299: The flawed jade is the king (38)

"A familiar aura?"

The strings in Wang Yun's heart were pulled to their absolute limit.

He gripped the spatial divine jade in his arms tightly, cold sweat seeping from his palms.

If someone were to see through the secret of his infinite Reincarnation, the consequences would be absolutely unimaginable.

"What do you mean, Senior?"

Wang Yun forced himself to calm his mind and asked in a deep voice.

That ancient voice sounded once more, its tone carrying a trace of doubt, yet also seeming to hold a hint of relief.

"You need not be nervous."

"What this old man refers to is... your eyes."

Wang Yun was stunned, subconsciously touching the corners of his eyes.

"Minds Eye, Heavy Pupils."

The voice continued, permeating with an indescribable sense of vicissitudes.

"In this world, those who can open the 'Minds Eye', though few, do exist."

"But as for those who can Cultivate the formless 'Minds Eye' into the tangible 'Heavy Pupils', and even merge it with their Physical Body and eyes, in all the ages, this old man has only seen one person."

"That is... my true self."

Hearing this, Wang Yun's heart jolted.

True self?

In an instant, he thought of the world of mangled remains he had stumbled into after the Return to Ruins storm.

That vast, boundless corpse.

That giant eyeball which had transformed into a heart.

And the double pupils deep within that eyeball, which had allowed him to comprehend the mysteries of the Heavy Pupils.

He was lost in thought.

"Could it be..."

Wang Yun no longer hid anything, recounting everything he had seen and heard in that world of mangled remains, as well as how he had observed that "heart eyeball" to Cultivate the Heart Heavy Pupils, detailing it all.

After listening to Wang Yun's account, that second Sword Tomb fell into a long silence.

Only the surrounding lingering Sword Qi added a touch of desolation.

After a long time.

A long, drawn-out sigh came forth.

"So that is how it is..."

"So, my true self failed in the end after all."

"Did he fall at that very last step..."

The voice was calm and lonely, as if it had seen through the ending.

Wang Yun's mind shook violently.

The terrifying existence before him, whose mere will alone made him feel suffocated, was actually just a... thought left behind by that mangled corpse?

Or a Clone?

What kind of Realm must that corpse have been at during its lifetime?

Great Emperor?

Or perhaps... beyond the Great Emperor?

"Senior... who exactly are you?"

Wang Yun couldn't help but ask.

"My name, I have long since forgotten."

The ancient voice said.

"The world once called me 'Heart Sword', and some also called me 'Heart Demon'."

"In this life, I only Cultivate the heart, only Cultivate the sword."

"I wished to use the Heart Sword to Punish Heaven, to prove that illusory eternity."

"I left this obsession on the Ancient Starry Road in order to wait for my true self to return, to become one, and to fight the ultimate battle once more."

"I never imagined that what I would wait for would be the definitive news of my true self's demise."

Wang Yun was silent.

This was a true seeker of the Dao, and also a failed martyr of the Dao.

"Forget it, dust to dust, earth to earth."

The loneliness in the voice dissipated, turning into a sense of detachment.

"Since you have seen my true self and have cultivated the 'Heart Heavy Pupils', that is the predestined fate between us."

"Rather than letting this last Legacy dissipate with me, it is better to gift it to you."

Hum!

That silent Sword Tomb suddenly began to vibrate.

A formless and intangible light, yet one that made Wang Yun's eyes sting, shot out from deep within the mound and sank into his glabella.

There was no massive infusion of energy as he had imagined, nor were there any complex Cultivation Technique incantations.

There was only a feeling.

A feeling... that the world had become different in his eyes.

His eyes opened uncontrollably, purple, cyan, and gold divine light flowing as the Heavy Pupils manifested.

And this time, in the vision of the Heavy Pupils, there were some extra things.

They were lines.

Countless lines connecting the past and the future.

"The Heart Heavy Pupils can break through illusions and look directly at the Origin."

"But if cultivated to the extreme, one can touch the Domain of 'time'."

The ancient voice said.

"What this old man gifts you is a companion Divine Ability of the Heart Heavy Pupils—Precognition."

"Precognition?"

Wang Yun's heart jolted.

"It is not omniscience or omnipotence, nor is it knowing all of the past and present."

"This Divine Ability can only allow you to see your opponent's future movements and variables during battle."

"Or, when the outcome is uncertain, to catch a glimpse of a corner of the future."

Foreseeing the future!

Wang Yun knew deeply what this meant.

In a battle between experts, life and death are decided in an instant.

Being able to know the opponent's movements in advance, this was simply a Heaven-Defying Divine Ability!

This was the invincible first strike.

"Thank you for the gift of the technique, Senior!"

Wang Yun bowed deeply and respectfully towards the Sword Tomb.

"Go."

The voice grew weaker and weaker, as if it would dissipate at any moment.

"The Ancient Starry Road is filled with hidden dangers."

"Since you have inherited my Karma, do not tarnish the prestige of the Heart Sword lineage."

Wang Yun nodded, about to turn and leave.

Just at this moment, the voice sounded again, meaningful and profound, as if it were a final warning.

"Junior, remember one thing."

"You... do not need the heavens heart imprint."

Wang Yun stopped in his tracks abruptly.

Do not need the heavens heart imprint?

He turned his head sharply, wanting to ask further:

"Senior, what do you mean by this?"

However.

The Sword Tomb had already returned to silence.

That powerful will had completely dissipated.

Only Wang Yun remained, standing in the midst of these desolate ruins, his expression grave.

Ancient Road Imprint.

How could he not know?

When he was Gu Yun in his ninth life, he had perused the most core confidential records regarding the Ancient Starry Road in the Gu Family's Scripture Pavilion.

The Ancient Starry Road was not just a Trial Grounds.

It was more like a screening mechanism.

When one reached the end of the Ancient Road, one could draw the Luck of the myriad worlds upon oneself and gain the recognition of the Heavenly Dao.

That was... the destination of destiny.

It was also the legendary "aptitude of a Great Emperor".

In this era, almost all Prodigies who stepped onto the Ancient Road had the ultimate goal of competing for that complete heavens heart imprint.

With it, Cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds.

With it, one would be like having divine assistance, with unparalleled Luck.

It was the pass to the emperor seat.

But now, this supreme Heart Sword who had once touched an unfathomable Realm, told him... he didn't need it?

"Do not need the imprint..."

Wang Yun muttered to himself.

He thought of his Dao of "Punish Heaven".

He thought of that eye of the Heavenly Dao in the withered little world, which only knew how to devour all living beings.

If this heavens heart imprint represented the recognition and bestowal of the Heavenly Dao.

Then, did accepting it mean... accepting the Heavenly Dao's recruitment?

Becoming a pawn within the rules?

"A true expert does not need an imprint."

A sentence suddenly appeared in Wang Yun's mind.

He thought of that mysterious youth at the end of the Ancient Starry Road who had severed the head of the Primordial Chaos Sacred Body with a single sword.

He thought of that black giant hand that had torn apart the Ancestor of Grass and Wood.

Did they... have an imprint?

Wang Yun did not know.

But he vaguely felt that he seemed to have touched upon some deep truth of the world.

"Forget it."

Wang Yun shook his head, not wanting to think about it for now.

For him now, it was still too early to think about these things.

The urgent priority was to become stronger.

He took one last look at the silent Sword Tomb, turned around, and strode out of the Sword Tomb.