webnovel Chapter 577 - 565: Symbols and Omens!
Chapter 577 - 565: Symbols and Omens!
In the shared silence of Qi Lian Demi Immortal and the four eccentrics, an intangible sense of suffocation spread from their solemn stillness, enveloping the summit of Kunlun Mountain. If anyone else had been present, they would have certainly felt the crushing pressure, a weight that made it hard to breathe.
Such was the aura of a God Realm master. Even without anger or an outburst, a simple moment of melancholy in their hearts was enough to transform the very atmosphere around them.
"Old One, does the Child of Heavenly Dao truly exist?" the idle old man asked after a moment, his voice trembling slightly.
SWOOSH!
This was a question they were all desperate to have answered. The Child of Heavenly Dao had been mentioned by Qi Lian Demi Immortal for many years, and the concept had lingered in their minds ever since. Yet, they had no idea who this person was, their name, their appearance, or what they had ever accomplished.
He was like a flower’s reflection in water or the moon at the bottom of a well. No, he wasn’t even that tangible. A reflection in water at least has a source, but the Child of Heavenly Dao remained nothing more than an ethereal concept to them. If not for their unwavering faith in Qi Lian Demi Immortal, they would have dismissed the notion long ago.
"He exists! He absolutely exists! Back then, I nearly glimpsed the Child of Heavenly Dao through the Heavenly Dao itself. Unfortunately, I missed by just a fraction, and I paid for it with my eyes! This is proof enough that the Child of Heavenly Dao not only exists but is also protected by the Heavenly Dao! If I were to make a wild guess, he might truly undergo Ascension as the legends foretell! If that becomes reality, it would be a miracle for Martial Arts. Moreover, it would open the grand door to Ascension Immortal for all Martial Cultivators!" Qi Lian Demi Immortal declared urgently. He was utterly convinced of this.
He believed in Immortals. He believed in Ascension Immortal. This belief was not baseless speculation; he had truly glimpsed the Heavenly Dao. Even without catching a shadow of the Child of Heavenly Dao, the mere existence of the Heavenly Dao solidified his conviction.
"But what if he is not a Martial Cultivator?" the old drunkard suddenly interjected, his voice grave.
SWOOSH!
Qi Lian Demi Immortal was stunned.
The old drunkard continued, "Just as you said, Old One, that Qin Fan has no trace of Martial Arts aura within him. If the Divine Envoys of the Vast World are not beings who refine auras, then how can we explain Qin Fan’s existence? Furthermore, we cannot be certain that the Child of Heavenly Dao is a Martial Artist. If that’s the case, wouldn’t it mean Ascension Immortal has no connection to Martial Arts?"
At these words, Qi Lian Demi Immortal’s aged face trembled. The old drunkard’s question was like a sudden awakening from a long dream.
He’s right. I have always been searching for the Child of Heavenly Dao exclusively among Martial Cultivators. But as the drunkard said, what if he isn’t one? After all, Qin Fan’s case is a clear precedent!
"You’re right... what if he isn’t a Martial Cultivator... Sigh, it seems all my years of fixation have been in vain!" Qi Lian Demi Immortal said with a self-deprecating smile. In that instant, he seemed to age decades.
Seeing this sudden change in him, the other four exchanged a silent glance but said nothing more. They knew Qi Lian Demi Immortal had more to say.
"But regardless of whether the Child of Heavenly Dao is a Martial Cultivator, we must find him as quickly as possible. We need to ascertain his character and his strength!" Qi Lian Demi Immortal said, breaking the silence once more.
"Old One, what are you suggesting?" the Monk asked, his brow furrowed.
"That we become his right-hand men!" Qi Lian Demi Immortal gritted out, the words seeming to cost him a great deal of effort.
"You want us to oppose Qin Fan? To help the Child of Heavenly Dao deal with him?" Being old monsters who had lived for over a century, the four eccentrics easily read between the lines. They stared wide-eyed, exclaiming in unison with disbelief.
Facing their shocked tremors, Qi Lian Demi Immortal lifted his sightless eyes to the sky. "A mountain cannot house two tigers! To prevent a calamity that would plague the nation and its people, one of them—either the Child of Heavenly Dao or Qin Fan—must fall! When faced with this choice, we have no other option. To stand against the Child of Heavenly Dao is to defy Heaven itself! The priority now is to find him and see how he views Qin Fan’s existence!
"If they are irreconcilable, we must seize the initiative and neutralize this hidden storm at the lowest possible cost! The longer we wait, the more unpredictable things become! Qin Fan’s heaven-defying nature isn’t just his Cultivation; it’s the speed of his progress! A few months ago, he struggled mightily in a life-or-death battle against Lan Xiaosheng, who was at the Middle Stage of the Transformation Realm. Yet not long ago, he caused such a massacre in Japan. Given more time, I fear—"
He trailed off, shaking his head, but his meaning was perfectly clear.
As former members of the Guardian Institute, they could not stand by and watch Huaxia descend into turmoil. Since they could not control the situation between Qin Fan and the Child of Heavenly Dao, their only recourse was to choose a side. Between following Heaven’s will and defying it, there was no choice at all.
Even though Qi Lian Demi Immortal did not want things to come to this, if the Child of Heavenly Dao was determined to see it through to the death, they could only stand against Qin Fan. A peerless prodigy could be allowed to fall, but the stability of Huaxia must be maintained. That was the bottom line.
"Old One, are we really doing this?" the old drunkard asked, his eyebrows twitching and his lips quivering.
"Do you have a different view?" Qi Lian Demi Immortal asked, tilting his head slightly.
Although the old drunkard was perpetually lost in his world of wine, as a former formidable general of the Guardian Institute and a current master of the God Realm, he was far from an ordinary man. His prowess in Stargazing Destiny was not inferior to Qi Lian Demi Immortal’s in his prime. The only difference was that he had not yet reached the height of that other Divine Skill: the ability to peek into the Heavenly Dao through Reincarnation.
After several seconds of hesitant silence, the old drunkard swallowed hard. He then walked slowly to the edge of the cliff. With his back to the others and their gazes fixed on him, he finally spoke, his voice carrying a strange weight.
"After the Dragon Boat Festival, the Purple Microstar began to show signs of dimming. Months have passed, and it grows darker still!"
The Purple Microstar. As masters of the God Realm, they knew exactly what it signified. That it was dimming... what did this symbolize? What did it portend?
Before they could voice their astonishment, he spoke again. "Old One, the dimming of the Purple Microstar is not apparent on the surface; it is something I perceived using the Nine Palace Star Grid! In fact, it is the opposite. While the star in the Nine Palace Star Grid grows dimmer, the one we see in the sky with the naked eye grows brighter! You know what this means; after all, you were the one who taught me the Nine Palace Star Grid! Just imagine what will happen when the star in the sky reaches its most brilliant point. Now, do you still hold to your original plan?"