Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In the realm of nothingness, the real soul entrusted with Taixu was also in an indecisive state of mind. Never before had Shen Lian felt this feeling of helplessness. When the real soul in the realm of nothingness had a state of mind, it signified that the danger he encountered was already capable of thoroughly wiping him out of the River of Time. There would be a possibility that Shen Lian would no longer exist in the world.
Even if in the future, there existed a person that was similar to him and possessing the same experiences, it would not be him anymore.
For a celestial, the most terrifying thing in the world was not death but the loss of one’s existence.
Shen Lian even felt remorse over his stubborn provocation of the Shangqing Daoist Master’s prestige and dignity. He was so arrogant as to believe that he was able to sound out the Daoist Master. There was no use in regretting everything and the time to repent had come too late.
The emergence of such thoughts displayed the deep shame he had as of this moment. If it was any other time, it would be absolutely unlikely for him to think that way.
Shen Lian was somewhat angry and humiliated. This demonstrated that his human nature had never disappeared and that there were still traces of inherent weaknesses that remained in him. Even with regards to his characteristics, Shen Lian understood that he has yet to be able to call himself truly and exceedingly outstanding. Having witnessed his own repulsive heart, it was indeed something that was not easily confronted.
There was another matter that was even harder to confront which was Shen Lian did not know how he could get out of his current plight. When he faced many of the impasses in his past, the Mastery of Senses would always be his trump card. The same could not be said now as the trump card was of no use whatsoever. This was the reason for his being stuck in such a predicament.
The pure capabilities of the Four Elements were indeed very terrifying. If his consciousness touched it even in the slightest, the result would be an unimaginable and never-before-felt suffering. One of the advantages of undergoing this suffering was that he could lighten his own anger and humiliation.
The high and mighty deity had not yet concentrated on the petty and low Shen Lian. After the Golden Dipper was struck and broken, the deity no longer made any movements. The wreaking Four Elements also dared not go near the deity.
Instead, the strength of the Four Elements dared to torment Shen Lian. There was nothing but consciousness left on him and that made for an enjoyable tormenting.
Shen Lian was at a loss as to how he could fend them off. He had no way of doing so. This kind of suffering would lead to numbness if experienced repeatedly.
It went to the point where he started having thoughts of wanting this to be over as quickly as possible as he was completely drained of strength.
Lady Mother of the Chariot spoke to Kui Li, “You said that he could make the impossible possible. At this point, there is already no possibility that he will survive.”
Kui Li was unable to move but her perception and awareness were still present. In addition, whatever that Lady Mother of the Chariot inflicted upon Shen Lian was through a display of her Dao techniques.
Kui Li was also suffering as she could experience the transmission of Shen Lian’s indecisive state of mind. It was Kui Li’s first time seeing Shen Lian having this sort of mental state. Regardless of how cumbersome an event was in the past, Shen Lian gave the impression of being ever-reliable and that nothing was ever too difficult for him.
This time was the complete opposite. Shen Lian was no longer the celestial who was always brimming with confidence. He had become a person, a true person who was full of weaknesses.
Mortals would say, ‘The person on the street is like jade, the son of an official is matchless and unique’. In the eyes of the spectator, Shen Lian was exactly like the official’s son – matchless, unique, and incomparable. By virtue of being a celestial that walked amongst the mortals, Shen Lian also thought of himself as such.
In the end, he was not as perfect as people imagined and hoped him to be.
In this aspect, Shen Lian was similar to Mahā-mayūrī-vidyā-rājñī whom Kui Li hated with a passion. Both of them were naturally born with talents, possessing the same arrogance and the ending to their stories were both rather similar. They were both put in their rightful places by an aloof and remote Daoist Master. Their earlier conceits were smashed into pieces and they fell in this mundane world, to the point where the option they chose caused people to lose hope in them.
“No one is perfect,” Lady Mother of the Chariot said in a voice filled only with apathy and with ridicule even.
Kui Li did not speak and she looked at Shen Lian with as firm a look as before. She still remembered that fateful day where the snow fluttered about, at the lowest point of her life as a demon, a young man came and saved her from the snow.
During that time, Shen Lian was a hundred thousand times weaker than the present. One thing, however, would never change. Kui Li could still remember the expression in Shen Lian’s eyes when he saved her. There was neither pity nor apathy in his eyes, instead, there was a look of yearning for the beauty of life in itself.
She always believed Shen Lian to be special. Among friends, he was someone worthy of being relied upon. Among colleagues, he was respected. Shen Lian never displayed the kind of attitude that looked down on people, even if it was a disciple with the lowest of cultivation experience in Qing Xuan. He was more than willing to narrate an account of his own experience in cultivation. If today, Kui Li was no more than an ordinary demon, she still believed that Shen Lian would come to her rescue. It was simply a question of friendship and nothing else.
From Kui Li’s eyes, Lady Mother of the Chariot could still see the unwillingness to give up. She did not say anything further since the truth was plain and clear to see. Shen Lian was not that good, at least not as good as people thought him to be.
The burning anger was still present in her heart. It was a tranquil rage but rage nonetheless.
It was because of Shen Lian’s inferiority that he was still the one who was selected by the honored master. Even though honored master broke Shen Lian’s external existence as well as his self-respect, Shen Lian was still the only one that had been tested by honored master in the span of countless past years. This rare honor was once again, never possessed by anyone else.
She felt that no one else could respect honored master as much as she could. No one else could attach that much of importance to the orthodoxy of the Jie Order as compared to her. Why then was honored master unwilling to choose her?
Perhaps this was another reason why she was determined on setting herself against Shen Lian. She was envious, very envious.
Jing Shu was no longer on the stairs. She was not as strong-willed as Shen Lian so she pulled out when she could no longer bear the pressure and watched Shen Lian in that position of an impasse. That bit of consciousness from the Primordial Spirit that floated in the wreaking of the Four Elements was akin to a small boat that could be buried in the midst of a vast sea at any given time.
Jing Shu understood that she was of no help. She was already unable to go near that area.
However, she knew that she could not simply just descend. After all, it could be said that she and Shen Lian had experienced trials and tribulations before at the Yellow River of nine provinces Formation. She thought about that roll of Amitâbha scripture and also recalled the fact that the enigmatic old Daoist allowed her to search for Rāma.
If the old Daoist allowed her to do so, it meant that Rāma and Vishnu had a connection. Vishnu was the most powerful figure in the universe. If he could set himself against Buddha, even if he loses in the end, it would still be a kind of honor and glory. It could be interpreted that he was an extremely formidable deity indeed.
Jing Shu thought that perhaps this Rāma person had a way to request Vishnu’s assistance in saving Shen Lian. Her light travel was fast, which meant that she did not need a lot of time to reach the sea of blood. If Shen Lian could hang on, this may be a solution.
If Rāma was unwilling to help, she could return and seek founding master but it was likely that Shen Lian may not be able to hang on for such a length of time.
Regardless of the outcome, she had to at least try. Sooner or later, she would have to go to the sea of blood.
With that, Jing Shu unhesitatingly incarnated her light travel and headed to the sea of blood. Within a mere fifteen minutes, she reached. The moment she took out the Amitâbha scripture, a Bodhi Buddhist ray immediately drew her into an independent small world. It was a small mountain with a pagoda on top of it. The Bodhi Buddhist ray was on top of the pagoda.
A monk was in front of her. He did not need to speak in order for her to know that it was Rāma.
“A Daoist requested me to present this Amitâbha scripture to you. He said that he wishes to meet Vishnu.” Jingshu immediately said.
Rāma accepted the Amitâbha scripture and placed his palms together, “Many thanks, female benefactor. Poor monk understands.”
Jing Shu spoke again, “Considering the fact that I was troubled to deliver the scripture, I wish to request for your help in saving someone.”
Rāma looked at Jing Shu and sighed, “I cannot save him.”
Jing Shu asked, “Would it be possible for you to request the help of Vishnu in saving him?”
Rāma replied, “Vishnu cannot save him as well.”
Finally, Rāma continued, “That is his trial and also his fate. A bystander can do nothing. Everything depends on him alone.”
