Read Novel Full Chapter 1399: Extra: The Quiet One (5)
Chapter 1399: Extra: The Quiet One (5)
(Six) Betrayal, Farewell, and Powerlessness
The Lone One finally returned after leaving the Imperial Palace for fourteen years.
His return finally put the anxious Ten Thousand Tribes at ease.
"Reporting to the Great Emperor, three years ago, the Skywatcher Envoy discovered anomalies in the universe, as if black mist was coming!"
"First it was ash mist, then black mist. We strived to block the ash mist but couldn’t restrain the black mist!"
"That kind of black mist can annihilate everything. Moreover, some who did not die turned into dark creatures, devouring other living beings... almost impossible to annihilate!"
Above the Imperial Court, all the generals, ministers, and others were speaking.
Mad Knife, now with a head full of white hair, had reached an incredibly terrifying cultivation level. He stepped forward and said:
"In the depths of the universe... there must be a great upheaval."
The Lone One nodded and said:
"I shall personally go to the depths of the universe."
Mad Knife said, "We... are willing to follow the Great Emperor on his expedition!"
Within the Imperial Court, countless experts had already been born. Many Emperor Level powerhouses existed, and in this era, the Human Race was too brilliant and glorious.
But the world still revered only the Lone One as Emperor. In truth, no one knew his cultivation level now.
The Lone One eventually chose a group of people to follow him on the Ascendant Path.
Mad Knife and those companions from his days in the Yun Heng Tribe.
The Great Emperor’s expedition brought hope to the world.
On the day of departure, the world bid farewell, countless powerhouses cheered in the Imperial City, and the people covered the ground with flowers.
The Great Path Bridge led straight to the Sky Domain. As they were about to enter the Cosmic Void, the Lone One turned around and whispered something to some place unknown.
"Cheng Shuang, I’ll come back for my medicine."
He, along with Mad Knife and others, entered the Cosmic Void.
And at this moment.
In a remote small town, on the East Mountain.
A young girl strained her eyes towards the horizon. The brilliant Light of the Great Dao made it hard to see those distant people.
But she smiled.
"I will wait for you to return..."
"If you do not return... I will come to find you."
"I will not let you be alone again."
She spoke resolutely, and from this day on, she not only studied medicine but also began her cultivation.
Because she knew she needed a long life to wait.
...
The Lone One, the Great Emperor, led the Imperial Court away, and a thousand years passed.
In those thousand years, there were no echoes of them.
On the earth, people began to grow restless, but thankfully, the ash mist and black mist indeed never reappeared, leading people to believe that the Great Emperor and his entourage had indeed quelled the chaos.
...
Time flew by.
In the depths of the cosmic starry sky.
"It’s the thirtieth millennium."
Mad Knife, carrying a long blade, slew yet another Ash Mist Creature.
The Ash Mist Creature turned into scattered rules, and his battle was like struggling with the air.
The Lone One continued forward.
After thirty millennia, the realms of their group had soared, reaching unprecedented heights.
"It seems our cultivation level cannot advance further... This realm, none have ever reached it before."
Mad Knife spoke, "Perhaps it can be named... the Supreme Realm."
The Lone One pointed ahead and said, "The source of the black mist seems to be that inexplicable Dark Domain."
They immediately moved forward.
But, upon entering that Dark Domain, they found it to be terrifying.
Even the spiritual senses and perception of the Supreme Ones were blinded, as if plunged into eternal solitude.
They pressed on together, yet in each of their hearts, there was an unavoidable drumming.
This Domain of Utmost Darkness, even the Supreme could hardly resist. The power of obliteration made one seem to forget their existence.
Fortunately, there were enough of them.
During the first thousand years in the Domain of Utmost Darkness, their expressions remained normal.
In the first ten thousand years, they couldn’t help but start talking, recounting past experiences, from the Yun Heng Tribe, to the wars of the Human Race and the Ten Thousand Tribes, to the glory of the Imperial Court...
But soon, these memories were also exhausted.
They began to fall silent, immersed in silence for an unknown number of years.
In the long passage of time, if they were conquering the universe, it was more like they were being conquered by the universe.
The thirtieth millennium.
The hundredth millennium.
At the millionth year, one among the Supreme Ones, unable to withstand the suffocating darkness and stillness, committed suicide.
"Do not commit suicide... We can succeed!"
The Lone One remained firm, saying, "Hold each other’s hands, feel each other’s presence!"
He had realized that their presence was the foundation for them to continue together.
They continued like this for an unknown number of years.
Finally, they saw a great tide of darkness, a dense black mist, seemingly hiding the sound of crashing waves. The black mist engulfed the entire Domain of Utmost Darkness, coming down like a tsunami, they seemed as small as ants before it!
The black tide descended, soaking them!
"Ah—"
On this day, they... nearly all were transformed into dark creatures.
"Die!"
Mad Knife raised his blade against the Lone One, seemingly mad.
Former companions from the Yun Heng Tribe who grew together, now close friends, attacked the Lone One.
This was a helpless betrayal.
The Lone One was not transformed, the power within him was too strong, and though he had once lost himself, not knowing why he lived, in that borderland town, he had found his anchor.
This was a bloody battle, and he personally slew those he once trusted most.
He remembered the good times at the Yun Heng Tribe.
That year, he had just broken through to the Bone Tempering Realm, yet to enter Meridian Connecting.
That year, the Blood Crow Tribe invaded, and Uncle Mad Knife, along with many companions, left.
That year, Grandpa and Zhan Shi died shielding him.
The Lone One wept in the Domain of Utmost Darkness.
Facing the corpses of Mad Knife and others, he wept, and then destroyed their bodies.
He continued forward.
The entire Domain of Utmost Darkness was left with only him.
When he was alone, time became a torment.
Every year, every day.
Was like a knife cutting into his soul.
He remained resolute to press on, believing that ahead awaited a great foe for him.
And he would send this great foe to their grave!
Time flowed like a song.
A song of sorrow.
Time in the world passed ever faster.
His spirit had become almost numb.
One hundred thousand years?
Millions of years?
A hundred million years?
A trillion years?
...
He has already lost the concept of time.
He begins to frantically recall the past.
But even his memories gradually start to fade away.
"That dark tide will eventually descend over there..."
A terrifying thought suddenly arises in his mind.
The dark tide caused Mad Knife and others to mutate, yet he failed to halt the tide.
The tide will sweep across the cosmos and then descend upon the world behind him...
Can anyone survive in that world?
Her...
On this day, his heart almost collapses.
He doesn’t know if the person he cares about most is still alive.
His anchor trembles.
He keeps advancing, growing more and more numb; he dares not recall her because he always dreams of her being swallowed by the dark tide.
More than once he weeps with tears streaming down his face.
His figure becomes increasingly faint.
As he enters the Domain of Utmost Darkness after ten trillion years, he sees the black tide and hears the sound of waves; the desolate sea appears before him.
But he has lost his anchor.
On this day, he begins to dissolve into the Dao.
...
Death.
Loss.
Numbness.
He is like scattered light and shadow.
But just as he is about to lose himself in his final years, he suddenly hears a familiar voice.
His slumbering soul hears that familiar whisper.
He clearly lives in the world, yet the girl suddenly feels he is as lonely as a distant star.
"No, you are ill."
"Hollow Heart Disease."
"Your heart is empty, continue like this and soon you will die, die of suicide."
"As long as it’s a disease... I can cure it!"
...
"Elder Lin’s wife died, he is heartbroken, elderly and alone, immobile, you must visit him and cook for him for three days, keep him company, mix the medicine in the food, understand?"
"Ah, you can’t cook? Then go to Miss Xu’s porridge shop first and learn for a day, Elder Lin and his wife always liked Miss Xu’s porridge."
...
"Shall I take you to see the stars?"
"When I first saw you, it was like seeing a star in the sky, but alas, so lonely, just a single star."
"Back then I thought, I must fill your night sky with starlight."
"Just like tonight’s starlight."
"Are you still lonely now?"
"Good, then from now on, don’t call yourself the Lone One, nor refer to yourself as alone... you shall be, hmm... Cheng Shuang, how about that?"
"I like things in pairs, that’s how the world is more beautiful."
...
The familiar voice comes again, his nearly dissipating soul suddenly senses, he feels, the familiar lips he longed for countless times, touching his own lips.
"You should return, you led the Human Race out of a path, now the world will face great disaster... I will be here waiting for your return."
"Hey, do you remember my name?"
The voice becomes weaker, it’s as if the girl has expended her last bit of energy.
"I remember..."
He suddenly awakens from dissolving into the Dao, he opens his eyes and shouts:
"Yao Lan, I will never forget!"
He opens his eyes and sees her.
She wears a bright red wedding dress, radiant like a flower.
But at this moment, her life is slipping away, reaching its end.
Seeing him awake, she suddenly smiles and says:
"You’ve woken up..."
"So lonely, aren’t you... so many years, must be very lonely."
"I promised, not to let you be alone again..."
Tears are in her eyes, she reaches out, struggling to touch his face.
"After you left, I waited for so long, but you never returned, the ash mist came, everyone changed..."
"I came looking for you, searched for so long, I almost got lost too, but I knew, you must be waiting for me ahead, you are my anchor..."
"I feared never seeing you again because you would be scared, scared I died, right? Your anchor would disappear, so I ran fast... finally, I found you."
Her voice is weak, her delicate hand lightly touches his face, saying:
"You said, you would come back to retrieve... retrieve your medicine."
Her smile completely vanishes, leaving only a final sentence:
"...marry me."
She falls.
Like a blooming rose dropping.
A pure tear falls onto his hand.
An icy tear, a burning tear.
A boiling tear, a fiery tear.
At this moment, the Lone One is mad; he holds her body, his heart shattered bit by bit by heavenly thunder!
"Ah——————"
He howls crazily at the sky, tears streaming from his eyes.
He is like a statue.
Holding the beloved corpse at the edge of the Nether Oblivion Sea, waiting unknowable years.
The Nether Oblivion Sea is empty, the sound of waves echoes across countless years.
The ash mist tide swells more than once, but he never loses himself again.
In his heart there is only hatred.
Revenge.
He holds her corpse, step by step past the Nether Oblivion Sea, heading towards the end of the Nether Oblivion Sea.
He knows, the entire world only has him alone now.
After she left, he is the sole living creature.
He holds her, walks towards the dam.
His fury, his hatred.
He gazes at the dam, eyes bleeding, yet he still advances...
He heads towards the dam, resolutely.
Just like an ant, bravely jumping towards the ocean...
...
(The Quiet One’s epilogue is complete, good night)