Chapter Fifty-Four: Astonishing Past Events

Chapter Fifty-Four: Astonishing Past Events

Zhou Ling’er trembled with fury, her delicate body quivering, yet she was utterly helpless. She had fed Kun Kun all kinds of spiritual fruits, but failed to win the little beast’s heart. Still, she was not willing to give up.

Wu Hong, sensing he was unwelcome, kept his distance. All of Zhou Ling’er’s attention was fixed on Kun Kun, and she barely acknowledged Wu Hong; whenever he tried to speak, she would give only a curt reply before falling silent again.

No one knew how much time had passed. Wu Hong rowed the boat with all his might, tormented by the burning energy within him that drove him nearly mad. The words “Dingguang Joyful Buddha” flashed ceaselessly through his mind, his blood boiling, thoughts spinning wildly.

The sound of water splashing echoed as Wu Hong, once clumsy with the oar, now propelled the boat dozens of zhang with a single sweep of the massive log. In the distance, the vague outline of the shore appeared, shrouded in mist, indistinct but enough to fill Wu Hong with joy. After so many days drifting on the lake, he was thoroughly tired of its scenery.

To see land so suddenly felt as intimate as a wanderer returning home. Wu Hong quickened his pace, and before long the boat touched the shore.

During these days, Zhou Ling’er had kept producing all manner of odd fruits for Kun Kun to eat. The little beast had grown very familiar with her, but the moment she suggested he follow her, he would instantly turn his back, leaving her helpless. So she stopped mentioning the idea and simply supplied him with spiritual fruits.

Before the boat had even docked, Wu Hong leaped ashore, shaking the vessel so violently it nearly capsized. Fortunately, Zhou Ling’er had recovered some of her true energy; a slight exertion settled the boat.

“Ah!” Wu Hong shouted skyward.

Day after day, his blood had been boiling, tormented by those words—Dingguang Joyful Buddha. At first, he paid no mind, but after days in Zhou Ling’er’s company, the restlessness only grew worse. At first, he could chat with her, but eventually, whenever he looked at her peerless beauty, his heart would race, blood surge, and his body would burn with heat.

Zhou Ling’er also jumped lightly from the boat, descending like a fairy from the heavens, her toes merely brushing the earth as she landed, soundless and ethereal.

Kun Kun, seizing the moment, dived into the water, transformed into a fish, and shot to the shore like a rocket, so quick that he was already stretching his bird wings lazily when Wu Hong and Zhou Ling’er noticed him.

Wu Hong calculated: they had been traversing this vast lake for nearly a month—truly immense. Yet in Zhou Ling’er’s words, she called it a mere “puddle,” and spoke of hundred-meter-long fish as “little fish.” Now, he was truly curious how large the “small mountain” she mentioned would be.

“Come, Wu Hong, I’ll take you to find the Mirror of the World. After that, I have other matters, and we must part ways.”

Though Zhou Ling’er was still somewhat cold to him, her attitude had improved; she was not as aloof as when they first met. After she spoke, she shot forward like lightning. Wu Hong, now used to her ways, followed without concern.

Kun Kun perched on Wu Hong’s shoulder, gripping tight. The two raced on, the scenery blurring past, until mist began to thicken around them. Wu Hong was startled to realize this was no ordinary mist, but dense spiritual energy from heaven and earth turned to vapor.

Such rapid movement cost them almost no effort. No one knew how long they ran, but eventually, they found themselves upon a plain, wild grass growing everywhere, with no mountain in sight.

Wu Hong was puzzled. Could it truly be an unremarkable little hill?

As they ran, he suddenly saw a great gorge ahead, stretching endlessly east and west, its end out of sight. Zhou Ling’er stopped at the edge and turned to him. “We’re here. This is the place.”

“We’re here? Where’s the mountain?” Wu Hong looked about. Aside from the vast gorge, there was only endless plain. No mountain anywhere.

“How tedious you mortals are! How could your eyes see through the void? Just jump in,” Zhou Ling’er replied, her tone as inscrutable as ever, her eyes mocking.

Wu Hong saw her look of disdain, and anger flared within him. What was wrong with him, that she always looked at him this way? Though he had suffered humiliation before, for some reason he cared deeply what Zhou Ling’er thought of him.

He walked to the edge, peered down, and saw the gorge filled with thick, roiling mist, its depth unfathomable. If he jumped, he thought, he might well be smashed to pieces, but then again, if he didn’t find the Mirror of the World, he would never know the truth, forever bearing his unjust burden. A surge of grievance welled up inside him.

“Miss Zhou, farewell. If I never return, please make me a grave,” he said.

“Hmph! Coward. If you fear death, you need not jump,” Zhou Ling’er replied coolly.

A nameless fury rose in Wu Hong’s heart, but he knew not at whom to direct it. Looking into her bright, star-like eyes, he thought that if he jumped now, he might never see her again. He must not leave regrets.

“Miss Zhou, from the moment I first saw you, a shadow of you was planted in my heart. Though our time together has been short, it has grown into a towering tree. I like you!”

With those words, Wu Hong turned and leapt into the gorge.

Zhou Ling’er was stunned by his confession and his leap. She murmured to herself, “Even if you like me, the distance between us cannot be bridged by mortal means.” Then, shaking her head, she added, “Why am I saying this? The distance between us is simply too great.”

“What a pity for that Great Roc. Following him, its growth will surely be slow.” For Zhou Ling’er had always taken Kun Kun for a Great Roc.

Wu Hong had expected to fall endlessly into the gorge, but instead found solid ground beneath his feet. He opened his eyes in astonishment: the endless gorge was gone, and in the void ahead rose a towering mountain, reaching into the clouds.

Yet it reached only halfway to the clouds—how high, he could not tell. Glancing back, Wu Hong saw that Zhou Ling’er had vanished; only Kun Kun remained on his shoulder, curiously inspecting their surroundings.

Wu Hong had heard of things called formations in the world, and seeing these strange phenomena, the thought came to him at once.

Without further deliberation, he dashed toward the giant mountain. Before long, he reached its foot and began to climb.

He did not know how long he climbed before he stood before a massive cave. His whole body trembled with excitement. If Zhou Ling’er had spoken truly, if the Mirror of the World was really here, then at last some mysteries might be resolved.

Cautiously, he entered the cave, unwilling to court death by some unknown beast.

The cave was not as dark as he’d imagined. After walking nearly five hundred meters, he saw at the depths a mirror more than ten meters tall. Beside it, on a giant boulder, three blood-red words were inscribed: Mirror of the World—behold all three thousand realms.

The calligraphy was grand and majestic; any master of the art would surely fall to their knees in awe.

Wu Hong’s eyes brimmed with tears as he stepped before the vast mirror. On its surface were lines of small characters: “Infuse true energy to activate the treasure and view the world.”

Hand trembling, Wu Hong reached out to touch the mirror, intending to channel his energy. But at the instant his hand made contact, the mirror flashed with a brilliant light, and a tremendous force rebounded upon him.

With a crash, Wu Hong was hurled into the stone wall behind him, shattering a boulder.

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

Climbing to his feet, his face twisted with rage, Wu Hong roared at the heavens, “Why? Heaven, are you toying with me?”

Madness threatened to overtake him. He desperately summoned his true energy, filling the cave with a massive golden palm, and struck at the mirror. There was no thunderous sound; in fact, there was no sound at all. As his golden palm touched the mirror, he felt a continuous suction, and in the blink of an eye, the mirror had drained every last drop of his true energy.

The shock was like a bucket of ice water poured over his head—he sobered instantly.

Another line of small characters appeared on the surface of the mirror: “The Mirror of the World has been successfully activated. Select the image of a martial artist at the Bone Refining level or above, familiar to your mind, and input it into the mirror.”

Naturally, Wu Hong thought of King Wu Wei.

In that instant, as his memory shifted, the Mirror of the World became hazy and chaotic, and gradually, familiar scenes began to emerge before his eyes.