Chapter 1628 1621: Sacrifice (1)
Chapter 1628 1621: Sacrifice (1)
Wei Xiaotian was a wellspring of vast knowledge and worldly insight matured unnaturally as her growth potential had been exhausted, allowing her to become an adult in body and mind at infancy. She was without a doubt a peculiar individual.
Wei Wuyin's decision that day had far-reaching implications; It reaffirmed his principles and morals as a person and cultivator, further reinforcing his Heart of Cultivation and psyche, and today, he was given obscure yet useful information to his upcoming plight and challenge. This information didn't just come with a cause but a potential solution.
So he listened intently to not misconstrue a single syllable.
"You have to abolish her cultivation," she said, eliciting subtle changes in both of their expressions, continuing: "and abandon the path of cultivation of any type. She's only attracting attention because she's traversing an unprecedentedly dangerous path given her situation. After all, her soul and True Souls are highly abnormal and shouldn't exist. You see it for yourself. In only a hundred or so years, she has already reached a grade of bodily talent that vastly exceeds others. This paired with her unnatural connection to the heavens, all things beneath it would be easy for her to comprehend, and this naturally has great implications.
"Normally, those like her have difficulty embarking on the path of cultivation, if not outright impossible. Even then, their comprehension might be extraordinary, but their bodily talent would be at a pathetically hopeless low. Exceedingly low. If she abandons her path toward cultivation, the heavens can't actively act against her to fix their mistake."
Wei Xiaotian finished with a pout. With her beauty, a pout was enough to move countless hearts, yet in this situation, that pout also conveyed a hint of helplessness in the situation.
"..." Su Mei lowered her head and eyes to the deck. There was an air of thoughtfulness within her. Just the sight was enough to realize that Su Mei was considering this path. After all, the very world itself, those elusive heavens, was the source and reason for this outcome. How could she possibly resist? Perhaps a few hours ago, she would have vehemently rejected such an option; her life carried meaning because she wished to stay with Wei Wuyin, and this brought her happiness and excitement in life. If she could no longer follow Wei Wuyin as he traversed across the path of cultivation, standing by his side, then she felt that...
Now, however, Su Mei had confessed her heart to Wei Wuyin and received a positive reply. Even if she lost her cultivation, she could still live a long time with Wei Wuyin's alchemical skills and astounding cultivation. She could live a lifetime and then some. She could settle down. She could...she could...she could...
Her fists clenched so tightly that blood was almost drawn and her teeth clenched against each other with sufficient strength to pierce through planets.
"Su Mei," a soft voice sounded in her ears, and she looked up to see those same silver eyes that pulled her out of abyss-like darkness, and that calm smile that was forever etched in her heart reflected in her eyes. "We."
A single word.
In the ears of many, this world was incoherent. It made little sense in most contexts. However, to the two of them, it was rife with an indomitable and invincible meaning that could never shatter.
When Wei Wuyin left his former home, the Scarlet Solaris Sect, with a death sentence and a guillotine ready for him, when he had all but accepted his inevitable end and simply wanted to explore the world and accomplish a childhood dream before his soul and existence was obliterated, it was that word that created a string of light in everlasting, unrivaled darkness he found himself in.
So there was no need to speak or consider further.
"Either we prosper together or we fall together. There's no third option," Wei Wuyin said with the calmest tone and the brightest smile. "And there never will be in our lifetime."
"...!" Su Mei's eyes widened and quivered slightly, her heart raced intensely, and she nearly felt as if all her breath had been taken away from her in that one moment. However, she wasn't so weak-minded, and her will was not fragile, so with those words, all this 'she could' was eradicated from her soul. If she didn't hold the same conviction, she wasn't worth a darn, and she certainly couldn't follow Wei Wuyin down an alley let alone life itself.
She didn't need to reply. Those clear eyes of hers spoke volumes. She moved her hand slightly but paused when a warm, strong hand found hers. They both reached out and they both held each other's hand. It was a simple gesture from both of them, but it was also enough to validate the past few hours as genuine.
Wei Xiaotian quietly observed the two. She hadn't lived for long, but she understood certain concepts naturally such as Dao Companions. Yet witnessing these two, she felt like her concepts and understanding were lacking. It was only a short exchange, but it was enough to collapse her fundamental understanding of relationships.
"Any other way?" Wei Wuyin asked Wei Xiaotian, breaking her out of her astonishment. She sniffed a little, her eyes darting to the side as if to avoid his gaze.
"Any other way?" She pondered. For some unknown reason, she wanted to find another way. It was almost blasphemous for her to do so because the heavens were leaving a wide-open path for Su Mei to traverse to live a comfortable life despite her error until her natural end. It left this path for all its 'errors', such as demons. That was already reasonable enough.
To find another way?
She racked her brain for any obscure possibility, for the slightest of chance, and the light of incredible activity was bleeding through her eyes from her mind. Wei Xiaotian was scouring for anything!
"Let me help," Wei Wuyin walked forward with Su Mei, holding out his other hand for her to take. Wei Xiaotian looked at this silver-eyed man that defied conventions and slowly reached out. When she touched his hand, she was taken aback by how strong and comfortable it felt to be within them, but her thoughts were immediately drawn elsewhere as a flood of gentle mental energy poured into her Sea of Consciousness. Her eyes glowed a seven-colored light that was different from alchemical light!
She was instantly enlivened in terms of mental activity as her thoughts and access to memories were elevated to an obscene level. She could distinctly remember the strength of each breath she had ever taken and the fluctuation of temperature on her skin, the caress of every dust particle on her skin, and the number of times her heart had beat within its chest.
She could remember everything to its finest detail!
Wei Wuyin bestowed eden energies to her without holding back. This was his refined eden-type mental energies that had been cultivated and supported by his extraordinary cultivation base. It was not to be underestimated!
Within a few minutes, Wei Xiaotian had scoured almost all of her innate knowledge and insight. She was shaken by some of the things hidden within her consciousness that was exposed, yet when she finished her efforts, the light within her eyes lost its seven-colored sheen, and her expression didn't lift with joy.
She looked at Wei Wuyin, a trace of apology within her eyes. This unspoken apology originated from her heart.
Su Mei didn't feel shaken or disturbed by Wei Xiaotian's failure to find any solution. Despite this outcome, Su Mei had already thrown away the thought of giving up her path of cultivation. She wasn't a useless damsel who would backtrack if a task was discovered to be impossible and sought safety in the comfort of her man.
Since she had resolved to fight to the end, to maintain the level of conviction and feelings that bloomed within her heart since that day, there was no need to think about it further.
She would challenge the very heavens!
And from the vibrant warmth that held her hand, she knew that she wouldn't have to face it alone. And for some that might not be enough to satisfy them, but for Su Mei...it was everything.
Wei Wuyin was in deep thought. He realized that Wei Xiaotian's mind was guarded by an unknown, unseen force. He couldn't pry forcefully into this using his current cultivation base. So trying to extract information would leave him falling on his face.
However, he could surf her thoughts along with her thanks to Eden's recent advancement if she allowed. He discovered a few things as she scoured through her mental database of information with her, assisting her with great energy.
Firstly, she didn't have access to all her innate knowledge and insight. Secondly, she lacked knowledge relating to Mysticism and the Mystic Dao. It seemed this knowledge was sealed within her, awaiting the appropriate time. Meanwhile, knowledge pertaining to certain domains was freely exposed as general information. For example, the type of existence that Su Mei was.
It seemed a lot of knowledge was restrained to not overwhelm her mortal mind. In a way, she was still just a mortal infant with barely a month or so of life in her lungs.
Lastly, HE HAD DISCOVERED A SOLUTION!
Unlike Wei Xiaotian, Wei Wuyin's cunning and agile mind was enough to see paths where one might not. She was still just too young and too ignorant. She needed time to digest all her knowledge so instead of looking for a 'key' to fit the 'hole', she could find the 'hammer' to smash the 'lock'. It was a simple difference, but it was a matter of experience and perspective.
If one took it one step further, then knowing what tool could replace a key to unlock the lock was another path. Wei Wuyin was familiar with all three.
"You're not wrong," Wei Wuyin voiced softly. Wei Xiaotian felt a sense of defeat. She wanted to be useful, but now she would have to watch this man make a difficult choice. "The solution is easy. But you're wrong in one thing," Wei Wuyin turned and gave Su Mei a grin, "the choice is not difficult at all."
That grin was enough to trigger Su Mei's lifetime of memories. It contained that same fabulous flavor as when Wei Wuyin had found his confidence in whatever task he was ready to challenge and face. It was a grin to her that was as recognized as his calm, signature smile to the Ascendants.
He had found a way.
Moreover, he was willing to sacrifice it.
[RIGHT ARM: Pride]
Karmic Luck Value: 333,801.3.
First Calamity: Survived - 7/7.
Second Calamity: Claimed - 1/1.
Third Calamity: Claimed - 3/3.
Fourth Calamity: Suppressed - 1 Year.
[LEFT ARM: Lust]
Karmic Luck Value: 248,877.
First Calamity: Survived - 7/7.
Second Calamity: Claimed - 1/1.
Third Calamity: Claimed - 3/3.
Fourth Calamity: Suppressed - 1 Year.
However, he still had a great task ahead of him. One he could not fail.