208: Chapter 208 The Trial of the Primordial Spirit

There was no up, down, left, or right in the void space.

Shen Zhao suspended within it, facing a ten-thousand-foot-tall luminous figure.

The eyes of the Spirit of Taichu were like two stars.

They were staring at him, as if trying to see right through him.

"Latercomer, you have finally come."

The voice resounded in Shen Zhao's mind, aged and majestic.

Shen Zhao bowed respectfully. "Disciple Shen Zhao greets Senior."

"There is an aura of the Three Great Spirits on you."

"And the aura of the tree of life."

"And... Bai Yunzhou's qinglian sword."

The voice of the Spirit of Taichu carried a hint of reminiscence.

"More than ten thousand years have passed."

"You are the first person to walk here."

Shen Zhao was silent for a moment and slowly spoke.

"Senior, this Disciple has come for the Primordial Power."

"I have come for the protection of the Starry Sea."

"Please grant this, Senior."

The Spirit of Taichu was silent for a long time.

"The Primordial Power cannot be obtained by just anyone."

"You need to pass My trial."

"There are three trials, each one harder than the last."

"If you fail, you will be lost forever within Taichu."

Shen Zhao nodded solemnly. "This Disciple is willing."

The Spirit of Taichu raised its hand, and a beam of light enveloped Shen Zhao.

The surrounding scenery suddenly changed.

Shen Zhao found himself standing upon a ruin.

That was Yongning City.

The city walls had collapsed, the palaces were shattered, and the streets were completely deserted.

The Monument of Heroes had fallen to the ground, and the names on the monument were covered in dust.

In the sky, grayish-black mists were churning.

Within the mist, countless ferocious figures were roaming.

The Void Clan.

Shen Zhao's heart ached fiercely.

He saw his uncle's corpse.

It had fallen on the steps in front of the Council Hall.

The Guardian Patriarch's seal in his hand was shattered into two halves.

He saw Director Su Yun's corpse.

It had fallen beneath the tower of the Investigation Department.

The chief token in her hand was dim and devoid of light.

He saw the corpses of the Disciples of the Guardian Academy.

They had fallen on the Martial Arts Arena, in front of the Scripture Pavilion.

They had fallen beside the ruins of the Monument of Heroes.

Every single face belonged to someone he was familiar with.

Every single name was a name he knew.

Shen Zhao knelt on the ground, his tears blurring his vision.

"No... This is not real..."

The voice of the Spirit of Taichu resounded in his mind.

"This is the first trial."

"Face the deepest fear within your heart."

"The Starry Sea falls, and your loved ones die in battle."

"This is what you fear, isn't it?"

Shen Zhao did not answer; he only knelt on the ground and wept.

The Spirit of Taichu continued to speak.

"If you fail, stay here."

"Live in fear forever."

"Watch the Starry Sea fall forever."

"Watch your loved ones die forever."

Shen Zhao suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with tears.

But the firmness in his eyes was not washed away by his tears.

"Senior, this Disciple is not afraid."

"What this Disciple fears is not the fall of the Starry Sea."

"What this Disciple fears is that I did not do my utmost."

"If this Disciple exhausts all my strength, and the Starry Sea still falls—"

"Then this Disciple accepts it."

"But if this Disciple retreats out of fear—"

"Then this Disciple will never forgive myself."

The Spirit of Taichu was silent for a very long time.

"Are you certain?"

"Certain."

Shen Zhao wiped away his tears and stood up.

He walked to his uncle's corpse and squatted down.

He gently closed his uncle's eyes.

"Uncle, this Disciple will not let you die in vain."

He got up and walked to the ruins of the Monument of Heroes.

He wiped the dust off the monument.

Those names were still clear.

Guardian Patriarch Bai Yunzhou, Ling Shuang, Zhou Zhiting, Song Xinghe.

Guardian Lin Jingyun, Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao.

And countless unfamiliar names.

Shen Zhao looked at those names and took a deep breath.

"Seniors, this Disciple will not let the Starry Sea fall."

"This is this Disciple's promise."

The surrounding scenery began to distort and shatter.

The ruins disappeared, the corpses disappeared, and the grayish-black mist disappeared.

Shen Zhao stood within a void.

The Spirit of Taichu looked at him, a trace of approval flashing in its eyes.

"The first trial is passed."

"Next, the second trial."

The Spirit of Taichu raised its hand once more.

The surrounding scenery abruptly changed.

Shen Zhao found himself standing before the Monument of Heroes.

The names on the monument were still glowing.

His uncle stood beside him with a calm expression.

Director Su Yun stood behind his uncle, holding the token of the Investigation Department in her hands.

The Disciples of the Guardian Academy stood in formation on the plaza.

Everything was as usual, as if nothing had ever happened.

Shen Zhao was stunned.

"This is..."

"The second trial: let go of obsessions."

The voice of the Spirit of Taichu resounded in his mind.

"Your greatest obsession is protection."

"Protecting the Starry Sea, protecting your loved ones, protecting everyone."

"But you know that you cannot protect everyone."

"Some people are destined to leave."

"Some things are destined to happen."

"You must learn to accept loss."

Shen Zhao was silent.

He knew what the Spirit of Taichu said was right.

He could not protect everyone.

His uncle would age and die.

Director Su Yun would age and die.

The Disciples of the Guardian Academy would also age and die.

He could not protect them forever.

But he could let them live well.

When they were alive, he would protect them.

When they left, he would send them off on their final journey.

This was the meaning of protection.

It was not eternity, but cherishing.

Shen Zhao took a deep breath and turned to face his uncle.

"Uncle, this Disciple has something to say to you."

Shen Yuan looked at him without speaking.

"This Disciple has always wanted to say it, but dared not."

"This Disciple feared that once spoken aloud, it would truly be lost."

"But this Disciple knows now."

"Not speaking of it is the true loss."

Shen Zhao knelt on the ground and bowed deeply to his uncle.

"Uncle, thank you."

"Thank you for raising this Disciple."

"Thank you for teaching this Disciple how to be a person."

"Thank you for letting this Disciple become a protector."

A trace of tears flashed in Shen Yuan's eyes.

But he said nothing; he merely reached out and helped Shen Zhao up.

"Silly child."

The surrounding scenery twisted and shattered once more.

The Monument of Heroes disappeared, his uncle disappeared, and Director Su Yun disappeared.

Shen Zhao stood within a void.

The Spirit of Taichu looked at him, its eyes filled with gratification.

"The second trial is passed."

"Next, the third trial."

The Spirit of Taichu raised its hand for the third time.

The surrounding scenery abruptly changed.

Shen Zhao found himself standing on a desolate land.

There were no stars, no stardust, and no Life of any kind.

There was only endless desolation and boundless nothingness.

"The third trial: create with a heart of protection."

The voice of the Spirit of Taichu resounded in his mind.

"Here, you can create anything."

"A Small World, a living creature, a flower."

"Anything at all."

"But you must remember that creation is not for showing off."

"It is for protection."

Shen Zhao looked at this desolate land and fell into deep thought.

Creation was something he had never done before.

He only knew how to fight and how to protect.

He only knew how to destroy and how to annihilate.

But creation...

He closed his eyes and recalled the appearance of the tree of life.

That tree was so massive and so tall.

Its canopy covered the entire void, and every single leaf was glowing.

It created Life and created the world.

It created countless living beings.

Shen Zhao opened his eyes and raised his hand.

The Power of Three Spirits surged out from his palm and poured into the earth.

A tender shoot sprouted from the ground.

The shoot was very small and fragile, as if it could wither at any moment.

But it was growing.

One leaf, two leaves, three leaves.

It grew taller and thicker.

Eventually, it grew into a small tree.

The small tree was not tall, only about a zhang.

Its canopy was not large either, possessing only a few leaves.

But it was glowing, emitting a faint green light.

That was the light of Life.

Shen Zhao looked at this small tree, and an indescribable emotion welled up in his heart.

This was the Life he had created.

Although it was neither very large nor very strong.

Yet it was his child.

The leaves of the small tree gently swayed, making a rustling sound.

As if calling him "Father".

Shen Zhao's eyes turned red.

He reached out and gently stroked the trunk of the small tree.

"Child, I will protect you."

The leaves of the small tree grew even brighter.

Across the surrounding desolate land, more tender shoots began to sprout.

One, two, three.

Soon, the entire land was covered in green.

Flowers bloomed in abundance, full of vitality.

The voice of the Spirit of Taichu sounded once more.

"The third trial is passed."

"Starting from today, you are the successor of the Primordial Power."

Shen Zhao knelt in the void and bowed deeply to the Spirit of Taichu.

"Thank you, Senior."

The Spirit of Taichu raised its hand, and a beam of light flew out from its palm.

It merged into Shen Zhao's body.

Within that light contained all the mysteries of the Primordial Power.

The birth of the Universe, the origin of all things, and the true meaning of Life.

A massive amount of information flooded into Shen Zhao's Sea of Consciousness.

He closed his eyes and quietly absorbed it.

Not knowing how long had passed, he opened his eyes.

In his eyes, there was an extra streak of Chaos-colored light.

That was the color of the Primordial Power.

He stood up and looked toward the Spirit of Taichu.

The figure of the Spirit of Taichu was slowly dissipating.

Starting from its feet, it turned into specks of light bit by bit.

"Senior!"

The Spirit of Taichu smiled, smiling with incomparable relief.

"My mission is completed."

"The Primordial Power is handed over to you."

"Use it to protect everything you wish to protect."

As the voice fell, the Spirit of Taichu completely dissipated.

It turned into specks of light all over the sky, drifting away into the void.

Shen Zhao knelt on the ground and bowed deeply toward the dissipating light.

"Rest assured, Senior, this Disciple will certainly not fail your commission."