Free Web NovelChapter 485: Chapter 104: Primordial: Old Thing, You’ve Been Had
After a moment’s hesitation, the Supreme set down the furnace and guiltily said,
"Primordial, why did it have to come to this? Wouldn’t it have been better if you had just made things clear?"
The Blind Daoist looked sorrowful, his face still a mask of utter dejection. He sneered,
"Make things clear? When have I ever failed to make things clear to you? And what was the result? Supreme, your paranoia runs too deep, far too deep!"
With that, he rose in anger and stormed away with a flick of his sleeve. After walking some distance, however, he turned back. Pointing a finger, he separated a sliver of memory and sent it floating toward the Supreme.
The Blind Daoist said coldly,
"This is the scene of my meeting with the Goddess, including what happened before and after we plotted. See for yourself. You should be able to discern its authenticity!"
With that, he turned and departed, looking desolate. He sighed softly every three steps, heaved a great sigh every five, and shed a tear every ten. He seemed truly heartbroken, his figure hunched as he gradually receded into the distance, leaving the Supreme standing there alone, consumed by guilt.
"Primordial, I..."
The old man lowered his head and whispered,
"The fault is mine."
"Mm," came the flat reply from the departing Blind Daoist, his voice tinged with a hint of sorrow.
...
「Current World, Beneath the Stone Stele.」
"I can’t thank you enough, I really can’t!"
The Pangu Daoist was beaming.
"Goddess, that performance was simply brilliant! The Supreme saw that memory and completely bought it. He admitted his mistake to me and is drowning in guilt right now!"
The stunningly beautiful woman rolled her eyes.
Beside them, the Emperor Corpse spoke up with a reminder,
"Lu Ya has attained the Dao Fruit, and Xiaoxuan is dead."
The Emperor Corpse said softly,
"Goddess, what should we do now?"
The stunningly beautiful woman lowered her head, her fists clenching and unclenching. She glanced sideways at Chu Tai.
"You are, after all, an incarnation of Taiyi, one with all ties severed by him. Your coming here might well be part of Taiyi’s plan."
Chu Tai nodded.
"It’s possible, but highly unlikely. I know myself too well. I strategize and scheme, believing everything is within my grasp, but I always overlook some details."
After a pause, he said earnestly,
"For example, when Taiyi completely severed me from himself, in his eyes, I am still him. But I am different now. I am self-aware. Furthermore, my feelings for Xiaoxuan are stronger than my loyalty to Taiyi. The first time I met Xiaoxuan in the Peach Blossom Spring, I deliberately revealed a flaw to make him suspicious. My coming here this time to expose Taiyi is also sincere, as you can see."
The stunningly beautiful woman was silent for a moment, as if in thought, and finally nodded.
She glanced sideways at the Emperor Corpse and said softly,
"Is everything ready?"
"So far, it’s still going according to plan. Xiaoxuan hasn’t shown any signs of anything unusual."
The Emperor Corpse nodded and said,
"But Chu Tai’s arrival was unexpected. Xiaoxuan doesn’t know about Lu Ya. Should we tell him? He is a ’variable’. I can go into a past period of time and relate this matter to Lu Xuan. He will understand."
"I will handle this matter," the Pangu Daoist said with a smile. "I am the Cause of All Fruits. The other Fellow Daoists will not detect it."
The stunningly beautiful woman nodded, then added,
"I once said that no other living being may attain the Dao Fruit before Xiaoxuan."
"I understand," the Emperor Corpse said calmly. "All we can do now is wait for things to unfold on Xiaoxuan’s end. We just need to wait patiently."
...
The first year after the war against the heavens.
The Human World was filled with sorrow. The world mourned for Supreme Profound Clarity.
When the Profound Yellow Emperor fell, Supreme Profound Clarity died suddenly upon the Great Wall, his body left lying in a pool of blood, bleeding from all seven orifices!
The world wore white mourning clothes for three hundred years. Zhang Liang wailed in grief, the First Emperor shed tears, and the Little Peach Spirit cried until she fainted!
Three hundred years after the war against the heavens, the funeral was held. Yan Huang, Li Yutong, the Old Celestial Master, Zhang Jifeng, and others came to pay their last respects.
During the grand funeral, Yan Huang gently stroked the Little Peach Spirit’s head and comforted her,
"Though Lu Zi is dead, he is not truly gone. His True Spirit has gone to Reincarnation and will return after thousands of lifetimes."
"Reincarnation..." The Little Peach Spirit wiped away a tear. "Does that mean he went to the Underworld?"
"Mm." Yan Huang’s gaze was complicated as he looked at the Little Peach Spirit, who looked just like his own precious daughter.
The Little Peach Spirit sobbed for a while, then asked again,
"Then... what about Big Brother Profound Yellow?"
Yan Huang fell silent, and the Little Peach Spirit began to wail.
The grand funeral continued. Supreme Profound Clarity was interred in Lu Xuan’s Tomb. Zhang Liang, dressed in a Daoist robe, was overcome with grief. On Dragon Tiger Mountain, all the peach blossoms had fallen, leaving only a lingering, desolate beauty!
Ying Zheng wiped away his tears. Following the instructions his adoptive ancestor had given before his death, he placed a Bronze Fragment and two tokens into the tomb.
The Eighty-One Armors who had come to pay their respects volunteered to be entombed as well. ƒreewebɳovel.com
"We have accompanied Lu Zi since the Spring and Autumn Years. Now that Lu Zi is dead, we shall accompany him still and guard his Great Mausoleum!"
Ying Zheng nodded his assent. Watching the Eighty-One Armors stand tall, he pointed to the Copper Guard Order and said solemnly,
"According to my adoptive ancestor’s last words, if he died after the war against the heavens and you sealed yourselves in his tomb at his burial, then when this order is sounded, you shall awaken."
"When this order sounds, does it mean Lu Zi has returned?"
"Yes."
"Very well!" The Profound Armor at the head of the Eighty-One Armors nodded firmly.
Immediately, the Eighty-One Armors bowed to the slowly closing Bronze Coffin, each shedding tears as they sealed themselves within the tomb.
The great tomb closed. The world wore white mourning clothes for another six hundred years, for a total of nine hundred years.
Three thousand years after the war against the heavens.
Celestial Emperor Lu Ya was still locked in battle with the Spirit Mountain Buddha in Chaos.
That year, the First Emperor attacked the Celestial Court again, but was narrowly defeated.
In the four thousandth year, First Emperor Ying Zheng abdicated in favor of Liu Bang, changing the Qin dynasty to the Han. From then on, there was no trace of Ying Zheng in the world.
Ten thousand years after the war against the heavens, Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, ascended the throne and once again took up the cause of warring against the heavens.
"By the prior command of Saint Lu, and by the last will of the Profound Yellow, we shall strike the Celestial Vault!"
Liu Che appointed Zhang Liang as Supreme Venerable and struck at the heavens.
The Great Han suffered a crushing defeat.
Zhang Liang fled with the Dragon Girl Ao Xianzhi to the depths of the sea. The Celestial Court issued a decree, and Immortals and Buddhas were dispatched to hunt down the remnants of the rebellion.
The Great Han’s fortunes also plummeted, and five thousand years later, the Western Han collapsed.
The Celestial Son, Liu Xiu, emerged and re-established the Great Han. He performed the Feng and Shan sacrifices at Taishan, demoting his own title from Lord of Men to ’Celestial Son’. He changed the inscription on the Heirloom Seal of the Realm from "Having received the Mandate from the People, may he have longevity and eternal prosperity" to "Having received the Mandate from Heaven, may he have longevity and eternal prosperity."
Fifteen thousand years after the war against the heavens, Liu Xiu ascended the throne.
In the same year,
in the depths of the sea, Celestial Soldiers and Generals formed ranks, having found traces of the rebel remnants.
On this day, dark clouds gathered over the isolated island, and thunder rumbled on the horizon. Zhang Liang finished setting up their small cabin, glanced at the distant lightning, and said with a smile,
"We’re getting married today?"
"Mhm!"
"It’s a shame there’s no one to witness our marriage."
"It is." Ao Xianzhi sighed. Sensing the killing intent drawing nearer in the distance, she said with a playful smile,
"I was hoping that when we got married, we could honor our teacher in the High Hall... What a pity!"
Zhang Liang’s eyes widened.
"Even if I let that little rascal sit in the seat of honor, would he dare! Let me tell you, that little rascal respected me the most..."
He suddenly burst into tears.
Ao Xianzhi’s eyes reddened as well. She wiped away Zhang Liang’s tears and said gently,
"Ah Liang, we’re getting married today. You can’t cry..."
The lightning on the horizon drew closer. The two embraced and entered the ceremonial hall.
The North Sea Dragon King appeared, blocking the path of the Celestial Soldiers and Generals. He laughed and said,
"My daughter is getting married. Do me a favor."
A Celestial General descended with his sword drawn. The Dragon King single-handedly blocked a million-strong Celestial Army as his dragon blood rained down.
Inside the ceremonial hall, the red candles were lit. The flames flickered, looking as if they might be extinguished at any moment.
...
Sinking... sinking...
Lu Xuan’s consciousness was continuously dissipating. His soul had been obliterated, his True Spirit shattered.
Any other top-tier powerhouse approaching the Daluo Level would have been well and truly dead by now!
But just as Lu Xuan’s consciousness faded to its absolute limit, a faint glimmer of light swirled around him.
It came from his Upper Grade Immortal state, from the memory of the common people, preventing him from perishing completely.
He was still sinking.
After a long time, a beam of light suddenly appeared before him. It was the brilliant Six Paths, the turning of Reincarnation. A simple, elegant hand reached out and pulled him from the abyss!
Like a drowning man being rescued, Lu Xuan gasped for breath, his expression horrified, his heart pounding in his chest!
He struggled to cup his hands in a salute.
"Lady Houtu..."
Lady Houtu nodded faintly.
"Fortunately, you are of the Upper Grade Immortal state. As long as the common people do not forget you, you will never be truly extinguished. And since I happen to be in charge of Reincarnation, I was able to spare you the suffering of the abyss and pull you out ahead of time."
Lu Xuan, exhausted, bowed again.
Lady Houtu gazed at the illusory soul before her.
"Your body has been shattered and annihilated. It will take some time for me to reforge it for you. But before that, I have some questions for you."
Lu Xuan’s expression remained unchanged as he lowered his head and said,
"Please ask, Lady."
"The Qing Ping Sword... wasn’t it in the hands of Supreme Profound Clarity? How did it end up in yours? Also..."
A divine light burst forth from her eyes.
"When you died, why did Supreme Profound Clarity fall as well?"
