Chapter 373-374 On How to Conquer System Fairies and Make Them Your Wives 373-374 |
Time rewound slightly.
Just as Chen Yin was about to unleash his full power, the Changming Sword humming in his hand, ready to clash with the Qian Yuan Dao Venerable,
The scroll in his chest glowed faintly.
It had been dormant for a long time, its space used only as a storage and shopping convenience, its cultivation function neglected.
Even now, Chen Yin didn’t understand its true nature.
But at this crucial moment, a surge of energy from the scroll pulled his consciousness into its space.
And what he saw wasn’t the familiar space within the scroll…
…but a desolate wasteland.
A wasteland he recognized.
A vast, endless expanse of barren land, devoid of life, even of death.
A primordial chaos, where nothing existed.
Chen Yin looked at the wasteland, then slowly raised his gaze, his eyes fixed on the objects floating above it:
The statue.
The crystal skeleton.
And the countless Heavenly Dao Fragments he had collected.
The statue and the Fragments crumbled into dust, swirling and coalescing around the skeleton, which, to his astonishment, began to grow flesh and blood, transforming into a human form,
A monk, sitting cross-legged, his head bowed.
His features were hazy and indistinct, his face a blur of shifting light and shadow.
He sat there, in the silent wasteland, beneath the dark, empty sky,
Until Chen Yin’s gaze met his, and he slowly raised his head, his voice echoing through the void, a deep, resonant chant like that of a Buddhist sutra.
“You’ve finally found me.”
Chen Yin looked at him, his heart pounding in his chest.
“You’ve been searching for me, haven’t you?”
“Are you… the Immortal Venerable’s Master?”
“Or you can call me…” the monk smiled, his eyes filled with a gentle warmth,
“…Dao Venerable Long Shu.”
As expected.
Chen Yin had suspected the scroll belonged to a Dao Venerable.
And now he knew. This mysterious monk was the third Dao Venerable, Long Shu of the Endless Dust Realm.
“Why have you summoned me?”
“Because I can’t let you fight Qian Yuan.”
“You think I’ll lose?” Chen Yin’s gaze was steady.
“You will lose,” Long Shu said, his smile unwavering. “You already know that, don’t you?”
Chen Yin didn’t answer.
Long Shu, taking his silence as confirmation, continued, “You can’t defeat him. Those Three Swords… I created them for you. Even the Third Sword isn’t enough to defeat a Dao Venerable. It will only hasten the collapse of the Heavenly Dao. And that… is not my intention. I’ve waited too long for this. I won’t let you ruin everything. But… I can tell you what you want to know.”
Chen Yin took a deep breath and sat down opposite him, his legs crossed.
“Tell me. I’m listening.”
“What do you want to know?” Long Shu’s smile was gentle and inviting.
“Everything,” Chen Yin’s eyes narrowed, his voice low and intense, “you’ve been with me for a long time. You know what I want to know.”
Long Shu thought for a moment, then said softly, “Then I’ll start from the beginning. The Dao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, and Three gives birth to all things. Since the beginning of time, the Heavenly Dao has been the foundation of all creation, the source of all rules and laws. And the One, Two, and Three that emerged from the Dao, the children of the Heavenly Dao… are the Dao Venerables.”
Chen Yin’s brow furrowed slightly.
“A Dao Venerable isn’t a… person. It’s a manifestation of the Heavenly Dao, three Great Daos that maintain its balance. Their existence transcends the Dao, transcends the rules, because they are the rules. You already know them: Gu Tian, myself, and Qian Yuan. But one day, the Heavenly Dao began to weaken. Without warning, without reason. And its weakening threatened our very existence. We knew that this was the beginning of the end. The only solution… was to replace it with a new Dao. And the question was… who?”
Chen Yin listened intently, the pieces of the puzzle finally falling into place.
“Gu Tian’s Dao is the Dao of Annihilation. He started devouring fragments of the Heavenly Dao the moment he sensed its weakening. Those fragments… are the Heavenly Dao Fragments.”
So that’s why the System Shop contained everything.
The Chosen Ones were simply drawing power directly from the source of creation, from the world itself.
“The Heavenly Dao Fragments contain the remnants of the Heavenly Dao’s power, but Gu Tian, having already achieved Dao Venerable status, cannot improve any further. So he turned his attention to… the Chosen Ones, the children of destiny. He scattered the Fragments throughout the worlds, letting them grow and mature within the Chosen Ones, becoming complete Daos. And then he would harvest them, devouring their power to strengthen his own Dao. It’s a slow process, but it’s working. Perhaps one day, his Dao of Annihilation will be complete, powerful enough to replace the Heavenly Dao. And then, all creation will be consumed by nothingness, the world plunged into eternal silence. But Qian Yuan… he’s different. He knew his Dao of Causality wasn’t strong enough to replace the Heavenly Dao. So he searched for a different path, a way to find… a spark of life… in a dying world. And he found it.” Long Shu looked at Chen Yin, his gaze meaningful.
Chen Yin closed his eyes, understanding dawning within him. Long Shu’s words, though cryptic, were clear enough.
“He found it… in Little Ling’er?” he whispered.
“The Dao of Time… it was once my greatest hope. Both Qian Yuan and I believed that someone who mastered it could replace the Heavenly Dao. Time is the single, unbroken thread that connects all of creation.”
“It sounds… like a good ending.”
“I agreed with Qian Yuan, at first. But I believe… there’s a better way. If the other two Dao Venerables have made their moves, then I might as well… make a wager.”
“A wager on what?” Chen Yin asked, curious.
Long Shu’s voice suddenly turned clear and strong, echoing through the Void.
“I’m betting that from this day forward, there will be no more gods or demons in this world.”
He was betting on the natural order, on the cycle of life and death, on the balance of the universe.
He was betting on the possibility of a world free from the tyranny of gods and demons, a world where humanity could thrive, its spirit unbroken.
“I’m betting on… you.” Long Shu smiled.
Lin Yuan City had become increasingly lively over the past few days.
Not only was the Yu family’s martial arts marriage competition attracting countless powerful cultivators from across the Abyssal Gaze Realm, but there was also talk of a mysterious swordsman who, accompanied by two beautiful women, had been dominating the preliminary rounds of the competition.
This swordsman, seemingly tireless, fought day and night, participating in every match he could, defeating every opponent, even those at the Dao Realm, with a single strike. His skill and power had become the talk of the city.
He was a man of few words, his actions speaking louder than words: he would step onto the stage, draw his sword, defeat his opponent, and then leave, a silent, unstoppable force.
“Ugh!”
A late-stage Immortal Realm cultivator sat on the ground, his face pale, his eyes filled with fear as he looked at the swordsman standing before him. He had considered himself a prodigy, but against this man’s sword, he felt utterly powerless.
Chen Yin sheathed his sword as the referee announced his victory.
“Who’s next?” he asked, his voice cold and indifferent.
“Th-that’s all,” the referee stammered, clearly intimidated, “you’ve passed the preliminary rounds. You’re qualified for the final competition at the Yu Manor in three days.”
Chen Yin glanced at him, then turned and walked away, ignoring Luo Qiaoqiao and Luo Luo, who were watching from the sidelines. They had grown accustomed to his silence these past few days and simply followed him.
“Young Master,” Luo Luo said hesitantly as they walked back towards the inn, “since there are no more matches today, why don’t we… rest?”
“You two go ahead,” Chen Yin said, his voice low and serious, “I need to cultivate.”
“What?!” Luo Qiaoqiao and Luo Luo exchanged worried glances. “You’ve been fighting non-stop for days, and now you want to cultivate? Chen Yin, are you sure you can handle it? We know you’re eager to see Immortal Yu Ling, but there’s no rush. You’ll see her at the final competition. You’re pushing yourself too hard.”
Chen Yin sighed and gently stroked Luo Luo’s hair. “I’m fine. But I don’t have much time left. I have to reach the Dao Realm as soon as possible.”
He had been pushing himself to the limit, fighting against Immortal and Dao Realm cultivators day and night, honing his skills, solidifying his foundation, his cultivation base rapidly approaching its peak. He couldn’t afford to waste any more time.
“I have a feeling… that you and Yu Ling are in a hurry,” Luo Qiaoqiao said, her brow furrowed with worry, “but you won’t tell me why. And at this rate…” she bit her lip, her concern evident.
Chen Yin knew they were worried, but he couldn’t tell them the truth. It would only make things worse. He sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to hide things from you. But you would only worry. Don’t worry. I can handle this. Trust me.”
Luo Luo hugged his arm, nuzzling her head against him. “Luo Luo understands. Luo Luo will wait for you, Young Master.”
“You’re always so reckless,” Luo Qiaoqiao sighed, but her voice was filled with a gentle affection. “We’ll protect you while you cultivate. Make sure you don’t overdo it.”
Chen Yin nodded seriously.
Yu Manor. Study.
Yu Ling sat cross-legged, her eyes closed in meditation, her body surrounded by faint ripples of distorted time, the leaves that drifted in through the window slowing down, almost stopping, then suddenly turning to dust, as if centuries had passed in an instant.
“You’re too impatient. It’s making it harder for you to focus,” Qian Yuan, perched on the windowsill in his bird form, said softly.
“I know,” she sighed, her head drooping slightly.
“What about him?”
“He’s also pushing himself to the limit. He’s fought hundreds of matches in the past few days. He should be in seclusion now, preparing for his breakthrough to the Dao Realm.”
“I knew it,” Yu Ling said, not surprised, “once he sets his mind on something, nothing can stop him. If he reaches the Dao Realm… we’ll be equals.”
“There’s no need to rush. Neither of you can become a Dao Venerable until you defeat the other. And his Sword Dao is no match for your Dao of Time.”
“Are you so sure?” She glanced at him sideways.
“You’ve seen his causality.”
“Causality…” Yu Ling chuckled dryly. “If his Sword Dao reaches its peak, he might even be able to sever the threads of fate. How can you be so sure of what you see?”
Qian Yuan was silent for a moment.
“But…” she grinned, “I’m not afraid of losing to him. I’m his Master! It would be embarrassing to lose to my own disciple!”
Qian Yuan didn’t reply, and the room fell silent.
“The final competition… is in three days, right?” Yu Ling asked after a while.
“Yes.”
“How much… time will he have?”
Qian Yuan hesitated. “I’ll have the strongest Dao Realm cultivators in the Abyssal Gaze Realm challenge him. To… stall for time. But I don’t think they can stop him. The rest… is up to you.”
Yu Ling looked out the window, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.
“I understand.”