Chapter 1675 - 232: The Spring and the Tree

Chapter 1675: Chapter 232: The Spring and the Tree

Chaos coalesces into a sky curtain, boundless, unfathomable.

This is the end of the North Sea.

It’s also the end of the world.

Perhaps, this is also the end of the River of Destiny.

"......"

Xie Xuanyi raised his head, discovering that the sun and moon no longer alternated, but appeared simultaneously, their soft light spreading, casting shimmering brilliance upon the sea surface.

The world’s end is marked by a stele.

Deep black and straight.

Like a sword.

Perhaps, it is a sword.

The golden coffin reached its endpoint, lightly leaning against the Sword Stele, the entire world plunged into a vast serenity, the sea surface devoid of any ripple, as if the whole world had embraced stagnation in this moment.

When the Reversal Traveler reaches the end.

This river has no time for retrospection.

Xie Xuanyi stood up, extending his palm, gently placing it upon the upright black stele.

Chaos dispersed in every direction like a thick fog, swiftly engulfing Xie Xuanyi and the golden boat he was on, and swallowed this entire stretch of the North Sea.

Xie Xuanyi stood amidst the chaos for a long time.

He couldn’t discern direction.

But... a melodious sound of flowing water came from afar, soothing and familiar.

Xie Xuanyi followed the sound.

Moments later, he halted his steps.

The mist gradually dissipated, revealing the outlines of the distant heavens and earth.

There lay a spring, and there stood a tree.

Beholding this scene.

Xie Xuanyi was lost in thought for a long while.

After a long while.

He sighed gently.

"So, this is the Other Shore?"

...

...

Uncertain of how much time had passed.

The white-robed child lying atop the coffin lid awoke from slumber, at first dazed, then vigorously rubbed his eyes, ensuring he wasn’t mistaken.

"Mom!"

The little fellow sat up, scrutinizing the boundless chaos sky curtain before him, unable to suppress a sigh.

Finally arrived.

The golden coffin reached its endpoint.

He witnessed the scene he yearned to see.

"Whew..."

He sat up, solemnly extending his palm, placing it upon the same upright black stele where Xie Xuanyi’s hand rested.

...

...

"Is this the Other Shore?"

A voice behind Xie Xuanyi resounded, a blend of exclamation, contemplation, and admiration.

He turned to look back.

Lu Yuzhen had also arrived here.

Time reversed to the end, he appeared as a mere adolescent lad of about ten, eyes full of naivety, hands clutching his sleeves, visibly tense.

"Yes."

Xie Xuanyi said.

Throughout countless moments.

The two had conversed repeatedly about the endpoint and significance of this journey.

Finally reached today.

A breeze passed through the chaos, carrying a touch of warmth.

"It’s quite incredible."

Lu Yuzhen murmured, "So, this is the legendary Undying Spring and Immortal Tree?"

Within the depths of chaos scattered by the wind, revealed a spring and a tree.

Xie Xuanyi sighed earlier.

For he recognized this spring and tree.

No one under the heavens was more acquainted with these two things at the chaos end...

None other than the Undying Spring and Immortal Tree.

Standing beside the spring, the spring beneath the tree.

Unending vitality emitting from them, transforming into primordial energy, weaving outward.

Endless chaos dissipates as a result.

Perhaps, this resembles the primordial form of heaven and earth.

Originally, there was nothing.

But with the Undying Spring and Immortal Tree, there is everything.

"Yes."

Xie Xuanyi reiterated.

"Undying Spring... signifies Origin..."

"Immortal Tree... signifies Dao..."

Lu Yuzhen softly murmured, faintly enlightened.

He had asked Xie Xuanyi about the significance of these two things more than once. Now witnessing it firsthand, he grasped the value of divine artifacts.

Infinite primordial energy spills from the Undying Spring.

And the rich Taoist aura bears fruit on the Immortal Tree.

If this is the end of the River of Destiny.

Then the fruits on this Immortal Tree are the legendary Dao Fruits.

At this moment, the Undying Spring and Immortal Tree remain in the state of spring eye and sapling.

"So, our task can be considered complete?"

Lu Yuzhen grinned.

He carved the Time Scroll day and night, never once forgetting his original intent.

This journey.

His purpose was to complete the Annihilation Duty.

"Task?"

Xie Xuanyi gazed at the child.

"The Undying Spring is right before our eyes."

Lu Yuzhen said earnestly, "The ’Root of Primordial Qi’ and ’Myriad Dao Fruits’ of this world, can be plucked with a mere reach."

Bai Ze believes, this world needs the primordial energy to be obliterated and start from zero.

Is there anything faster than reaching the primordial, taking the Undying Spring, and carrying away the Immortal Tree?

"......"

Xie Xuanyi remained silent.

For the vast majority of Cultivators in this world.

This is almost an irresistible temptation.

With a mere stretch, one can harvest countless Dao Fruits.

But Xie Xuanyi did not do so.

He simply stood there in silence.

At this moment, Xie Xuanyi’s Heart Lake was extremely tranquil, without the slightest ripple. Although these Dao Fruits were appealing, he was not moved, nor did he harbor any greed... for within the Great Dao River, Xie Xuanyi had already found the Daoist Intent that resonated best with him.

The Dao Fruits on this tree were unrelated to him.

Even if they fell at his feet, he would not pick them up.

As for the Undying Spring, Xie Xuanyi merely admired it without any intent to take it away.

This Primordial Spring Water seemed no different from the "Spring Eye" in his own Dantian.

Xie Xuanyi did not know if this was the beginning of all Primordial Origins—

But there is always an initial separation in the heavens and the earth.

Amidst the chaos of all things, at the brink of awakening, it might appear just so.

The Undying Spring and Immortal Tree complemented each other, fulfilling that "One."

From Primordial was born the Dao, from the Dao was born the Origin, from One comes Two, and from Two comes Three.

"I will not take these things."

Xie Xuanyi pondered for a long time, then softly spoke, his voice small yet exceedingly certain.

"... Fellow Daoist Xie?"

Lu Yuzhen stared blankly at him.

"The Annihilation Tribulation should not be this way."

Xie Xuanyi, with hands behind his back, spoke slowly and clearly: "To seize the roots of heaven and earth, to steal the fruits of the Great Dao, to rectify one’s place... The opportunity of creation is to be consumed by oneself while the cost and suffering are borne by all living beings. Such a fruition is better left untouched."

"You are confused."

Lu Yuzhen hurriedly advised: "So much Primordial Energy, so many Dao Fruits, even if you take them, what then? They will regenerate, they will grow again..."

"All living beings have their own way to survive."

Xie Xuanyi said: "Even if deprived of the root of Primordial Qi, they can continue to grow. But this is something I am unwilling to do, and I will not do it."

He naturally wanted to achieve Dao Certification.

But...

Not in such a manner.

If I were to steal Creation, how could my Dao Heart remain at peace?

Even with myriad Dao Fruits within reach, Xie Xuanyi understood clearly that among them... none was the fruit he sought.

"Then all our hardships on this journey, what were they for?"

The voice of the child in white was somewhat resentful: "Could it be just for a single glance."

"This journey was never about gain or pursuit..."

Xie Xuanyi said softly: "Now that we have arrived, it is Perfect to take a glimpse. There’s nothing wrong with that."

"I find it quite unsatisfactory."

Lu Yuzhen said: "Since we are here, we should take them."

"You need not persuade me further."

Xie Xuanyi shook his head: "My decision is made."

"So..."

"Even after all these years, you still haven’t changed."

A hoarse sigh echoed.

"Xie Xuanyi, you remain as stubborn as ever."

"..."

Xie Xuanyi silently looked at the white-robed child beside him.

The wind blew.

This time, the wind was not warm but cold.

Lu Yuzhen’s white cloak was scattered by the wind, turning into light paper snow, falling at the end of chaos, onto the Undying Spring, onto the leaves of the Immortal Tree, covering the whole gloomy world with a pale layer of white.

The figure of the child grew slowly as the wind blew.

Moments later.

"You are unwilling to take this Undying Spring, this Immortal Tree."

Lu Yuzhen asked softly: "Could it be that you feel ’Annihilation’ is incorrect, that Annihilation should not happen?"

"It should."

Xie Xuanyi was silent for a moment, then said seriously: "This world, should undergo Annihilation."

Throughout these years.

He had more than once recalled Bai Ze’s words in the Beihai Tomb.

If the cultivators of heaven and earth all rely on Primordial Qi...

Then when the real catastrophe descends, there would be no means to resist.

Primordial Qi must be annihilated.

But it should not happen in such a way.

"So you wish to be the good person, to be a Bodhisattva?"

Lu Yuzhen sneered: "Do you think that by not taking this Spring, you are saving all under heaven, and therefore prefer not to ’Annihilate’ and avoid bearing the infamy?"

"Have you not understood me after all these years?"

Xie Xuanyi looked towards the Paper Taoist.

He said calmly: "I have never been a good person, nor have I ever cared about my reputation."

Lu Yuzhen paused a little.

"Not taking, not stealing, is simply to be true to my Dao Heart."

Xie Xuanyi said peacefully: "If I am to become a True Immortal, I can rely on myself... Dao and Origin, I can cultivate on my own."

This stele records the Primordial secret everyone in the Cultivation World yearns to know.

Whoever arrives here shall have their realizations.

Only by seeing the Undying Spring and Immortal Tree with their own eyes can they understand the significance of the interdependence of Dao and Origin.

In so-called terms.

Origin births Dao.

Dao births One.

Then One births Two, Two births Three, Three births all things, endlessly and infinitely...

"So, will you make your move?"

Xie Xuanyi looked at the Paper Taoist and spoke the familiar name he hadn’t heard in years.

"... Dao Shengyi."

Dao Shengyi.

This mysterious title from the Green Lamp Prophecy that no one knew the origin of.

This missing and vacant leading figure in Paperman Sect.

This name...

originated from this Spring and this Tree.

Amidst this River of Destiny, those Great Divine Ability Users mistakenly believed Dao Shengyi to be the "Reversal Traveler" cloaked in Chaos.

Xie Xuanyi is Dao Shengyi.

Lu Yuzhen is also Dao Shengyi.

For a long time, Xie Xuanyi also believed he was "Dao Shengyi," thus evading and battling all over.

But at this moment, Xie Xuanyi realized.

Actually, the so-called "Dao Shengyi" was neither himself nor the Lu Yuzhen who once accompanied him.

Only upon reaching the Primordial, touching this stele, and seeing the Undying Spring...

did Dao Shengyi appear.

The one who enacted the Annihilation Tribulation and sought to seize the foundation of heaven and earth, Lu Yuzhen.

is truly "Dao Shengyi."

"I’m sorry."

Chaos surged up with a flurry of wind and snow.

Lu Yuzhen stood amidst the wind and snow, speaking earnestly to Xie Xuanyi: "In this matter, my views differ from yours... if you won’t act, then I’ll act on your behalf."