Chapter 283: Mural

Chen Che swooped down from the eaves, walked into the courtyard with a swagger, and slipped into a room with light steps.

The room was simply furnished, with rosewood tables, chairs, and bookshelves arranged neatly, giving one a sense of solemnity and gravity.

Chen Che closed the door, walked straight toward the desk, moved the chair aside, and stomped on the floor beneath it.

The entrance to the underground space was right here, and it was the only way in or out.

Chen Che opened his eyes wide, his dark cyan pupils contracting and dilating; he had successfully found the location of the mechanism.

Chen Che pressed the button hidden under the edge of the desk, the floor entrance slowly opened, and Chen Che jumped down cleanly and nimbly.

Below the entrance was another entrance, a stone door the height of a person.

Chen Che placed one hand on the stone door, circulated his True Qi, and slowly exerted force; the stone door opened gradually, emitting a faint friction sound, as if it were the whisper of an ancient mechanism.

Chen Che took out his phone, turned on the flashlight function, stepped into the stone door, and arrived at a narrow corridor that only allowed one person to pass at a time.

The corridor was boundless, with only darkness ahead, as if it had no end.

The not-so-effective illumination danced on the stone walls, reflecting the ancient and mysterious murals on the walls on both sides.

The murals were painted in an ancient language that was almost impossible to recognize; the lines were fluid and delicate, and although the colors had faded due to the passage of time, one could still see their former glory.

Chen Che narrowed his eyes, his gaze moving slowly across the murals, attempting to decipher the secrets of these ancient murals.

On the left side, extending inward from near the stone door, a person first appeared on the mural.

Amidst the hazy light and shadow, one could vaguely see that person's figure slowly emerging, as if walking out from an ancient dream.

Their face was dignified and serene, their eyes deep, as if they could perceive all the mysteries of the world. Most striking of all was a soft, bright halo surrounding their head; this halo was like an eternal sun corona, emitting a warm and sacred light, as if symbolizing the eternity of divinity and wisdom.

The person, who resembled a divine creator from myths and legends, wore an elegant robe, its texture as thin as a cloud, swaying gently with the wind, as if they could dance with the wind at any moment, ethereal and immortal.

The robe was embroidered with complex and mysterious patterns, perhaps stars or ancient runes, every line revealing a beauty that transcended time.

The color of the clothing was unpredictable, sometimes as deep as the night sky, sometimes like the first light of dawn, complementing the temperament of the deity.

The deity's posture was upright, with a pair of bare feet in a striding position; although it was a static image, Chen Che saw them walking, every step appearing calm and unhurried, as if unbound by the constraints of the mortal world.

They walked slowly, with nothing around them—no mountains, rivers, lakes, seas, rising suns, or stars; it was as if heaven and earth could not bind them.

Their very existence was a testament to transcending the world; without a word, they could make one feel a tranquility and harmony that surpassed the material world.

Finally, the deity paused and reached out a hand; the simple, casual movement exuded an indescribable divinity, as if they were doing something trivial yet capable of changing everything.

The palm opened, facing downward, and something resembling a pebble or perhaps a seed fell vertically, entering the void of the earth.

Chen Che moved his feet unconsciously, walking slowly inward, staring fixedly at the mural.

The seed fell into the earth, and after thunder, rain, dew, spring breezes, and warm sun, it finally broke through the soil.

I do not know how much time passed, but the small sapling became a towering tree, lush with foliage, hanging with plump Fruit.

The deity appeared again; this time, they held something resembling a book in their hands, looking at the giant tree with a satisfied and gratified expression.

Chen Che's eyes widened, his face almost pressed against the mural, and he finally saw clearly: the deity's lips were parting and closing, as if reading or chanting.

Brilliant golden light emanated from the opened "book," and golden characters jumped out, circling and flying around the deity, frolicking between the void of heaven and earth, like children finally leaving home to run into the fields.

"Bang."

Chen Che bumped into the wall; without realizing it, he had reached the end, and the mural on the left also came to an abrupt end when the characters appeared.

Chen Che's breathing was rapid, his mouth dry, and the thumping sound of his heartbeat echoed in the narrow space, sounding very harsh.

He realized that he had discovered a great secret, a Divine Miracle capable of overturning cognition and changing everything!

Chen Che took a deep breath, held it, and turned to face the mural on the right.

The deity did not appear; instead, the golden characters had already gathered from the void of heaven and earth above the giant tree, countless profound characters rotating and leaping around the giant tree, finally colliding with the Fruit hanging on it and entering them.

Following the entry of the characters, the plump Fruit emitted a gentle light, as if it were the warm sun of spring or a mother's embrace.

Chen Che's heartbeat suddenly became violent; he mustered his courage and took a step forward, the giant tree on the mural moved backward, a single Fruit appeared separately, and he continued to move his feet.

The Fruit was sliced open, and the scene inside came into view.

Inside a tiny Fruit lay an infinite space, a vast and boundless universe, with chaotic yet secretly ordered stars arranged in an orderly fashion.

This was the birth of the universe, the beginning of life.

The golden characters leaped through the universe, randomly searching for a place to dwell.

They gathered together, arranged into neat passages, then instantly scattered, flying toward different planets like flower petals.

They flew recklessly into one of the planets, like a meteor sliding across the horizon, sunlight illuminating the earth, bringing vibrant vitality.

Finally, these characters gifted by the deity flew onto cliffs, icebergs, deep seas... deeply engraved on the objects fortunate enough to bear them.

Time passed, all things evolved, and finally, a person discovered a Stone Stele engraved with the characters.

The content of the mural also began to become relevant and more profound from this moment on.

Chen Che wiped his sweat subconsciously; no longer satisfied with the faint light of his phone, he ignited a flame in his palm, illuminating the entire corridor.

On the mural, that lucky person stared at the Stone Stele, pondering day and night, and finally grasped the mystery.

They perceived the existence of True Qi, began to practice and meditate, and having gained power, they established their own tribal territory, sharing the methods of cultivation with their people without reservation.

Yet, the one called a deity by the world eventually reached the end of their life.

But later generations not only inherited power from them but also inherited the Stone Stele.

More and more people were able to read the Stone Stele and comprehend cultivation, and finally, new kings appeared among these people.

The new king was obsessed with cultivation, never leaving the Stone Stele; as time passed and tribes changed, they always remained, achieving what the old king could not, breaking through the limits of human life.

Unfortunately, after an unknown number of ages had passed, they, too, called a deity, still reached the end of their life.

Facts proved that no matter how powerful they were, they were ultimately human, not a god.

But from then on, more people seized the Stone Stele, attempting to comprehend the mystery and break through the human shell.

As seas turned into mulberry fields and stars shifted, I do not know how much time passed; civilizations were created, collapsed, and revived, repeating in cycles, and humans never stopped their contemplation of the Stone Stele and their pursuit of the limit, but no one was ever able to catch up to the limit of their predecessors again.

"Hoo—"

Chen Che gasped like a drowning person; his back had long since been soaked with sweat, and sweat poured down his head like raindrops; perhaps due to the flame's illumination, he felt unusually hot.

Chen Che took a few deep breaths, calmed his tense body, summoned his courage, and continued to read on.