Chapter 1074: Chapter 1073: Heroic Elegy_1
Gazing at Shi Xiaole’s puzzled look, the National Master explained, "I possess some of Shi Xuanzhong’s memories and emotions, but I am not entirely him."
Shi Xiaole grew even more perplexed and pressed on, "What exactly happened?"
The National Master shook his head, "I only have this notion as if it had taken root in my heart since the moment I appeared, but I do not know what specifically occurred."
Shi Xiaole was certain that the National Master before him was not a mere seed of consciousness or anything of that nature; he was flesh and blood, with an incredibly complete aura, yet his words did not seem insincere.
But how could a person be divided into many parts? Perhaps it was all just a misconception he held.
"What else do you remember, and where is Mother?"
Shi Xiaole asked urgently.
The National Master said, "I don’t remember clearly, only a vague recollection of being surrounded by a vast ocean, endless storms rolling in, destroying many islands."
"Anything else?"
"There were some people, but I can’t recall their faces, just that their strength was formidable," the National Master glanced at Shi Xiaole, "stronger than you."
Shi Xiaole was taken aback.
It was only now that he realized, since the National Master awoke, his aura had changed. If the comatose him was like a dying flame, then the current him was like a divine light spanning tens of thousands of miles, incomparable in every sense.
His aura was so powerful it was no less than Shi Xiaole’s own.
"Your grave injuries, near death..."
Shi Xiaole suddenly realized.
"I don’t want to hide it from you, my injuries were not that severe, but because of the martial arts I practice, every breakthrough involves a phase akin to feigned death. If I survive, I grow stronger and more memories return."
Without Shi Xiaole, the National Master was confident he could resolve everything on his own. In fact, it was Shi Xiaole’s healing attempt that had inadvertently slowed down his breakthrough.
"What else do you remember?"
Shi Xiaole, unsure of how to address him, was uncharacteristically at a loss.
Fortunately, the National Master didn’t mind and looked at him kindly, smiling as he said, "I remember taking on two disciples, Che Renzhong and Liu Yingying, and making the acquaintance of several remarkable individuals, Shui Junhao, Ling Jingsi, Xiao Ruoting..."
Perhaps it had been a long time since he had opened up, the National Master shared everything he remembered with Shi Xiaole.
The vast Western Sea Islands, the mysterious land of Miaojiang, along with various perilous secret realms... Listening to these astonishing and thrilling experiences intoxicated Shi Xiaole, sparking a desire to follow suit.
"To read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles, cultivation is the same. How can one reach the pinnacle of martial arts without a sufficient understanding of the world?"
The National Master spoke with an insinuation, paused, and then asked, "Child, what brings you to the Western Region?"
"I learned that Peach Blossom Village is somewhere in the vicinity of the Western Region, so I wanted to come and search for it."
"It is rare for you to have discovered as much. Now that my power has greatly increased and I’ve regained these memories, it is fitting. That place is, after all, the ancestral land for both you and me. Let me take you there."
The National Master appeared somewhat nostalgic, unaware if his presence here was influenced by a subconscious force because the entrance to Peach Blossom Village lay beneath the royal city.
...
Unlocking a hidden mechanism in one of the sleeping palaces and following the passage below, Shi Xiaole was shocked to discover that the place was guarded by not one but two Array Systems of Sky Origin!
Were it not for the National Master knowing the incantations, they would have gone in circles, mistaking this for an ordinary secret passage.
Swish.
Stepping through a gate of light, after a dizzying whirl, Shi Xiaole found himself in a meadow where the grass grew tall and orioles flew. In the distance, mountains loomed with striking peaks, flocks of birds circling the treetops, chirping melodiously. And behind those mountains lay a small and seemingly humble village.
"An alternate dimension!"
The void here was more fragile than the outside world, clearly on par with spaces like Rainbow Island or the Yiling Barrier. As far as Shi Xiaole knew, the art of creating alternate dimensions had been lost, mentioned only briefly in ancient texts.
As the two of them flew forward, the National Master cast several incantations, passing through three Sky Origin Array Systems, and finally landed on a path just outside the village.
Shi Xiaole was profoundly impressed by the means of Peach Blossom Village.
By now, he had seen five different Sky Origin Array Systems, each one no less potent than the Nine Profound Array. It was clear that even if someone knew the location of Peach Blossom Village, it would be very difficult to penetrate.
If this was the case with Peach Blossom Village, then how much less formidable could the people from the Outer Heaven Demons’ other branches be?
Those from the East Victory Continent who once repelled the Outer Heaven Demons must possess methods beyond his imagination! The Martial World was far more complex than what ordinary people perceived.
The houses in Peach Blossom Village were in shambles, most covered in dust, signaling years without inhabitants.
The National Master offered an explanation, "Many years ago, a traitor emerged in Peach Blossom Village, which led it to become abandoned. Today, even I do not know its exact location."
"There were many skilled individuals in Peach Blossom Village, weren’t there?"
Shi Xiaole couldn’t help but be curious.
The National Master smiled wryly, "With your appearance, even in Peach Blossom Village, you would be truly unique."
His words praised Shi Xiaole without a doubt, but they did not deny the fact that there were many experts, and the National Master specifically mentioned aptitude, making Shi Xiaole realize that his strength probably wouldn’t rank at all in Peach Blossom Village, which was a terrifying thought.
Passing by some houses, Shi Xiaole saw the abandoned medicinal garden. Judging by some of the withered roots and stems, exceptional spiritual medicines must have been planted here in the past!
There were also some discarded weapon materials and fragments whose quality did not fall short of top-grade mid-tier Spiritual Weapons. Shi Xiaole even spotted a damaged sword tip; its sharpness almost rivaling the Cleansing Evil Sword.
The National Master was at times joyful, at times sorrowful, probably recalling many events. More than half a 2-hour period later, the two of them arrived at the far end of the village.
It was a cliff a thousand feet high. Below the cliff was a circular stone altar, twenty yards in diameter and nine yards high. This altar must be quite old, its surface covered with cracks of varying sizes.
"This is the Ancestral Altar. Below are buried the ashes of the heroic spirits of our clan, but they have all been moved. I remember the Ancestral Altars can sense each other; perhaps we can find the current location of Peach Blossom Village."
The National Master sliced open his left finger, and a drop of fresh blood fell into the hole at the center of the Ancestral Altar.
The next instant, a dusky yellow ancient light suddenly lit up from within the Ancestral Altar, transforming into a pillar of light twenty yards wide that shot straight into the sky. Thunderous booms, like the drumming of ancient times, incessantly assaulted Shi Xiaole’s soul.
"I am not whole, so my blood’s purity is insufficient, child, your blood is also needed."
No sooner had the National Master finished speaking than Shi Xiaole spontaneously sliced his own finger, and fresh blood drifted into the altar.
Boom!
The surface of the dusky yellow light immediately added intricate and ancient patterns, and the sound became even more magnificent and loud, directly shaking Shi Xiaole’s soul.
Shi Xiaole’s blood was boiling, his heart was throbbing, and a kind of yearning emotion was surging in his chest.
From within the light, he seemed to see valiant and unrivaled figures smiling at him. Those were the heroic spirits of Peach Blossom Village greeting their descendants who had been cast away to distant lands.
Sounds of slaughter, collision, and wails spread across the world. These heroic spirits were engaged in a bloody battle. Some called them traitors, others shouted they were Outer Heaven Demons, but they remained unmoved.
"The invasion of East Victory is a conspiracy; it’s a trap they set for us. Do not be deceived, everyone!"
"Ridiculous! East Victory, a land of such ignorance, is simply our backyard for plundering resources. Meng Dong, Shi Zheng, your two clans have betrayed Outer Heaven and colluded with East Victory, and are doomed to a wretched end. Kill them!"
Several figures waged a fierce battle, as if they were tearing apart the very heavens and earth. Two of them felt extremely familiar to Shi Xiaole; one wielded a hammer and the other a knife, and their swings caused the colors of the cosmos to change.
But their enemies were also very powerful, their mere presence tearing open rifts in the void, dragging countless innocent people into the chaotic flows of space.
Both sides sustained injuries, fighting until the skies darkened and the sun and moon lost their light. Meng and Shi’s comrades fell one after another, their bodies torn apart, but the two of them persisted. Ultimately, at a horrific cost, they managed to kill their formidable foes.
But at that moment, a large hand, a flash of sword light, an arrow shot from afar, pierced through Meng and Shi’s bodies, and blood rained down upon the azure sky.
"Why, why?" Meng Dong roared in agony.
"Because you are from Outer Heaven, not of our kind, with hearts surely different. Thank you for your assistance, but for the peace of East Victory, you’d better die," the owner of the large hand said indifferently.
"For the peace of East Victory, how many experts and geniuses of the Meng and Shi clans have died, how many years of concerted efforts, fighting side by side. Whenever we faced the most dangerous enemies, weren’t the Meng and Shi clans always the ones bearing the brunt? To think that all we got in return was a stab in the back and genocide—hahaha..."
Shi Zheng laughed loudly, his expression tragic and frenzied.
"Who knows what conspiracies you might harbor, enough talk, let’s fight!" shouted the owner of the sword light, as another earth-shattering battle broke out.
The vision gradually blurred, only the heroic roars echoed faintly. Shi Xiaole desperately wanted to know the final outcome, but all he saw in front of him was the dusky yellow pillar of light.
The scene shifted, and Shi Xiaole saw an image of hell on earth. Men were slaughtered in droves, women had their limbs cut off, were held down and humiliated by several people, some were even flayed, and some infants still in their swaddling clothes were impaled with sharp tools and trampled underfoot.
"You beasts!"
"The Meng and Shi clans, originally demons from Outer Heaven, killing you is to ensure the safety of East Victory. We are exorcising demons, carrying out the will of heaven!"
Was this the fate of the Meng and Shi clans back then? Shi Xiaole was unaware that his eyes had become bloodshot, and a rare, intense murderous intent burst forth from his heart.
They were full of sincere dedication, with hearts of peace contributing to the greater good, but all their earnestness and all their efforts could not overcome prejudice.
For the ultimate peace, the Meng and Shi clans put their all on the front lines, losing their elites. After finally enduring until victory, what awaited them was a ruthless slaughter from behind!
What a scheme to drive away the tiger only to be devoured by the wolves, what ruthless extermination!
Shi Xiaole roared to the sky.
At the same moment, far away, in a misty and rain-soaked Peach Blossom Forest, where paths crisscross.
"Bald Grandpa, Bald Grandpa, the Ancestral Altar is active. Uncle Meng says that it must be a clan member with pure bloodline activating another Ancestral Altar."
An excited child of about eight or nine years old rushed toward the bald old man at the village entrance.
The bald old man looked back, his turbid gaze seemingly penetrating the endless void.
