215: Chapter 215 The World Behind the Door

Shen Zhao knelt in front of the Monument of Heroes, remaining there for a long time without getting up.

The six-colored light at the top of the monument slowly flowed in the night sky.

Within his body, the six powers had already recovered by more than half.

But the world behind that gate always lingered in his mind, refusing to fade.

What was behind the gate? Endless Void Realm, or a new Universe?

The Spirit of the Gate said that the opening of the gate was the end, and also the beginning.

End what? Begin what? It did not say.

Shen Zhao stood up and walked toward the tower of the Investigation Department.

Director Su Yun was busy in front of the star map, and seeing him enter, she hurriedly stood up.

"Shen Zhao, it is so late. Is something the matter?"

"Director Su, this Disciple wishes to check some ancient texts."

"What ancient texts?"

"Records concerning the boundaries of meetingの Chaotic Universe."

Director Su Yun's brow furrowed as she pondered for a moment.

"Volume 3872 of the Scripture Pavilion might have what you want."

Shen Zhao nodded and turned to walk toward the Scripture Pavilion.

The old gatekeeper was still sitting on that bamboo chair with his eyes closed.

"Senior, this Disciple wishes to borrow Volume 3872."

The old man did not open his eyes, merely nodding slightly.

Shen Zhao walked quickly upstairs and searched among the bookshelves.

Volume 3872 was in the corner position on the highest floor.

The Jade Slip was covered in dust, and nobody had touched it for a long time.

Shen Zhao reached out to take it down and pressed the Jade Slip against the center of his brows.

His Divine Thought probed in, and a massive amount of information surged into his Sea of Consciousness.

Those were the records left behind by the Guardians of antiquity.

The boundary of the Chaotic Universe was a gate.

Inside the gate was order, and outside the gate was Chaos.

The gate was guarded by the Spirit of the Gate and had not been opened for hundreds of millions of years.

But the Universe had cycles, and creation and destruction repeated in a cycle.

When the cycle arrived, the gate would open.

When the gate opened, Chaos surged in, and order collapsed.

The Universe ended, and everything returned to nothingness.

But after nothingness, a new Universe would be born.

This was the end and the beginning spoken of by the Spirit of the Gate.

Shen Zhao put down the Jade Slip and remained silent for a long time.

He thought of the Abyss Clan and those people who had lost their homes.

Were their worlds also destroyed within the cycle?

Was their pain also a part of the Universe's cycle?

He walked out of the Scripture Pavilion and returned to the front of the Monument of Heroes.

He knelt in front of the monument, gazing at the six-colored light.

"Seniors, this Disciple does not know what to do."

"The opening of the gate is the law of the Universe, and this Disciple should not stop it."

"But this Disciple does not want the Star Sea to be destroyed."

"This Disciple wants to protect this homeland."

The light at the top of the monument beat gently, as if responding to him.

Shen Zhao remained silent for a long time before finally standing up.

He made a decision.

He was going to take a look at the world behind the gate.

To take a look at Chaos, to take a look at nothingness.

To take a look at what the Universe looked like when it ended.

Only in this way could he know how to protect it.

Early the next morning, Shen Zhao arrived at the Council Hall.

Shen Yuan and representatives from various realms were discussing matters.

Seeing Shen Zhao enter, everyone fell silent.

"Zhao'er, is something the matter?"

"Uncle, this Disciple is going to the world behind the gate."

There was an uproar inside the main hall.

Representatives from various realms looked at each other in dismay; some were shocked, and some were worried.

Shen Yuan's brows were tightly furrowed, and he remained silent for a long time.

"Even the Spirit of the Gate does not know what the world behind the gate is."

"If you go, you might not be able to return."

"This Disciple knows."

"Then why still go?"

Shen Zhao raised his head and looked into his uncle's eyes.

"Because this Disciple wants to know what the Universe looks like when it ends."

"Only in this way can this Disciple know how to protect it."

Shen Yuan looked at him and remained silent for a long time.

Then he nodded slowly.

"Go, and come back alive."

Shen Zhao knelt on the ground and deeply kowtowed toward his uncle.

"This Disciple will definitely not fail the commission."

Three days later, the spacetime flying boat rose from the Star Port.

And flew toward the direction of the edge of the Star Sea.

Shen Zhao stood in front of the porthole, gazing at the Star Sea ahead.

The six-colored light circulated around the flying boat.

This time, he did not tell anyone what the world behind the gate was.

Because he did not know either.

The flying boat arrived at the edge of the Star Sea, and that gate still stood tall in the Void Realm.

The runes on the gate slowly circulated, and the six-colored light echoed with them.

Shen Zhao walked out of the cabin door and walked in front of the gate.

He reached out and gently pushed the gate.

The gate did not move, not budging an inch.

He circulated the six powers and pushed the gate with all his might.

The gate finally split open a crack, barely enough for one person to pass through.

Shen Zhao turned sideways and squeezed into the crack of the gate.

The world behind the gate was completely different from what he had imagined.

It was not darkness, nor was it nothingness, but a patch of brightness.

That brightness was so bright that it made it impossible for him to open his eyes.

He closed his eyes and used his perception to "see".

Within the brightness, countless points of light floated.

Every single point of light was a star, and every single one was a world.

They slowly rotated, emitting a warm light.

Shen Zhao was stunned. Was this the world behind the gate?

Not Chaos, not nothingness, but another Universe?

A Universe even vaster and more brilliant than the Star Sea?

He opened his eyes, struggling to adapt to that patch of brightness.

Within the brightness, a figure emerged.

It was a woman with an incomparably beautiful face and a gentle gaze.

She wore a set of white clothes, her long hair reached her waist, and she held a scepter in her hand.

Embedded at the top of the scepter was a transparent crystal stone.

Within the crystal stone, endless light was contained.

"Latercomer, you have finally come."

Her voice was very soft, like the wind blowing across the surface of a lake.

Shen Zhao bowed in salute: "Disciple Shen Zhao pays respects to Senior."

"Senior? You do not recognize this seat?"

Shen Zhao shook his head.

The woman smiled, smiling incomparably gently.

"This seat is the Spirit of Creation."

"The first consciousness at the birth of the Universe."

"The Three Great Spirits, the Spirit of Taichu, and the Spirit of the Gate are all Clones of this seat."

Shen Zhao trembled all over.

The Spirit of Creation was the source of all consciousness.

The Three Great Spirits, the Spirit of Taichu, and the Spirit of the Gate were all its Clones.

He knelt in the Void Realm and deeply kowtowed toward the woman.

"This Disciple is blind and begs Senior for forgiveness."

The woman shook her head and raised her hand to help him up.

"There is no need for such formalities. That you can come here shows that you have passed all the trials."

"This seat has waited for you for ten thousand years."

Shen Zhao raised his head and looked into her eyes.

"Senior, what on earth is the world behind the gate?"

The woman raised her hand and pointed toward those points of light.

"This is a new Universe, a Universe currently being nurtured."

"The old Universe dies, and the new Universe is born."

"This is the Dao, this is the cycle."

Shen Zhao remained silent for a long time.

"Then what about the Star Sea? Will the Star Sea also die?"

The woman nodded, her eyes filled with boundless compassion.

"It will, everything will die."

"But death is not the end, but Rebirth."

"The living beings of the Star Sea will experience Rebirth in the new Universe."

Tears burst from Shen Zhao's eyes.

Rebirth, not death, but Rebirth.

Those sacrificed heroes, those departed loved ones.

They will live again in the new Universe.

"Senior, what should this Disciple do?"

"Go back and guard the Star Sea."

"Guard it for as long as you can."

"When the gate has to open."

"Bring the living beings of the Star Sea to the new Universe."

Shen Zhao knelt on the ground and deeply kowtowed.

"This Disciple understands."

The woman smiled, smiling with incomparable relief.

"Go, latercomer."

"This seat is here, waiting for you to return."

Shen Zhao got up and turned to walk toward the direction of the gate.