Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Could it be that the starry sky was not an illusion, but that it actually existed?
That was impossible! Why would there be chains in the starry sky? Furthermore, why would there be chunks of huge black rocks on each chain? This was not scientific at all!
Fang Zhengzhi did not know if the concept of science existed in this world. However, with his knowledge from his past life, he knew that this should not be possible.
Wait a moment, could it be that…
Instantly, a legend flashed past in Fang Zhengzhi’s mind. It had something to do with Nüwa. (Translator’s Note: Nüwa is one of the creator deities of the Chinese pantheon)
The legend mentioned one incident in particular, where Nüwa tried to fix the heaven. In that legend, the fire god Zhurong had a massive fight with the water god Gonggong.
Then, Gonggong smashed Mount Buzhou in rage, causing the very heaven to collapse and the water from the heaven to pour into the mortal realm.
Nüwa could not bear to see such scenes of utter destruction and hence, she made five-colored stones to mend the heavens. Also, she used a divine turtle to stabilize the four corners of the world. She subdued the floodwater and killed the savage beasts that came along with it, bringing peace back into the world.
Fang Zhengzhi also knew that this legend had many different versions. The earlier versions did not mention the existence of Zhurong and Gonggong.
The ‘Huainanzi’ (an ancient Chinese religious text) stated, “In the distant past, the four corners of the world were ruined, the nine states were split apart, the heaven was turned upside-down, and the earth could not bear fruits. Inextinguishable fires raged and torrential water swept the earth.”
Ferocious beasts preyed on the strong while bird-like monsters preyed on the old and the weak. Hence, Nüwa made the five-colored stones to mend the heaven, broke off the legs of a divine turtle to stabilize the four corners of the world, killed the black dragon to save Jizhou (one of the nine constituent states of Ancient China), and used the ashes from burning common reed to stop the floodwater.
The version where the fire god Zhurong and the water god Gonggong first appeared emerged during the Eastern Han Dynasty on his previous life. Wang Chong, in his book ‘Lunheng’, explained the collapse of heaven by attributing it to Gonggong’s smashing of Mount Buzhou. Hence, Nüwa and Gonggong became a story where a savior rescued mankind.
In reality, Fang Zhengzhi preferred the version without Zhurong and Gonggong.
Of course, these were all myths. Perhaps there were similar myths in this world too. He himself was not sure how this myth came to be.
However, if someone was a true descendant of Nüwa…
Then, according to the situation in this world, when the Heavenly Prophecy descended on Chi Guyan and him, it could mean that Chi Guyan was descended from Nüwa.
Could it be possible that this legend was real?
Hence, if this legend was real, could the starry sky that appeared behind the Green Rock Door be the one that Nüwa had fixed?
The black chains and the huge rocks bound together by them…
Nangong Hao was able to reveal this starry sky with his Blood Offering.
By connecting all these things together, Fang Zhengzhi was able to make a bold guess. Of course, this was just a guess.
However, if this guess turned out to be real, then Nangong Hao’s action of revealing his starry sea was truly astounding.
Could it be that there was some secret hidden in this once-broken starry sky?
Fang Zhengzhi ceased to think because he could see that one of the big black rock, which was closest to the Green Rock Door, started to crack open.
“Kacha!” Clear light shone from the black rock. It exuded a vast and terrifying aura, making it hard for those around it to breathe.
It was just a flash of light, so why was it so pressurizing?
What was inside the big, black rock?
Fang Zhengzhi did not know. However, Mu Qingfeng, who stood in the sky above, saw it and his face turned indescribably ugly.
He appeared petrified.
Then, Mu Qingfeng started to act too. With his snow-white robes billowing in the air, he rushed without hesitation into the Green Rock Door.
“Master!”
When the disciples of the Heaven Dao Pavilion saw this scene, they all started to worry, even though they did not know what was in the starry sky behind the Green Rock Door.
However, from the aura that came from the Green Rock Door, they all knew that it was something terrible.
“Boom!” Mu Qingfeng’s palms landed on the Green Rock Door, which made it tremble visibly.
However, the door just trembled.
On the other hand, Mu Qingfeng was forced to take three steps back.
Furthermore, Mu Qingfeng paled visibly. Evidently, the recoil from his palm-strike injured him slightly.
Fang Zhengzhi’s mouth opened slightly.
He remembered clearly that not long ago, Mu Qingfeng’s palm was able to close his Near-Life Gate, which he had opened with much difficulty.
This Green Rock Door…
Was it a treasure?!
Fang Zhengzhi did not know what secrets were hidden in the starry sky behind the Green Rock Door. However, he was sure that the Green Rock Door was a one-of-kind treasure.
“Can I take it?”
Fang Zhengzhi was allowed to have this thought in his mind. However, for now, it should remain as nothing more than a thought.
After all, this was no time to snatch treasures. Importantly, even if he wanted to do so, he was completely out-classed.
If Mu Qingfeng could not even close the Green Rock Door, how could he control it?
“Use the Near-Life Dao!” Just when Fang Zhengzhi was thinking about it, Chi Guyan appeared in front of Fang Zhengzhi. Her bright eyes shone with starlight.
“Eh? The Near-Life Dao is effective against this Green Rock Door?” Fang Zhengzhi knew that Chi Guyan was talking to him. After all, she did not know how to do it.
“I don’t know, but there’s no harm in trying!” Chi Guyan shook her head. Her pink dress appeared even be radiant under the shine from the setting sun.
Then…
Chi Guyan moved.
Before Fang Zhengzhi could reply, she rushed forward with a resolute expression on her face.
For a brief moment, Fang Zhengzhi was disorientated. Chi Guyan, while powerful, was also beautiful enough to make his heart shake.
Classy, solitary, and ethereally beautiful.
“Seal!” Chi Guyan cried out. A dot of starlight appeared on her fingernail. It streaked across the sky like a rainbow.
It then landed on the Green Rock Door.
“Boom!” The Green Rock Door started to tremble violently once more. The Green Rock Door, which appeared to be opening, now seemed to be closing. In terms of effect, her finger was more effective than Mu Qingfeng’s palm.
“How can this be? Can it close so easily?” Fang Zhengzhi was stunned too. He did not wonder how could Chi Guyan’s finger be more powerful than Mu Qingfeng’s palm.
He knew that it had something to do with her lineage.
However…
He did not understand how could this door, which Nangong Hao had summoned with such a huge price, be closed so easily.
That was impossible!
Fang Zhengzhi felt that this was extremely strange.
However, at this moment, another figure rushed in front of the Green Rock Door. He was extremely fast and his hands shone with light. This was the Elder of the Fu Xi Valley, Gu Yuan.
“Boom!” He slammed his palm onto the Green Rock Door.
However, after that palm-strike, Gu Yuan’s entire body bounced back as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
However, what shocked Fang Zhengzhi was…
The Green Rock Door closed a bit once more…
“Can it really be closed?” No matter how Fang Zhengzhi thought about it, this seemed like an impossible undertaking. However, reality proved him wrong.
It could really be closed!
Impossible.
This had to be impossible!
Nangong Hao sacrificed his own life to drag Tian Xing into the Green Rock Door to reveal this starry sky. Hence, if it could be closed just like this…
What was the point?
Fang Zhengzhi felt that this was not as simple as it seemed. Otherwise, his suspicions about the Green Rock Door was wrong.
He stopped thinking.
This was because regardless of whether he was right or wrong, the crucial issue was the thing that was hidden inside. They should attempt to close this door.
By closing this door, they could regain a temporary peace.
“Boom!” Mu Qingfeng’s second palm landed on the Green Rock Door once more. This made him even paler as a trickle of blood seeped out from the corner of his mouth.
One could imagine that the recoil one experienced from the Green Rock Door was proportional to the amount of strength used.
Wait a minute!
The amount of strength one used?
Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes opened wide instantly.
At this moment, the disciples of the Heaven Dao Pavilion and the Nine Pinnacles Mountain both started to move.
When they saw this scene, they all made up their mind and without any hesitation, they leaped into the air and rushed toward the Green Rock Door.
It was a majestic sight.
It was as if thousands of stars were gathering together.
Multi-colored lights started to shine on the bodies of the disciples from the Nine Pinnacles Mountain and the Heaven Dao Pavilion. They were all fearless.
As for Nangong Mu, he looked grief-stricken. He stared intently at the Green Rock Door as he stood without moving in mid-air.
Yan Qing, who was behind him, did not take this chance to attack Nangong Mu. Instead, he stood quietly there too like a statue.
“Boom!”
“Boom! Boom!”
Dozens of Sage State disciples charged in front of the Green Rock Door. They used their palms to strike it repeatedly. With each palm, the Green Rock Door would close by a tiny bit.
However, they all paid a heavy price for their actions.
Their faces were pale. Furthermore, blood trickled down the corners of their mouths. One could see that they were in agony.
“It was indeed better to work together!” Fang Zhengzhi thought. He noticed that the Green Rock Door was on the verge of closing and realized that it was time for him to act too.
One had to seize whatever opportunities one could get.
Fang Zhengzhi always viewed himself as someone who was well-prepared To be a well-prepared person, one had to be discerning.
It was like when a treasure dropped from the heaven.
When this happened, many people’s first reaction would be to snatch the treasure. However, the first few to snatch it would often perish.
While they were fighting over treasures here, it was similar in nature.
If he was the first one to act, he would be like many of the people in front of him. He probably would spit out a great deal of blood but he would not receive anything.
He stopped hesitating.
Fang Zhengzhi rushed forward with determination.
“Everyone, move aside! Let me try!” Fang Zhengzhi knew that at moments like this, he must project a certain aura. Hence, he spoke these words so loudly as if he was shouting them out.
Of course, his expression was still cunning.
Naturally, he knew that in these situations, he should appear righteous and brave. This would help assert his dominance.
Thus…
Fang Zhengzhi charged forward.
The disciples surrounding the Green Rock Door were shocked by Fang Zhengzhi’s words. They all made way for him.
“Does this guy want to die?”
“The recoil from the Green Rock Door is immense, is he not afraid of death?”
“I never expect that while this guy appears shameless normally, he can be so righteous at crucial moments…”
“Can he really be the Chosen One?”
The disciples all made way for him. When they saw his righteous expression, they were all shocked.
Mu Qingfeng saw this scene too. His expression betrayed shock as if he had just thought of something. Then, he stepped aside.
Fang Zhengzhi was shocked too.
He was not shocked that they all made way for him, but instead, he could not fathom why did they not smack it a bit more? The Green Rock Door was on the verge of closing.
However, there was still an opening.
“Was I too hasty?” Fang Zhengzhi never expected that he could make everyone stop just by shouting. He expected them to smack it a bit more.
This made the situation awkward.
He could not just ask them to smack it around a bit more for him, right?
Fang Zhengzhi stopped right in front of the Green Rock Door. Before him was a pitch-black sky. Starlight flashed in it.
He could even see that the chunk of rock closest to him was already filled with countless cracks, which were as dense as thick as a spider web.
It was on the verge of blowing up.
Of course…
Most importantly, he had to ensure that everyone looked at him without blinking. No one moved and no one spoked.
Even Chi Guyan had the expression which said, “If you can do it, go!”
“…” Fang Zhengzhi’s lips twitched as he felt the look of ‘anticipation’ all around him. He suddenly understood that it was not because he was too domineering.
These guys around him did it deliberately. In other words, they were all very ‘discerning’.
Fine…
It seemed that he was the ‘praying mantis’.
An entire flock of ‘sparrows’ stood behind him.
(Translator’s Note: This comparison stemmed from a Chinese saying implying the predatory relationship between a mantis and a sparrow.)
He did not even want to claim credit for ‘closing’ the door. All he wanted to do right now was to keep his dignity. How could he close the door by just a bit more?
“Hell Near-Life Chains!” Fang Zhengzhi’s hand moved and six chains of different colors flew out from his palm. They coiled themselves around Green Rock Door.
Of course, just like what he had expected, there would be no recoil if he did not smack it. How could these people here only smack the door without trying to pull it shut?
Fang Zhengzhi’s mouth twitched and a smile crept across his face. Just when he was about to pull, a panicky voice rang out next to him.
“Don’t enter the starry sky behind the Green Rock Door. Quick… recall the Hell Near-Life Chains!” The speaker was none other than Mu Qingfeng.
“What?” Fang Zhengzhi’s heart missed a beat. Just when he was about to withdraw the Hell Near-Life Chains which he had thrown into the Green Rock Door, he felt a terrifying attractive power rushing toward him.
“F*ck me! Why the f*ck is it like this? I’m standing outside the door and all I did was to throw the Hell Near-Life Chains inside. Is this considered entering the Green Rock Door’s starry sky too?”
Fang Zhengzhi was speechless. What made him even more speechless was that as the attractive force came toward him, he also saw the black rock blowing up.
“Boom!” An explosion rang out.
Then, the starry sky behind the Green Rock Gate trembled.
A cosmic tempest now raged in the once-calm sky. Powerful winds started to blow and the meteors in the starry sky, which had just been floating around, were buffeted by it.
This was akin to confirming a famous saying, “My respect for you is like the ever-churning river water. My desire for you is as unstoppable as floods from the Yellow River.”
“…” What could Fang Zhengzhi say? There was nothing for him to say. If he had to say something, he just wanted to ask, “Should I say ‘motherf*cker’? It seems like the perfect occasion.”