicted. This sense of powerlessness is a key foreshadowing of the subsequent role reversal. From this chapter on, there are no forbearing prisoners, only Wei Jin who is responsible for the liquidation. The foreshadowing is completely over, the altar killing game has officially begun, the millennium scam has been revealed layer by layer, and the revenge and enlightenment of the Taoist has begun. Please bookmark and vote for recommendations, let's start the next chapter with high energy!

This chapter is an important turning point in the whole book, and it is the moment when Wei Jin truly escapes from the prison. In the last chapter, we stayed in the memories of the fifteen-year-old dungeon. We saw the softness and expectation he once had, and in this chapter, the old dream fell to pieces and the boy completely said goodbye to his past self. When I wrote the character Shi Mang, I deliberately did not make him a pure villain. It was true that he gave me cotton furs in the snow, and now he is ordered to detain someone, and he feels guilty and struggling in his heart. He is not betraying, but is bound by "ethnic justice" and coerced by lies that have been circulated for thousands of years. It is this inability to do anything that makes it even more cruel - even the only light in the darkness finally stood on the opposite side. Wei Jin didn't hate him, it wasn't because he was generous, it was because he no longer had hope in people's hearts. The section of walking out of the dungeon and stepping into the light of day is my favorite section. He has not seen the sun for nineteen years, but the sunshine can no longer warm his heart. The shackles had been broken silently, and no one needed to untie them. His liberation came from the awakening of his own Taoist heart, not from charity from others. Many readers will expect the fight to begin right after exiting the dungeon, but I deliberately suppressed the conflict. At this moment, Wei Jin's goal was not to kill for revenge, but to go to the altar and tear apart the millennium scam in public. Everyone is waiting to see the disaster star be punished, but they don't know that what they are waiting for is the keeper of the false law. In the next chapter, there will be a confrontation at the altar, and the conflict will escalate. The true face of the elders and the secrets of the Xumen will be gradually revealed. Thanks for reading this. Please vote for recommendations and favorites. See you at the altar.

This chapter is a critical review before the decisive battle in the whole volume. There is no fierce fighting, and the focus is on the contrast between people's hearts. The previous chapter, Chapter 14, describes how Wei Jin realized the Tao in one night in prison, uncovered the conspiracy of the elders that had been planned for thousands of years, and the Taoist heart fell into silence. And in this chapter, I use the dim light of dawn to connect with old dreams, look back at my fifteen-year-old self, and reveal the softness and expectation he once had. The fifteen-year-old Wei Jin is the most distressing stage in the book. He was not born cold and decisive. He had been imprisoned for a long time and the entire clan was scolded by him, but he had silently accepted them all. He would even blame himself and believe that his own scars were a disaster. His forbearance is not surrender, but a meager hope in his heart - he believes that his ancestors' precepts are righteous, he believes that his people still have conscience, and he believes that as long as he keeps to himself, he will eventually be forgiven. Shi Mang walked in the snow late at night to spy, and his words "I don't believe you are the disaster star" were the only fire in the darkness, supporting the young man through countless cold winters. I wrote this memory to form a strong contrast with the current Wei Jin. That glimmer of light at that time convinced him that people's hearts were warm. But the long years have worn away all expectations, and Shi Mang, who was willing to believe in him back then, finally stood opposite the altar. It's not that Shi Mang is born hypocritical, it's the millennia-old prejudices of the Shu clan and the righteousness woven by the elders that have enveloped everyone. This betrayal is far more piercing than simple persecution. Memories come to an end and old dreams are shattered. Wei Jin no longer longs for the understanding and kindness of others, and no longer puts his hope in people's introspection. In the past, he forbeared to atone for his sins, but now he holds the sword and preaches the truth. From a young prisoner waiting for forgiveness from the world to a liquidator who has broken through thousands of years of illusion, the character's state of mind has completely changed. In the next chapter, the memories come to an end, the dungeon is officially walked out, the confrontation begins at the ruins ceremony, and the conflict completely breaks out. Thanks for reading, please bookmark and recommend.

This chapter is a crucial chapter on accumulating strength on the eve of the decisive battle. The focus is on two levels of transformation: one is the external growth of Wei Jin's physical body and sword power, and the other is the final settlement of his Taoist heart. In the previous chapters, Wei Jin's power has always been triggered by the Tao Bone instinct, which is a passive salvation. And during this night of body tempering in the dungeon, he took the initiative to control his Tao Yun, polished the Ruinshu Sword with his own hands, and completed the transformation from "a martyr pushed by fate" to "a sword-wielding person who enlightens the Tao." I did not write about the big fight, but placed it in a small and dark stone room, and used stillness to describe the strength. The restrained edge is far more powerful than the shocking vision. The secret discussions among the elders on the other side of the wall are no longer fragmentary rumors, but a complete top-level conspiracy. Lou Yuan's group of people are not simply ignorant and paranoid, but they are consciously committing evil. They saw through the truth, but deliberately tampered with the ancestral precepts, weaved lies, and took advantage of the family's desire for stability to package the sacrifices into the righteousness of protecting the ruins. At the same time, they accurately targeted conscientious generals like Shi Mang, and used ethnic justice and eternal infamy to bind people's hearts. This set of calculations is the foundation for the millennium scam to continue from generation to generation. Wei Jin was not angry after hearing the conspiracy, which is the key to the mood of this chapter. His last illusion of warmth towards the ethnic group was completely shattered, and he no longer hoped that others would wake up, and no longer longed for the ethnic group's understanding. The elders bet on power, people's hearts, and the overall situation; Wei Jin bet on the way to protect the ruins through the ages, and his true heart. The sentence "You bet on the game, I'll bet on the road" is the position he chose. The next chapter will cut into memory fragments, looking back at the time when Wei Jin was young and still full of expectations, using the warmth of the past to contrast with the coldness of the dungeon at the moment, further fleshing out the characters and paving the way for the confrontation on the altar. Thanks for reading, please bookmark and recommend.

This chapter lays out the complete layout of the elders' side. It is no longer just fragmentary rumors, but a set of interlocking calculations. Lou Yuan not only wanted to kill Wei Jin, but also manipulated people's hearts, divided the generals, tampered with formations, and used the faith of the ethnic group to complete the secrets and maintain the millennium scam. Wei Jin's state of mind is the focus of this chapter. After hearing all this, he still did not get angry, nor was he numb, but he completely understood that this was not a temporary prejudice, but a conspiracy that has been continued from generation to generation. The people at the bottom were deceived, but the elders knew good and evil and still chose to do evil. This sober despicability was the core of the conflict. The phrase "You bet on the game, I'll bet on the road" is the focus of Wei Jin's state of mind. The elders bet on people's hearts, power, and the established overall situation; while Wei Jin relies on the Tao of the eternal ruins, the sword and his own heart that he has sharpened. The next chapter turns to memories, completing the fragments of Wei Jin's youth, explaining why he still had a glimmer of hope for the clan in the past, and forming a strong contrast with his current mood, paving the way for the final emotional preparation on the altar. Thanks for reading, please bookmark and recommend.

This chapter is a chapter on accumulating energy on the eve of the decisive battle. The core is about Wei Jin's internal and external cultivation. The previous chapter was just about taking shape with the sword. This chapter completes the foundation of the physical body, turning him from a state of relying on Tao Yun's instinctive explosion to a Taoist who can control his own power. There is no elixir or external force, and he can only harden his body with the Taoist rhyme of the ruins. This kind of desperate practice can further highlight his tenacity honed in nineteen years in prison. Through the secret talks between high-level military generals, the truth about the Tao Devouring Formation was completely revealed, and the contradictions in the story were brought to a climax. The lower-level soldiers were deceived, but the elders and higher-ups were informed predators. The contrast between the two levels of people's hearts made the garrison's millennium lies no longer simple ignorance, but a conspiracy that has been continued from generation to generation. Wei Jin remained calm after hearing the conspiracy. He was not numb, but all illusions were completely cut off and his Taoist heart was completely stable. At the end, the sky first appeared, leaving the suspense to the high platform for the sacrifice to the ruins. In the next chapter, you will walk out of the dungeon, climb onto the altar, confront the elders head-on, and the conflict will officially break out. Thanks for reading, please bookmark and recommend.

This chapter is the starting point for Wei Jin's true independent practice, which is completely different from the previous passive burst of Tao Yun at the top of the city. The battle at the top of the city was more of an instinctive act of protecting the world when the Taoist bones were taking shape; and in the long dark night in the dungeon, he endured the severe pain of the ruins scars that eroded his heart, alone dismantled the scattered and broken war memories of his ancestors throughout the ages, and polished his own ruin-keeping knife with his own hands. I deliberately weakened the external opportunities. There is no secret book or mentor. The inheritance is just the afterimage of countless martyrs left in the soul. He had to peel out the essence of killing moves from a bunch of chaotic battlefield memories, and he also had to take the initiative to abandon the rigid martial arts that had been instilled in him for generations by the garrison clan. This period of training not only trains the muscle and bone sword skills, but also the Taoist mind. The patrolman's dialogue is the key information of this chapter. The decision to sacrifice was made public through the private chats of the lower-level guards. One of them is shaken, while the other clings to the ancestral precepts. The two mentalities correspond to the state of the vast majority of the people in Xuguan - not all of them are evil, but most of them will acquiesce in sacrificing Wei Jin out of fear. When Wei Jin heard the news of the sacrifice, he didn't roar in anger, only indifference. This calmness is not innately cold-blooded, but a state of mind that has settled after being imprisoned for nineteen years and having good intentions trampled on again and again. He no longer longed for excuses, and had already made up his mind to break the situation by sacrificing the ruins at the high platform. The next chapter will continue the main line of dungeon body training, and at the same time, the conspiracy of the elders will reveal more details, allowing the foreshadowing of the underground Dao Devouring Formation to continue to ferment. Thanks for reading, please bookmark and recommend.

After the battle at the top of the city, Wei Jin's Taoist heart completed his transformation and no longer longed for the understanding of his tribe. His goal changed from "proving his innocence" to personally exposing the millennium scam. Shi Mang's subplot is the core of this chapter. He is not a born rebel. After witnessing the truth with his own eyes, he struggled to break free from the shackles of his ancestral precepts. He represents the type of people in the Shu clan who still have conscience, who are loyal and perseverant, but were blinded by lies in the past. He chose to stand up, not simply to defend Jin, but to be loyal to the true right path in his heart. This change was written more realistically and contrasted with the numbness of the other tribesmen. At the same time, this chapter completely reveals the underlying settings of the Devouring Dao Formation, and it is no longer just a foreshadowing. It was pointed out that the root cause of the Thousand Years of Stability of the Shu Clan was not sacrifices, but the stolen Taoist bones of generations of ruin keepers. The greed of the elders was no longer a guess but turned into a confirmed conspiracy. Transform the conflict from a battle of ideas to a millennium of plunder and massacre. Shen Yan still maintained his position as a bystander and did not directly rescue people. What he wanted was not to save Wei Jin's life, but to let Wei Jin complete the final tempering of his Taoist heart in a desperate situation where everyone despised him and the ancient formation devoured the Tao. Only in desperate situations can one achieve enlightenment, and external help will damage the foundation of the Taoist body. The next chapter officially begins the drama of sacrifice to the ruins on the high platform, the Tao Devouring Formation is activated, Wei Jin faces Lou Yuan and the entire clan's garrison, a head-on conflict breaks out, and the millennium scam is revealed in public. Thanks for reading, please vote for favorites.

The wavering of the soldiers at the top of the city was a real struggle: they saw Wei Jin save Xuguan with their own eyes, and they felt guilty in their hearts. However, the ancestral precepts that had been instilled in them for a long time and the pain of Pao Ze's death could easily be reincarnated by the elders' fearful words. There are no black and white good guys and bad guys. The blind obedience and vacillation of ordinary people are the truest human hearts. Shi Mang's change of mind also fell in this period. He was no longer a simple soldier of the Shu tribe, and he saw clearly that the real problem of the Shu tribe was not the evil spirit, but the millennia of lies spun by those in power to maintain their power. The biggest breaking point in this chapter is the revelation of the truth about the sacrifice to the ruins. In the past, readers would have thought that the elders were just ignorant and conservative. This chapter directly reveals that they were not deceived, but actively participated in the Millennium Tao Devouring Scam. The Ruins Sacrifice Ceremony was a trap used to devour the Taoist bones of the ruins from the beginning. Lou Yuan's greed and the other elders' hesitance to compromise escalated the conflict from a "battle of ideas" to a life-and-death situation. Shen Yan still remained a bystander, not intervening or directly rescuing people. What he wants is not to simply save Wei Jin, but to allow Wei Jin to complete the transformation of his Taoist heart in a desperate situation. At the end of the dungeon, Wei Jin completed his emotional farewell, let go of his expectations for his people, no longer wanted to prove himself, and was completely independent in his heart. The next chapter is the Dawn Sacrifice Ceremony. The Dao Devouring Formation on the high platform is activated, and the frontal battle begins. Wei Jin faces the entire garrison clan and the thousand-year-old ancient formation. Thanks for reading, please vote for favorites.

This chapter is the first time that Wei Jin has shown the original power of Shou Xu in public since the bones of Shou Xu appeared in the world. There is no deliberately designed shocking fight, and the focus is on the contradiction between people's hearts that the policeman has seen with his own eyes but refuses to admit. The suppression of the evil tide is just a symptom. The real conflict has shifted from the fight between humans and evil spirits to the game between faith and authority. When the soldiers saw Wei Jin suppressing the evil with their own eyes, suspicion quietly took root in their hearts; but the elders were tied to the old ancestral precepts. Even if the facts were in front of them, they could only forcefully distort the truth and describe the Tao as a witchcraft. This feeling of powerlessness that even though the truth is right in front of you, yet prejudice can still overwhelm the facts you see, is the focus of what I want to write about. Shi Mang's branch line completes his inner transformation in this chapter. He no longer blindly follows the elders of the clan, and sees clearly that the real fear of the Shu clan is not the Xu Sha, but the truth that will shake their authority. Shen Yan still maintained a bystander posture. He did not interfere and waited quietly for Wei Jin to complete this level alone. The foreshadowing of the chess game continued to be buried in the ancient formation under the Xuguan. At the end, the agreement to sacrifice to the ruins was made, and Wei Jin chose not to escape. This was not because he was impulsive, but because he had given up his expectations for his people and wanted to face this thousand-year-old false order. The perspective of the next chapter will shift back to the Xuguan, describing the undercurrents surging in the city after the war. The elders secretly prepare for the Xuxu sacrifice formation, and slowly reveal the secrets hidden in the ancient formation. Thank you readers for your company, and I look forward to your collection and recommendation votes.