Di tersimpan rekaman yang berisi catatan sejarah. Karena tujuan masing-masing dan karma pribadi, wajar jika orang-upaya menutup mukhtaplaya yang tak disukai, menyesuaikan cerita agar terasa lebih nyaman sebelum menyebarkannya. Setelah cukup lama, tidak ada lagi seorang pun yang tahu apa yang sebenarnya terjadi.
Gambar yang Xu Qing lihat tak bisa dilihat oleh makhluk hidup lain. Ia terpendam dalam waktu, terpukul angin, namun kini ingatan itu mengalir ke dalam lautan kesadaran Xu Qing, lalu muncul melalui tinta di sana. Biasanya, gambar semacam itu tak akan mudah terungkap. Baik karena pengaruh akan membunuh, atau karena ingatan sudah rusak seiring waktu, mengumpulkan semuanya bukanlah hal mudah.
Cahaya fajar memberi warna pada gambar, mengisi bagian kosong, hingga perlahan-lahan sekilas bentuk terbentuk dan menyinggung indra Xu Qing tentang apa yang telah terkubur dalam sejarah.
Ia melihat Sovereeg Kekaisaran. Ia melihat Crimson Mother. Ia mendengar kata-kata dituturkan oleh yang pertama. Ia mendengar lagu dinyanyikan oleh yang kedua.
Liriknya menyengum. Penuh dengan ikatan yang menuskan hati dan pengabdian, kemauan untuk mengejar sesuatu yang ideal tak peduli apa pun yang terjadi. Tampaknya, berbanding lurus dengan sangkutannya itu, segala makhluk hidup tidak berharga. Sekecil apa pun, jika seluruh makhluk hidup binasa, jika langit dan bumi menangis penuh penderitaan, tak lebih dari sekadar nutrisi yang perlu untuk naik menjadi dewa. Mereka tidak penting.
Tidak ada siput pun di bawah langit hijau, atau apapun itu, yang bisa menghapus harapan untuk naik menjadi dewa. Ia akan menjadi seorang dewa, dan ia akan berdiri di bulan merah. Untuk mencapai tujuan itu, ia rela melakukan apa saja.
Lirik lagu bergema di gambar, menciptakan riak yang akhirnya menyapu lalu, menghapus suara dan memekatkan segalanya.
Xu Qing berusaha menahan napasnya. Dada-nya mengangkura, duduk di tepi dan melihat gambar di lautan kesadapannya kabur hingga tak bisa dilihat atau didengar apa pun. Di dalam lautan kesadapannya, hijau berubah putih. Merah berubah hitam. Keduanya bergulung lalu kembali berubah menjadi tinta. Bahkan cahaya fajar pun tak bisa menyatukan semuanya.
Akibatnya, yang terjadi setelah bagian yang Xu Qing saksikan tak jelas. Ia tak bisa memandang langsung, melainkan dipaksa untuk bergantung pada rasa tak kasat untuk menebak apa yang sedang terjadi. Namun, Xu Qing memilih untuk tidak membuka matanya. Sebaliknya, ia tenggelam dalam lautan kesadapannya, mencoba merasakan apa yang sedang terjadi.
Di dalam gambar, putih bertempur dengan hitam. Air bergulung dengan tinta. Hanya sebentar, Xu Qing bisa membedakan sebuah langit dalam gambar itu.
Di dalam putih, ada langit hijau...
Ia juga bisa membedakan apa yang tampak seperti tanah.
Tanah hitam telah berubah merah seperti darah... Langit dan bumi disambung oleh sesuatu. Sepertinya... sebuah altar?
Ia merasa bingung. Lama sudah ia melupakan apa yang terjadi di luar. Segala fikir dan indra tertuju padanya pada tinta dan air. Perlahan-lahan, ia melihat sebuah altar yang megah, perlahan menjadi jelas di tengah kekabutan itu.
Kenyataannya, gambar itu tak semakin jelas. Sejak Sovereeg Kekaisaran dan Crimson Mother menghilang, tinta di dalam lautan kesadapan Xu Qing telah terus mengalir, tak pernah membentuk gambar baru.
Tapi bagi indra Xu Qing, hal-hal itu semakin jelas. Tentu, mengatakan "cepat" itu subjektif. Karena kejelasan... itu proses.
Segala sesuatu sejauh ini adalah hasil keras kekuatannya sendiri. Jika ia mengubah indra-nya sekali pun, altar itu akan menghilang. Ia perlu menjaga hati dan jiwa tetap tertuju. Seperti memancing. Dan namun ia masih belum berhasil memancing ikan. Fasilitas mentalnya sedang dikuras oleh kekuatan yang terus membangun. Perlahan-lahan, Xu Qing menyadari kesadapannya sedang dikuras, dan ia tak tahan lama lagi. Dan altar itu masih belum sepenuhnya jelas.
Aku akan gagal. Aku tak bisa menggoreskan altar itu dari dalam tinta karena... aku kekurangan alat penyimpan. Sebuah alat penyimpan...
Di lu sana, di atas panggung, saat sesi pencerahanannya menguap, gemerisik semakin pudar, dan sensasi gempa pun mereda. Awan yang berputar di langit tak memberikan pengaruh yang sama seperti sebelumnya. Seolah-olah akan berakhir.
Ning Yan dan semua orang menghela napas lega. Tekanan yang menyengaja telah menimbulkan banyak rasa cemas. Tapi kini, mereka bisa fokus pada menyelesaikan pertunjukan.
Di dalam, Captain menghela napas. Meskipun ia merasakan sejak awal kemungkinan kecil Xu Qing akan mencapai pencerahan, setelah adegan sebelumnya, ia sedikit berharap.
Aduh, ya. Setidaknya pengalaman itu akan berguna. Di minimal, ia semakin familiar dengan killing will.
Pewaris dan saudara-saudaranya menghela napas pula. Terhalang oleh karma, mereka tak bisa melihat apa yang terjadi di lautan kesadapan Xu Qing, namun mereka merasakan ia kelelahan. Mereka juga bisa melihat upaya Xu Qing untuk mendapatkan pencerahan setelah killing will itu gagal.
"Ia sedang mencoba mencapai pencerahan akan kemampuan surgawi ayah. God Decapitation Altar."
"Wah, sayang sekali...."
"Sebenarnya bukan salahnya. Akudanya terlalu rusak dan lemah. Kalau tidak, mungkin ia tak akan gagal."
Meskipun Xu Qing gagal, kemampuan pemahamannya menyentuh emosi keempat saudara itu.
Sekarang, babak kedua sedang dimainkan dalam pikiran semua orang di Wilayah Moonrite, dan momen kritis hampir tiba.
Tiba-tiba, seseorang muncul di samping Wu Jianwu. Ia mengenakan pakaian mewah, mata-nya berkilau, dan kulitnya putih bersih seperti kencana, namun sekaligus penuh fluktuasi yang menakutkan. Ia adalah salah satu eunuk tinggi-tinggi Kaisar Kuno, hadir untuk membaca pengumuman. Cahaya berwarna-warni bersinar di langit dan bumi sebagai eunuk yang dikelilingi pakaian mewah itu mengangkat tangan kanannya dan mengh unrolled gulungan kanvas awan yang membawa keberkahan.
"Menurut dao Revered Ancient, sebagai Kaisar Kuno, aku menyatakan bahwa warga negara jenayah dari Brilliant Heaven telah menyebabkan kemusnahan dan kekacauan kepada segala makhluk hidup.
"Moon King Zihua dihukum untuk bertindak atas nama-Ku sebagai pemerajur, dan memengkol kepala pelaku ini.... Segala karma yang timbul akan ditanggung oleh-Ku!"
Suara itu meledak seperti guntur ke dalam pikiran rakyat, dan ditopang oleh upaya Pewaris dan saudaranya.
Setelah pengumuman selesai, Ning Yan sebagai Sovereeg Kekaisaran menoleh ke arah Crimson Mother di atas altar. Lalu ia menatap pria berotot yang berdiri di belakangnya.
"Godpriest," kata Ning Yan.
"Di sini, sir!" kata Captain dengan nyaring, satu tangan di kepalanya, tangan lain pegang pedangnya.
"Bunuh dia!"
"Perintah-Mu akan ditaati!"
Mata Captain bening dengan cahaya sejuk saat ia mengangkat pedang. Kemarahan yang intens bersinar di mata Crimson Mother, dan ia kembali berusaha meloloskan diri. Simbol-simbol magis yang tak terhitung jumlahnya di atas altar itu membuatnya benar-benar tak mungkin.
Di transmisi, angin berteriak saat Pewaris dan saudaranya terus memperkuat efek dramatis. Setelah semua, gambar Crimson Mother yang dikubur sangat penting bagi semua orang di wilayah.
Di transmisi, petir menyambar, dan ribuan petir langit menyerbu, membentuk lautan listrik yang masif. Putri Brightblossom bertindak, menciptakan sebuah aliran waktu, aliran yang tersebut menyebarkan aura kuno sejauh penglihatan penonton.
Saudara kedelapan tak mau kalah, dan menambahkan suaranya ke dalam petir. Akibatnya, fluktuasi emosional semua pemain semakin intens, memberi pengaruh yang lebih besar. Akhirnya, Pewaris menyebabkan matahari dan bulan muncul di dalam petir. Ribuan benda langit berkelip cerah, dan hampir terlihat kemauan hari yang suci.
Penonton terpesona dengan adegan dramatis itu, dan semua orang penasaran bagaimana akhirnya.
Kemudian, pedang Captain melayang!
Cahaya pedang bersinar, bersinar seperti petir. Di dalamnya ada matahari, bulan, bintang, dan benda langit, serta aura yang sangat kuno yang menarik emosi semua orang yang menyaksikan.
Mata Nethersprite bersinar sepenuhnya dengan kemarahan saat ia bersiap untuk mengucapkan baris terakhirnya.
Namun, tatkala itu...
Terjadi sesuatu yang dramatis!
Warna-warna liar bersinar di langit dan bumi! Bumi bergetar dan gunung digoyang! Suara gemerisik yang sangat kuat turun dari langit, seperti roar naga yang berkelang mengeringkan sungai dan laut. Ribuan celah terbuka di langit, yang lalu runtuh!
Ribuan batu jatuh dari langit, menghantam tanah. Pada saat yang sama, cahaya sejuk muncul di langit. Bumi bergetar saat puluhan lubang terbentuk, sementara angin mencurahkan hentaman keras ke segalanya.
Dan masih banyak lagi. Sebuah niat pembunuh yang tak terbatas meledak. Hal-hal ini sangat melampaui efek yang telah ditaklukkan Pewaris dan saudaranya. Makhluk hidup di Wilayah Moonrite sudah terhipnotis oleh efek yang telah mereka lihat sampai sekarang. Tapi, lonjakan tiba-tiba niat mematikan ini membuat mereka berteriak kagum dan cemas.
Niat ini jauh lebih intens dari sebelumnya. Saat meledak ke hati dan pikiran mereka, rasanya seperti gelombang tsunami yang menghantam roh mereka. Nyata sekali, tidak ada tandingan sebelumnya.
Semua orang yang hadir di pertunjukan ini juga kagum.
Wajah Nethersprite memucat saat bayangan kematian yang belum pernah terjadi muncul di atasnya. Ia memiliki tubuh yang abadi, namun saat itu, ia merasakan seperti akan mati!
Apakah ini benar-benar akhirnya? pikirnya, menggema dari ujung ke ujung.
Pedang Captain terhenti di udara saat hatinya berdebar kencang. Ning Yan, Wu Jianwu, dan Li Youfei semua merasa pikirannya ditendang petir.
Pewaris dan saudaranya semuanya menoleh ke arah Xu Qing.
Pada momen ini, Xu Qing yang telah mereka anggap gagal mencapai pencerahan kini memiliki botol di dalam lautan kesadapannya. Betul, ia tak bisa menggoreskan gambar dari tinta. Tapi sebabnya adalah karena ia kekurangan alat penyimpan. Dan jadi... ia memasukkan botol timescape-nya ke dalam lautan kesadapannya. Itulah yang akan ia gunakan untuk menampung tinta. Renannya, ia akan mengambil sisa-sisa yang mempengaruhi pencerahannya dan mengekstraknya sepenuhnya!
Tintanya mengalir ke dalam botol timescape, dan mengalir ke dalamnya. Tatkala itu, Xu Qing merasakan altar semakin jelas. Prosesnya tak memakan waktu lama. Dari saat ia menfokuskan perhatiannya, hanya dalam waktu singkat hampir seluruh tinta menghilang ke dalam botol.
Yang tersisa... adalah sebuah altar yang sangat unik!
Dan altar itu adalah sumber hal-hal dramatis yang sedang terjadi di luar. Langit dan bumi seolah runtuh, dan vortex yang masif di langit membawa kehancuran ke segalanya. Gemerisik yang sangat keras terdengar di mana-mana, seperti gunung yang pertama pernah mereka lewati tiba-tiba meledak.
Saat pecahan jatuh, cahaya sejuk muncul, dan sebenarnya sifat gunung itu terungkap dengan sempurna.
Mengerikan, itu adalah sebuah pedang hijau raksasa!
There were many records that contained historical accounts. Due to individual objectives and personal karma, it was common for people to try to cover over things that they didn’t like, to adjust the story to make it more palatable before spreading it further. After enough time passed, it would become impossible for people to know what really happened.
The image that Xu Qing was seeing was something no other living being could see. It had been hidden in time and ravaged by the wind, but now the memories were being sent into Xu Qing’s sea of consciousness, and revealed through the ink there. Normally speaking, the images wouldn’t have been easy to reveal. Whether it was the influence of the killing will, or the fact that the memories had degraded thanks to the passage of time, it was no easy task to pull them all together.
The daybreak light added color to the image, filling in the missing spots, until gradually an outline formed, revealing to Xu Qing’s senses that which had been buried in history.
He saw the Imperial Sovereign. He saw Crimson Mother. He heard the words spoken by the former. He heard the song sung by the latter.
The lyrics soared. They contained heart-wrenching attachment and dedication, the willingness to pursue an ideal no matter what happened. Apparently, compared to that ideal, all other living things were meaningless. Even if everyone alive ended up dead, even if heaven and earth wept in sorrow and agony, they counted as nothing more than nutrients necessary for godly ascension. They weren’t important.
Neither the figure in the green canopy of heaven, nor anything else, could possibly wipe out that hope for godly ascension. She would become a god, and she would stand on the red moon. To reach that goal, she would do anything.
The lyrics of the song reverberated in the image, creating ripples that eventually swept forth, wiping out the voices and blurring everything.
Xu Qing struggled to control his breathing. His chest heaved as he sat there, the image in his sea of consciousness blurred to the point where he couldn’t see what was happening or hear what was being said. Inside his sea of consciousness, the green became white. The red became black. And they swirled together to once again turn into ink. Not even adding daybreak light could make it complete.
As a result, what happened after the part Xu Qing witnessed was not clear. He couldn’t directly observe, but rather, was forced to rely on vague sensations to guess at what was happening. Yet Xu Qing chose not to open his eyes. Instead, he stayed immersed in his sea of consciousness, trying to sense what was happening.
Inside the image, white clashed with black. Water swirled with ink. Just barely, Xu Qing could make out a sky in the image.
Within the white, there’s a green sky....
He could also make out what appeared to be land.
The black soil has become as red as blood.... Heaven and earth are connected by something. It looks like... an altar?
He felt confused. He had long since forgotten about what was happening outside. All of his concentration and senses were focused on the ink and water. Gradually, he saw a majestic altar, slowly becoming clear within the blurriness.
The reality was that the image wasn’t turning clear. Ever since the Imperial Sovereign and Crimson Mother vanished, the ink in Xu Qing’s sea of consciousness had been in a constant state of flux, and had not formed any new images.
But to Xu Qing’s senses, things were rapidly becoming clear. Of course, to say it was happening ‘rapidly’ was subjective. That was because the clarity... was a process.
Everything so far had been the result of Xu Qing’s hard work and determination. If he relaxed his senses for even a moment, that altar would disappear. He needed to keep his heart and soul focused. It was like he was fishing. And yet he still hadn’t managed to hook the fish. His mental faculties were being drained by the ever-building force. Slowly but surely, Xu Qing came to realize that his consciousness was being drained, and that he couldn’t hold out for much longer. And the altar still wasn’t completely clear.
I’m going to fail . I just can’t dredge the altar up out of the ink because... I’m missing a receptacle. A receptacle....
Meanwhile, outside on the stage, as Xu Qing’s session of enlightenment wound down, the rumbling grew fainter, and the quaking sensation died down. The vortex in the sky wasn’t exerting the same influence as before. Things seemed about to end.
Ning Yan and everyone else breathed sighs of relief. The pressure that had been building up over them had been very anxiety-inducing. But now, they could focus on completing the performance.
Inside, the Captain was sighing. Although he had felt from the beginning that it was extremely unlikely Xu Qing would gain enlightenment, after the scene from earlier, he had harbored a bit of hope.
Oh well. Even just the experience will be useful. At the least, he’s become more familiar with killing will.
The Heir Apparent and his siblings were all sighing as well. Hindered by karma, they couldn’t see what was happening in Xu Qing’s sea of consciousness, but they could sense that he was mentally spent. They could also see that Xu Qing’s attempt to gain further enlightenment after the killing will was a failure.
“He’s currently seeking enlightenment of father’s divine ability. The God Decapitation Altar.”
“What a pity....”
“Actually, it’s not really his fault. The vestiges here are too degraded and weak. Otherwise, he might not have failed.”
Despite the fact that Xu Qing had failed, his powers of understanding left all four siblings deeply moved.
Right now, act 2 was playing out in the minds of everyone in the Moonrite Region, and the critical moment was near.
All of a sudden, someone materialized out of thin air next to Wu Jianwu. He wore an extravagant garment, his eyes glittered, and his fair complexion emanated a soft and feminine air, but at the same time, he pulsed with terrifying fluctuations. He was one of the Ancient Emperor’s high-ranking eunuchs, present to read a proclamation. Multicolored light glittered in heaven and earth as the extravagantly clad eunuch extended his right hand and unfurled a scroll made of auspicious clouds.
“According to the dao of Revered Ancient, I, an Ancient Emperor, hereby decree that the felon citizen from Brilliant Heaven has caused calamity and chaos to sundry living beings.
“Moon King Zihua is therefore ordered to act in my stead as the executioner, and take the head of this criminal.... Any resulting karma will be borne by me!”
The voice boomed like thunder into the minds of the people, bolstered by the efforts of the Heir Apparent and his siblings.
After the proclamation was complete, Ning Yan as the Imperial Sovereign turned his gaze to Crimson Mother on the altar. Then he looked at the burly man in golden armor standing behind her.
“Godpriest,” Ning Yan said.
“Here, sir!” the Captain said loudly, one hand on Crimson Mother’s head, the other holding his saber.
“Execute her!”
“Your orders shall be followed!”
The Captain’s eyes shone with cold light as he lifted the saber. Intense hatred flashed in Crimson Mother’s eyes, and she again struggled to free herself. The countless magical symbols on the altar made that completely and utterly impossible.
In the broadcast, the wind screamed as the Heir Apparent and his siblings continued to propagate dramatic effects. After all, the image of Crimson Mother being executed was profoundly significant to everyone else in the region.
In the broadcast, thunder crashed, and countless bolts of lightning smashed down, forming a massive sea of electricity. Princess Brightblossom took action, creating a river of time, the flowing of which caused an ancient aura to spread out and enter the senses of the audience. Eighth Sib wasn’t willing to be outdone, and lent his voice to the thunder. As a result, the emotional fluctuations of all the performers became more intense, and exerted a greater influence. Finally, the Heir Apparent caused suns and moons to appear in the lightning. Countless heavenly bodies flickered brightly, and it was even possible to make out the vague will of a heavenly dao.
The audience was deeply moved by the dramatic scene, and everyone was wondering how it would end.
Then, the Captain’s blade danced!
Blade light glimmered, shining like lightning. It contained suns, moons, stars, and heavenly bodies, as well as a profoundly ancient aura that tugged on the emotions of all onlookers.
Nethersprite’s eyes shone with hatred as she prepared to speak her final lines.
However, right then...
Something dramatic happened!
Wild colors flashed in heaven and earth! Lands shook and mountains were rocked! An intense rumbling sound descended from the sky, like the roar of a dragon filled with the power to dry up rivers and drain seas. Countless rifts opened up in the sky, which then collapsed! Countless rocks tumbled down from above, smashing into the ground. At the same time, a cold light appeared in the canopy of heaven. The ground quaked as countless craters opened up, all while a screaming wind battered down everything in its path.
There was more. A boundless killing intent erupted. These things vastly surpassed any of the effects unleashed by the Heir Apparent and his siblings. The living beings in the Moonrite Region had already been entranced thanks to the effects they had seen so far. But this unexpected upsurge of killing intent caused them to cry out in surprise and alarm.
This killing intent was vastly more intense than anything before. As it exploded into their hearts and minds, it became like tsunami waves that battered their souls. It was realistic in a completely unparalleled way.
Everyone present at the actual performance was also shocked.
Nethersprite’s face went pale as the unprecedented shadow of death suddenly loomed over her. She possessed an undying body, yet at that moment, she felt overwhelmed by the sensation that she was about to die!
Is this really it? she thought, shaking from head to toe.
The Captain’s blade stopped in midair as his heart started racing. Ning Yan, Wu Jianwu, and Li Youfei all felt like their minds were being smashed by lightning.
The Heir Apparent and his siblings all turned to look at Xu Qing.
As of this moment, the same Xu Qing who they had believed to have failed in his enlightenment now had a bottle in his sea of consciousness. It was true that he was unable to dredge up the image out of the ink. But the reason was that he didn’t have a receptacle. And so... he put his timescape bottle into his sea of consciousness. That was what he would use to contain the ink. He planned to take it away.
I can’t dredge it up, so therefore, I’ll take the last remnants that are affecting my enlightenment and completely extract them!
The ink flowed toward his timescape bottle, pouring inside. As it happened, Xu Qing felt the altar getting clearer. The process didn’t take very long. From the moment he focused his attention on the task, it took only a short time for almost all of the ink to vanish into the bottle.
What remained... was a very unique altar!
And that altar was the source of the dramatic things happening outside. Heaven and earth seemed to be crumbling, and the massive vortex in the sky was bringing ruin to everything. Deafening rumbling echoed out everywhere as the area of the first challenge they had passed, the mountain range that tilted up to touch the sky... suddenly exploded.
As the rubble rained down, cold light emerged, and the true nature of the mountain range was revealed in full.
Shockingly, it was an enormous green saber!
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