Bie Yanghong was dead, and Wuqiong Bi was also dead. They had died in White Emperor City, eighty thousand li from their homeland.
Their souls would return to the sea of stars, not to Xiling's Ten Thousand Years Pavilion, so it did not matter where they were buried.
There was an extremely deep fissure in the small courtyard, probably created when Chusu emerged from underground. As the Yin winds of the Earth River repaired itself, the fissure had already been filled with rock, leaving only a hole about two feet deep.
Chen Changsheng placed Bie Yanghong's and Wuqiong Bi's bodies in the pit. Before he could push the earth back, a cool breeze blew through the trees of the Celestial Tree temple, leaving only two patches of golden sand in the pit.
When Zhu Luo died, he had seen a similar sight. He knew that this was a sign unique to experts of the Divine Domain, so he was not surprised.
But the golden sand in the earth made him think of another matter.
Even now, many people believed that the Tianhai Divine Empress had been buried in the deepest part of the Orthodox Academy, but in reality, it was in the Hundred Herb Garden.
He was somewhat confused as to why, after the Tianhai Divine Empress's death, her body had not transformed into the purest golden sand like the other experts of the Divine Domain, but had remained in its original state.
Was this the difference between the Concealed Divinity Realm and the Saint Realm?
He did not think any further. With a wave of his sleeve, he jolted the white stones in the courtyard into the pit.
Watching the golden gravel gradually disappear, he silently thought of a few names in his heart.
Chusu, Madam Mu, Black Robe, the Sacred Light Continent.
The entire continent had sensed the deaths of two experts of the Divine Domain. The laws of the world resonated, the omens gradually appearing.
In the distant Cloud Grave in the east, many whirlpools appeared, and the stream flowing through that solitary peak suddenly increased in speed.
A one-horned beast drinking water by the stream raised its head and gazed into the distance, a hint of loneliness appearing in its pure and holy eyes.
The Red River no longer had any waves. It was as calm as a mirror, making it seem extremely strange. From the depths of the river came the low hum of the Jjing, as if it was mourning something.
The archbishop of the Western Wastes, who knew the secret behind this matter, looked at the gloomy rain clouds over the small courtyard with a sorrowful expression.
Two rainbows appeared behind the rain clouds, stretching out from White Emperor City, crossing the wide river and reaching into the distant mountains, perhaps even farther.
Only now did the Prime Minister of the Yao Race, the Bear Race Patriarch, and the Shi Race Patriarch know what had happened. They were so shocked that they didn't know what to say.
The priests and cultivators outside the alley, as well as the greater number of demon warriors, sensed the meaning of the two rainbows and dropped to their knees.
The believers of the Orthodoxy in the crowd began to recite the Daoist scriptures under the lead of the archbishop, piously and reverently.
…
…
Chen Chang Sheng did not return to the Daoist Church of the Western Wilderness, but remained in the small courtyard. This was because Xuan Yuan Po had yet to awaken, and he had some matters to think about.
The Prime Minister of the Yao Race, the Shi Clan's clan leader, and other important figures all came over. They wanted to know the details of this matter, and more importantly, they wanted to know his attitude. But he did not see them.
The small courtyard once again became incomparably quiet. He sat on the edge of the wooden platform outside the house. His gaze fell from the lifeless short pine tree to the white stones and then to the grey wall, unable to be sure.
He suddenly felt rather tired and lost interest in many things. Just like right now, he clearly knew that the entire Demi-human race was warily and uneasily waiting for his response, but he did not want to pay them any attention.
Just like many people, he very much liked and respected Bie Yanghong, but he was truly not familiar with him. Logically speaking, he should not have been so agitated, but in reality, his mind had been dealt a massive blow.
Good people were not necessarily rewarded, and it was not even easy to live. So why must we be good people? How should we live? Why should we live?
He gazed up at the night sky, thinking about this question that was often mocked by others, but in reality, everyone should carefully ponder.
Tonight, there were no clouds or fog in White Emperor City, so one could see very clearly. One could see very far away, could see many stars.
Chen Chang Sheng's spirit left his body and floated towards the sea of stars. It passed through the star that was sputtering Starlight, passed through the star that had countless spiral arms, avoided the star that had a pair of bright wings, and continued forward until it passed through the invisible crystal wall and arrived at the outer sea of stars.
The spiritual sense of a cultivator could only travel so far when they were fixing their Fated Star. Normally, when cultivating, they could only sense the existence of their Fated Star, but it was very difficult to reach it again.
But this rule had no effect on Chen Chang Sheng, just like how the invisible wall of crystal could not block off his spiritual sense.
Perhaps it was because his spiritual sense had always been there?
A red star quietly floated in the night sky, containing a passionate energy, yet its surface was calm, as if it would not change for millions upon millions of years.
This was his Fated Star.
Chen Chang Sheng's spiritual sense did not fall on his Fated Star.
This star was real, the one closest to him, but it was a place that he could never reach. Thus, this was the most false of truths, and it was easy to feel sad.
He did not want to feel sad, so his spiritual sense continued forward, seeming rather cold.
Ultimately, his spiritual sense arrived outside the sea of stars.
On the other side, he could faintly make out many stars, like the lights of ten thousand households.
Was the Sacred Light Continent over there?
He wanted to go over and take a look.
At the age of ten, he learned that he was sick. From that moment on, the only thing he thought about was to continue living.
On that rainy night, the Tianhai Divine Empress had reforged his meridians and broken the tribulation in his life. He could live past the age of twenty, and he could still live for many more years.
From that moment on, he very naturally began to ponder a few questions. Only by erasing the shadow of death could he truly and calmly observe his own life.
He naturally wanted to find the source of his life, find the reason for his existence, but he had still lived a very tense life in the last few years and did not have much time.
Only on the night that Bie Yanghong and Wuqiong Bi died did he truly begin his search.
Between the indistinct sea of stars in his spiritual sense was an incomparably vast and frigid black void. This was the darkest night, and also the bottomless abyss.
This black void was even more incorporeal, so it was impossible to pass through, as if it did not even exist. So how could it be surmounted?
Chen Chang Sheng gazed at the center of this black void and suddenly had a very strange feeling.
He felt like he was leaning over the edge of a well, his head lowered into its deepest depths.
He also felt like he was standing at the bottom of the well, gazing out at the night sky.
Just which feeling was right? Or … was it real?
After an unknown period of time.
Chen Chang Sheng drew back his spiritual sense.
He still sat where he had been, his gaze no longer wandering. He only quietly gazed at the gray wall, yet it seemed like he was simultaneously gazing at many places.
The sea of stars calmed the mind, and the black void made all cultivators feel insignificant, helping them erase those distracting thoughts from their Dao hearts.
The sound of footsteps came from behind him.
Xuanyuan Po walked over and sat down at his side. (To be continued.)
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