Undoubtedly, ancient ruins are the most direct and effective way to understand the mysteries of antiquity.
When the mysteries of the Shanggeng era were yet to be revealed, as time went on, never had anyone been able to truly understand the will of heaven and earth. Perhaps some had, but where these people had gone, no one knew.
All things in heaven and earth, including primates, practiced with trembling under the will of heaven and earth. Countless heavenly calamities and punishments had resulted in numerous powerful practitioners losing their lives.
Why was this the case? Some had pondered, some had pursued answers, but no one could provide a clear explanation.
Yang Zhen was not at all interested in this. However, not being interested was one thing, waking up every day with a cloud of uncertainty hovering over his head was another matter.
Ten thousand years had passed. Would the great catastrophe of the Shanggeng era return? If it did, what kind of horrifying scene would it be? Yang Zhen did not know, but he did not want to be like the Shanggeng Secret Clan and Sacred Land, sleeping for ten thousand years.
That was utterly absurd. After sleeping for ten thousand years, oneâs mind would go out of whack.
The opening of the ancient ruins was set for the next day. That evening, Yang Zhen did not accompany Hua Youyue. Instead, he was on the rooftop, engaged in conversation with Sao Saint.
âKid, how come Master feels somewhat on edge about this journey to the ancient ruins?â
Sao Saint frowned, although he didnât actually have an eyebrow to frown.
Yang Zhen glanced at Sao Saint with surprise and said, âYou have the same feeling too?â
Sao Saint opened his eyes wide, cursed, and said, âDamn, the aura between heaven and earth has changed. Not only you and me, but I think everyone is having this feeling.â
âIs heaven and earth really going to change?â Yang Zhen stared at the twinkling stars, mumbling to himself. Asking Sao Saint this question was pointless.
The Sao Phoenix did not partake in their conversation. In reality, even if it wanted to, it wouldnât have been able to. It took a long time to utter just two words. By the time it had finished speaking, the topic of the conversation between Yang Zhen and Sao Saint might have completely changed.
Sao Saint looked deviously at Yang Zhen and said, âYouâve sowed many seeds of karma. Be careful on this journey to the ancient ruins.â
Yang Zhen nodded. The cycle of karma was like retribution, it would always come. Even on the Blue Planet, this saying exists, but itâs often disregarded as illusory and was overlooked by many.
The world of Cultivation was different. Every word and deed could affect the development of oneâs mental state. As a result, most people prefer to live in ignorance rather than talk about what they donât understand, or explore unknown territories.
Only in this way can one maintain a pure heart⦠but the reality was ignorance!
The Shanggeng mystery had baffled countless generations, yet there were only a few who truly explored this matter. Outliers like Yang Zhen and Li Cangxu were deemed mad men. In every era, they were the ones who people watched for entertainment.
Yang Zhen didnât care. The nine years of compulsory education had instilled in him an obsession to seek the essence of everything. This obsession was very much in line with his character.
He faced life and death with equanimity, ready to fight anyone who defied him.
Yang Zhen was afraid of death, but he would rather go all out than live complacently like the masses. Even if he were to die, at least he would leave behind some legends in this world.
Or might become a topic of conversation in someoneâs leisure time, dismissed with a laugh or added with a touch of disdain. But who the hell cares about that?
No one knew the true thoughts in the depths of Yang Zhenâs heart.
Sao Saint looked at Yang Zhen with skepticism and asked, âWhat if this world truly changes?â
Yang Zhen stood up, jumped off the roof, and laughed, âIf the world changes, what bloody business is that of mine?â
Sao Saint was stunned. He exchanged a look with Sao Phoenix. Both saw shock in each otherâs eyes.
âDamn, I knew it, the ancient ruins donât mean a thing to him. This bastard is entering the ancient ruins probably just forâ¦â
âFun!â Sao Phoenix finished the sentence and stood up. It spread its wings and flew back into the house.
Sao Saint stretched lazily and laughed mockingly, âIndeed⦠just for fun. Playing with heaven and earth, this kid sure is interesting!â
â¦.
On the other side, Hua Youyue was sitting quietly on the bed and said, âLetâs begin!â
As soon as the words fell, a white light flashed across Hua Youyue. A figure appeared before her, ethereal as a shadow, yet lifelike. If anyone was in Hua Youyueâs room, they would be astonished. This figure was none other than Hua Youyue herself.
The figure did not have a physical body but existed like a Spirit Soul. She looked at Hua Youyue with her eyebrows furrowed and said curiously, âThe Tri-floral Emperor Sutra belongs to the ancient practice methods and is not suitable for cultivation in this era. The Tri-Floral Saintess is an example. She was stubborn by nature. In the end, she was reduced to having the Spirit Soul divided into three. If you canât continue to practice in the future, even with your Spirit Soul, you wonât be able toâ¦â
Hua Youyue looked up at the figure and asked, âWhat will happen then?â
âYou will perish!â the figure said faintly.
Hua Youyue let out a serene smile, looked at the figure, and said, âDo you know the difference between you and me?â
The figure was taken aback, revealed an interested expression, shook her head and said, âI donât.â
Hua Youyue took a deep breath and said, âIâm luckier than you. Iâm a living person. I have experienced joys and sorrows, and even pain, things that youâve never experienced. From a young age, Iâve known that I am not myself. I can kill many people; none of them are my match. That even includes my relatives who tried to force me into marriage. But I didnât do that, they did adopt me after all. I just quietly watched life unfold, until I met him.â
âYang Zhen?â The figure swayed, seeming somewhat unstable.
Hua Youyue nodded and said, âHis thoughts are actually very simple. His appearance freed me from that pain and turned me into who I am.â
âTurned into you?â The figure looked at Hua Youyue with twinkling eyes. After a long while, she finally sighed, âClearly, youâre more successful than her.â
The figureâs words were ambiguous.
Hua Youyue just laughed and said, âI am just myself, not her, nor you. I⦠am just his girl.â
Between the swinging of the figure, it gradually turned ethereal and said, âOriginally, I should have disappeared. But the unfinished business made me exist in this way. This time, I can finally leave without regrets.â
As she spoke, the figure suddenly faded away and disappeared. A languid voice echoed, âDo you really⦠refuse to accept my Spirit Soul?â
A flicker of sadness flashed in Hua Youyueâs eyes. She shook her head and said, âI am me. If you can avoid deathâ¦â
âNo, Iâm destined to die in the end.â The figure laughed and said, âI am envious of you!â
Buzzâ
The figure completely disappeared and turned into three white petals, slowly floating above Hua Youyueâs head.
Hua Youyue murmured, âEven if you despise the heavens, I will be with you.â
â¦.
In the next room, Han Yanâer was sitting cross-legged with a starry sky above her head, a painful expression on her face.
Suddenly, the starry sky shattered. Han Yanâer trembled all over. A strand of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. Opening her eyes, she whispered, âWhy⦠canât I calculate it?â