Chapter 3222 On the Realm of All Mysteries, the Key of Nirvana

Alpha Origin pondered for a moment before speaking, “This is not karma. In the end...it all traces back to the secret of Nirvana that Lin Xun possesses.”

The secret of Nirvana...

Black Crow nodded inwardly. Was that not precisely why they regarded Lin Xun as a variable? Because of that unfathomable power?

Alpha Origin let out a faint sigh. “I must admit...Lin Xun has an exceptional master. I do not know how he was able to deduce the profound mysteries of the Nirvana of Transcendence. In this regard, even I must admire Bodhi.”

“But he is still no match for you, Master,” Black Crow added.

Alpha Origin shook his head slightly. “You are mistaken. If his disciple has the possibility of defeating me, does that not imply that the master himself stands even higher?”

He paused, then sighed again. “More importantly, he did not seek to claim the power of Nirvana himself. Instead, he left such a great fortune to his disciple, Lin Xun. Such resolve...is truly remarkable.”

“Lin Xun has no chance of defeating you, Master. That will never happen.” Black Crow remained unconvinced.

Alpha Origin chuckled softly, “When I instructed Ape Ancestor to act, I already said that there are no absolutes in this world. Only by understanding this can one avoid being blinded by ignorance and arrogance.”

“Master’s words are most wise.”

At that moment, Ape Ancestor returned from the distance.

“Fellow Daoist, your cultivation has now been revealed. There is no need to conceal it any longer.” Alpha Origin’s voice echoed from deep beneath the earth.

Fellow Daoist?

Black Crow trembled inwardly and turned toward Ape Ancestor in astonishment.

Yet his expression remained utterly calm, unmoved, just as it had always been. “Master, I am no longer who I once was. Whether I conceal it or not...no longer matters to me.”

Black Crow could no longer hold back. “Ape Ancestor...who were you before?”

Her emotions churned violently. Thinking back, Ape Ancestor had followed Alpha Origin far earlier than she had, but he had always presented himself as nothing more than an old servant. Through countless years, he carried out Alpha Origin’s commands without question, never once revealing anything out of the ordinary.

Thus, all this time, whether it was her or the others among the Alpha Origin’s Nine Departments, although they respected Ape Ancestor, they had always regarded him as nothing more than a loyal attendant at Alpha Origin’s side.

Now, Black Crow suddenly realized that Ape Ancestor’s identity..was anything but simple! This secret had been hidden far too deeply.

It was only natural for Black Crow to feel this way. After all, aside from Alpha Origin, Ape Ancestor was the one she trusted most. How could she possibly accept that he had hidden another self for countless years? If he had not revealed a cultivation far beyond the pinnacle of the Immeasurable Stage before the All Mysteries Dao Platform today, he might well have continued concealing it forever.

“Miss, who I once was...is already dead,” Ape Ancestor said calmly.

An indescribable surge of anger rose within Black Crow’s heart. She had been deceived for countless years and found it hard to accept that.

“Little Crow, you will understand soon enough. Do not blame Ape Ancestor. This was my instruction,” Alpha Origin’s voice echoed once more.

In an instant, the anger in Black Crow’s heart dissolved into bitterness and helplessness. She said nothing more.

“Master, do you think Chen Xi has already seen through my identity?” Ape Ancestor asked suddenly.

Alpha Origin replied calmly, “In his eyes, you have long since fallen into eternal reincarnation, never to appear again. He would not suspect it is you. But now that you have revealed part of your strength, it will inevitably arouse his vigilance.”

“That is of no concern,” Ape Ancestor said, his expression calm and unperturbed.

“Just wait. The game has already begun. I would like to see how many surprises Lin Xun, who has also taken that step beyond the Immeasurable Path, can bring from the Forbidden Land of Myriad Wonders.”

From deep underground, Alpha Origin’s voice gradually faded away. Ape Ancestor stood in silence for a moment, then turned and left. Black Crow watched his retreating figure disappear, her gaze filled with complicated emotions.

......

Hongling Domain.

Chen Linkong returned alone to the thatched hut where his grandfather, Chen Xi, resided. Sitting upon a rock, he said quietly, “Grandfather...this time, I owe Young Friend Lin my life.”

There was a trace of self-mockery in his voice. Thinking back to the days in the Fortune Dominion, his cultivation had far surpassed Lin Xun’s. However, today, if not for Lin Xun, he would have nearly been captured and slain by Ape Ancestor. This time, Lin Xun had truly saved his life.

From within the thatched hut came Chen Xi’s clear, unhurried voice, “Back in the Fortune Dominion, did you not help him carve out a path of blood? Such debts are not meant to be measured like this. If you see him as a friend, then there is no need to speak of who owes whom.”

He paused briefly before continuing, “Besides, Ape Ancestor’s target this time was never you. His purpose was to cooperate with Alpha Origin and prevent me from aiding Lin Xun. After all, only by hiding his strength could he strike unexpectedly.”

Chen Linkong nodded, then asked with a frown, “Grandfather...when did Ape Ancestor take that step? For all these years, we have remained in the Realm of All Mysteries, how is it that we never sensed the slightest disturbance?”

Inside the hut, Chen Xi fell silent for a moment before replying, “Perhaps, he had already taken that step before entering the Realm of All Mysteries. This is indeed a variable that even I failed to perceive. It seems both Alpha Origin and Ape Ancestor have hidden themselves far more deeply than expected.”

Chen Linkong pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled. “Fortunately, no matter how deeply they hid their strength, they could never have imagined that Young Friend Lin had also taken that step. At most, this opening round can only be called a draw and not the inevitable defeat Alpha Origin so confidently proclaimed.”

“You are oversimplifying matters.” Chen Xi’s calm voice sounded from within the hut. “Ape Ancestor is certainly not Alpha Origin’s only hidden piece. In other words, he must still have other methods in reserve. But it doesn’t matter. When the game reaches its end...the truth will reveal itself under our hands.”

Chen Linkong frowned slightly. “Grandfather, there is something I have never understood. Why does Alpha Origin not act now? Or rather, why must we continue waiting like this?”

From within the thatched hut, Chen Xi replied, “Alpha Origin wishes to see what kind of change a variable like Young Friend Lin will bring when he perceives the Forbidden Land of Myriad Wonders. And this will determine whether he chooses to act with his full strength.”

After a brief pause, he continued, “And I, too, wish to see whether Lin Xun can truly break this deadlock.”

He paused again before adding, “From this point onward, remain here and cultivate. Do not venture out again. Devote yourself to the dao...that is the proper path.”

Chen Linkong nodded.

......

Hidden Domain.

The peaks rose and fell like waves, and the mountains and rivers unfolded like painted scrolls. Primal chaos shrouded heaven and earth, dense and ancient. Standing within it was like returning to the moment when chaos first parted.

The moment Lin Xun entered, his gaze fell at once on the Lord of Fangchun Mountain and the golden cicada, standing side by side.

Bodhi was dressed in simple cloth robes, his figure lean and refined, his entire bearing faint and ethereal. The golden cicada was just as Lin Xun remembered, clad in hemp garments, barefoot, youthful in appearance, and with clear, limpid eyes and a warm, gentle smile upon his lips.

This was the first time Lin Xun had seen his master’s true form since embarking on the path of cultivation. A surge of emotion rose uncontrollably within him. He stepped forward and bowed deeply. “Disciple Lin Xun pays his respects to Master and to Senior Golden Cicada.”

Bodhi smiled. “Come with me.”

A short while later, they sat down on the edge of a high mountain cliff. Clouds billowed and shimmered, suffused with a rich and mysterious aura of primal chaos origin.

Bodhi sat cross-legged. With a casual motion, he drew in a stream of primal chaos qi, then used water from the mountain’s sacred spring to gather a pinch of primal chaos bamboo leaves before placing them into the tea stove.

Before long, the tea began to simmer and a delicate fragrance spread through the air. Bodhi poured a cup for the golden cicada and Lin Xun each, then asked softly, “How are your senior brothers and sisters?”

Lin Xun then recounted his experiences in the Sea of ​​Fate one by one.

When Bodhi learned that Lin Xun had brought his eldest senior brother back from death through the power of Nirvana, a look of quiet satisfaction appeared on his face. “At that time, I sensed a subtle sign and guessed that your eldest senior brother had altered his fate and been reborn. Now that I hear it from you, the mysteries of Nirvana are indeed wondrous beyond words.”

The golden cicada looked at Lin Xun with keen interest. “Young Friend, to what extent have you grasped the mysteries of Nirvana?”

Lin Xun considered for a moment before replying, “I have tempered it to the level of primal chaos. But upon closer examination...the deeper truths of Nirvana have long surpassed the bounds of the eternal path.”

After all, even the mysteries of Spirit Empowerment had been integrated into it. This had caused Lin Xun’s dao to undergo subtle and wondrous transformations, guiding it beyond the pinnacle of the Immeasurable Stage and toward a higher dao path.

“May I take a look?” the golden cicada asked, unable to conceal his curiosity.

“Of course.” Lin Xun smiled, flicking his finger lightly.

At once, a wisp of Nirvana emerged, obscure and unfathomable, and its profundity impossible to put into words.

The golden cicada observed it for a moment, then fell silent.

“Fellow Daoist, what have you perceived?” Bodhi asked with a faint smile.

The golden cicada pondered for a moment, then said slowly, “This kind of power has already surpassed the bounds of the eternal path. It touches upon an incomprehensible principle of ‘change,’ life and death, decay and flourishing, destruction and rebirth, origin and end. It seems to contain countless profound truths within it, but upon closer examination, it is like primal chaos itself...formless, empty and beyond description. Truly...it is perplexing.”

“Like primal chaos...like nothingness.” A glimmer of appreciation flickered in Bodhi’s eyes. “To deduce so much from a mere wisp of Nirvana...could it be that you too have touched the threshold of the Dao of Life?”

The golden cicada was taken aback, then laughed at himself. “If that were so, it would indeed be a blessing.”

Lin Xun glanced at the golden cicada and said, “With Senior’s insight, why worry about being unable to take that step one day? Perhaps all that is needed is a single opportunity to break through that final barrier.”

The golden cicada burst into hearty laughter. “You master and disciple...are you trying to flatter me to death?” He waved his hand lightly. “Enough of that. Young Friend Lin has only just arrived in the Realm of All Mysteries, there must still be many questions on your mind. As for me, I am equally curious about your cultivation. Let us take this chance to have a proper talk.”

As they sipped tea, the three spoke at length about the Realm of All Mysteries. Through their conversation, Lin Xun’s understanding of this vast world deepened considerably.

It was then that Lin Xun finally understood that, just as he had long speculated, whether it was the Lord of Fangchun Mountain, the golden cicada, Chen Xi, Chen Linkong, or even Alpha Origin and his enemies, all of them had been waiting for him, the variable.

The reason was simple: everyone believed that he, the one who possessed the secret of Nirvana, would most likely have the chance to uncover a true path of survival leading to the Forbidden Land of Myriad Wonders.

In other words, in everyone’s eyes, the power of Nirvana was like a key capable of unlocking the gates of the Forbidden Land of Myriad Wonders that had been closed for endless ages!