Chapter 412 Ji You's Astonishment
"People say that those involved are often confused, and that's certainly true. Now that I think about it, some things are clear."
"He was indeed exceptionally intelligent from childhood, and his mind was more mature than usual. He must have known about my extraordinary nature for a long time, and deliberately pretended to be compassionate for many years in order to win my favor."
“I made a grand vow to return, far away from my family. I can see the sword's heart, but I cannot see the human heart. I was indeed like father and son to him, but I never thought that the same suffering would give birth to different personalities.”
A hint of reminiscence flickered in Master Chen's eyes before he looked at the headmaster of the Heavenly Academy: "However, Brother Zixu, it seems you've also made a bad move."
The Dean of the Heavenly Academy narrowed his eyes slightly: "I have been working to prolong the life of the Heavenly Dao all these years, how could I be making a bad move?"
“You’ve ruined Ji You. You should have told him beforehand that the repair was wrong.”
Master Chen looked at him expressionlessly.
The Night's Watch's lineage comes from the Heavenly Academy, and the last Night's Watchman, Cui Lang, was his junior brother.
In this world, no one understands better than him that the cultivation of this lineage requires the synchronization of the soul and the body.
So in other words, he watched Ji You go astray without stopping him.
After a moment of silence, the old dean of the Heavenly Academy spoke: "I am not the Heavenly Dao after all, and I cannot be sure whether I am right or wrong. How dare I arbitrarily influence his life trajectory and let his fate be shifted because of me?"
“I know you have a good excuse so that you can stand by and watch anyone die.”
"No, I did something, that's not all." The old headmaster of the Heavenly Academy stared intently. "Although I have always followed the rules my whole life, I still gave him a little something to hold me back before I passed away."
Master Chen's emotions had remained relatively stable since he appeared, until this moment when his pupils couldn't help but tremble slightly: "You mean he's still here?"
After hearing this, the old headmaster of the Heavenly Academy looked at the rolling darkness and said, "I don't know."
What does this mean?
"Locking his soul won't cause him to instantly scatter; it will only cause him to perish naturally when he loses himself. So I left him with a slight ties, so he can return smoothly. But if he wants to come back, he first needs to be able to fight against his own will and find himself again."
The old headmaster of the Heavenly Academy glanced at him and said, "If he can find himself again with a one in ten thousand chance, then it will take a one in ten million chance to get out of this predicament."
Master Chen looked at him: "One in a thousand?"
"He had to tear through the darkness that bound his body, keep moving forward, break the shackles, and do nothing else. But his five senses were missing. He had no direction on the road and didn't know where he was going. But he had to keep moving forward. Compared to the strength of Ji You's physical body, this feeling was as long as a thousand years."
"You might as well just say he's dead."
Master Chen's words immediately silenced the headmaster of the Heavenly Academy.
Tearing through the darkness and moving forward is not particularly difficult or frightening in terms of its own challenges.
The problem is that the darkness is incredibly long and directionless, and he himself doesn't even know if he can ever come back if he keeps pushing forward. That's the most terrifying thing.
Because such a thing is hopeless, and human nature truly struggles to resist despair. After putting himself in that shoes, Master Chen realized that it was simply an impossible task.
The headmaster of the Heavenly Academy was naturally aware of this, which is why he remained silent for a long time when answering.
"Is there really no chance for humanity?"
After a long silence, Master Chen couldn't help but look towards the rolling darkness of the south and asked softly.
"If we had truly had the chance, why would we have gone to such great lengths to stop them in the first place?"
The headmaster of the Heavenly Academy sighed softly: "The remnant race is the race most in harmony with the Heavenly Dao. At the beginning of creation, this world gave them all their talents, and when they use the new Heavenly Dao to fill the gaps in the old Heavenly Dao, they will become the eternal Heavenly Dao."
Master Chen listened in silence, then sighed softly.
The sigh was very soft, but it instantly shattered his physical body.
Loess dust kept falling, exploding into a sky full of flying sand, which was blown in all directions by the night's fierce wind.
At this moment, he was surrounded by divine light, with only a wisp of divine thought remaining, before soaring into the sky.
When he ascended to heaven, he did not leave this world. Instead, he returned with the grand vow to guard the night for the human race. Now that night has fallen, his wish has been dashed, and he has little time left.
Seeing this, the headmaster of the Heavenly Academy gently raised his head and watched them leave.
He felt he should choose to transform into the Dao in this world, because the tribulation of lightning that would backfire on him was too much for him to withstand at his current state, so it would be easier and more carefree to end it himself.
"Brother Yan Liang, may you rest in peace..."
The headmaster of the Heavenly Academy silently bid farewell, still looking up, intending to watch his final moments. However, to his surprise, the imagined transformation into the Dao did not occur.
The headmaster of the Heavenly Academy was slightly taken aback, and then transformed into a beam of immortal light and ascended into the sky.
He passed through the misty, swirling fog and arrived at a vast, empty white expanse.
This is the place that those from the Immortal Realm must pass through before ascending to immortality; it is the closest location to the Heavenly Dao.
At this moment, Master Chen stood there, motionless, staring ahead as if he were looking at something.
The old headmaster of the Heavenly Academy was puzzled for a moment, then changed direction and looked in the direction he was gazing.
His gaze fell upon Ji You, who stood bathed in golden light amidst the endless whiteness, his divine sense flickering wildly, like leaping flames.
He seemed to have just survived a fierce battle, his body still brimming with undiminished energy, causing continuous booming sounds from all directions.
Upon seeing this, the old headmaster of the Heavenly Academy couldn't help but freeze in shock.
He had just discussed with Master Chen that if Ji You's soul wanted to awaken, he would not only have to overcome his will and find himself, but also face the void and darkness that had no direction, no time, and not even hope.
The thought of such a scene is enough to make one's breathless; it seems simple but is actually impossible to accomplish.
But he came back, standing right in front of them, vivid and alive.
"Qingyun has turned into this?" As if sensing the presence of the newcomer, Ji You turned his head while panting.
"You actually came out?"
"It was pitch black, and it took a lot of effort. Old doctor, it's been a long time."
The headmaster of the Heavenly Academy stared at him for a long time before finally speaking: "You... how long have you been gone?"
"One year? Two years? I don't know. There is no time, no distance, nothing there. I even thought I was standing still. But could you please answer my question first? What exactly happened in Qingyun?"
After Ji You finished speaking, he looked at the rolling darkness beneath his feet, the blood and flesh storm in the distance, and the bluish-white figures that kept appearing in the blood and flesh storm.
When he emerged from that void of darkness, there was nothing around him except the blue clouds beneath his feet.
But the Qingyun he saw was completely different from when he lost consciousness. Not only was the Heavenly Dao in chaos, but there was also a strong smell of blood all around, as if it were a hell on earth. So his heart was full of questions, and he really wanted to know what was going on.
Just then, the voice of the headmaster of the Heavenly Academy suddenly rang in his ears.
"The ancient race has been revived."
Ji You was slightly taken aback: "Didn't the remnant race perish since ancient times? Why have they suddenly revived?"
The Dean of the Heavenly Academy shook his head: "In fact, the Remnant Clan has never been extinct. More than 1,300 years ago, the Holy Emperor of the Remnant Clan attempted to refine the Heavenly Dao, which angered the heavens. But the one that angered the heavens was actually the Heavenly Dao that was reborn after the ancient Heavenly Dao was refined."
"You mean to say that the remnant clan succeeded back then?"
"It's only half successful."
Master Chen continued, "Back then, the Holy Emperor of the remnant clan was arrogant and unwilling to be bound by the Heavenly Dao. He intended to become the Heavenly Dao himself, but his refinement was not complete. As a result, the heavens and earth gave birth to another Heavenly Dao, which sent down a sacred artifact to suppress them."
Ji You was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then, as if remembering something, she looked at the rolling darkness and said softly, "Could this be the night that the Night Watchmen guard?"
"That's right, you're right."
The old sect leader nodded upon hearing this: "When the Heavenly Dao was first born, its power was weak, and it faced the threat of the remnant race. So it could only take a part of itself and melt it down to create a sacred artifact, which it bestowed upon the human race. But even so, it could only suppress the remnant race and could not destroy them. Thus, the role of the Night Watchman was added to the Heavenly Academy's inheritance. He is the monitor of the Heavenly Dao, responsible for guarding the ruins, suppressing the evil thoughts of the remnant emperor under the ancestral temple of the human race, and preventing their resurgence."
"If that's the case, why did the Night's Watch lineage die out?"
"The sacred artifact brought peace to the human race, but it later became the reliance of the immortal sects to act arrogantly and domineeringly. My junior brother couldn't bear to see the suffering of the human race, so he planned to destroy it by taking advantage of the human race's fortune. However, the news was leaked, and the Dao Seeking Sect led the other four sects to plot to kill him. And that's where all the trouble started. After my junior brother Cui Lang died, the Heavenly Dao of the remnant race returned to the heavens, and the secrets of heaven began to become extremely chaotic and unpredictable. In order to protect the Heavenly Dao, I gave it half a life and coexisted with it."
The old sect leader then looked at Ji You and said, "But the human heart is unpredictable, and cause and effect are cyclical. The remnant clan has still successfully revived."
Upon hearing this, Ji You's eyes trembled slightly.
To be honest, he had investigated the Night's Watch and felt the world was falling apart, but only now did he know the whole story.
It turns out that in the ancient war, neither the human race nor the demon race ever won; they only had a brief respite of a thousand years.
But after catching their breath, the murderous intent that had been temporarily suppressed returned.
In just a few words, a massive amount of information flooded into his mind like a tidal wave, leaving him overwhelmed.
How did they recover?
"The calamities committed by the ancient clans were not merely a simple power struggle; they were also being manipulated in order to awaken the Heavenly Dao of the remnant race. During that incident, the human race's fortune was severed by Fang Ruoming, and the ancestral temple built with that fortune could no longer suppress the evil intentions of the remnant race, so they were resurrected."
Ji You was slightly taken aback after hearing this: "Who are you talking about? Fang Ruoming?"
Upon seeing this, the headmaster of the Heavenly Academy looked at Master Chen and said, "That's right. He is the son of the magistrate of Yuyang County and Fang Ruoyao's brother. Besides you, he was also one of the people who received the Night Watchman's inheritance back then. However, he was later blinded by the darkness and used by the remnants of the clan. This was all the work of Master Chen, who is also Yan Liang, the former headmaster of Lingjian Mountain."
Master Chen opened his mouth, as if he wanted to curse.
Ji You was stunned for a long time before looking at Master Chen: "So what the arrogant ghost said was true. The legacy of the Night Watchmen really was given by you."
After regaining his senses, Master Chen looked at him and said, "That day I saw you walking out of a hazy mist, dressed strangely, yet you were in harmony with the light of the sky. I also noticed that you had excellent aptitude, so I passed on Cui Lang's legacy to you."
"Are you friends with Cui Lang?"
"No, we were enemies. He loved swords and said that the swordsmanship of Lingjian Mountain was a minor path. We fought several times and neither side could gain the upper hand. Until one day, he was seriously injured and asked me to keep watch for him. Our conflict came to an abrupt end."
Master Chen said with his hands behind his back, "At that time, I was close to ascending to heaven, and my body was in great decline. After guarding the ruins for him for several years, I ascended to heaven. Then I came back to find a successor for him. Fang Ruoming was the first, and you are the second."
Ji You opened his mouth after hearing this: "So that's how it is. No wonder his aura felt so familiar. No wonder the other person was so kind and enthusiastic towards him when we first met. No wonder his appearance was so coincidental."
"coincide?"
"Back when I was investigating the ancient families who had joined forces to commit crimes, I came across the Chu family. I went to Chu City for a secret visit and met him there. He told me a lot of the Chu family's secrets."
After Ji You finished speaking, he came to his senses and began to stare at the two of them: "Were the Spirit Mirror and the Heavenly Book also your doing?"
What do you mean?
"I can control the matter of the two sacred artifacts."
Master Chen was slightly taken aback, clearly unaware of this matter, and a look of surprise flashed across his eyes.
He was the master appraiser of the Spirit Sword Mountain, and had been accompanied by sacred artifacts for many years, gaining an extremely deep understanding of them. Yet, he had never heard of anyone being able to control two sacred artifacts.
Conversely, the headmaster of the Heavenly Academy was not surprised.
Seeing this, Ji You looked at the old sect leader: "It seems you know about this."
Do you remember the first time we met?
Ningcheng County?
“That’s right. When the Zheng family patriarch ascended to heaven, it attracted the Black Night of the remnant clan. I asked you to borrow something, something that was enough to withstand the might of the night.”
The old sect leader looked up at the white mist filling the sky and said, "So, the matter of making the sacred artifact resonate has nothing to do with us, but depends on yourself."
Ji You looked at him: "About myself?"
"The night you saw the starry sky in Yuyang County, it was the heavens that sent their will into you."
Ji You was slightly startled, and suddenly remembered the starlight that kept entering his body after he took in seventy-two illegitimate daughters that night.
Even now, he doesn't know what it is, and for a long time he had even forgotten about it. Unexpectedly, the old headmaster of the Heavenly Academy brought it up again.
Master Chen was surprised: "Why didn't I know about this?"
"Don't forget, I control the secrets of heaven and cultivate destiny, so naturally I know more than you do."
"You speak just like Cui Lang, so arrogant. No wonder we grew up together."
Ji You raised her hand to interrupt their conversation: "Wait a minute, what does the will of Heaven mean? How can it just put things on me like that?"
Upon hearing this, the headmaster of the Heavenly Academy spoke up: "For more than a hundred years, the Heavenly Dao has been on the verge of death. It is beset by countless boiling public grievances and is desperately trying to save itself. It has tried many methods, and in the end, it put its last bit of will to live on you."
Why is it being placed on me?
"Because when you got lost in Qingyun that day, it sensed your willingness to die for life, your thoughts, and that you shared the same pain as it. It found it very impressive and wanted you to tell it what it should do."
After the old sect leader finished speaking, he looked at Ji You and said, "I don't know its deeper thoughts, but I think its choice was right. You have done very well along the way. It's just a pity that it is too weak, even weaker than when it was born. It simply cannot hold on until the end."
Ji You turned to look at the vast, dark night: "You mean, Qingyun is finished just like that?"
"Over the past thousand years, the Holy Emperor of the Descendant Clan has come to understand the Heavenly Dao to a terrifying degree. After he devours the current weak Heavenly Dao, he will complete all his own laws and be without any flaws. The new Heavenly Dao is so weak that it has little chance of success."
"I want to go back."
The headmaster of the Heavenly Academy turned to look at him: "Go back to where?"
Ji You looked sharply downwards: "I want to go back to Qingyun. Tell me, what should I do to get back?"
"The Holy Emperor of the Remnant Clan is incredibly powerful. Just his three sons alone are already as strong as immortals. Even if you go back, there's nothing you can do."
“But I can die there, with the people I want to die with.”
The old headmaster of the Heavenly Academy was slightly taken aback.
He thought Ji You would say that he would try no matter what, or that man can conquer nature, but he didn't expect him to answer like this.
So dying can be like living, with different choices available?
The old headmaster of the Heavenly Academy remained silent for a long time before speaking softly to his question: "You were able to return here because I added a tether to you, which is equivalent to a different kind of ascension, protecting your soul's independence. However, going back will probably be quite difficult."
Ji You looked at him: "Isn't the will of Heaven on me? Then can't I just go back whenever I want?"
"The Heavenly Dao must also follow the laws of this world, which is the foundation of its existence. If it could truly transcend everything, it wouldn't be on the verge of death step by step. As for who sets the rules, that's something I don't know either."
"Then how do I get back?"
"The connection between you and your physical body has been severed, but your soul cannot exist independently. Even if you go back, you will be scattered. However, if you really want to go back, perhaps you can learn from Yan Liang and follow your heart to make a grand vow. If this grand vow truly resonates with the Dao of Heaven, you can go back and exist in the form of a clay body."
Seeing this, Ji You narrowed her eyes: "I can only use a mud body?"
The headmaster of the Heavenly Academy nodded: "The difference between your soul and your physical body is too great. Even if you go back, you will not be able to return to your original body unless you can comprehend the Dao and travel in your spirit, in which case you can take back your body."
(Please vote for me! Please vote for me! Please vote for me!)
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
