Chapter 2302: The Great Emperor Prevailed

The Dragon Turtle set off. Rumbling sounds rolled across the void. Spatial cracks appeared between heaven and earth, and the sound of sad bellowing that came from the Dragon Turtle seemed to draw tears from the others as well.

Even sadder was the Divine Requiem. Upon the immense body of the Dragon Turtle, that city of ruin formed a field dominated by the music of the Great Path. All the cultivators were trapped within it, including those who had survived the Divine Tribulation of the Great Path. They, too, were mired in the sorrowful mood of the Divine Requiem, falling into sadness so absolute that they were unable to escape by themselves.

Those who had survived the second major Divine Tribulation had the strongest resistance, but they could not take hold of the guqin. Gradually, the sound of the guqin invaded their minds, sending them into the mood of absolute sadness. This absolute sadness overwhelmed even the strongest of wills and crushed them. Unless a cultivator could strip away his own emotions and desires, he would not be able to break free from this music played by the Great Emperor.

No matter how strong anyone’s cultivation was, they had fallen into that feeling.

Gradually, apart from the sad bellows of the Dragon Turtle, the s.p.a.ce became extremely quiet except for that desolate, sorrowful sound from the guqin.

Ye Futian had already fallen into this sadness and knew that he could not and did not resist the sound of the guqin. Instead, he had allowed himself to go with the flow and immersed himself in it. He wanted to see if this sadness could destroy him, but he also wanted to see what was hidden in this extreme sorrow.

Because of his musical cultivation, he knew that every musical sound had its own meaning. He wanted to really feel the mood of Shenyin the Great when he was playing the guqin and see why Shenyin the Great was able to compose such sad music.

After entering into that mood, the sorrow hidden deep in Ye Futian’s heart seemed to be coaxed out all at once. From his childhood until today, even those long-forgotten memories now surfaced in his own mind, accompanied by that music of extreme sadness. All his emotions seemed to be replaced by sadness; nothing else and no other emotions mattered anymore.

He seemed to have returned to the past, directly entering into the memory of bygone ages. He saw Hua Fengliu’s cultivation being abolished, Jieyu’s death in the battle, and when the Imperial Advisor of Dali released him as he walked away… All the sorrows of his past came to mind. His feelings were magnified even more to the point that he was unable to free himself. It was as if he could no longer escape.

The tears on his face flowed freely, unbeknownst to him. Those eyes were no longer bright but were empty and hollow, occupied only by sadness and desperation. He looked just like the living dead. Ye Futian had forgotten everything else and what he wanted to do. Perhaps he had not expected to sink so deeply into the mood.

And it was not just him. Everyone had fallen into it, including those who had gone through the Divine Tribulation. In those long years of cultivation, everyone had tons of stories from the past that were emotional to them. Normally, the things that they had experienced were suppressed so that it would not affect their emotional balance.

But no one could escape the influence of this Divine Requiem. No matter how powerful one’s cultivation was, anyone, as long as they owned all their human emotions and desires, would be affected by it.

If this scene were witnessed by people on the outside, it would have been absolutely stunning. Of the three major worlds—the Divine Prefecture, the Dark World, the Empty Divine Realm—many were existences at the peak. They all had tears in their eyes. They had all fallen into this sadness, and it was a sight so rare it might not occur even every thousand years.

In the quiet s.p.a.ce, the guqin that contained the will of the Great Emperor floated in the void. The strings were moving on their own, playing this divine song with endless sorrow. It seemed as if there was no end in sight. The Dragon Turtle continued moving forward in the void, and dark cracks appeared one by one as if to bring everyone into endless darkness, into eternal exile.

Behind Ye Futian, the cultivators from the Heavenly Mandate Academy were lost as well. Old Ma’s face was full of tears. He thought about the death of Little Ling’s parents. That unforgettable sadness was the eternal pain in his heart, no matter what cultivation level he had reached. It would always be hidden within the depths of his memory, but at this moment, it was thoroughly unleashed.

Everyone had different kinds of sadness, but the ending was similar without exception. All the cultivators were caught up in that desolation.

Time went by fast, and no one knew how long it had been. Ye Futian, trapped in that extreme sadness, suddenly sensed a trace of consciousness awakening inside him. He seemed to have entered a very mysterious mood. The sadness was still there. It didn’t dissipate, and he was still immersed in it. However, there seemed to be a consciousness there. An inexplicable force seemed to affect him, or he seemed to perceive the deep feelings contained in the sorrowful music.

Although he had his eyes closed, everything in front of him was so clear. At the same time, it was so elusive and unpredictable. The guqin that was floating in front of him was no longer just the guqin itself. Before the guqin, a figure of peerless elegance appeared. The man looked to be about 30. He clad in clothes purer than snow. He had a temperament that was out of this world.

Seeing the appearance of this figure, Ye Futian’s heart skipped a beat. It was as if a thought was pulling him back from all that sadness.

Was this an illusion?

In front of the guqin, a figure appeared. The guqin didn’t seem to be playing by itself but was played by this man. However, no one else was able to see him except for Ye Futian.

“This is not an illusion!” A voice sounded inside Ye Futian’s head. This was definitely no illusion, but that he had truly entered the mood and perceived the sight in front of him, as well as the existence of the Great Emperor.

As Lord Luo had said, Shenyin the Great continued to exist in another form. His life was integrated into this guqin, and he became one with it.

This guqin was definitely not just as simple as an instrument and definitely not as simple as containing a trace of the Great Emperor’s will.

“Is it the Great Emperor?” a voice came asked. It was Ye Futian’s. It was a voice from his soul. The Great Emperor of ancient times from countless centuries ago. It was the first man of music. Did his life persist to this day?

If so, in what form did Shenyin the Great exist?

After Ye Futian spoke, he waited quietly, as if for the other man to respond. Time seemed to flow exceptionally slowly. Then the sound of a sigh came out that seemed to contain endless sadness. With just a sigh, Ye Futian was once again brought back into that absolute grievous feeling.

However, this sigh caused Ye Futian’s heart to beat wildly. It was as if all his previous speculations were confirmed. Lord Luo was right after all. The Great Emperor had really prevailed!