246: Chapter 246 Departure

When the morning bell of New Yongning City struck three times, Shen Zhao slowly rose from before the Monument of Heroes.

His knees were already numb; having knelt for an entire night, his legs had almost lost all sensation.

The seven-colored light at the top of the monument slowly flowed in the morning light, spilling onto him and stretching his shadow very long.

Beneath the monument, his uncle's spirit tablet stood quietly, next to which were his grandfather's spirit tablet, as well as his father's and mother's spirit tablets.

The four spirit tablets stood side by side, carved with golden characters on the black mysterious yellow stone, shining brilliantly in the morning light.

Director Su Yun stood in the distance, neither coming closer nor urging him.

Her white hair was more numerous than three months ago, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were deeper.

But the light in those eyes remained sharp and steadfast.

Shen Zhao turned around and walked toward her.

His pace was very slow, every step heavy, his boots making a faint sound as they stepped on the bluestone slabs.

Director Su Yun looked at his face; he had thinned down compared to three months ago, his cheekbones protruding.

But those eyes — those eyes where the seven-colored light flowed — were brighter than ever before.

"Director Su, this Disciple is ready."

Director Su Yun nodded, took a Jade Slip from her bosom, and handed it to him.

"This is the Investigation Department's final confirmation of the location of the tree of civilization. The Universe crevice, the intersection of time and space, the source of all existence."

Shen Zhao took the Jade Slip, and his Divine Thought probed into it.

A huge star map unfolded in his Sea of Consciousness.

In the center of the star map, nine giant trees were arranged in a ring, with a golden crystal core suspended in the center like a heart.

Countless points of light hung on the roots of the giant trees, dense and numerous like fruits on a tree.

Those were all imprisoned Souls, coming from the previous six cycles, from countless destroyed worlds.

They were waiting, waiting for someone to break the cage.

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

Director Su Yun took out a specially made communication talisman from her bosom and shoved it into his hand.

The communication talisman was silvery-white, its surface densely engraved with spacetime runes, glowing faintly in the morning light.

"This communication talisman can pierce through the barrier of the Universe crevice. If you are in danger, transmit a message immediately. The Investigation Department will find a way to save you."

Shen Zhao took the communication talisman and likewise tucked it into his bosom.

"Many thanks, Director Su."

Director Su Yun shook her head, her eye sockets turning somewhat red.

"Return alive. This is an order."

Shen Zhao nodded and turned to walk toward the Star Port.

The Disciples of the Guardian Academy were already waiting there.

They wore green robes with long swords hanging at their waists, neatly arranged in two rows.

Stretching all the way from the entrance of the Star Port to the cabin door of the spacetime flying boat.

No one spoke, only the sound of the wind blowing across their sleeves.

Seeing Shen Zhao approaching, the Disciples knelt down in unison.

"First Ancestor!"

The sound was uniform and unanimous, shaking the Star Port.

Shen Zhao stopped in his tracks, looking at those young faces.

Some he recognized, some he did not.

Some were still children, while others were already youths about to form their Nascent Souls.

They were all looking at him, their eyes filled with reverence, worry, and anticipation.

Shen Zhao wanted to say something, but his throat felt blocked by something.

He opened his mouth, and only two words came out: "Take care."

The Disciples did not get up, but simply knelt there, watching him pass by with their eyes.

Shen Zhao walked through the middle of them, every step very slow.

He saw the little Disciple named Shen Nian, only twelve years old, kneeling at the very front of the procession.

Shen Nian was the last Disciple his uncle took in before his death, and also the little Disciple his uncle loved the most.

His eyes were red, but he did not cry, merely biting his lips fiercely.

Shen Zhao walked up to him and stopped.

He squatted down and looked straight into Shen Nian's eyes.

"Xiaonian, are you afraid?"

Shen Nian shook his head, his voice trembling slightly: "This Disciple is not afraid. This Disciple is just... reluctant to part with the First Ancestor."

Shen Zhao smiled and reached out to stroke his head.

"If you are reluctant, Cultivate well. When you grow up, guard the sea of stars for this Disciple."

Shen Nian nodded forcefully, and tears finally fell.

Shen Zhao stood up and continued walking forward.

He walked past the Martial Arts Arena, past the Scripture Pavilion, and past the tower of the Investigation Department.

Every place held his footprints and his memories.

He had lived in the Guardian Academy for twenty years, from the age of sixteen to thirty-six.

From an ignorant youth to the Guardian of the unity of seven powers today.

This was his second home.

On the Star Port, the spacetime flying boat quietly parked there.

The silvery-white hull shimmered with faint spacetime runes in the morning light, echoing the seven-colored light at the top of the Monument of Heroes from afar.

Shen Zhao walked to the flying boat, stopped, and turned back to take one last look at Yongning City.

The morning light spilled onto the city walls, gilding the entire city in a layer of gold.

In the streets and alleys, commoners had already begun a new day of Life, smoke from kitchen chimneys curling upwards, and the playful noise of children faintly drifting over.

Director Su Yun stood at the entrance of the Star Port, her white hair fluttering in the wind.

The Disciples of the Guardian Academy were still kneeling on the ground, and no one got up.

Shen Zhao took a deep breath, turned around, and boarded the flying boat.

The cabin door closed, and the seven-colored light flowed around the hull.

The flying boat slowly rose into the air, higher and higher, farther and farther.

Yongning City grew smaller and smaller, those familiar buildings, familiar streets and alleys, familiar lights...

Were all receding from him.

Shen Zhao stood in front of the porthole, gazing at the gradually shrinking golden dots of light below.

The seven-colored light flowed within his body, steady and peaceful.

He reached out and took that black Jade Slip from his bosom.

His uncle's letter.

The runes on the Jade Slip had dimmed, but a weak spiritual power fluctuation still remained, as if his uncle were still here.

Shen Zhao pressed the Jade Slip against his chest and closed his eyes.

His uncle's final voice surfaced in his mind — "Zhao'er, Uncle is waiting for you at the Monument of Heroes."

He opened his eyes, put the Jade Slip back into his bosom, and turned to walk toward the console.

On the crystal core, those spacetime runes were slowly flowing, emitting a silvery-white light.

He raised his hand and gently touched it.

"spacetime flying boat, target: the Universe crevice, the location of the tree of civilization."

The crystal core lit up, and the flying boat accelerated.

The sea of stars outside the porthole began to distort and stretch, transforming into countless streams of light that flew past from both sides.

As if traveling through a spacetime tunnel.

Shen Zhao stood before the console, his fingers gently brushing across the runes on the surface of the crystal core.

He could feel every pulsation of the flying boat, feeling the tremor of energy surging through the circuits.

Like a heartbeat.

The flying boat sped through the sea of stars for I do not know how long.

Perhaps three days, perhaps five days, or even longer.

The time in the World Behind the Door was different from the outside world, and he had long been accustomed to this disorder.

On this day, the scenery outside the porthole suddenly changed.

No longer streams of light, but an endless darkness.

Floating in the darkness were countless tiny specks of light, every single one of which was slowly rotating.

Like countless sleeping stars, not knowing how long they had been waiting here.

Shen Zhao had the flying boat decelerate and advanced slowly.

He walked out of the cabin door, suspended in the Void Realm, the seven-colored light flowing across the surface of his body to resist the oppressive feeling in the darkness.

That oppressive feeling was very intense, as if something in the darkness was watching him.

Shen Zhao looked around, seeing nothing except those specks of light.

But he knew that the vanguard team of The Designers was nearby, observing him in secret and waiting for him to make a mistake.

He took a deep breath and continued flying toward the depths of the darkness.

Those specks of light swept past him, some warm, some icy, some bright, some dim.

Every single speck of light was an imprisoned Soul.

They were waiting, waiting for him to break the cage.

Suddenly, a huge crack appeared ahead.

The crack spanned across the Void Realm, ten thousand zhang long and a thousand zhang wide.

Within the crack, grayish-white light flickered, exactly the same as the light in the space of the Spirit of the Gate.

That was the entrance to the Universe crevice.

The tree of civilization was right there.

Shen Zhao gripped the qinglian sword tightly, and the seven-colored power injected into the blade.

The blade emitted a crisp sword cry, and the cyan light illuminated the darkness.

He leaped bodily into the crack.

The moment he entered the crack, a terrifying aura erupted from the darkness.

That aura pressed down like a mountain, making it hard for him to breathe.

Shen Zhao clenched his teeth, operating the seven-colored power with all his might to forcefully stabilize his footing.

In the darkness, a figure slowly emerged.

That was a tall humanoid figure, condensed entirely from grayish-white light.

Its facial features were blurry, with only a pair of eyes clearly visible.

Those eyes were scarlet-red, without pupils, possessing only endless indifference.

As if looking at an ant.

"The Chosen One of the sixth cycle?"

The voice rang out in Shen Zhao's mind, hoarse and deep, like metal friction.

Shen Zhao gripped the qinglian sword tightly, looking coldly at that figure.

"Who are you?"

The humanoid figure did not answer, merely looking him up and down.

Its gaze was like looking at an object, without the slightest bit of emotion.

"This seat, the Divine Authority Faction of The Designers, the last of the Seven Arbiters — the Shadow Arbiter."

The Shadow Arbiter.

Shen Zhao's hand paused slightly.

The Seven Arbiters, the seven strongest people beneath the master of The Designers.

Each of them commanded millions of legions, and each possessed a cultivation of the Soul Transformation Late Stage or above.

The Shadow Arbiter was the weakest among them, but still not something he could deal with alone.

"The Master has ordered that the Chosen One of the sixth cycle is to be killed without mercy."

The Shadow Arbiter's voice had no undulations, as if stating a fact.

It raised its hand, grayish-white light condensing in its palm, transforming into a huge light sword.

The light sword was a hundred zhang long, its blade swirling with dense runes, emitting a heart-palpitating coercion.

The light sword slashed down, the sword wind like a mountain, pressing Shen Zhao's robes to flutter violently.

Shen Zhao did not retreat, meeting it head-on with the qinglian sword.

The seven-colored sword qi collided with the grayish-white light sword, bursting forth dazzling sparks.

Boom!

Amidst the loud noise, Shen Zhao was blasted back several hundred zhang, the web between his thumb and index finger cracking, fresh blood dripping down the sword blade.

The Shadow Arbiter remained motionless.

It looked at Shen Zhao, a trace of surprise flashing in its scarlet eyes.

"Not bad. Somewhat stronger than the Chosen Ones of the previous few cycles. But still not enough."

It raised its hand again, the light sword condensing once more, even more solid than before, with greater power.

Shen Zhao knew that fighting head-on was not an option.

He could not be dragged down here; he must enter the Universe crevice as soon as possible to find the tree of civilization.

He clenched his teeth, injecting the seven-colored power into the realm-breaking stone in his bosom.

The realm-breaking stone lit up, black light gushing from the stone and enshrouding his entire person.

The Shadow Arbiter's eyes abruptly contracted.

"realm-breaking stone? How could you have a realm-breaking stone?"

Shen Zhao did not answer.

The power of the realm-breaking stone fused with the seven-colored power within his body, transforming into a huge pillar of light that surged straight toward the Shadow Arbiter.

Wherever the pillar of light passed, space distorted and time became chaotic.

The Shadow Arbiter's light sword was shattered by the pillar of light, and its body was also blasted back.

It let out a muffled grunt, and emotion finally appeared in its scarlet eyes — not fear, but greed.

"So that's how it is. The realm-breaking stone is in your hands. The Master will be very pleased."

It raised its hand, wanting to attack again.

But Shen Zhao had already rushed into the crack.

The pillar of light closed behind him, blocking the Shadow Arbiter outside.

The Shadow Arbiter stood outside the crack, looking at that pillar of light, silent for a long time.

Then, it took out a black crystal stone and injected spiritual power into it.

The crystal stone lit up, and a voice came through.

"Shadow Arbiter, what is the matter?"

"Master, the realm-breaking stone has appeared. It is in the hands of the Chosen One of the sixth cycle. He has already entered the Universe crevice, and his target is the tree of civilization."

The other side fell silent for a moment.

"Stop him. At all costs."

"Yes."

The crystal stone dimmed.

The Shadow Arbiter put away the crystal stone, its figure transforming into a grayish-white light and plunging into the crack.

The world deep inside the crack was completely different from what Shen Zhao had imagined.

There was no grayish-white mist, no specks of light floating in the Void Realm, only a huge tree.

A tree.

Not nine, only one.

The trunk was as thick as a giant pillar supporting heaven and earth, stabbing straight into the depths of the Void Realm.

The canopy covered the entire space, every single leaf glowing and emitting a soft golden light.

The roots plunged deeply into the Void Realm, like countless Dragons coiled in the darkness.

On the roots, countless specks of light hung.

Those specks of light were dense and numerous, like fruits on a tree, emitting a faint glow.

Every single speck of light was an imprisoned Soul.

Shen Zhao hovered in front of the giant tree, looking at those specks of light, an indescribable emotion welling up in his heart.

This was the tree of civilization.

Not nine, but one.

Those nine were merely its projections, merely branches extended from its roots.

This was the true tree of civilization.

A place that imprisoned hundreds of millions of Souls.

A place that had imprisoned the Shadow of Beginning for six cycles.

Shen Zhao took a deep breath and flew toward the giant tree.

The closer he got, the clearer those specks of light became.

He could see those blurry faces within the specks of light — humans, the Yao Race, The Designers, and countless races he had never seen before.

Their eyes were all closed, as if sleeping.

But on their bodies, a faint light emanated.

They were one living Soul after another, one Life after another imprisoned for countless epochs.

Shen Zhao's tears silently slid down.

"I am here to save you."

He reached out, wanting to touch the nearest speck of light.

Just at this moment, a voice rang out in his mind.

Not the Shadow Arbiter's voice, but older, deeper, carrying the vicissitudes that pierced through endless years.

"Latecomer, you have finally come."

Shen Zhao's hand paused slightly, and he turned to look at the source of the voice.

On the main trunk of the giant tree, a black figure slowly emerged.

That was a tall figure, condensed entirely from black light.

Its facial features were blurry, with only a pair of eyes clearly visible.

Those eyes were not scarlet-red, but golden, like two stars.

The Shadow of Beginning.

"It's you." Shen Zhao's voice was somewhat hoarse, "You are the other half of Shi's consciousness."

That figure nodded.

"Yes. This seat has waited for six cycles, and finally waited for you."