System Possession, One Sword Shocks the Gods

108: Flowing Clouds and Illusory Realm, A Heart Seeking the DaoYe Chen did not flee far, but instead landed in a remote, deep canyon several thousand miles away from Qinglan City. The Spiritual Qi here was not top-tier, but its value lay in its seclusion, with natural miasma and complex terrain interfering with Divine Sense probes. He established a simple Immortal Cave, and after setting up several warning and concealment Restrictions, he immersed his mind into that cloud-shaped ”cloud key.”

As his Divine Sense probed inward, he found that the cloud key did not have a complex structure; it contained only an extremely condensed ancient talisman seal emitting soft spatial fluctuations, along with a faint wisp of a mental imprint from the Flowing Cloud Hermit. This imprint included the method to open the ”Flowing Cloud Illusionary Realm” and a few words of caution.

”The illusion is not false; seeking the Dao is only true. Those with weak will or unstable Dao foundations should enter with caution. The Legacy belongs to the destined; forcing it is of no benefit.”

With a thought, Ye Chen followed the technique in the imprint and injected a wisp of pure Chaos Gang Qi into the cloud key.

”Buzz—!”

The cloud key suddenly lit up with a warm white light, and the flowing cloud patterns on its surface seemed to come alive, moving slowly. A soft yet stable spatial portal silently unfolded before Ye Chen. Beyond the portal was not a pitch-black Void Realm, but a hazy, wondrous world seemingly formed from countless clouds. Faint silhouettes of mountains, rivers, pavilions, and towers floated within it, emitting an ancient and pure aura.

Without hesitation, Ye Chen stepped into it.

As if passing through a cool curtain of water, the surrounding scenery changed instantly. He found himself standing atop an infinite sea of clouds. Beneath his feet was a layer of clouds as solid as white jade, and all around were surging mists. At the far horizon, towering cloud mountains stood tall, and a brilliant river of stars flowed through the gaps in the clouds. The Spiritual Qi here was pure to the extreme and carried a unique Dao Rhyme that cleansed the Divine Soul and enlightened the wisdom.

”Is this the Flowing Cloud Illusionary Realm?” Ye Chen was secretly shocked; the realism of this illusion far exceeded his imagination, almost forming a small world of its own. He could feel that at the core of this space, an aura originating from the same source as the cloud key in his arms and the chaos spirit pearl was calling out to him.

He tried to fly through the air, but found the space here to be exceptionally stable, and an invisible pressure loomed over him, making flying extremely taxing on his Protective Aura and mind. He could only choose to walk, heading toward the core direction he sensed.

Before he had gone far, the clouds ahead churned and condensed into a blurry human figure. The figure gradually became clear, revealing the phantom of an old man dressed in a simple Daoist robe with a blurred face. He held a horsetail whisk, and his aura was ethereal, as if he were integrated with the entire illusionary realm.

”Latecomer,” the old man’s phantom spoke, his voice calm yet reaching straight to the heart. ”I am a wisp of a monitoring Divine Thought left here by the Flowing Cloud Hermit. To obtain the Legacy, you must pass three questions. If you pass all three, you may see my true body’s imprint and be granted the Great Dao. If you fail even one question, you will be teleported out of the realm, and the Opportunity will be lost.”

Ye Chen’s expression turned solemn, and he cupped his hands, saying, ”Please present the questions, Senior.”

The old man’s phantom lightly swept his whisk, and the surrounding clouds shifted, transforming into a vast and ancient starry sky. The first question followed:

”You observe this starry sky; it is vast and boundless, and the birth and death of stars are predetermined. However, if you had the power to shake the stars, would you follow their predetermined cycle of birth and death, observing their rise and fall, or would you defy heaven to change fate, forcibly extending the dying spark of a star?”

This question pointed directly at the Dao Heart, concerning one’s understanding of ”the Dao follows nature” and ”man can conquer nature.”

Ye Chen pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the flickering stars, and slowly said: ”The movement of stars has its own Dao; this is the Law of heaven and earth, the ’constant.’ However, the Heavenly Dao has forty-nine paths, yet one escapes. This ’one’ is the variable, the chance for life. If one has the ability and sees a spark about to extinguish, one should discern its cause. If its Lifespan is exhausted, returning to silence is a cycle; forcibly extending its life would instead damage the balance of heaven and earth, which is not a good deed. But if it wanes due to an external tribulation and a sliver of life remains, stepping in to help and set things right is also following that ’escaped one.’ Why not do it? Therefore, this Junior believes it is neither about following nor defying, but about ’assessing the situation and discerning Karma.’ Follow when one should follow, and defy when one should defy; it is enough to keep one’s heart upright.”

He did not get bogged down in the debate between following and defying but instead stepped outside of it, emphasizing discernment and choice, the core of which was still adhering to one’s true heart and distinguishing right from wrong.

The old man’s phantom was silent for a moment, and a trace of indiscernible approval seemed to appear on his blurred face as the surrounding starry sky slowly dissipated.

”Good. The first question is passed.”

The clouds shifted again, transforming into a battlefield of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, with overwhelming Devilish Qi. Countless Human Race Cultivators were fighting ferociously against hideous demonic creatures, a scene of extreme tragedy and heroic spirit piercing the sky. The second question followed immediately:

”If you were the backbone of the Human Race, you should protect all living beings. However, if protection required sacrificing your beloved, slaughtering the innocent, or colluding with the Demonic Path, what would you choose? Would you uphold the so-called Righteous Path and watch hundreds of millions of lives be destroyed, or would you commit a ’necessary evil’ in exchange for the stability of the overall situation?”

This question was even sharper, interrogating one’s value choices in extreme situations and pointing directly at the heart’s weaknesses and boundaries.

Ye Chen looked at the tragic illusion, a flash of complexity in his eyes, but he quickly became firm. He thought of the blood sacrifice in Liuyun City and the innocent members of the Su Family.

”Protection is never an excuse for using any means necessary.” Ye Chen’s voice was deep and heavy, with an unquestionable decisiveness. ”Colluding with demons and slaughtering the innocent—how is such conduct any different from a demon? If one gains so-called ’stability’ through this, that stability has already rotted; it is not the stability our race seeks! Sacrificing a beloved is the worst possible strategy. If one cannot even protect those closest to them, how can they speak of protecting all living beings?”

He paused, sharp light bursting from his eyes. ”True protection should be holding the sword in one’s hand to slay all incoming enemies! Clear away the demonic atmosphere and cleanse the world! If one’s strength is insufficient, then strive to become stronger until the sword in hand is enough to shield everyone they wish to protect! Rather than living ignobly through sacrifice and compromise! This Junior’s Dao is to take it from the straight, not seek it from the crooked! Even if the road ahead is covered in thorns, I shall use the sword in my hand to cut out a heaven-reaching Great Dao!”

His answer was full of an indomitable sharpness and absolute confidence in his own strength, firmly believing that only absolute power and steadfast principles could truly protect.

The old man’s phantom fell silent again, and the tragic battlefield scene slowly faded away.

”Though it appears rigid, it shows sincerity. Your Dao Heart is firm and not misled by external things. The second question is passed.”

The clouds churned for the third time. This time, they did not form a specific scene but turned into a mass of Chaos, as if heaven and earth had not yet opened. The third and final question quietly rang out, echoing directly in the depths of Ye Chen’s Sea of Consciousness:

”You seek the Great Dao—for what purpose?”

Why cultivate? Why hold a sword? This was the most fundamental question, yet also the hardest to answer. Countless Cultivators had fallen before this question, either because their answers were hollow or because their Dao Hearts were clouded.

Ye Chen closed his eyes, and scenes from his past and present lives flashed through his Sea of Consciousness. The mundanity of Earth, the confusion of Transmigration, the expectations of his Family, the responsibilities of his Sect, the ties to his confidantes, the pressure from his arch-enemies, and that fate hanging high above him called the ”Sword Ancestor”... Finally, all the images settled, transforming into the purest desire.

He opened his eyes and looked at the Chaos before him. His gaze was clear and firm as he slowly spoke:

”At first, it was for survival, to protect those around me, to not fail expectations, and to break free from the shackles of fate.”

”But having cultivated until now, having experienced life and death and glimpsed a corner of the Great Dao, I now know the vastness of heaven and earth and the limitlessness of the Dao’s path.”

”Now, I seek the Great Dao not for immortality, nor to be revered as an ancestor.”

”Only for—Great Freedom, Great Unfetteredness.”

”Where the heart points, the sword follows, unrestrained and unstoppable! To behold the scenery of All Heavens and Myriad Realms and understand the principles of the Universe’s birth and death. To protect what I want to protect and slay what I want to slay. My Dao is walked by myself; my fate is decided by myself!”

”This is the Dao I seek!”

His voice was not loud, but every word was powerful, like the chime of a sword, echoing in this chaotic void with a force that cut through all mist and pointed straight to the heart.

As his words fell, the surrounding Chaos scene suddenly contracted, turning into a brilliant stream of light that entered the space between Ye Chen’s eyebrows. He felt as if his Dao Heart had been cleansed, becoming more transparent and solid.

A clear smile appeared on the face of the old man’s phantom ahead, and his figure gradually faded.

”The Heart of Seeking the Dao is very firm, and the will to seek the Dao is very clear. All three questions are passed. Latecomer, you are now qualified to accept the next trial...”

”Go forth. Cross the ’Cloud Bridge of Seeking the Dao’ ahead, and you will reach the ’Inheritance Hall.’ My true body’s imprint and that chaos spirit pearl are waiting in the hall. However, let me remind you: the Cloud Bridge of Seeking the Dao will no longer test your will, but your ’Dao’ and ’power’.”

Having said that, the old man’s phantom completely dissipated.

Ye Chen looked up and saw that within the surging sea of clouds ahead, a long bridge entirely condensed from pure white mist extended toward the most towering cloud mountain in the distance. The bridge appeared soft, yet it emitted an incredibly stable Dao Rhyme. Beneath the bridge was a bottomless cloud abyss, with the faint aura of spatial turbulence coming from it.

He knew that the true challenge had only just begun.