NOVPUBIf Xu Fu's means still belonged to exploiting loopholes, Chen Xiang's method of entry was even more astonishing and shocked those proud Qi Cultivators.
But of course, Chen Xiang wouldn't know the consequences his actions would have on those white-haired Qi Cultivators, he only knew that he was about to enter the Mausoleum, and inside lay what he desperately needed.
It was the material capable of forging through the Heavenly Stripes, it was his hope of saving his mother. The scenes on both sides kept receding, and Chen Xiang saw the vast numbers of Terracotta Warriors.
It was as if he witnessed the powerful army that had conquered the world, and the aura emanating from the Terracotta Warriors made him understand that these figurines were not devoid of life, their bodies harbored formidable souls.
And his arrival also awakened the sleeping Soldier Figurines, making these warriors roar in anger. Intruder after intruder had broken into His Majesty's Mausoleum, as His Majesty's loyal guards, how could they tolerate this.
So Bai Qi appeared once more, the terrifying form of the Demon God shadow loomed in the space, the intense force streaming towards him, vowing to shatter Chen Xiang into dust, yet everything dissipated upon contact with that curtain.
That thin veil seemed to be an abyss that could never be crossed, no matter how great the force Bai Qi exerted, he could not get through.
This bizarre phenomenon caused the Lord of Wu'an to bellow in rage, countless fists appeared, a powerful gale immediately swept across the entire Mausoleum, but it all seemed futile, not even stirring a hair on Chen Xiang's head, as if the two of them stood in two worlds, gazing at each other from afar.
"What is this power?" the Lord of Wu'an murmured to himself.
"This is no longer a force we can understand, since when did another mighty being emerge amongst the three realms," Yu Hua sighed softly. The new wave pushes the old in the Yangtze River, a new generation replaces the old, they were ultimately eliminated by the world.
Suddenly Bai Qi seemed to have aged a great deal, it was then that he realized, he was just the remnant of his era, he should have left after the First Emperor's rebellion against the heavens failed.
Recalling the First Emperor's ultimate decision, he used to not understand, there was still a chance for resurrection, a chance for a counterattack, why would the Emperor who had always been so proud give up in the end, but now he understood, what use was a backup plan, what use was resurrection, from the day they failed, they no longer had a chance for success.
The Immortal Gods in the heavens, the upcoming Cultivators, and the ever-emerging emperors of the Human Path, everything would change, even if the First Emperor was reborn, he could not replicate his former glory. If this was the case, peacefully accepting his own death was his final pride, he was unwilling to live on this world in a pathetic manner, living at others' whims.
"Your Majesty, I have finally understood!" the Lord of Wu'an sighed softly.
One could see his Soul becoming brighter, as if flames were burning, the first surge of endless light came upon this dim Mausoleum, Bai Qi ignited his Soul in the most terrifying attack.
With a punch, the space was torn, the fearful force passed through the curtain, reaching Chen Xiang's side, a pity that it was the last of his strength, only managing to leave a faint mark on Chen Xiang's face.
However, Bai Qi started to laugh, he had at last crossed that barrier. Thus, he laughed heartily toward the sky, his laughter unrestrained, as if to let out all the frustration in his heart.
"Your Majesty, Bai Qi will accompany you now!"
Along with the sound came a huge boom, as Bai Qi's soul instantly exploded into dust. Having realized everything, he ultimately chose death. Without that Emperor, he was like a child who had lost his way, completely devoid of the guiding light that led him forward. Death was not a terror for him, but a final peace.
Yu Hua let out a soft sigh. "Great heroes are always battered by wind and rain. Eventually, they are abandoned by the times. How sad it is! They too had once been proud and ambitious, had pointed out lands to conquer, had left their own unique mark on the stage of the Three Realms."
"Maybe it's time for everything to end," whispered Yu Hua.
He sat cross-legged as many cursed scripts suddenly appeared on his body. Soon, the terracotta warrior that belonged to him began to shatter, gradually vanishing between heaven and earth, leaving only a white feather drifting with the wind.
The white feather flew over endless Soldier Figurines, passed through various obstacles, and left the Mausoleum that had confined him for nearly a thousand years. Slowly, it landed in the hands of the aged Qi Cultivator in the Great Qin Imperial Palace.
The old man looked at the pure white feather, feeling the breath and knowledge it contained, and shed tears as he muttered, "Honored Master Yu Hua!"
The once-leader of the Qi Cultivators, the First Emperor's most trusted companion, had chosen death, leaving behind only a white feather dancing in the wind. Perhaps this feather, soaring on the breeze, was his free soul. He had been bound by responsibility for far too long.
Chen Xiang watched all that had happened with a heart full of emotions. What is the Dao? Perhaps the true Great Dao is the peace within one's heart. Although Bai Qi and Yu Hua had perished, the brilliance they exuded in their final moments captivated Chen Xiang. It was a power he had never seen before.
It was a force that was vastly different from that of Divine Spirits. Perhaps this, too, was the Dao. With this understanding of the Human Path, Chen Xiang seemed to gain a deeper insight. That brilliant moment was deeply engraved in his memory and would become a source of strength as he later climbed the peaks of cultivation.
With a slight sigh, Chen Xiang bowed respectfully to the two predecessors: not for power, but for the Great Dao.
He continued to move deeper into the Mausoleum, where he saw Xu Fu, who had fallen into madness. By now, Xu Fu was an old man at death's door, frantically attacking every corner of the Mausoleum, venting his incomprehension and rage.
When he saw Chen Xiang coming on a beam of light, an unusual glow burst from his bloodshot eyes, and he roared loudly, "Tell me, why did His Majesty choose death? Wasn't he a proud Emperor? With virtues surpassing the Three Sovereigns, with achievements beyond the Five Emperors, how could such a man choose death?"
Facing this mad old man, Chen Xiang shook his head and said, "I don't know, perhaps it was because of his pride. Death, to him, was simply a more dignified choice."
"Dignity?" murmured Xu Fu.
He seemed to remember the majestic man who had once helped him up from among the people.
"A millennium of scheming, in the end, was but a fleeting dream. Life is like a dream, no more than this!" Xu Fu said with a bitter smile, as his body started to transform into a shadow, devoured by Ferocious Ghosts. Endless anguish swept through his body, but Xu Fu did not show any signs of pain; his heart was already dead.
The countless Ferocious Ghosts devoured his body, laughing wantonly, dancing unceasingly within the Mausoleum. After so many years, they were finally free, free to revel in the slaughter and blood.
