Chapter 308: Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust
The little red snake suddenly smiled mysteriously. "The Human Race has existed in this world for at least tens of millions of years. Practitioners have been beyond number. While few and far between, some have indeed ascended to the Upper Realm. Over tens of millions of years, their numbers are actually quite significant.
"Aren’t you curious why, even after being continuously drained for tens of millions of years, the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi of this world still hasn’t run dry?"
Shen Daoxing looked bewildered. He had never really considered that question before.
The little red snake shook its head, looking perfectly serene, and continued, "The universe is vast, a balance of yin and yang. There are only so many seats in the heavens. If people go up, then people must also come down."
"What do you mean by that, Senior?"
Shen Daoxing was stunned.
The little red snake turned to Shen Daoxing and countered with a question, "What do you think those Immortals and Buddhas in the heavens are? That they should be high and mighty? That they should be a cut above mortals?"
Before Shen Daoxing could answer, the little red snake answered its own question. "Wrong! They are nothing more than another form of life. They, too, can die. They, too, have desires. In that, they are no different from mortals.
"As the saying goes, ’Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.’ This is true for humans, and it is true for the Immortals and Buddhas of the heavens. Whatever they took from this world in life, they must return it all in death."
As it spoke, the little red snake turned and gave the cavern a meaningful look.
Shen Daoxing froze. A sudden realization dawned on him, and his eyes widened as he looked around. "Senior, are you saying that this entire Celestial Essence Ore Vein in the Celestial Lake Swamp was actually formed from the remains of dead Immortals and Buddhas?"
The little red snake didn’t answer Shen Daoxing’s question. Instead, it slowly flew up to the Soul Origin Crystal Stone and swallowed it in a single gulp. "The cosmos has two poles, yin and yang. A person is the same, having one form and one soul. This Celestial Essence Ore Vein is their form, and the Soul Origin Crystal Stone I just swallowed is their soul.
"The Divine Soul is the most mysterious part of any being, whether human, Immortal, or Buddha. If destroyed, it normally dissipates into the ether. However, that isn’t the case for those Immortals and Buddhas who possessed immense power and profound destiny."
Shen Daoxing understood immediately. "Senior, are you saying that this Soul Origin Crystal Stone is the crystallized Divine Soul of some heavenly Immortal?"
The little red snake nodded. "The Divine Soul power contained within the Soul Origin Crystal Stone I just swallowed is incredibly dense. It seems the great being who fell here long ago was of a rather high station."
With that, the little red snake suddenly looked toward the Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat. "Vermin, faster! Dig out every Soul Origin Crystal Stone in this place."
Hearing this, the Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat, still digging away, let out a piteous SQUEAK, as if complaining about all its hard work.
"Hm?"
With just a single cold glare from the little red snake, the Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat shivered in fear. It didn’t dare make another peep, its four paws scrabbling at the dirt at a suddenly frantic pace.
A short while later, several more Soul Origin Crystal Stones flew out from the cave, attempting to escape.
The little red snake extended its tail and gave a light tap, and they instantly froze in mid-air.
With a gentle flick of its tail, the little red snake sent one of the Crystal Stones shooting toward Shen Daoxing.
Shen Daoxing instinctively reached out and caught it.
The little red snake’s indifferent voice rang out. "Kid, this Soul Origin Crystal Stone is an incredible tonic for the Divine Soul. You should absorb it. The Divine Soul is the most important part of a person; naturally, the stronger it is, the better."
As it spoke, it opened its mouth and, with a gentle inhale, sucked all the other Crystal Stones inside.
Shen Daoxing, however, simply stared at the Soul Origin Crystal Stone in his hand, making no move to use it.
The little red snake glanced at Shen Daoxing. "What are you staring at?"
"Senior, since this Crystal Stone was formed from an Immortal’s Divine Soul, do you think there might be some kind of immortal legacy left inside?"
The little red snake laughed mockingly. "It doesn’t matter what kind of powerful ancient immortal this was. In its current state, it has all been reduced to raw, primordial energy. Nothing else would be left."
Shen Daoxing looked at the Crystal Stone in his hand and sighed, thinking it a shame.
The little red snake was suddenly scornful. "Kid, you have the Venerable Domain, and you have me. Is there any Invincible Technique you can’t obtain? What do you need an immortal legacy for? Compared to the things left behind by a Venerable Supreme, some so-called immortal legacy is nothing."
Shen Daoxing was instantly overjoyed. "Then please, Senior, teach me an Invincible Technique!"
"You’re not strong enough yet."
The little red snake sounded indifferent.
"..." Shen Daoxing was speechless.
...
「Meanwhile, on Ancestor Mountain」
The Tianze Emperor gazed at the destroyed ancestral effigy, his expression mournful. He stood there for a very long time before finally speaking. "Alright, let’s head back for now. I imagine Yang will need some more time down there."
The Eldest Prince, He Yu, walked over to He Qian’s side. "Sister, we should go."
But He Qian shook her head. "I want to wait for him to come out."
"Sister, this is an important Forbidden Land of Tianze. He will be fine."
said the Eldest Prince, He Yu.
He Qian said nothing, her feet remaining planted where they were.
Seeing this, He Yu paused for a moment, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
Just then, He Yong shook his head and began to stir, waking from unconsciousness.
Seeing He Yu, He Yong immediately became agitated. He rushed forward and grabbed him by the clothes. "Brother, how could you do this? How could you let me escape alone? Without all of you, what’s the point of me clinging to life? Would Tianze even still be Tianze? I was supposed to fight alongside you! Even if we had to die, we were supposed to die here together!"
Saying this, He Yong shoved He Yu aside and prepared to charge into battle, only to freeze after taking a single step. "Huh? Where is everyone?"
"..."
He Yu was speechless.
"..."
He Qian was speechless.
"..."
The Tianze Emperor was speechless.
"It’s already over."
The Eldest Prince, He Yu, slowly began to speak, and then he explained to He Yong everything that had just happened.
"Huh?"
"Huh???"
"What?"
He Yong’s eyes grew wider and wider as he listened to the explanation.
"What? Brother, you’re telling me Yang defeated that detestable Xu Hong all by himself?!"
Once the explanation was finished, He Yong’s face was a mixture of shock and excitement. He grabbed He Yu, demanding a detailed account of everything that had happened.
Watching the two brothers, the Tianze Emperor was overcome with emotion. "This is all my fault. I should never have trusted Xu Hong so easily. I never imagined he was plotting against Tianze from the very beginning."
As he spoke, the Tianze Emperor sighed and shook his head heavily.
"This is not Your Majesty’s fault."
At that moment, Peng Yue stepped forward to the Tianze Emperor’s side. "No one could have anticipated this. To think Xu Hong could hide his true nature so deeply."
"How goes the search for the infiltrators from the Celestial Profound Sacred Land?"
The Tianze Emperor looked to Peng Yue.
Peng Yue stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Rest assured, Your Majesty. We have found them all and thrown them in the dungeons. It’s just..."
As he spoke, Peng Yue trailed off, falling silent for a moment as if hesitating to continue.
"Just what?" the Tianze Emperor pressed.