Chapter 586: The Mystery of the Ascetic

Before Lin An could steady his mind, the scene shifted instantly.

Second act:

On an endless wasteland, a man bursting with spiritual energy rode on horseback, behind him a crowd whose faces were weary but whose eyes flickered with hope.

"Your Majesty, if we go another hundred li forward, we can build a city there."

"We will surely restore glory and slaughter those monsters!"

The man called the king nodded slowly, though his eyes were somewhat bewildered.

Third act:

"Your Majesty, we have won!"

"Those monsters have finally been eradicated!"

Tears streamed down his face.

After a life-and-death struggle, everything is over.

Armor-clad soldiers trembled with their hands and knelt on the ground.

Standing atop the city wall.

The man wearing a crown and white robes likewise looked excitedly toward the distance, nodding heavily.

After decades of effort, they finally wore down and killed all the zombies.

Relying on his power and the soldiers who fought to the death, they resolved this apocalypse before the zombies could spread.

To ensure no zombie infection source remained, he prepared to spend another ten years to completely erase the monster's origin traces.

Fourth act:

The man in white robes sat upright atop the splendid palace, smiling as he looked down at the courtiers prostrate below.

Much time seemed to have passed; his hair was all white, and his face bore many wrinkles.

Yet his eyes still brimmed with vitality, indicating he possessed a vitality far beyond that of ordinary people.

As the spiritual pillar of the entire empire, he unified the whole world fifteen years ago.

"Father Emperor, the empire will surely become even more glorious!"

His descendants filled the halls, the empire thrived day by day, and the people were happy.

The man liked this feeling; he was satisfied with his current life.

After eliminating the zombies, he rebuilt this nation on the ruins of the imperial capital that had once been burned.

Inside and outside the royal city, carriages and horses flowed, a sea of people cheered as they took to the streets.

Today marks the 80th year of the empire's founding, and their emperor is even more a legend.

Amid cheers like mountains shouting and seas roaring.

A few merchants recently arrived from other conquered empires seemed out of place among the crowd.

To show their sincerity, they also shouted along loudly for a long time.

But the effect was poor; their awkward accent made it hard for the empire's people to accept them.

He felt a little thirsty.

In his peripheral vision, several people noticed a well that seemed abandoned.

"Move the stone on top!"

"Shall we give them some water to drink?"

Quick-witted, as the conquered, they needed to establish good relations with the locals.

Having made up their minds, they simply moved the stone weighing down the well and hurriedly drew water.

"This well water... why is it a bit sweet?"

After drawing a bucket of well water to his satisfaction, the lead merchant gulped it down.

He felt some doubt, but he simply took it as a good well.

He just didn't know... why it had been sealed shut.

Beneath the dim well, a faint red glow.

His eyes also turned red along with it.

Fifth act:

Flames shot into the sky.

All that could be heard were mournful, piercing screams.

As the most prosperous royal city in the world, it had now become a hell.

The dense population, the cheering celebrants, like ignited cotton fluff, exploded the entire empire at the moment the first zombie appeared.

His whole body trembled.

Two days prior, as the empire's supreme ruler, the man was still immersed in his great achievements.

He had saved the world, rebuilt the empire, gained a happy and fulfilling life, and founded an immortal empire.

He had thought he had escaped that apocalypse.

But when those nightmare-like red eyes appeared before him, he felt as if the heavens were mocking him.

"Your Majesty, hurry and go!"

The number of zombies was too great.

The man with superhuman power had grown old; though still far stronger than ordinary folk, among this wave of zombies appeared the very scene he most dreaded.

"Mutant..."

His lips twitched.

The man with white‑tinged hair gave a grim smile as he watched the soldiers being slaughtered en masse, clenching his fists tightly.

His children, his queen, his subjects, his empire.

Everything will be destroyed...

Why! Why!! Why!!

Amidst angry roars that sounded like weeping blood, the man tightly shut his eyes, then tremblingly opened them.

Run...

Outside the city, the remaining soldiers aimlessly and helplessly guarded him, many painfully kneeling on the ground.

Gazing at the blood-red royal capital, the man stared fixedly at the scene before him.

I refuse! I don't believe it!

Power, I need power!

I need stronger power!!

Unwilling to lose.

Already a hundred years old, he had endured countless life-and-death battles; his firm belief made him never give up.

It must be that I didn't do something right... there must be some problem left unresolved..

"History will never repeat!!"

Act Six:

Mutants are too strong; I need more helpers, I need power!

The man's body was hunched; only the anger in his eyes had never yielded.

He repeatedly reviewed his life, trying to find a way to gain power.

He was unwilling.

He personally witnessed the royal capital's destruction twice, and saw his wife and children in this world die in two batches.

He swore never to repeat this pain.

Steadfast belief... this world's rules seem to be obtainable through steadfast belief...

Before entering this Secret Realm, I wasn't that strong...

What principle... is it just to keep persevering?

The defeated remnants, the last few soldiers following him, also like the elderly, struggled to find food for him.

Your Majesty, have a bit...

His gaze was listless.

Since the day the empire fell, most of the soldiers who followed him in his final escape have died in battle.

Everything seemed to have lost hope.

The whole world had fallen into disaster.

He had not taken any food.

The man looked at the swaying bonfire before him; in the darkness, his eyes seemed to show a glimmer of enlightenment.

Belief... steadfast... what exactly does it mean...

After a long while, he suddenly raised his head, looking toward the waterskin on the distant war horse, muttering to himself.

In ten minutes, I will definitely get water!

Ten minutes later, a waterskin was in the man's hand, beside him were puzzled soldiers.

King, what are you doing?

They couldn't understand how the King could, like a madman, keep issuing orders to himself and then act on them.

Ignoring the soldiers' doubts, the man, like a lunatic, quickly spoke of what he would do in the future.

In one minute! I will extinguish the fire!

In two minutes, I will bring over a stone!

In five minutes, I will kill that horse!

Covered in scalding horse blood, the man slowly drew his blade amidst the soldiers' terrified expressions.

His frame was stooped.

But at this moment, he seemed to have regained some vitality.

Like a statue, he suddenly laughed out loud, without hesitation looking at the soldiers:

In one minute, I will sever the fingers of my right hand!

Come stop me! Stop me at any cost!!

This is my command!

Accustomed to obeying orders, the soldiers exerted all their strength to try to restrain the man.

They couldn't understand how the usually calm King could suddenly become like a madman.

Not only did they tightly grip the man's hands, but the man himself also twisted his arm beforehand and buried his feet in the ground.

Like a schizophrenic, he also used every means to stop himself.

One minute's time quickly passed.

The man with his hands twisted open his mouth, teeth knocked out, face contorted, desperately biting toward his fingers.

The soldiers could not stop him; only he himself could.

His spine twisted, clinging to his last breath, he endured the immense pain he inflicted on himself, forcibly biting his fingertips with his teeth, trying to break his own fingers.

In vain, amidst repeated frantic self-hypnosis, the flung sabre in the distance suddenly trembled.

Chop! I can definitely do it! I can definitely!

Swish!

The blade flashed, and a section of finger was chopped off, falling to the ground.

Seeing the man suddenly exhibit a power he had never possessed, the soldiers who had seized him froze.

With a hearty, unrestrained laugh, the man stared straight at the finger that had fallen to the ground, laughing with utter joy:

"I... finally know..."

"This world... the secret of power..."

Meanwhile.

Just as Lin An, who stood before the man watching, his heart was shaken.

He suddenly understood; it was inconceivable.

Lin An, like the man, simultaneously realized the rule power of the Secret Realm world.