The Steward Demonic Emperor

Chapter 1232: Third Trial

Proofreader: Papatonks

“Thank you, senior.”

Zhuo Fan stood up and bowed before the shadow, “Senior, was everything that happened an illusion?” 

“Yes and no.”

“What does it mean?”

“An illusion is fake, but the contents can be real and fake.” The shadow replied, “Those were the doubts your heart had.”

Zhuo Fan asked, “If I had died in there, would I have died now?” 

“Yes and no.”

“And what does that mean?”

“Zhuo Fan would’ve died, while the one who lived…”

“Zhuo Yifan!” Zhuo Yifan finished, “My current self would’ve died, while the old me would be reborn?”

The shadow nodded, “You can see it like that, but dying would be an exaggeration, since you’re both one. The one remaining would control the heart. Are Demonic Emperor Zhuo Yifan and the current Zhuo Fan’s hearts the same?” 

Zhuo Yifan shook his head, “Zhuo Fan came from the mortal domain while Zhuo Yifan was a genius of the Sacred Domain. Their hearts diverged long ago.”

“Why then do you still accept him?”

The shadow smiled, “As hearts differ, so do their paths. With both of you sharing the same space it will lead to conflicts, that leads to inner demons. You don’t remove him but accept him instead?”

Zhuo Fan smiled and shook his head, “Hearts change, but be it for good or bad, I can never deny who I was. The path I tread today was built on his remnant. Denying it means destroying my future. Just like how my strike hurt me instead of him, for we are one.”

“Marvelous.”

The shadow gave a bright smile, “Many Saints that have gained power turn their back on their past, if not erasing it completely, focused only on seeking the Sovereign Stage. They are blind to the truth, that this action destroys their very selves. Each person’s path leaves its mark from the very first step one takes. Erasing this mark will crush any chance at finishing their journey. This is the reason behind there being so many Saints yet hardly any reaching the Sovereign Stage.” 

“Thank you senior for your guidance.” Zhuo Fan bowed.

The shadow floated before Zhuo Fan and reached with a finger on his forehead, shining prismatically, “If it had been Zhuo Yifan before me instead, I would’ve sent you back. I’m glad it’s Zhuo Fan and now you have passed the trial, ha-ha-ha…” 

Zhuo Fan felt his heart becoming clearer, understanding deeper insights. He found with a start that he had grown in heart and mentality, “Senior, may I go to the third trial?”

“Of course, let me send you off!”

With a wave, Zhuo Fan found a black gate before him. He gave it a long look but then someone pushed him inside.

The shadow waved again and the gate vanished.

Whoosh~

The sea crossing old man and the big man appeared next to him, nodding as Zhuo Fan vanished.

“He passed again. I feared he would choose the old stubborn path.”

“Yeah, since Zhuo Fan of now is also the Zhuo Yifan of before.”

The shadow sighed and rejoiced, “I was worried as well that he’d become Zhuo Yifan, ruining all our hard work. Zhuo Yifan is the epitome of a demonic cultivator, obstinate and narrow-minded. He’s unable to grasp the core of the Demon Transformation Art, or accept our paths. If Zhuo Fan had been hostile and denied his former self, he would’ve become that narrow as well and his heart would have closed up. What fortune it never came to be…” 

The two nodded, “Many people believe what they do is right while shunning others that do the same thing. They don’t realize that everyone else is their reflection. It’s funny how the world is filled with fools, fighting with themselves. Our efforts have borne fruit, for Zhuo Fan accepted his past and steps closer to the Dao.”

“It’s too soon to tell. There’s one last trial to go before the Nether Sovereign’s test. Any deviation means everything we worked for is lost and the final victor will be the Heavenly Sovereign.”

The big man was grave, while the other sighed.

Rumble~

The three looked up at the sky and tensed.

“Our four Sovereign paths have been holding the Nether Sea for so many years against the Heavenly Sovereign, but with two of us having been passed on, there’s no telling how long before the Nether Sea falls under his assaults. I just hope it’ll be enough for all the inheritances to be passed on.” 

Boom!

Another rumble came from above, making the entire sea roil and the sea beasts rushing into hiding, all of them…

“Aah!”

Zhuo Fan slammed into the ground once more with a familiar cry. This place was way weirder than the last ones.

There were pinwheels, wooden horses, swings, rocking chairs and many, many more… toys. 

Zhuo Fan’s face twitched.

[The first trial had a huge stone gate, almost impossible to open, but there I gained the tyrannical path. The second trial was facing my former self, to temper my mind.] 

[The seniors were quirky and had their own styles as mighty seniors, so what then is up with the third trial? A playground?]

[I wouldn’t have bought this stuff for young Sanzi a hundred years ago!]

Zhuo Fan was on high alert regardless, shouting after seeing no one, “Is this the third trial? Senior, could you come out?”

Silence…

Zhuo Fan searched around but there wasn’t any sign of any man around.

Whoosh~

A shadow flashed behind that startled Zhuo Fan. Looking back, there was no one there.

Pa!

Another person appeared behind him again and Zhuo Fan swished around, but still no one, “Senior, please, enough with the games. You have enough power to toy with me to death.”

“Ha-ha-ha, I am close to dying of boredom, all alone for so many eons. Don’t worry, I won’t get tired of you anytime soon.”

A child’s voice echoed, making Zhuo Fan flinch. Looking back, he still found no one there, “Senior, does passing the third trial imply beating you as well?”

“Why beat me?”

The child giggled, “Since you want to pass, the goal is hide and seek. You find me and you pass.”

Hide and seek?

Zhuo Fan frowned, “Isn’t that just random?”

“Is that what you think?”

The child started, “Then let’s play with the wooden dolls. Win to pass!”

[Curses, now the topic changed at random? There’s no logic behind it. Unlike the other two seniors, this guy’s all over the place.]

[Is this the third trial’s guardian?]

Zhuo Fan’s face twitched and shook his head, “Senior, can you please not joke around? I really want to pass, but isn’t this a little… beneath you?”

“Beneath me? A big guy like you wants my respect?”

A figure flashed before Zhuo Fan, an eight-year-old child. He might look like that, but the eyes hid wisdom, while the face showed pride as he looked down, of sorts, on Zhuo Fan.

Zhuo Fan had a weird feeling, it was like meeting young Sanzi again.

He should’ve called young Sanzi a senior back then as well, but it was just too hard to say that to someone so young in body and mind. 

“Oh, senior is a dead sacred beast as well?” 

“Hey, I’m human all the way!”

The child huffed and stuck out his tongue, “Buddy, ever heard of the best talent in antiquity?” 

[Best talent?]

Zhuo Fan mulled, “Isn’t that the Heavenly Sovereign? He’s the first among the ten Sovereigns.”

“Bah, his cultivation is the greatest but he’s not the best talent.”

The child turned smug, “Talent is excelling in youth, achieving in their prime, and continues to dominate in their seniority. Look at me, my looks, my everlasting youth, aren’t I an excelling youth? The Heavenly Sovereign has nothing on me! He can only stay in his twenties at best. In other words, he got his success at twenty, reaching a cultivation enough to not grow old only then. But me, I got it all at eight. Who’s the genius now?”