The elder's voice was not loud, yet it echoed through every corner of this ultimate ground.
His gaze in particular held profound shock, as though he had never anticipated this. Looking at Lu Yuan, the elder's expression betrayed a flicker of excitement mingled with deep emotion, a tangled swirl of feelings.
The latter, however, did not understand what he meant at all. Just as Lu Yuan prepared to speak, the elder spoke once more. "Still a bit too early. What a pity." With that, he gently tilted his head back and gazed up toward the firmament, but the sky above this ultimate ground was chaotic and murky, revealing nothing.
At last, the elder lowered his head, his expression returning completely to calm as he simply looked at him.
"Senior." Lu Yuan was uncertain of the other's identity and wished to inquire further. But the elder quickly raised a hand and said, "I know what you wish to ask. This place is the Immortal Cave, the site of Guangchengzi's attainment of the Dao—a space he created. And I am Guangchengzi."
The moment those words were spoken, Lu Yuan's eyes widened in utter shock. Indeed, even with his composure, hearing this stunned him.
The reason was exceedingly simple: the figure before him was a legendary figure from myth. And a renowned one at that, holding a particularly revered status in traditional Huaxia mythology.
Guangchengzi occupied a truly unique place. The first sword immortal, a master whom even Xuanyuan the Yellow Emperor had once consulted about the Dao—there were simply far too many legends about him.
Thus, Lu Yuan was astounded upon hearing it. After all, this was his first time encountering such a being. More importantly, was this legendary figure still alive?
Yet on second thought, it seemed natural. After all, immortals could live for an immense span of time—thousands or even tens of thousands of years. But why had there been no sign of him before? Why had even Lu Yuan known nothing of this in his previous life?
"So you are a forebear of our Huaxia. Junior pays respects to Immortal Elder." In legend, the other was an existence who had cultivated to the rank of immortal, so addressing him as "Immortal Elder" was only proper.
Then, moved by a thought, Lu Yuan continued, "Immortal Elder, the Milky Way Star Sector has been protected by the Severance of Heaven and Earth for many years. But now, its power is gradually weakening, and experts from all the star sectors are stirring restlessly. Junior implores Immortal Elder to join in safeguarding our Huaxia descendants." The other was an immortal—and not an ordinary one, but a figure renowned throughout the entire starry cosmos.
If he could enlist Guangchengzi, would there still be any need to worry about the great disasters of the future? Of course, Lu Yuan also intended this as a probe, wishing to clarify certain matters.
Guangchengzi soon smiled upon hearing this. "I know what you wish to find out. But regarding what you ask, I am powerless. Because... I am already dead."
Those words gave Lu Yuan a jolt, for he truly did want to know the other's condition.
He had indeed suspected that something was amiss with Senior Guangchengzi before him. The words the senior had left behind were exceedingly resolute, carrying the aura of one embracing death without hesitation.
Yet now he stood right here in person, so naturally, something might be wrong. Hearing this, Lu Yuan said nothing more, pondering what was truly happening.
Guangchengzi continued to smile. "Certain things need not be told to others, but you have the responsibility and the right to know.
"I am indeed dead, and have been dead for a very long time. Even with the cultivation realm I possessed back then, I was ultimately powerless against the erosion of time. My current state is very peculiar. In short, I exist only as a lingering will, and it will not last for long. Of course, I did not die of old age, but in battle. If you have been to Kongtong, you should understand what I mean."
Had it finally come down to this?
What Lu Yuan worried about most had never been the disasters caused by extraterrestrial beings. Those were known enemies; as long as he continued to grow stronger, everything would eventually be resolved.
Moreover, he had already found ways to cope with them. But there was another point he knew deep down: Shennongjia, the Kunlun Secret Realm, and the Kongtong Secret Realm had all mentioned a so-called great disaster—a Great Tribulation that the ancient sages regarded with supreme gravity. Yet he had no idea what it actually was. An unknown enemy was always the most terrifying.
Now that Lu Yuan had encountered Guangchengzi's surviving will, he naturally wanted to understand it clearly. Thus, upon hearing those words, he immediately nodded.
"In this deep space, star sectors are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Traces of life exist in many places, some weak and some powerful, and warfare raged incessantly. Until one day, a peerless expert arose from the Milky Way Star Sector, sweeping across the eight wastes and traversing the cosmos without an equal.
"Later, to resolve these disputes, he established the Heavenly Court and laid down many rules, doing his utmost to protect distant, fragile star sectors." Guangchengzi spoke, recounting the tale in detail. "He succeeded and was venerated as the Heavenly Emperor. But just when everyone believed that everything would continue peacefully, a great cosmic upheaval struck. Cracks appeared across all sectors, and mysterious entities emerged. These beings were bizarre and fed upon cultivators. They called themselves gods, but we referred to them as Extraterrestrial Demons.
"These demons unleashed war and slaughter, wiping out countless living beings. In the end, the invincible Heavenly Emperor used his own body to mend the cracks throughout the universe, and only then were these Extraterrestrial Demons eradicated. Yet even so, at regular intervals, they continue to descend through those cracks. And each time, we must pay with the lives of supreme experts to mend the rifts. This is the so-called Great Tribulation. Do you understand?" He did not recount every specific detail of what had transpired, but he laid bare the origin of it all—especially the truth behind the Great Tribulation.
Hearing this, Lu Yuan's thoughts raced. Then he asked, "Are those cracks... the Nine-Color Altars?" He had known before that the Nine-Color Altars served as some form of passage, though not their precise nature. But now, hearing Guangchengzi's words and recalling the statement left by the Ancestral Dragon in the Kunlun Secret Realm, he understood at once.
"Indeed." Guangchengzi seemed not the least surprised by this, continuing, "The timing of the Great Tribulation's arrival is uncertain. It may be ten thousand years from now, or perhaps a century later. When that time comes, the entire universe will have to face it. But according to what you said, the various star sectors currently act only for themselves. There must be someone to suppress all disputes."
As for who could suppress all disputes, Lu Yuan could naturally deduce the answer.
The Heavenly Emperor. In the senior's account, those who resolved such crises were essentially the supreme figures of their eras. And besides a Heavenly Emperor, who else possessed such a title and such power?
Suddenly, another thought surfaced in Lu Yuan's mind.
Could it be that the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the legendary Human Sovereigns, had all fallen because of this? Otherwise, it could not be explained.
The Human Sovereigns had achieved immense merit. Everyone believed it was for the human race, but in truth, perhaps it had been for the entire starry universe.
The more Lu Yuan thought about it, the more probable it seemed. Looking up once more, he continued, "May I ask, Immortal Elder: when you first laid eyes on this junior just now, why did the word 'Emperor' slip from your lips?"
Chapter 280