svetikya Chapter 37: The Convergence of Three Generations
Chapter 37: The Convergence of Three Generations
A century later, in 2020 AD.
East China Sea.
A speedboat cut through the waves, leaving a long trail of white spray at its stern, as if the sea had been cleaved open.
Duan Xinglian and Zhou Liuqing stood at the bow of the boat, the sea breeze making their hair a mess, but neither of them cared about fixing it.
My scalp is tingling.
That was their only feeling at that moment.
According to Aunt Bai, in order to compete for the artifact for proving the Dao at the end of the magic talisman, there are already nearly fifty powerful cultivators who have clearly stated their intention to participate in the battle.
Fifty great supernatural beings.
Of the three of them, only Aunt Bai possesses a genuine supernatural power.
Although Senior Zhao Yan and Senior Shangguan Xiao will also participate in the battle, they are currently in a state of nurturing their remnant souls, and their strength is estimated to be inferior to their level in life. The two of them together are at most equivalent to one person.
In other words, the Three Immortals are going to use two great supernatural powers to fight against fifty people?
Zhou Liuqing looked at Bai Xiaoxiao in front of her and felt nothing but disbelief:
"I understand the logic—"
She took a deep breath, as if to make sure she hadn't misheard:
"What do you mean by saying that the main force in the battle is me and Xiao Xinglian?!"
"We're going to use some kind of supernatural power?!"
Seeing the two of them looking like they'd been struck by lightning, Bai Xiaoxiao finally couldn't hold back anymore and laughed until tears streamed down her face. She bent over, leaning on the gunwale, unable to straighten up.
"How could we possibly send you directly to fight a great supernatural being?"
She wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and waved her hand:
"It's to send you to fight for that magical treasure."
The two were taken aback.
They vie for magical treasures, but avoid direct confrontation with powerful beings?
Duan Xinglian raised an eyebrow, a flash of inspiration striking his mind:
"Could there be some kind of restriction that only allows those below the level of Great Supernatural Power to enter that place?"
Bai Xiaoxiao nodded in satisfaction, as if praising a student who answered a question correctly:
"To be precise, it is actually an overly strong magical reaction that will restart the weaving machine."
Zhou Liuqing frowned: "Restart? What do you mean?"
Bai Xiaoxiao sighed, her gaze falling on the distant horizon:
"According to reliable intelligence, the last time Hao Guang used the weaving machine was when..."
It seems they deliberately stopped the magic-weaving machine, which was halfway through its operation, and disabled functions such as mana self-recharging.
She paused, her tone becoming more serious:
"If a powerful being were to approach, their unconscious, unleashed magical power might just restart the magic-weaving machine."
No one knows what the last batch of 36,000 magic talismans printed by that myriad-path weaving machine were.
"If it were a spell for attack or destruction, my entire family would be wiped out on the spot."
Therefore, no one with great supernatural powers dared to be the first to try something new.
Duan Xinglian and Zhou Liuqing exchanged a glance, both seeing a sudden realization in each other's eyes.
It turned out to be the case.
It's not that we can't go in, it's that we dare not go in.
Bai Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the two faces, a meaningful smile playing on her lips:
"But as the saying goes, 'a tree dies when transplanted, but a person thrives,' and they eventually came up with a solution."
"The solution is you youngsters."
She held up one finger:
"Let cultivators below the level of Great Divine Power enter northern Shaanxi and the Loess Plateau."
Find the weaving machine, remove the talisman paper from it, and you can safely bring the machine back.
"As for where the looms that were brought out belong, that's up to each person to decide how to seize them."
"After all, although there are many weaving machines, there is only one main body. As long as you can get the main body, you'll be fine."
Zhou Liuqing suddenly realized and nodded, but then frowned:
"So that's how it is."
"But even if Xinglian and I can bring the weaving machine back, it seems like the three of us still can't compete with it, right?"
Bai Xiaoxiao smiled slightly:
So we're on this ship.
She turned to look into the distance, where a huge outline was gradually emerging on the sea.
"We're almost there."
Bai Xiaoxiao looked at the huge island that was faintly visible in the distance, her tone casual:
"One of the creators of the weaving machine, the 'treasure' within Fu Bao's body, Penglai, the strongest supreme being of the River of Oblivion."
"He is also one of my Three True Guest Elders, and he uttered a harsh statement—"
She paused, then her smile deepened:
"Anyone who's not afraid of death, come and rob us."
the other side.
1906 AD.
The Third Dharma Palace of the Three Truths.
The afternoon sun streamed through the window into the room, casting warm patches of light on the bluestone floor.
A faint scent of sandalwood filled the air, and a few rough ceramic vases sat in the corner, holding a few unknown wildflowers, exuding a sense of tranquility in their simplicity.
A doll lay quietly on a bamboo couch.
The doll was exquisitely crafted, its surface coated with skin-colored paint, making it almost indistinguishable from a real person from a distance.
However, upon closer inspection, one can discover that the doll's chest cavity is covered with densely packed runes, with a faint flow of magical power within.
A soul slowly awakens.
Zhao Yan opened his eyes blankly, his vision gradually becoming clear.
The room that came into view was unfamiliar—simple, clean, and sunny, completely different from the Wangchuan Academy in his memory.
"Where am I?"
He muttered to himself, the voice coming from the doll's mouth with a mechanical, unnatural quality.
I think I just saw my senior sister?
In my mind, those blurry fragments of memory still flicker—a white robe, a usually aloof face, a faint smile, a warm embrace.
Was it a dream?
still is……
Before I could even take a good look around, a voice that was all too familiar came from beside me.
"Oh, you're awake?"
The voice carried its usual flippancy and irreverence, like a casual greeting exchanged between old friends who bumped into each other at a teahouse.
Zhao Yan turned his head blankly.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, drawing a bright band of light on the floor.
A figure stood in the band of light, his bright yellow robes gleaming warmly in the sunlight, his handsome face bearing a half-smile as he casually waved to him.
Zhao Yan was stunned for a moment.
Then, he stared in disbelief, his voice trembling:
"Jiang Mingzi?"
His mind went completely blank for a moment.
Zhao Yan stared wide-eyed at the bright yellow figure, his voice filled with a ghostly horror:
"You were captured by that demon too?"
Jiang Mingzi: "?"
His smile froze for a moment, then he retorted righteously:
"What demon? That's my little grand-disciple's innate divine power!"
Jiang Mingzi looked at Zhao Yan now—no, at the puppet Zhao Yan was inhabiting—and clicked his tongue in amazement. He circled the bamboo bed twice, his eyes filled with curiosity and satisfaction.
"I didn't believe him when that kid called me over."
"It wasn't until I came over and saw it that I realized it was actually true."
He gestured with his chin and pointed to Zhao Yan's torso:
"Quickly try out the body this immortal lord has prepared for you, how is it?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yan was taken aback.
He lowered his head and looked at his hands.
Only then did he realize that he was inside a doll.
Every joint of the doll moves freely, and every inch of its "skin" conveys a realistic tactile sensation; you can even feel the warmth of the sunlight and the coolness of the breeze.
"I remember I wasn't ultimately killed by that demon..."
Zhao Yan lowered his voice.
Then, I was embraced by my senior sister.
And then, here it is.
Zhao Yan raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the simple house: a rough pottery vase, wildflowers, a bamboo couch, a wooden table, and sunlight.
Finally, his gaze fell on Jiang Mingzi.
The Jiang Mingzi before me was different from the one I remembered—his figure was somewhat ethereal, as if he were separated by a thin curtain of water, and sunlight could penetrate his body directly, casting a faint halo on the ground.
"Where is this? And how did you get here?"
Zhao Yan's voice was much calmer, but the doubt and wariness in his eyes remained.
Jiang Mingzi's lips curled into a smile as he stood with his hands behind his back, his bright yellow robes fluttering even without wind.
"This is the Third Dharma Palace of the Three Truths."
He paused, then pointed to his chest with his finger:
"Strictly speaking, I'm not actually here."
My physical body is still in the past, a thousand years ago, while my primordial spirit has traveled to the future, a thousand years later.
Jiang Mingzi's smile held a hint of smugness:
"This is my innate divine power—Tokoyomi Akiko!"
Zhao Yan suddenly realized, the doubt in his eyes dissipated, replaced by a complex feeling:
"No wonder I've never seen you use your innate supernatural power."
Jiang Mingzi stood with his hands on his hips, chin slightly raised, looking quite smug, like a proud rooster.
Then he changed the subject, looking at Zhao Yan with a smile:
"You two have now fallen into the hands of this immortal lord once again."
"Little Nirvana Corpse, do you have anything else to say?!"
Zhao Yan's face stiffened.
This guy is still the same after a thousand years.
Seeing his discomfitured expression, Jiang Mingzi couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter:
Just kidding, just kidding.
He stopped smiling, walked up to Zhao Yan, and bowed deeply with his hands clasped together.
"Welcome back, Brother Yan."
That "Brother Yan" was delivered so naturally and sincerely, as if we had traveled back a thousand years.
The two even stood side by side on the lecture platform of Wangchuan Academy, discussing the Dao and the Tao, full of vigor and high spirits.
Jiang Mingzi straightened up, her gaze falling on the doll in which Zhao Yan was residing.
"You are no longer a Nirvana Corpse."
Zhao Yan was taken aback.
It's not a Nirvana Corpse anymore?
He looked down at his hands—not the bluish-gray corpse, not the decaying shell.
It is "alive".
Zhao Yan felt a lump in his throat, and an indescribable emotion welled up in his heart.
Zhao Yan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that his throat felt like it was blocked by something, and he couldn't say a word.
Seeing his expression, Jiang Mingzi didn't say much, but changed the subject, her tone becoming more casual:
"However, there's something I'd like to ask for your help with."
Zhao Yan calmed himself down and frowned:
"Aren't you able to travel back and forth between a thousand years in the past and present?"
"What is it that you need my help with?"
Jiang Mingzi sighed, his nonchalant expression softening and replaced by an unusual seriousness.
"I hope Brother Yan can help me teach the three disciples and their descendants who are now good for nothing."
Zhao Yan raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised: "Then why don't you do it yourself?"
Jiang Mingzi's expression immediately became extremely subtle, as if she had swallowed a live fly.
He rubbed his temples, looking rather troubled.
"Brother Yan, using this supernatural power will almost certainly result in punishment."
"Every time someone comes over and says a few words, I'm supposed to go back and get struck by lightning. Who could stand that?"
Zhao Yan couldn't help but twitch her lips slightly as she looked at his miserable expression.
"so--"
Jiang Mingzi bowed deeply again, her tone solemn:
"I humbly request the Supreme Master of the Wangchuan Academy to discipline my descendants."
Zhao Yan sighed.
That sigh carried the weariness of a thousand years, yet also a hint of inexplicable relief.
He was silent for a moment, then asked softly:
"The River of Oblivion, does it still exist today?"
Jiang Mingzi's lips curled into a smile, his gaze intense:
"Why not?"
He persuaded patiently, his voice carrying a seductive power:
"The little girl I saved, who is also my grand-disciple, has never practiced magic."
"Brother Yan, why not leave something behind for posterity?"
"With the three of us, the River of Oblivion, joining hands, we will surely create a new era of glory."
Zhao Yan was completely stunned.
Sunlight streamed in through the window and fell on his face.
The eyes, made of glass, lit up.
Looking at Zhao Yan, whom he had awakened, Jiang Mingzi smiled slightly and added:
"Brother Yan, it would be best to start teaching as soon as possible."
"After all, the scrolls I left for them will probably be used to find other Nirvana corpses in about three months."
A meaningful smile curved at the corner of his lips:
"This time, the target is probably in the Shaanxi area."
"Brother Yan, please give my regards to your old friends when you see them."
Zhao Yan was taken aback.
In my memory, northern Shaanxi, the Loess Plateau, endless yellow sand, and that mournful, guttural singing style...
"Could it be—the group from Jintai Pear Garden?"
Jiang Mingzi smiled without saying a word, only nodding slightly.
The two did not notice.
outside the window.
Hai Shan, who was secretly watching Zhao Yan and Jiang Mingzi's conversation with Gao Haoguang, had increasingly bright heterochromatic eyes.
He stared intently at Jiang Mingzi in his primordial spirit form, a few thoughts flashing through his mind.
Is this the Immortal Lord of All Laws of the Eternal World?
It seems we're destined to be together?
Deep within the soul, the innate divine power being nurtured underwent a slight change.