Who left their last words here?

Chapter 8: The Second Advancement of Destiny Talent!
The swirling, gray sea of ​​fog was divided by a magnificent and sacred golden road.

Wisps of mist drifted to both sides of the road, but were blocked by the flowing golden light, unable to penetrate it in the slightest.

On this golden road, so out of place with the gray fog, Bai Zhou squatted by the roadside, tilting his head, carefully examining the seven-colored flames on the ground from all sides.

This mysterious flame slowly burned with a dazzling, crystalline seven-colored light, as if the essence of a rainbow after rain had condensed, and mysterious, ancient characters could be vaguely seen flowing and shuttling within it.

What's most amazing is that its flame trembles constantly as it rises and falls, like a heartbeat, full of rhythm.

Bai Zhou suddenly shivered.

He suddenly felt,
This knowledge feels alive!

...He even had the illusion that the embers shouldn't have been lying so casually by the roadside.

Instead, they should be enshrined in ancient, lost ruins, burning quietly in revered temples, overlooking the worshipping people from a sacred platform surrounded by treasures.

"Thump, thump..."

The flame seemed to beat like a vibrant heart. Bai Zhou looked at it for a long time but couldn't figure it out.

Finally, he gritted his teeth and decided to try reaching out.

With a "whoosh," the fire seed transformed into a dazzling divine rainbow, moving aside with lightning speed to avoid being captured by the white boat.

"?"

Bai Zhou's eyes widened.

"Knowledge has become sentient?"

Then he tried to capture it a few more times.

As expected,
Every attempt ended in failure.

After another fruitless attempt,

Bai Zhou gritted his teeth as he stared at the seven-colored flames so close to him.

The embers lay lazily by the roadside, but as soon as the white boat approached, they would dodge away like a startled rabbit, showing remarkable agility.

But Bai Zhou simply refused to believe in this superstition.

If I hadn't seen it, that would be fine, but since it's right here, there's no reason to leave empty-handed after entering a treasure mountain.

"How about... trying spirituality?"

He suddenly realized that it was spirituality that allowed the golden pass to open up this path, and only then did he see this spark.

Without hesitation, Bai Zhou began to try to activate the spiritual energy within him.

...A moment later, a wisp of spiritual energy appeared at Bai Zhou's fingertips.

This translucent spirituality has no physical form; it is like the condensation of the most essential essence of Bai Zhou's body and spirit, pure white and flawless, clean and undefiled.

It is like light yet not light, sometimes flying and drifting, sometimes shifting between reality and illusion, and sometimes as vibrant as the first rays of dawn, full of vitality, truly wondrous.

According to Bai Zhou's understanding, besides "fate," "spirituality" is probably the biggest characteristic that distinguishes the extraordinary from the ordinary.

It is a mysterious quality with endless uses, but Bai Zhou has not yet developed any of it.

...Then, Bai Zhou lifted the spirit and slowly squatted down, bringing his fingertips closer to the fire.

This time, the seven-colored flames hesitated noticeably and moved slightly closer to Bai Zhou's fingertips.

But when Bai Zhou tried to get closer, the seven-colored fire immediately ran to the side as if startled.

"it works!"

Bai Zhou was pleasantly surprised.

Ha, just a rabbit.

He had just learned an article from the knowledge of the gray fog, and could recite it fluently, which was perfect for this situation.

How can animals become deceitful?

Stop increasing laughter.

Then, without saying a word, Bai Zhou generously mobilized even more spiritual energy within his body.

One o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock...

When the seven points of pure white spirituality appeared in Bai Zhou's palm, he suddenly felt dizzy.

A strong sense of weightlessness surged over him, and Bai Zhou's face turned deathly pale as if he had lost all his blood. A feeling of weakness, as if his body had been hollowed out, came from deep within him.

He immediately realized that this must be his limit; he couldn't mobilize any more spiritual energy in a short time...

At this moment, these seven points of spiritual energy converged in Bai Zhou's palm, and clusters of faint light condensed into a blazing pure white halo, dazzling and extraordinary.

Shaking his head to regain his senses, Bai Zhou, carrying the seven pure white spiritual points, slowly approached the seven-colored fire.

"..."

Sure enough, this time was completely different from before.

Sensing the approach of the white boat, the seven-colored flames trembled twice.

But it didn't run away. Instead, it hesitated for a long time before finally succumbing to temptation and rushing straight towards the spirituality in Bai Zhou's palm.

The moment the raging flames enveloped the spirituality, they dissolved it, devouring everything without leaving a trace.

The next second, the seven-colored flames turned to run away.

But it was too late.

You think you can just pull up your pants and run away?
In a flash, Bai Zhou, his eyes burning with intensity, grabbed him—

Refined instantly!

"Om-"

The seven-colored flames that melted upon touching the palm of the hand transformed into seven-colored light that bloomed on the surface of the white boat.

Everything disappeared before the white boat—the sea of ​​gray mist, the golden road… all that remained was a seven-colored flame.

In a daze, Bai Zhou's mind was exceptionally calm, as still as an ancient well. A seven-colored spark landed in the middle of his heart lake, like a seed planted in the soil.

His spirit seemed to have become one with the seed... The seven-colored seed broke through the soil and then sprouted.

Atop the bud was a huge ball of light, shining like a seven-colored shooting star.

Upon closer inspection, Bai Zhou discovered that the dazzling seven-colored meteorite was actually half a fragment of an ancient character...

These ancient characters were unheard of, as if they came from some celestial book. There was an extraordinary and mysterious power hidden in the strokes, and each stroke carried an ancient charm and a heavy weight, shining brightly.

Bai Zhou was deeply troubled, finding it hard to believe that this "half a character" could reveal something far beyond the golden knowledge he had previously encountered, even seeming to possess the quality of being "alive" and thus difficult to grasp.

Its value is probably immeasurable!
One can imagine that if this character were intact, it might not be something that Bai Zhou could touch at all.

It might even bring him unpredictable dangers.

Half an ancient character was imprinted in Bai Zhou's mind.

However, the seven-colored radiance on the characters was almost greedily absorbed by the fortune teller.

"Rumble--"

The seven-colored rainbow fell at the horizon where the sea met the sky, and the dark, silent Sea of ​​Ignorance began to boil again.

Bai Zhou's destiny chart, that little white sun, seemed to be lifted up from below by some force, and suddenly rose more than two feet!
The white boat gazed at the white sun on the sea and, as if struck by a divine inspiration, realized the distance between itself and the Sea of ​​Ignorance.

—Five feet four inches!
Compared to the previous distance of three feet and three inches, it has almost doubled!
And that's not all.

Streaks of rainbow light overflowed from the surface of the Sea of ​​Ignorance, eventually converging into a long rainbow river that appeared between the White Sun and the Black Sea.

The rainbow cascaded down like a waterfall, connecting the sky and the earth, continuously supporting the tiny white sun in an extremely small arc...

A steady, gradual rise!
It was as if at dawn, the sun was slowly rising, with no end in sight.

Black Sea, White Sun, Rainbow River.

The spectacular sight of the sun rising over the sea is truly awe-inspiring.

"The sun is rising..."

Bai Zhou's heart was pounding.

Of course, it's because of excitement.

A rare and invaluable piece of knowledge enabled him to awaken his understanding of destiny and even reach the threshold of genius as described by the crow.

He was already content enough.

But now, with just half an ancient character, his talent has almost doubled again.
In fact, after the awakening of destiny, destiny experienced a second awakening in such a short period of time?

Even now, that little sun is still rising, rising...

Although the process is slow, it is like the Foolish Old Man moving mountains, accumulating little by little until it becomes much.

……but!

why?

Bai Zhou was puzzled.

This is actually a very necessary question.

Because the crow made it very clear—

The indoctrination and baptism of knowledge into destiny analysis, and even its determining effect on talent, all take effect before one awakens to the principles of destiny analysis.

In other words, the moment one awakens to the power of destiny,
The extraordinary individuals' talents are already set!

At least, after Bai Zhou's destiny awakened, the gray mist could no longer flow into his body, nor could it be infused into his destiny.

Presumably, even if we encounter golden fluorescence again, it will be the same.

Normally, if it weren't for this golden road and the seven-colored flame,

He should have recited the departure spell the raven had given him long ago, ended the "ritual," and left this fog that was no longer of any use to him.

—As the raven said, this gray fog is a gift from fate to those who awaken for the first time. But it is not for the extraordinary who have already awakened.

Those who fail to seize opportunities are destined for mediocrity, because from then on, "knowledge" will remain just "knowledge," and no amount of learning can change their innate talents.

and so……

Is it simply because this half of the seven-colored ancient character is special?

A piece of knowledge... capable of altering the extraordinary talents of those with exceptional abilities?

Thinking of this, Bai Zhou found it difficult to calm down.

Because he had an even deeper question in his heart.

His destiny is still slowly rising. If he understands correctly, it's because his destiny couldn't digest all that rainbow light in a short time, which is why it's now absorbing it sustainably.

Only when he has fully digested the information will his astrological destiny be fully defined.

But... that's how it ended up being just half a piece.

What if the ancient characters were complete?

"..."

Just as I was thinking this, a needle-like pain struck from the ancient characters in my mind.

The pain came on suddenly and went away just as quickly, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye, making one almost think it was an illusion.

what happened?

This half of an ancient character...

Bai Zhou opened his eyes in surprise and doubt.

But then he suddenly realized that the road beneath his feet was no longer golden.

The golden light behind him slowly dissipated, and before he knew it, he had arrived at the end of the road.

Or perhaps, while he was immersed in "digesting" the seven-colored fire, the end of the road came to his feet on its own.

"here it is……?"

Bai Zhou looked around with a slightly bewildered expression.

As far as the eye could see was an endless, crimson wasteland, the ground strewn with broken swords and daggers like a forest of tombstones, and tattered battle flags fluttering at the horizon.

The familiar blood moon hangs in the sky once again.

A crimson sky descended, revealing the ruins of a dilapidated city suspended upside down from the dome, with scarlet flames leaping everywhere. Broken, gigantic gears turned slowly above it, creating an illusion that seemed both real and unreal.
"?"

Where did that golden road lead me?

The billowing gray fog was still vivid in his mind's eye, but Bai Zhou knew that he was no longer in the world of the mirror.

An inverted sky, spinning gears, the ruins of a giant, upside-down sky city, and ancient corpses and shattered weapons scattered across the ground...

This place seems to be the ruins of some ancient battlefield.

From one or more ancient and powerful lost civilizations.

If Bai Zhou's guess is correct...

The end of that golden road seemed to have pierced straight through the crevice of the world, transporting him to the other side...

A realm of reflections?!
—The Garden of Eden, the Nibelungen, and the Peach Blossom Spring as described by crows.

On the far side of the blue planet, the place where everything eventually converges.

A hidden place teeming with both crises and opportunities, worthy of a lifetime of exploration by extraordinary individuals.

—It is also Bai Zhou's hometown.

"I'm back?"

Bai Zhou's expression was stiff.

At this moment, the blood moon hanging high in the sky casts a strange, crimson light.

The light shone on the faces of those returning home.

warm.

But Bai Zhou was not moved at all; in fact, his eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

Let's set aside for now the question of how many moons exist in the Reflection Ruins Realm...

This "reflection of the city" is completely different from the simple, harmonious and peaceful Wancheng he remembered!

Dilapidated, eerie, creepy, and magical!

...But this is more in line with the definitions of "reflection" and "ruins".

No wonder the crow said the Reflection Ruins were fraught with danger.

Without skilled techniques, petty tomb raiders who rashly venture into the "great tomb" will only be crushed into a pulp by the passing mechanical rolling stones.

Bai Zhou's back was covered in cold sweat.

He immediately took out the golden pass and channeled the renewed and surging spirituality within his body, which had been replenished after absorbing the seven-colored fire seeds.

Just as Bai Zhou expected.

Useless.

"...So, is this the price?"

Bai Zhou recalled that Uncle Xiang's convenience store always charged an extra price for straws during their "buy one get one half price" promotions.

Every gift bestowed by fate has already had a price tag attached in secret.

Similarly, this is the price to pay for embarking on the golden road and obtaining the seven-colored fire.
Bai Zhou nervously surveyed his surroundings, quickly scanning the area.

It was obvious that this seemingly endless crimson wasteland was the ruins of an ancient battlefield. Besides broken walls and ruins, the most common sights were broken swords and shattered armor lying on the ground.

In the distance, the ground was littered with decaying tents and fragments of tanks, a chaotic trace of where an army had once been stationed.

Amidst these fragments, there is a winding path, clearly worn smooth by footsteps and hooves.

Strangely, the winding path leads directly to a cliff face in the far distance.

But Bai Zhou was certain that the people who left these footprints did not commit mass suicide by jumping off a cliff.

—Because directly above the cliff, a corner of the ruins of that giant city, hanging upside down in the sky, stands quietly.

It was a shocking scene that is hard to describe in words.

What were once ancient ruins now float in the sky; what were once relics of civilization now lie upside down on the dome.

The city hung suspended above this desolate battlefield, like a huge dark cloud heavily pressing down on the sky, forcibly attaching its broken foundation to the vast expanse of heaven.

Beneath the giant, spinning gears, broken towers flickered with flames that had burned for countless years, their severed spires hanging menacingly towards the earth like silent stalactites.

It's hard to imagine what a glorious civilization once stood here, how prosperous its technology and culture were, and what kind of war ultimately shattered it.

"..."

After gazing up at the seemingly endless, upside-down city for a long time, Bai Zhou turned his attention back to what was closer.

...Compared to the distant upside-down city, there was a dry riverbed just a dozen meters away from him.

The conspicuous mass grave there temporarily drew Bai Zhou's attention.

Because in the mass grave, dozens of ancient corpses lay densely packed together.

Calling them ancient corpses might not be accurate, because apart from a few unusually shriveled, mummy-like mummies, the rest were basically just a pile of half-broken skeleton fragments.

Today, these ancient spirits have turned into brown fossils, while some parts of their limbs exhibit an unusual translucent jade-like appearance.

They lay on the dry, cracked riverbed, their skulls and eye sockets seemingly gazing resentfully at the upside-down sky.

Beside them, there was a bright and beautiful red flower in full bloom, swaying in the wind.

—A big red flower?

Where did that big red flower come from?

Bai Zhou was stunned for a moment.

The last time I saw the little red flower was when he was in kindergarten in Wancheng. A well-behaved student like him would naturally receive it every year.

But this is different...

The red flowers were in full bloom, their colors even more vibrant under the crimson moonlight.

It stands out starkly against this lost ancient battlefield, appearing utterly out of place.

...Then, Bai Zhou peered over for a closer look.

The next second, his heart, which had been pounding wildly since he arrived, suddenly slowed down a beat—

There are no red flowers at all!
They were clearly strings of scarlet last words, wriggling like tiny red worms, densely piled up into a "flower".

Moreover, their contents are exactly the same—

Let me rest in peace!

Let me rest in peace!

Let me rest in peace!

【…】

—Bright red flowers, swaying in the wind.

Petals overlap.

shocking!

(End of this chapter)