Chapter 368 - Curses
The indescribably colossal giant's six ‘Dao's sounded different; each ‘Dao' contained their own meanings and powers as if they each resembled a unique principle of this world.
The six words rammed into Zhong Yue's mind. The ‘Dao's were ringing and reverberating in his head, getting louder and more oppressive.
The galaxies around shuddered as the unknown being spoke and the light wheels started revolving. These six galaxies formed the whole Six Paths World, and the Six Paths World was a complete Six Paths Reincarnation!
When Zhong Yue heard the six ‘Dao's and looked at the Six Path Reincarnations again, things changed completely in his eyes. Now, the six galaxies were not galaxies anymore, but an organic machine, giving and reaping life cyclically in all places.
In the Six Path World, there were uncountable planets that had billions of lives inhabiting it, totaling up to way beyond trillions of different, unique races!
The birth of countless beings in a second would invariably be concomitant with the same number of deaths. A delicate equilibrium between life and death, prosperity and poverty, as well as creation and destruction was continuously maintained in the Six Paths World. These souls of the dead were flashing across the whole Six Path World, into different stellar systems and planets to soon reincarnating into their next lives.
Zhong Yue could also see innumerable gods and demon gods, living on the unknown being's six hands. Grandiose buildings were raised in his hands, one that not even the concerted effort of the whole Ancestral Star could manage to build. Tall, endless, grand, imposing, solemn, and every other superlative couldn't begin to capture such buildings. The whole place looked as if it were the divine court.
The many gods lived in these six divine courts, managing the Six Paths of Reincarnation and overlooking the entirety of the Six Paths World.
The Six Paths of Reincarnation was so vast that the number of gods required to manage it was also incredibly large. Other than these six divine courts, there was also a similar but greater divine court on the giant's forehead. It was the heavenly palace in which the heavenly monarch that commanded this Six Paths World resided.
This was only one among the 3000 independent Six Path Worlds scattered throughout the universe.
"No, no, this isn't right. I've seen it from the imperial consort, the first Six Path World's Six Path Reincarnation was destroyed, and there are only five paths left, reincarnation is impossible now. But … why is this Six Path World so complete?"
Zhong Yue mumbled in shock, "This is definitely the first Six Paths World as I flew out from the Ancestral Star, but … the Six Paths World Ancestral Star I was in was destroyed. So, what is this? When did this happen?"
All of a sudden, a chill was sent down his spine, “What time is this? What year am I in?”
He was utterly confounded, if the Six Paths World had not been destroyed yet, then what era was he in now?
“Xin Huo! Xin Huo!”
But there was no reply from the little flame, not even a single sound. Zhong Yue was startled, he could no longer feel any trace of Xin Huo in his psyche, their connection had seemingly disappeared.
He was in complete shock, “This … is a hundred thousand years ago!”
The Six Paths World was destroyed a hundred thousand years previously, during the reign of the Reincarnation Monarch!
He had now returned to the time of the Reincarnation Monarch's reign!
"No, these are all illusions!"
Just as this thought crossed Zhong Yue's mind, a melancholic melody echoed out from the heaven court. The great Reincarnation Monarch had passed away, and the new heir was yet to be selected.
All of a sudden, there was a malicious-looking hand that came out of the void and slammed onto the heavenly palace. Countless gods were killed in just one strike while those that survived started to decompose and vanish into ash with their Yuan Shen vanquishing into thin air. The whole heavenly palace and the six divine courts were in a state of total destruction. The gods and demon gods were all aging at rapidly, turning into desiccated skeletons in just the blink of an eye, and soon, even the bones were disintegrating into ashes!
Zhong Yue was looking at it dumbfoundedly. Then, the giant who was sitting in the middle started to crack, a narrow slit appeared on his forehead, and a great existence walked out from his skull. Everywhere he went, the power of the Six Paths would vanish, and the Reincarnation would stop!
A whole galaxy was collapsing, and countless celestial bodies were destroyed. The delicate equilibrium was forcibly broken, and the life energy of this Six Paths World was being siphoned for a sacrifice for a blood ritual!
“I curse….”
The evil sounds reverberated through the whole world, cursing the Fuxi Celestial Race to be sealed forever, generation after generation, year after year. The seal in them shall follow them forever until the end of time and the death of the universe!
The voices reverberated around the sky and the verbal curses came into form as the seals, planted into the Fuxi Celestials and sealed their powers away.
“When the seals are broken, your soul will come to me!”
As the voice finished speaking, the Six Paths broke apart and so was the cycle of reincarnation. The Six Paths of Reincarnation was left in shambles, and the corpses of the fallen giants and the devastated divine courts and heaven palace were the only thing that remained.
Zhong Yue's blood turned cold, and he suddenly shivered, mumbling, "When the seals are broken, your soul will come to me? What does it mean?"
Suddenly, cold sweats burst out, and he yelled loudly, "Illusions! All of these are only illusions! Wake up, wake up now!"
The void was suddenly trembling, and a huge black eye emerged from the space of bright stars. It was a vertical slit, and suddenly, the silhouette of a man walked out from the huge eye toward Zhong Yue.
Zhong Yue was shivering like a frail calf, and a wave of great terror and fear washed over him, trying to crush his psyche, break his will, and seal his Yuan Shen and bloodline. It was an assault that struck directly at the mind!
Zhong Yue let out a ferocious roar, and he visualized the Sui Sovereign.
Behind him, the heavenly monarch's grand palace emerged while the Fire Sui Tree grew tall in front of the Flame Order Palace. Inside of the Flame Order Palace, the Sui Sovereign was sitting in the throne imperiously, and auric rays shone out in all domains as its saint fire burned vigorously, fighting against the oppression that seemed to strike at his soul!
"None shall be exempt from their rightful imprisonment…."
This time, the malicious voice echoed directly in his ears, permeating into his mind and forcibly dimming his visualized shining Flame Order Palace. The Fire Sui Tree stopped burning in saint fire, and the Sui Sovereign started to age quickly.
"These are all illusions! Images produced by the curse!"
Zhong Yue gritted his teeth tightly and focused his gaze on the incoming silhouette. He was still visualizing the Sui Sovereign, putting in all his might to fight against the great terror from destroying him!
The silhouette walked closer and closer to Zhong Yue while his body grew in size with every successive step. However, despite him drawing nearer, he was still shrouded in the darkness, like a black hole that sucked all light away.
He raised his pitch-black hand and reached out to Zhong Yue. Darkness fell upon the world, and Zhong Yue became fully engulfed in it. The Flame Order Palace, the Fire Sui Tree, and the Sui Sovereign all disappeared, there was only himself left, lost in an endless void of frigid darkness, awaiting his judgment from the dark hand.
"You think, these are all just illusions? How naive." The evil voice sounded in his ears again, send his hopes to oblivion.
Zhong Yue then felt an immense pressure billowing over and gulping his psyche, will, Yuan Shen into darkness, nothing was left, and he was left floating in the dark!
Suddenly, Zhong Yue could feel as if something was eating him away, the pain came from inside of his spirit and soul, from his Yuan Shen. Seconds after he was eaten away, he was restored back to his peak form and was eaten away again, and the process would repeat ad infinitum, like an eternal and cyclical torture.
Time passed unbeknownst to him, day after day, soon, a few months passed then years, decades, and then centuries….
He had lived in the complete darkness for an unknown period of time, and he had been eaten away more than he could remember. His psyche, will, and Yuan Shen was on the brink of utter collapse. He had become a play doll that the great existence toyed with as it pleased, sadistically destroying him one time after another.
Even so, he still visualized the Sui Sovereign, persisting and never once giving up despite the unbearable torture. He was trapped in an endless loop of visualizing the Sui Sovereign, being eaten away, and being revived back to his peak form.
All of a sudden, a faint light suddenly appeared amidst the darkness, shining onto Zhong Yue's broken body.
Zhong Yue's eyes slowly lit up, and he looked over at the only ray of light. It was then that he saw it, a shabby looking copper lamp that emanated a warmth in the darkness. It added a different color to the black abyss he was trapped in and seemed to melt away the surrounding darkness.
The light in the dark, it seemed so … warm.
“Xin … Huo….”
Zhong Yue struggled to control his body as he walked toward the light. Behind him, the insidious force surged in the darkness and rammed into him again. Even though it was dark and imperceptible, it felt like as if countless evil creatures were hiding behind it. However, no darkness could penetrate the solemn light in front of him.
A huge black hand then emerged, grabbing over at Zhong Yue's back as it pushed forward.
Zi-la——
Green smoke was released as the pitch-black hand was burned by the light, forcing it to disappeared back into the darkness.
Zhong Yue was staggering as he walked to the copper lamp, and he moved faster as he slowly regained control over his body. Behind him, a huge eye was staring at the shabby copper lamp.
“Soul of a galaxy, Xin Huo the Fire!”
The malicious eye then slowly closed and faded away, and the darkness soon disappeared into the void.
"We will meet again when you break the second layer of bloodline seals, young Fuxi. You can rest assured that you won't be so lucky next time…."
Zhong Yue strode forward to the copper lamp, and he clenched it tight in his hand.
“Xin Huo!”
Zhong Yue opened his eyes and looked around. Tian Mo Concubine, Ji Xiang Concubine, and the other ladies were shot away in all domains while the boat's broken pieces were still spewing out around.
The demon ladies yelled out loud as they tried to regain their balance. Their sleeves fluttered in the winds. Seconds later, as they collected themselves again, the ladies then dashed forward, and Saint Concubine asked, "What happened to you? You are so scary!"
Ji Xiang Concubine nodded and said, "All of the blood have gushed out, and you nearly died! Also, why do you have an additional wheel?"
The ladies were blasting their concerns and questions to him while the one of the center of their focus, Zhong Yue, was still dumbfounded as if his soul was still lost in another place.
Tian Mo Concubine then waved her hands before his eyes, and Zhong Yue slowly regained his thoughts and stared at her jade-like hand. He suddenly asked, "How much time has passed?"
Tian Mo Concubine was between laughter and tears, she said, "You are cultivating, and suddenly, you broke my boat into pieces. Then, blood started rushing out of your body, and so we came forward as quickly as we could to check on you. What dumb question are you asking?"
Seven hundred years of torture had elapsed in his mind … was it all just illusions as he initially thought?
Zhong Yue was startled; he lowered his head and looked at the copper lamp in his hand and the little flame burning quietly in it.
"But if it were illusions, then why is the copper lamp in my hand?" Zhong Yue mumbled in a low voice.
"It flew out from your secret realm, and then you grabbed it in your hand. We almost thought that you've gone crazy and were trying to kill us with the soul weapon!"
Tian Mo Concubine heard him and said, “This ancient looking copper lamp is so shabby, could it be a divine weapon?”
Zhong Yue calmed his mind and kept the copper lamp in his Yuan Shen secret realms. He thought back to the experience he had in the darkness and was still shaking in fear. He mumbled, "Thankfully it's just an illusion…."
The little flame then flew out from the lamp and went into his psyche ocean.
“Xin Huo, how is that you are in the lamp and flew out from my Yuan Shen secret realm?” Zhong Yue then asked.
The little flame then stretched his body into a curve and said lazily, "Your soul that is part of the Yuan Shen suddenly disappeared, and I just wanted to shine the copper lamp on you to see where you are."
Zhong Yue's body shook violently, and he quickly cast out his Inner Core, inspecting on his lifespan and as soon as he looked, his lifespan was only left with three hundred years, the other 700 have disappeared.
His soul had lived in an unknown space for 700 years!"
It wasn't an illusion … it was real…. The reality left Zhong Yue shivering in a terror he had never before felt.