Chapter 38: The Mark of Dao
Fire. Endless fire. The moment Chu Yun's consciousness was consumed by the sea of flames, his connection to Li Ge, Mo Li, and Zhi Lan was forcibly severed by a powerful, malevolent force. Only flames filled his world. Scorching air filled his lungs, bringing a searing pain. All around him was the resounding crack of snapping beams, the agonizing screams of his tribe, and the apocalyptic vision of everything collapsing. He was transported back to that night thirteen years ago. "No... no!" Chu Yun knelt on the ground, screaming in agony. He stared at the familiar yet terrifying scene before him, a sense of powerlessness sinking deep into his bones. He wanted to stand, to rush in to save them, but his body felt like it was nailed to the spot, unable to move. He could only watch, helplessly, as the uncles and elders who had taught him reading, martial arts, and talisman drawing were reduced to charcoal one by one in the black, evil fire. "This is all fake... an illusion created by a nightmare!" Chu Yun screamed frantically to himself. He tried to use his reason to resist the force that was corroding his mind, but every wisp of black smoke, every scream, was an exact replica of his memories, too real for him to distinguish. Just then, a towering figure burst forth from the blazing flames and lifted the young boy from the ground. It was his father. "Dad!" Chu Yun's consciousness merged with his younger self. He reached out his tiny hands and tightly grasped his father's now-torn, burnt-to-shreds black official uniform. "Don't be afraid, Yun'er, Dad's here," his father's voice was hoarse and rapid. He clutched Chu Yun and rushed out like a madman. But all around them, countless members of the "Evil Suppression Division," wearing similar black official uniforms and bearing eerie smiles, surrounded them. "Chu Jiang, hand over the 'key,'" the leader said coldly. "You can't keep it." "Don't even think about it!" his father roared, guarding Chu Yun even tighter. "Then don't blame us for not respecting our fellow disciples." The battle erupted instantly. His father held him, dashing left and right amidst the siege. The familiar talismans, supposed to protect the righteous path, now became the most deadly weapons, mercilessly bombarding his father. Chu Yun could clearly feel his father's body trembling violently, and his arms, holding him, grew weaker and weaker. Warm blood oozed from his father's wounds, staining his clothes red. "Why...why are you doing this?" Young Chu Yun looked at those once so kind faces, unable to understand...
Fire. Endless fire. The moment Chu Yun's consciousness was consumed by the sea of flames, his connection with Li Ge, Mo Li, and Zhi Lan was forcibly severed by a powerful, malicious force. In his world, only flames remained.
The scorching air filled his lungs, bringing a searing pain. All around him was the roar of snapping beams, the shrill screams of his people, and the apocalyptic vision of everything heading for destruction. He was back to that night thirteen years ago.
"No... no!" Chu Yun knelt on the ground, screaming in agony. He stared at the familiar yet terrifying scene before him, a deep feeling of powerlessness overwhelming him. He wanted to stand up, to rush in to save them, but his body felt like it was nailed to the spot, unable to move. He could only watch helplessly as the uncles and elders who had taught him reading, martial arts, and talisman drawing were reduced to charcoal one by one in the black, evil fire.
"This is all fake... an illusion created by a nightmare!" Chu Yun screamed frantically to himself. He tried to use his reason to fight the force that was corroding his mind, but every wisp of black smoke and every scream here was exactly the same as the scene in his memory, so real that he couldn't tell the difference.
At that moment, a tall figure rushed out from the flames and picked up the young boy from the ground. It was his father.
"Dad!" Chu Yun's consciousness reunited with his younger self. He stretched out his small hands and tightly grasped his father's black official uniform, which had been burned to tatters.
"Don't be afraid, Yun'er, Daddy's here." The father's voice was hoarse and rapid. He hugged Chu Yun and rushed out like crazy. But around them, countless members of the "Evil Suppression Division" wearing the same black official uniforms and with strange smiles on their faces surrounded them.
"Chu Jiang, hand over the key." The leader said coldly, "You can't keep it."
"Don't even think about it!" Father roared and protected Chu Yun even tighter.
"Then don't blame us for not thinking of our fellow disciples."
The battle erupted instantly. His father held him, dashing left and right amidst the siege. The familiar talismans, supposed to protect the righteous path, now became the deadliest weapons, mercilessly bombarding his father.
Chu Yun could clearly feel his father's body trembling violently, and the arms holding him were growing weaker and weaker. Warm blood continued to seep out of his father's wounds, staining his clothes red.
"Why...why do this?" Young Chu Yun looked at those once extremely friendly faces and couldn't understand.
"Because... we have a 'great cause' that we must complete," the leader said with a smile, "and you old stubborn people who cling to outdated rules are the biggest stumbling block on the road to that 'great cause'."
In the end, his father fell down. He used his back to withstand all the attacks and protected Chu Yun intact.
"Live... on..." His father whispered in his ear, using his last bit of strength. Then, his body went limp, and he fell silent. Black flames completely engulfed his body.
"No!" Extreme pain and despair suddenly pulled Chu Yun's consciousness out of the nightmare that had repeated countless times. He gasped for breath and found himself still in the sea of fire. But this time, the surrounding scene had changed.
The "fellow disciples" who had besieged his father vanished, their shrill screams fading as well. All that remained was him and the blazing black flames that seemed to consume everything. And in the center of the flames, his father, who should have been dead, slowly rose to his feet.
He didn't look at Chu Yun again, but turned and faced the deepest part of the sea of fire. There, a huge, invisible, yet real, crack appeared. Countless terrifying, destructive energies were constantly seeping out from that crack. That was... the Demon King's seal.
Father looked at the crack, his eyes devoid of fear or despair, only a calm and solemn presence, ready to face death. He pulled something from his bosom—a crystal-clear object emitting a soft glow. Chu Yun recognized it; it was the "Heart of Heavenly Craftsmanship," the "hub" of the Evil-Suppressing Seal.
"Yun'er." His father didn't turn around, but his voice resounded clearly in the depths of Chu Yun's soul. "See clearly. This is the fate passed down from generation to generation by our Chu family, as the 'Daoshu' of the Evil Suppression Division."
As he spoke, he raised the "Heavenly Heart" in his hand. But then, Chu Yun saw a scene that he would never forget: his father didn't do anything with the "Heavenly Heart", but instead pressed it... hard against his chest!
The moment the "Heavenly Heart" came into contact with his body, it merged into it. His father's body began to emit a dazzling light. His flesh, blood, meridians, and bones were all reorganized and transformed in an incredible way, eventually becoming one thing—a complete jade pendant composed of pure energy, the "key" to the Evil Seal.
"I will transform my body into the 'key.' I will use my soul to suppress the 'source.'" My father's voice echoed again, carrying a sacred chant-like rhythm. "This is... the method of returning to the origin."
He reached out and grasped through the air. From the massive crack in the seal, another object flew out—a beast-hide blueprint, emanating endless resentment, as if composed of countless wailing souls. It was the source of the Evil-Suppressing Seal. With his hand, now transformed into a body of energy, his father grasped the blueprint. It struggled and screamed frantically in his grasp, but he ultimately suppressed it firmly.
"Yun'er." The father finally turned around and looked at his younger self, who was already stunned by everything before him. His face was filled with a hint of reluctance, a hint of apology, but more of a sense of anticipation for a heavy responsibility entrusted to him.
"Dad... I can't stay with you any longer." His voice was filled with fatigue. "This seal won't hold for much longer. The Shadow Pavilion's conspiracy is far beyond my imagination. I must use the last of my strength to temporarily suppress it."
He slowly walked towards the young Chu Yun.
"No! Don't come over here!" Chu Yun's mind screamed frantically. He wanted to escape, he didn't want to accept any of this. But his father had already stepped in front of him. He stretched out his hand made of light and pressed the "key" made of his own body and the diagram of the "source" he had suppressed... fiercely against the young Chu Yun's chest.
"Ah!" Indescribable pain and a huge torrent of information instantly overwhelmed Chu Yun's consciousness. He felt as if his body and soul were about to be completely torn apart by these two divine objects.
"Live on..." His father's voice echoed from the deepest part of his soul, filled with unquestionable majesty. "Inherit my position... and become the 'Spirit of the Dao'..."
"Daoshu!" These two words were like a bolt of black lightning, fiercely splitting Chu Yun's cognition. He had always believed that his father's death was caused by someone else, that the power in his body was sealed in by his father to protect him, and that his goal in life was to find the murderer and avenge his father.
But now, this cruel "truth," the one he had never imagined, shattered all his beliefs. It turned out there had been no betrayal by fellow disciples, no deaths in battle. Instead, there had been nothing but his father's own choice... self-sacrifice, to suppress the seal and protect the people of the world.
He wasn't murdered. He... committed suicide.
And he, from the moment he was born, was no longer an independent person. He was merely a "vessel," a "pivot" to bear this heavy fate.
His so-called "revenge" and "resistance" seemed so childish and ridiculous in the face of this solemn and cruel "fate".
"No... this isn't true... this isn't true!" Chu Yun clutched his head, kneeling in the sea of flames, letting out a cry of utter agony and despair. He felt his world completely crumble at that moment. The sense of destiny known as "Daoshu" weighed heavily on him like an insurmountable mountain, forged from his father's flesh, blood, and soul, suffocating him.
His will was completely...crushed at this moment.
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