Chapter 636: Existence Leaves Traces

Outside the shattered altar, Wu Jianwu diligently studied the script. Integrating his understanding of the Ancient Emperor Xuan You, he immersed himself deeper into his role. This wasn't difficult for him, nor was it his first time. Back then, in the forbidden area of the Xuan You Sect within the Eight Sect Alliance, he had used a similar method to trigger fluctuations from the demon snake skeleton.

As for Ning Yan and You Jing, they began their respective rehearsals under the Heir's direction. It must be said that the Heir was indeed more suited to leading this grand production than Chen Erniu. Under his watchful eye, everyone gave their utmost effort, and their understanding of their respective roles became increasingly refined.

"Not bad, Wu Jianwu still has something. Ignoring his cultivation, just by his expressions and words, he truly embodies a sense of the Ancient Emperor.""Ning Yan is also acceptable; at least he conveyed half of Father's majesty.""But comparatively, the hatred in You Jing's emotions is the most authentic, making it a highlight.""Only Chen Erniu, standing there motionless, is a bit disappointing."

The Heir, along with his Third Sister, Fifth Sister, and Eighth Brother, sat watching the rehearsing juniors. They exchanged subtle nods, occasionally glancing at Xu Qing in the distance. Seeing Xu Qing's sometimes furrowed brow, the Heir felt satisfied.

"This boy, he's finally finding it difficult, isn't he?"

"Father's divine ability, the God-Slaying Platform, is a trump card that encompasses all his cultivation and experiences. Forget this boy; even I couldn't learn it back then. Not to mention that countless years have passed, and this place is now a ruin. No matter how he tries to comprehend it, he can't fully succeed." The Heir shook his head.

"Only Ninth Brother inherited his mantle..." The Heir sighed softly, thinking of his Ninth Brother. Beside him, Old Eighth suddenly spoke.

"Big Brother, I think this kind of 'watching the show' mentality is unacceptable. You clearly know he can't succeed, so why do you still make him try to comprehend it? You're being too mischievous! Do you actually hope this boy succeeds in his comprehension, or fails?"

The Heir's face darkened as he looked at Old Eighth.

Old Eighth recoiled, realizing he had misspoken again, and quickly adopted a fawning expression.

"The Heir is concerned Xu Qing might become complacent in his comprehension, so he wants him to experience his limitations here, allowing him to grow better in the future," Princess Mingmei calmly stated. "Additionally, with this experience, when Ninth Brother revives later and teaches him the method of the God-Slaying Platform, Xu Qing will be better prepared to learn."

Fifth Sister nodded slightly; she, too, held Xu Qing in high regard.

Old Eighth hesitated, a thought constantly on his mind that he dared not voice. Yet, he finally couldn't resist, speaking in a low voice.

"What if he genuinely succeeds in comprehending the killing intent? After all, Father once said, 'Existence leaves a trace.'"

The Heir fell silent. Princess Mingmei also remained silent.

Fifth Sister gazed at Xu Qing's figure and spoke softly, "That would mean his comprehension is even more astonishing than Ninth Brother's. And Ninth Brother, back then, was believed to have the same level of comprehension as Father..."

Existence leaves a trace.

In this world, everything that has ever existed is like this. Be it people, objects, events, or divine abilities. The wind remembers everything, the earth retains memories, and all things under the heavens are the same. Even as landscapes change drastically, the Heavenly Dao leaves its imprints.

Even if the Heavenly Dao itself forgets, who knows if a higher will exists above it, meticulously recording every scene from countless eons?

It's just that some traces are too faint, making them difficult to perceive. People instinctively assume everything has vanished without a trace and cease to acknowledge them. Yet, in reality, this may not be the case.

"What limits the strength of divine abilities is imagination..." This remark from Princess Mingmei significantly impacted Xu Qing, opening a window for him that connected to the heavens and the earth.

The scene outside that window was not fixed; it was determined by imagination.

Just like now, Xu Qing, sitting cross-legged on the shattered altar, felt the wind. It was the ancient wind that had been sealed within this world, blowing through the eons.

Xu Qing fell silent. Not only his actions but also his inner self, his body, his soul—indeed, his entire being—fell into a profound stillness as the wind blew. All external sounds vanished, and absolute silence enveloped everything. His mind was utterly blank, devoid of thought or intention.

Only the wind blew through his perception; it didn't stir his hair or flutter his clothes, yet it created layers of ripples and concentric waves within his sea of consciousness. As the ripples spread, hazy, ink-wash like figures began to emerge. Their forms were indistinct, without fixed shapes. These hazy, ink-wash figures continuously merged and separated, as if striving to piece themselves together to truly form a picture. They seemed to want to display the content they remembered to the outside world, to everyone, and to Xu Qing.

Unfortunately, perhaps the traces hidden within the annals of time were exceedingly faint, for the ripples stirred by the wind ultimately failed to truly manifest the scene. Furthermore, Xu Qing's comprehension also had its limits; it hadn't truly reached an unprecedented level of brilliance. Thus, he couldn't genuinely comprehend anything from these ink-wash images.

The ink-wash images gradually lost their vitality, slowly settling into tranquility. Little by little, water remained water, and ink remained ink. They no longer merged, each receding into obscurity.

Yet, just as the ink-wash images were about to vanish, Xu Qing's instinctive unwillingness surged within his sea of consciousness. His subconscious told him this was an immense opportunity, and it was a one-time chance. If these ink-wash images truly dissipated, he would lose this crucial opportunity forever.

And so, a burst of seven-colored light erupted from Xu Qing's sea of consciousness. The brilliant radiance illuminated all directions, merging into the fading ink-wash images, as if to imitate, retrieve, and perceive them. Previously, Xu Qing wouldn't have been able to do this. But now, the simulation he had comprehended from the dawn light made everything impossible, possible.

The next instant, the ink-wash churned, and the seven-colored light spread within it, outlining various scenes and forming figures. Though still blurry, they were much clearer than before. The scenes that appeared were richer, and the figures within them became increasingly distinct. They even collided and merged, vaguely seeming to reveal a complete scene.

Faintly visible within the scene were two figures: one in the sky, one on the ground. The figure in the sky raised a hand, while the figure on the ground looked up. But just as clarity was imminent, a fleeting, rapidly moving will abruptly appeared within. It was killing intent.

The moment this intent emerged, it was like thunder from the nine heavens. Xu Qing's sea of consciousness trembled like never before; wind, rain, thunder, and lightning seemed to coalesce, and the sun, moon, and stars themselves appeared to burst forth within this killing intent. It was as if even a sovereign would be shaken by this killing intent, and gods facing it would be struck with terror. This intent lasted only for an instant before it shattered the scene and vanished.

Xu Qing's body trembled, and his previously blank mind began to stir. He had a strong premonition: this was the killing intent the Heir had spoken of.

"If I can find it and simulate it, then... the scene that just emerged might truly solidify."

Xu Qing believed that comprehending this killing intent wasn't the main goal, but merely a step; the true objective was that elusive scene. With this thought, the seven-colored light within his sea of consciousness burst forth brilliantly, instinctively searching and simulating. For a time, the ink-wash churned boundlessly.

Simultaneously, the rehearsal outside concluded. As everyone became familiar with their roles and gained confidence, the grand performance was ready to officially begin. Ning Yan and You Jing had already changed into their costumes.

Before it began, the Captain stepped forward, first bowing to the Heir and the elders, then clearing his throat.

"Everyone, perform well. I'm juggling several roles, so I won't be personally recording this. I'll use my specially made 'little orb' to capture everything, then transmit it to the 'outer orb' outside. After processing, it can be projected onto the sky screen."

As the Captain spoke, he took out a luminous orb, ready to send it into the sky for automatic recording. But at that moment, the Heir waved his hand, swatting back the 'little orb' the Captain had produced.

"There's no need for that!" the Heir stated. "Your method is a bit inconvenient; it requires everyone to look up, and some areas might not even be clearly visible. You go back and perform your role as High Priest well. You don't need to concern yourself with the recording here."

The Heir spoke indifferently, then raised his right hand and waved it towards the sky. Instantly, a stream of crystalline light shot out from his sleeve, soaring upwards. After pausing high in the air, this light transformed into an enormous mirror fragment. The fragment was a massive thousand zhang in size and irregular in shape. Yet, the moment it appeared, a sense of immense grandeur surged forth, and even the Captain felt as if the mirror was emanating the aura of the Inverse Temple.

The Captain's eyes gleamed with wonder, and everyone else's hearts were deeply stirred. The thousand-zhang mirror now slowly rotated in mid-air. Once it faced the ground, it reflected everything below. Then, the image within the mirror expanded, focusing on everyone present with astonishing clarity.

"This object was my Father's supreme treasure, known as the Eye of Heaven," the Heir explained. "This eye could perceive the nine heavens above and the ten netherworlds below. Before Father's defeat in his battle with the Scarlet Mother, he shattered it himself into countless pieces, scattering them into every mirror in the world. He also infused his will, giving its artifact spirit a final decree: to henceforth obey the will of all living beings. Subsequently, the artifact spirit absorbed the faith of all beings, thus creating the Inverse Moon Palace. As for this fragment, it's one of the largest pieces remaining after the Eye of Heaven shattered."

"Using this mirror to record means that, through the Inverse Moon Palace's artifact spirit, the images will automatically appear in the minds of all beings across the entire Moon Sacrificial Grand Domain," the Heir continued. "We won't need to process it and then broadcast; it will happen simultaneously! Now..."

The Heir gazed at everyone. The Captain's spirits lifted, and Ning Yan and the others felt a surge of emotion. They quickly invigorated themselves, yet couldn't help but feel nervous, knowing their performance would be perceived by the outside world the moment it began.

"Everyone to your positions! The performance begins!"

The thousand-zhang mirror instantly flared with light. Simultaneously, the Inverse Moon Palace, hidden in an unknown realm outside, saw its inner mountains violently shake. All its temples uncontrollably erupted with dazzling, blinding light. As countless Inverse Moon Palace cultivators watched in horror, images automatically appeared in their minds. It wasn't just them; at that very moment, throughout the entire Moon Sacrificial Grand Domain—mortals, fierce beasts, all cultivators, and even those from the Red Moon Temple—found images appearing in their minds. A grand play had officially begun.