Chapter 678: Chapter 466: True Spirit Warning, Taking a Master

This belated awakening has entirely shattered Fu Pinglan’s last mental pillar. Though he stands there, his heart is barren, as if only an empty shell remains.

Whether Ji Zhouyin kills him or not makes no difference to him; the future of the Martial Path and the two realms is essentially in Chu Zheng’s hands.

Everyone will perish.

In the face of Fu Pinglan’s death-wish, the ancient, unchanging indifference on Ji Zhouyin’s face finally shifted.

He looked at Fu Pinglan’s eyes, which seemed to have lost all brilliance, and let out a long and complex sigh, tinged with a barely perceptible regret.

“Pinglan…”

Ji Zhouyin’s voice was no longer cold as iron, but carried a hint of sighing:

“I once advised you, told you not to be too attached to Zheng Chu. Such obsession would only backfire.”

He shook his head slightly, his gaze seeming to penetrate time, landing on a more distant past:

“Previous Martial Ancestors have long deduced the grand scheme. The great momentum is irreversible, and the time and space of eternity have already made its choice, which is beyond human power to resist and even more so beyond obsession to alter.”

As he spoke, Ji Zhouyin’s gaze refocused on Fu Pinglan: “The result of your stubbornness… now, you have witnessed it yourself.”

“Heavenly Punishment fell, Gui Zhen died, one part of Heavenly Fate was lost, the vitality of the Martial Path was severely damaged, and even aroused the anger of the Heavenly Destiny True Spirit. All of these were caused by your defiance against the trend, forcing the unobtainable fruit.”

Listening to Ji Zhouyin’s seemingly lofty teachings, Fu Pinglan’s eyes showed mockery, his lips twitching slightly, yet he couldn’t bring himself to smile, ultimately voicing a hoarse response:

“So? You spare my life, saying all this, are you hoping I can help you with something?”

Ji Zhouyin restrained all complex expressions and spoke gravely:

“I spare your life now, not out of old affection, nor out of good will, but to let you atone for your sins with merit.”

He paused, speaking words of stunning impact: “To let you assist Chu Zheng in the final step.”

“You want me… to help Chu Zheng?!”

Upon hearing Ji Zhouyin’s words, Fu Pinglan’s once lifeless eyes erupted as if a red-hot iron had been thrown into a lake, boiling instantly:

He straightened his nearly collapsing frame abruptly, staring fiercely at Ji Zhouyin, his voice nearly tearing from extreme shock and anger:

“Ji Zhouyin, have you lost your mind?!!”

“Heavenly Punishment died because of him, with not even a bone left, form and spirit completely annihilated! Not a shred of True Spirit escaped the universe, the Dao Seed dissipated!”

“Blood vengeance remains unpaid, blood debts unsettled, and now you actually want me to help him?! You might as well kill me now!”

In the face of Fu Pinglan’s volcanic rage, Ji Zhouyin’s expression regained calmness, his tone indifferent:

“Fu Pinglan, Heavenly Punishment died because of you, the fault lies with you, not with Chu Zheng.”

“Had you not insisted on pursuing Chu Zheng, disregarding the bigger picture, forcing your way into the universe, had you not blundered in strategy, getting trapped.”

“Had you not been unable to protect your disciples, requiring Heavenly Punishment to sacrifice his life, burning himself out to send you to safety, how could Heavenly Punishment have ended like this?”

Ji Zhouyin’s gaze was like a sharp blade, almost cutting open Fu Pinglan’s chest:

“Every conflict between him and Chu Zheng, traced to its source, started because of you. When he was trapped in the River of Space-Time, it was already a warning. You dragged him into this avoidable deadlock again!”

“You…”

Fu Pinglan staggered as if struck by lightning, violently trembling, stumbling back a step, his face turning deathly pale like gold paper, seeming as though it aged ten years in an instant.

Pft——

Extreme anger struck his heart. A mouthful of fresh blood spewed wildly from Fu Pinglan’s mouth, the pale gold blood mist spreading, his body could no longer support itself, crashing to the ground, his hands clutching the cold ground, his head hanging low.

Kneeling in a pool of blood, Fu Pinglan’s body trembled violently. Suddenly, he paused, slowly got up, staring dead at Ji Zhouyin, spoke in a cold voice:

“Did the Heavenly Destiny True Spirit not issue any other decrees?”

“Yes.”

Ji Zhouyin did not conceal it, nodding frankly: “Another decree is to exhaust all efforts to execute Chu Zheng.”

The loss of a part of Heavenly Fate has already provoked the Heavenly Destiny True Spirit.

Having learned from the past, it fears a repeat of Ancient Times, and it reacted even before Chu Zheng entered the Ancestral Realm.

Fu Pinglan’s expression regained calm, speaking in a deep voice: “You also refused this decree.”

“Correct.”

Ji Zhouyin nodded in acknowledgment: “Just like in Ancient Times, not only Martial Path, but I imagine the Immortal Path has also received the decree, and perhaps the ancestors of the Myriad Realms have sensed it.”

“Even at this point, you still intend to help Chu Zheng?”

Fu Pinglan’s gaze was obscure: “Give me a reason.”

“I seek peace of mind after death for myself and future generations, to enter reincarnation.”

Ji Zhouyin showed no hesitation, his eyes full of serenity:

“The struggle of Dao cannot resolve the fundamental problem, even if the Martial Path truly unifies, it remains the Heavenly Destiny True Spirit controlling the universe. The Heavenly Fate belongs to the Martial Path, not to us. This is something I realized not long ago.”

“The warning from the Heavenly Destiny True Spirit precisely indicates its fear. Chu Zheng is the only one who can change the situation in this world, whether in the past or now.”

At this point, Ji Zhouyin paused, then said: “The so-called Ancestral Daoist is merely a puppet of the Heavenly Destiny True Spirit, but Daoist Ancestor Zheng Chu is different, he mastered the Heavenly Fate.”

“At my age, struggling for this life holds little meaning. I wish to gamble on the next life.”

“I won’t force you to help Chu Zheng; decide for yourself.”

The sincerity in Ji Zhouyin’s words was profound, heartfelt with every word.