Chapter 1226: Crossing the Sea

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Chu Qingcheng lowered her head, flustered, “I wasn’t thinking, driven to take on any danger in your stead. As for the consequences, it didn’t matter even if I died.”

“Ha-ha-ha, you haven’t changed at all.”

Hugging her, Zhuo Fan rubbed her back with a smile.

Chu Qingcheng leaned on his shoulder, her heart content to just lay there in his arms. She then cried with a start, “Don’t misunderstand…” 

“Misunderstand what?” Zhuo Fan gave her an odd look.

Chu Qingcheng turned bashful, “T-that He Xiaofeng. I don’t know why a Saint, having just come to the Ruby Cloud Sect, up and started coming on to me. I did tell him that I h-have…”

“Have someone?”

Chu Qingcheng stammered, her cheeks growing hotter, and Zhuo Fan teased.

Chu Qingcheng just gave a meek nod, but then she turned sad, “That guy just keeps coming on strong, ignoring my feelings, even pestering me every day. Like just now, he just wouldn’t let me go once he grabbed me and I just happened to meet you here. So I’m saying not to misunderstand. There’s nothing between us.”

“I know.”

Caressing her hair, Zhuo Fan smiled, “Like I said, you’re mine, but not in the sense of possession. I always believe you felt the same way about me. That’s why I never doubted for a moment, nor misunderstood. You have nothing to explain.” 

Not expecting him to say that, Chu Qingcheng was filled with warmth, then she hugged him tighter with a gratified smile, “Zhuo Fan, thank you.”

“It’s only natural.”

Zhuo Fan patted her back, feeling bloodthirst creeping in from inside. 

[That Saint definitely has something planned to be so obsessed with Qingcheng. Is he after that thing?]

With his Saintly power, killing him on the outside was impossible without leaving a trail. While in the Nether Sea, who would know?

He squinted, his eyes shining with coldness.

He Xiaofeng would never think the same bug he wanted to squash in the dangerous Nether Sea was having the same plan for him. 

He was sure to crack up if he knew. 

[A Bone Tempering cultivator kill a Saint? Ha! I can just sit there and take it yet still he couldn’t scratch me.]

This bug he was after though, had a bite like no other…

“I didn’t know that the Nether Sea became a love nest.”

An aged voice sighed, his words coming in waves.

The two jumped, watching as an old man was walking on the beach with a bamboo basket on his back.

Despite his low voice, the two still heard him loud and clear.

Zhuo Fan’s brow shook, “That’s strange. I didn’t know anyone lived here.”

“The Nether Sea is roamed by lost souls. There are no people here, but souls!” The old man’s ears twitched and looked at him with an amiable smile, “Or are you two people?”

Chu Qingcheng stuck her chin out, “Of course.”

“People have bodies to house their souls, making it impossible to come here. Here are only lost souls, be it of spiritual beasts or humans; not souls exactly, but ghosts.”

The old man smirked, “You just don’t realize you’re dead yet. The souls of the dead from gruesome battles or from detonations are fragmented, slowly pieced together in the Nether Sea. With that state comes loss of memories as well. In time, they will come back though, no rush, ha-ha-ha.”

Zhuo Fan mulled his words.

[So even detonation doesn’t erase you, recovering your soul in the Nether Sea?] 

He asked, “Senior, do all who had their soul scattered can reform here?”

“Not always. The Nether Sea isn’t infinite and can only hold so many roaming souls. It’s all up to fate.” The old man shook his head and smiled, “The fortunate fragmented souls coming here have but a glimmer of hope at survival and reincarnation. The Nether Sea is under the Nether Sovereign’s control. He can save some, but never all. The nature of all living beings is to perish, while reincarnation is earned. The dead should not feel resentment, for that’s how it is.” 

The two nodded.

[Yes, living brings many trials that borne resentment. Does the Nether Sovereign’s seat of enlightenment wash away this resentment?]

[Rumor has it that the Nether Sovereign controls life and death, becoming feared like the King of Hell. Maybe, he is actually a man capable of great compassion or love instead.] 

“How did you two kids die? If you want to cross the sea, I can give you a ride.” The old man smiled.

“Cross the Nether Sea?” Zhuo Fan started.

The old man nodded, “Cross the Nether Sea to shed all mortal concerns. You have to let go of everything from the living realm and pass the Nether Sea to have a chance at reincarnation.”

“Let go?

“Memories, feelings, love, friendship, hate, anger, revenge, greed, everything.”

“Are there any unwilling to cross?”

“There are plenty of those, staying here, in the Nether Sea. Many couples just like you were around that ended up food for the sea beasts to absorb their souls’ energy.”

“Does that mean crossing get us reborn?”

“Crossing takes a whole month, time in which you shed everything from the past into its waters, for the chance at being reborn. Once you reached the other shore, any vestige of the past that you clung to as you crossed would result in your soul vanishing from the Nether Sea. Scarce are those truly worthy of being reborn.” 

The Nether Sea was a just a transit hub, where one shed their past life. By letting go of everything one would begin anew, a clean slate. This was why no one remembered their past life.

Zhuo Fan thought something.

[True Self Art?]

[Maybe True Self Art’s core is to let go?]

Zhuo Fan felt his heart thumping.

The old man shouted, “Hey, do you cross or not? Staying here would let the thick yin of the Nether Sea eat your souls and wasting such a rare chance you got.”

“Senior, we’re not ghosts, but looking for Nether Sovereign’s seat of enlightenment.”

“You came here with your souls?”

“Precisely!”

“Sigh, you just had to come to this hellish place.” The old man pointed at the endless sea, “It’s been ages since I’ve last seen living souls. Now there are greedy people practically dying to come here. To get to the Nether Sovereign’s seat of enlightenment, you must pass this area. Not only do countless sea beast ghosts await you there but also three trials before you reach it. Many brave men died on this path. I can’t believe such a sweet couple would harbor such greed as well. To what end? Aren’t you together now?” 

“There’s been many others here before us?”

“You thought you’re the only one clever enough to solve the puzzle since ancient times?” The old man nodded, “One needs to have the brains and the bravery to solve the Nether Sovereign’s riddle as well. Despite all that, there hasn’t been one person who returned. Why then, ha-ha-ha, must you go as well?”

Ugh!

Chu Qingcheng’s heart tense, looking at the old man with a warm smile, “Hey, senior, we changed our minds. We won’t go to the Nether Sovereign’s seat of enlightenment, but want to return. How do we do that?”

“Humph, now you want to go back? A little late for that.”

The old man pointed at the shore, “It’s hard coming in and harder coming out. You need to cross Nether Sovereign’s seat of enlightenment to return, or forever stay here until death!” 

“You mean cross the Nether Sea and its three trials?”

“Yes, you asked for this, didn’t you? So don’t blame me.” The old man patronized.

Zhuo Fan smiled, turning to a bitter Chu Qingcheng, “It’s fine. As long as we’re together, nothing else matters. We’ve been through this before, haven’t we?” 

“Right.”

Chu Qingcheng nodded, greatly motivated, and said to the elder, “Can you help us cross the sea, to Nether Sovereign’s seat of… where’d he go?”

The old man was gone.

His voice came of faintly, “I only cross ghosts, never bothering with those fated to come here. If heaven wills it, we’ll meet again, ha-ha-ha…” 

His sharp laughter echoed everywhere, but he was nowhere to be found…