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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Two Hundred Forty-Three
The Demon Empress single-handedly supported the demon race. However, the world is vast, and there are many demons who are not under the rule of the Demon Empress. These Great Demons possess incredible power and rarely reveal themselves to the world.
Zhao Yang engaged in a profound conversation about the Dao with the Demon Empress and the Demon Queen. They were astonished that someone as young as Zhao Yang could comprehend truths that had taken them centuries to understand. The three discussed countless Supreme Cultivators and legends of the Celestial Path throughout history, their hearts filled with infinite longing.
Zhao Yang felt grateful for the recognition from the Demon Empress and the Demon Queen. In reality, his level of understanding had already surpassed theirs, but his youth—only twenty years old—made his insights seem astonishingly outlandish. Even the well-versed Demon Empress found herself struggling to keep pace with this young man's thoughts, leading her to regard Zhao Yang with newfound respect.
In truth, there are many talented youths in the world. No matter how strong one individual may be, they cannot surpass an extraordinary genius by much. The key lies in a person's uniqueness.
A person's uniqueness is defined by whether their thoughts are independent of worldly influences.
Indeed, at just twenty years old, Zhao Yang was still a youth in front of those who were centuries old. Some might think he lacked the qualifications to discuss profound truths, but in reality, all principles and insights in this world are not confined by age. While older individuals naturally have richer experiences, for geniuses, experience does not manifest through age.
Many people see bookish scholars as clumsy and claim that reading has made them foolish, unable to perform even simple tasks.
In reality, this is a self-deprecating view.
Scholars do not lack the ability to work; rather, they may not excel at it. Reading does not make one foolish; it makes one wise. If they wish to learn a particular skill, they can do so much faster than others; they simply dedicate all their energy to studying. This dedication is often ridiculed by those who have read little or who believe their life experiences grant them insight into hard work.
This reflects what people often say: comparing one's strengths against another's weaknesses.
Zhao Yang's current knowledge and thoughts were still at a human stage; he did not wish to ponder overly profound principles. He would not act like a Buddha who would sacrifice himself for others; instead, he adhered to his own beliefs: if others do not offend me, I will not offend them. He aimed to be a traveler walking along the path of worldly existence.
If he were still in his previous life—a civilized and developed society—without cultivation or magical powers, Zhao Yang himself would be uncertain about what kind of person he would become.
He could not kill thousands in a fit of rage nor act at will without fear of authority. He even understood that if he retained such thoughts in his past life, others would treat him as if he were insane.
People tend to think this way: within a certain age group, one should possess thoughts appropriate for that age and engage in activities typical for that stage of life. Once someone exceeds others' expectations for their age group, they are often deemed mad and deserving of punishment.
It is hard to imagine how out of place the soul of an old man would feel in the body of a child.
It is equally difficult to fathom how incomprehensible the thoughts of a teenager who has read One Hundred Thousand Volumes would be.
However, Zhao Yang was different. He had experienced much and would never lose himself, nor would he consider himself superior to others. Instead, he viewed himself as an ordinary person, an exceptionally average university graduate.
Zhao Yang had become a Valued Guest of the demon race, free to enter any part of the Sky-Connecting Forest. He was grateful for the recognition and protection from the Demon Empress, knowing that she was great and truly deserving of being a ruler.
After witnessing all his abilities, they showed not a hint of worry or caution.
Zhao Yang, a human, and they, demons, were traditionally at odds. Yet from the moment he awoke, he displayed no aversion or fear. On the contrary, he was quite casual; even when encountering some oddly shaped demons, he showed no signs of discomfort.
To the world, this was quite abnormal.
Zhao Yang possessed various divine abilities, a Mighty Spirit, and extraordinary potential. Once he rose to power, annihilating the demon race would be effortless. Yet the Demon Empress felt no concern for him; instead, she patiently discussed profound truths with him, sharing her insights and nurturing a protective sentiment towards Zhao Yang. She wished for his growth, even knowing that sometimes he could be extreme. But she believed that was passion—that was what it meant to be a man.
Allowing a genius youth with infinite potential—a youth from another race—to grow without any vigilance or murderous intent did not resemble the behavior of a bloodthirsty monarch at all; it did not resemble that of an emperor.
To the world, this too seemed quite strange.
Thus, Zhao Yang regarded the Demon Empress as great. He believed that her confidence did not stem from her overwhelming strength that made her fearless; rather, he understood that in just a few years, he would Transcend Tribulation and Ascend. At that time, the demon race would be leaderless and find themselves in dire straits.
Yet these were concerns that the Demon Empress had never entertained.
She believed that countless ships would pass by as one vessel sank and that new life would flourish before dying trees.
She believed that the waves of the Yangtze River push forward those behind them, with each generation replacing the last.
He believed that a being even more powerful than him would eventually emerge from the demon race.
Now, he was the Great Demon, having shed the thoughts of a beast and taken on the form of the most advanced being in the world. To live in this world, one must hold onto something steadfast.
To be alive, one must have faith.
As a saying goes, if a person lives without dreams, what difference is there from being a salted fish?
Zhao Yang returned to the side of the Heavenly Tree. He remembered when he and his senior brother, Song Baliang, visited the Hundred Birds Night Market. At the Underground Auction House, a certain treasure that was auctioned off was a branch of the Heavenly Tree. At that time, both he and Song Baliang did not think much of it because he believed it was not worth that much money.
Now, standing beneath the Heavenly Tree, Zhao Yang still believed that branch was not worth so much.
This did not mean that the Heavenly Tree was inferior or that it could not lead to Enlightenment.
On the contrary, as Zhao Yang stood under the Heavenly Tree, he found himself irresistibly drawn to the powerful Dao Yun emanating from it, resonating with the principles within him.
Yet Zhao Yang remained firm in his belief that the branch was indeed worthless. Just like many useless things, if they existed long enough, they would become antiques, their value increasing infinitely until they were priceless. However, such things were worthless in Zhao Yang's eyes.
He did not believe there were eternal wastes in this world; however, he believed that once something was deemed waste, it was destined to remain so forever.
This was Zhao Yang's current understanding, but people always change.
Zhao Yang looked up at the Heavenly Tree. With his Divine Sense, he could not discern how tall it truly was, but he dared to assert that it was taller than Heavenly Mechanism Mountain.
The peak of Heavenly Mechanism Mountain had already reached cloud level, where temperatures were extremely cold. Yet the height of the Heavenly Tree was said to reach towards the heavens.
Zhao Yang soared upward, eager to see for himself. He recalled that when he first entered the Foundation Establishment Stage and gained the ability to fly, he realized his flying talent was extraordinary because it consumed no True Qi. He did not know why this was; he remembered dreaming of flying since he was very young and could feel what it was like to soar through the air.
After reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, he found that flying was even easier than in his dreams. With the Perfect Foundation Cauldron providing an almost infinite supply system, Zhao Yang could fly without consuming any True Qi.
This was a matter of great significance, yet it was hard to believe. In the world, people experienced flying and walking as the same; after a day of walking, one would inevitably feel tired. To claim that one was not tired seemed contrary to reason.
Zhao Yang ascended further and arrived at the place where the Golden Handkerchief had appeared before. The lingering aura of the Golden Handkerchief still remained there.
He pondered that no one knew the age of the Heavenly Tree; it had existed since ancient times. Perhaps the Sky-Rending Empress had once been here as well.
He continued to fly upward, not knowing how long he had been in the air until he encountered clouds and freezing mist, making it difficult to breathe. Yet, in his Divine Sense, the Heavenly Tree seemed to stretch endlessly.
Zhao Yang couldn't help but wonder if the Heavenly Tree truly led to the celestial realm.
In his perception, the radius of the Heavenly Tree had decreased by about two hundred zhang. Now, he was flying at an altitude of four hundred thousand zhang. According to the principle of diminishing returns, the distance he needed to cover was much greater than his current height. However, his cultivation level was still insufficient to reach the top of the Heavenly Tree; forcing himself could mean never returning.
The sky grew increasingly cold, and the clouds were solid ice. If it weren't for the Imperial Scripture protecting him, he wouldn't have lasted this long. Here, sunlight could not penetrate; over countless years, it had formed an extremely frigid domain. Although Zhao Yang possessed Dao Fire, it still couldn't contend with the natural chill. Yet, the Heavenly Tree thrived in such harsh conditions; its thick trunk bore no moss but rather frozen bark.
At that moment, after a long silence, the Spirit Pearl suddenly vibrated intensely. Zhao Yang was delighted and followed its guidance. Deep within the frozen clouds lay a peculiar area composed of countless Ice Swords. At the point indicated by these Ice Swords was a pristine white ice sphere radiating brilliance. However, as soon as Zhao Yang approached it, he felt an overwhelming chill emanating from it.
He activated his powers and surrounded himself with a powerful protective shield to fend off the cold. With Dao Fire glowing brightly in his hands, he cautiously approached the ice sphere, which displayed beautiful crystalline patterns.
Zhao Yang was astonished and couldn't help but exclaim, "Is this... the Heavenly Crystal that absorbs the essence of sun and moon?"
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