267: Chapter 267 The Legend of the Void King

When Shen Zhao returned to Yongning City from the Eternal Forbidden Zone, it had already been three months.

When the spacetime flying boat landed at the Star Port, a misty rain was falling.

The raindrops were fine and dense, feeling cool as they hit the face.

Shen Zhao walked out of the cabin without an umbrella, letting the rainwater hit his bald head and flow down the wrinkles on his face.

Director Su Yun was still waiting for him at the Star Port, holding an umbrella, her white hair fluttering gently in the misty rain.

Seeing Shen Zhao's figure walk out of the flying boat, she hurried forward and held the umbrella over his head.

"You've lost weight." Her voice was hoarse.

Shen Zhao smiled.

"This Disciple is fine, just a little older."

When he said "a little older", his tone was very flat, as if he were talking about something unrelated to himself.

Director Su Yun didn't speak, only supporting him as they walked toward the small courtyard beside the Monument of Heroes.

Shen Zhao's hair hadn't grown back, and the wrinkles on his face were deeper than three months ago, but his steps were much steadier than when he left.

The cultivation of the Later Stage of Integration had restored some vitality to his body; although his lifespan could not be recovered, at least he could still stand, walk, and fight.

Shen Tianxing and Lin Ruoxue stood at the entrance of the small courtyard.

Seeing her son's appearance, Lin Ruoxue's eyes turned red, but she didn't let her tears fall.

She simply stepped forward, took her son from Director Su Yun's hands, and supported him into the small courtyard.

"Zhao'er, have you broken through?"

Shen Zhao nodded.

"This Disciple is already at the Later Stage of Integration."

Shen Tianxing's hand paused slightly.

Later Stage of Integration — that was a Realm that the founder Bai Yunzhou had never reached, a Realm that all the Chosen Ones in the previous six cycles had never reached.

His son had done it.

"Good, very good."

Shen Tianxing's voice was hoarse, his eyes full of pride.

Shen Zhao lay in the small courtyard for three days, recovering his consumed Origin Power.

Xing Lan came every day to channel Teleportation Power to him, helping him stabilize his cultivation at the Later Stage of Integration.

Director Su Yun came every day to deliver medicine, personally feeding it to him.

Shen Tianxing and Lin Ruoxue guarded his bedside every day, not leaving even for a step.

On the morning of the fourth day, Shen Zhao was finally able to get out of bed and walk around.

He walked out of the courtyard, stood before the Monument of Heroes, and looked at the colorless light at the top of the monument.

The light was so faint it was almost invisible, but he knew it was there — like an unextinguished beacon illuminating this land he had protected with his Life.

"Uncle, this Disciple has returned. This Disciple has broken through to the Later Stage of Integration."

He said softly, his voice very light, as if afraid of disturbing something.

The colorless light at the top of the monument fluttered slightly, as if responding to him.

Shen Zhao sat before the Monument of Heroes for the whole day.

He talked with his uncle, with the founder, and with those who had already left.

He told them of his experiences in the Eternal Forbidden Zone, the process of eating the Origin fruit under the tree of life, and the feeling of the fourteen powers finally fusing completely.

He said a lot, very much, until the sun set and the moon rose.

Xing Lan walked over from afar, holding a silver-white Jade Slip in her hands, her expression more solemn than usual.

She walked to Shen Zhao's side, squatted down, and handed the Jade Slip to him.

"Shen Zhao, the Investigation Department discovered an encrypted piece of information in the outpost's data core. Director Su Yun spent three months deciphering it, and inside is recorded the legend of the Void King."

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

Massive amounts of information surged into his Sea of Consciousness — that was an ancient legend, older than The Designers, older than the Tribunal, older than any Universe.

The Void King was not an existence after the birth of the Universe, but an existence before the birth of the Universe.

It was born in the nothingness, earlier than the Spirit of Nothingness, earlier than the Transporter, earlier than any consciousness.

It lived by devouring, devouring nothingness, devouring Chaos, devouring everything.

When the first Universe was born, it tried to devour that Universe, but was repelled by the Origin Power of the Universe and fell into a deep sleep.

The Tribunal Master of the Tribunal was the Chosen One of the first Universe.

After defeating the Void King, he established the Tribunal, created The Designers, and established the harvest system.

He built the Higher Space with the Origin Power of countless Universes, trapping himself and the thirteen judges inside, using his own power to suppress the Seal of the Void King.

Shen Zhao's hand paused slightly.

The Tribunal Master was not a villain.

He was the Chosen One of the first Universe and the hero who defeated the Void King.

He established the Tribunal, created The Designers, and established the harvest system not to satisfy selfish desires, but to maintain the Seal of the Void King.

"Harvesting Souls is not to maintain the Higher Space, but to maintain the Seal of the Void King?"

Shen Zhao's voice was hoarse.

Xing Lan nodded.

"Yes. According to the records left by Master, the Tribunal Master is using the harvested Origin Power to reinforce the Seal of the Void King. If the harvesting stops, the Seal will loosen, and the Void King will awaken."

Shen Zhao fell silent.

He remembered what the Tribunal Master had said — "Once the crystal core shatters, the Seal will be lifted. By then, the Void King will awaken from its deep sleep and devour all Universes."

He thought the Tribunal Master was lying, thinking it was tricking him into not daring to break the crystal core.

But now it seemed that what the Tribunal Master said was true.

"This Disciple was wrong."

Shen Zhao's voice was very light, as light as a sigh, "This Disciple thought the Tribunal Master was a bad person and thought it was tricking this Disciple. But it didn't trick this Disciple; what it said was the truth. When this Disciple repaired the harvest system, I used my own Origin Power. That part of the Origin Power fused into the crystal core and became a part of it. When this Disciple broke the crystal core, that share of Origin Power also dissipated. The Seal... has loosened."

Xing Lan's hand paused slightly.

"Then how much time is left?"

Shen Zhao closed his eyes, sensing the direction of the cracks in the Wall of Eternity.

The cracks were expanding, and with every fraction of expansion, silver-white light spots gushed out from the cracks and drifted into the Void Realm.

That was the Origin Power of the Higher Space, and also the power of the Seal.

When the power of the Seal was exhausted, the Void King would awaken.

"Five thousand years. At most five thousand years."

Shen Zhao opened his eyes, his eyes filled with solemnity.

Xing Lan's tears gushed out of her eyes.

"Five thousand years? Longer than the time it takes for the cracks in the Wall of Eternity to expand?"

Shen Zhao nodded.

"After five thousand years, the Void King will awaken. By then, it will devour everything — stars, the Void Realm, time, space, all Universes. No one can stop it."

Xing Lan thought of her own Universe, of those stars devoured by the Void King, of those clansmen who died in despair.

Seven Guardians of the Mahayana Realm joining forces only lasted for three years.

How long could Shen Zhao last alone?

"Shen Zhao, what should we do then?"

Shen Zhao raised his head and looked at the colorless light at the top of the monument.

"This Disciple is going to the Higher Space to find the Tribunal Master. This Disciple wants to join forces with it."

Xing Lan's hand paused slightly.

"Join forces? It is the Tribunal Master, an existence that has harvested countless Universes. Will it agree?"

Shen Zhao nodded.

"It will. Because it doesn't want to die either. After the Void King awakens, the first thing it devours will be the Higher Space, the Tribunal. The Tribunal Master wants to see the Void King awaken less than anyone else."

Xing Lan fell silent for a long time, and then nodded.

"I will accompany you."

Shen Zhao shook his head.

"You stay behind. Help this Disciple take care of my parents, and help this Disciple keep an eye on the cracks in the Wall of Eternity. This Disciple can go alone."

Xing Lan wanted to refuse, but Shen Zhao's gaze left her unable to speak.

That gaze was very calm, very firm, carrying a kind of unquestionable power.

She nodded.

Three days later, the spacetime flying boat rose from the Star Port and flew in the direction of the Higher Space.

Shen Zhao stood before the porthole, looking at Yongning City growing smaller below.

Those familiar buildings, those familiar streets and alleys, those familiar faces, were all moving away from him.

But he knew he would return.

Because this place was his home.

The flying boat sped through the spacetime passage, fourteen-colored light circulating around the hull.

Shen Zhao stood before the porthole, looking at the flowing light outside the window, myriad thoughts running through his mind.

The Tribunal Master, the Chosen One of the first Universe, the hero who defeated the Void King, the executor who established the harvest system.

Was he a good person or a bad person?

He didn't know.

But he knew they were the same kind of people — people who would stop at nothing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of protection.

The Tribunal Master sacrificed the living beings of countless Universes in exchange for the peace of the Void King being sealed.

He sacrificed his own lifespan in exchange for the peace of the New Universe.

The methods were different, but the essence was the same.

The flying boat sailed in the spacetime passage for a year.

When the outline of the Higher Space appeared in his field of vision, Shen Zhao had the flying boat slow down and slowly approach.

That pitch-black palace still floated in the Void Realm, its surface densely carved with runes.

The runes were slowly circulating, emitting a terrifying might that made one's heart palpitate.

Surrounding the palace were the cracks of the Wall of Eternity — the crack he had broken with his own hands was still expanding.

Shen Zhao walked out of the cabin and suspended himself in the Void Realm.

Fourteen-colored light circulated on the surface of his body, resisting that suffocating sense of oppression.

He flew toward the palace, passed through the cracks of the Wall of Eternity, and entered the Higher Space.

In the dark Void Realm, thirteen chairs were still arranged in a circle, completely empty.

But Shen Zhao could feel the residual aura on those chairs — ancient, profound, and icy.

That was the aura of the judges, which he had once felt.

"Tribunal Master, this Disciple has come."

His voice reverberated in the Void Realm.

Silence.

Then, a voice resounded in his mind.

That voice was aged and majestic, carrying the vicissitudes of penetrating endless years.

"Later comer, you have come again. This time, what do you want to do?"

Shen Zhao knelt in the Void Realm, kowtowing deeply toward the direction of the voice.

"This Disciple has learned the truth about the Void King. This Disciple knows that the Tribunal Master is not a bad person. This Disciple knows that the harvest system is not to satisfy selfish desires, but to maintain the Seal. This Disciple was wrong."

The Tribunal Master fell silent for a long time.

"You know? Who told you?"

"The Transporter's Disciple, Xing Lan. She found encrypted information in the outpost's data core recording the legend of the Void King."

The Tribunal Master fell silent again.

This time, the silence was even longer.

"This seat thought that those information had already been destroyed. I didn't expect the Transporter to have left a copy behind."

Shen Zhao raised his head and looked at the golden crystal core in the darkness — that was the crystal core he had repaired, and also the core of the Seal.

"Senior, this Disciple has come to make a deal with you."

"What deal?"

"This Disciple will reinforce the Seal for you and delay the awakening of the Void King. In exchange, you will stop harvesting. The living beings of all Universes will no longer be harvested."

The Tribunal Master laughed, its laughter full of bitterness.

"Reinforce the Seal? Do you know what price must be paid to reinforce the Seal?"

Shen Zhao nodded.

"This Disciple knows. It requires this Disciple's entire lifespan. After this Disciple reinforces the Seal, I will die."

The Tribunal Master's laughter stopped abruptly.

"You are willing to sacrifice your own Life for those people you have never met?"

Shen Zhao nodded.

"This Disciple is not doing this for the first time. Nor will it be the last. This Disciple is a Guardian, and this is this Disciple's mission."

The Tribunal Master fell silent for a long time, so long that Shen Zhao thought it wouldn't answer.

Then, it slowly opened its mouth.

"Later comer, you are stronger than this seat. Back then, this seat chose to sacrifice others in exchange for peace. You chose to sacrifice yourself."

Shen Zhao shook his head.

"This Disciple is not stronger. This Disciple just did what should be done."

The Tribunal Master did not speak again.

In the dark Void Realm, only the crystal core beat, like a heartbeat.

Shen Zhao stood up and walked to the crystal core.

He raised his hand, and fourteen-colored light gushed from his palm, turning into countless fine threads that wrapped around the crystal core.

Those threads were Origin Power, his entire power, and also his entire Life.

"Senior, this Disciple is going. After this Disciple leaves, the Star Sea is entrusted to you. Please guard that Star Sea for this Disciple."

The Tribunal Master's voice was hoarse.

"This seat promises you."

Shen Zhao smiled, smiling with calm detachment.

He injected his final power into the crystal core.

The fourteen-colored light surged violently, enveloping the entire crystal core.

The cracks on the crystal core began to heal, and the cracks of the Wall of Eternity began to shrink.

The Seal was being reinforced, and the awakening of the Void King was being delayed.

Shen Zhao's body began to disintegrate, starting from his feet, turning into colorless light spots inch by inch.

Those light spots drifted in the Void Realm, melting into the crystal core, melting into the Seal, and becoming a part of eternity.

"Uncle, this Disciple has come. This Disciple has come to find you."

His figure completely dissipated.

In the Void Realm, only that golden crystal core beat, like a heartbeat.

The Tribunal Master's voice sounded for the last time.

"Later comer, this seat promises you. Your Star Sea, this seat will guard it for you."