Chapter 465: Humanity For You
Chapter 465: Humanity For You
Chapter 465: Humanity For You
Ye Guan's expression was grim as he stared at Cizhen.
"What's going on, Sister Zhen?"
Cizhen held Ye Guan's hand and smiled. "You want to know how they are?"
Ye Guan nodded.
Cizhen looked around with a smile and explained, "They were once mighty individuals from bygone eras. You know them as Time Reversers, and they were once the pinnacle elites of their own respective eras."
Perplexed, Ye Guan asked, "Are they here to fight you?"
Cizhen nodded.
Ye Guan frowned and asked, "But why?"
Cizhen merely smiled.
However, Ye Guan was struck by realization just then, and he muttered grimly, "The Universe Tribulation..."
Cizhen nodded without saying anything.
Ye Guan's expression turned grim as he asked, "Do they not want you to quell the Universe Tribulation?"
Cizhen nodded once again.
"Why? If the Universe Tribulation erupts, the vast expanse will be annihilated, so why are they—" Ye Guan stopped mid-sentence; his pupils constricted as he exclaimed, "Is it because they won't face death despite the Universe Tribulation's eruption?"
"You got it right," Cizhen said.
Ye Guan swept his gaze across the Time Reversers. Then, he gripped Cizhen's hand tightly and said, "Sister Zhen, you've been maintaining the order you've established while suppressing the Universe Tribulation at the same time, so...
"Their goal is to destroy the order you've established and become immortal!"
"That's right." Cizhen smiled and praised, "How quick-witted of you."
Ye Guan's expression grew somber.
Cizhen's Great Dao order meant that no one could attain immortality. In other words, those seeking immortality would naturally rebel against her, and they didn’t really care about the lives of everyone else in the vast expanse.
Ye Guan turned to Cizhen and said, "You've been maintaining the Great Dao order, and the Universe Tribulation is inherently tied to the Great Dao, so why is it helping these people?"
Cizhen chuckled as she clarified, "The Dao takes two forms, virtuous and evil. The Universe Tribulation represents the evil form. The virtuous Dao’s choice involves sacrificing the top-tier supreme elites to establish order, allowing all other living beings to live. The evil Dao’s choice is to sacrifice all living beings and spare only the strongest elites. These Time Reversers follow the evil form of the Dao, and they want to trigger the Universe Tribulation to wipe out the myriad beings."
Ye Guan fell into silence, and his face was incredibly dark.
Cizhen gazed at Ye Guan and asked, "Remember what you said before?"
Ye Guan turned to her.
Cizhen smiled and said, "You told me that we have no right to make decisions for all living beings. Everyone should have the opportunity to cultivate."
Ye Guan nodded.
With a chuckle, Cizhen added, "You were right. We don’t have the right to decide for all living beings. After becoming invincible, we shouldn't cut off the path of cultivation for future generations. It's a harmful decision."
Ye Guan gripped Cizhen's hand tightly and whispered, "Sister—"
"My time is running out," Cizhen interrupted, "Listen to me. Once I'm gone, take care of the True Universe for me, and take care of my sisters, too."
Cizhen stroked Ye Guan's cheek gently and said, "I trust you the most, Ye Guan. But I worry the most about you, too. You're more clever and quick-witted than most people, but you can be a bit foolish sometimes."
Ye Guan’s eyes turned a bit red as he trembled and said, "Sister Zhen, you've been suppressing the Universe Tribulation for the longest time now, so is it possible that—"
"Is this conversation even going to end?" a black-robed elder interrupted in a cold tone of voice, "If you're just going to talk about love, then—"
Cizhen glanced at the black-robed elder with a faint smile.
Boom!
The black-robed elder exploded into a bloody mist.
The supreme elites in the distance wore grave expressions, and their gazes were filled with fear as they stared at Cizhen.
The white-robed woman remained silent as she stared intently at Cizhen.
Cizhen turned to Cirou and Cishu with a smile and beckoned. "Come closer."
Cirou and Cishu walked up to Cizhen.
Cizhen looked at Cirou and said, "I know you've always wanted to share the burden of the Universe Tribulation with me. I'm aware of everything you've done so far."
Tears welled up in Cirou's eyes at Cizhen's remark. Cizhen wiped away Cirou's tears and continued, "I want you to support Little Guan upon my departure. He's talented, and he has a good nature, but he lacks experience. He needs enough time to grow, and I want you to do your best to provide him with enough time.
Cirou stared at Cizhen with tears in her eyes. "Is there really no other way?"
Cizhen merely smiled.
Rumble!
Just then, a figure enveloped in what looked like a blood-red mist emerged from the depths of the starry sky. The entire Milky Way was instantly shrouded by the same blood-red light, seemingly transforming into this massive blood-red canvas.
An ominous pressure bore down on everyone.
The supreme elites' expression changed drastically.
The Universe Tribulation was here!
Ye Guan turned to face the blood-red silhouette, and a deep sense of solemness washed over him. He felt insignificantly small before the blood-red figure; everyone else felt the same, aside from the white-robed woman and Cizhen.
The incarnation of the Great Dao's evil form was here!
The blood-red mist vanished, revealing a woman underneath. The woman seemed to be made out of blood. Her blood-red hair fell casually over her shoulders, and even her eyes were in a terrifying blood-red.
The blood-red woman stared at Cizhen and said, "You'll inevitably fail to save this world."
"Let's put it to the test," Cizhen said with a smile.
The blood-red woman lifted a strand of her blood-red hair and teased, "Then, go ahead, try and suppress me again. Do you... dare?"
Cizhen chuckled. "If I were to do that, you'd make a breakthrough. The Evil Dao will completely engulf the Virtuous Dao inside of you, and you'll assimilate the Virtuous Dao, recovering your full strength as a result."
The blood-red woman remarked, "I wouldn't stand a chance against you if you were to abandon your humanity. Unfortunately, your heart has too many ties for you to abandon your humanity. I'm talking about the people around you and the myriad beings of your True Universe."
"Sister Zhen, why not let go of your humanity?" Ye Guan asked.
Cizhen smiled wryly. "Silly, I'd be no different from them if I were to do that."
Ye Guan froze and went silent.
The blood-red woman declared, "Holding on to your humanity today will cost you your life."
Cizhen ignored the blood-red woman and caressed Ye Guan's cheek, whispering, "Humanity carries attachments, while divinity is free from desires, unburdened by any constraints. Promise me—promise me that you won't sacrifice your humanity for the sake of invincibility.
"I want you to stay as a person with real emotions, not some indifferent divine being."
Tears welled up in Ye Guan's eyes as he said, "Sister Zhen, my aunt—"
"This is my own affair," Cizhen interrupted, smiling. "Why am I going to ask for help?"
Cizhen had her own pride to maintain, too!
Ye Guan wanted to say something when Cizhen continued, "This is our affair!"
Ours! Ye Guan went silent.
Cizhen gazed at Ye Guan and said, "If someone's going to help me, then it has to be you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Ye Guan shook his head as tears streamed down his face quietly. "I don't want to understand! I refuse to understand!"
Cizhen stepped forward and kissed Ye Guan. Moments later, she stepped back and stared into his eyes, saying, "Let's face this challenge together without asking for anyone's help, okay?"
Ye Guan shook his head vigorously and held Cizhen's hand with unwavering determination. "I don't care! If you're in danger, and I can't resolve it myself. I'm definitely going to ask for help!"
Cizhen lowered her head and muttered, "You will never be able to become invincible if you do that..."
Ye Guan looked at Cizhen and declared, "For you, I'm willing to be the King of Relying on Others. Please just don't complain that I'm too weak in the future!"
Cizhen lowered her head, and tears cascaded down her fair cheeks like pearls falling to the ground. When she looked up, however, her face beamed with a smile. Cizhen then tiptoed and kissed Ye Guan once more.
The blood-red woman stared alternatingly between Cizhen and Ye Guan, feeling uneasy for some reason. Eventually, her gaze landed on Ye Guan, and she said, "He's a variable that has to be eliminated. I'll restrain her, so kill him for me!"
Boom!
A mere thought from the blood-red woman was all it took for the Universe Tribulation to shatter Cizhen's suppression and erupt. A series of devastating attacks struck Cizhen, and a violent tremor ran across the entire vast expanse encompassing the True Universe and the Guanxuan Universe.
A myriad beings trembled in the face of the Universe Tribulation's overwhelming pressure, and the pressure was so powerful that even Great Destiny Sovereigns and Cosmic Spirits felt as if they were a paltry ant before it.
Everyone felt as if the vast expanse was about to be annihilated, and everyone trembled violently.
A violent tremor ran through all living entities!
The white-robed woman stepped forward and stared at Ye Guan in the distance. She was about to speak when Cizhen lifted her right hand.
Boom!
The surrounding spacetime jerked violently, and a mysterious force swept across the crowd of supreme elites. The white-robed woman's eyes narrowed, and she immediately shouted, "Defend!"
Crackle!
An illusionary shield made out of what seemed like the abyss itself materialized above the heads of all the supreme elites in the crowd. It effortlessly dissipated Cizhen’s attacks.
The white-robed woman glared at Ye Guan and exclaimed, "Die!"
Bam!
An inscrutable, mysterious flame ignited inside Ye Guan, consuming both his fleshly body and soul. Ye Guan panicked, but he couldn't do anything about the flame.
Meanwhile, Cizhen was focused on suppressing the Universe Tribulation. However, an extremely powerful aura gushed out of Cizhen, and her hair slowly became white.
The blood-red woman in the distance cast an incredulous gaze at Cizhen and exclaimed, "You're going to abandon your humanity?!"
The white-robed woman's eyes narrowed as she stared at Cizhen.
Cizhen placed her right hand on Ye Guan's shoulder.
Boom!
The mysterious flame inside Ye Guan was snuffed out. Cizhen let go of Ye Guan just then, and Ye Guan was astonished to see that the white-haired Ye Guan's eyes seemed indifferent to every living being.
The warmth of Cizhen's eyes was no more and had been replaced by that detached indifference.
However, the indifference vanished quickly and was replaced by the warmth Ye Guan was incredibly familiar with. Cizhen hugged Ye Guan and kissed him softly, whispering, "I'll entrust the final vestiges of my humanity to you. With you, I am Cizhen, and without you, I am the True God."