Chapter 3955: Scion Of The Expanding Void

The younger Zhenyu began meditating again.

"I listened to the whispers." For the first time since the recording began, there was a hint of pride in the elder’s voice. "And that decision changed everything."

Lin Mu watched the illusion closely. The younger Zhenyu remained seated before the crystal skeletons. His connection to the formation gradually deepened. At first, nothing seemed to happen beyond the continuous exchange of vitality.

His body remained in the same condition, and the formation continued functioning as it always had. Then years passed and decades swept over before centuries came calling.

Zhenyu’s voice continued. "For a very long time, I found nothing. I began to think that the whispers had been another form of madness. I wondered whether I had simply invented them because I was desperate to find a reason to continue."

The illusion showed Zhenyu opening his eyes as he stared at the crystals. "Then one day, I sensed something."

Lin Mu leaned closer. "It was faint. So faint that I initially believed I had imagined it."

The crystal skeletons glowed and there were countless strands of energy within them.

Zhenyu’s eyes slowly widened. "There was information within the formation."

Lin Mu’s expression changed. ’Information?’

Zhenyu continued. "At first, I thought it was merely the operating principles of the array. I assumed that by becoming more closely connected to it, I was simply learning how the formation worked." He shook his head. "I was wrong."

The illusion zoomed toward one of the crystal skulls. Within the crystal, Lin Mu could see countless tiny formations. Some were incredibly old while others seemed to contain patterns that Lin Mu had never seen before.

"The creator had left information behind." Zhenyu’s voice became quiet. "Information that was intended for himself."

Lin Mu immediately understood it.

The formation had been created by someone who expected to use it personally. Some of its deepest information had been embedded into the structure itself, and because Zhenyu had become deeply connected to it, he had eventually gained access.

"It was incomplete," Zhenyu clarified. "I did not suddenly understand everything. The information came in fragments. Some sections were too deep for me to comprehend. Some were damaged. Others were beyond my current understanding even after thousands of years." The elder looked toward the viewer. "Still, I learned enough."

Lin Mu’s expression became serious.

"I learned who the Mad Demon really was." The illusion changed as the crystal formation disappeared and a vast figure appeared within the illusion.

Lin Mu could not clearly make out the man’s face, yet the pressure surrounding him was extraordinary.

"The name Mad Demon was merely a title given by those who feared him." Zhenyu spoke. "His actual identity was far more extraordinary."

The illusion shifted again as images of different Daos appeared around the figure. Spatial fluctuations, flames, water, earth, formations, strange laws and countless other principles appeared and vanished.

"He was a genius who understood many Daos. His cultivation was profound, and his talent was extraordinary. If he had followed the conventional path, he possessed enough talent and resources to become a Celestial with a mere thought."

Lin Mu’s eyes narrowed. ’A potential Celestial?’

That alone was enough to demonstrate the terrifying level of the person being described.

"Yet he did not choose that path." Zhenyu’s voice became more solemn. "He wanted to understand the limits imposed by the Heavens. He wanted to know whether longevity truly had to be restricted in the manner accepted by everyone else."

The illusion showed the figure studying countless principles. "He explored different Daos. He researched methods others considered impossible. He eventually began touching upon principles that the righteous path considered vile."

Lin Mu’s expression became thoughtful. ’That explains the title.’

"He became obsessed with alternative methods of longevity. His research grew more extreme. Eventually, people stopped calling him a genius." Zhenyu paused. "They called him the Mad Demon."

The illusion changed once more and a young man appeared within an enormous spatial vortex.

Lin Mu’s eyes widened at the spatial principles surrounding the figure were astonishing.

"He was once known by another title." Zhenyu’s voice became quieter. "One that very few remember now."

The old elder looked directly at the viewer. "He was called the Scion of the Expanding Void."

Lin Mu froze as the moment those words entered his mind, Xukong’s voice suddenly erupted.

"Impossible!"

Lin Mu almost dropped the book and his eyes widened. Xukong’s voice carried something Lin Mu had rarely heard from him: Disbelief.

"This foolish child ended up here?"

Lin Mu stared at the recording for a moment before quickly asking inwardly, "Senior, you know about him?"

There was no immediate response but Lin Mu waited as several breaths passed. Xukong remained silent for nearly a minute and when he finally spoke, his tone was considerably more serious.

"I do." Lin Mu’s expression became solemn.

He had expected Xukong to know many ancient figures due to his immense age and experience, yet the reaction this time was different. "You actually know the Scion of the Expanding Void?"

"I knew of him," Xukong replied. "The man known as the Mad Demon was an exceptionally talented spatial cultivator. His understanding of spatial principles was extraordinary even during his early years."

Lin Mu listened carefully as Xukong continued. "Perhaps he could have reached the level of the Founder’s disciples."

Lin Mu’s eyes widened. "The Founder’s disciples?"

"Yes." Xukong’s voice carried a trace of reminiscence. "The very disciples who later established the various schools of Spatial School lineages."

Lin Mu became completely silent as he looked back at the ancient recording. Junior Elder Zhenyu had described the Mad Demon as an exceptional genius. Xukong had just placed that same person in a category that Lin Mu understood was incredibly rare.

’Someone who might have reached the level of the Founder’s disciples.’ Lin Mu muttered as the significance of that statement was enormous.

Lin Mu slowly looked at the crystal skeleton formation again and thought about all that he had encountered so far.

’The strange spatial compression, the bizarre longevity mechanism, the Dual Dimensional Vacuum Compression Art, the hidden information within the formation and even the title of Scion of the Expanding Void.’ Suddenly, several pieces of the puzzle began connecting in Lin Mu’s mind.

The Mad Demon was not simply an ancient expert who had created some strange longevity method. He had been an unparalleled spatial genius and somehow, his research had eventually brought him here.

Lin Mu looked at Junior Elder Zhenyu’s recorded figure once more as the elder was still speaking.

"I spent thousands of years trying to understand what he had created." His eyes became complicated. "And the more I learned, the more I realized how little I actually understood."

The recording continued. "The Mad Demon had reached places in the study of space that I could barely comprehend. His experiments with longevity were only one part of his research."

Lin Mu’s gaze sharpened. "Only one part?"

Zhenyu nodded within the recording as if he had heard Lin Mu’s words. "Yes."