Chapter 909: Chapter 552: Drastic Change in the Situation, Martial Intent 6
He slightly adjusted to the normal passage of time and space outside, and with a slight movement of his divine sense, he perceived the dramatic changes that had occurred in the external world over these millennia.
The subsequent changes happened too quickly and were too cruel, leaving him somewhat unprepared.
Even though Chu Zheng had already entered the Ancestral Realm, facing the war machines sweeping across the universe and the countless passing of life, he felt a deep heaviness and an ungraspable bewilderment.
He walked out of seclusion and, following a faint connection in the void and the deductions of the Heavenly Divination Technique, quickly traversed the boundless starry sky, finding Chu An who was undergoing tribulation in a Great Realm.
Chu An’s aura was more condensed, having entered the Mysterious Immortal Realm, with a few more touches of competence and hardship between her brows, evidently having undergone innumerable trials over the years.
Seeing Chu Zheng emerge from seclusion, her gaze paused slightly, a flash of joy in her eyes, her demeanor noticeably more composed, and she stepped forward to bow in salute.
"Greetings, Lord."
"Where is Zheng Ping?"
Chu Zheng’s gaze swept over as he spoke in a low voice, unable to sense Zheng Ping’s aura, a premonition brewing in his heart.
"Dead... seven thousand four hundred and sixty-three years ago."
Upon hearing this, Chu An’s body trembled slightly imperceptibly, she lowered her head, her gaze dimmed, and her voice was low:
"His descendants retrieved his remains afterward, helped to lay him to rest, and buried him in the newly constructed Shen Family Ancestral Tomb."
Her voice was very calm, lacking any significant fluctuations.
As time passed, the pain and heart-wrenching grief of her brother’s passing seemed to have been gradually soothed by the ruthless passage of time, leaving only deep engravings and helplessness.
The power of time is terrifyingly immense, capable of dissipating all intense emotions in an instant, whether love or hatred, eventually leading to tranquility.
Only upon occasional remembrance would the heart stir slightly.
Chu Zheng remained silent for a moment, speaking no more.
Partings due to life and death, in this chaotic world, have become a norm.
......
......
At the Martial Pavilion front-line, in the main directing hall.
The atmosphere was grim and bustling, on the massive Star Map, countless light points flickered unpredictably, representing the real-time situation of the various battle lines.
Various orders and martial arts strongmen of different levels came and went hurriedly.
Xue Qing’s figure appeared without warning at the center of the hall, her calm restored, her face cold, yet deep in her eyes lay an indissoluble iciness and questioning.
Her arrival did not intentionally suppress her Ancestral Realm pressure, instantly silencing the bustling hall as all cultivators felt an oppressive force making it difficult to breathe.
Her gaze, like two icy swords, directly pierced towards the figure seated high on the main seat, Jun Huang.
Jun Huang continued handling the mountain of military jade scrolls, not raising his head, as if unfazed by the suffocating oppression.
Only when Xue Qing stepped in front of the desk did he slowly set down the jade scrolls in his hand and raised his head.
His expression was terrifyingly calm, even carrying an almost imperceptible indifference and weariness. Facing the stare of a newly ascended Martial Ancestor, he showed no trepidation or reverence, only a calm return of the gaze.
"My two disciples have both perished in battle." Xue Qing’s voice was icy, devoid of any warmth: "What do you have to say to this?"
Upon hearing this, Jun Huang’s expression remained unperturbed, he slowly stood up, meeting Xue Qing’s gaze, his voice equally calm:
"Snow Qing Martial Ancestor, I, as the Martial Pavilion’s chief dispatcher, entrusted by the Martial Ancestor, oversee the whole situation. Presently, below the Ancestral Realm, all cultivators and all legions are under my command."
"Can there be no deaths in the path of striving? Throughout the Martial Pavilion, the number who have died in battle—the fallen Great Saints, Martial Monarchs, and even Martial Emperors—the list could fill this entire hall, I, Jun Huang, also have to personally go to the front lines, drenched in blood, battling, sustaining severe injuries multiple times near death."
His voice gradually rose, carrying a repressed anger:
"You’ve achieved no merit at the Martial Pavilion or the battlefield, and immediately upon reaching the Ancestral Realm, you question me about the deaths of your two disciples? Pray tell, what right do you have to question me? Is it because you’ve become an Ancestor that you can disregard the countless heroic spirits who shed their blood for the Martial Pavilion and were laid to rest in the Star Sea, and solely care about your own disciples’ life and death?!"
The questioning voice echoed within the hall, resonating between the ceilings.
No one within the hall spoke, all wore cold expressions.
In the midst of these continuous battles, they had all lost too many friends and relatives, most of whose remains were never reclaimed, cenotaphs scattered everywhere.
In the hall, a pin drop could be heard.
Snow Qing stared into Jun Huang’s eyes, looking at the suffocating Blood Evil Qi and exhaustion enveloping him, momentarily rendered speechless.
The full brimming sorrow and questioning were choked by this brutal path struggle, suffocating painfully.
In the path struggle, can anyone remain unscathed? Her disciples were people; others were flesh and blood too.
As members of the Martial Pavilion, enjoying its cultivation resources, dying in battle in its service was naturally should be expected; to martial cultivators, it was even a glorious honor.
Yet instinct told Snow Qing that this matter was not so simple.
Both Tu Jingchuan and Gongyi Zi Yu had reached Upper Realm Great Saint Perfection; within the Space-time Domain, no living creatures could possibly have killed them.
And the battlefield of the Space-time Domain was not where Great Saints should intervene; there must be other reasons involved here.
In the end, Snow Qing said nothing, giving Jun Huang a deep look filled with a complex mixture of suspicion, coldness, and a tinge of indescribable fatigue.
Then she turned, stepped out, and her figure disappeared from the hall.
She would find out the truth of this matter and provide a conclusion.
Jun Huang stood there, still with a straight back, underneath the large Star Map, his expression cold as a blade, staring at the stained military affairs before him, silent.
No one noticed, but the hand he let droop in his sleeve was clenched so tightly that his nails were deeply embedded in his palm.
......
......
Chu Zheng, with Chu An, hastened to the Martial Pavilion Ancestral Land.
On the way, he had already received news, learning of Snow Qing’s ascension to the Ancestor level.
He followed Snow Qing’s aura to arrive before that great hall.
Snow Qing stood before the hall, gazing up at the resplendent sun, her eyes deep as an abyss.
Upon sensing Chu Zheng’s presence, she withdrew her gaze, turned to look at him, her expression calm, without waves.
Glancing at the tombs lining the sides of the hall entrance, Chu Zheng’s steps paused slightly, and he spoke slowly after a moment of silence:
"I’m sorry."
Before Snow Qing secluded herself, she had instructed him to take care of Tu Jingchuan and Gongyi Zi Yu, but clearly, he hadn’t achieved that.
"It’s not your fault."
Snow Qing shook her head slightly, took a deep breath, and her gaze flickered:
"While I was comprehending the Dao in the River of Space-Time, I pondered a great deal."
"I, too, was once bewildered. For what purpose did Heaven bestow upon me extraordinary talent in the Martial Path? I often contemplated the core essence of martial arts—is it slaying? Power? Or is it to assert dominance, establish a legendary legacy, and immortalize one’s name?"
"At the end of martial arts, what exactly lies there? In recent days, it seems I’ve found an answer."
At this point, Snow Qing’s gaze deepened, speaking slowly:
"The ultimate peak of martial arts is to end war."
"Now, with chaos arising everywhere, it signifies the absence of a Supreme Being to redefine the rules."