Chapter 180
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Chapter 180: Asura Palace
In an instant, the battle platforms shattered into countless fragments as the spatial gates twisted and vanished into dust, leaving behind a surreal sense of absurdity and the fleeting luck of survival.
Ming He felt the lingering pain in her organs, her damp clothes clinging to her body, bringing a chill of solitary coldness.
The next moment, the battlefield receded, and with it, the dull ache that had been gnawing at her bones. All that remained was a soft, warm glow that enveloped her in comfort.
As the Emperor’s pressure dissipated, she felt a warm, gentle presence encircle her, their fingers interlaced, helping her to her feet.
Ming He slowly lifted her gaze; the pain in her body faded with the end of the Trial, yet the fear and tremors in her soul lingered, leaving her face pale and her lips devoid of color.
Her eyes fell upon the woman in red, whose soft yet concerned gaze barely concealed her gentleness. Qin Chu Yi’s face was also slightly pale, but she fared much better than Ming He.
In the distance, clouds and the soft glow of twilight painted a brilliant sunset, while the blazing sun of early morning nestled behind the mountains, leaving only a tiny sliver to herald the bright sky, signaling the stars were soon to come.
So, was her last trial opponent indeed an Emperor realm powerful ally?
Ming He observed the changes in the expressions of Qin Chu Yi and Jiang An and found the answer within her heart.
She lowered her gaze; the Jing Ying Sword hung at her waist, subtly floating, its tassel swaying in the wind, radiating a wild charisma.
A square white cauldron hovered before her and Qin Chu Yi, exuding a fierce and desolate aura; the deep black patterns etched on it resembled ancient totems, emanating an indescribable antiquity and weightiness.
It seemed small enough to be held in a single hand, yet it emanated a brilliant white light sharp enough to be dazzling.
Even amidst the breathtaking rays of sunset, it could not hide its brilliance, resembling a spiritual artifact much like the Star Lock.
Born from light, it naturally countered darkness and evil.
A spiritual artifact.
The Vast Ancient Cauldron.
Ming He silently chanted these words, extending her hand, and the small white cauldron flickered with bright light as it landed in her palm. Her pale hand cradled the white cauldron, sketching a pure white silhouette, much like her rabbit ears.
“The Vast Ancient Cauldron is an ancient artifact formed from the power of a million Bodhi beings from the Vast Ancient Realm,” Jiang An took a few steps closer and smiled slightly as he watched Ming He and Qin Chu Yi intertwine their fingers with affection, his gaze revealing a moment of daze.
Meeting Ming He’s cold and distant eyes, his smile did not fade, clearly showing that the weight of this white cauldron was significant, yet he chose not to elaborate further, as if saying just this was enough.
“The Vast Legacy has already fused into your bodies, and from now on, it will support the cultivation journeys of the young leader and Young Master Qin. Beyond abundant spiritual energy, your paths to becoming Emperors will face no more obstacles.”
Ming He and Qin Chu Yi surely lacked nothing in terms of insights into the Emperor realm, they merely needed accumulation and depth.
Ming He was twenty-five this year, and Qin Chu Yi was twenty-eight. The two of them were frighteningly young, even when their ages were combined and multiplied by ten, they still seemed youthful in the Tianwu Continent, not even comparable to the youngest leaders of the Imperial Palace, Lord Fu Yao.
Two girls so young, nearly paragons of youth, were tasked with bearing the safety of an entire realm.
Such a large human race, yet they appeared so helpless!
As Jiang An thought of this, he couldn’t help but let out a low laugh, a mix of self-deprecation, bitterness, and ridicule, blending countless complex emotions into that one sound, casting a layer of despondency across his youthful face.
Standing straight in the courtyard, he looked up at Ming He and Qin Chu Yi: “The Vast Jade has shattered, and your Ancient Realm Trial has officially ended.”
Ming He thought that the official end meant that even if she and Qin Chu Yi could enter the Vast Ancient Realm in the future, they would no longer start a new trial.
The cause and effect of the mortal world, the Trial of the Heart, the Forging Stage.
The Vast Ancient Realm’s trials set for Ming He and Qin Chu Yi had completed the mission it had borne since its inception. Now it can be considered a retreat after achieving its purpose.
Jiang An lowered his eyelids, hiding the surging moisture in his eyes, and after a few breaths, he raised his gaze once more, handing Ming He a black stone box: “This is a small reward from this cause and effect of the mortal world; it may be useful for your upcoming journey.”
Ming He accepted the stone box and looked at the very familiar patterns and decorations on it, blinking in curiosity as she turned to Jiang An: “Do you know where we are going next, Young Master Jiang?”
She spoke these words with a smile at the corners of her eyes, but the warmth did not reach her gaze, revealing the chilling depths of a silent cold pond, suffused with a sense of mockery.
Jiang An was unfazed; he nodded without hesitation and said, “Yes,” then turned his attention to Ming He as she opened the stone box.
Inside lay a black round stone, shimmering with radiant reflections under the soft light, appearing as smooth and warm as jade.
This was the same black round stone she and her Senior Sister had seen in the cause and effect of the mortal world.
The leader of the Fei Hua Zhai in the Extreme West, Yan Situ, offered this gift to the Left Envoy Young Master for his coming of age ceremony, seeking to rid himself of the sinner bloodline identity.
Yan Situ.
Ming He suddenly chuckled softly.
She now understood that the Left Envoy Young Master, who garnered much attention, had been replaced by Xin Ming Zhu, which naturally piqued her interest in the gift offered by Yan Situ.
Historical records in later generations noted that during the rise of the Left Envoy of the demon race, Xin Ming Zhu, and amidst external battles, a prominent figure emerged—someone surnamed Yan, respected as “Yan the Protector” by the demon race.
Later on, the Fierce Killer and long-voice under Mu Xuan Ye were likely modeled after Yan Situ’s identity.
However, the black round stone before her differed somewhat from the one seen in the cause and effect of the mortal world; it was smoother and more transparent, the once overwhelming desolation seemed softened, as if its killing intent had retreated.
“Can the cause and effect of the mortal world still transform the unreal into reality, concealing the mysteries of heaven?” Ming He casually asked Jiang An while playing with the black round stone.
Jiang An paused momentarily, responding ambiguously, “Who said it cannot?”
He let out a long laugh and asked, “Does the young leader or Young Master Qin wish to know anything else?”
Ming He shook her head; she had no further questions for Jiang An.
The truths she wanted to know, Jiang An could not answer, and perhaps there would be no answers to be found anywhere in the Tianwu Continent.
Not every question has a matching answer.
This point, Ming He had only just come to understand.
She had no more questions, but Qin Chu Yi did.
Leaning against the stone pillar behind Ming He, her body had lost its upright grace and leaned casually, her eyes flowing with laziness and fatigue. She lowered her voice and gazed at Jiang An with a sidelong glance: “What about He Lou Feng?”
Ming He was momentarily startled, realizing she had indeed overlooked something.
Yes, where was He Lou Feng?
The spatial turbulence had swept away her, Qin Chu Yi, Nineteen, and He Lou Feng, yet now only she and her Senior Sister remained. So where was He Lou Feng?
Hearing the question, Jiang An paused for a moment, then finally spoke softly: “She is alive.”
The Vast Ancient Realm existed due to the Soul Ancestor and soul mastery, and for a time, the master of that realm was Yóu Lìng.
Given that, it was impossible for the Vast Ancient Realm to save Ming He and Qin Chu Yi but leave He Lou Feng behind.
Jiang An did not intend to elaborate, merely bowing his head to Qin Chu Yi: “But she will not return to the battlefield of the heavens.”
“Rest assured, Young Master Qin; she will no longer stand in opposition to the human race.”
What He Lou Feng thought and desired was likely known only to Yóu Lìng.
Jiang An knew that Yóu Lìng had left things for He Lou Feng in the Vast Ancient Realm, which could perhaps also be called a farewell.
Qin Chu Yi blinked, her eyes momentarily reflecting a cold chill.
If she would no longer stand in opposition to the human race, did that mean those she had once opposed and harmed, the human cultivators she had killed, no longer counted?
Is there such good fortune in the world?
When positions are naturally opposed, it is only fitting to settle the matter of life and death. There is no logic in withdrawing unscathed after having one’s hands stained with so much blood.
Qin Chu Yi never condoned such actions; her brows and eyes were shadowed with disapproval. She remained silent, but in her heart, she knew that as the Young Master of the Qin Clan, she could not simply forgive or forget those who had sacrificed in battle.
Just as Yóu Lìng, despite growing up amidst innocent bloodshed, later killed human cultivators who bore her no grudge, everything has its cause and effect, which words alone cannot alter.
The identity of the Fifth Prince of the Tian Yan Tribe was, in itself, a mark of original sin within the Tianwu Continent.
She turned away from Jiang An and instead looked at Ming He, her cold demeanor softening into a warmth and smile reserved solely for Ming He: “Where shall we go next?”
Qin Chu Yi was never one to let personal emotions interfere with other matters, especially not with Ming He, whom she cherished deeply.
Jiang An knew their next destination, but she did not.
She was in the dark, so she could only ask Ming He.
Unbeknownst to herself, Qin Chu Yi’s words carried a hint of grievance, feeling excluded from the shared knowledge between Ming He and Jiang An, as though she were an outsider.
Though it lasted only a moment, that sense of grievance lingered, leaving a bittersweet ache in her heart.
This feeling was different from knowing that Feng Xin had feelings for Ming He.
It was more akin to a tender, playful affection between lovers.
Ming He, who understood Qin Chu Yi so well, immediately sensed it.
She turned and embraced Qin Chu Yi, then leaned down to kiss her cheek, her eyes alight with warmth and a gentle voice that carried the coaxing and sighing one might use with a child: “Senior Sister, we are going to the Asura Palace of the demon race to bring Nineteen back.”
The Four-direction Compass had recognized Nineteen as its master, but it had once been a spiritual artifact to which Ming He had offered her blood in sacrifice. Thus, after recovering from her injuries, she used her inner spiritual energy to divine the heavens and quickly located Nineteen.
She was in the Asura Palace of the demon race.
Though unsure why she had ended up there, her aura suggested that she was faring well.
Curious about Nineteen, Ming He lifted her gaze and noticed Qin Chu Yi’s ears turning an uncontrollable shade of red, as if they might bleed, while Ming He held her closely. There was an irresistible tremor and shyness in the woman’s body.
Ming He found it amusing, unable to resist a mischievous impulse to blow gently in Qin Chu Yi’s ear. After receiving a sharp glare, she beamed brightly and didn’t even glance back at Jiang An as she picked up Qin Chu Yi and floated toward the direction of the demon king’s palace.
Jiang An understood well why, realizing that even if Ming He pretended otherwise, she still cared about the schemes at play.
In truth, if it were him, he would also care.
“If given a choice, who would delight in schemes?”
These words carried a natural darkness and deceitfulness, unlike the honesty and openness that were scorned by the cultivators who fought fiercely on the battlefield of the heavens.
Jiang An chuckled softly, his white robe fluttering gently in the breeze as he watched Ming He depart. He formed an incantation with his right hand, and his body gradually scattered into dust, starting from his feet and spreading upwards, leaving behind twinkling starlight in the air.
Ultimately, the starlight converged, streaking across the sky like a meteor and landing within a small white cauldron.
As daylight faded, the remnants of the sunset blazed a fiery red across the horizon, scorching the heart.
Jiang An’s final thought was: a true ending means that there would be no more Vast Ancient Realm.
In the vastness of the Tianwu Continent, there would be no pure soul cultivators left, and a Vast Ancient Realm born of soul mastery would naturally fade away.
After all, it had fulfilled its mission.
Had he completed his mission as well?
Jiang An finally closed his eyes, letting the dust envelop him, a youthful image appearing in his mind.
He silently spoke, “Brother, if exterminating the alien races is to avenge you, then I suppose I have settled half of it.”
Let the other half be handled by someone else.
