From the end of the world

Chapter 724 Heading to the Arctic
Although the true identity of the person holding the seal cannot yet be determined, it is somewhat difficult to explain why Tai Sui would show me such sincerity since he shares the same wish as me and Tai Sui is well aware of this.

After being betrayed by a student he treated like his own child, he encountered someone with a personality extremely similar to his in another place. Surprisingly, he did not show anger or hatred. Instead, he wanted to do everything he could to gain the other person's trust. What kind of mindset was behind this?

Looking back, when Tai Sui talked about his students, he didn't seem to show much anger or hatred. It's not that he didn't feel any at all, but rather that he focused more on himself, feeling regret for "what if he had made different choices back then."

Does he think that things have come to this point entirely because of his own fault?
Tai Sui let out a long sigh.

“...Fine then,” he said.

"Giving up so quickly?" I thought he would come up with some new persuasive tactics.

“No, I haven’t given up,” Tai Sui said. “It’s just that, yes, just as you said, I’ve known your personality and your hidden desires from the very beginning. So, I didn’t think that just by being open and honest, I could immediately make you hand over all your divine seal fragments.”

"I'm simply presenting you with an option and waiting for your choice. Even if you reject it now, the option won't disappear today."

"Tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, or even further in the future... when you change your mind and want to save the world from the crisis of the apocalypse, you will naturally choose me."

"Do you think I'll change my mind?" I said.

“I don’t know if you will back out, but that possibility certainly exists,” Tai Sui said. “Although Xuanming has caused me some trouble, that’s because he doesn’t know the whole truth. In essence, he is someone who, like me, wants to save the world, and I respect his will.”

“Since he believes you are not entirely evil and has entrusted everything to you, I also believe that there is a seed of goodness in your heart. Part of the reason I am being honest with you this time is because of this.”

I countered, "I might also find the Divine Seal of the Present World beneath the Arctic Ocean myself, and then further accelerate the apocalypse... When you told me about the Divine Seal of the Present World, didn't you consider this possibility?"

“Even if you find the Divine Seal of the Present World, you will not be able to manipulate it. Just as you cannot bind to the fragments of the Divine Seal and directly use its power without the qualifications of a Void Realm Apostle. Only I and the Seal Bearer can manipulate the Divine Seal of the Present World, the Divine Seal of Doomsday, and the complete Divine Seal,” Tai Sui said.

No wonder he was so generous in sharing clues with me about the divine seal in the mortal world; that makes sense now.

“However, I still suggest you cooperate with me now. Without me, you will not be able to deal with the Mountain of Two Elements,” Tai Sui said.

"If I am defeated by Shan Liangyi, you will also have a lot of trouble. In some extreme cases, there is even a possibility that Shan Liangyi will take away all the fragments of the divine seal that I possess." I tried to take the initiative.

Before I could continue, Tai Sui seemed to understand my intention. "You want to get from me a method that can fight against Shan Liangyi? Unfortunately, I don't have any methods to teach you."

"You even have a way for Yuchi to defeat the Old Fist God, but you don't have a way for me to defeat Shan Liangyi?" I asked. "Or is it that you'll only tell me the answer if I trade you a fragment of the Divine Seal?"

“Yuchi’s method is not suitable for you. Besides, it’s not that I don’t have an answer, I just don’t intend to give you a duplicate one. Not to mention trading for Divine Seal Fragments, doing so would only make you feel that I have no credibility,” Tai Sui said.

“You mean…” I understood what he meant.

“That’s right, you know better than anyone how to fight against the Yin and Yang of the Mountain,” Tai Sui said. “All you need to do is push open the third door and have a clear direction in your heart. That is to show your great sacrifice, break through the limits of your own soul, and truly master your power of manifestation.”

I said, "But 'giving up what is most important to you for a certain purpose' is a fundamental contradiction, and I just don't know how to truly put it into practice..."

“I’ve already told you, you know that, you just don’t want to face it,” Tai Sui said.

If I truly knew, there would be no need for this distress. Perhaps Tai Sui simply wants to continue using the threat of the Mountain and Yin to force me into submission, which is why he's unwilling to reveal his answer. But this is for the best. Although it's not a transaction through the Divine Seal Fragment, perhaps simply obtaining an answer from him that could change my fate would deepen my connection with him, with the Void Realm, and with the Divine Seal Fragment. That way, his power could directly affect me.

So I changed my perspective and said, "Okay, let's assume I can really push open the third door myself... Wouldn't that cause you even more headaches? Just the two great impermanences, Shan Liangyi and Lao Quanshen, who are already pushing open the third door, would already be obstacles to the world's restart. If I were added to that, wouldn't the situation be even more serious?"

“The manifester can transform into any element and exist naturally in any field. On a grand scale, it can stir up clouds and mist; on a small scale, it can hide its form. When it rises, it soars through the universe; when it hides, it lurks within the waves…” Tai Sui said, “So as long as you are willing, you will not distort the worldview around you like other figures who push open the third door… provided that you can truly comprehend the true meaning of manifestation.”

This description of the realm of manifestation aligns with information I've received in the past, but I'll still remain skeptical for now. It's possible that this is a convenient excuse given by Tai Sui to show that it won't be hostile towards me.

It seems we won't be able to get any more useful information from him.

"Are you going back?" Tai Sui asked. "There's no need for us to talk anymore," I said.

After pondering for a moment, Tai Sui nodded.

“If you change your mind, just call my name,” he said. “Now that you possess so many fragments of divine seals, even if you were to re-enter the afterlife, I would still be able to hear your call.”

"Then, I look forward to your return."

As soon as I finished speaking, the thick fog around me began to deepen until it swallowed everything.
-
When I opened my eyes again, the scene around me had changed back to the living room of my own mansion, and I was sitting on the sofa.

Little Bowl sat next to me, staring intently at me.

"Brother Zhuang Cheng, you're awake?" She slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

Number Seven sat on the sofa opposite the coffee table. She observed my expression and then said, "It seems... your conversation didn't go very smoothly?"

"At least it didn't turn out the way you hoped. You can ask Tai Sui about the specifics later," I said.

When Xiao Wan heard that I addressed him not as "Lord of the Divine Seal" but as "Tai Sui," she showed an expression of surprise.

“I will do so.” Number Seven sighed softly. “Then, my business here ends here…”

Despite saying this, she showed no intention of leaving.

"Is there anything else?" I asked.

"This..." Number Seven was somewhat embarrassed.

"It's about returning to the afterlife, isn't it?" Little Bowl said.

After her reminder, I remembered.

Number Seven was able to enter the real world most likely because he infiltrated the world of the rescued patients suffering from amnesia. According to Lu Chan's report, it wasn't just Fa Zheng, Jian Feixian, and Zhu Shi who entered the afterlife; some of the Luo Shan demon hunters were also among them. Some of the rescued patients suffering from amnesia were sent back to the real world by the demon hunters; otherwise, it would have been difficult for Number Seven to slip through Da Wuchang's nook and cranny.

But this was a one-way trip. Without the cover of a crowd, she couldn't use the Dushuo Mountain teleportation array in Luoshan again. Nowadays, those qualified to enter the afterlife through teleportation arrays are extremely rare, making it incredibly difficult to infiltrate.

Incidentally, I don't actually believe that Number Seven was 100% successful infiltrating last time. As a vital passage between the afterlife and the mortal world, the teleportation array on Mount Dushuo is of great importance even to the divination masters. Since she was able to infiltrate in this way, the gods and humans of the Gospel Institute might also use the same method to enter the real world and cause chaos, and might even destroy the already activated array.

From this perspective, Fa Zheng and his group's actions in helping those suffering from amnesia in the afterlife might have been partly motivated by a trap. Zhu Shi probably hadn't thought that far ahead; Fa Zheng, after all, was willing to secretly support the ruthless Humanitarian Affairs Bureau to achieve his goals. There, countless monitoring systems were operating covertly, checking everyone entering and leaving the formation.

“Then let’s set off together,” I said.

"Are we leaving today?" Number Seven asked.

“Of course, there’s no time to lose,” I said.

However, there are still some preparations to be made before the official departure.

To avoid being caught in the crossfire of the battle, Xiaowan definitely can't come with us, while Mazao will go to the front lines with me. The fact that Mazao and I are both entering the afterlife will inevitably bring about significant changes at the front. This is unavoidable, so we can only send the message to Yuchi first, and then Yuchi will inform Fazheng and the others at the front, so they can prepare.

During this free time, I didn't plan to just sit idly in the mansion, but instead went to the Arctic.

Beneath a cloudless blue sky, an endless ocean of countless white ice floes and glaciers unfolds before me, while a chilling wind howls lonely and desolate.

(End of this chapter)