260: The lingering spirit of Yu, passing on the torch.
Ye Chen sat cross-legged between the three broken weapons, his mind completely immersed in the perception and communication with that undying Battle Intent.
The sharp Spear Intent, the tragic Shield Intent, and the restrained yet dangerous intent of the fragment acted like three streams with vastly different natures yet equal tenacity, continuously scouring and nourishing his nearly exhausted will, while also being slowly absorbed by the dark gray mark on his chest, maintaining a fragile balance.
In this special state, his chaos minor world also seemed to be slightly affected.
The three-leaf Chaos seedling no longer merely radiated the radiance of Chaos; the originally ominous black spots on the edges of its leaves, after absorbing a trace of Battle Intent, faintly revealed a hint of dark golden luster, as if infused with some kind of unyielding "divinity."
The Small World itself, with its gray sky and heavy earth, also seemed to possess an indescribable toughness and depth.
Time passed quietly in this ruin, isolated by the concealment Formation.
I do not know how long it had been, when Ye Chen's consciousness had almost completely merged with the three types of Battle Intent, as if he had become an ancient warrior fighting bloody battles against the boundless darkness—
A sudden change occurred!
The charred fragment, which had been silent all along with its irregular edges, suddenly erupted from the crack on its surface—a crack that had been quietly widening due to the influence of Ye Chen's Chaos will and the demon seal—with an extremely faint yet purely extreme black light!
This streak of black light was not the filth and deathly silence of the abyss, but an absolute darkness that seemed capable of swallowing all light and severing all connections!
The moment it appeared, the three surging types of undying Battle Intent around it stagnated, as if they had encountered some kind of natural predator, revealing a trace of instinctive fear!
The black light did not spread; instead, as if it possessed life, it twisted and plunged directly into the center of Ye Chen's eyebrows, which was close at hand!
"Ugh!"
Ye Chen's body shuddered violently, as if his Divine Soul had been pierced by an invisible blade!
He felt his consciousness being forcibly dragged into a space of absolute darkness and absolute silence, where there was no time, no space, and not even the concept of "existence."
Just when he thought his consciousness was about to be assimilated and annihilated by this absolute darkness, a faint, yet tenaciously burning golden speck of light from eternity quietly lit up in the center of that absolute darkness.
The speck of light gradually enlarged, turning into a blurry, nearly transparent humanoid shadow.
The face of the shadow could not be seen clearly; one could only feel an incomparably ancient and desolate will, yet one that carried a trace of relief and scrutiny.
"Latecomer... you have finally... triggered this final 'mark'..."
A gentle and weary voice resonated directly in the depths of Ye Chen's consciousness.
This voice originated from the same source as the will he had perceived on the stone tablet at the bottom of the Pool of Origin, but it was clearer and more... "active"!
Was it the remnant soul of the first Walker—"Yu"?! Or rather, was it the last undying mark he had left in that charred fragment!
"Senior... are you Senior Yu?" Ye Chen's consciousness emitted a shocked fluctuation.
"It is me, yet it is not me." The golden shadow's voice carried the vicissitudes of seeing through eternity. "This is merely a wisp of my remnant soul mark that I stripped away before I fell, attaching itself to the 'broken thought' fragment, lingering on until today, just to wait for... a suitable successor."
"'broken thought' fragment?" Ye Chen looked at the source of the black light that had triggered the anomaly; the charred fragment was currently floating in the golden shadow's palm, emitting a faint black light.
"This is one of the core fragments of my life-bound Dao weapon 'Guixu' from back then, named 'broken thought', taken for its meaning of severing Karma and shattering falsehoods."
Yu's remnant soul gently stroked the fragment, his tone carrying a trace of reminiscence and heartache. "In the battle back then, Guixu shattered, and its fragments scattered across the Ancient Path... That you were able to trigger it proves that your Dao of Chaos has already touched the true meaning of 'return to silence', and what is even rarer is... you have initially accommodated the power of the abyss within your body, walking that path of 'balance'... which we deduced back then, but which no one dared to try easily."
Ye Chen was shocked; this first Walker had actually seen through the biggest secret in his body at a single glance!
"Senior, is this path of 'balance' truly viable?" Ye Chen asked urgently; this was the question he was most concerned about at the moment.
"It is viable, yet it is not." Yu's remnant soul's tone was grave. "This method is extremely dangerous. Throughout history, without exception, those who attempted it were either assimilated by the abyss or exploded and died. That you could initially succeed is already a miracle of the ages. But... this is merely the beginning. The mark on your chest is like planting an abyssal seed within your body; it needs to grow, it needs balance. Once the 'nutrients' you provide cannot satisfy it, or the balance is broken, it will turn the tables and completely devour you."
Ye Chen fell silent; this was precisely his greatest hidden worry.
"However, since you have already stepped onto this path, there is no possibility of turning back." Yu's remnant soul changed the subject, his blurry face seeming to become serious. "This wisp of my remnant soul is about to dissipate completely. To be able to meet you at the very last moment is perhaps destiny. I cannot pass on specific Cultivation Techniques or Divine Abilities to you; my Dao may not necessarily be suitable for you. But I can pass on to you some of my understanding of Chaos, the abyss, and this Ancient Path, as well as... clues regarding the 'key'."
As soon as he finished speaking, the golden shadow suddenly shone brightly, turning into countless golden specks of light flowing with ancient information, like a galaxy reversing, surging into Ye Chen's Sea of Consciousness!
A massive stream of information instantly flooded Ye Chen's consciousness, but this time, it was not as violent and chaotic as it was in the Pool of Origin; instead, it orderly merged into his memories and perceptions.
He saw clearer images of the ancient battlefield and gained a deeper understanding of the essence of the abyss—it was indeed an extreme manifestation of the path toward ultimate "silence" after the imbalance of the Universe's rules; it was not pure evil, but a disaster that needed to be "channeled" and "balanced."
He learned more information about other first Walkers, as well as the defensive lines they had established back then, which had long since collapsed.
And most importantly, it was about the "key"!
According to Yu's Legacy information, it was not a physical key, but three "source core fragments" containing different Origin rules!
They were scattered in dangerous places all over the Ancient Path; they were the cornerstones that the most powerful Walkers of that time, at the cost of their own Dao fruits and lives, stripped from the out-of-control Universe rules to stabilize the Ancient Path and delay the spread of the abyss!
Gathering the three source core fragments might truly be able to "re-establish order" and find a way to completely resolve the affliction of the abyss!
And Yu, back then, had been guarding one of them—the source core fragment representing "the end and return to silence"!
After he fell, that fragment was lost; the greatest possibility was that it had shattered along with his Dao weapon "Guixu" and scattered near this Valley of Buried Soldiers!
The "broken thought" fragment he left behind was an important clue to finding that source core fragment!
"Latecomer... the road ahead is arduous, far surpassing our time... The Abyssal Lord is not the final enemy; behind it... there are even more terrifying existences..."
Yu's remnant soul became increasingly faint, and his voice grew weaker.
"Hold this 'broken thought'; it will guide you... to find the 'source core of silence'..."
"Remember... the true meaning of Chaos... lies in 'change'... lies in 'accommodation'... do not be bound by inherent perceptions..."
"The torch... is passed on... hope... lies in you..."
The voice faded away, and the golden shadow completely turned into specks of light rain, dissipating into the absolute darkness.
Only the charred "broken thought" fragment floated quietly in Ye Chen's Sea of Consciousness, emitting a deep black light, and it developed a subtle connection with Ye Chen's Chaos Origin and the demon seal on his chest.
Ye Chen's consciousness returned to his body, and he suddenly opened his eyes. A flash of light passed through his pupils, carrying a trace of sorrow, and even more so, an unprecedented firmness and heaviness.
He opened his palm, and with a thought, the charred "broken thought" fragment emerged from the center of his eyebrows and landed in his palm.
The fragment felt cold to the touch, and what came from it was no longer a stinging sensation, but a familiarity of being connected by blood.
"Senior Yu... rest in peace." Ye Chen whispered, bowing deeply toward the direction of the three broken weapons.
This bow was for the sacrifice of the pioneer, and what he accepted was the heavy responsibility and hope.
Qing Lin and Elder Mu Huan sensed the change in the aura within the Formation and quickly looked over, just in time to see the scene of Ye Chen holding the charred fragment and bowing solemnly.
Although they did not know exactly what had happened, they could all feel that the aura on Ye Chen seemed to have undergone some indescribable changes, with less superficiality and more depth and... mission.
Ye Chen straightened up, looked at Qing Lin, and said in a deep voice, "High Priestess, I need to recover as soon as possible. Then, we need to find something in this Valley of Buried Soldiers."
His gaze was cast once again into the depths of the endless bones and broken weapons.
source core of silence... the first key fragment, must be found!