Chapter 673: Chapter 388: Attaining the Most Ancient One! A Thought Traverses Eternity, a Word Laments the Ages (Extended Chapter)
"Ah, this child of yours..."
"Yet, despite having reached this point, already possessing the vast characteristics of Daluo in advance, your future ascension to the Daluo Fruit Position is already destined..."
The voice of the Wa Empress became stern:
"But you must understand, you cannot afford the slightest laxity, the Three Pure Ones are all waiting for you to become the Supreme."
"To shake them off, you must accomplish one thing — you are you, and only you."
Zhang Fusheng looked at the Wa Empress, a thought stirred within him:
"Empress, if I use the contract to transfer the great cause and effect between me and the Three Pristine Ones, would it be...?"
"It would work, but not entirely."
The Wa Empress spoke softly:
"The entanglement between you and the Three Pristine Ones is too deep, it has already surpassed cause and effect."
"You have once become Taiqing, been Yuanshi, and also Lingbao..."
Zhang Fusheng was startled:
"When did I ever impersonate the Celestial Lord of Numinous Treasure?"
The Wa Empress replied calmly:
"When the mist clears, the truth is revealed. The Supremes cannot interfere in this era, but the Daluo and Taiyi under their command can."
Zhang Fusheng felt a chill, his thoughts descended upon himself at birth,
He scrutinized carefully, but found nothing,
Then returned to the era anchored to Buzhou Mountain, and asked the Wa Empress again:
"I earnestly seek your guidance, Empress."
"Oh, you..."
The Wa Empress sighed gently:
"The Lingbao fellow has already perished in the chaos of the apocalypse — but like me, death is just another state of existence for him."
"But Lingbao’s cultivation base transformed into a cyan lotus, seized the body of the Innate Cyan Emperor, and through the Innate Cyan Emperor’s body sought the Realm of Perfection."
"Did the Cyan Emperor ever bow to you?"
Zhang Fusheng’s expression was grave:
"He did."
The Wa Empress sighed again:
"Before he bowed to you, he had already, before your birth, replaced your ’Human Soul’ among the Three Souls with a leaf of the Lingbao Cyan Lotus."
Zhang Fusheng examined his Three Souls and Seven Spirits, his Three Souls appeared dim before the Seven Spirits — the Seven Spirits had transformed into the Seven Spirits of Fu Li!
Among the Three Souls, there was no abnormality to be seen.
The Wa Empress seemed to have expected it, speaking peacefully:
"The methods of the Lingbao colleague, how could you possibly see through them, even I, if not for being a part of creation, couldn’t perceive this matter."
Zhang Fusheng’s expression shifted unpredictably, suddenly he said:
"But Wa Empress, if I attain the Fuli Taiyi Celestial Venerate Fruit Position through the Fuli Technique, then I can attain the [Fuli Three Souls]."
"At that time, would this hidden danger...?"
The Wa Empress was momentarily stunned, evidently unaware of this matter, seeing this Zhang Fusheng understood, indeed, even the Supreme ones do not know the details of the Fuli Technique!
After a moment of contemplation,
The Wa Empress nodded:
"In that case, you truly have a sliver of hope... Remember, severing cause and effect is just one step."
"After severing cause and effect, you must still be you, and only you, to completely sever ties with the Three Pristine Ones."
"Thus, only after you attain the Supreme Fruit Position, you won’t be used by them."
Zhang Fusheng nodded heavily, finally asking:
"Empress, how can I completely sever this connection?"
The Wa Empress shook her head:
"What’s lacking is an opportunity."
"Empress, where is the opportunity?"
The Wa Empress shook her head again:
"Even I do not know, perhaps at this moment, perhaps in the next instant, perhaps in the past, or perhaps..."
"At the moment of your enlightenment."
"But it can be certain, the opportunity comes only once, if missed, then no more hope remains."
"I understand... Thank you, Empress."
"No need to call me Empress, you may call me fellow Daoist."
Their conversation, spanning across the ages, came to an end here.
Zhang Fusheng’s Dao markings were completely solidified in the ancient era,
Yet his thoughts descended upon a previous version of himself from another past.
It was just after he had entered Hongji Martial Arts Dojo,
Outside the milk tea shop full of climbing tiger plants, opened in partnership by Zhong Yue and Lu Yao,
Where he was leisurely drinking milk tea with Zhu Xiaoming and the others, watching the fleeting clouds and hounds.
Back then there were worries, but not so troubling.
Zhang Fusheng quietly leaned back in his chair, took a sip of sweet milk tea, watching Old Zhu trying his utmost to make Lu Yao laugh,
He smiled softly, his thoughts once more crossed the river of time, descending to an even earlier moment.
"Uncle, I want a banana one!"
"Bananas are singular." Zhang Fusheng squatted at the street corner, skillfully picked up a strip of yellow balloon, blew it into a long strip and tied it, smilingly handed it to the little boy:
"That’ll be five bucks."
Beside him, Zhu Xiaoming asked in surprise:
"You really know how to twist balloons?"
"Nope."
Zhang Fusheng smiled, quietly watched the bustling street, watched the worldly smoke.
He exhaled, clutching the crumpled five yuan in his hand:
"I should head back."
"Going home so early?"
"Yeah."
Zhang Fusheng nodded gently:
"There’s still a lot for me to do."
He cherished this moment of tranquility, roughly tousled Zhu Xiaoming’s bald head in a greedy enjoyment,
In the latter’s angry roar, he twisted two more balloons for two little girls — one a little flower, the other a little dog.
Only, this time.
It wasn’t the round balloon pretending to be a ’flower bud’,
Nor the long balloon pretending to be a ’hot dog’.
He actually twisted a gorgeous flower, and an adorable little dog from the balloons.
"Thank you, uncle!"
The two doll-like girls left happily.
"You really do know how to twist balloons!" Zhu Xiaoming shouted.
Zhang Fusheng smiled, murmured to himself:
"To buy osmanthus and carry wine together..."
Thoughts returned, returned to the [current node], returned before the mound within the sacred mountain held in his palm.
The river of time continued to tremble, yet he paid it no mind, simply leaped out of the sacred mountain, stretching lazily.
"Time stretches on endlessly."
Comments