Yin Ren didn’t pay attention to the rabbit’s small movements.
Sealing the Evil Force came first, followed by drawing the blood array. He was extremely weak. His red robes scattered on the ground, like withered petals. Yin Ren sat in the rain, and the burning incense reflected three dots of light in his eyes.
The rain continued to pour, and raindrops pattered on the umbrella above the rabbit’s head. Yin Ren made no attempt to shelter himself, allowing his entire body to be drenched. The imposing aura he had as the Great Celestial Master was now gone, and he even appeared “feeble”.
The army had already climbed up the cliff, and the leading soldiers saw the divine altar, cautiously halting their steps. The cliff was sealed off by the Gouluo army, and the previously gray-black ground was now filled with a dense mass of people, like a scorched wasteland.
The members of the Shian looked at the scene in the illusion, speechless.
They all knew that if Yin Ren instinctively sought survival, he could summon his army of evils here. As long as he used the evil spirits as cannon fodder, he could escape even if he walked away.
But he was sitting there all alone, clearly determined to die.
However, when facing death, the Great Celestial Master wasn’t the fearless figure they had heard of in legends. Yin Ren seemed more like the Yin Ren they knew.
When making his wish, his voice sounded relaxed yet nervous, as if trying out a new game in an amusement park.
“My wish shouldn’t be difficult to fulfill.”
Yin Ren cleared his throat and bargained with the unseen deities in the void.
“The change of dynasties has nothing to do with me, and I have no interest in the greater justice of the mortal realm. It’s just that the orphaned children and the successors of my hometown, whom I have taken care of, are all hiding in the mountains during this chaotic era. After my death, no one will be able to protect them and ensure their safety.”
These words were beyond the comprehension of the black rabbit. It half-opened its mouth on its neck, and a small piece of apple fell out.
“I hope those children can live well and grow old in peace.”
Yin Ren’s attention was fully focused on the dwindling incense.
With this simple statement, the rabbit finally understood. Ignoring the rain outside the umbrella, the black rabbit hopped onto the divine altar. It stretched its body with great effort to reach the other half of the apple on the offering plate.
Yin Ren chuckled.
“What? Do you want to be recognized? If you want to become a gatekeeper rabbit, it’s not impossible for me to worship you now, if you’d like.”
He just thought that the rabbit hadn’t eaten enough and gently touched its damp body. The three incense sticks were almost burnt out, leaving only a short stub in the incense burner. The cultivators of the Gouluo army around them were casting spells frantically, and the fluctuations of their magic grew stronger, surrounded by dazzling golden light.
“Regardless, it’s time for you to go,” Yin Ren sighed.
The rabbit finally stopped reaching for the apple, but it clung to the divine altar and didn’t come down. “Where should I go?”
“To the mortal realm.”
“What is the mortal realm like?”
“…I’ve never truly been there.” Yin Ren closed his eyes. “The people outside who are surrounding us are a part of the mortal realm. Those who cultivate and produce these sweet fruits are also part of the mortal realm. Over the years, I have heard about the bloodshed and worldly affairs. To be honest, I’m not sure what it’s really like.”
The rabbit remained motionless.
“Well, you can’t understand such complicated matters.” Yin Ren smiled. “In any case, it’s a lively place worth experiencing.”
“Worth experiencing.” The rabbit seemed to understand but repeated the words like a playback device.
“Yes, when you enter the world, remember to protect yourself.”
Yin Ren glanced again at the incense that was about to burn out.
“No matter how powerful evil spirits are, there’s always a way to deal with them.”
Rabbit: “Oh.”
It stood steadily in the center of the divine altar, carrying the small package containing the Evil Fruit on its back. Its furry body showed no signs of breathing.
At this moment, the three incense sticks in the incense burner went out, and the thin green smoke dissipated in the raindrops, leaving only clumps of ashes. The arrays of the enemy cultivators were right in front of them, and within the radiance, everything in the world appeared white, like ashes.
“It’s time to eradicate the strongest Evil Spirit,” Yin Ren whispered, brushing off the raindrops on the rabbit’s body. “Thank you for these years…”
Finally, his gaze turned to the half-red fruit on the offering plate, and his cracked and bleeding lips moved slowly.
“It’s a rare offering, but I didn’t get to taste it in the end.”
As the enemy forces closed in, Yin Ren slowly touched his throat with one hand. His Adam’s apple moved, his fingers turned pale, and they trembled noticeably.
“If there is a next life, I truly hope to eat it every day…”
The rabbit’s body twitched on the divine altar.
In the next moment, the brilliance of the magic array flashed, and Yin Ren’s throat was opened by his own spell.
The once extraordinary Great Celestial Master fell to the ground, and the spurting blood instantly covered the stone slabs, splashing onto the rabbit’s entire body. As the abundant blood poured down, the massive array on the cliff suddenly activated, and distant red lights illuminated the surroundings.
The blood also activated the spell on the package, and the Evil Fruit flew towards the sky.
However, the rabbit bound by it didn’t fly away together. After a tearing sound of fabric, the Evil Fruit flew alone into the distance. The peculiar rabbit, on the other hand, seemed as heavy as a thousand pounds, unmoving and still on the divine altar.
The reflection of the blood-red pool shimmered in its dull and lifeless eyes.
The radiant lights approached from afar, resembling closed flower buds. It enveloped the entire Valley of Remains, encompassing the tens of thousands of the Gouluo army within. The ground of the valley trembled violently, and the rocks around the cliff cracked rapidly.
Upon seeing this calamitous situation, the Gouluo army immediately became restless, like ants on a hot pan. Waves of soldiers retreated, scrambling to escape the valley. However, horses couldn’t enter this place, and the earthquakes grew even more severe. With only their two legs, the soldiers’ speed of retreat was negligible.
The cultivators of the Gouluo army remained relatively calm. Seeing that the cooked duck had flown away, they instantly changed their spells. The golden illusory figures turned from offense to defense, encircling Yin Ren’s corpse, attempting to sever the operation of the blood array.
No one paid attention to the small figure on the divine altar.
“Two wishes.” Amidst the trembling of the heavens and earth, it seemed to ponder. “Peace, apple. The agreement between ‘me’ and ‘you’.”
“You sensed me.”
“You touched me.”
“…You acknowledged me.”
Crack.
A crack appeared on the translation spirit weapon on the rabbit’s body.
Below the cliff, the darkness that seemed eternal instantly boiled. Like peeling away layers of mist, it became increasingly clear.
That wasn’t “pitch black” at all.
Its surface was covered with twisted and intricate patterns, emitting an indescribable texture. Those patterns resembled the clouds of Jupiter, constantly shifting and swirling, forming merging vortexes. Accompanied by a piercing sound of rupture, that “darkness” crazily swayed beneath the cliff, spinning into a huge vortex.
The ocean-like darkness centered around the vortex, gradually gathering and shrinking, coalescing into a mass. Countless strong winds blew from the base of the cliff, and the dense, Evil Force was suffocating.
That thing exerted effort to compress its true form, becoming denser and its figure more distinct.
As if passing through an invisible barrier.
“What’s—that—” In the illusion, Lu Xiaohe wanted to shout loudly to ensure her companions could hear her.
“Don’t—look—!” The white dog roared loudly. “Don’t—look—directly—at—it!”
Fear.
The air became cold and viscous. Even though it was just an illusion, that emotion bypassed all rational deductions and pierced directly into Fu Xingchuan’s mind. Breathing became difficult, and his heartbeat was fast enough that it could burst at any moment. Even the air passing over the skin brought a needle-like pain.
It felt as if sharp blades were caressing the arteries. Fu Xingchuan had faced numerous crises during his travels, but he had never experienced such a strong sense of impending death.
And the cause of it all—just through distant memories, he caught a glimpse of a vaguely defined figure amidst the golden light.
Every hair on Fu Xingchuan’s body stood on end. Every brain cell screamed danger. Even in the face of an Evil Spirit, he had never felt such a strong sense of crisis.
The reaction of the Gouluo army confirmed Fu Xingchuan’s thoughts.
Even though most of the figure of that thing was concealed by the golden light, wherever it could be seen, Gouluo soldiers fell to their knees—not out of reverence, but more like their legs had gone weak from fright. Many vomited on the spot, their eyes bloodshot. Some screamed and howled uncontrollably, as if overwhelmed by an unbearable fright.
In the next second, the spells of the Gouluo cultivators were abruptly interrupted. They collapsed on the ground like limp sacks, defecating and urinating uncontrollably with their eyes wide open, twitching incessantly.
As the golden light faded, those who could still move instinctively looked towards the direction of the cliff. But in an instant, these people burst like water-filled balloons, their flesh splattering far and wide.
Without the resistance of the cultivators’ spells, Yin Ren’s array was unrivaled.
The crimson light prison pressed forward relentlessly, and the array continued to converge towards its center, enveloping the entire army within the Valley of Remains.
In the central area of the array, the small divine altar tumbled down into the abyss as the cliff collapsed. The peaks slid, and sand and stones flew. The once deep valley now became a gigantic mouth composed of rocky cliffs, greedily devouring everything.
The dark clouds churned, and darkness surged. There was a moment when it seemed like the entire world was collapsing towards that deep valley. The Gouluo army was forced by the array to the vicinity of the valley, falling like dumplings.
The once fierce and unstoppable steel army, in the face of this almost catastrophic magic, became as fragile as ants in a torrential rain.
Even though they knew it was just an illusion, several of the Shian members couldn’t help but use a levitation spell to fly into the air. Except for Zhong Chengshuo, the rest of them closed their eyes one after another.
Only Zhong Chengshuo stubbornly kept his eyes open—traveling through millennia of time, he stared directly at his past “self”.
The liberated darkness hovered over the valley, cradling Yin Ren’s lifeless body with stability.
‘Everything matched up,’ Zhong Chengshuo thought.
So it really was you all those years ago. It seemed that their time as roommates was longer than they had thought.
……
When did his “awareness” begin? Zhong Chengshuo couldn’t remember. He also couldn’t recall how long he had existed; he only knew that for the most part, he lived without thoughts, like a tree, like a blade of grass.
Without the five senses, without perception, his world was nothingness, with only ripples, large and small.
By instinct, he wandered without the presence of anything called “thought”, let alone any awareness of “other beings”. In the boundless void, only he existed.
…No, perhaps he didn’t even have the concept of “self”.
Even after the “fall”, Zhong Chengshuo didn’t know what to call his state of being “in pain”. He only knew that his body was torn into many pieces and that his position had changed. He could no longer roam freely as before; it was as if he were stuck in one place.
Mutilated and barely clinging to life.
But Zhong Chengshuo didn’t feel fear; he simply continued to exist in a pure state. If there was an impression at that time, it was a vague sense of “discomfort”.
He maintained this state until that peculiar and powerful ripple approached.
Every so often, that ripple would appear. Its emanation made him feel a sense of familiarity, and Zhong Chengshuo instinctively projected a small part of his body to “touch” that ripple.
The large ripple always seemed to carry two or three small ripples with it, assimilating them into its being. Zhong Chengshuo could mimic those small ripples and naturally connect with them.
A thousand years ago, it took Zhong Chengshuo a full three months just to generate this idea.
It was probably his first “autonomous thought”.
According to the plan, he diligently simulated the details of those small ripples and projected a fraction of his own body towards them. As expected, the large ripple was quickly drawn to him.
Having received positive feedback, he repeated his actions, attempting to connect with other nearby ripples. However, apart from that exceptionally powerful ripple, the other ripples didn’t respond to him, as if they couldn’t perceive his presence.
Zhong Chengshuo decided to continue his contact with the large ripple, abandoning his previous plan—
“Me.”
The large ripple patiently taught him.
“You.”
It gave him a whole new “world”.
From that moment, Zhong Chengshuo became aware of fast and slow vibration frequencies, the rhythm of time passing, and the existence of “self” and “others” in the world.
He became aware of the presence of “sweetness” in this world.
As their interactions increased, the constraints on his body seemed to loosen. The concept of “being acknowledged by the other” was like a crack in the prison wall, showing him a direction to move forward.
Unfortunately, it still wasn’t enough.
Zhong Chengshuo remained stuck in place, albeit with a slight sense of freedom. But that was okay; he didn’t mind—discomfort or even annihilation weren’t significant issues.
“Feeling” was complex enough for him. At that time, Zhong Chengshuo had no capacity to comprehend a higher-level concept like “emotions”.
He decided to continue conversing with that unique ripple, no, with “that person”. At least in their brief interactions, he could forget his uncomfortable state. However, before he could learn the significance of colors, melodies, and fragrances, that person weakened.
He recognized that state of decline! Zhong Chengshuo even felt a sense of accomplishment. Sometimes, the small ripples in the sky would fall to the ground, and they would experience the same decline, fragmentation, and leave behind only faint remnants.
That person referred to this state as “death”, but Zhong Chengshuo firmly believed it was a kind of departure.
Before his demise, that person presented two wishes and a gift to him—
They gave him a well-defined and widely-known “concept”.
…They defined himself as a “god”.
The moment he received this definition, Zhong Chengshuo felt an unprecedented fragility in his constraints. The “human world”, which had been difficult to squeeze into, suddenly became a place for him. He exerted all his effort to move his body, squeezing himself completely into the human world.
At that moment, he suddenly realized that the discomfort had disappeared, and it was such a liberating feeling.
But he couldn’t share this sentiment with anyone else.
The large ripple had already faded away, leaving only an extremely faint trace. Like pebbles, remains, or falling rain—the ripple was simple and inconspicuous, hardly worth mentioning.
This was death.
That person had departed once again, without leaving a return date.
This won’t do. I have to fix that person. Zhong Chengshuo from a thousand years ago subconsciously thought. His own body was no longer in pain, but he wanted to talk to that person again.
Zhong Chengshuo instinctively channeled his power towards the weak ripple, but it remained feeble, like pouring water into a desert. Zhong Chengshuo didn’t lose heart; he continued to pour his power, until he had given half of his own strength.
That person shared half of their precious apple with him, and he shared half of his precious strength with that person. It was only fair.
As long as he didn’t lose more than half of his strength, he could have a good sleep, and his strength would return to its original state.
Unfortunately, even after pouring half of his strength, the condition of that person didn’t change. The ripple no longer continued to fade, but it remained weak.
It seemed that it was completely broken. Zhong Chengshuo thought with a sense of innocence. Since he couldn’t fix it no matter how hard he tried, he would let it go.
That’s fine too; he didn’t mind.
More importantly, he had to fulfill those two wishes and… go and see the mortal world.
Zhong Chengshuo wrapped the person’s corpse in his body and rushed towards the deepest part of the cliff. Disappearing together with him was the Evil Force scattered throughout the valley. Like raindrops merging into the ocean, the Evil Force seeped out of the ground and merged back into Zhong Chengshuo’s body.
The corruption in the valley vanished, wiped away by the person’s magic. Here, there were only dead bodies, surrounded by tall mountains, and the so-called enemies shouldn’t approach without permission. The people living nearby should be able to safeguard their safety.
As for the apple and the mortal world… he would deal with them after he had a good sleep.
The massive darkness enveloped the blood-soaked corpse, landing on the soft pile of bodies underground. Above him, the rock layers crumbled, and stones tumbled down, burying all the bloodshed, chaos, and the unknown deep underground.
A thousand years later, Zhong Chengshuo floated in mid-air, quietly observing the outcome of everything.
The birth of that person had turned into a terrifying legend—a legendary celestial master revered by everyone during his lifetime. Who could have imagined that his fate and desires were no different from the most ordinary people in troubled times?
His hometown was destroyed, and thus he sacrificed his life for revenge. The lingering regret was simply the inability to let go of his young descendants. As death approached, that person would also feel nervous, reluctant, and… afraid.
The surface of the earth trembled and gradually came to a stop. Yin Ren’s spell was finally complete.
On the flat ground, the crimson light barrier closed completely. Below the surface, the intricate patterns of the sealing spell flashed briefly before disappearing into the shadows.
The topography of the Valley of Remains underwent a tremendous transformation, turning into a plain within the mountains. The contamination of the Evil Force vanished completely, and the fertile soil returned to its original state. Birds flew in the sky, and a faint sense of vitality permeated everything.
However, the little cottage on the cliff was nowhere to be seen.
Yin Ren didn’t pay attention to the rabbit’s small movements.
Sealing the Evil Force came first, followed by drawing the blood array. He was extremely weak. His red robes scattered on the ground, like withered petals. Yin Ren sat in the rain, and the burning incense reflected three dots of light in his eyes.
The rain continued to pour, and raindrops pattered on the umbrella above the rabbit’s head. Yin Ren made no attempt to shelter himself, allowing his entire body to be drenched. The imposing aura he had as the Great Celestial Master was now gone, and he even appeared “feeble”.
The army had already climbed up the cliff, and the leading soldiers saw the divine altar, cautiously halting their steps. The cliff was sealed off by the Gouluo army, and the previously gray-black ground was now filled with a dense mass of people, like a scorched wasteland.
The members of the Shian looked at the scene in the illusion, speechless.
They all knew that if Yin Ren instinctively sought survival, he could summon his army of evils here. As long as he used the evil spirits as cannon fodder, he could escape even if he walked away.
But he was sitting there all alone, clearly determined to die.
However, when facing death, the Great Celestial Master wasn’t the fearless figure they had heard of in legends. Yin Ren seemed more like the Yin Ren they knew.
When making his wish, his voice sounded relaxed yet nervous, as if trying out a new game in an amusement park.
“My wish shouldn’t be difficult to fulfill.”
Yin Ren cleared his throat and bargained with the unseen deities in the void.
“The change of dynasties has nothing to do with me, and I have no interest in the greater justice of the mortal realm. It’s just that the orphaned children and the successors of my hometown, whom I have taken care of, are all hiding in the mountains during this chaotic era. After my death, no one will be able to protect them and ensure their safety.”
These words were beyond the comprehension of the black rabbit. It half-opened its mouth on its neck, and a small piece of apple fell out.
“I hope those children can live well and grow old in peace.”
Yin Ren’s attention was fully focused on the dwindling incense.
With this simple statement, the rabbit finally understood. Ignoring the rain outside the umbrella, the black rabbit hopped onto the divine altar. It stretched its body with great effort to reach the other half of the apple on the offering plate.
Yin Ren chuckled.
“What? Do you want to be recognized? If you want to become a gatekeeper rabbit, it’s not impossible for me to worship you now, if you’d like.”
He just thought that the rabbit hadn’t eaten enough and gently touched its damp body. The three incense sticks were almost burnt out, leaving only a short stub in the incense burner. The cultivators of the Gouluo army around them were casting spells frantically, and the fluctuations of their magic grew stronger, surrounded by dazzling golden light.
“Regardless, it’s time for you to go,” Yin Ren sighed.
The rabbit finally stopped reaching for the apple, but it clung to the divine altar and didn’t come down. “Where should I go?”
“To the mortal realm.”
“What is the mortal realm like?”
“…I’ve never truly been there.” Yin Ren closed his eyes. “The people outside who are surrounding us are a part of the mortal realm. Those who cultivate and produce these sweet fruits are also part of the mortal realm. Over the years, I have heard about the bloodshed and worldly affairs. To be honest, I’m not sure what it’s really like.”
The rabbit remained motionless.
“Well, you can’t understand such complicated matters.” Yin Ren smiled. “In any case, it’s a lively place worth experiencing.”
“Worth experiencing.” The rabbit seemed to understand but repeated the words like a playback device.
“Yes, when you enter the world, remember to protect yourself.”
Yin Ren glanced again at the incense that was about to burn out.
“No matter how powerful evil spirits are, there’s always a way to deal with them.”
Rabbit: “Oh.”
It stood steadily in the center of the divine altar, carrying the small package containing the Evil Fruit on its back. Its furry body showed no signs of breathing.
At this moment, the three incense sticks in the incense burner went out, and the thin green smoke dissipated in the raindrops, leaving only clumps of ashes. The arrays of the enemy cultivators were right in front of them, and within the radiance, everything in the world appeared white, like ashes.
“It’s time to eradicate the strongest Evil Spirit,” Yin Ren whispered, brushing off the raindrops on the rabbit’s body. “Thank you for these years…”
Finally, his gaze turned to the half-red fruit on the offering plate, and his cracked and bleeding lips moved slowly.
“It’s a rare offering, but I didn’t get to taste it in the end.”
As the enemy forces closed in, Yin Ren slowly touched his throat with one hand. His Adam’s apple moved, his fingers turned pale, and they trembled noticeably.
“If there is a next life, I truly hope to eat it every day…”
The rabbit’s body twitched on the divine altar.
In the next moment, the brilliance of the magic array flashed, and Yin Ren’s throat was opened by his own spell.
The once extraordinary Great Celestial Master fell to the ground, and the spurting blood instantly covered the stone slabs, splashing onto the rabbit’s entire body. As the abundant blood poured down, the massive array on the cliff suddenly activated, and distant red lights illuminated the surroundings.
The blood also activated the spell on the package, and the Evil Fruit flew towards the sky.
However, the rabbit bound by it didn’t fly away together. After a tearing sound of fabric, the Evil Fruit flew alone into the distance. The peculiar rabbit, on the other hand, seemed as heavy as a thousand pounds, unmoving and still on the divine altar.
The reflection of the blood-red pool shimmered in its dull and lifeless eyes.
The radiant lights approached from afar, resembling closed flower buds. It enveloped the entire Valley of Remains, encompassing the tens of thousands of the Gouluo army within. The ground of the valley trembled violently, and the rocks around the cliff cracked rapidly.
Upon seeing this calamitous situation, the Gouluo army immediately became restless, like ants on a hot pan. Waves of soldiers retreated, scrambling to escape the valley. However, horses couldn’t enter this place, and the earthquakes grew even more severe. With only their two legs, the soldiers’ speed of retreat was negligible.
The cultivators of the Gouluo army remained relatively calm. Seeing that the cooked duck had flown away, they instantly changed their spells. The golden illusory figures turned from offense to defense, encircling Yin Ren’s corpse, attempting to sever the operation of the blood array.
No one paid attention to the small figure on the divine altar.
“Two wishes.” Amidst the trembling of the heavens and earth, it seemed to ponder. “Peace, apple. The agreement between ‘me’ and ‘you’.”
“You sensed me.”
“You touched me.”
“…You acknowledged me.”
Crack.
A crack appeared on the translation spirit weapon on the rabbit’s body.
Below the cliff, the darkness that seemed eternal instantly boiled. Like peeling away layers of mist, it became increasingly clear.
That wasn’t “pitch black” at all.
Its surface was covered with twisted and intricate patterns, emitting an indescribable texture. Those patterns resembled the clouds of Jupiter, constantly shifting and swirling, forming merging vortexes. Accompanied by a piercing sound of rupture, that “darkness” crazily swayed beneath the cliff, spinning into a huge vortex.
The ocean-like darkness centered around the vortex, gradually gathering and shrinking, coalescing into a mass. Countless strong winds blew from the base of the cliff, and the dense, Evil Force was suffocating.
That thing exerted effort to compress its true form, becoming denser and its figure more distinct.
As if passing through an invisible barrier.
“What’s—that—” In the illusion, Lu Xiaohe wanted to shout loudly to ensure her companions could hear her.
“Don’t—look—!” The white dog roared loudly. “Don’t—look—directly—at—it!”
Fear.
The air became cold and viscous. Even though it was just an illusion, that emotion bypassed all rational deductions and pierced directly into Fu Xingchuan’s mind. Breathing became difficult, and his heartbeat was fast enough that it could burst at any moment. Even the air passing over the skin brought a needle-like pain.
It felt as if sharp blades were caressing the arteries. Fu Xingchuan had faced numerous crises during his travels, but he had never experienced such a strong sense of impending death.
And the cause of it all—just through distant memories, he caught a glimpse of a vaguely defined figure amidst the golden light.
Every hair on Fu Xingchuan’s body stood on end. Every brain cell screamed danger. Even in the face of an Evil Spirit, he had never felt such a strong sense of crisis.
The reaction of the Gouluo army confirmed Fu Xingchuan’s thoughts.
Even though most of the figure of that thing was concealed by the golden light, wherever it could be seen, Gouluo soldiers fell to their knees—not out of reverence, but more like their legs had gone weak from fright. Many vomited on the spot, their eyes bloodshot. Some screamed and howled uncontrollably, as if overwhelmed by an unbearable fright.
In the next second, the spells of the Gouluo cultivators were abruptly interrupted. They collapsed on the ground like limp sacks, defecating and urinating uncontrollably with their eyes wide open, twitching incessantly.
As the golden light faded, those who could still move instinctively looked towards the direction of the cliff. But in an instant, these people burst like water-filled balloons, their flesh splattering far and wide.
Without the resistance of the cultivators’ spells, Yin Ren’s array was unrivaled.
The crimson light prison pressed forward relentlessly, and the array continued to converge towards its center, enveloping the entire army within the Valley of Remains.
In the central area of the array, the small divine altar tumbled down into the abyss as the cliff collapsed. The peaks slid, and sand and stones flew. The once deep valley now became a gigantic mouth composed of rocky cliffs, greedily devouring everything.
The dark clouds churned, and darkness surged. There was a moment when it seemed like the entire world was collapsing towards that deep valley. The Gouluo army was forced by the array to the vicinity of the valley, falling like dumplings.
The once fierce and unstoppable steel army, in the face of this almost catastrophic magic, became as fragile as ants in a torrential rain.
Even though they knew it was just an illusion, several of the Shian members couldn’t help but use a levitation spell to fly into the air. Except for Zhong Chengshuo, the rest of them closed their eyes one after another.
Only Zhong Chengshuo stubbornly kept his eyes open—traveling through millennia of time, he stared directly at his past “self”.
The liberated darkness hovered over the valley, cradling Yin Ren’s lifeless body with stability.
‘Everything matched up,’ Zhong Chengshuo thought.
So it really was you all those years ago. It seemed that their time as roommates was longer than they had thought.
……
When did his “awareness” begin? Zhong Chengshuo couldn’t remember. He also couldn’t recall how long he had existed; he only knew that for the most part, he lived without thoughts, like a tree, like a blade of grass.
Without the five senses, without perception, his world was nothingness, with only ripples, large and small.
By instinct, he wandered without the presence of anything called “thought”, let alone any awareness of “other beings”. In the boundless void, only he existed.
…No, perhaps he didn’t even have the concept of “self”.
Even after the “fall”, Zhong Chengshuo didn’t know what to call his state of being “in pain”. He only knew that his body was torn into many pieces and that his position had changed. He could no longer roam freely as before; it was as if he were stuck in one place.
Mutilated and barely clinging to life.
But Zhong Chengshuo didn’t feel fear; he simply continued to exist in a pure state. If there was an impression at that time, it was a vague sense of “discomfort”.
He maintained this state until that peculiar and powerful ripple approached.
Every so often, that ripple would appear. Its emanation made him feel a sense of familiarity, and Zhong Chengshuo instinctively projected a small part of his body to “touch” that ripple.
The large ripple always seemed to carry two or three small ripples with it, assimilating them into its being. Zhong Chengshuo could mimic those small ripples and naturally connect with them.
A thousand years ago, it took Zhong Chengshuo a full three months just to generate this idea.
It was probably his first “autonomous thought”.
According to the plan, he diligently simulated the details of those small ripples and projected a fraction of his own body towards them. As expected, the large ripple was quickly drawn to him.
Having received positive feedback, he repeated his actions, attempting to connect with other nearby ripples. However, apart from that exceptionally powerful ripple, the other ripples didn’t respond to him, as if they couldn’t perceive his presence.
Zhong Chengshuo decided to continue his contact with the large ripple, abandoning his previous plan—
“Me.”
The large ripple patiently taught him.
“You.”
It gave him a whole new “world”.
From that moment, Zhong Chengshuo became aware of fast and slow vibration frequencies, the rhythm of time passing, and the existence of “self” and “others” in the world.
He became aware of the presence of “sweetness” in this world.
As their interactions increased, the constraints on his body seemed to loosen. The concept of “being acknowledged by the other” was like a crack in the prison wall, showing him a direction to move forward.
Unfortunately, it still wasn’t enough.
Zhong Chengshuo remained stuck in place, albeit with a slight sense of freedom. But that was okay; he didn’t mind—discomfort or even annihilation weren’t significant issues.
“Feeling” was complex enough for him. At that time, Zhong Chengshuo had no capacity to comprehend a higher-level concept like “emotions”.
He decided to continue conversing with that unique ripple, no, with “that person”. At least in their brief interactions, he could forget his uncomfortable state. However, before he could learn the significance of colors, melodies, and fragrances, that person weakened.
He recognized that state of decline! Zhong Chengshuo even felt a sense of accomplishment. Sometimes, the small ripples in the sky would fall to the ground, and they would experience the same decline, fragmentation, and leave behind only faint remnants.
That person referred to this state as “death”, but Zhong Chengshuo firmly believed it was a kind of departure.
Before his demise, that person presented two wishes and a gift to him—
They gave him a well-defined and widely-known “concept”.
…They defined himself as a “god”.
The moment he received this definition, Zhong Chengshuo felt an unprecedented fragility in his constraints. The “human world”, which had been difficult to squeeze into, suddenly became a place for him. He exerted all his effort to move his body, squeezing himself completely into the human world.
At that moment, he suddenly realized that the discomfort had disappeared, and it was such a liberating feeling.
But he couldn’t share this sentiment with anyone else.
The large ripple had already faded away, leaving only an extremely faint trace. Like pebbles, remains, or falling rain—the ripple was simple and inconspicuous, hardly worth mentioning.
This was death.
That person had departed once again, without leaving a return date.
This won’t do. I have to fix that person. Zhong Chengshuo from a thousand years ago subconsciously thought. His own body was no longer in pain, but he wanted to talk to that person again.
Zhong Chengshuo instinctively channeled his power towards the weak ripple, but it remained feeble, like pouring water into a desert. Zhong Chengshuo didn’t lose heart; he continued to pour his power, until he had given half of his own strength.
That person shared half of their precious apple with him, and he shared half of his precious strength with that person. It was only fair.
As long as he didn’t lose more than half of his strength, he could have a good sleep, and his strength would return to its original state.
Unfortunately, even after pouring half of his strength, the condition of that person didn’t change. The ripple no longer continued to fade, but it remained weak.
It seemed that it was completely broken. Zhong Chengshuo thought with a sense of innocence. Since he couldn’t fix it no matter how hard he tried, he would let it go.
That’s fine too; he didn’t mind.
More importantly, he had to fulfill those two wishes and… go and see the mortal world.
Zhong Chengshuo wrapped the person’s corpse in his body and rushed towards the deepest part of the cliff. Disappearing together with him was the Evil Force scattered throughout the valley. Like raindrops merging into the ocean, the Evil Force seeped out of the ground and merged back into Zhong Chengshuo’s body.
The corruption in the valley vanished, wiped away by the person’s magic. Here, there were only dead bodies, surrounded by tall mountains, and the so-called enemies shouldn’t approach without permission. The people living nearby should be able to safeguard their safety.
As for the apple and the mortal world… he would deal with them after he had a good sleep.
The massive darkness enveloped the blood-soaked corpse, landing on the soft pile of bodies underground. Above him, the rock layers crumbled, and stones tumbled down, burying all the bloodshed, chaos, and the unknown deep underground.
A thousand years later, Zhong Chengshuo floated in mid-air, quietly observing the outcome of everything.
The birth of that person had turned into a terrifying legend—a legendary celestial master revered by everyone during his lifetime. Who could have imagined that his fate and desires were no different from the most ordinary people in troubled times?
His hometown was destroyed, and thus he sacrificed his life for revenge. The lingering regret was simply the inability to let go of his young descendants. As death approached, that person would also feel nervous, reluctant, and… afraid.
The surface of the earth trembled and gradually came to a stop. Yin Ren’s spell was finally complete.
On the flat ground, the crimson light barrier closed completely. Below the surface, the intricate patterns of the sealing spell flashed briefly before disappearing into the shadows.
The topography of the Valley of Remains underwent a tremendous transformation, turning into a plain within the mountains. The contamination of the Evil Force vanished completely, and the fertile soil returned to its original state. Birds flew in the sky, and a faint sense of vitality permeated everything.
However, the little cottage on the cliff was nowhere to be seen.
