Chapter 57: She Almost Thought the Snow Would Never Stop… p1
It was late at night, no stars in the sky, only a solitary moon.
The sea was an inky blue, occasionally rippling with moon-white crests.
This winter had been long, the endless snow seemingly never ceasing.
It fell softly, swallowed by the waves.
So cold, her blood almost freezing.
A faint light flickered above the sea, and she saw a towering tree, its form hazy and indistinct.
Its trunk was dark, its leaves a deep blue, its roots entangled and reaching deep into the inky ocean, emanating a soft, moon-like glow amidst the misty water.
For the first time, she reached out and touched it, as if touching someone in a deep slumber.
The trunk rippled with light where her fingers brushed against it, the ripples spreading throughout the massive tree.
Dewdrops formed on the blue leaves, trembling and falling as the sea breeze blew past.
Like a soft rain, they fell onto the ocean, transforming into moon-white pearls that sank slowly into the depths…
She saw another “self,” standing amidst the swaying shadows of the tree, faint as a wisp of smoke, as if a gentle breeze could make her disappear completely.
She instinctively tried to approach, but an invisible force held her back.
The figure turned to look at her, her deep blue eyes like the deepest ocean, silent and lonely.
As their eyes met, the figure extended a finger.
A touch on her forehead, and the countless leaves swayed like waves in a calm sea.
The faint, misty light in the world around her flowed towards her, like streams converging into a river.
The cool finger on her forehead lifted, and the smoky figure became translucent.
She instinctively reached out to hold on, but grasped nothing.
The figure, fainter than the moonlight, dissolved into specks of light.
The light lingered beneath the swaying tree, gradually forming a green jade sundial that floated into her palm.
The towering tree disappeared, the blue light fading.
And the moon in the sky, seemingly eternal, crumbled like peeling paint, disappearing into the darkness.
The long night remained, the lightless sea remained.
Only the snow, falling on her heart,
Seemed like it would never stop.
…
Her head ached, her breathing heavy.
A burning sensation spread through her body, yet she felt so cold.
Spiritual energy flowed into her damaged meridians, a cool, gentle touch, like spring rain extinguishing a fire, dispelling the chilling cold.
She heard voices, muffled, as if underwater, indistinguishable.
This hazy sensation lingered.
Li Yu finally opened her heavy eyes.
Her eyelashes fluttered, beads of sweat glistening on her pale skin.
Her blurry vision gradually cleared, and she saw her surroundings.
It was all so familiar.
Outside the window was a clear sky, the snow gone, replaced by a colorful garden in full bloom.
She thought she would never see these flowers again.
How did she get back here?
Li Yu pondered.
She had fainted in the passage to the Demon Realm.
That place, where those inside couldn’t leave, and those outside wouldn’t easily enter, where cries for help went unanswered, she hadn’t even summoned a butterfly message, so who brought her back?
Her mind felt foggy, unable to think clearly, so she gave up trying.
Regardless of how she returned, it was good to be back.
If she hadn’t, she would have woken up in darkness, alone, injured, cold, forced to find shelter and recover by herself.
Just the thought of that made her shudder; it wouldn’t be much different from being dead.
Sometimes, she felt like she was playing a game, and Qianlizhu was her respawn point. Whenever she “died” outside, she would wake up here. It was strangely comforting.
But she didn’t know how long she had been unconscious, how Mu Tao was doing…
She glanced at the 99% blackening value…
So close to 100%, what was the reason?
The little girl must have entered the Demon Realm already.
Alone in that ruthless, lightless world, with only the power of the Demon Bone to rely on.
She would face many dangers, many hardships, gradually adapting to and mastering the Demon Bone’s power, forcing herself to grow up quickly, becoming the feared new Demon Lord.
Everything was unfolding as destined.
Li Yu tried to recall the little protagonist’s thoughts in the original story when she was abandoned.
Something about everyone having their own Dao… [T/N: Dao – complex concept in Chinese philosophy, often translated as “way,” “path,” or “principle.”]
Had Mu Tao also thought that when the Harmony Bells were severed?
Perhaps she had indeed thought that her master’s Dao was different from her path…
But that wasn’t true; Li Yu didn’t have a “Dao.”
She wanted to be with Mu Tao, face everything together. Even weakened, she didn’t want to abandon her.
But she had no choice.
If she had known this plot point was unavoidable, she wouldn’t have made so many promises.
The most hurtful thing was making sincere promises, earning someone’s trust, and then failing to keep them.
She knew she and Mu Tao would meet again, just like in the original story, Mu Tao would eventually return to Mount Chao Yao.
But she didn’t know how Mu Tao would look at her then…
In the original story, it only took Mu Tao three years, relying on the Demon Bone’s power, to establish her reputation in the Demon Realm, become the new Demon Lord, and return to the human realm, filled with hatred, destroying Mount Chao Yao.
That day, the girl in red, her innocence gone, only a cold, unwavering hatred in her eyes.
Li Yu had dreamed of that scene countless times.
Every time, Mu Tao would snap her sword in two, walk towards her step by step, and recount her resentment.
Then, with a cold smile, she would plunge the broken sword into Li Yu’s chest.
She knew there wouldn’t be a broken sword this time, no fatal blow.
But she couldn’t help but feel both anticipation and dread for that inevitable reunion…
Li Yu realized she couldn’t think about Mu Tao; perhaps her body couldn’t handle the emotional turmoil. Just thinking about her made it hard to breathe.
So, she stared blankly at the flowers outside the window, letting her mind go blank.
After a while, she remembered the dream she had while unconscious.
A dream unlike any she had experienced before.
In her dream, there was an inky blue sea and a towering tree.
That tree was her spiritual root; she had known that since arriving here.
As for the sea, during those days when she was studying spells on her own, the system had told her that it was her sea of consciousness.
She had been curious and asked, “Do all cultivators have such a sea, such a large tree?”
The system told her that everyone’s sea of consciousness was different.
Hers was a blue sea, while others might have valleys, grasslands, forests, deserts…
And within the sea of consciousness, there might be a single plant, or countless flowers and trees, but the largest and most vibrant one would always be the spiritual root. The vastness of the sea and the size of the root reflected one’s cultivation level.
What was the significance of a large tree growing in a vast ocean?
The system’s answer was just a guess.
It said that the appearance of the sea of consciousness reflected one’s state of mind.
Cangming Revered One, aloof and solitary, yet carrying a desire to protect the world.
A vast, lonely ocean, a single tree reaching for the sky.
Perhaps this was Cangming Revered One’s state of mind.
Li Yu had often wondered, if this world was real, where did the original owner of this body go after she arrived?
Did she simply vanish?
But now, she seemed to have seen her.
In that strange dream…
Perhaps it wasn’t just a dream.
Li Yu closed her eyes, her consciousness entering her sea of consciousness. She looked up at the towering tree.
The prohibition symbols that once covered it were gone, leaving only the dark trunk and the lush, blue leaves.
She walked across the surface of the sea, each step creating ripples.
Reaching the tree, she gently touched it.
A soft blue light flickered on the tree, and the green jade sundial from her dream appeared in her palm.
Was this…given to her by the original owner?
Not just the sundial, but all the light from her spiritual root had flowed into her in the dream…
Li Yu lowered her gaze.
【This is the world-protecting artifact, the [Jinxu Gui], entrusted to the original owner by the last ancient god!】
“Is it powerful?”
【Probably!】
“How do I use it?”
【I don’t know.】
“Silence or guidance, all to control variables, right?”
【Well, that…】
Forget it, there was no point in asking. This system kept so many secrets from her, one more or less didn’t matter.
This…Jinxu whatsit…
【[Jinxu Gui].】
Right, what it was, how to use it, might be important, but it was like advanced math to her; she couldn’t understand it.
No matter how much she pondered, she wouldn’t suddenly grasp it.
Since it was a reward from a main storyline mission, she would eventually find a use for it, and the system would surely guide her then. Overthinking was pointless.
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