127: Chapter 127 The Heavenly Road Opens

At 6:00 AM on Friday, Chen Zhen opened his eyes right on time.

The petals of that flower had completely withered and turned yellow, only the flower center still glowed.

That seed. The seed was as big as an adult's fist, its dark blue light flickering on and off, as if it were breathing.

He walked over, crouched down, and reached out to touch it.

It was warm, hotter than yesterday.

The seed was responding to him.

It would be soon; it would ripen today.

He stood up and walked to the window. Outside, the sky was just brightening, and the city's morning rush hour had not yet begun.

He took out his phone and glanced at his messages.

Yun Xi had sent one last night: "I helped you deliver the remaining thirteen." He replied with a "Good," and put his phone away.

At 7:00, Chen Zhen stepped into the classroom.

Zhang Meng was in the back row catching up on homework; seeing him enter, he called for help as usual.

Chen Zhen tossed his notebook over and walked to his seat to sit down.

The student in front, Su Xiaoya, turned around, holding a lunch box: "Radish cake made by my mom; she said you definitely didn't eat well yesterday."

Chen Zhen took the lunch box and opened it. Inside were six pieces of radish cake, fried to a golden color, and still warm.

He picked up a piece and took a bite. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the fresh fragrance of radish spreading in his mouth.

"Is it good?" Su Xiaoya smiled. "My mom said if you like it, she'll make it for you every day."

"No need for every day." Chen Zhen packed the lunch box away. "Thank your aunt for me."

Su Xiaoya turned back around.

In the last row, Zhou Rui looked up at him, then lowered his head to read again.

Chen Hao turned around from the front row and lowered his voice: "Xiaoxue had that dream again last night."

Chen Zhen looked at him: "What dream?"

Chen Hao hesitated for a moment: "She said she dreamed of a flower, very big, very bright, glowing. There was a fruit inside the flower, golden. Someone was standing in front of the flower, with their back to her. She said that person looked a lot like you."

Chen Zhen didn't speak.

Chen Hao waited for two seconds, sighed: "Forget it, pretend I didn't ask." He turned back.

At noon after school, Chen Zhen didn't go to the cafeteria.

He left the school gate and walked towards the old street, turned into that alley, and pushed open the Bookstore door.

Old Wu was eating a boxed meal behind the counter; seeing him enter, he put down his chopsticks: "Here again?"

"Has Grandpa Zhou been here recently?"

Old Wu shook his head: "No. He hasn't been here since he dropped off the notes last time." He paused: "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Chen Zhen thought for a moment: "Nothing. Just have some things I want to ask him."

Old Wu stared at him for a few seconds, took a paper bag from under the counter, and handed it to him: "He said last time, if you came looking for him, I should give this to you."

Chen Zhen took it and opened it; inside was an old photo album.

Flipping to the first page, it was a black and white photo with two people standing on it.

One young, one old.

He recognized the young one.

Shen Zhiyuan.

The old one was wearing an old Daoist robe, holding a whisk in his hand, and there was a slight resemblance between his features and Shen Zhiyuan's.

Below the photo, a line of small text was written: "1953, Dongshan, photo with Master."

Shen Zhiyuan's Master.

Chen Zhen flipped to the second page; still Dongshan, still those two people, but with a third person added.

A young man, standing next to Shen Zhiyuan, smiling very happily.

Below it was written: "1953, Dongshan, photographed with Junior Brother."

Junior Brother.

Shen Zhiqiu.

Shen Nian's father.

He continued flipping, looking through it page by page.

Photos of Shen Zhiyuan in his youth, photos of his Master, photos of his Junior Brother, photos of him surveying in Dongshan, photos of him researching in Changbai Mountain... On the last page, a slip of paper was tucked in.

"Little friend, if you see this note, it means you have reached the final step. I have one piece of advice to give: when the fruit ripens, the Heavenly Road opens. When the Heavenly Road opens, all spirits awaken. When all spirits awaken, there must be someone to guard it. The guardian cannot be just anyone; it must be someone with great power. However, great power is easily broken; it must be controlled by the heart. Remember this, remember this."

Chen Zhen stared at this note for a long time, then closed the album and put it into his Storage Space.

"Grandpa Wu, thank you."

Old Wu waved his hand: "What are you thanking me for? I'm just a messenger." He picked up his boxed meal again. "Go on, don't delay my meal."

Chen Zhen pushed the door open and left.

The sun was shining brightly, and people were coming and going on the street.

He quickened his pace and headed towards the Secret Base.

At 2:00 PM, Chen Zhen pushed the door open.

The petals of that flower had completely fallen off, leaving only the flower center and that seed.

The seed was suspended in the air, slowly rotating, emitting a dark blue light.

Shen Nian was crouching nearby, holding a magnifying glass, his hand trembling slightly.

"It's about to ripen."

Chen Zhen walked over; the seed was rotating, and with every rotation, a beam of light shot towards the sky.

The frequency was twice as fast as yesterday.

He reached out to touch it, and that warm feeling had turned into scorching heat.

The seed was responding to him.

It would ripen tonight.

Shen Nian took a deep breath: "What happens after it ripens?"

Chen Zhen didn't answer. He walked to the center of the array and sat down; seventeen points of light were slowly rotating. Soon.

The door was pushed open, and Zhou Rui walked in, holding a stack of talismans in his hand.

"Master, these were drawn tonight."

Chen Zhen took them and looked at them one by one.

Fifty Protective Talismans, each one had reached the level of a high-quality product.

The last ten had smooth lines and stable spiritual power, already touching the threshold of being top-quality.

He nodded: "Not bad."

Zhou Rui smiled, walked over to the flower, crouched down, and watched for a while: "It's about to ripen."

"Yes."

Zhou Rui was silent for a few seconds, then stood up: "Master, after the fruit ripens, are you going over there?"

Chen Zhen looked at him: "How did you know?"

Zhou Rui pointed to his own chest: "I felt it. It told me you are going to leave."

Chen Zhen didn't speak.

Zhou Rui waited for two seconds and smiled: "It's okay. I will take good care of this place." He walked to his workbench, sat down, and began to draw talismans.

At 8:00 PM, Yun Xi pushed the door open and entered.

She walked to the flower, took a look, then walked over to Chen Zhen and sat down: "I finished delivering them all."

"Are there those who believe?"

"Yes. Most of them believe. Especially those children; they could see things to begin with, so they were incredibly happy after getting the talismans." She paused: "But there were some who didn't accept it. That laid-off worker in the west of the city threw the talisman away."

Chen Zhen didn't speak.

Yun Xi waited for two seconds and smiled: "But it doesn't matter; his wife secretly picked it back up."

Chen Zhen looked at her.

Yun Xi shrugged: "She said her husband talks tough but is soft-hearted; he's actually scared too. He just can't bring himself to admit it."

Chen Zhen nodded.

10:00 PM.

That flower began to change.

The seed's light grew brighter, its rotation speed faster, and the entire base was illuminated as if it were daylight.

Shen Nian put down his notebook, Zhou Rui put down his pen, and Yun Xi stood up.

Chen Zhen walked to the flower.

The seed was glowing, the light piercing through the roof, shooting straight into the sky.

A crack appeared on the ceiling—the Heavenly Road had opened again.

Inside the crack, that grey mist was churning.

Deep within the mist, a person was standing.

Original Body.

He turned around, looked over here, and smiled.

"The fruit has ripened."

The seed stopped rotating.

The light converged, and the dark blue shell began to crack.

A golden light shot out from the crack.

The second, the third, the fourth... the shell shattered into powder, revealing the fruit inside.

Golden, the size of a fist, emitting a warm light.

Suspended in the air, slowly rotating.

Chen Zhen reached out. The moment his fingertips touched the fruit, a massive amount of information flooded his mind.

It wasn't language; it was images.

Ten thousand years ago, the Original Body stood at the peak of the Heavenly Pillar, holding a seed in his hand.

He planted the seed, then turned and walked into the Heavenly Road.

The seed sprouted, grew, blossomed, and waited. Ten thousand years.

The images dissipated.

The fruit lay quietly in his palm, warm, like a beating heart.

"Eat it." The Original Body's voice came from the crack.

Chen Zhen looked at the fruit in his palm, then put it into his mouth.

The moment he bit into it, a warm liquid flooded his throat, flowed down his esophagus, and into his Dantian.

The seventeen points of light spun wildly, merging with that liquid.

The liquid spread, flowing through his whole body; every meridian, every pore was being washed by this power.

He lowered his head and looked at his hands.

In his palms, golden light flowed beneath his skin, exactly the same as the light of that flower.

[Obtained Ultimate Ability: Lord of the Heavenly Road. Can freely open and close the Heavenly Road.]

He looked up at the crack.

The Original Body stood in the mist, looking at him: "Now, you can come over."

Chen Zhen didn't move. The Original Body waited for two seconds and smiled: "Not coming over?"

Chen Zhen shook his head: "It's not time yet."

The Original Body was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Good. Then I will wait for you."

He turned and walked into the mist, and the crack slowly closed.

The base returned to quiet, with only the withered petals of that flower remaining on the floor.

Chen Zhen stood there, the light in his palms slowly fading.

Shen Nian was the first to recover: "You... you didn't go?"

"It's not time yet."

Shen Nian opened his mouth but didn't speak.

Zhou Rui put down his pen and was silent for a long time: "Master, what are you waiting for?"

Chen Zhen looked out the window.

The night was deep, and the city lights were like scattered stars.

Those with sensitive Physiques, those who could see shadows, those who needed Protective Talismans.

Chen Hao's sister, Su Xiaoya's mother, the old lady in the east of the city, the little girl in the south of the city.

"Waiting for them to be ready."

He turned and walked back to the center of the array, sitting cross-legged.

Seventeen points of light were slowly rotating in his Dantian.

The Heavenly Road had closed, the flower had withered, and the fruit was inside him.

No rush.

There is still time.