Silent Crown

by Feng Yue

  It was the immortal-bundling lock, followed by the immortal-banishing platform, then the lake of nine levels of hell. Finally, Yuan Changqing sighed and closed his eyes. A majestic suit of iron armor appeared on his body as he climbed up the stairs and stepped onto the platform.

  With the boost from the City in the Sky, Chun Jun sword was undergoing a rapid transformation. It was completely covered by a thick blanket of scarlet as the weapons of the universe gathered together to form the dragon-slayer sword.

  “I had wanted to have a proper battle with you. It’s a pity that you didn’t give me the chance…” He lowered his head and looked down at the prisoner, who was restrained on the guillotine. There was a look of pity and regret in his eyes. “Is there anything else you want to say? You can say anything you want. You must have some last words.”

  Mr. Hu kept quiet for a long time before he suddenly whispered, “Everything that I have done has been a mistake, right?”

  “Perhaps.” Yuan Changqing answered indifferently, “But in this world, who dares to say that he is always right?”

  “Indeed.” Mr. Hu hung his head. “Regardless of right or wrong, something had to do it, right? Even if there comes a day where the world will be flooded…”

  “Indeed.” Yuan Changqing nodded as the look of pity never left his face. What a worthy opponent. Why couldn’t we have sparred against each other?

  Mr. Hu kept quiet and merely closed his eyes. For some reason, he recalled the look on his teacher’s face before he died 15 years ago. That old man was not shocked nor enraged. He did not even put up a fight. He had merely taken a look at the blade of the sword that had stabbed into his chest, then smiled. With whatever strength and energy he had left, he embraced Mr. Hu.

  “Little monkey,” the old man, who had turned into a monster, muttered softly, “from now on, I’m afraid you will have to suffer.” Those were his last words.

  Why didn’t I understand what he meant earlier?

  “After all of you have grown up, you all will succeed me…” Undoubtedly, that was his teacher’s last hope that he had pinned on all of them. “All of you will grow up to become the pillars of this country, and become heroes that will far surpass me.”

  Indeed, there will come a day when I will pass on too. And all of you will inherit my conviction, my power and… my mistakes! All of you represent the future and you will all surpass me. All of you will find a way to break through the limitations I faced and face this cruel world. You will either choose to maintain the status quo or choose to change everything. All of you will become… heroes!

  “Yes, leave it to me.” This was an answer that was given 15 years too late. He muttered under his breath and lowered his head. He had found himself in the worst possible situation, yet his heart was filled with unbelievable joy. He could not help himself as… tears flowed freely.

  Amidst the roars of heaven and earth and the congregation of the weapons of the universe. The end was here.

  “Farewell.” Under the murderous melody, Yuan Changqing raised the dragon-slayer sword and said farewell, “It is my honor to be able to kill you.”

  Mr. Hu laughed and looked up at the sky. “Teacher, please watch me from the heavens.”

  Perhaps everything that I have done has just been a waste of my efforts. Perhaps the only thing that would come out of all my sacrifices was just a huge mistake. But even so, there had to be someone in this world to make this decision. And if this decision was wrong, then may it be rectified a new mistake. Use a new mistake to overwrite the old one then.

  Amidst the endless mistakes, lives would pass on. As time interchanged between war and peace, heroes would emerge, only to be overthrown eventually. The land, the sky, and the world would all undergo changes. But there would be no end to mistakes, and they would always be too far from what was right. As long as this mistake was passed down, there would come a day in the future when everything would finally be made right once more! This was what it truly meant to be a hero.

  “I want to… become a hero!”

  In that instant, the final seal, “Tai Shang,” opened up in the depths of his eyes. With that, the hero of the world had arrived!

  …

  The world beneath the dragon-slayer sword suddenly stopped. Within those burning pair of gold-colored eyes, the trace of the dragon-slayer sword was brought to a sudden halt.

  There was a sharp and high-pitched sound from far away that pierced through the clouds, which was then followed by the sounds of drums and metals clashing against each other. It was as if a melody, that was filled with despair and finality, was spreading in all directions. Beneath the immortal-bundling lock was a shackle that was formed by the interweaving streaks of lightning. It began to tremble violently as it was no longer able to hold down the terrible power that was emerging from the body.

  From the lake of nine levels of hell, countless forms of darkness were screaming at the top of their lungs. More and more spots of burning light were rising from the depths of the ocean abyss, like the blade of a sword piercing through the darkness. In the end, all the evil spirits and beasts evaporated even as they screamed.

  Within the ocean of light, countless music theories were interwoven with each other and were extending out of Mr. Hu’s body. Beneath his flesh and muscle, the alchemy formations that had been carved into his bones were all beginning to light up, one by one. A fire that seemed capable of creating heaven and earth was coursing through his veins, burning his flesh and muscle and limbs. All the ordinary human parts had completely evaporated. Right now, there was only a bright and burning silhouette that could not be looked at directly. This was the final work of Tai Changqing, Seal of Tai Shang!

  With catastrophe as the source, the fearsome ape was completely burnt to ashes. In turn, the human was given incredible power and flames to become a vessel that was capable of miracles and would turn life into hammer and pain into felt. With the spirit-tower heart, and setting moon and seven stars, countless intentions flowed within the flames of light. Finally, after everything had been gathered together, an element, that was so bright that no one would be able to look at it directly, was finally cast. “Hero”!

  A hero had arrived. The impact was terrifying that the Lord of Deva quickly retreated with a solemn look on his face. Yuan Changqing was the only one with joy on his face.

  “Yes! This is the way! This is how it should be!” He could not help but laugh out loud while gripping Chun Jun sword tightly. Completely bathed in a temperature that was so high that it was capable of evaporating anything, he rushed towards his enemy, who was slowly rising within the burning light. His steely eyes were filled with hope that did not seem human.

  “Bai Heng was right after all! You are the opponent that will force me to do my best… Come over! I have been waiting for 20 years for this day to come!” He burst into wild laughter like a beast. He struck with his sword and tore through lightning and fire and into the flame. In a flash, the light of the sword flowed and penetrated 8,000 worlds and stabbed at the enemy.

  In that instant, the immortal-bundling lock was completely broken. Golden armor appeared from within the flames, and streams of seven-colored light interwoven into clouds before descending from the sky. After the catastrophe and he had been completely burnt, the man, who had now become a hero, lifted his head. In his hands, empty gravitational force gathered and extended forward to unleash a terrible power that was capable of distorting the entire world.

  There was no music theory or element or aether. Just pure power! A total of 108,641 jin!

  Hurricanes began to blow. The land trembled like water ripples as flames shot up into the sky to light up the dark heaven and earth. Amidst the roars, Yuan Changqing flew out. An arm was completely broken, but it was also repairing itself rapidly. His entire body was covered in scarlet-red blood, making him look like the devil.

  But there was only the look of joy on his face. There was no hatred in his eyes, only… pleasure and gratitude. He did not f
ear the enemy’s power, but was completely rejuvenated instead!

  “What is… that?” The prince was pale in the face. After personally witnessing such terrifying power, he began to doubt this world.

  “That’s a hero.” Bai Heng smiled as he admired this scene. He raised his cup of wine and took a gulp before continuing calmly, “Seems like there is quite a lot of truth in that legend. Tai Changqing had dug out an ancient artifact at the foot of Luo Jia mountain. It was said to be an artifact that was used by the ancient Devas to hammer into the seabed in order to stabilize tsunami.” He paused for a while and pondered for some time before saying the name of that object, “Super-mass tidal brake valve.”

  771 Hero and Death

  “Snort…” Someone was amused by this strange name. But his smile soon disappeared.

  Within the blowing hurricane, it was nearly suffocating.

  The center of the battlefield was no longer visible, and only the destructive storm could be faintly glimpsed. Thunder and electricity intertwined. This was a storm created by a single person.

  A terrible tornado rushed into the sky.

  Someone was using their own individual power to resist the full-scale siege of the Nine Families of the Dragon Bloodline!

  “There’s nothing funny about this,” Bai Heng said coldly. “In legends, once it started it could pin the seas under only its own weight, trapping the mighty power of the tides. Before Tai Changqing took it away it had pinned the North Sea for 400 years, settling 4,800 months worth of tides. The natives called it ‘The Needle that Pins the Sea,’ the artifact that the Celestial Emperor sent down to the mortal world. Before I had seen it with my own eyes I thought it was a legend and a joke. I never would have thought that something so terrifying would exist in the human world.” He paused, lifted his cup and filled it with the dust on the wind. He then overturned it, pouring the bloody dust back into the wind.

  Twisted pieces of iron shrieked through the violent wind, shattering the porcelain cup in his hand and leaving a torn wound.

  Bai Heng lowered his head and looked at the wound in his finger. He licked it and his expression became calm.

  “Look, in the face of it, no natural disaster is worth fearing. Everyone, this is the strongest musician under the Emperor’s command. As long as he makes up his mind and sacrifices himself he can easily destroy our coalition forces. After Master Yuan dies in battle, I am afraid we will have to directly face that hero’s power…”

  Amid the silence, Bai Heng grinned and turned to say farewell, “So, I will go ahead and prepare. I would ask that you all stay calm and don’t get too excited.”

  Soon his figure melted into the distance and was not seen again.

  …

  In the violent storm, a power that exceeded the limits of the imagination swept across, cracking the earth and distorting it. A great quantity of soil was swept up into the air and surrounded the void weapon, creating a fierce tornado.

  The distorted gravity enveloped the hero’s hands. The power that was originally unrealistic became real under human observation, creating a field so dark that even light was distorted.

  He held the weapon that had once fettered the ocean and tethered the tides and tidal waves like wild horses. After overlooking the terrible cost and countercharge, it had become an all-conquering weapon.

  The sand that was drawn in by the gravity surrounded it, creating an ultra-dense substance even greater than steel, just as satellites were bound by the gravitational force of their star.

  In reality, it was unlikely that there was any material in the physical world that could withstand a frontal attack from it.

  The cost of harnessing this power, even for this man who had transformed into a hero, was probably not as easy to pay as he had imagined.

  The power that had been exchanged for the burning of a catastrophe was the qualification needed to use this terrifying force.

  In such a chaotic environment, the aether still retained its substance, resisting the gravitational attraction. But a line of silver light still peeled off the hero’s body, tangling up into a circle and wrapping around the dark area like the thorns around a rose.

  That was the mark of burning life.

  With this power you were unbreakable!

  Facing the power accumulated by the Nine Families of the Dragon Bloodline for centuries, Mr. Hu roared, and instead of showing weakness, pressed harder and harder against the siege, dealing a heavy wound to the Torch Dragon.

  Even so, a huge hole opened up in his chest. The sword that had nearly pierced the heavens stabbed out from Yuan Changqing, piercing through earth, water, fire, and wind, tearing through rain and iron. Under the cohesion of the sword movement aether transformed into iron light, too fine for humans to discern, that slashed forward along with the Chun Jun sword.

  The sword should have stabbed into empty air, but just like light penetrating into water, after heavy refraction under the deflection of gravity to an angle too fine to measure, it entered the enemy’s chest.

  There was only a slender slice in the chest, but a riotous blast of aether burst a hole in Mr. Hu’s back. If he had not already transformed into a non-human, he would already have been smashed to pieces by the chaos of the sword.

  Faced with such enormous pressure, Yuan Changqing’s offensive had not only not slowed down but had grown more and more fierce.

  It seemed like he was… indescribably happy.

  The things which he had desired for so long was right before him.

  A strong enemy and death.

  Both of them were now at his fingertips.

  And so, he reveled like a wild beast.

  After abandoning his cumbersome body, Yuan Changqing had incarnated a Holy Spirit with the Chun Jun Scepter. Now, bearing the brunt of the storm as well as Mr. Hu’s offensive was like the rust was being ground away in an unreasonably fierce manner.

  He wore his learning lightly.

  Yuan Changqing’s music theory itself was something he had sought from death itself. After 20 years of loneliness and waiting for what he had exchanged for was an unprecedented increase in power.

  It was not an increase in quantity, but a change in quality.

  It was not even a promotion of his Scepter and music theory. In the Chun Jun Sword, the elements formed of gathered killing power expanded wildly, emitting a huge amount of pressure.

  In his ecstasy, the elements continued to expand and shrink, shatter and reform. They were born and destroyed dozens of times, divided into four parts which intertwined with each other layer upon layer until it formed a strange matrix. When the four intertwined into a ring Yuan Changqing’s figure grew thinner and more frightening.

  He had already integrated everything into the Chun Jun Sword.

  Even the Chun Jun Sword, which had been forged from the bones of lords of past eras could not withstand such insane power, and faint cracks appeared on it. In the end, in his ecstasy, Yuan Changqing turned the sword around, aimed it at his body, and cut horizontally.

  After two passes with the sword, he fell apart along with the Chun Jun Sword.

  In the blazing light, the furnace of creation played out once again. An endless amount of aether came together, flying with the four lines of elements and forming four completely different images.

  He sought death within death.

  In his display of abandoning his life, he had grasped the essence and meaning of life… and then had completely abandoned that cumbersome thing!

  He had gazed at death, he had pursued death, and finally… he had become death!

  At that moment, the bell in Yuan He’s sheath rang out a lament.

  A broken sword fell from the sky and into his hands. It was the body of the Chun Jun Sword. After stripping away Yuan Changqing’s decades of cultivation, it had reverted to its original form.

  The Yun Chun Sword had always been the sword that Yuan Changqing carried. It was never more than a step away from him. For it to appear in the hands of a
nother could only mean one thing—Yuan Changqing had died.

  But Yuan He did not wail and beat the ground, nor did he even shed tears like an ordinary person. There was no sadness in his eyes, only an indescribably envy, and a fascination with those four rays of light!

  Life was nothing more than the process of seeking death.

  Death was worth it.

  At the moment of death, Yuan Changqing, the strongest head of a household in history, had touched the realm that the ancestors of the past had been fascinated by, lightly treading on the edges of the Originator.

  At that moment, the Originator roared, and four rivers surged out. After piercing through the realm of aether they fell from it and absorbed the power of the sea of aether. Most of the aether in the Empire of Aurora was involved in this, forming a terrible vacuum.

  Then it fell into the elements that had flown out of Yuan Changqing’s body.

  Under the reflection of the four elements, all things and every phenomenon were frozen in an instant. Only the endless blazing light and terrible darkness gathered in the sky.

  Four figures emerged from the elements, each of them with Yuan Changqing’s face. One was a child; one was an old man; one was in the prime of life, cold and fierce, like he would destroy everything; and one was quiet as a virgin, it fluttered illusorily, so that it was difficult to tell if it existed or not.

  The four of them had four different ancient swords. The elements on the swords echoed each other, creating an outline of purest death and destruction. Music theory spread out from within, intertwining to form a huge alchemy array that covered the entire battlefield.

  Everything cried out a lament.

  It was now that the four elements revealed their own essential power within the void.

  Punish, slay, trap, sever!