Chapter 1447: Just Wanted to Hold an Umbrella

Xiao Dongxu's words came as a pleasant surprise to Chen Changsheng.

Taotie.

In truth, Chen Changsheng occasionally thought of that child, Jiu Fengchun.

He had always believed Taotie was a loser in the struggle of the Heavenly Dao.

Yet he had never imagined this to be the case.

Was Taotie created by the Heavenly Dao?

Chen Changsheng felt that perhaps this wasn't entirely true.

The Daoist rhythm of heaven and earth could not create something that did not belong to this world. Taotie might indeed have existed since ancient times, and it might well have been the loser in the struggle of the Heavenly Dao, only to be subjugated by it later.

That possibility seemed much more likely.

At this thought, Chen Changsheng's mind raced. In that case, Jiu Fengchun's appearance had also been under the Heavenly Dao's control. The only reason he had never been destroyed by heaven and earth was because of their tacit approval.

"The Age of Decline..."

Chen Changsheng fell into a brief daze. It seemed this was indeed the case. Judging by the progression of time, the Spiritual Energy between heaven and earth was steadily dissipating, and the rules and laws were slowly fading away.

"In that case, could the Mortal World be the Heavenly Dao's experiment?"

"Then to have Spiritual Energy surge in the Mortal World again now, what is that for..."

Chen Changsheng froze, suddenly realizing the underlying stakes.

The Heavenly Dao wanted to drag the Mortal World into this as well.

The more chaotic things got, the better. That way, it could continue its plans.

Cultivators in the world would grow fewer and fewer, and countless legends of Immortals and strange tales would dissipate amid these constantly provoked conflicts.

This had been planned from the very beginning.

He took a deep breath, finding it all somewhat unbelievable.

Seeing him space out, Xiao Dongxu asked, "Mister, what's wrong?"

Chen Changsheng snapped back to reality and said, "This Chen feels that falling into the Age of Decline, or rather, the exhaustion of Spiritual Energy, might not necessarily be a bad thing."

Xiao Dongxu was taken aback by this.

Chen Changsheng looked at him. "In this vast Cultivation World, Dao Cultivation dictates reason. That in itself is a double-edged sword. What the Heavenly Dao is doing is nothing more than trying to make the world gradually align with the principles found in books. It wants to bring those high and mighty people back down to earth, and give those who can't straighten their backs a chance to stand tall."

Xiao Dongxu pursed his lips, unable to help but ponder these words.

He didn't find Chen Changsheng's words absurd at all.

On the contrary, he fell into deep thought.

Perhaps he was right?

Xiao Dongxu was exactly that kind of person. He wouldn't immediately deny a statement just because it sounded absurd at first. This was one of his principles for walking the world.

"If there were no more Spiritual Energy, no more cultivators..."

Xiao Dongxu couldn't help but think of the Mortal World. The Mortal World was also a chaotic place, where the flames of war never ceased and struggles were endless. Yet strictly speaking, on a smaller scale, the relationships between people there were much more harmonious than in the Cultivation World.

There would be far less slaughter, while human connection and worldly wisdom would carry much more weight.

It seemed... feasible...

Yet every time this thought emerged, Xiao Dongxu would repeatedly reject it.

He exhaled softly and said, "Mister Chen, let me think about this some more."

Chen Changsheng stood up. "It's fine. It was just idle chatter. Overthinking it would do more harm than good."

Xiao Dongxu paused and looked up.

He saw that Chen Changsheng's expression was placid, as if he knew exactly what the world would look like once the Spiritual Energy dried up.

"Do you know something, Mister?"

Chen Changsheng paused for a moment before shaking his head.

He smiled, offering no explanation, and merely said, "Let's talk about it next time."

This time, Xiao Dongxu did not walk Chen Changsheng to the door.

He secluded himself once more, beginning to mull over this question during those dull years.

"If there were no Spiritual Energy in the world, what would it look like?"

This did not merely concern the cultivators of the immortal path, but all the various paths of the world.

No one could escape it.

...

Every time Chen Changsheng went out, he was always able to find a few special places within his limited time.

Slowly, these places connected, piecing together limbs.

Meanwhile, the depictions on the Geographical Maps were constantly changing.

Indeed.

This physical body they had found was constantly moving. Even though its speed was remarkably slow, it couldn't escape Chen Changsheng's eyes.

The Demon Sovereign scanned the Geographical Maps a few times and couldn't help but say, "It seems it will be soon."

Chen Changsheng nodded. "Right now, we have two legs, one hand, and most of the torso. We are still missing an arm and a head."

He frowned slightly, adding, "However, there hasn't been much progress these past few years."

The Demon Sovereign paused. "Have you gone down into the Desolate Sea to search?"

Chen Changsheng froze upon hearing this.

"What?"

"The Desolate Sea."

The Demon Sovereign continued, "This world is more than just what floats above the water."

Chen Changsheng snapped back to his senses. He shook his head in self-deprecation. "To think I completely forgot about the depths of the Desolate Sea."

"You've grown increasingly dull."

"Indeed I have..."

Chen Changsheng sighed. In such repetitive years, who wouldn't become dull? Constantly doing the exact same thing was inherently devastating to a person's mind.

And so, upon his next return to the world...

Chen Changsheng walked into the Desolate Sea.

This was his first time entering this submerged realm.

He had brushed past it before, but he had never gotten a clear look at it.

...

While searching the Desolate Sea, Chen Changsheng unexpectedly bumped into a familiar face.

Zhao Yuqing.

He wasn't peacefully tending his fields in that valley; instead, he was spending his days in the Desolate Sea, seemingly searching for something.

It was entirely by chance that the two crossed paths at the base of a cliff.

"How did you find me?" Zhao Yuqing asked in surprise.

Chen Changsheng blinked, replying, "It's a coincidence. I wasn't looking for you."

"A coincidence?"

Zhao Yuqing was somewhat skeptical.

Chen Changsheng nodded, then explained his purpose for being there.

"The Heavenly Dao actually has a physical body?"

Zhao Yuqing rubbed his chin, falling deep into thought.

"What about you?"

"Me?"

Zhao Yuqing snapped out of his daze. "Looking for some things."

As if guessing something, Chen Changsheng asked directly, "Sea Spirit Gold?"

Seeing this, Zhao Yuqing didn't hide it anymore and nodded.

Chen Changsheng said, "You can't let go of that child either, can you? Compared to He Qing, he is the disciple you've always wanted to take in."

Zhao Yuqing opened his mouth, then let out a soft sigh. "It's difficult to be a proper Master."

"I am his Master."

Suddenly, Chen Changsheng found himself struggling to understand Zhao Yuqing. "I always thought you were a cold-blooded person," he said.

"I am to some extent, but not entirely."

Zhao Yuqing offered a helpless smile. "I don't know why, either. Perhaps it's exactly because I've been caught in the rain myself that I want to hold an umbrella for this child."

"I suppose that's all it is."