243: Chapter 243 The Shadow's Stronghold

The stone door of the secret chamber slowly closed behind him, emitting a muffled, deafening sound.

The sound echoed in the empty underground space like some ancient ritual, declaring the end of an era.

Shen Zhao stood in the center of the secret chamber, holding a pitch-black Jade Slip in his hand.

The Jade Slip was very cold, so cold that it felt like holding a piece of millennia-old black ice.

Yet its surface had a peculiar warmth to it, as if it had been stroked by countless hands and gazed upon by countless eyes.

The moment his Divine Thought probed into it, a massive amount of information surged into his Sea of Consciousness like a breached flood.

That information was too much, too cluttered, and too ancient.

There were texts, images, sounds, and wills that spanned across six cycles one after another.

Shen Zhao closed his eyes, letting that information churn, settle, and intertwine in his mind.

He "saw" the Chosen One of the first cycle.

That giant named "Pan" stood in the Chaos, holding a giant axe.

His physique was like a mountain, his gaze like thunder, and his breathing made the stars tremble.

He used brute force to prove the Dao, attempting to break the boundaries of the Universe with sheer strength to carve out a path of survival for his clansmen.

But he failed.

His giant axe was bounced away by that invisible barrier, and the backlash of force shook him so hard that blood flowed from his seven orifices.

He knelt on one knee in the Chaos, looking up at that boundary he could never cross, his eyes filled with reluctance.

"I am not resigned... I was just a step away..."

His voice echoed in the Void Realm.

"Just a step away..."

No one responded to him.

Only the wind of Chaos blew across his scarred body.

His body began to disintegrate, starting from his fingertips, turning into golden spots of light inch by inch.

Those spots of light drifted away in the Void Realm, transforming into mountains, rivers, the sun, the moon, and the stars.

His clansmen knelt on the ground, kowtowing toward those spots of light.

"Pan, did you see this? You have transformed into mountains, rivers, the sun, the moon, and the stars."

"You are not dead; you have merely changed your way to continue protecting us."

Shen Zhao's tears silently slid down.

He "saw" the Chosen One of the second cycle.

That woman named "Yi" stood on the edge of the World Behind the Door, holding a long bow.

Her long hair fluttered in the wind, her gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, and her fingers rested on the bowstring as she shot an arrow toward that door straddling across the Void Realm.

The arrow pierced through the Void Realm, leaving behind a long streak of light.

The runes on the door flickered violently, and the grayish-white light collided with the golden color of the arrow, bursting out dazzling sparks.

The arrow shot into the door, penetrating three points deep, and then stalled.

Yi gritted her teeth and drew her bow once more.

One arrow, two arrows, three arrows.

Every arrow shot into the same crevice; the crevice grew larger and larger, but the door never opened.

When her quiver was empty, she collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.

"Why... Why can't it be opened..."

Her voice was hoarse, her eyes filled with despair.

The runes on the door flickered for a moment, as if mocking her.

She lowered her head and looked at her own hands.

Her fingers were already mangled with flesh and blood, and the bones were exposed.

But she did not cry, simply sitting quietly there and watching that door.

"Yi, you have already done your best."

The voice of her clansmen sounded behind her.

She shook her head, her voice very light: "No, I haven't done my best."

"I can still... draw the bow once more."

She used her last remaining strength to draw the empty string.

There were no arrows, only an invisible will shooting from her fingertips toward that door.

The runes on the door flickered once more; this time, it was not mockery, but silence.

Her body began to disintegrate, starting from her feet, turning into silver spots of light inch by inch.

Those spots of light drifted away in the Void Realm, transforming into rainbows and shooting stars.

"Yi, your bow is still here."

"Your arrow is still here."

"Your will is still here."

The Chosen One of the third cycle, "Nong", a white-haired old man leaning on a wooden staff, stood under the tree of life.

He did not use brute force nor arrows; he attempted to open the passage using the power of the tree of life.

He inserted his wooden staff into the tree roots, and Life Power surged out from the tip of the staff, injecting into the roots and climbing up the trunk to the canopy.

The tree of life lit up, its green light illuminating the entire Void Realm.

The branches and leaves of the tree swayed gently, as if responding to his call.

But the door remained motionless.

Nong knelt under the tree, looking up at that lush canopy.

"tree of life, why are you unwilling to help me?"

The leaves on the canopy drifted down gently, falling onto his white hair, his shoulders, and into his withered palms.

He lowered his head, looking at that leaf, and fell silent.

"Your power is too weak."

"The door is not something you can open."

That was the voice of the tree of life, aged and weary.

Nong did not reply, merely pressing that leaf against his chest.

His body began to disintegrate, starting from his feet, turning into green spots of light inch by inch.

Those spots of light drifted away in the Void Realm, merging into the earth and transforming into nutrients for the growth of all things.

The leaves of the tree of life fell faster, as if seeing him off.

The Chosen One of the fourth cycle, "Xuanyuan", a middle-aged man with a resolute face holding a long sword, stood in the Void Realm before the door.

His swordsmanship was fierce; every sword strike could split stars apart, and every sword strike possessed the might to split heaven and earth.

But the door remained motionless under his sword, not even leaving a single scratch.

He slashed for a day and a night, and the sword broke.

He changed to a new sword and slashed for another day and night.

The sword broke again.

He changed ten swords; each of them was a top-tier Magic Treasure in the Sea of Stars, and each of them was priceless.

All ten swords snapped.

He stood before the door, looking at the fragments of broken swords on the ground, and remained silent for a long time.

Then, he knelt down and kowtowed deeply toward that door.

"I have lost."

The runes on the door flickered for a moment, as if saying: "It is not that you have lost; it is that this path is wrong."

He looked up at that door, his eyes filled with reluctance.

"Then what path is correct?"

The door did not answer, merely standing there silently as before.

Xuanyuan stood up, inserted his broken sword into the Void Realm, transforming it into a sword peak.

"Later comer, if you see this sword, it means I am no longer around."

"My path was wrong; I hope you can find the correct path."

His body began to disintegrate, starting from his feet, turning into cyan spots of light inch by inch.

Those spots of light drifted away in the Void Realm, transforming into Sword Intent, wind, and clouds.

The Chosen One of the fifth cycle, Bai Yunzhou.

When Shen Zhao "saw" the figure of the Ancestor, tears welled up once again.

Bai Yunzhou wore a cyan robe, with a qinglian sword hanging from his waist, standing in the Void Realm before the door.

Behind him were the heroic Souls of countless Guardians.

Ling Shuang, Zhou Zhiting, Song Xinghe, Guardian Lin Jingyun, Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao, Shen Yuan...

They stood behind him, looking at him and waiting for him.

Bai Yunzhou did not use brute force, nor arrows, nor the tree of life, nor his sword.

He simply stood there, looking at that door.

"This seat does not wish to open the door."

The runes on the door flickered for a moment, as if asking: "Then what do you want to do?"

"This seat wishes to guard this door."

"Neither letting anyone in nor letting anyone out."

The door fell silent.

"A door is not meant to be guarded."

"A door is meant to be passed through."

Bai Yunzhou smiled, smiling with calm detachment: "Then this seat will not pass through."

He turned around, looking at those heroic Souls behind him.

"Are you willing to accompany this seat?"

Ling Shuang stepped forward: "We are willing."

Zhou Zhiting stepped forward: "Willing."

Song Xinghe stepped forward: "Willing."

Guardian Lin Jingyun, Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao, and Shen Yuan stepped forward one after another.

"Willing."

Bai Yunzhou turned around, facing that door, and sat cross-legged.

"Then this seat shall stay right here, accompanying this door and accompanying all of you until eternity."

His body did not disintegrate, and his Origin did not dissipate.

He transformed into a streak of cyan light, merging into that door.

The runes on the door flickered once more, and then gained an extra streak of cyan light.

That was the color of the Power of Dao Protection, the color of a guarding heart.

Shen Zhao opened his eyes, his vision blurred by tears.

The Ancestor had not failed after all.

He had simply chosen another way.

Not conquest, not opening, but companionship.

To exist together with the door, with the heroic Souls, and with all those who needed to be protected.

He lowered his head to look at the Jade Slip in his hand; the light on the Jade Slip had already dimmed.

All that information, those images, and those sounds had completely merged into his Sea of Consciousness.

The insights of the Chosen Ones from the first five cycles, and the lessons of the Chosen Ones from the first five cycles.

They were all telling him the same thing—those with a pure Dao Heart can shatter all illusions.

It is not power, nor talent, nor wisdom, but the Dao Heart.

It is the original aspiration to protect those who need to be protected.

Shen Zhao put the Jade Slip away into his bosom and turned to look at the walls surrounding the secret chamber.

The walls were densely carved with countless runes, and every single rune was slowly circulating a faint light.

Those were not the runes of the Shadow Society, but ones left behind by an even more ancient existence.

Perhaps it was "Shi", perhaps it was the Spirit of the Gate, or perhaps it was the Spirit of the Universe Origin.

He walked up to the wall, raised his hand, and gently touched those runes.

Seven-colored power surged out from his palm, intertwining with the grayish-white light of the runes.

Those runes seemed to come alive, unfurling a massive star map before his eyes.

That was the location of the tree of civilization.

It was not in the World Behind the Door, not in the New Universe, nor anywhere else in the Sea of Stars.

It was in the crevices of the Universe, at the intersection of time and space, at the source of all existence.

There was no up, down, left, or right, no past or future, only endless Void Realm and a massive tree.

Nine giant trees were arranged in a ring, with a massive golden crystal core suspended in the center.

The root systems of the nine trees intertwined in the Void Realm, and every single rootlet was hung with spots of light.

Those were imprisoned Souls, numbering in the hundreds of millions, coming from the first six cycles and countless destroyed worlds.

They were waiting, waiting for someone to break the cage and return their freedom.

Shen Zhao looked at that star map and remained silent for a long time.

He withdrew his hand from the wall and turned to walk out of the secret chamber.

Director Su Yun was waiting for him outside the mine tunnel, her complexion pale and her eyes filled with bloodshot veins.

Seeing him come out, she hurriedly greeted him: "Shen Zhao, what is inside the secret chamber?"

Shen Zhao handed that Jade Slip to her.

Director Su Yun took the Jade Slip, and her Divine Thought probed into it.

A moment later, her complexion turned even paler, and her hands were trembling slightly.

"The Chosen Ones of the first five cycles... have all..."

Shen Zhao nodded.

"They all failed, but their wills remained behind."

Director Su Yun looked up into his eyes.

"Shen Zhao, can you succeed?"

Shen Zhao was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke.

"This Disciple does not know."

"But this Disciple will try."

Director Su Yun's eye rims turned red, but she did not cry.

She merely handed the Jade Slip back to him: "Keep it well."

"This is what they left behind for you."

Shen Zhao took the Jade Slip and put it away into his bosom.

Then he turned around and walked toward the outside of the mine tunnel.

The sunlight was dazzling, and he narrowed his eyes.

The flying boat was still parked there, waiting quietly amidst the grayish-white dust.

He boarded the flying boat, the cabin door closed, and seven-colored light circulated around the hull.

The flying boat slowly rose into the air, flying toward the direction of Yongning City.

Director Su Yun's communication talisman lit up, her voice carrying a trace of trembling: "Shen Zhao, where are you going next?"

Shen Zhao stood before the porthole, gazing at the Sea of Stars ahead.

"Returning to Yongning City."

"Then... going to the tree of civilization."

Director Su Yun remained silent for a long time.

"When are you leaving?"

"Three days later."

There was another moment of silence from the communication talisman's side, and then Director Su Yun's voice came through, carrying a hint of choked emotion.

"I will wait for you to return."

Shen Zhao nodded, even though Director Su Yun could not see it.

The flying boat sped swiftly through the Sea of Stars, seven-colored light circulating around the hull, its speed reaching the ultimate limit.

When the outline of Yongning City appeared in his field of vision, Shen Zhao saw that streak of seven-colored light atop the Monument of Heroes shining brilliantly under the setting sun.

His uncle's spirit tablet was right beneath the monument, among those names, standing side by side with his grandfather, and side by side with his father and mother.

They were all there, all watching him, having never left for even a single step.

The flying boat landed on the Star Port.

When Shen Zhao walked down from the flying boat, the sky was already turning dark.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the city walls of Yongning City, coating the entire city in a thin layer of gold.

He did not go to the Council Hall, did not go to the Investigation Department, and did not go to see anyone.

He walked straight toward the Monument of Heroes.

Walking up before the monument, he stopped in his tracks, looking at his uncle's spirit tablet, his grandfather's spirit tablet, and his father and mother's spirit tablets.

"Grandfather, Father, Mother, Uncle, this Disciple has found the path."

He knelt before the monument, laying the qinglian sword across his knees, and kowtowed deeply.

"This Disciple now knows the location of the tree of civilization."

"This Disciple will go three days later."

The seven-colored light atop the monument gently pulsed.

Shen Zhao raised his head, looking at that streak of light.

"This Disciple may not be able to return, but this Disciple does not regret it."

"Because this is this Disciple's mission."

The light pulsed once more, growing even brighter than before.

He stood up, wiped away the tears at the corners of his eyes, and turned to walk toward his small courtyard.

Walking a few steps, he suddenly stopped and looked back at that monument.

Countless names had been newly added to the monument—those Souls imprisoned within the tree of civilization for six cycles.

Their names were unknown to anyone, and their stories were sung by no one.

But they were right here, on the Monument of Heroes, standing side by side with the Ancestor Bai Yunzhou, side by side with his uncle Shen Yuan, and side by side with all the fallen heroic martyrs.

"Rest in peace."

"This Disciple will rescue all of you out."

He turned around and continued walking.

The night wind blew past, its chill piercing to the bones.

But he did not feel cold, because he held that Jade Slip within his bosom.

The wills of the Chosen Ones from the first five cycles were all within his bosom and all within his heart.