Chapter 2370: Using One's Body as the System

"The Great Square Vessel has already obtained Lady Lady Lady Mitian's divinity, and I know the Death Ancient God once opened his own divine realm and took in his believers." Zhong Shengguang had clearly pondered this repeatedly, "I mentioned to you before, if the Great Square Vessel could also open a divine realm, perhaps I could lead everyone to avoid the catastrophe of annihilation!"

The three listeners, including He Lingchuan, were moved; it turned out Zhong Shengguang had always been calculating this matter.

"You and the Red General are not Death Ancient Gods, and the Great Square Vessel has not held the death divinity for long; to open a divine realm, you need the participation of the Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl." Zhao Mantu's question was very practical, "Is it ready?"

"That pearl has already been steeped in the red dust of Nancheng Gate for over a decade; I hope it will be complete when the time comes."

He Lingchuan felt his heart sink slightly upon hearing this. He knew the true subsequent history, and Zhong Shengguang's judgment of the Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl was greatly mistaken, because after True Person Qianhuan took this pearl, he also handed it over to Yaoguo, where it continued to wander in the red dust for sixty years!

Zhao Mantu spoke in his place: "What if it fails?"

"If it fails, then please, True Person, guide me on how to keep the Great Square Vessel in Panlongcheng!" Zhong Shengguang's eyes gleamed, "As long as the Great Square Vessel remains, there is hope. I have failed to find suitable talent for twenty years; then I will wait another thirty, fifty, one hundred, two hundred years! Until I find them. I refuse to believe that the fate of this world has already run its course."

Zhao Mantu looked at him and sighed, "Have you already made up your mind?"

From his eyes, He Lingchuan seemed to see a hint of emotion and admiration.

Zhong Shengguang declared firmly: "Yes!"

This time, Zhao Mantu faced the window and pondered for a long while.

Zhong Shengguang did not disturb him, simply waiting quietly beside him.

Until dusk fell, Zhao Mantu then moved, letting out a long breath and turning to light the oil lamp.

"The appearance of the Great Square Vessel has brought to the world a new force called 'Yuánlì'. This is the manifestation of the Black Dragon God Sovereign's will, but for the Great Square Vessel to further align with and transform according to heavenly laws, it must undergo the process of departing from the substantial and entering the insubstantial."

"Departing from the substantial and entering the insubstantial?" Zhong Shengguang murmured these four characters repeatedly.

Dong Rui also asked He Lingchuan: "What does this mean?"

He Lingchuan waved his hand, not allowing him to interrupt his train of thought.

"You also said before, the Great Square Vessel devoured the Death Ancient God and obtained his divinity, which helps it further perfect and develop the Yuánlì laws, making it beneficial to all beings in the world. The Great Square Vessel may even contain a divine realm within..." Zhao Mantu said each word clearly, "The Great Dao is conceived in the substantial and transformed in the insubstantial. For the Great Square Vessel to align with the Great Dao, it must naturally proceed from the substantial to the insubstantial."

"This step is as difficult as ascending to heaven, like a common carp trying to leap the Dragon Gate; no divine artifact in the world can achieve this, but the death divinity might perhaps be of great help." He sighed, "You have slain Lady Lady Lady Mitian; in this world, you have truly achieved immeasurable merit!"

"The Great Square Vessel may need to perfect its laws, and perhaps one day it will have to return from the insubstantial to the substantial... but that is likely far in the future, and you and I may not live to see it."

Zhong Shengguang lightly coughed; this True Person often had the habit of wandering off in thought.

Zhao Mantu gently shook his head, as if pulling his thoughts back from the infinite distance: "Speaking of the present, Panlongcheng is substantial, while the Great Square Vessel gradually enters the insubstantial. You wish to bind these two together, so that even the demons would be helpless; then you must establish an extremely strong bond between them."

Zhong Shengguang knew the crux had arrived, even lightening his breath: "What is this bond? A divine artifact, a blood oath, or a spell?"

"It is a shackle!" Zhao Mantu did not beat around the bush, "As the adhesive between the substantial and the insubstantial, this shackle must be strong and solid, so that even the True Person of Lingxu cannot sever it!"

"How to establish it?" Zhong Shengguang focused his gaze, "What kind of medium is needed?"

"Far in the heavens, near at hand." Zhao Mantu sighed silently, "It is you, Commander Zhong!"

Zhong Shengguang pointed at himself in surprise: "Me?"

He Lingchuan then narrowed his eyes, lost in thought.

"You are inherently the strongest bond between Panlongcheng and the Great Square Vessel; without you, these two could never be connected." Zhao Mantu spoke softly, "You are the one chosen by the Great Square Vessel; your steadfast belief and unyielding will are sufficient to let this shackle withstand the demons' severing, allowing the Great Square Vessel and Panlongcheng to remain together."

Upon hearing his duty described as so great, Zhong Shengguang instead relaxed, smiling: "This is best. How should I proceed?"

"If——" Zhao Mantu paused, "If the final misfortune inevitably arrives, you must let yourself enter the realm between substantial and insubstantial, into a state of neither life nor death, neither existence nor non-existence. This step you cannot complete alone; you must seek aid from the Black Dragon God Sovereign."

"For most beings, death is the end, is peace. But once you become the bond between Panlongcheng and the Great Square Vessel, you can only endure in endless solitude, clinging desperately until your last strength is exhausted."

Zhong Shengguang instead felt relieved: "May the Dragon God be above! As long as I can avoid failing both, even eternal solitude, I would gladly accept it!"

Zhao Mantu reminded him: "Even if you, in this way, gain a little more time for Panlongcheng and the Great Square Vessel, this perseverance will eventually have an end. After your strength is completely exhausted, the connection between Panlongcheng and the Great Square Vessel may gradually weaken."

Zhong Shengguang, however, was very open-minded:

"Doing my utmost, I ask for no guilt. This world has its own fate, and there is a saying called 'responding to destiny'. I believe that if you just give me a little more time, the person that Panlongcheng and the Great Square Vessel await, and that this heaven and earth await, will surely appear!"

"Good." Zhao Mantu said, "Lean in close, I will tell you how to proceed."

The scene ended here, the ripples spreading again, blurring the shadows of the three.

The Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl also rose from the water's depths, floating on the surface, scooped up by He Lingchuan in one hand.

He murmured: "So that's how it is."

After the battle of the Thousand Illusions' Consciousness Sea in the Inverted Sea, He Lingchuan saw within the Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl what Zhong Shengguang had done before his heroic sacrifice.

He had sworn an oath before the Great Square Vessel, vowing to transform himself into a demon-slayer, eternally guarding the Panlong Wasteland!

And only now, seeing the vision in the water, did He Lingchuan understand why Zhong Shengguang had done this.

This oath, this transformation, was an indispensable ritual. Zhong Shengguang used his life, belief, and strength as payment, tightly binding Panlongcheng and the Great Square Vessel together.

Even after his death, the demons could not separate these two.

He Lingchuan had previously pondered this question: why could the Great Square Vessel merge with the Panlong ruins as one? Now he understood.

Dong Rui patted his shoulder, smirking: "So you are the person Old Zhong has been waiting for all along."

Zhu Xiuer worriedly said: "It seems the collapse of this Secret Realm is truly due to Zhong Shengguang's strength having waned."