Silent Crown

by Feng Yue

  Everything of Ye Qingxuan was ignited.

  “We’re finished.” Auden forcibly pulled away his right hand and looked at Ye Qingxuan, who was rapidly withering in the flame, half of the body having turned to ashes, and his expression was one of unconcealable shock and fear.

  It’s hopeless for him. Despite being the genius that he is, in the end, he still couldn’t break through the limit. What’s more, the various kings of the first generation has already cast down the godly punishment…

  Among the many masters, Auden’s school was famous for having a solid foundation. At the critical juncture, he was naturally fast to react. He immediately suppressed the invading force from Ye Qingxuan’s body, then decisively made the necessary sacrifices to save himself and forcibly cut himself off from the chaos originating from Ye Qingxuan.

  But others were not so lucky.

  In particular, tempted by the Ultimate, a considerable number of people had undergone strengthening once and had yet to integrate the strength that had been obtained suddenly. At the moment, their reaction was slow, and in order to end the disaster, they had suffered immense damage in just an instant. Some even had to make up their mind and sacrifice part of themselves, forcibly splitting themselves from the power bestowed by the Ultimate, giving up the fruit of success that they had risked their lives for.

  At the moment, looking at how tragic Ye Qingxuan’s situation was, everyone felt utter despair. According to the contract between the two sides, if they simply watched Ye Qingxuan die, they would have no hope of advancing even the slightest bit for the rest of their lives, eternally unable to arrive at the Originator and lose the favor and blessing of aether forever…

  But what could they do other than watch him die? Be burnt to ashes with him?

  In the short span of an instant, despite Mabel disregarding her life to transfuse the fire of Nirvana into Ye Qingxuan, she could hardly stop his flesh from decaying. The human body was too fragile in regard to flames of tens of thousands of degrees. In only a moment, it was completely charred. After the short span of a few seconds, it turned into a handful of ashes.

  Only a grotesque skull was left in the flames, shrouded in vague indigo moonlight. However, it was obvious that the moonlight was no longer controlled by any consciousness. It was like a candle in the wind, about to completely dissipate in a moment under the erosion of the flames.

  In the silence, someone slowly reached out and held Ye Qingxuan’s skull in her arms, despite the fire engulfing and igniting herself. Everyone was stunned.

  “God loves me.” In the fire, the old nun closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the look in her eyes returned to blankness. But then, a strong ray of light burst forth from the deathly silent emptiness.

  A melody that was as deft and elegant as a flying bird flowed out of the blankness. It was like the wind, the moon, poetry, spring water, and all the beautiful things that were constantly changing in the world.

  In a flash, countless strands of music theory that were constantly changing poured into the remaining body of Ye Qingxuan, gushing into his Symphony of Predestination and consciousness that had been burned entirely.

  An enormous power reawakened from the body of the old nun. It operated mightily, causing resonance from the heavens and the earth and eliciting response from God.

  Schubert.

  Schubert’s scepter reawakened from her body once more.

  So, it was as if stars were reflected in the eyes, and they were so beautiful to the extent of being captivating, but also so majestic that one dared not look straight at them.

  Like thousands of dexterous hands, countless strands of music theory combed through and corrected the music theory in disarray that was like a cauldron of chaos. Next, they transfused vitality into him, smoothing the ruins, irrigating it with rain, spilling sunlight down, and poured all the power into him with no regard for the cost.

  It was as if a miracle had descended once more.

  But everyone’s expression was still ashen.

  “It’s useless.” The lame musician, who had one-half of his body burned, gave a forlorn laugh and shook his head. Right from the moment they were repelled, the final outcome was already fixed. Any further attempts to salvage the situation would be of no help.

  No matter how strong the power, a precondition must be met. For Ye Qingxuan to be able to recover, Ye Qingxuan must still be alive.

  Once a person had died, no matter what powerful force was to be used to patch him up, what could be obtained would be nothing more than an empty shell. As a master of the school of mind, at the moment of letting go, he could clearly feel Ye Qingxuan’s consciousness shattering.

  It was as if his consciousness had been cast into purgatory and the abyss.

  Any consciousness was as fragile as a bubble under the crush of such horrifying elements.

  Would there be bubbles in hell?

  Even his body had been burned to ashes. How could Ye Qingxuan still survive?? But then, the tragic laugh of self-mockery on his face froze.

  An illusion-like melody sounded in the dead silence. It was like a blurry echo from the distant horizon, but also like a fine melody lingering in one’s ear. It was like an illusion, yet it was so real.

  In the frozen air, wind blew from afar, sweeping up the embers in the flames. But in the ashes floating upwards and dissipating, it was as if an invisible soul was singing softly.

  Low drumbeats sounded from thin air, turning into a sonorous rhythm.

  In the blink of an eye, the sound became clearer and clearer, ringing in everyone’s ear. A rumbling sound burst forth abruptly from the vagueness. Unusually sharp sounds converged, then evolved into a clear melody once more.

  It was a melody, the roar of a musical movement.

  Someone was playing fanatically.

  Eulogizing in the ashes!

  665 Electricity

  It lasted for only a moment in the falling illusory land and in the collapsing consciousness. The movement was completely burnt to nothingness as countless music theories were completely evaporated within the blazing flame. Within the element of the Originator, not a single music note remained. The flames continued to burn even when the ashes have already dissipated.

  The expression on the King of the Sun’s face changed. He could sense that something still remained within the element of fire that had completely melted away all of Ye Qingxuan’s power. There was a power that could not be obliterated within the layers of ashes.

  Ye Qingxuan was still alive!

  Shortly after, the first music note flowed, followed by the second and the third. Very soon, music theories gushed out from the blazing fire like a waterfall. It was as if Pandora’s Box had been opened and all the catastrophes have been completely unleashed. Not only did those music theories not dissipate under the burning and impact of the flames, but they solidified instead. The King of the Sun was taken aback momentarily before realization finally dawned on him and he let out a roar of anger.

  Alchemy? It was actually alchemy! He was using the flames as a cauldron for the Symphony of Predestination that he had just created. Subsequently, he borrowed the blazing fire to forge his own music theory!

  B*stard!

  That lunatic was crazy enough to use his consciousness and power and everything he had and turn them into resources. It was as if countless metals had been thrown into an alchemy furnace that was as if tens of thousands of degrees Celsius in order to turn them into new alloys. All the dregs that were unable to survive the high temperature would be completely eliminated. The power that could remain would have already passed the test of billions of years and would have achieved its most perfect state.

  And now, it was time to start the furnace. “Perfection” emerged from the furnace. The flames were shredded from within by the blinding light and the terrible sound that seemed to torment the entire world.

  It was lightning. Only lightning could produce flames that were this blinding, so much so that they resemb
led molten metal that was flowing in the sky. Countless streaks of lightning crossed each other to form the vague humanoid outlines. The intense light shredded the air, as if countless instrumental chords were being strummed and performed, producing ear-piercing sounds. But when the sounds of countless streams of lightning gathered together to form a brand new melody, only to be governed by the will from within, an incredible unity and harmony was produced. It was perfect and flawless.

  This was a qualitative change. A real qualitative change had finally taken place. Just as Abraham’s movement contained metallic friction, at this moment, Ye Qingxuan’s music theory also possessed a unique quality.

  “Lightning? No, it is just pure electricity.” Within the vague outline, the flow of electricity trembled and ear-piercing shrieks gathered together to form a hoarse voice. “When the ‘way of deciphering’ has been advanced to the very end, both sides will clash and produce electricity?”

  At this moment, within the countless streaks of electricity, billions of music theories were either being born or extinguished, and in every single second, music theories were clashing with each other billions of times at speeds that were unimaginable to humans. But due to the restriction of the way of deciphering, even if there could be no way to perceive or control, the vast and boundless power continued to be restrained within Ye Qingxuan’s will.

  No matter how turbulent the power might be, it would continue to advance on a stable path. Underneath the surface of the turmoil, the beauty of harmony was demonstrated every single moment. Just like a machine. The Holy Caldron was the positive end while the abyss projection was the negative end. Their collision resulted in a state of Quiet Moon that was more berserk and turbulent, which was nothing he could have ever imagined. Using this as the core, all of Ye Qingxuan’s music theories had all been connected into a series.

  A brand new Symphony of Predestination had been forged from the flames and within the ashes.

  “Is it very disappointing that I’m not dead?” Within the chaotic streaks of electricity, Ye Qingxuan’s face gradually appeared. He stared at the enraged kings before laughing uproariously. “Don’t be so upset. I have more bad news for all of you.”

  Boom! Burning hot electricity shot out of Ye Qingxuan’s eyes. He took the first step towards the sky. He opened his lips and with a booming clap of thunder, he declared, “Let me tell you, everything that you have left behind will be completely dismantled and taken apart!”

  The ground shook. Against the attacks of the projections of the kings, he kept moving forward. His body was constantly being broken and reborn, all the while shortening the distance between them. The sound of thunder was still reverberating, causing the walls to crack, the pillars to break and metals to rust.

  “Let me tell all of you…

  “The epoch that all of you had planned for has long been destroyed by the people that came after you!

  “The countries that all of you have left behind have all turned into breeding grounds for decay!

  “The future that all of you have imagined has turned into the fuel for rebellion.

  “The world that all of you thought you saved is about to be buried underneath the system that you left behind!”

  In the end, the figure that was shrouded by electricity was close enough. The figure that was originally slender in frame was now a huge giant. The King of the Sun was held within his palms before all five fingers closed and tightened very slowly. At this moment, all the kings looked so miniscule. Just like dust.

  Ye Qingxuan smiled teasingly. “Now, shall we discuss again whether I deserve to possess this power?”

  Underneath the crown, the King of the Sun’s expression was withered and rotten. His eyes were red with rage. “I curse you, rebel! A person like you has no right stepping into the halls of the Ultimate!”

  “As you say. Anything you say.” Ye Qingxuan tightened his fingers indifferently. “Goodbye to all my kings. My character shall not be judged by all of you anymore; my life no longer needs to be decided by people who are way past their times; my future shall not be sacrificed for your world.”

  Boom! Streaks of electricity shot out. The outline of the blazing sun was completely shredded and the elements collapsed. The body of the King of the Sun was decimated instantly, leaving behind the ancient crown, which fell through the gaps of Ye Qingxuan’s fingers and smashed onto the ground and turned into dust. But the berserk electricity continued.

  In the silence, Ye Qingxuan turned back and stared coldly at the door of the hall that was tightly shut. “To the thing that’s behind those doors, do you hear me!” Ye Qingxuan muttered to himself as if the hoarse voice could reverberate between heaven and earth. “My life belongs only to me!”

  In the next instant, streaks of electricity shot out as chaotic and booming melody played as the door suddenly opened.

  …

  In the silent darkness, there was a sudden sound of something breaking. The surface of the exquisite and beautiful octagonal crystal was full of cracks. The surrounding dim flames were multiplied and reflected by the crystal into countless types of flames. Some of them were like a furnace fire while others were like molten lava. Some of them were dim and dull while others were blazing as if they intended to burn down the entire world.

  As the crystal cracked, the path towards the Ultimate was also broken. The person who had been meditating finally woke up. A scar that seemed to be caused by a streak of electricity appeared on the face of the androgynous person. The scar healed quickly, only to burst open. It healed again for a second time, only to burst open once again. Streaks of electricity danced within the crack and it appeared as if it would not be extinguished easily. There was a foul burnt smell.

  “He has discovered me.” Paganini frowned. He stretched out his hand and touched the scar on his forehead. There was a sliver of electricity on his fingertips. Remnants of electricity on his fingertips shone light on his face, which remained expressionless.

  He looked at the electricity and pondered. What is this?

  666 Crack

  “Is this the failure that you had predicted?” The lively looking Naberius squatting beside him whistled. “You just had to be impetuous. Wasn’t it you who was always telling us to keep a low profile?”

  “Failure is no great obstacle,” Paganini replied softly. “Besides, things are settled overall, right?”

  “Seems like it.” Naberius shrugged. “You know how important this opportunity is to us.”

  Paganini said nothing.

  For a long time, the World of Dark had been filled with all kinds of madness. People often regarded Dark Musicians as akin to demons, evil spirits and catastrophes, but even so, there had never been any strife between them. Even in the process of exercising their power they had never gone to war.

  As soon as Paganini entered the Abyss, he was among the best of the ministers when compared to the catastrophes under Hyakume’s command. But he had never really taken on a leadership role.

  The prevailing faction in the Abyss had always been made up of Hyakume’s subordinates and descendants: catastrophes, demons, and even half-dragons, moon spirits, iron dwarves and more.

  After the fall of Hyakume, the monolithic Abyss had splintered into a number of factions, and there was fierce fighting over who would become the new leader. But for some reason, among the many beings in the Abyss, only Paganini the Abyss Sage had been recognized as having the best chance.

  This was a turning point for the Dark Musicians.

  If he could prove his ability, then he would surely receive the support of the dark ministers. But if he failed, then Dark Musicians would only be able to serve as thugs and cannon fodder in the Abyss.

  “To be honest, I’m curious. How did you convince those stubborn fools?” Naberius made a circling motion around his temple.

  After swallowing up tons of the darkness of humanity, those “geniuses” who had ingested tremendous amounts of consciousness and elements of the Abyss, and had be
en turned from demons into humans by Hyakume itself, were the dark, deceitful demons known as “abyss sages.”

  Their function was just like the College of Cardinals in the Sacred City. They provided counsel to Hyakume and order to the Abyss.

  After the Abyss collapsed, they had mastered all of the secrets and powers left behind by Hyakume. Now that the dark ministers sought to unite the Abyss, their assistance was naturally indispensable.

  But everyone was very curious, why had those “geniuses” chosen Paganini…

  “It’s very simple,” Paganini said softly. “I told them: this has been a mistake from the beginning.”

  Naberius was dumbfounded.

  “Hundreds of years ago, the Abyss started to penetrate out from the realm of aether. But from beginning to end, they had only followed the so-called gods. I told them that this was a waste of effort.”

  Paganini was casually denying the will of Hyakume. Naberius couldn’t help but sigh. “You really dared to say this?”

  “Why not?” Paganini asked him. “Humans cannot guess the intentions of the gods, and the gods cannot understand humans. Humans’ perspective is too small, so small that such vast entities have difficulty comprehending it. Even when Hyakume reduced itself into the former Dark Pope in order to try and understand humanity, it still could not. Humanity has never been controlled by the gods. As far as humans are concerned, the gods are too big. And to the gods, humans are too complicated. Humans cannot understand the existence of the gods, and the gods will never pay attention to so-called mortals. If we allow ourselves to be guided by the vast, empty will of the gods, we will never be successful in the tiny Physical World. So, I only had to say one thing to convince the abyss sages: let humanity try it themselves. Not as demons, not as catastrophes, and not as Dark Musicians, but as we who were once humans.”

  “…” Naberius fell into silence. After a while he whispered, “Are you fighting for leadership of the Abyss just like the catastrophes? Let the Dark Musicians dominate the World of Dark…”