Chapter 1052 Reality or Illusion?
Yue Wuwei understood how Zhang Han felt at the moment. He hurriedly said, “It’s not like what everyone has guessed. Don’t overthink about this. Listen, I’m absolutely certain that Zi Yan and my master are just friends. I can tell that the scene that we’re looking at represents, represents Zi Yan’s mood. She’s very happy being your wife. Her heart is filled with sweetness. Thus, part of her mood has manifested itself.”
Yue Wuwei’s purposefully organized words worked.
Zhang Han closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, he exhaled for a long moment. Most of the chill lingering in the air instantly dispersed.
“Maybe.
“Nonetheless, no matter how powerful that mysterious master is, he shouldn’t have put on such a show before me.
“One day, there will be a chance…”
Zhang Han didn’t finish his words. He felt that it would still take some time before he could talk to the mysterious master, let alone fight him.
Perhaps it was because of his willfulness or his unyieldingness, anyway, Zhang Han was a little angry with the mysterious master.
“Does my wife need someone else to offer her romantic gestures?
“You’re f.u.c.king meddling in other people’s business.
“Well, don’t pick on me because I’m still young and perhaps not powerful enough. I’ll definitely come to you and settle the score.”
“Swoos.h.!.+”
The bizarre vision faded. However, instead of being thrown into the air, Zi Yan was still standing on the stone platform. She seemed to have felt what had just happened and was slightly stunned.
Yet, without any hesitation, she quickly turned around and looked at Zhang Han.
The tenderness in her eyes melted away a lot of Zhang Han’s bad temper.
He waved his hand to cast the energy and summon Zi Yan back to his side.
The moment Zi Yan landed beside Zhang Han, she affectionately wrapped her arm around Zhang Hang’s, ignoring all the people on the scene. Her curvy body leaned infinitely close toward Zhang Han. Her skin almost rubbed against his.
Then, in a low voice, her lips whispered in Zhang Han’s ears, “Oh, honey, don’t get mad. No one can take me away from you on any account.”
“Ha…”
It was not until then that Zhang Han showed a smile. He touched his forehead and put his right arm around Zi Yan’s slender waist.
As the two were being so intimate in public, many single cultivators on the scene couldn’t bear to look straight at them.
“Hey, don’t make us see this! We’ll get jealous!”
“Congratulations on getting 100 points, Moon Empress.”
Li Mu, who was very perceptive, quickly cupped his hands before his chest and congratulated Zi Yan.
“Her score doesn’t count.”
When Li Mu was halfway through his congratulation, Yue Wuwei interrupted him by saying, “She is not considered one of the testees. The scene we just saw was merely a strange sign that reflected her mood.”
In truth, Yue Wuwei was also a little bewildered.
He found the strange phenomenon a little inappropriate. He was not sure if that scene really reflected Zi Yan’s mood. But as Zhang Han was a little vexed, he could only stick with that explanation.
After saying that, Yue Wuwei looked at Zhang Han and said with a chortle, “Well, stop showing off your love. Go and take the test. You’re the only one untested.”
“No, I won’t,” Zhang Han replied childishly.
He was very straightforward.
Zi Yan couldn’t help but press her red lips in case she laughed out loud.
But she felt very warm and gratified deep down.
“Han cares about me so much.
“He got jealous even for such a trivial thing.”
Yue Wuwei didn’t know what to say to him.
He looked rather speechless and resigned. If someone else behaved like this, he would throw him or her onto the stone platform with a wave of his hand. But he didn’t even think about doing that to Zhang Han.
“Well, brat, stop sulking. I figure Elder Yue’s words do make sense.” Zhang Guangyou came over and patted Zhang Han on the back.
“Yeah,” Zhang Mu also came over and said with a smile, “it’s understandable in this respect. Ah, but my granddaughter-in-law is so pretty. It’s not at all surprising that she has pursuers.”
“Exactly. Master, you have to give it a try,” Mu Xue also hurriedly echoed. “I believe that if you go up, you will definitely score 100 points.”
“Well, Daddy,” Mengmeng tugged at Zhang Han’s hand and said, “I also want to see you up there.”
“It’s done!”
As soon as Mengmeng spoke, everyone knew that Zhang Han had been persuaded. Because to Zhang Han, Mengmeng’s words carried great weight.
As expected, Zhang Han’s expression stiffened for a second.
Then, his frown dissolved into a resigned smile as he said, “Alright, I’ll have a try then.”
Just now, Zhang Han did intend to take his leave. After all, he couldn’t lose a thing if he didn’t get the legacy of the Heavenly Lord.
On second thought, he also found it quite funny that he got angry a moment ago.
He had the memories of hundreds of years of living in the Cultivation World. But when something happened to someone he cared about, he still couldn’t control his emotions.
“Just go there.”
Yue Wuwei was slightly relieved.
“Uncle Zhang, go get it,” said Nina with a smile.
“Daddy, come on.”
Mengmeng puckered up her lips and threw Zhang Han a kiss.
With the little girl’s encouragement, Zhang Han’s mood immediately took a turn for the better.
After glancing at Zi Yan, Zhang Han darted forward and landed steadily on the stone platform.
“This aura is…”
Feeling the mysterious aura that was gus.h.i.+ng out from the stone tablet, Zhang Han’s heart thumped.
“Swoos.h.!.+”
There seemed to be a hurricane around him, whistling ceaselessly. He could also feel that there was an aura constantly a.s.sessing him.
This aura somewhat startled him. He felt as if he had met it somewhere before.
Sadly, the aura was very weak, which prevented Zhang Han from detecting what it was exactly.
He sensed that there was a thick fog around him, which seemed to have isolated him from the world or have put him in the void of the universe.
A strange sensation descended.
“Why do I seem to have experienced something like this?
“Is this some sort of Deja Vu?
“Or did the stone tablet take me to a place I’ve been to before?”
Zhang Han’s consciousness gradually blurred. Was this reality or illusion?
He found it impossible to fathom.
All he felt was that the increasingly more familiar energy had surrounded him.
“The feeling of this energy impact is getting more and more familiar. What is it on earth?”
Zhang Han felt like having a headache. He wanted to shake his head, but it was already impossible for him to make such a simple movement.
“What has restricted me?
“The stone tablet. Where did this stone tablet come from?
“Who on earth is Yue Wuwei’s master?”
“Hiss!”
His body ached a little and gradually became numb. Zhang Han could no longer feel his body, as though only his will was watching everything in front of him.
“Buzz!”
An unknown period went by.
“Has one year pa.s.sed? Or two years?
“Why isn’t it over yet?”
Zhang Han’s consciousness was hazy. In front of him was nothing but a vast white fog. It was as if he were in a world of white, or he had been put into a white box.
This tormenting illusion made Zhang Han’s anger rise.
“d.a.m.n it!
“Have I been targeted?”
Zhang Han suddenly realized this was not anything ordinary.
“Other testees absolutely haven’t experienced this as me. My consciousness and will have been trapped in a place of nothingness, haven’t they?
“But Zi Yan and Mengmeng are still waiting for me outside.”
Zhang Han gradually calmed down.
He began to think carefully about what kind of situation he was facing.
He had never been here and experienced this before.
But after he stood on the stone platform, his mind entered a state of limbo. He couldn’t understand why.
“Even if I’m in the most dangerous secret place that offers little chance to survive, there still gotta be a way out!
“Could it be that I need to comprehend something before I can get out of this place?
“No, all of the other testees left without difficulty. They managed that in a very short time. Each of them merely took about five seconds to get out.
“How long have my will been trapped here? It seems to have been a long time.
“Without spiritual force, soul sense, or the physical sense, how can a wisp of will alone help me resist?
“Wait, that’s not right!”
Zhang Han’s will suddenly shuddered. He felt a trace of extremely violent energy.
“The aura of this power is…
“The divine thunder over the sky?”
“Rumble!”
Like a bolt from the blue, the energy directly hit Zhang Han’s mind.
His heart trembled. He felt as if his body were ripped by fire.
Wounds were all over his body. He was already very close to death.
“Rumble!”
The sound of thunderclaps rang from all directions. But the fog around them started to thin.
“Isn’t this the scene that I was attacked by the divine thunder over the sky when undergoing the Thunder Tribulation back then?
“Wait!
“Thunder Tribulation?”
“Swoos.h.!.+”
Zhang Han could feel how his body was doing. He also knew how pale and weak his face was.
He was completely frightened.
Through the thin fog and clouds, he vaguely saw that he was standing in the void of the universe. A thousand miles away, there stood many people. All kinds of masters at the Tribulation Stage were floating in the void of the universe. Some of them were even riding on strange beasts.
“This is real!
“This is actually real!”
They looked in the direction of the huge cloud cl.u.s.ter, but the atmosphere was quite heavy.
“Han Yang Immortal… Is he… dead?”
“What a pity! He was one of the most talented cultivators. But he triggered the Divine Thunder Tribulation. This may be his predestined ending and inexorable doom.”
Numerous discussions were heard in the crowd.
Were there thousands of people?
No, there were a million, or perhaps ten million people!
Countless sighs and exclamations were heard one after another, as though some kind of melody was being played.
“Han Yang Immortal, are you finally unable to hold on? You just destroyed 10 super sects and slaughtered about a million people. Have you ever thought that this day would come? Hahahaha, the Divine Thunder Tribulation will definitely kill you!”
“The Divine Thunder Tribulation is said to be the strongest kind of Thunder Tribulation. No one has ever heard anyone who pa.s.sed it.”
“No, some people have pa.s.sed it. Rumor has it that those who have survived the Divine Thunder Tribulation can rise to the top in one step and gain great benefits. Based on the record from the ancient books, some people have witnessed that. The one who once survived the Divine Thunder Tribulation was called Celestial Emperor.”
“But Han Yang Immortal may not survive it. We just saw that he was in a bad condition, almost on the verge of death. Granted, he is a heaven-defying talent. Though he hasn’t been cultivating for long, his cultivation has soared steadily. He is the richest cultivator in the Cultivation World and owns too many resources and treasures. For those reasons, he has been wearing some mental shackles. His comprehension has not been honed to perfection. In other words, his comprehension hasn’t measured up to the standards of the Divine Thunder Tribulation.”
“Haha, standards? How can the standards of the Divine Thunder Tribulation be measured by common sense?” someone said with a sneer. “If it were another kind of Thunder Tribulation, I’m afraid that Han Yang Immortal would have taken the Heaven Road and ascended to the world of immortals long ago!”
“C-C-Could Han Yang Immortal create a miracle this time as he always does?”
Among the crowd, there were many women who were staring intently at the divine thunder over the sky. From their infatuated look, one could tell that they were Han Yang Immortal’s admirers.
Mighty men were always popular among women.
It was a pity that Han Yang Immortal was the kind of person who was very elusive. He traveled the world on his own. Others could seldom see him in public.
“There’s no longer any movement!”
“Is Zhang Hanyang dead?”
“Yes, he died. Every legend will finally come to an end. It’s sad and lamentable.”
There were tens of thousands of people present who were at the ninth tier of the Tribulation Stage. When they saw this scene, they all exclaimed over the horrifying power of the Thunder Tribulation.
“Man can triumph over nature? It’s just a joke!”
“Wait, the Thunder Tribulation is raging again. The tribulation hasn’t dissipated yet. Han Yang Immortal hasn’t died!”
“Yes! I saw it! There is an aura there. He’s come back to life! Good lord, is Han Yang Immortal going to create another legend in the Cultivation World?”
“Rumble!”
The overspreading thunderclouds were surging. A shocking brightness could be seen inside. The Thunder Tribulation was still brewing.
“Why am I here?”
Zhang Han had completely recovered his consciousness.
He looked left and right, looking confused.
“What does this mean?
“Is this a long dream?
“Is my returning to Earth just a dream? No, no, no! It can’t be!
“Zi Yan, Mengmeng, Dad, Mom, Grandpa! No—
“It’s absolutely not a dream!”
After Zhang Han regained consciousness, he felt bone-chillingly cold, and his eyes registered a hint of growing madness.
“How come this is happening?
“Is this Reality? Or Illusion?”
“Nothing is impossible.”
Suddenly, a voice sounded in Zhang Han’s mind.
It was a man’s voice, quite melodious and gentle. However, it also made people feel extremely cold, like the sound of a machine without emotion.
“Who is it? Who is speaking?”
Zhang Han’s face gradually turned pale. He looked up at the thunderclouds in the sky.
The Divine Thunder Tribulation was not over yet.
“Oh my!
“Why is he here?”
“I represent the will of heaven, the will of the Cultivation World.
“You are undergoing the Divine Thunder Tribulation. Now, you’re at the end of the Inner Demon Tribulation. You’ve been cultivating at an extremely fast speed, and you haven’t encountered any bottleneck, yet your inner demon is growing increasingly stronger.
“You realized all your desires during the Inner Demon Tribulation. Now, you have the last choice to make during the Inner Demon Tribulation. If you choose to pa.s.s the tribulation, the Divine Thunder Tribulation will disperse. You’ll step on the Heaven Road to go to the higher world with immense opportunities and natural endowments. The divine thunder over the sky will bring you benefits beyond your imagination.”
The ethereal voice resounded in Zhang Han’s mind.
“The Inner Demon Tribulation? How can this be?”
Zhang Han’s aura became cold and still. Like a walking corpse, he was floating in the void, numb and stiff.
“Right. This is the Inner Demon Tribulation. What is an inner demon? It isn’t just to make you suffer. Instead, it lets you experience what you desire the most and then forces you to forsake all that in despair. Only then will you gain complete enlightenment.”
The cold and detached voice went on, “Right now, as long as you sincerely admit that everything you experienced is just a dream, just something that you’ve yearned for the most. It is your inner demon, the last thing you have to overcome. If you admit it, then you will pa.s.s the tribulation.”
As those words came out, Zhang Han lowered his head and remained silent.
“What are you still struggling for? Don’t you want to go to the higher world? That is the pursuit of everyone in the Cultivation World!
“Stop hesitating. Just admit it!”
The voice was highly enticing.
But for Zhang Han, it seemed that he didn’t hear it at all.
“What you’ve experienced is only an illusion. Wife? Child? Parents? How ridiculous! You know very well how many years have pa.s.sed. You are also clearly aware that it’s impossible for you to go back to 500 years ago and disrupt the time turbulence. Accept it!”
“You want me to admit that?”
Zhang Han suddenly raised his head, and his eyes were blood-colored. Then, he laughed in a heartbroken way. “Hahahaha…”
“You want me to admit that?
“You’re asking me for admission?
“Who do you think you are? The will of the world? Bulls.h.i.+t!
“I’ll answer you now.”
At this moment, Zhang Han’s face had become ferocious. He bellowed hysterically, “No! I don’t admit it!”
“Rumble!”
As his words came out, another bolt of divine thunder over the sky descended.
In the exclamation of about a million people, the bolt of lightning slowly swept at Zhang Han, accompanied by overwhelming pressure.
Just as it was about to land on him, the voice sounded again.
“Which is real? Which is fake? You already know the answer, don’t you?
“Then, why are you still so stubborn? The Inner Devil Tribulation is designed to kill you in the tribulation. You’re already at the last test of the divine thunder over the sky. Are you really going to quit? If you quit here, all your previous efforts will go wasted, and you will… die for real.”
This time, the cold voice revealed a trace of pity.
It seemed that the figure speaking had high hopes for Han Yang Immortal.
“So what if I die?”
Zhang Han’s face became calm again, as though he prepared to let it be. He did not look at the Thunder Tribulation, nor did he care whether he was in reality or illusion.
All his senses told him that he had indeed returned to the moment of his Divine Thunder Tribulation.
“But is this true? Shouldn’t this be the trial for the legacy of the Heavenly Lord? Or is it something else?”
Zhang Han didn’t want to dwell on any of that. He was powerless to resist.
But at the end, he replied, “If all of this is fake, then let me be gone with the wind.”
“Rumble!”
As planned, the divine thunder over the sky struck Zhang Han.
In an instant, heaven and earth became colorless.
Even at the last moment, Zhang Han could still hear the various voices of about a million spectators.
However, Zhang Han didn’t care about it.
“If my heart were dead, then what’s the point of completing my cultivation?”
“Swis.h.!.+”
The fog clouded his view again.
Zhang Han’s consciousness slipped into the state of chaos again.
Even though his consciousness was hazy, hope was burning frenetically in his heart!
“Inner Demon Tribulation? Divine thunder over the sky? Screw you!”
“Alas.”
All of a sudden, a soft sigh rang through the fog.
“Is it real or fake? Sometimes, no one can tell. But the one thing I can a.s.sure you is that the scene you just saw is fake. You failed the trial for the legacy of the Heavenly Lord. But you only missed victory by a hairbreadth. If I give you a second chance, will you admit it?”
“Heavenly Lord? Hahaha, what a majestic t.i.tle!”
Zhang Han’s mind trembled. “I, Zhang Han, don’t need anything from the darn Heavenly Lord! Even if your legacy is heaven-defyingly mighty, even if it can help one transcend the entire Cultivation World, I won’t long for it.”
“Alright.”
“The legacy of the Heavenly Lord is not destined to be yours.”
That was the last remark that voice made, which echoed in Zhang Han’s mind.
At the same time, by the lake in the outside world, the atmosphere could not be hotter.
Even Yue Wuwei became nervous.
As the scoring began, on the scoreboard, the water shot up with unstoppable momentum.
Yes, it was shooting up!
It was incredibly fast!
“Ah, 30 points, 50 points, 70 points!” Mu Xue cried out in surprise, “Gos.h.!.+ Master is so awesome! He already has 70 points! And the water is still rising!”
“Eighty points.” Zhao Feng showed a smile.
“Eighty-five points!” Chen Changqing’s face was written with admiration.
“Eighty-eight points.” Zhang Mu’s and Zhang Guangyou’s faces were lit with pride.
Of course, the ones who felt proudest were Zi Yan and Mengmeng.
“Ninety points! Daddy is the strongest!” Mengmeng threw her arms upward and whooped.
“Ninety-three points.” Zi Yan also smiled merrily.
“Ninety-five points!” Jiang Yanlan clenched her hands and said, “it’s done. Master is going to pa.s.s it! He will get 100 points and have the legacy of the Heavenly Lord!”
While these people were extremely exultant, Li Mu, Nina, and the others from the Sea Dragon Star Area were all dazzled.
“What a frightening man Zhang Hanyang is!”
“Ninety-sixth!”
“Ninety-seven!”
“Ninety-eight!”
Gradually, many people present began to shout the score out loud in unison, most of whom were from Earth.
“Ninety-nine!”
However, the water abruptly stopped there.
It was still nudging upward.
However, the entire column of water was trembling, as though it knew it had reached a critical juncture!
“Ninety-nine points!”
Even Yue Wuwei’s voice became a little shaky. “Whether he can make it or not depends on the last three seconds!”
“Wait! Master’s hands are shaking. Is he… fighting against it?” Mu Xue hastily pointed out. She had been observing Zhang Han attentively.
“Swish, swish, swis.h.!.+”
Many people cast their eyes at Zhang Han.
When they suddenly found out what Mu Xue was talking about, everyone on the scene fell silent.
A tense and somewhat depressing atmosphere pervaded the air.
Many people couldn’t help but hold their breath.
Zhang was one point away from pa.s.sing the test. They were all dying to know if he could succeed or not.
The answer would come out soon.
“Buzz, buzz, buzz!”
Zhang Han’s palms trembled, which seemed to resonate with the quivering water column.
The last words of that voice rang in Zhang Han’s head.
“The Legacy of the Heavenly Lord is not destined to be yours.”
“Clas.h.!.+”
The water column that reached the mark of 99 points shattered with a loud bang. The water dropped. Zhang Han fell short of success for not getting the last point.
At this moment, Zhang Han also opened his eyes.
He was thrown into the air and fell on the lakeside, yet he staggered slightly when he landed.
“Swoos.h.!.+”
A few people’s countenances changed.
When the others landed, they all gained full control of their powers and landed smoothly. But when Zhang Han touched down, he actually staggered! Why was that?
He had failed at something that even a Peak Strength martial artist could.
For Zhang Mu and others, it was inconceivable.
“Master!” Mu Xue cried out.
Zhang Han slowly turned around and quickly scanned the crowd, then his eyes focused on Zi Yan and Mengmeng.
“This…”
Everyone suddenly became mute. The air on the scene was sad and cold.
Zhang Han’s face was pale. The looks in his eyes were heart-wrenching.
His eyes were light red, and there were glistening tears in them. His breath was slightly disordered and a little quick. His body was quivering. Even though he was out of reach, the people present could still feel him trembling.
“What on earth did he experience just now?”
His eyes, which were fixed on Zi Yan, seemed to have been welled up with tears.
Fear, ease, pain, relief, tenderness… Everyone could see the complex emotions in his eyes.
They could never imagine what Zhang Han had just experienced.
Was it reality or an illusion?
His senses clearly told that he was really going through the Divine Thunder Tribulation. As for Zi Yan, Mengmeng… they were all illusions.
How devastated Zhang Han was at that moment!
It made Zhang Han lose his mind. Even if they were all illusions, if he couldn’t have them back, he would rather die.
He had prepared to die.
In his subconscious, he knew that the divine thunder over the sky had totally included the Inner Demon Tribulation. But he had had so many sweet and happy moments with Zi Yan and Mengmeng. He didn’t want to admit that they were fake, even if it would kill him in the end.
Even at the last moment, he sighed with emotion about the Divine Thunder Tribulation.
“No wonder Divine Thunder Tribulation is the most challenging kind of Thunder Tribulation.”
However, at the moment when Zhang Han was ready to accept his death, it was proved that the tribulation was fake, and he was just going through the trial for the legacy of the Heavenly Lord.
He was outraged the moment he realized it.
However, the strongest feeling he had was the joy of regaining what he had lost. His emotions were extremely complex.
Though overjoyed, he still had a lingering fear. All kinds of emotions were revealed on Zhang Han’s face.
For the first time, he showed such a helpless side… in front of his family.
All along, Zhang Han had been the mainstay. He always provided help to everyone around him. But when something happened, who could help him?
Zi Yan and Mengmeng were the only people he could turn to.
After seeing the mother and daughter, Zhang Han’s heart gradually melted.
His negative emotions also began to dissipate.
He inhaled slightly and tried to put on a smile, a sweet and gentle smile. But all he could manage was to slightly part his lips and give a somewhat stiff smile.
In a sort of hoa.r.s.e voice, he said, “Ha, I failed at the last moment, didn’t I?”
In just a few seconds, his emotions were manifested.
The atmosphere dropped to the freezing point.
Zi Yan had seen a lot of things from Zhang Han’s behavior, especially the way he looked at her and Mengmeng.
“Frizzle!”
Her heart ached!
She felt that someone had stabbed a needle in her heart.
“What on earth has he been through?”
Zi Yan was very anxious.
With all her force, she ran as fast as she could and threw herself into Zhang Han’s arms.
“Honey, what’s with you?
“Honey, what on earth has happened to you?”
Zi Yan couldn’t restrain her emotions any longer. She tightly clasped Zhang Han to her bosom. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Choking with sobs, she said, “We, we don’t want the trial anymore. We don’t want it. We don’t want anything.
“Let’s go home.
“We will never come here again.”
When he held his beloved wife in his arms, all sorts of negative emotions quickly dissipated.
Zhang Han also embraced Zi Yan tightly. He sniffed deeply at her fragrant hair and then soothingly patted Zi Yan on the back.
“I’m fine. There, there. Don’t be like this. There are so many people watching.”
That invincible and impeccable man was back.
Everyone could tell that from Zhang Han’s aura.
Mu Xue, Zhao Feng, Zhang Guangyou, and the others all breathed a sigh of relief.
A moment ago, they were really scared out of their wits.
This was the first time that they had seen Zhang Han show such a complicated expression on his face since the first day they knew him.
It made them curious about what he had experienced.
“Boo-hoo…”
Mengmeng hadn’t sensed so many complex feelings, but she still ran over, pursed her lips, and grabbed Zhang Han’s and Zi Yan’s arms.
Hearing her mother weeping, the little girl also cried sadly.
When the mother and daughter started to cry, all the negative emotions Zhang Han had completely vanished.
His mood swing started and ended very fast. The whole process took only about 10 seconds.
With his left arm holding Mengmeng and his right arm holding Zi Yan, Zhang Han hurriedly explained, “There, there. I’m alright. I was just a little scared. It’s nothing. Stop crying. Your faces will be ruined by tears. You won’t look pretty then. Everything is fine. Honey, don’t be like this, or Mengmeng won’t stop crying…”
“Are you really alright?”
Women were made of water. After crying for only a few seconds, Zi Yan’s eyes were slightly bloodshot. She threw her head back a little, looked up at Zhang Han with eyes wide open and s.h.i.+ning with tears, and asked that question in a somewhat uncertain voice.
It could be seen that Zhang Han’s answer would affect her mood.
Her look and expression were actually very cute.
But Zhang Han was touched. He stretched out his right hand and wiped the tears from the corners of Zi Yan’s eyes.
“How could I not be? I’m standing here, perfectly fine. Don’t worry, I’m really okay.”
“Mengmeng, don’t cry. Good girl, listen to Mummy…”
After comforting Zi Yan, Zhan Han began to cheer Mengmeng up. Mengmeng’s feeling was not as acute and intense as Zi Yan’s. She held up her hands and dabbed tears off her face.
“Daddy, you can’t let anything happen to you. Mummy and I can’t live without you.”
“Well, I won’t, of course.” Zhang Han chuckled with affection in his eyes.
At this time, everyone knew that it was not the time to ask Zhang Han what he had experienced.
Zhang Guangyou came over, smiled, and sighed softly. “Daughter-in-law, granddaughter, don’t cry. My son is standing here unscathed. As a man, it’s normal for him to get wounded and bleed a little.”
Hearing this, Zhang Mu shook his head with resignation.
Just now, Zhang Guangyou almost went to go over to comfort Zhang Han, but Zhang Mu stopped him.
“That’s easy for you to say.”
“That’s not normal!”
Mengmeng pouted and gave a sniff of disapproval.
The tears came quickly and went quickly as well.
As Zhang Han’s condition improved, Zi Yan’s and Mengmeng’s mood swiftly picked up. Their flooding tears instantly dissolved into bright smiles.
“You made it to 99 points, yet you failed in the end. What a pity! You were just one point short.” Yue Wuwei looked a little upset.
Hearing his words, Zhang Han shook his head slightly.
“It doesn’t matter. The legacy of the Heavenly Lord isn’t destined to be mine. Besides, I don’t really need any legacies.”
Speaking of this matter, Zhang Han was a little irked.
However, he didn’t show it.
“Alas…”
Yue Wuwei sighed deeply.
It could be seen from his face that he felt very helpless.
In a much heavier tone, he said, “Now you failed to get the legacy, I really can’t think of anyone who can.”
As soon as these words came out, everyone present nodded in private. Their mood became slightly downcast.
“Such a great opportunity does not belong to us.
“Even Zhang Hanyang has failed to obtain it. Then, who else in the world can achieve that?”
Silence fell again.
But barely had the silence lasted for two seconds.
“Senior…”
Nina abruptly spoke. She hesitated for a moment, but finally pointed to Mengmeng and said, “Mengmeng hasn’t tried yet. Since Uncle Zhang and Auntie Zi both have inspired strong reactions of the stone tablet, I think Mengmeng may have a chance.”
“Huh?”
Yue Wuwei’s eyes lit up in an instant. “Yeah! She may really have a chance!”
“Don’t even think about it!”
Before Zhang Han could speak, Zi Yan bluntly refused, “My family doesn’t need the legacy of the darn Heavenly Lord. You are just a liar.”
Yue Wuwei was struck dumb.
The old man immediately looked aggrieved.
“When have I ever lied to you, madam?” Yue Wuwei felt a little helpless.
“Humph, anyway, I won’t agree no matter what you say. Who knows what that stupid stone tablet may do to my daughter?” Zi Yan said angrily.
“Alas, nothing will happen to your daughter.”
Yue Wuwei got anxious at once. “You also went up there yourself. Did you feel a thing?”
Then he looked at Zhang Guangyou beside him and asked, “How did you feel when you were up there?”
“Ah? I, um, just blinked my eyes and then got sent to the sh.o.r.e,” Zhang Guangyou replied.
“What about you? How did you feel?” Yue Wuwei looked at Mu Xue and asked.
“I felt the same. I was already back before I could feel anything. Perhaps a wave of energy communicated with me. I’m not sure what it was.” Mu Xue gently shook her head.
“What about you? You? And you?” Yue Wuwei looked at the other three people.
Zhao Feng said, “Me too.”
Jiang Yanlan, “I didn’t feel a thing either.”
Instructor Liu, “I came down the moment I went up, though I wanted to experience it for a longer time.”
“Then what happened to my husband?” Zi Yan glared at Yue Wuwei and demanded.
“How would I know?” Yue Wuwei said with a wry smile, “Zhang Hanyang, what on earth happened to you just now? Did you try to use a secret skill to forcefully bring your score to 100 points?”
Seeing the expressions of the people around him, Zhang Han frowned slightly and pondered for two seconds.
“They didn’t feel anything, neither did Zi Yan, but I…
“Is it because I’ve lived two lives?
“Or is it because what I went through was the Heavenly Lord’s test? Did Yue Wuwei’s master want me to become the Heavenly Lord?
“No, that can’t be.
“Is our partic.i.p.ation in this trial an active act or an unconscious, pa.s.sive act?”
Zhang Han was also a little suspicious.
Eventually, he shook his head and answered, “I just saw something that… bugged me big-time.”
His answer was simple.
“See, your husband also said it was nothing. Even he merely saw some scenes. I guarantee you that this test is safe. Nothing will happen to Mengmeng if she goes up and gets tested. Besides, I suspect that Zhang Hanyang only saw those scenes because he had kept a lot of secrets. He is cunning. But Mengmeng is naive and lovely. She definitely won’t go through the same experience as him. Just let her have a try.”
Yue Wuwei was sincerely trying to let someone have the legacy of the Heavenly Lord. His expressions kept changing.
He said earnestly, “Zi Yan, please do me this favor. Mengmeng is my last hope. If she fails, we will all leave immediately, okay? Besides, you know how I helped you out back then, don’t you? I’m telling you, if you don’t let her try, I won’t leave either. We’ll all live here for the rest of our lives.”
As Yue Wuwei spoke, he began to feel very wronged and aggrieved. In the end, he glared with rage.
His words made Zi Yan’s expression freeze slightly. Having no idea what to do, she looked at Zhang Han.
The others also flickered their eyes to Zhang Han.
Zhang Han sighed softly, caressed Mengmeng’s head, and said with a chuckle, “Sweetie, do you wanna give it a try? If you want, you can go up. If not, we’ll leave.”
He left the decision to Mengmeng.
A broad smile suddenly spread across Yue Wuwei’s face. “Little girl, look, your Sister Nina has already gone up there and played the game. If you don’t try, won’t you regret it?”
“Eh?” Mengmeng was slightly stunned.
Her big, s.h.i.+ning eyes blinked quickly, as though she was thinking about whether it would be fun or not.
“Just give it a try. It won’t matter even if you fail the game.” Yue Wuwei looked at Zhang Han with a serious face. He knew that this little girl was the real one who called the shots. With his persuasion skills, he was confident that he could talk Mengmeng into this. Then, Yue Wuwei added, “She will not experience what you have experienced. In fact, everyone’s experience is different. You should already know it.”
“Daddy, shall I give it a try?” Mengmeng tugged at Zhang Han’s hand.
“Go ahead.”
In the end, unable to make Yue Wuwei give up, Zhang Han nodded to Mengmeng.
“Then I’ll jump on it, okay?” Mengmeng asked for confirmation.
After getting Zhang Han’s positive answer, the little girl took a few paces back before saying, “I’m gonna start now.”
“Sure!” Yue Wuwei nodded repeatedly.
“Swoos.h.!.+”
Mengmeng swiftly took several strides and ran to the surface of the lake with her own strength. After her tiptoes touched the surface of the water several times, she nimbly and steadily landed on the stone platform.
Seeing this, Zhang Guangyou couldn’t help showing off to Zhang Mu.
“Dad, did you see that? My granddaughter used the walking method I taught her, haha.”
Zhang Mu just said, “Oh, okay.”
Zhang Guangyou was speechless.
“Can’t you just show me a surprised look?”
But before he had time to think, Mengmeng had arrived on the stone platform.
“She is up!”
“The water is moving!”
“How many points will Mengmeng get?” Nina asked, her eyes also full of curiosity.
She hadn’t a.s.sessed Mengmeng in terms of martial arts achievements. Mengmeng was more like a friend to her. The two liked each other regardless of each other’s strength and status. In Mengmeng’s words, they were besties.
Nina also felt the same way. Although they hadn’t known each other for a long time, now she really hoped that Mengmeng could get a higher score.
“Wow! The speed of the water is amazingly fast!”
The water moved ceaselessly, constantly converging into a water column that climbed on the scoreboard.
“Ten points.”
“Twenty points.”
“Thirty points.”
“The water is moving quite steadily. Mengmeng, you’re awesome!” Mu Xue said with a smile, “now it’s forty points.”
“Fifty points!” Jiang Yanlan smiled.
“Sixty points!”
“Seventy points!”
“Gee,” Zhang Guangyou clapped his hands and said, “my granddaughter is bravo. Maybe she can do even better than her father. Come on, give her 100 points!”
“Now she already has eighty points!” The expressions of Zhang Mu and the others also changed.
“Ninety points!”
Yue Wuwei looked a little excited and nervous. He clenched his fists and said, “I wonder if she can get 100 points! You’re my last hope. Mengmeng, come on!”
“Ahhhhh!”
Mu Xue and the others suddenly screamed and shouted in surprise, “One hundred points!”
“She made it! She made it!”
“One hundred points!”
“Oh my G.o.d, Mengmeng got 100 points!”
“Whoa, she got the legacy!”
“My granddaughter scored 100 points!”
“Hahahahahaha…”
Yue Wuwei suddenly burst out laughing.
He could not be more delighted. Because someone had finally obtained the legacy of the Heavenly Lord!
“Is, is Mengmeng the new Heavenly Lord now?” Zi Yan smiled and looked at Zhang Han.
“Yeah. Our daughter is unparalleled.” Zhang Han looked quite proud.
His expression was just like the one Mengmeng showed all the time.
Mengmeng was proud of having such a great father.
Zhang Han was also proud of having such a wonderful daughter.
Standing on the stone platform, Mengmeng turned around and asked nervously, “Daddy, Mummy, what score did I get?”
She worried that it would be embarra.s.sing if the score was too low.
Seeing this, Zhang Han finally smiled.
“My daughter is the best. You got 100 points!”
“Huh?” Mengmeng’s eyes lit up, “I got 100 points? Haha…”
She laughed happily. Because she also knew that she would get a great gift after getting 100 points on this test.
“Grandpa Yue, what gift do you have for me?” Mengmeng looked at Yue Wuwei and asked.
“Here comes the gift.”
Yue Wuwei’s eyes gleamed as he turned to look at the bottom of the stone tablet, where a door appeared out of thin air.
Roaring with laughter, he said, “The gift is behind the door. Let’s go through it.”
“Well, okay.”
“Has it to be so troublesome?”
Mengmeng gently bobbed her head and waved to Zhang Han and Zi Yan. “Mummy, Daddy, let’s go pick the gift together.”
“Well…” Yue Wuwei’s expression stiffened for a moment. Then, he said, “You can only go through that door by yourself. I’ll a.s.sist you from the side.”
“Huh?” Mengmeng was stunned. She didn’t like that. Thus, she objected, “I don’t want to go there alone. I’ll go with Mummy and Daddy.”
“You just need to go in and pick your gift. You’ll be out very soon,” Yue Wuwei said with a wry smile.
“Humph, then I don’t want the gift.”
Mengmeng snorted, whip around, and made to leave.
But how could Yue Wuwei let her go?
Resigned, Yue Wuwei nodded and said, “Alright, alright, your parents can go with you. But whether or not they can enter that door is another matter.”
“Let’s go.”
Zhang Han smiled, took Zi Yan’s hand, and jumped onto the stone platform with her.
At this time, Yue Wuwei’s voice rang out in his mind.
“If someone has to accompany Mengmeng, I think it’s better to be you, only you. The stone tablet must have a strand of Spiritual Will Master left behind. Master’s strength is far beyond the Cultivation World’s imagination. But Zi Yan is quite special. If she went there and experienced the impact of that otherworldly energy, it might bring some changes to her. I suspect Zi Yan is not a person born in this world. You know what I mean? Your life is perfectly happy. You certainly don’t need any unexpected changes. If Zi Yan goes in with you two, she might lose her memories or remember something that she has long forgotten under the impact. I’m not bluffing. You surely don’t want either of those things to occur, do you?”
Zhang Han’s pupils stopped moving for a moment.
With the Designated Voice-transmitting Technique, he replied, “Are you sure what you said is true? Is Zi Yan really from a certain higher world?”
“No, that’s not necessarily true. I think she is really her true self at this moment,” Yue Wuwei explained. “I’m just saying that in case of an accident, the gains will not make up for the losses. Now Mengmeng is the Heavenly Lord, there are some things I can tell you. Master’s strength is much stronger than that of those in the so-called Cultivation World. And Zi Yan is definitely not a person of the Cultivation World. If you insist on taking her into that door, I myself won’t mind it.”
In the end, Yue Wuwei left Zhang Han to make the choice.
He, too, had doubts about Zi Yan’s background. But he couldn’t figure it out anyhow. Now that Mengmeng had become the Heavenly Lord, he felt the result perfect and didn’t want any sudden changes.
“Thank you for your kind reminder, Elder Yue.”
Zhang Han nodded with a solemn face. Then, he cast his eyes on Zi Yan and gently tucked some of her stray hair.
He remarked, “Honey, just wait for me and Mengmeng outside.”
“Oh, okay.”
Zi Yan was taken aback at first but then nodded obediently.
Seeing her being so meek and tender, Li Mu and the people at the back had a rather bizarre feeling.
“Moon Empress is far, far too cute and amenable.
“My heart is pounding too fast!”