240: Chapter 240 The Last Day in the Sect

In the grayish-white space within the gate, Shen Zhao had been sitting cross-legged for I don't know how long.

Those floating points of light were still slowly rotating, resembling countless slumbering stars, silently watching the young man guarding the gate alone.

In the Void Realm before him, two points of light were gently leaping.

One was cyan, carrying the biting chill of Sword Intent; the other was white, carrying the gentle warmth of the Formation.

These were his parents' Origin, nurtured in his palm for several months—perceiving that two years had already passed, while in the outside world it was about two months.

The cyan point of light was much brighter than before, and the frequency of its leaping was becoming faster and faster.

The white point of light was the same; within its gentle glow, a slender figure could faintly be seen slowly condensing.

Shen Zhao looked down at those two points of light and said softly, "Father, Mother, this Disciple will leave seclusion tomorrow."

The cyan point of light leapt hurriedly, as if responding to him.

The white point of light also leapt once, even gentler than the cyan one, like a mother's hand gently caressing his forehead.

He reached out his finger and gently touched that cyan point of light.

A warm wave of power surged out from the point of light, flowing along his fingertips into his body.

That was not spiritual energy nor magic power, but something unspeakable, resembling a certain belief, yet also resembling a certain obsession.

Shen Zhao closed his eyes, feeling that power flowing through his Meridians.

He "saw" his father's back standing before the Monument of Heroes.

That was something from many years ago.

His father was still young, wearing the green robes of a Guardian Academy Disciple, with that cyan longsword hanging at his waist, its sword tassel gently fluttering in the wind.

He stood before the monument and bowed deeply toward the names upon it.

Of those names on the monument, some he recognized, and some he did not.

But every single name was a heroic martyr who had sacrificed themselves to protect the starry sea.

Shen Tianxing stood before the monument for a very long time, until the setting sun went down and the moon rose.

"I will guard the starry sea," he said softly, his voice very light yet carrying an unquestionable firmness.

"I will guard the starry sea, guard Ruoxue, and guard Zhao'er."

Shen Zhao's tears silently slid down.

His father had spent his entire Life protecting—protecting the starry sea, protecting his mother, and protecting him.

He had guarded many things, yet failed to guard himself.

In the battle of the abyss, he and his mother fell in pools of blood, their Origin taken into the gate by the Spirit of the Gate, trapping them there for twenty years.

He did not regret it.

Because his son was still alive.

Shen Zhao opened his eyes, wiped away his tears, looked down at that cyan point of light, and gently pressed it against his chest.

"Father, this Disciple has guarded the starry sea in your stead. I have guarded Mother's Origin for you, and guarded myself for you."

The cyan point of light brightened once, like his father nodding.

He placed the point of light back into his palm and looked toward that white point of light.

Reaching out to touch it, a cooling wave of power surged over, like his mother's hand gently caressing his glabella.

He "saw" what his mother looked like sitting in the Array Hall.

At that time, she was already the chief Disciple of the Array Hall, teaching newly entered Disciples how to set up basic defensive Formations.

Her voice was very light and gentle, like the spring wind.

"Formations are not lifeless objects; they have Life," she said.

"You must feel its breath, feel its pulsation, and feel its will."

"The Formation base is the skeleton, the Formation patterns are the flesh and blood, and the Formation core is the heart."

"The skeleton must be steady, the flesh and blood must be lively, and the heart must be strong."

"Only in this way can the Formation truly protect you."

The young Disciples understood half-heartedly, but she did not get angry, only explaining it over and over again.

Just like when she taught him Formations back then.

Shen Zhao looked at his mother's figure, and an indescribable warmth surged in his heart.

His mother spent her entire Life imparting knowledge—imparting the Profound Truth of Formations, imparting the philosophy of protection, and imparting the principles of being a person.

She taught countless outstanding Disciples; some became Elders of the Array Hall, some became Formation Masters of various domains, and some used Formations to block enemy attacks on the battlefield.

She failed to see them grow up, failed to see them achieve success.

But she did not regret it.

Because her son was still alive.

Shen Zhao opened his eyes and pressed the white point of light against his chest as well.

"Mother, this Disciple teaches them Formations in your stead. I guard the Array Hall for you, and guard the Legacy of the Guardian Academy for you."

The white point of light also brightened once, like his mother smiling.

He placed the two points of light in his palm, letting the cyan and white lights intertwine together.

The rhythm of their leaping grew increasingly synchronized, like a pair of dancers gracefully dancing in the darkness.

Like a pair of parents watching their child.

Shen Zhao looked at those two points of light and remained silent for a long time.

Then, he said softly, "Father, Mother, this Disciple will leave seclusion tomorrow to return to Yongning City and return to the starry sea."

"Uncle has passed away, and this Disciple failed to return to see him one last time. This Disciple is unfilial."

The cyan point of light leapt hurriedly, as if his father were saying, "No, you are very filial."

The white point of light leapt gently, as if his mother were saying, "Your uncle won't blame you."

Shen Zhao's tears gushed out once more, but the corners of his mouth curved up slightly.

"This Disciple knows. This Disciple simply... misses him very much."

The two points of light leapt three times simultaneously, their rhythm slow and steady.

As if someone were gently patting his back, as if someone were stroking his hair.

He took a deep breath, wiped away his tears, and then took out a communication talisman from his bosom.

The communication talisman lit up, and Director Su Yun's voice came through, carrying a trace of exhaustion: "Shen Zhao, you still haven't rested?"

"This Disciple cannot sleep," Shen Zhao said, "I wanted to speak with you."

Director Su Yun was silent for a moment: "Speak about what?"

"Director Su, after this Disciple leaves seclusion, I want to go take a look at that stronghold of the Shadow Society."

Director Su Yun gave a soft acknowledgment: "The Investigation Department is already prepared. Whenever you come, you can go."

Shen Zhao nodded, even though Director Su Yun could not see: "Thank you, Director Su."

"What is there to thank?" Director Su Yun's voice carried a trace of a smile: "Before your uncle left, he entrusted the Investigation Department to me. He said to let me watch over you in his stead."

Shen Zhao's hand paused slightly: "Uncle... did he say anything else?"

Director Su Yun fell silent.

Inside the communication talisman, only the faint sound of electric current remained, gently echoing in the grayish-white Void Realm.

After a long time, she finally spoke, her voice very light: "He said, 'Su Yun, that child Zhao'er is good at everything, except that he loves to shoulder everything alone too much. Help me watch over him and don't let him be by himself.'"

Shen Zhao's tears gushed out once more.

He recalled his uncle's words before his death— "Zhao'er, promise Uncle, no matter what difficulties you encounter, never shoulder them alone. You have Director Su Yun, you have the Disciples of the Guardian Academy, you have Cultivators from all domains, and you have tens of billions of common people. You are not alone."

He gripped the communication talisman tightly, his voice hoarse: "This Disciple will remember."

Director Su Yun gave a soft acknowledgment and did not say anything more.

The communication talisman dimmed, and Shen Zhao put it back into his bosom.

He looked down at the two points of light in his palm; the cyan and white lights leapt gently in the darkness.

"Father, Mother, this Disciple will leave tomorrow."

"This Disciple does not know when I will be able to come see you again."

"But this Disciple promises that I will definitely return."

"To take you to the New Universe, to see New Yongning City, and to see the new Monument of Heroes."

The cyan point of light brightened once, and the white point of light also brightened once.

Then, they leapt three times simultaneously, as if saying, "We are waiting for you."

Shen Zhao smiled, and as he smiled, tears flowed down again.

He carefully placed the two points of light before him, setting up a small protective Formation with seven-colored power to ensure they would not suffer any harm.

Then, he stood up and walked over to the side of the gate.

The runes upon the gate were still slowly circulating, their grayish-white light intertwining with the seven colors to form a huge barrier.

Through the barrier, he could see that thousand-zhang-tall giant— "Beginning".

It was still suspended at the edge of the crack, its eyes tightly closed, grayish-white mist rolling about around it.

The small tree grown from the seed of breaking the game was already over a zhang tall, its branches and leaves swaying in the Void Realm, golden light intertwining with the grayish-white mist.

The Spirit of the Gate had dissipated, but the imprints it left behind were still there.

Those runes, those points of light, those memories.

Shen Zhao raised his hand and gently stroked the runes on the gate.

Those runes leapt slightly at his fingertips, as if possessing Life.

They recognized him, accepted him, and merged into one with him.

The Spirit of the Gate had said that guarding the gate was not trapping oneself, but connecting everything.

The gate was not a barrier; the gate was a bridge.

Shen Zhao closed his eyes, feeling every pulsation of the gate and every breath of its runes.

He perceived the New Universe of the World Behind the Door—tens of billions of common people living and working in peace and contentment there.

He perceived the various domains of the starry sea—still a little less than half of the common people had not evacuated.

He perceived that thousand-zhang-tall giant within that crack— "Beginning".

It was slumbering, and it was also waiting.

Waiting for the moment when the Universe would end.

Shen Zhao opened his eyes and withdrew his hand.

He turned around and walked back into the Void Realm, sitting down cross-legged, facing his parents' two points of light.

The cyan and white lights leapt gently before him, resembling two stars.

Illuminating the grayish-white space, and also illuminating his heart.

He took a deep breath and said softly, "Father, Mother, this Disciple still has one night of time. This Disciple will accompany you a while longer."

The cyan point of light leapt once, and the white point of light also leapt once.

Their rhythm was slower and steadier than before.

As if saying, "Alright."

Shen Zhao closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into those memory fragments.

He "saw" what his father looked like when he was young.

Early twenties, with delicate features, sharp eyes, and that cyan longsword hanging at his waist.

He stood before the Scripture Pavilion, holding a Jade Slip in his hands, his brows tightly furrowed, seemingly pondering some profound question.

His mother walked over from afar, also holding a Jade Slip in her hands.

"Senior Brother Shen, you won't be able to understand this Jade Slip," she said with a smile, "Formations and the Dao of the sword are not the same thing."

His father raised his head, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly: "Ruoxue, are you questioning my attainments in the Dao of Formations?"

His mother laughed, her laughter crisp like silver bells.

That was their initial encounter.

There were no earth-shattering oaths, no Life-and-death promises.

Only a Jade Slip, a smile, and a blush.

Shen Zhao watched this scene, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly.

He "saw" his father and mother's wedding.

That was the grandest wedding of the 473rd generation of the Guardian Academy, with all twelve hundred Disciples present.

His uncle stood by his father's side as the best man; back then he was still very young, with pitch-black hair and clear eyes.

Shen Zhao looked at his uncle's high-spirited appearance when he was young, and an indescribable bitterness surged in his heart.

His uncle never married in his entire Life, pouring all his energy into the Guardian Academy, into the starry sea, and onto him, his nephew.

He "saw" the day he was born.

His father stood outside the delivery room, pacing back and forth, his palms full of sweat.

His uncle stood aside and said with a smile, "Brother, stop pacing, my eyes are getting dizzy."

His father stopped his steps, his voice slightly trembling: "Yuan Di, you say... who should the child resemble more?"

His uncle thought about it: "Resemble Brother, Brother is handsome."

His father shook his head: "No, it's better to resemble Ruoxue. Ruoxue is good-looking."

His uncle laughed: "Both are good-looking."

The cries of an infant came from inside the delivery room, loud and powerful.

His father rushed inside; his mother was holding the infant, her complexion pale, but her eyes filled with light.

"Tianxing, it's a boy. He resembles you."

His father looked at that wrinkled little face, and tears streamed down.

Shen Zhao watched this scene, tears blurring his vision.

That was him.

The wrinkled, tiny him who only knew how to cry.

He "saw" the year he turned five when his uncle took him to the Monument of Heroes for the first time.

He knelt before the monument, his knees aching severely, but he did not cry.

He asked his uncle, "Are they all gone?"

His uncle said, "They are all here—in the heavens, in the starry sea, in every place that needs protection."

He did not understand, but he did not ask again.

He merely knelt there, looking at the names on the monument for an entire night.

He "saw" the year he turned ten when he ran into the Forbidden Ground of the Guardian Academy.

There was an ancient stone tablet there, its surface densely engraved with runes.

He sat before the tablet, foolishly smiling at those runes.

His mother searched for him for three days and three nights, crying with anxiety.

When his father found him, he was touching the runes on the stone tablet, muttering words under his breath.

"Zhao'er, what are you doing?"

"Father, these runes can speak."

His father was stunned, squatting down to examine those runes closely.

That was a fragment of an ancient sealing Formation, which even the Elders of the Array Hall could not understand.

Yet his son, at only ten years old, said they could speak.

He did not know whether his son truly understood them or was talking nonsense.

But he did not press further, merely picking up his son and saying softly, "Zhao'er, you are not allowed to run around randomly in the future. Your mother is very worried."

Shen Zhao's tears silently slid down.

He remembered that day.

He sat before the tablet for a very long time, feeling as though those runes were smiling at him.

At that time he did not know what that was, only feeling a sense of familiarity.

Later on, he learned that it was the aura of the Universe's Origin fragments.

His affinity with the Universe's Origin had begun when he was ten years old.

Shen Zhao opened his eyes and wiped away his tears.

He looked down at the two points of light in his palm; the cyan and white lights leapt gently in the darkness.

"Father, Mother, day is about to break. This Disciple should leave."

The cyan point of light leapt hurriedly, as if saying, "Go."

The white point of light leapt gently, as if saying, "We are waiting for you."

Shen Zhao placed the two points of light back into the protective Formation, reinforcing several Seals with seven-colored power.

Then, he stood up and walked toward the direction of the gate.

The runes on the gate lit up automatically as he approached, their grayish-white light intertwining with the seven colors to open a passage for him.

He turned back to take one last look at that grayish-white Void Realm.

Those floating points of light were still slowly rotating, resembling countless slumbering stars.

His parents' two points of light gently leapt within the protective Formation, the cyan and white lights intertwining together like a pair of dancers.

Shen Zhao took a deep breath, turned around, and stepped into the passage.

The passage slowly closed behind him.

He walked out of the World Behind the Door and stood before that crack.

Morning light spilled over from the direction of the starry sea, falling upon him and coating him in a layer of gold.

The small tree in the center of the crack swayed, its branches and leaves luxuriant, already taller than before.

That thousand-zhang-tall giant "Beginning" was still suspended there, its eyes tightly closed.

Its breathing was still very heavy; with every breath, the surrounding Void Realm trembled.

Shen Zhao glanced at it and did not say much more.

He turned around and flew toward the direction of the starry sea.

Behind him, the small tree in the crack gently swayed, as if seeing him off.

Shen Zhao stood before the porthole of the spacetime flying boat, gazing at Yongning City growing closer ahead.

Morning light spilled over the city walls, coating the entire city in a layer of gold.

The seven-colored light atop the Monument of Heroes shone brilliantly under the sunlight.

He saw Director Su Yun's figure on the Star Port.

She stood there, her white hair fluttering in the wind, holding the master token of the Investigation Department in her hands.

She saw the flying boat, her eye sockets turning red, but she did not cry.

The flying boat slowly landed, and Shen Zhao walked out of the cabin door.

Director Su Yun stepped forward and looked him up and down: "You've lost weight."

Shen Zhao smiled: "This Disciple did not eat well within the gate."

Director Su Yun's eye sockets grew even redder, but she did not let her tears fall.

She turned around and walked toward the direction of the Monument of Heroes: "Let's go, your uncle is waiting for you."

Shen Zhao followed behind her, his steps firm.

Morning light spilled upon the Monument of Heroes, reflecting the names on the monument to shine brilliantly.

Shen Yuan's name was at the very bottom, the six characters "Guardian Patriarch Shen Yuan" written in vigorous strokes.

A pot of tea was placed before the monument, still hot.

Shen Zhao knelt before the monument, laying the qinglian sword across his knees, and bowed deeply.

"Uncle, this Disciple has returned."