Chapter 220: Destiny

Chen Yi He returned to the Scripture Pavilion, washed up simply, then lay back on the bed and slept.

He slept until noon the next day.

Winter was approaching, yet the sunlight remained warm, shining on the Scripture Pavilion, making Chen Yi He unable to open his eyes for a moment; he squinted, watching the dust motes in the air, feeling a myriad of emotions.

Chen Yi He felt as if he were dreaming, having started dreaming outside Clear Water City and continuing to dream until now, this dream not yet awakened. He did not know if this dream could still end. Even whether this was a dream at all.

"Sixfold Heaven." Chen Yi He muttered to himself, looking at his hands as if an invisible force were growing on them, little by little, unstoppable.

The sound of "thud thud thud" footsteps echoed at the entrance of the Scripture Pavilion's stairs, rushing straight to the top floor.

Chen Yi He looked toward the stairwell, not wanting to use his divine sense to feel, just wanting to hear the footsteps to judge who it was.

"Urgent yet disordered, Gao Di Chun." Chen Yi He guessed.

Sure enough, it was Gao Di Chun.

"You've come."

"Glad you're awake." Gao Di Chun said to Chen Yi He.

Chen Yi He got off the bed and put on his clothes.

"You're so flustered, not like your usual style." Chen Yi He said to Gao Di Chun.

Gao Di Chun strove to overcome his excitement, asking Chen Yi He, "Is that person really the Dragon King?" For three full days and nights, Gao Di Chun had been waiting for Chen Yi He's reply; he originally wanted to ask before Chen Yi He returned to the Scripture Pavilion, but thinking that Chen Yi He had just been in a major battle and a breakthrough, which was extremely arduous, he waited another day, and when Chen Yi He woke up, he hurriedly came to find him.

"It is him." Chen Yi He replied.

Gao Di Chun plopped onto the ground, his spirit lost, saying, "The Dragon King is still alive..."

"Mm, he is still alive." Chen Yi He repeated.

"Good, good, good." Gao Di Chun muttered, the appearance of the Dragon King shattering his cognition, his brother still alive.

If the Dragon King had really died like that, it would have been fine; but the Dragon King is not dead, so the problem is serious.

"But why did he become like this?" Gao Di Chun asked Chen Yi He again.

"I don't know either." Chen Yi He shook his head and replied, "It's just that there is a very familiar power on him that I can't recall at the moment."

"That is the power of Heavenly Dao." The Royal Old Ancestor had somehow drifted into the Scripture Pavilion at some point, like a wandering soul, arriving silently and without a trace.

"Heavenly Dao?"

"Heavenly Dao?" Chen Yi He and Gao Di Chun exclaimed in unison.

"Chen Yi He, have you forgotten? In the great battle when Heavenly Dao emerged, you endured a move of Heavenly Dao—think about it, isn't that the same power as on the Dragon King?" The Royal Old Ancestor asked Chen Yi He.

Chen Yi He thought carefully and confirmed the two powers shared the same origin: "Indeed they are the same! But, Dragon King, what is his connection with Heavenly Dao?"

"I, the old man, am not clear on this either, but half of the power on him belongs to himself, and half belongs to Heavenly Dao."

"Back when we were in the Underground World, we didn't see the Dragon King's corpse, yet we couldn't find him either." Chen Yi He recalled.

"But now he stands alive before us..." Gao Di Chun said.

"No, that is not alive." Chen Yi He interrupted Gao Di Chun's words, "I sense no trace of vitality in him. Old ancestor, what about you?"

The Royal Old Ancestor pursed his lips and nodded, "He should be controlled by Heavenly Dao, and Heavenly Dao has endowed him with great power!"

"What kind of opponent are we facing?! Why can they still command others? The Dragon King's power surpasses mine, yet they can easily command people—how are we to contend with such a foe?" Chen Yi He grew more anxious as he spoke, even feeling absurd—not only is the Heavenly Dao Trio overwhelmingly powerful, but also the idea of having to oppose these three feels absurd.

"What's there to fear? They are merely at the perfected level of Sevenfold Heaven, and haven't broken through Sevenfold Heaven!" The Royal Old Ancestor encouraged Chen Yi He.

Chen Yi He felt guilty, but he didn't know why the Royal Old Ancestor had growing confidence in him.

"Impossible, the Dragon King is unruly and cannot be used by anyone!" Gao Di Chun exclaimed in defense of the Dragon King, "The Dragon King is the Dragon King; his veins run with Dragon Clan blood—no outsider could possibly control him!"

"But the facts are right before our eyes." The Royal Old Ancestor said to Gao Di Chun.

Gao Di Chun slumped his head in dejection.

"This doesn't make sense; if he's controlled, why wouldn't he kill me?" Chen Yi He raised the doubt, "Indeed, the Heavenly Opportunity Sword is in the Dragon King's hand; he could easily cleave me with a single stroke."

"Exactly, he didn't kill Yi He!" Gao Di Chun clung to the last straw, saying to the Royal Old Ancestor.

"I, the old man, also can't explain this; perhaps he doesn't want to take advantage of someone's peril, or perhaps a fragment of memory still lingers in his mind."

"Retaining a fragment of memory, he hasn't forgotten his brother." Gao Di Chun said to Chen Yi He, "Yi He, the Dragon King surely hasn't forgotten us!"

"I think the same. At the moment he drew his sword, I could see a hint of black in his eyes, indicating he still retains a trace of reason." Chen Yi He said.

"Let's take it step by step; the decisive battle is only a month away, we can't think about too much now." The Royal Old Ancestor sat slowly on the reed mat, saying to Chen Yi He, "Time is precious; begin, cast aside distractions, firm your resolve."

"Big Brother Gao?" Chen Yi He looked toward Gao Di Chun.

"Hehe, Yi He, you don't need to worry about me; just focus on your own affairs, I still have some matters to attend to." Gao Di Chun laughed and said to Chen Yi He.

"Are you going to look for the Dragon King?"

"Mm."

"Do you know where he is?"

"As long as he retains a fragment of memory, he will surely not forget that place. I must go there, even if it costs my life—I cannot stand by and watch the Dragon King march toward destruction; he, like you, is my brother."

Gao Di Chun added, "Don't worry about me; the Dragon King won't do anything to me."

"Won't you reconsider? Wait until I leave seclusion, then accompany you."

"No need, I've thought it through."

"Take care on your journey!" Chen Yi He said helplessly, only able to worry.

Gao Di Chun walked back to the stairwell, clasped his fists toward Chen Yi He and the Royal Old Ancestor, and said, "Hahaha! Farewell!"

"Sigh." Chen Yi He let out a deep sigh.

"Human life follows destiny; many are bound by others from birth. You have no other recourse." The Royal Old Ancestor comforted Chen Yi He, "Begin."