Chapter 1549: Bai Yueyin's Dao
Upon hearing Yi Yun's question, Lin Xintong was given a shock. She never expected Yi Yun to be so keen to notice Bai Yueyin's soul in her soul sea. After all, although Bai Yueyin's physical body was destroyed which resulted in a drastic drop in strength, her soul still had an extraordinary realm, making it difficult for others to detect her.
After some hesitation, Lin Xintong nodded slowly.
Yi Yun's expression turned cold instantly. "Xintong, tell me. Was Bai Yueyin's goal of recruiting you as a disciple because she wanted to possess you?"
"No." Lin Xintong shook her head. She sighed, "It's not possession but fusion. Master and I will fuse as one. There's actually no choice in the matter. Master has her difficulties as well."
"Fuse?" Yi Yun snorted. "Doesn't fusing as one still require a main person in control? Xintong, you are too kind and weak. With Bai Yueyin's strong personality, she would definitely be the main person in control. You will slowly lose yourself."
Lin Xintong remained silent for a while before saying, "Master isn't what you think she is. Besides, I agreed to the fusion of my own free will. I also have my reasons as there are no alternatives…"
When Lin Xintong said that, Yi Yun felt his heart wince for her. He knew that Lin Xintong's reason had partially to do with him. He had been planted with a tracing mark by the Ancestor God. If the Ancestor God was not killed, he would hardly survive His pursuit.
Yi Yun sighed as he gently hugged Lin Xintong. "Regardless of what the future entails, we will face it together. As for your master, she is an empress of the Sinkhole. She was a Godly Monarch since ancient times and has lived all this while. Do you think you understand her?"
In this world, it was very difficult for kindhearted people to stand above the rest. From the battle with the Ancestor God hundreds of millions of years ago to this present day, Bai Yueyin had been engaging in battles her entire life! Later, Bai Yueyin had even established her own dominion, creating a divine empire that appeared to last for all eternity! How could such a person be seen through so easily?
Lin Xintong remained silent. Yi Yun focused his psyche forces as he penetrated straight into Lin Xintong's glabella. "Xintong, open up your soul sea to allow my psyche entry. I wish to meet her. Besides, she is likely waiting for me as well."
Yi Yun had many things to say at that moment. He wanted to question Bai Yueyin, which included the grudge regarding Azure Yang Lord.
Lin Xintong naturally did not resist Yi Yun's psyche strength. The next moment, Yi Yun had entered into Lin Xintong's mental world.
Lin Xintong's soul sea was like a pocket world containing a clear lake with crystalline water. It was picturesque and too beautiful to be fully appreciated at once.
Amid the crystalline water was a girl with supple skin. Her raven black hair cascaded down freely into the water like a blooming black rose. She was naked, but it was impossible to make out anything from the water's concealment.
Bai Yueyin!
She was the peerless woman that stood atop the Sinkhole. Despite only having a soul body after having her body destroyed, Yi Yun could not sense anything weak about her.
Against this woman, Yi Yun had highly conflicted emotions. She had saved him, but she had also harmed Azure Yang Lord. In order to fight for the world, she had forced Lin Xintong into a path of oblivion.
Bai Yueyin flew up and at the moment she turned around, the flowing water settled above her body as it transformed into a blue gauze robe.
She was as light as a butterfly. Her toe tapped gently on the water's surface as she gently landed by the bank.
She turned back and looked at Yi Yun. Her eyes were filled with extremely conflicted feelings. They were like wistful thoughts or recollections of the past, as well as sadness…
The look in her eyes startled Yi Yun a little. He had planned on interrogating Bai Yueyin. Of course, he had also destroyed Bai Yueyin's plans. He believed that she would be angry or have eyes filled with killing intent, but Yi Yun never expected to see such a reaction from her.
"I never expected you to inherit his heritage. Furthermore… you have already cultivated to this stage."
"Oh?"
Yi Yun's brows pricked up. He was surprised that Bai Yueyin would say something like that.
"Back when I saw you defeat Divine General Skyjade, I saw your strength. That's Senior Lin's 10000 Demon Wheel of Existence…"
Senior Lin?
Yi Yun was taken aback. Bai Yueyin was likely referring to the Dao Originator Celestial Thearch.
This was also the first time Yi Yun was hearing the Dao Originator Celestial Thearch's surname. Back when the Dao Originator Celestial Thearch came to seek Empress Sheng Mei, he came into the universe containing the Sinkhole. He kickstarted the Martial Dao and left behind heritages. To the warriors in the Sinkhole, even for those Ancient Godly Monarchs, the Dao Originator Celestial Thearch was a lofty figure. He was like a god or legend. People would usually address him as the Dao Originator Celestial Thearch, but Bai Yueyin had addressed him as Senior Lin.
This gave Yi Yun a feeling that Bai Yueyin had met the Dao Originator Celestial Thearch before. That was the only explanation for the way she addressed him. And compared to other ancient mighty beings, Bai Yueyin's relationship with the Dao Originator Celestial Thearch was likely even deeper…
"This is probably fate. Back then, Senior Lin established my foundation with his heritage. And now, you are using the same heritage to sever my Dao…"
"Sever your Dao?" Yi Yun snorted coldly. "Your Dao is to possess your disciple? Is your Dao to ignore past feelings and to harm your own husband?"
Azure Yang Lord's death made Yi Yun harbor unpleasant feelings towards Bai Yueyin. He was greatly indebted to Azure Yang Lord, and if it was possible, he naturally wanted to avenge him.
"Kill my husband?" Bai Yueyin's brows pricked up.
Yi Yun waved his hand, causing a tiny black pagoda to appear out of thin air as it floated above his palm. "Don't tell me you do not recognize this pagoda…"
"The God Advent Tower… So you were referring to Jian Qingyang." Bai Yueyin wore a cold expression. "I never expected you to know what happened tens of millions of years ago. You must have received Jian Qingyang's heritage, right?"
"Yes. I can't understand why you harmed Senior Azure Yang and why you married him. You were an Ancient Godly Monarch, a lofty existence. Senior Azure Yang was merely a Royal Sealed Divine Lord. If not for you, he would enjoy a illustrious life for tens of millions of years even if he ceased to improve beyond that of a Divine Lord."
"Illustrious life for tens of millions of years? In the universe's billions of years of history, there have been as many warriors in the world as there are sand. Just living for a few million years is only but an instant. Everything beneath Godly Monarchs are ants. And above Godly Monarchs, one has to bear the burden of shackles. No one is destined to live an illustrious life. Life and death are fated. To fall before reaching the pinnacle of the Martial Dao will only reduce one to pieces. It also means that the light shining from providence on that individual is insufficient. The Jian Qingyang you speak of… Tens of millions of years ago, my soul had been shattered by the enemy. I used the Grand Reincarnation Technique to split my soul into 18,000 fragments. They were imbued into unborn fetuses and laid dormant. When these girls grew up, my consciousness awakened. Jian Qingyang's wife had a wisp of my consciousness. When all my consciousness awakened and finally fused, that would meant my sixth incarnation…"
"Your soul was split into 18,000 fragments? Doesn't that mean you wiped out the consciousness of that many girls at once?" Yi Yun frowned. Although he was not a kind person, he did not like Bai Yueyin's actions.
"I had planted my consciousness into them when they were still fetuses. They were a part of me to begin with. But if you insist that I had robbed them of their consciousness, there is nothing to be said against it."
Bai Yueyin's voice was cold. She thought nothing of it.
Yi Yun took a deep breath. He knew that the woman in front of him had seen countless happy and tragic life-and-death situations in the long river of history. The number of people she killed with her own hands was probably innumerable.
Such a person had long seen past everything.
There was no benevolence to the world. All entities in the world were no different from dogs. Bai Yueyin was a Godly Monarch who had lived for billions of years. She was like a god to ordinary mortals. To her, all life was equal, be they dogs or humans. They were just different forms of life.
"Yi Yun, I know what's on your mind. The Ancestor God has left a tracing mark in you, but you have great ambitions. You believe that once you break through to the Godly Monarch realm, you will be able to fight the Ancestor God! But you probably do not have the time needed. Besides, even if you break through to the Godly Monarch realm, you will not be able to break through the shackles that bind Godly Monarchs. You will ultimately not be the Ancestor God's match."
"Godly Monarch shackles?" Yi Yun was taken aback. He recalled what Bai Yueyin had said. Everything beneath Godly Monarchs are ants. And above Godly Monarchs, one has to bear the burden of shackles.
Bai Yueyin sighed. "The Heavenly Dao is incomplete. Billions of years ago, the Ancestor God had chipped away at the Heavenly Dao. In ancient times, Godly Monarchs were common, but after that happened, Godly Monarchs became fewer in number. There might not even be one in a hundred million years. It has also made my cultivation face great challenges. Back then, Empress Sheng Mei independently mastered the Grand Reincarnation Technique, but I have no choice but to use Xintong's help. This has been in the works for so long, but your appearance has destroyed my plans…"
Chipped away at the Heavenly Dao? Yi Yun was stunned for quite some time when he heard Bai Yueyin. The Heavenly Dao was ethereal; yet, the Ancestor God had managed to take a portion away from it!? This strength was astounding!
"Therefore… due to the incomplete Heavenly Dao, you are destined never to become a perfect Godly Monarch. It's virtually impossible for you to defeat the Ancestor God. Over the billions of years since the Heavenly Dao became incomplete, there have been rare geniuses who had become Godly Monarchs. However, their Godly Monarch realms were flawed. That is the shackles they are unable to escape from."
"After these people became Godly Monarchs, they enjoy extremely long lives. However, when they cast their Godly Monarch powers, their cultivation levels will suffer losses. Their lifespans will also be consumed. If they engage in battle frequently, they will slowly enervate themselves, causing their realms to fall while they die of age. Therefore, all the Godly Monarchs in the Sinkhole remain reclusive."
Upon hearing Bai Yueyin's explanation, Yi Yun felt enlightened. It was no wonder the various major factions in the Sinkhole like the First Beginnings Immortal Gate, Great Cosmic State, etc did not have a Godly Monarch presiding over them.
Apart from Bai Yueyin, no Godly Monarch appeared to create a dominion for themselves and create their own dynasties. Logically speaking, if the Sinkhole produced a Godly Monarch every hundred million years and Godly Monarchs enjoyed extremely long lives, there should not have been a lack of Godly Monarchs in the Sinkhole with time.
It was quite normal if a Godly Monarch or two liked to remain reclusive, but things were odd if all of them did the same.
"I see…"
Yi Yun understood why the major factions chose to pay homage to a Godly Monarch. By providing the Godly Monarch with valuable treasures, they exchanged for a favor from their respective Godly Monarchs who would take action for their sects at critical times.
With the Heavenly Dao being incomplete, this was indeed the best choice for the Godly Monarchs.
"It appears you aren't burdened by the Godly Monarch shackles," said Yi Yun. From the present circumstances, perhaps Bai Yueyin was the only Ancient Godly Monarch left to date!
Bai Yueyin was the only one among all the Sinkhole's mighty figures to have broken through to the Godly Monarch realm before the Heavenly Dao became incomplete. This was also the reason why she managed to establish the White Lunar Divine Empire.
In fact, without any exaggeration, Bai Yueyin could rule the Sinkhole if she wished so!
Which Godly Monarch would dare fight Bai Yueyin when the Heavenly Dao was incomplete?
"Since you aren't burdened by the Godly Monarch shackles, the removal of the Heavenly Dao by the Ancestor God should have little effect on you. The order of this world is even beneficial towards you. You are truly the strongest person in the world. But among all the Godly Monarchs, you are the only one to engage the Ancestor God in intense battle, to the point of ignoring your life. Why? To save the world? To save yourself? …"
Bai Yueyin shook her head. "It's precisely because I'm the only one not burdened by the Heavenly Dao's shackles that makes me the only person in the Sinkhole who can threaten the Ancestor God. So how can He spare me? If I don't kill Him, He will kill me. There is no end to our fighting."
"The peak of the Martial Dao is hard to reach. Countless warriors have attempted to climb that peak, but they have ultimately been reduced to dust. To escape Samsara, the only way is to reach his level. What's the point in living an ignoble existence?"
When Bai Yueyin said that, she let out a long sigh as her beautiful eyes seemed to be pondering over something.
Yi Yun knew that Bai Yueyin was referring to the Dao Originator Celestial Thearch!
The coldblooded and heartless combat empress would always show the frail emotions of a woman when she mentioned the Dao Originator Celestial Thearch.
Bai Yueyin had mentioned before that the Dao Originator Celestial Thearch had established her foundation years ago. It was obvious that the Dao Originator Celestial Thearch enjoyed an extraordinary spot in her heart. This spot was irreplaceable!
"Don't tell me… you wish to find him?"
This thought suddenly came to Yi Yun. According to Godly Monarch River of Forgetfulness, the Dao Originator Celestial Thearch had left behind his heritage, only to leave the universe they were in after finding Empress Sheng Mei. Perhaps, he had returned to the 33 Skies or he had gone to another dimension's universe!
This multiverse was far bigger than Yi Yun could imagine. The Sinkhole and the 33 Skies were just one of the many universes in this massive multiverse. Why wouldn't one explore it?
Yi Yun was inclined to believe that the Dao Originator Celestial Thearch had gone exploring the multiverse with Empress Sheng Mei!
If that was the case, how could the ambitious Bai Yueyin be willing to stay in the Sinkhole?
Besides, she seemed to have special feelings for the Dao Originator Celestial Thearch…
This was reasonable after all. No matter how coldblooded and heartless Bai Yueyin appeared, she was still a young, impressionable girl billions of years ago. She could not help but feel a sense of admiration towards the Dao Originator Celestial Thearch who passed her his teachings and changed her life's trajectory.
"You wish to kill the Ancestor God to prove your Dao?" asked Yi Yun suddenly.
Bai Yueyin looked at Yi Yun in surprise. "You are pretty keen. That's right. By killing the Ancestor God, I will obtain the Heavenly Dao's fragment. If I can refine it to become my intrinsic Royal Seal, that might be my only way of reaching the peak of the Martial Dao. However, that is too far into the future. Now, my body has been destroyed and you are taking Xintong away. It's equivalent to severing my Dao."
Upon hearing Bai Yueyin, Yi Yun let out a heavy sigh. He realized that Bai Yueyin's combat engagement her entire life wasn't because she was attempting to save the world, nor was it about the White Lunar Divine Empire or all life. To her, they were just fleeting.
She only wished to prove her Dao.
Back when she met the Dao Originator Celestial Thearch, she was extremely weak in comparison. Since she was unable to reach the heights where Dao Originator Celestial Thearch and Empress Sheng Mei stood upon, she might have hidden her feelings and tiptoed around the issue.
Perhaps there would come a day when she reached a height that approached them. It was Bai Yueyin's obsession. Perhaps, her Dao was to seek him…