Zi Qing membuka kotaknya dengan satu jari, dan... seberkas cahaya melesat dari dalam! Cahaya itu tak berwarna dan tak berbentuk, bahkan tak terlihat. Hanya terasa. Namun begitu muncul, gelombang raa... menyebar di kubah langit. Gemuruh ributan pun menggema. Matahari dan bulan pun luluh luluh menjadi gelap!
Semua orang di ibu kota kekaisaran—dari manusia biasa, kultivator, hingga pejabat pemerintah—semua bereaksi kaget.
Itu sebabnya, berkas cahaya itu... adalah cahaya yang sama ketika mata wajah dewa yang rusak terbuka!
Pertama kali muncul adalah bertahun-tahun lalu di Tujuh Mata Darah, ketika Night Dove hamba Zi Qing membuka kotak serupa. Kemudian Xu Qing melihatnya keluar dari tubuh dewa eksperimental.¹
Namun, cahaya yang keluar dari kotak yang dipegang Putra Mahkota Violet dan Cyan jauh lebih intens dari apa yang muncul di Tujuh Mata Darah. Tak peduli betapa hebatnya dasar kultivasi seseorang, bahkan jika mereka memiliki kemampuan ilahi dan sihir dao yang bisa mengubah langit dan bumi, tak satupun... bisa mencegah dirinya gemetar. Bahkan dewa-dewa terukir olehnya.
Ini adalah tekanan oleh tingkat kehidupan yang lebih tinggi, menggantung di kepala makhluk-makhluk tak terhitung di Revered Ancient, seperti kalimat pengadilan. Tingkat menentukan segalanya.
Saat kotak kayu terbuka, tatapan yang tak berwujud dan tak berbentuk muncul. Tak dapat dilihat dengan mata telentar. Akibatnya, awan-awan mendidih seolah-olah laut yang marah. Ibu kota kekaisaran kabur, sehingga tak ada yang jelas terlihat.
Seolah disertai nyanyian mantra yang bisa mengguncang jiwa, mengisi langit dan bumi, mengguncangkan segalanya. Segala sesuatu di langit dan bumi menjadi kabur dan terdistorsi.
Namun, ibu kota kekaisaran bukanlah Tujuh Mata Darah, dan Kaisar-Kaisar adalah Dewa Altar yang hebat. Oleh karena itu, formasi mantra agung ibu kota kekaisaran pun teraktif. Aura takdir manusia pun naik ke udara, membawa dengan lima kaisar sebelumnya yang kini menjadi dewa. Aura yang mengguncang langit dan bumi muncul dari istana kekaisaran, menjadi vorton raksasa yang menyedot semua cahaya di sekitarnya.
Namun... jika Zi Qing ingin bermain game dengan Kaisar, tak ada caranya ia datang tanpa siapkan senjata. Saat itu juga, tatapan lain meledak di dalam Wilayah Kekaisaran, di lokasi yang ditjari oleh pasukan militer raksasa selama bertahun-tahun. Lokasi di mana misi yang sedang berlangsung dilakukan oleh manusia sejak ribuan tahun. Selama puluhan ribu tahun, tak peduli apa pun yang terjadi, lokasi itu tak pernah mengganggu.
Selain pasukan militer raksasa di lokasi itu, juga ada sekte yang sangat unik. Salah satu dari sepuluh sekte tertinggi manusia, namun tak pernah ada murid dari sekte itu muncul secara publik. Mereka selalu bertugas! Sekte itu melaksanakan misinya di dalam jurang dalam, dan disebut Masyarakat Bumi Tersembunyi!²
Misi mereka adalah menjaga gerbang di jurang itu. Mereka bahkan tak perlu mengikuti perintah kekaisaran.
Jurang itu mengarah ke rumah Crimson Mother, yang juga adalah rumah Li Zihua. Itu... adalah tanah Kontinental Revered Ancient yang sejati! Tempat pertempuran antara Summer Immortals dari Deep Earth dan Godfolk dari Brilliant Heaven.
Summer Immortals menang pertarungan itu, lalu menyegel Godfolk dari Brilliant Heaven beserta raja-raja dewa mereka di dalamnya. Selain itu, mereka mengambil langit yang pernah menjadi langit Revered Ancient dan mengubahnya menjadi bumi.
Itulah yang menyebabkan versi selanjutnya dari tanah Kontinental Revered Ancient.
Di bawah Revered Ancient, dan di atas Deep Earth, adalah lokasi di mana Godfolk Brilliant Heaven disegel. Sejak saat itu, para dao surgawi menganggap lokasi itu sebagai jurang.
Ada sembilan pintu menuju jurang itu, dan manusia menjagain salah satunya!
Cahaya meledak dari salah satu pintu jurang, menjadi kekuatan mengerikan yang menjawab panggilan cahaya di ibu kota kekaisaran. Gemuruh ributan dipenuhi udara ketika sembilan retak muncul pada pintu jurang.
Nyanyian keras yang menghancurkan kemudian mengisi Wilayah Kekaisaran, diiringi teriak-tawa kebidanan. Mereka ingin kembali. Mereka adalah raja sejati dari tanah Kontinental Revered Ancient. Mereka adalah Godfolk Brilliant Heaven!
Fluktuasi intensif menyebar di Wilayah Kekaisaran, membawa mutagen yang tak terbatas dari retak-retak pintu jurang. Asal-usulnya dari bawah tanah. Dari bawah pasir, sungai, dan gunung. Keluar dari kota. Dari genteng, bata, makanan, dan benda tak hidup! Juga keluar dari setiap makhluk hidup, menciptakan kabus gelap.
Kabus itu bergabung dengan lapisanawan di langit, mengubah warnanya. Dalam seketika, warnanya berubah menjadi merah mengerikan. Petir merah berseruas dan darah mulai mengalir. Sesuatu yang sangat mengerikan, dan tak terhentikan, sedang terbentuk oleh dua berkas cahaya ini.
Jika tidak segera dihentikan, dan pintu jurang terbuka, maka manusia dan wilayah yang berdekatan akan menuju bencana. Dalam seketika, aura takdir manusia terjungkai. Langit dan bumi bergetar, petir gragap.
Zi Qing melayang di udara, senyum hangat di wajahnya. "Yang Mulia, Engkau dan mereka lima dewa zombi punya waktu sebesar sebatang lilin untuk menyegel jurang. Aku yakin Engkau tidak kesulitan menyegel retak-retaknya. Adakah pun, aku akan memanfaatkan waktu yang Engkau butuhkan untuk berurusan dengan jurang untuk mengambil adik manja-ku pergi.
"Dan oleh karena itu, Nyonya, mari kita mulai game. Pilihan Engkau, Yang Mulia? Pilih satu orang? Atau pilih rakyat Engkau?"
Zi Qing menatap istana kekaisaran.
Vorton di atas istana kekaisaran bergemuruh saat mata Kaisar muncul. Tiga napas waktu berlalu. Lalu lima dewa zombi di sekitar Zi Qing meluncur ke arah jurang. Vorton di atas istana kekaisaran menghilang. Kaisar pun pergi ke arah jurang. Ia memilih rakyat.
Akibatnya, Putra Mahkota Violet dan Cyan untuk pertama kalinya dalam hidupnya berubah secara emosional. Ia tertawa. Namun ketika ia tertawa, tampilan kenangan muncul di matanya. Ia teringat suatu saat di masa lalu ketika seseorang dalam situasi serupa juga memilih rakyat. Ia menatap Xu Qing.
Sejak saat itu, Xu Qing tak berubah sama sekali. Ia hanya menatap dengan tenang.
"Adik manja-ku, Kaisar, semua tahun ini ada pertanyaan yang selalu ingin kujawab. Pertanyaannya adalah... apa yang membuatmu takut?"
Ketika Zi Qing mendengar kata-kata Xu Qing, senyumnya tak kehilangan, dan ia membuka mulut untuk berkata sesuatu.
Namun kemudian terdengar suara yang mengguncang kubah langit. Seperti teriakan yang mengandung penentuan tak terbatas dan kegilaan yang cukup untuk menjatuhkan kosmos. Suara itu berasal dari sebuah rumah di ibu kota kekaisaran.
"Aku akan memakanmu, kocak!"
Tanda-tanda penyegelan di sekitar Erniu hancur oleh ledakan kekuatan yang meledak darinya. Namun, ia tetap tak dapat terbang ke langit.
Langit tiba-tiba berubah menjadi biru. Ribuan ribu salju menyegel langit dan membekukan tanah. Di langit biru itu muncul sekumpulan lengan biru sekaligus vorton biru. Ketika gemericik, aura reinkarnasi dan kematian muncul, bersamaan dengan suara tanda penyegelan yang hancur.
Juga terdengar suara seseorang yang menghela napas. Seolah entitas mengerikan sedang berada di dalam vorton, berusaha keluar dengan susah payah!
Serentak, butir salju biru mulai jatuh. Mengerikan, butir salju biru berubah menjadi cacing-cacing biru yang mengisi dunia.
"Siapa bilang Adik Kecil Ah Qing ditinggalkan? Aku tidak pernah meninggalkannya, kocak!"
Saat kelipuan itu mengalun di ibu kota kekaisaran, Putra Mahkota Violet dan Cyan menolehkan kepalanya.
Untuk pertama kalinya sejak Xu Qing memutuskan menunggu Zi Qing, ekspresinya berubah. Menoleh ke arah vorton biru, ia bisa merasakan kegilaan yang merusak di dalam adiknya, dan merasakan tanda-tanda yang sedang terbuka.
"Diam, adik manja!"
Nyatanya semua terdiam sejenak, lalu teriakan lain terdengar. "Diam? Diam?? Sekarang adalah waktunya untuk melepas!"
Vorton itu meledak dengan suara yang lebih mengerikan lagi, sesuatu yang bisa mengguncang langit dan bumi. Seperti membuka semua penyegelan itu sangat sulit. Sebagai akibatnya, suara yang gemuruh dari dalam vorton meredemi. Akhirnya, ada ledakan kemalu, diikuti oleh teriakan kebidaman. Vorton itu memudar. Butir salju menghilang. Warna biru di langit pun pudar.
Beberapa saat kemudian, aura kegilaan bangun kembali di dalam rumah di ibu kota. Ia mencoba meledak kembali. Namun, ledakan lagi, dan kegagalan lagi.
Berulang-ulang. Suara kegilaan semakin intens.
"Sepertinya adik manja-ku lagi memamerkan kekuatannya," kata Zi Qing sambil tersenyum. Pada saat itu, tangan takdirnya telah mencengkeram Xu Qing dan menariknya dekat. "Baiklah, tidak akan melukainya hari ini. Akan tetapi, yang membuatku sangat ingin tahu adalah pertanyaan yang baru saja kauajukan. Yang lebih membuatku ingin tahu adalah kau sedang menungguku. Jadi... apa yang kau rencanakan?"
Xu Qing tetap tenang. "Berdasarkan aksi kau sebelumnya, kepastianku sebelumnya terkonfirmasi."
Zi Qing menatap dengan penuh penantian ke Xu Qing, sangat ingin mendengar apa yang akan terjadi selanjutnya.
"Di County of Sea-Sealing," lanjut Xu Qing dengan lembut. "Aku sering bertanya-tanya hal yang sama. Aku sering bertanya-tanya apa yang harus kulakukan untuk membunuhmu. Aku tidak tahu tingkat sebenarnya dari kekuatan tempurmu, maupun kemampuanmu. Aku pikir banyak hal, dan satu-satunya hal yang bisa kujumpakan adalah untuk jadi lebih kuat.
"Namun, aku tidak pernah menyerah untuk mencari solusi yang lebih baik. Di Wilayah Moonrite aku menyadari kemungkinan itu." Xu Qing menatap Zi Qing. "Di wilayah Firemoon aku memfokuskan ideku. Kemudian, semalam lalu, aku melihatmu bertindak, dan melihatmu menggunakan kekuatan waktu untuk memutus waktu Shopkeeper Zhao, dan juga milikmu sendiri. Aku juga melihat kau menggunakan provensinya seperti nutrisi. Pada saat itulah aku memutuskan."
Suara Xu Qing terdengar cukup kasar, seperti pasir yang bergumming di antara waktu dan berubah menjadi kenangan. "Kenapa aku merasakan kelengkapan ketika memukul gendang? Di Wilayah Moonrite, kenapa aku melihat gambar dari Peerless City yang tidak ada di memori-ku? Kenapa kuhabiskan kenangan versi yang baik dari kalian dulu? Sekaligus dengan kenangan versi kejam?
"Di versi keduanya, tubuhku diregang dengan cara yang sama seperti boneka perca yang kau berikan padaku. Dan kenapa ingatan kedua versi itu tidak ada di dalamku se
Zi Qing opened the box with a single finger, and... a beam of light shot out from inside! It had no specific color or shape, and in fact, it couldn’t be seen. It could only be felt. But as soon as it appeared, ripples flowed out in the dome of heaven. An intense rumbling sound echoed out. The sun and moon went dark!
Everyone in the imperial capital, from mortals, to cultivators, to the government officials, all reacted with shock.
That was because, that beam of light... Was the same light that came when the eyes of the broken god face opened!
The first time it appeared was years ago in Seven Blood Eyes, when Zi Qing’s servant Night Dove opened a similar box. Later, Xu Qing saw it come out of an experimental god body.[1]
However, the light that came from the box held by the Crown Prince of Violet and Cyan was vastly more intense than what appeared in Seven Blood Eyes. No matter what almighty cultivation base someone had, even if they had divine abilities and daoist magics that could transform heaven and earth, none of them... could prevent themselves from trembling. Even gods were affected.
It came down to a pressure by a greater level of life, and it hung over the heads of the countless species on Revered Ancient, like a death sentence. Levels determined everything.
When the wooden box opened, a gaze emerged that was formless and shapeless. It couldn’t be perceived with the naked eye. As a result, the clouds seethed as if they were an angry sea. The entire imperial capital blurred, such that nothing was clearly visible.
It seemed to be accompanied by a chanting that could shake the soul, which filled heaven and earth, destabilizing all. Everything in heaven and earth blurred and distorted.
However, the imperial capital wasn’t Seven Blood Eyes, and the empress was a powerful Altar God. Therefore, the imperial capital’s grand spell formation activated. The destiny aura of humankind rose into the air, bringing with it the five past emperors who were now gods. A heaven-shaking, earth-shattering aura emerged from the imperial palace, becoming a gigantic vortex that sucked away all the light in the area.
However... if Zi Qing said he wanted to play a game with the empress, there was no way he would come unprepared.
The next instant, another gaze erupted within the Imperial Region, in a mysterious location that was guarded year-round by a massive military force. It was a location where an ongoing mission was carried out by humans throughout history. For tens of thousands of years, no matter what happened, that location never interfered.
Other than the massive military force in that location, there was also a very unique sect. It was one of the top ten great sects of humankind, yet no disciple from that sect ever appeared publicly. They were on guard duty all the time! That sect carried out its mission in a deep abyss, and it was called the Hidden Earth Society![2]
Their mission was to guard the gate in that abyss. They didn’t even need to follow imperial orders.
That abyss led to Crimson Mother’s home, which was also the home of Li Zihua. It was... the true Revered Ancient mainland! It was the battlefield where the Summer Immortals from Deep Earth had fought the Godfolk from Brilliant Heaven.
The Summer Immortals won that fight, and then sealed the Godfolk from Brilliant Heaven along with thēir god emperor there. In addition, they took what had once been the heaven of Revered Ancient and turned it into the earth.
That was what led to the later version of the Revered Ancient mainland.
Beneath Revered Ancient, and above Deep Earth, was the location where the Brilliant Heaven Godfolk were sealed. From then on, the heavenly daos considered that location an abyss.
There were nine doors leading into the abyss, and humankind guarded one of them!
Light erupted from one of the abyssal doors, becoming a terrifying might that answered the call of the light in the imperial capital. Intense rumbling sounds filled the air as nine cracks appeared on the door to the abyss.
Deafening chanting then filled the Imperial Region, accompanied by howls of defiance. Thēy wanted to come back. Thēy were the true rulers of the Revered Ancient mainland. Thēy were the Brilliant Heaven Godfolk!
Intense fluctuations spread through the Imperial Region, bringing boundless mutagen from the cracks in the abyssal door. It came from underground. From under the sand, the rivers and the mountains. It came out of cities. From out of tiles, bricks, food, and inanimate objects! It came out of every living thing as well, creating a dark mist.
The mist merged with the cloud cover overhead, changing its color. In the blink of an eye, it turned a ghastly crimson color. Red lightning crackled back and forth, and blood began to rain down. Something unimaginably terrifying, and something unstoppable, was forming thanks to these two beams of light.
If it wasn’t stopped quickly, and if the abyssal door opened, then humankind and any neighboring regions would descend into pure catastrophe. In an instant, humankind’s destiny aura was thrown into chaos. Heaven and earth trembled as thunder boomed.
Zi Qing hovered in the air, a warm smile on his face. “Your Majesty, you and those five imperial zombie gods have about an incense stick’s worth of time to suppress the abyss. I doubt you’ll have trouble sealing the cracks. As for me, I’ll take advantage of the time you need to deal with the abyss to take my lil’ bro away.
“And therefore, ma’am, let the game begin. What is your choice, Your Majesty? Do you choose one person? Or do you choose your people?”
Zi Qing looked at the imperial palace.
The vortex above the imperial palace rumbled as the empress’ eyes appeared. Three breaths of time passed. Then the five zombie gods surrounding Zi Qing shot in the direction of the abyss. The vortex above the imperial palace vanished. The empress also went in the direction of the abyss. Shē chose the people.
As a result, the Crown Prince of Violet and Cyan was stirred emotionally for the first time in this life. He laughed. Yet as he laughed, a gleam of reminiscence appeared in his eyes. He was thinking of a time in the past when a person in a similar circumstance also chose the people. He looked at Xu Qing.
During this entire time, Xu Qing’s expression hadn’t changed at all. He just watched calmly.
“The empress abandoned you, lil’ bro,” Zi Qing said. “In fact, it seems everyone you care about has abandoned you. None of them want to choose you. Therefore, why not come home with me?”
Zi Qing once again reached out with his hand of fate, and this time there was nothing stopping him from grabbing Xu Qing.
The Emperor’s Sword within Xu Qing thrummed, but he didn’t respond to it. He just looked at Zi Qing and calmly said, “My big brother. The Crown Prince of Violet and Cyan. All these years, there’s been a question I’ve always wanted to ask you. And that is... what are you afraid of?”
When Zi Qing heard Xu Qing’s words, his smile didn’t falter, and he opened his mouth to say something.
But then a sound rang out that shook the dome of heaven. It was a howl that seemed to contain infinite determination and madness sufficient to topple the cosmos. And it came from a certain residence in the imperial capital.
“I’m gonna eat you, fool!”
The sealing marks surrounding Erniu shattered by a mad burst of power that erupted from him. However, he still couldn’t fly up into the air.
The sky suddenly turned blue. Endless ice sealed the heavens and froze the lands. Within that blue sky appeared a host of blue arms, as well as a blue vortex. As it rumbled, auras of reincarnation and death appeared, along with the sound of sealing marks shattering.
There were also the sounds of someone panting for breath. It was as if some terrifying entity were inside of the vortex, struggling to crawl out!
Simultaneously, blue snowflakes started floating down. Astonishingly, the blue snowflakes turned into blue worms that filled the world.
“Who said Ah Qing has been abandoned? I never abandoned him, fool!”
As the shout echoed out of the imperial capital, the Crown Prince of Violet and Cyan looked over.
For the first time since Xu Qing decided to wait for Zi Qing, his expression changed. Looking over at the blue vortex, he could sense the madness pulsing in his Eldest Brother, and could feel the seals being undone.
“Calm down, Eldest Brother!”
Things seemed to calm for a brief moment, and then another shout rang out. “Calm? Calm?? Now’s the time to go all out!”
The vortex erupted with an even more shocking sound, something that could shake heaven and earth. It sounded as if the act of opening those seals was unimaginably difficult. As a result, the deafening sounds from inside the vortex diminished. Ultimately, there was a shuddering bang, followed by a howl of defiance. The vortex faded away. The snowflakes disappeared. The blue color faded from the sky.
Shortly after, the maddened aura again rose up within the residence in the capital. It tried to explode out again. But then came some booms, and another failure.
It happened over and over again. The maddened sounds grew more intense.
“Seems your Eldest Brother is putting on a bit of a show,” Zi Qing said with a smile. By this point, his hand of fate had latched on to Xu Qing and pulled him close. “That’s fine. I’m not going to hurt him today. That said, I’m very curious about the question you just asked. But what makes me even more curious is that you were waiting for me. So... what were you planning to do?”
Xu Qing remained as calm as ever. “Based on your actions earlier, my previous determination was confirmed.”
Zi Qing looked with warm anticipation at Xu Qing, as he was clearly very interested to hear what was going to come next.
“Back in Sea-Sealing County,” Xu Qing continued quietly, “I kept wondering about the same thing. I wondered what I would have to do to kill you. I didn’t know your true level of battle prowess, nor what you were capable of. I thought a lot about the situation, and the only thing I could think to do was get stronger.
“Yet I never gave up trying to think of a better solution. It was in the Moonrite Region that I realized there was a possibility.” Xu Qing looked at Zi Qing. “It was in Firemoon territory that I perfected my idea. Then, last night, I saw you in action, and I saw you unleash your time powers to sever Shopkeeper Zhao’s time, as well as your own. I also saw you use his providence like a nourishing tonic. That was when I made my mind up.”
Xu Qing’s voice seemed somewhat hoarse, like sand grating against time and drifting into memory. “Why did I experience a sense of completeness when striking the drum? Back in Moonrite Region, why did I see images from Peerless City that don’t exist in my memories? Why do I have memories of a kind version of you all those years ago? But at the same time, memories of a cruel version?
“In that second version, my body is ripped apart much like that tattered doll you gave me. And why did that second memory not exist in me before?”
Xu Qing looked directly at Zi Qing. “Who took those brutal memories away? Who replaced them with memories of good times? If it was the same person, then why would the person who ripped me apart then put me back together? That kind of behavior is quite a paradox.”
During the entire time Xu Qing spoke, Zi Qing didn’t interrupt. But at this point, he spoke in a warm, kind voice. “Is it possible that the person saw you ripped apart, and then felt bad? Therefore, he put his lil’ bro back together, and then gave you some warm memories instead?”
As they hovered in the air, Zi Qing and Xu Qing looked at each other. The wind blew, stirring their hair. The patchwork doll at the door of the greater spirit mansion also stirred in the wind.
1. Night Dove opened the box in chapter 313 . Much of the wording above is the same as that chapter. A box and light also showed up in chapter 463 when Xu Qing fought Master Shengyun’s father, Chu Tianqun. ☜
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