Chapter 481: The True Beginning
The waves rolled in by the River of Space-Time brought a sensation to Chu Zheng, not of pressure, but of tearing, even assimilation.
Chaotic and shattered fragments of time, nearly endless, no longer were mere reflections of light in the waves but transformed into the sharpest blades of space-time.
Relentless cutting, tearing at Chu Zheng's pure Divine Sense, each Space-Time Fragment carrying echoes of an era, the lamentations of many Great Realms, capable of obliterating the Divine Soul.
An indescribable pain endlessly traveled from his Divine Sense, seemingly erasing his very existence.
Going against the current means that Chu Zheng must endure the massive inertia of the timeline of the entire Great Universe surging toward the future, this force constantly washes over his Divine Sense, trying to erase his memories and turn him into a blank slate.
If completely assimilated by the River of Space-Time, he would eventually be forced to drift with the tide.
Chu Zheng did not stop; at this point, his goal was exceptionally clear.
He just needed to take a look, just a look at the Ancient Source shrouded in layers of mist.
As long as he can know what truly happened in the Ancient Times, he could unravel many mysteries and uncover the truth of the Reincarnation Road.
At the very least, he needs to know why he is on this path now.
Otherwise, even reaching the end of the road would hold no meaning for him.
What he needs is the truth, the genuine facts buried within ancient history.
Even if he must abandon the Dao Seed, abandon the flesh, endure the pain of a thousand cuts at this moment, and bear the ever-present risk of total obliteration, as long as he can return to the past, it would all be worth it to him.
His Divine Sense is like a sword, slashing through the giant waves made of countless fragments of time, journeying against the chaotic currents of space-time that can erase all existence, forging ahead toward the Ancient Source, going against everything.
Every inch of progress is accompanied by the depletion of his Divine Sense and unimaginable pain, like burning scrap iron thrown into a furnace, about to be utterly consumed.
Chu Zheng calmed his mind, concentrating all his attention, but quickly, he noticed something was amiss.
Those chaotic and sharp fragments of time were like millions of bone-scraping steel knives, every sweep brought not only soul-rending pain but forcefully scraped away some parts from his intangible Divine Sense.
These were fragments of memory.
The once vivid scenes, emotions, insights, under the merciless wash of Space-Time Laws, became blurred, faded, and finally flowed away like gravel through the gaps in his Divine Sense.
At this moment, he still remembered he was Chu Zheng, to uncover the truth in Ancient Times, remembering that he sacrificed the Dao Seed and flesh, paying a great price for it.
Yet, the specifics of why he needed to do this began to become vague in his mind, like hidden behind a thick layer of water mist.
The light of this Divine Sense, under continual depletion and the stripping of memory, grew ever dimmer, thinner, no longer complete, with irreparable gaps and cracks inside.
He didn't know how long he struggled in this river of destruction and chaos, maybe ten thousand years, or perhaps just a moment.
Chu Zheng's consciousness, like a candle in the wind, flickered towards extinction, gradually sinking into a deep abyss of chaos without light or shadow.
All obsessions seemed to gradually blur, slowly fade away under the washing of the River of Space-Time.
...
...
"Wake up."
A gentle call, like a stone thrown into a silent deep pond, with a hint of the clarity unique to a young girl, suddenly resounded.
This voice penetrated through the chaos, piercing into the depths of Chu Zheng's consciousness which was about to become completely silent.
Buzz—
Like rusty gears forced to turn, Chu Zheng's consciousness was forcibly pulled back a sliver of clarity by this voice from the brink of annihilation.
The scent of yellow earth, mixed with an indescribable stench, suddenly rushed into nose and mouth, so real, faintly suffocating.
He instinctively slowly opened his eyes, piercing brightness instantly flooded his vision, like countless fine needles, cruelly stabbing into his still chaotic consciousness.
A strong sense of dizziness accompanied by waves of dull pain, like being repeatedly hammered, clearly passed from the back of his head.
"Ugh..."
A suppressed, painful groan unwillingly squeezed out from deep in his throat.
Chu Zheng instinctively bowed his head, furrowed his brow, the center of his brow knotted tightly, the bodily reactions so real and intense, making his already chaotic consciousness even more overwhelmed.
After quite a while, the intense dizziness and dull pain slowly receded like a retreating tide.
"Already stupid, now it's worse."
A voice filled with obvious helplessness and disdain came from above his head.
Chu Zheng endured his discomfort, painstakingly slowly lifted his head, his vision still somewhat blurry, light and shadow swaying, vaguely he saw a figure half-kneeling in front of him.
It was a girl who appeared barely over ten years old, her hair randomly tied with cloth strips, her face still childlike, a straightforwardness between her brows and eyes.
She was wearing a set of faded old cloth clothes, holding a large coarse porcelain bowl, filling with steaming wontons, white mist rising, fragrant aroma wafting.
Chu Zheng instinctively swallowed, all his attention focused on the bowl of wontons before him, this aroma, in stark contrast to the earthy stench he smelled earlier.
Under his watch, the girl suddenly extended two fingers, pinching the edge of the coarse porcelain bowl, applying force with her fingertips.
Crack—
With a crisp sound, the edge of the bowl was forcibly broken into an irregular notch.