256: Chapter 256 Forbidden Name

He forcibly circulated the nearly frozen Taiqing Immortal Art, channeling the last remaining Dao power in his body like a trickling stream, gradually calming his churning, near-shattered Divine Soul.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, although the emerald-gold light had faded, it had left a deep imprint. The pressure of that supreme will still seemed to shroud his Divine Soul like a sharp sword hanging over his head—

—leaving him daring not to make the slightest movement or harbor any stray thoughts.

In his heart, however, a monstrous wave raged, more turbulent than when he had crossed the Nine Tribulations Lightning Tribulation, and more chaotic than when he had faced life-and-death crises in the past.

Who was that?

Why would they appear here?

Why did they know his background like the back of their hand?

Was this emerald-gold will truly that legendary existence?

If it was him, why did he reveal himself?

What was his purpose?

Countless questions circled in his mind like a rising tide, yet there was not a single answer.

He only knew that from this moment on, his Dao path, and even the destiny of the entire Taiqing Heavenly Sect, might change because of this.

And this supreme existence was like a sword hanging over his head, a nightmare clinging to his very bones—

—forcing him to remain in constant awe, not daring to overstep or slacken in the slightest.

He gazed out into the Void Realm, his eyes filled with a complex, unreadable mix of shock, dread, and awe—

—as well as a trace of confusion that even he himself had not noticed.

Taichu... It really is Him!

This emerald-gold will was like the first ray of morning light piercing the darkness at the dawn of Chaos, or the eternal judgment of the Heavenly Dao. Its pressure, which reigned supreme over all Daos and crushed the heavens, caused the entire Void Realm to tremble silently—

Other than the legendary Taichu Heaven Lord, who split the heavens and earth and transformed into all things through the Dao, who else in the world could possess such terrifying, majestic power?!

That supreme existence, who had long transcended the heavens and only existed in the Incomplete Manuals of the most ancient records, had actually been paying attention to this place all along?

No, he was not paying attention to this Void Battlefield, nor was he paying attention to him, the successor of the Taiqing Heavenly Sect—

—he was paying attention to Chu Changsheng!

Or rather, he was paying attention to the Dao Seed within Chu Changsheng's body, which was slowly awakening and contained the world's Origin!

Patriarch Tian Yuanzi's heart pounded like a war drum, and his Divine Soul continued to tremble uncontrollably, as if the pressure of that emerald-gold will was still branded deep within his Divine Soul, refusing to dissipate.

Just now, the words had been on the tip of his tongue. He had almost leaked that forbidden truth, almost spitting out the four words "Taichu Heaven Lord"—

—this was an appellation that could bring down utter destruction just by being mentioned, and he had already angered that supreme existence!

Had he not carried the ancient Legacy of the Taiqing Heavenly Sect, perhaps in that very instant, his Divine Soul would have been crushed into ashes under the emerald-gold will—

—without even the chance for Reincarnation!

"Changsheng..."

Patriarch Tian Yuanzi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his churning Divine Soul and the tempest in his heart. His voice remained weak and raspy, each word squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a tremor he could not hide.

He forced his face back to a state of calm, but beneath that calm lay a bottomless awe and lingering fear—

—like an abyss lurking beneath a calm sea, ready to swallow him whole at the slightest misstep.

"Just now... it was just a mishap in this Old Ancestor's cultivation, causing an old injury to flare up. It is nothing."

He had no choice but to lie.

This truth regarding Chu Changsheng's true identity, the ultimate secret of the Taixuan Ancestral Realm, and even involving that supreme existence—

—he could no longer speak a single word of it now.

It was not that he did not want to, but that he dared not, and absolutely could not!

Once the truth leaked, it would not only draw the greed and pursuit of the Myriad Heavens and Worlds upon Chu Changsheng, bringing unpredictable and catastrophic disasters, but it might also bring upon this world—which was already struggling to survive amidst the withered Great Dao—

—the unfathomable gaze of that supreme existence.

That gaze might be a blessing, but it was far more likely to be destruction!

Chu Changsheng frowned deeply, his sword-like brows furrowing into a tight knot, his eyes filled with doubt and worry.

He absolutely did not believe this explanation.

The Old Ancestor's abnormal behavior was too sudden and bizarre: that instant of violent shock to his Divine Soul, his face turning as pale as paper, and that thread of pale-gold Dao-rhyme-infused blood—

—none of this could be explained by a mere "flare-up of an old injury."

Especially that fleeting, terrifying aura, which felt like the descent of heavenly wrath, making his Soul instinctively grovel and tremble. Even now, he still felt a lingering dread—

—as if that aura still lingered around him, making even his breathing heavy with pressure.

But he also understood that since his Master was deliberately concealing it, there was no point in asking further. It would only add to the awkwardness—

—and might even touch upon deeper taboos.

"Then... about me, about the World Dao Seed, and about Feng Tianxia..."

Chu Changsheng hesitated for a moment before probing. The doubts in his heart spread wildly like rampant weeds—

What exactly followed the Old Ancestor's abruptly cut-off sentence, "You are Taichu..."? Was it "the successor of Taichu"? Or... was there another secret?

Patriarch Tian Yuanzi waved his hand, his face instantly showing a look of extreme exhaustion, as if he had aged ten thousand years in a single moment, and even the Dao rhyme around him grew dull and lusterless.

His eyes were bloodshot, a sign of damage to his Divine Soul, and every blink brought a tearing pain:

"There are some things that knowing too much about now is not good for you. You only need to remember that the World Tree Dao Seed and you are originally one—"

"It is both your Opportunity and your tribulation."

"For you right now, the top priority is to Cultivate hard, improve your strength as quickly as possible, and firmly establish your Dao foundation. That is the Righteous Path."

His tone suddenly became incomparably solemn, like a sudden clap of thunder, carrying an unquestionable authority. Every word felt as heavy as a mountain, crashing down upon Chu Changsheng's heart:

"From this day forth, not a single word regarding your identity or anything I have said today must be leaked to the outside world! Within the Sect, other than myself, even the venerable elders of the Elder Council must not mention the name of Feng Tianxia to anyone!"

"Remember this well! A single misstep will lead to eternal damnation!"

"Your Disciple obeys."

Chu Changsheng felt a chill in his heart. Sensing the gravity and determination in the Old Ancestor's words, he quickly bowed and solemnly accepted.

He vaguely realized that the secrets he was embroiled in were probably far more unfathomable than he had imagined—

—even a titan like the Old Ancestor was extremely secretive about it, and had even suffered severe injuries because of it.

Patriarch Tian Yuanzi looked at the mixture of determination and doubt in Chu Changsheng's eyes, and a complex array of emotions welled up in his heart.

He had originally intended to reveal more of the truth today so that Chu Changsheng would be mentally prepared to face the storms of the future—

—but he had never expected to draw the direct intervention of that supreme existence.

"Taichu Heaven Lord"... It seemed that even mentioning this title was a taboo.

And Chu Changsheng's future path was destined to be even more difficult and unpredictable.

From now on, he would not only have to face the remnants of ancient foreign races and the desperate situation of the withered Great Dao—

—but he would also have to forge his own Dao path under the unfathomable gaze of that Taichu Heaven Lord.

A single careless mistake would result in his death and the dissipation of his Dao.

"Go on."

Patriarch Tian Yuanzi waved his hand, his voice filled with exhaustion, as if he had exhausted all his strength, and even the motion of raising his hand carried a heavy burden:

"Go into secluded meditation, contemplate what you have gained today, and stabilize your Dao Heart. If there are any abnormalities during your future cultivation, you can come find me at any time."

"Yes, Old Ancestor."

Chu Changsheng bowed once more, then turned and withdrew from the Void Battlefield.

His figure gradually faded, like a drop of ink dissolving in water, before finally vanishing completely into the Void Realm.

The very instant his aura completely dissipated—

—Patriarch Tian Yuanzi could no longer hold himself up. He stumbled, supporting himself with his hand against the Void Realm beneath his feet.

Under his palm, the seemingly solid Void Realm actually rippled, like a lake disturbed by a giant boulder.

He suddenly spat out a mouthful of pale-gold blood, which scattered like broken pearls and fell onto the Void Realm, making a sizzling, corrosive sound—

—actually corroding several small, pitch-black pits into the incredibly hard Void Realm that remained unhealed for a long time.

This was a sign of his Dao rhyme spiraling out of control after his Divine Soul's Origin was damaged.

He slowly raised his head and looked deep into the Void Realm, his eyes filled with unprecedented gravity and worry, as if a weight of ten thousand tons had been pressed upon him, causing his back to slouch slightly.

His gaze pierced through layers of the Void Realm, as if seeing the scene of Chaos beyond the heavens, and the hazy figure of that supreme existence—

—and seeing that emerald-gold will shrouding all things like a heavenly net.

"Taichu has revealed Himself, He has already..."

Patriarch Tian Yuanzi muttered to himself, his voice carrying an undeniable dread, each word squeezed out with great difficulty from the depths of his throat:

"Could it be that, following the Ancient War of Gods and Demons—"

"—a new round of war sweeping through the Myriad Heavens and Worlds is about to begin?"

Within the Void Realm, only his lonely figure remained, along with the lingering, bloody scent carrying the Dao rhyme—

—and that heavy, suffocating unknown and dread, which shrouded this deathly silent Void Realm like dark clouds, refusing to disperse for a long time.