271: Chapter 271 Yue Li's Past

Shen Nian knelt before the Monument of Heroes for an entire night.

He did not speak, only kneeling silently, watching the names on the monument and the faint, colorless light atop it.

As dawn approached, Yue Li walked out from Shen Zhao's small courtyard, holding that black token in her hand. The samsara lotus on the token glowed with a dark red light in the morning haze.

She walked up to the Monument of Heroes and knelt beside Shen Nian.

Shen Nian turned his head to look at her, seeing the exhaustion in her eyes, her pale face, and her slightly trembling hands.

"Senior, did you not sleep all night?"

Yue Li did not answer; she merely stared at the names on the monument, remaining silent for a long time.

Then, she spoke slowly.

"I could not sleep. Whenever I close my eyes, I think of Master."

Shen Nian did not press further, only listening quietly.

Yue Li looked at the faint, colorless light at the top of the monument, a look of reminiscence flashing in her eyes.

"That was a very, very long time ago. So long ago that I can barely remember. So long ago that even the former site of the Reincarnation Hall has turned to ruins."

She raised her hand, and a dark red light surged from her palm, condensing into a picture in the Void Realm.

In the image was a grand palace, pitch-black all over, its surface covered in densely packed runes that flowed slowly, emitting a heart-stopping pressure.

In the center of the palace stood a woman in white with long hair cascading over her shoulders. Her face was gentle, and a warm smile rested on the corners of her lips.

In her hand, she held a black token, and the samsara lotus on it was glowing.

"This is my Master, the First Hall Master of the Reincarnation Hall—Yue Hua."

Shen Nian looked at the woman in the picture; her smile was very warm, like spring sunshine.

"Senior's Master... is very beautiful."

Yue Li nodded, the corners of her mouth curving up slightly, yet tears welled in her eyes.

"Master was the most beautiful person in this world. Not her appearance, but her heart. Her heart was so beautiful that she was willing to sacrifice herself to Seal the demon god origin."

The scene shifted.

Inside the palace, Yue Hua stood before a massive array. Suspended at the center of the array was a dark red crystal core—the seventh demon god origin.

Surrounding her stood dozens of Reincarnation Hall Disciples—men and women, old and young—all wearing black robes and holding tokens in their hands.

Yue Li was among them too. Back then, she looked no older than fifteen or sixteen, her face youthful and her eyes filled with reverence for her Master.

"On that day, the demon god origin went berserk. The Seal was on the verge of collapsing. Master said that only by using her Physical Body as a cage could the demon god origin be completely sealed."

In the scene, Yue Hua turned around, looked at the Disciples, and smiled softly.

"Children, Master must go now. Live well, and guard the Reincarnation Hall for Master."

The Disciples knelt on the ground, weeping in unison.

Yue Li rushed forward, hugged her Master's leg, and cried out, "Master, don't go! Disciple doesn't want you to go!"

Yue Hua squatted down, gently stroking her head, her eyes filled with reluctance.

"Li'er, Master is not dying. Master is merely living on in a different way. You must remember, no matter what difficulties you face, never give up. Because if you give up, you will have nothing left."

Tears gushed from Yue Li's eyes; the her inside the picture and the her outside wept at the exact same moment.

"I didn't understand back then. I only knew how to cry, only knew how to hold onto Master so she wouldn't leave. But Master left anyway. She walked into the array, her Physical Body turning into a crystal core, her consciousness falling into slumber. Ever since then, I have never seen her again."

The image froze at the moment Yue Hua stepped into the array. Her back was beautiful—so beautiful it broke one's heart.

Shen Nian's tears surged out as well.

He did not wipe them away, simply letting them flow.

Yue Li raised her hand, and the picture dissipated.

"After Master left, the Disciples of the Reincarnation Hall went their separate ways. Some went to other forces, some concealed their identities, and some died. Only I was left, guarding this empty palace for countless years."

Shen Nian's hand paused slightly.

"Senior was all alone?"

Yue Li nodded, looking at the black token in her hand.

"Alone. No Master, no Senior Brother, no friends. Only this token, and those sleeping Souls."

"Every day, I would sit before Master's crystal core for a while and talk to her. Telling her what happened today, where I went, and that I would definitely save her."

"She couldn't hear it, but I believed she could. Because she was my Master, my only family in this world."

Shen Nian's tears flowed uncontrollably.

He thought of his uncle Shen Yuan, of his ancestor Shen Zhao, and of those who had already passed away.

They were all his family, all his ties to this world.

"Senior, do you feel hatred?"

Yue Li looked at him.

"Hatred for what?"

"Hatred for those who forced your Master to sacrifice herself. Hatred for the Tribunal, for The Designers, and for this unfair world."

Yue Li remained silent for a long time.

Then, she shook her head.

"No. Because Master once said, 'Hatred cannot solve any problems. Only love can make this world a better place.'"

"I do not hate anyone. I just miss her very much. So, so much."

Shen Nian grasped her hand; it was very cold, cold like thousand-year-old ice.

"Senior, this Disciple will help you save your Master. I swear it."

Yue Li looked at him, a gleam flashing in her eyes—a light of hope, and of gratitude.

"Thank you, Shen Nian."

The two sat before the Monument of Heroes for a long time, until the sun rose from the east to directly overhead.

Then, Yue Li stood up and patted the dust off her robes.

"Let's go. It's time to go to the First District."

Shen Nian stood up as well, following her toward the Star Port.

After taking a few steps, Yue Li suddenly paused and turned back to look at the Monument of Heroes.

"Shen Nian, do you know why I chose you?"

Shen Nian shook his head.

Yue Li looked at the faint, colorless light at the top of the monument and spoke softly.

"Because like your Master, you are the kind of person who is willing to sacrifice yourself for others. In this world, there aren't many such people. I waited for many years before I found your Master. But he passed away. I thought I would never find another again. And then, you appeared."

Shen Nian's hand paused slightly.

"Senior, this Disciple is inferior to our Ancestor."

Yue Li shook her head.

"No, you are stronger than him. He still needed me to give him a push before he dared to face those trials. You do not need that. From the very beginning, you knew what you had to do and what price you had to pay. That is enough."

She turned around and continued walking toward the Star Port.

Shen Nian followed behind her. The qinglian sword swung gently at his waist, its green lotus patterns gleaming brightly in the sunlight.

The spacetime flying boat was still docked at the Star Port, its silver-white hull shimmering softly under the sun.

Yue Li boarded the flying boat, and Shen Nian followed behind.

The hatch closed. Fourteen-Color Power—no, Shen Nian did not possess Fourteen-Color Power, he only had Green Lotus Sword Intent and Power of Dao Protection—circulated around the ship's hull. It was Shen Zhao's Origin imprint inside the qinglian sword driving the flying boat.

Yue Li sat by the porthole, silently gazing out at the sea of stars.

Shen Nian walked to the control console and gently touched the crystal core.

The crystal core lit up, and the flying boat slowly rose into the air, flying toward the First District.

"Senior, who is the Guardian of the First District?"

Yue Li did not turn back, merely watching the stars outside.

"Pangu. The Chosen One of the First Cycle. The first Clan Chief of the Pan Clan."

Shen Nian's hand paused slightly.

Pangu?

That giant who split open the Chaos with a giant axe?

"He is still alive?"

Yue Li nodded.

"Alive, but not truly alive either. His Physical Body has been destroyed, leaving only a remnant thought to guard the ruins of the First District and watch over the first demon god origin."

"He has waited for countless years for someone who can pass his trial. In the first six cycles, no one passed. Your Master was the first, but he did not go."

Shen Nian's brow furrowed.

"Why didn't our Ancestor go?"

Yue Li turned her head to look at him, a complex look flashing in her eyes.

"Because he had no time. He was too busy. Busy building teleportation arrays, busy evacuating the common people, busy rescuing those imprisoned Souls. By the time he finished, he no longer had the energy to go to the First District."

Shen Nian fell silent.

Ancestor, you were always like this. Always putting others first, never thinking of yourself.

The flying boat sped through the sea of stars toward the First District.

The First District was located at the edge of the New Universe, extremely far from Yongning City. Even with the fastest flying boat, it would take three days.

During these three days, Shen Nian barely closed his eyes.

Every day he practiced his sword, and every day he comprehended Shen Zhao's Origin imprint within the qinglian sword.

Yue Li occasionally offered him a few words of advice, but remained silent most of the time.

She was also Cultivating, practicing the power of Reincarnation.

On the morning of the third day, the flying boat finally arrived at the First District.

[part:gemini-3.5-flash-lite]

Looking from afar, that was a huge star, several times larger than the star where Yongning City was located.

The surface of the star was covered with dense forests, in which there was a clear river, and beside the river stood an ancient ruin.

The ruin was built from huge stones, which were densely carved with runes. Those runes were so ancient that Shen Nian had never seen them before.

The flying boat landed in front of the ruin. Shen Nian walked out of the cabin door, with Yue Li following behind him.

The grass underfoot was very soft, making a rustling sound when stepped on.

The air was filled with the fresh fragrance of vegetation, which was refreshing.

The entrance to the ruin was a stone door. The stone door was tightly shut, and it was likewise densely carved with runes.

Those runes were slowly circulating, exuding a heart-palpitating pressure.

Shen Nian walked up to the stone door and gently touched it with his hand.

The runes on the door flashed briefly, and a powerful force bounced him away.

He was shaken back several steps, his tiger jaws numb, but this time he did not retreat.

Yue Li walked to his side and pressed the black token in her hand against the door.

The token lit up, and the dark red light intertwined with the runes on the door, producing a dull, thunderous sound.

The stone door slowly opened, revealing the passageway behind it.

The passageway was very narrow, only allowing one person to pass through. The walls on both sides were densely carved with runes, which glowed faintly in the darkness, illuminating the road ahead.

Shen Nian stepped into the passageway first, with Yue Li following closely behind.

The passageway was very long. The deeper they walked, the stronger that ancient aura became.

The runes on the walls became denser and brighter, as if telling some forgotten history.

Shen Nian walked and looked at the same time. He did not recognize a single one of those runes, but he could feel the power they contained—that was the power of Pangu, the power of splitting the heavens, and the power of courage.

After walking for about a quarter of an hour, a light door appeared ahead.

The light door was golden, intertwined with countless fine runes, exuding a heart-palpitating pressure.

Shen Nian walked up to the light door and gently touched it with his hand.

The light door did not react.

He injected another trace of Green Lotus Sword Intent, and the light door finally flashed briefly, but it did not open.

Yue Li stepped forward and pressed the token against the light door.

The token lit up, and the dark red light intertwined with the golden runes. The light door split open a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.

Shen Nian turned sideways and squeezed into the light door.

The world behind the door was completely different from what he had imagined.

That was a huge space, a full hundred zhang in radius.

In the center of the space sat a giant cross-legged.

He was ten zhang tall, with a bronze-colored body all over and knotted muscles, as if sculpted from rock.

His hair was black, draped over his shoulders like a waterfall.

His eyes were closed, as if he were in a deep slumber.

In front of him lay a giant axe, its blade gleaming with a cold light in the darkness, and its handle densely carved with runes.

Pangu.

Shen Nian knelt on the ground and kowtowed deeply toward the giant.

"Disciple Shen Nian greets Senior."

The giant's eyes slowly opened.

Those eyes were golden, like two stars, shining brilliantly in the darkness.

He looked at Shen Nian, with no emotion in his eyes, only scrutiny.

"Latercomer, what are you here for?"

Shen Nian looked up, gazing into those golden eyes.

"Disciple has come to retrieve the demon god origin."

The corners of the giant's mouth turned up slightly, revealing a hint of a smile.

"Retrieve? Do you know what price must be paid to take away the demon god origin?"

Shen Nian nodded.

"Disciple knows. Disciple needs to pass Senior's trial."

The giant was silent for a moment.

Then, he stood up, his ten-zhang-tall body blotting out the sky and casting a huge shadow.

He reached out and grasped the giant axe, its blade flashing a cold light across the darkness.

"The trial is very simple. Lift this axe. If you lift it, the demon god origin is yours. If you cannot lift it, you will stay here forever and accompany this seat."

Shen Nian's hand paused slightly.

Lift this axe?

This axe was the giant axe Pangu used back then to split Chaos, weighing more than a mountain.

How could a Cultivator at the Early Stage of Integration like him possibly lift it?

But he did not flinch.

He stood up, walked in front of the giant axe, and reached out to grasp the handle.

The handle was very thick, and his two hands could barely grip it.

He exerted force, wanting to lift the giant axe.

The giant axe did not move an inch.

He gritted his teeth, injecting his full-body spiritual power into his arms, and the power of the qinglian sword was also mobilized by him.

The giant axe moved slightly, but quickly returned to its original state.

Shen Nian was shaken back several steps by the backlash, blood overflowing from his mouth.

Pangu looked at him, a flash of disappointment passing through his golden eyes.

"Too weak. Your power cannot even shake this seat's axe; how can you be qualified to inherit the demon god origin?"

Shen Nian wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and did not give up.

He walked in front of the giant axe again and grasped the handle.

This time, he did not use brute force, but closed his eyes and sank his mind into the qinglian sword.

The Ancestor's Origin imprint lay dormant within the sword, and he needed to awaken it.

"Ancestor, Disciple needs your power."

Light flared up, and the Origin imprint within the qinglian sword began to pulse, growing brighter and brighter.

A majestic power surged out from the sword and poured into Shen Nian's body.

His cultivation realm was climbing, from the Early Stage of Integration, to the Mid Stage of Integration, to the Later Stage of Integration.

He opened his eyes, and a flash of Fourteen-Color Power vanished from his eyes.

He grasped the handle again and exerted force.

The giant axe moved.

One inch, two inches, three inches.

Shen Nian's arms were trembling, his legs were going soft, and blood continuously overflowed from his mouth.

But he did not let go, because he knew that letting go meant failure.

Yue Li stood by the edge of the light door, watching him, her eyes filled with worry.

She wanted to rush up and help him, but she knew that this was Shen Nian's trial and she could not interfere.

The giant axe was lifted above his head.

Shen Nian's legs were trembling and his body was tottering, but he did not fall down.

Pangu looked at him, a trace of surprise flashing through his golden eyes, which then turned into approval.

"Put it down. You have passed."

Shen Nian put down the giant axe, slumped onto the ground, and panted heavily.

The Origin imprint within the qinglian sword dimmed, and his cultivation realm also dropped back to the Early Stage of Integration.

But the corners of his mouth carried a trace of a smile.

He had done it.

Pangu walked up to him, squatted down, and looked levelly into his eyes.

"Latercomer, what is your name?"

"Disciple Shen Nian."

Pangu nodded.

"Shen Nian, this seat asks you a question."

"Senior, please speak."

"For what purpose did you lift this axe?"

Shen Nian thought for a moment and answered honestly.

"To save those harvested Souls. To help Senior Yue Li rescue her Master. To guard the star sea that the Ancestor traded his life for."

Pangu was silent for a very long time.

Then, he smiled.

"Good, very good. Back then, this seat lifted this axe also to protect the clansmen. You are stronger than this seat; back then, this seat only knew how to protect the clansmen, but what you want to protect is everyone."

He raised his hand, and a dark red crystal core emerged from his palm, hovering in front of Shen Nian.

The first demon god origin.

"Take it. This seat's power is also given to you."

He raised his hand, and a wisp of golden light surged from his palm, pouring into the qinglian sword.

That was the power of Pangu, the power of splitting the heavens, and the power of courage.

Shen Nian's cultivation realm climbed once again, from the Early Stage of Integration to the Peak of the Early Stage of Integration.

He took that demon god origin, feeling a chilling power surge out from the crystal core.

That was power sealed for countless years, hope that had waited for countless years.

Pangu's figure began to fade, starting from his feet, turning inch by inch into golden specks of light.

"Senior!" Shen Nian exclaimed.

Pangu smiled, smiling with incomparable relief.

"There is no need to be sad. This seat has waited for countless years, waiting for someone who can inherit the demon god origin. Having waited for it, that is enough. This seat does not regret it."

"Latercomer, are this seat's clansmen still around?"

Shen Nian's tears gushed out from his eyes.

"They are. They are all here. Leader Pan Lie leads them, living and working in peace and contentment in the First District. They are doing very well."

Pangu nodded, his eyes filled with gratification.

"Good, very good. Tell them that this seat has not forgotten them."

As his voice fell, his figure completely dissipated, turning into golden specks of light all over the sky, drifting away into the Void Realm.

Shen Nian knelt on the ground, kowtowing deeply toward the dissipating light.

"Senior, rest assured, Disciple will definitely tell them."

Yue Li walked to his side, looking at the demon god origin in his hand, her eye sockets turning red.

"The first one is obtained."

Shen Nian nodded and stored the demon god origin into his storage ring.

He stood up, took one last look at that Void Realm, then turned around and walked toward the exit of the passageway.