Chapter 243: Where Is My Son, Ying Shan?
Then, Shen Daoxing saw the sun and moon go dark and the stars dim. Countless planets smashed into each other, shattering violently as the world began to fall into ruin.
No!
It wasn’t just a world being destroyed—it was the myriad realms. Countless planes were colliding and shattering. Countless planes were being annihilated.
Shen Daoxing felt as if his mind had been stuffed with so much that it was about to be forcibly torn asunder.
WHOOSH!
He abruptly released his grip on the jade seal and gasped for air, his head finally starting to clear.
Ge Ye spoke up from the side to remind him, "This mysterious jade seal contains immense power, but it is also fraught with peril. A single misstep will leave you utterly destroyed, beyond any hope of recovery. You must be exceedingly careful. There’s no need to rush your attempts to comprehend its power. The Huangliang Immortal spent his entire life comprehending but a single sliver of Law Power, yet that sliver alone was enough to earn him the title of Immortal."
"Thank you for the warning, Mr. Ge!"
Shen Daoxing looked up at Ge Ye and offered his sincere thanks. He then slowly sat down and began to meditate, healing his recently injured Divine Sense.
Ge Ye nodded. "You may remain within the Huangliang Tomb for a while longer."
As he spoke, Ge Ye pointed to a bookshelf near the top of the tower and looked toward Dugu Sheng. "This bookshelf contains records of the Huangliang Immortal’s Sword Techniques. Miss Sheng, you may study them.
But remember, what is recorded is ultimately the path of *his* Sword Techniques, not your own Sword Dao. If you wish to achieve true greatness in the future, you must comprehend a Sword Dao that is your own."
The girl in red stated coolly, "I, Dugu Sheng, never walk a path others have trodden!"
Ge Ye was left speechless.
Then, with a wave of his sleeve, his figure grew faint and vanished.
The girl in red walked over to the nearby bookshelf and casually picked up a book, flipping it open.
Shen Daoxing stood up, reached out, and once again touched the small jade seal.
In an instant, a tidal wave of images flooded his mind, threatening to tear him apart.
A whirlwind of countless images flashed through his mind.
This time, Shen Daoxing didn’t see the destruction of the universe. Instead, he saw figures clad in beast skins—humans—emerging from a primordial wilderness, struggling to survive amidst ancient Fierce Beasts.
In the blink of an eye, the Human Race grew stronger, forming their own tribes. Through constant struggle against the ancient Demon Race, they won their own lands and established their own nations.
Gradually, the Human Race spread to every corner of the continent, becoming its masters. The territories of the Demon Race shrank until they had lost everything, forced to survive on the fringes of society as slaves to the Human Race.
GASP!
Shen Daoxing could no longer bear the soul-shattering agony in his mind. He released his grip, gasping for air. This time, however, he had managed to hold on longer than before.
Shen Daoxing rested for a moment. Once the tempest in his mind had subsided and he had recovered, he reached out again, slowly making contact with the small jade seal.
In an instant, vast, epic scenes, accompanied by searing pain, once again flooded his mind.
This time, Shen Daoxing saw a great, flourishing dynasty that ruled over the entire, thriving continent.
But in the blink of an eye, the great dynasty suddenly disintegrated. Unending war engulfed the continent. Endless blood stained everything red, forming rivers of gore. The people were plunged into misery, and in the end, the entire continent was destroyed in the flames of war.
After a long, long silence, after all the wreckage was buried deep beneath the earth, a spark of life returned to the continent. Fierce Beasts from afar once again trod upon this land, and the Demon Race rose to prominence, ruling the continent. The Human Race, meanwhile, eked out a meager, cautious existence in the shadows.
Then, time flowed on; ages passed. It is unknown how long it took, but the Human Race flourished once more, retaking control of the continent and annihilating the Demon Race. Yet, what followed was again endless war and destruction, repeating the cycle over and over.
Destruction, time and again. Rebirth, time and again.
A single lifetime seems long, but compared to the entire history of the Human Race, how insignificant it is. The history of the Human Race is vast, but compared to the continent beneath their feet, how fleeting it is.
This continent is ancient and enduring, but compared to the vastness of the cosmos, how brief and tiny it is.
In that moment, Shen Daoxing felt his perspective shift, as if he had grasped something essential.
But just then, he could no longer withstand the soul-tearing agony in his mind. He let go of the jade seal with a gasp, panting heavily. Even so, he had held on for much longer this time.
And so, Shen Daoxing tried again and again, delving deeper each time.
An unknown amount of time passed. He failed an unknown number of times.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
All the images in Shen Daoxing’s mind suddenly burst apart, reforming into a countless, chaotic, and complex tapestry that overwhelmed his senses.
An even more gut-wrenching agony assaulted him, as if his soul were being rent and his physical body torn to shreds.
This time, however, Shen Daoxing did not give up. He held fast to the jade seal in his palm.
In a daze, the crystal-clear jade seal suddenly erupted with brilliant, pure white light.
Shen Daoxing felt a sudden searing heat in his palm. He looked down to find the jade seal gone, with only a small, seal-shaped mark left in its place.
Looking within his body, he saw a small jade seal now floating and slowly rotating inside his Venerable Domain.
Witnessing this from somewhere within the Huangliang Tomb, Ge Ye couldn’t help but nod. He then looked up at the sky, his expression sorrowful, as if lost in memory. After a long while, he spoke slowly, ’Ancestor, I hope we haven’t chosen the wrong person this time.’
Shen Daoxing opened his eyes to see everything at the top of the tower beginning to blur. Not far away, Dugu Sheng was also slowly getting to her feet. Her aura seemed much improved; her internal injuries must have mostly healed.
Then, a beam of light shot down from the sky, enveloping both Shen Daoxing and the girl in red.
A brilliant white light flared up, completely engulfing their vision.
Shen Daoxing felt himself begin to float.
When his surroundings came into view again, he and Dugu Sheng were already outside Huangliang’s Tomb.
At that moment, members of the various factions were still gathered outside, chattering amongst themselves. When they saw the two emerge, they all turned their heads in unison.
"They’re out!"
"Someone’s come out!"
But suddenly, a furious roar drowned out all other voices: "RAAAAAAGH!"
Following the roar, Patriarch Xu stalked forward furiously. "You witch! You damn brat! You’re finally out! Where is my son, Ying Shan? Why isn’t he with you?"
He seemed to be clinging to a sliver of hope.
"Xu Yingshan? Who’s Xu Yingshan?"
Shen Daoxing paused, a look of confusion on his face.
"He was that fat guy we met when we first went in,"
the girl in red reminded him quietly.
"Oh? So that was him!"
Realization dawned on Shen Daoxing.
"Him? I killed him ages ago."
Shen Daoxing stated coolly, making no attempt to hide the truth.