The Word of Heaven

Chapter 343 The Realm of No Life
That faint white light fell upon the earth, extremely faint, like a light frost.

The air began to grow cold, and frost quietly appeared on the cracked mud. A sound like cicadas chirping suddenly arose, first in patches, then in groups, and then... it permeated everything.

Within a radius of several miles, it seemed as if countless unseen cicadas had appeared, straining to open their mouthparts. Their cries sounded mournful, yet they also carried an unparalleled heat and passion.

At the very center of all the cicadas' chirping is Gu Zhuo.

The white light was no longer faint; it began to converge, with Gu Zhuo still at the very center.

At some point, Pei Jingge and Zhao Qi ceased hostilities.

Both of them were breathing differently, neither as steady as before, clearly indicating they were injured.

Their injuries did not disrupt their aura; instead, they became even more intense and powerful, carrying the scent of blood.

At any other time, the two would have seized this opportunity to advance this battle, whether it be a contest of skill or a life-or-death struggle, to the next stage. But now, they have done nothing.

Pei Jingge looked at Gu Zhuo's profile, gazing into his eyes at the starlight, her expression growing increasingly solemn.

Looking at her expression, how could Zhao Qi not understand?

Tonight is even more dangerous than the night Yingxu died in Yunmeng Marsh.

This is a matter of course.

If the White Emperor couldn't do that, what gave him the right to harbor murderous intent towards the Dao Lord and act on it?

The whole world was deathly silent, and all eyes, whether far away or close at hand, were focused on Gu Zhuo.

What will you do in the face of divine punishment that once annihilated all things?
A long period of silence.

Pei Jingge's dark eyebrows suddenly furrowed.

Zhao Qi naturally realized that this was inappropriate.

The starlight has arrived, covering the earth.

Why is it taking so long to fall?
……

……

On Baidi Mountain.

There was no one else outside the chestnut tree shade. Bai Langxing had been sent several miles away by his father, and only the White Emperor was there.

He remained standing under the tree, hands behind his back, face upturned, eyes closed, as if listening to some non-existent, melodious sound.

That wasn't the chirping of cicadas from some distant place.

Standing on the cliff several miles away, Bai Langxing heard no sound, but his eyes widened, revealing a purer and purer emotion: fear.

The fear stems from a world that is constantly and rapidly changing.

Centered on that chestnut tree, the world and all things in Bai Langxing's eyes seemed to have tens of thousands of different faces, constantly changing their appearance.

Whether it's a mountain collapsing, or reduced to ashes, or a mountain covered in greenery, or rising to the heavens, or heaven and earth turning upside down... all sorts of bizarre and fantastical scenes that cannot be described in words flash by in an instant.

This is not an intersection of spaces.

It's not a distortion of time.

Bai Langxing understood.

His face suddenly turned deathly pale as he finally realized that the images were caused by the changes brought about by the dawn and dusk clock, and not by his own illusions.

The moment he discovered this fact, his soul was suddenly overwhelmed by an unbearable, terrifying, and heavy pain, as if it were being torn apart. No, it was not a simple splitting apart, but rather as if countless versions of himself from the past and future were being born from his soul at this moment!
This is the condensation of the pain of countless childbirths into a single moment!
boom.

Bai Langxing could no longer hold on. He knelt down on one knee, sweat pouring down his body and completely soaking his clothes.

He covered his eyes tightly with both hands, trying to alleviate the horrific pain, and subconsciously began to think about a question.

This commotion, which was barely even an aftershock, had already caused him excruciating pain, making him feel like he was dying. If he were in that situation... what kind of terror would he be facing?
……

……

The White Emperor still had his eyes closed.

This is not the reason for letting this flower and my heart both return to stillness.

The truth will not disappear or change because of self-deception. He closed his eyes only so that he could hear the morning and evening bells better.

The starlight that descended upon the wasteland was pale and faint.

The sound of the bell was faint, as if it were hidden in the gaps of space or the turbulent flow of time, making it impossible to find.

When the Xuandu Dao Master was defeated and killed by Heaven, the Morning and Evening Bell disappeared. The Great Qin Dynasty spent countless manpower and resources searching for it for decades, but ultimately found nothing.

If it weren't for the fact that the words "morning and evening bell" were always preserved on the list of supreme objects published by the Celestial Bureau, people would have long concluded that this bell had disappeared with Gu Zhuo.

In the final moments of the Weiyang Palace Incident, the tolling of the bells came from another world, causing all efforts to fail and leaving no one victorious.

For this reason, later officials in the Qin court proposed that the Astronomical Bureau revive its past affairs. The Empress naturally had no reason to object, but this matter ultimately failed to be implemented.

the reason is simple.

The White Emperor shook his head.

Because he knew his judgment was correct, the Morning and Evening Bell underwent an indescribable and miraculous transformation after the Heavenly Punishment that year, taking that final step and becoming a celestial artifact recorded in the ancient Daoist canon.

Unless the morning and evening bells wish to be discovered, no one can see them unless they are tolled.

Even someone as accomplished as the White Emperor would still need a relatively long time to discern the true location of the morning and evening bells from the faint chimes.

The bell will only ring out in one situation: when the starlight in the desolate sky has completely fallen.

No one can be sure what the scene will look like then.

Was Gu Zhuo killed by divine punishment, or was the starlight, unable to descend to earth, reversed by the sound of the bell, causing the White Emperor to perish both in body and soul?
Yes, at the very moment that the White Emperor used his great supernatural powers and divine mandate to fish across thousands of miles, attempting to punish Gu Zhuo with divine retribution, the morning and evening bells reached his ears due to Gu Zhuo's will.

This is a standoff.

This is also a threat.

This is Gu Zhuo telling the White Emperor, so what if fate is in your hands?

Can time be reversed?
……

……

The White Emperor opened his eyes.

The countless scenes that Bai Langxing witnessed entered his eyes, dozens of times more absurd and bizarre, yet they failed to shake his Dao heart in the slightest.

Something appeared in front of the White Emperor.

Those are fragments of the Mirror of Annihilation.

When the mirror appears, all the infinitely changing things in this world are reflected in it, without exception.

This is the most basic use of a mirror.

The White Emperor's lips twitched slightly, and a sound escaped from them.

The inaudible voice that rang out from his mouth came from the opening verse of the Zen sutra: "The supreme, profound, and subtle Dharma is difficult to encounter even in hundreds of millions of kalpas."

When the scriptures are scattered, the broken mirror of annihilation changes accordingly.

A slender arc of light emerged from within, lingering in the mirror, encountering all things, creating ripples, and forming echoes.

The morning and evening bells belong to all things.

There will be an echo.

The White Emperor waited quietly, searching among the myriad echoes for that one most unique presence.

Baidi Mountain was quiet.

It seems that no one can hinder it in the slightest.

……

……

On the wasteland.

Gu Zhuo stopped gazing at the starlight.

He had already fallen into a disadvantageous position in this battle of wits, and the most fundamental reason was, of course, that the White Emperor was too well prepared.

The dawn and dusk clock cannot remain hidden in the Mirror of Demise forever; it will eventually be discovered.

Looking back now, it seems that the White Emperor had been preparing for tonight's events ever since that meeting at Yunmengze.

How can we break this deadlock?

Countless thoughts raced through Gu Zhuo's mind, dissipating, vanishing, and disappearing without a trace. The Three Lives Tower was still with Chu Jun, thousands of miles away, but even if it were there, it would be meaningless.

The Heavenly Dao's killing intent has completely locked onto him. Although the Three Lives Tower's previous incarnation could suppress all kinds of supernatural powers in the world, it was not enough to deceive the heavens and the sea. Otherwise, Yingxu would not have died back then.

The purpose of the next life is to predict the future, which is a purpose he doesn't need. As for the most mysterious present life... its function is to allow the tower holder to be at the peak of his life.

But the problem is, how could the Three Lives Pagoda possibly have achieved Gu Zhuo's most remarkable moment?

At this moment, Yu Sheng should be within the Heavenly Dao Sect, using his own strength to lead all living beings in suppressing those delusional idiots, and he has no time to spare.

Pei Jingge had already stopped Zhao Qi for him, and had no energy left to spare for any further thoughts.

Yi Shui was naturally out of the question.

Wait a minute, this is Wang Ji's sword. Our relationship is too shallow for us to borrow it again, even though we are hundreds of miles apart.

Lin Wanyi is even less of a consideration.

In a very short time, Gu Zhuo realized that he was all alone tonight.

In contrast.

In the distance, the thunderous sound of hooves was drawing ever closer.

The Qin Dynasty's most elite Xuanjia heavy cavalry will arrive with the dawn of the following day.

And that flying boat will arrive even faster, carrying over 70% of the true powerhouses of Wang Jingshuo, the Zhenbei Army, or even the entire Qin military.

In this vast world, only the Taoist sect, which dominated the world a hundred years ago, possesses the terrifying strength to contend with this force.

But that's still not all.

The will that the barbarians revered as the heavens had not yet appeared.

This is an enemy comparable to the White Emperor.

The trip to the wilderness that autumn, and the personal letter Zhao Qi received not long ago, both tell of how this so-called will of heaven still harbors murderous intent towards Gu Zhuo.

As for the evil spirits and heretics hiding in the mountains and wastelands... they are less than dust in the face of this wave, and it is impossible for them to appear on the battlefield tonight. So why should we even consider them?

Who has the right to change all of this?
Is it that the king should dig up the grave and rise up, then hold back and wait, and with boundless intent slay all living beings?

Or perhaps Dao Xiu returns from Nirvana, crawls out of the Yellow Springs, and fights against Heaven and Earth by wielding the power of Heaven and Earth?
Apart from these two, even if the abbot successfully possessed Chu Jun's body, he would not be worthy, and the same goes for the nun.

Or perhaps he will become the same person he was a hundred years ago?
This is certainly the best approach.

It may even be the only solution.

Gu Zhuo stopped thinking about it.

No matter how you look at it, this is a dead end.

This was undoubtedly the most brilliant display of the White Emperor's divine power since he mastered the Heavenly Mandate Fishing Technique.

Then he would have an infinite number of reasons to die here.

Gu Zhuo looked at Pei Jinge.

Pei Jingge looked at him.

Gu Zhuo smiled, his smile still calm, and said with emotion, "This is just like it was a hundred years ago."

After a moment of silence, Pei Jingge's pale face gradually turned solemn.

She asked, "Do you want to meet the same fate?"

Gu Zhuo didn't answer that question, but said to her, "Let's go."

Pei Jingge remained expressionless, looking into his eyes, and asked in a slightly cold voice, "Didn't you hear what I just said?"

"heard it."

"Give me a reason."

"If you ask for a reason, I can only give you a lie that will last forever."

Gu Zhuo's voice remained light and cheerful, as bright as the starlight tonight, without a trace of gloom.

He met Pei Jingge's icy gaze, thought for a moment, but still couldn't think of a suitable word.

He then turned to Zhao Qi and calmly said, "Your existence is for exchanging pieces."

Zhao Qi did not deny it.

From the very beginning, he never hid his hesitation, his doubts about whether to get involved.

Whether it's hesitation or indecision, it all boils down to a lack of killing intent.

"So your fight with her can end here."

Gu Zhuo said, "I'm already in the game, and unless I die, there's no way I can get out."

Zhao Qi remained silent.

Pei Jingge exuded an aura colder than starlight.

Just then, Gu Zhuo's voice rang out, sounding very sincere.

"That first statement was true."

"There's only one reason why you're not as good as her now."

He looked at Zhao Qi and said, "Before you ascended to immortality, she was already capable of ascending, but she was hindered by me and could not take that step forward."

Zhao Qi's expression became very complicated.

Gu Zhuo smiled and said, "Let's fight another day. After all, you can't really have a good fight tonight."

After saying this, he turned to face Pei Jinge again.

"I won't be happy because you tell the truth."

Pei Jingge's expression was extremely indifferent.

Gu Zhuo thought this was a bit troublesome, and said, "I like you."

Pei Jingge was stunned.

Zhao Qi couldn't help but glance at him sideways.

Gu Zhuo seemed unaware of what he had said; his eyes were calm and gentle, yet revealed a powerful strength.

In the past few days, Pei Jingge has mentioned liking him several times during their conversations.

Those who like things about temperament and appreciation, but never truly like them.

In short.

That's what Pei Jingge said.

Gu Zhuo remembered it very clearly.

So he looked into Pei Jingge's eyes and added, "My liking for you is a very simple liking. It has nothing to do with your temperament, nothing to do with my appreciation for you, but it has to do with you as a person."

To put it simply...

He smiled and said, "The meaning of 'I like you' is simply that I like you."

Pei Jingge didn't know what to say.

Zhao Qi felt a mix of emotions and lost all will to fight.

Pei Jingge looked at Gu Zhuo, having a million reasons not to believe it, and wanted to ask why.

However, Gu Zhuo spoke first.

"I'm very busy right now. I'll explain to you another day when I have time."

When he said this, his smile was relaxed, without the slightest hint of reluctance.

Pei Jingge's voice was no longer cold. She turned her back to Gu Zhuo and said, "These words are indeed sweet, but I'm sorry, I don't like you."

Gu Zhuo paused, his feelings somewhat complicated.

"As for why..."

Pei Jingge tilted her head slightly, looking up at the dazzling starlight tonight, and said without turning around, "I'll explain it to you when you survive."

The night wind rose again, lifting the slightly damp black hair at her temples.

Gu Zhuo paused for a moment, then looked at her and said, "It's a deal."

(End of this chapter)