Chapter 1263

That day, as the setting sun dyed Huangsha Settlement a dusky yellow, the heaven-earth tide fluctuation that Han Wuxian had captured suddenly became clear for an instant! And it pointed to a definite direction, southeast!

Midsky Realm

It was not through hearsay, but the rhythm of the heaven-earth tide, together with the meaning contained in the three words "Myriad Silence Mountain", that produced a certain mysterious resonance in his "mind-mirror"!

Myriad Silence Mountain, he had heard of it slightly, is a strange place located to the southeast of Zhong Tian Zhi Yu. It is not a forbidden land, yet it is suffused year-round with a tranquil "Silence" ambiance; spiritual qi is thin, all things grow slowly, few cultivators wish to linger, and it is regarded as an almost forgotten "Quiet Land".

"Wanjì... Wanjì... Could it be that place is a 'node' of this heaven-earth tide? Or perhaps a natural gathering place of a certain 'Silence Extinction' ambiance?" Han Wuxian's eyes flashed with sharp light.

Compared to the violence of the South Sea, the complexity of the Far North, and the deceit of the West Extreme, this "Myriad Silence Mountain" sounds like it better suits his current state of seeking to "understand the foundation of heaven and earth". Moreover, that natural "Silence" ambiance might allow him to perceive the heaven-earth tide more clearly, and even... further purify his Return to the Void path.

Far North

He no longer hesitated, simply packed up, and just as he had come, he left Huangsha Settlement silently, without attracting anyone's attention.

Outskirts of Ten Thousand Silence Mountain

His steps remained unhurried, his breath still inwardly restrained. But if someone could glimpse the "mind-mirror" in his sea of consciousness, they would find that what was reflected on its surface was no longer a concrete spell or law structure, but a vast expanse, as if bearing the birth and death of stars, a void scene.

What he sought was no longer mere power or technique, but the deepest, most essential... breath of this heaven and earth.

Mind Mirror

Han Wuxian's journey remained low-key and hidden. He no longer relied solely on physical trekking, but integrated his newly grasped spatial understanding into his evasion technique. Each step he took seemed to tread on a node of the spatial context; his figure appeared and disappeared, his speed far surpassing that of an ordinary Nascent Soul Cultivator, yet he attracted no attention at all, like a ghost shuttling through the seam between reality and void.

He followed that thread of heaven-earth tide's guidance, with most of his mind and spirit immersed in the state of resonance with it. The closer he drew to the southeast, the clearer that tide's rhythm became, as if a distant background sound gradually turned into a whisper at his ear. This rhythm was vast, ancient, and carried a "Stillness" power that soothed the turmoil of all things.

Along the way, mountains, rivers, cities and villages, under the reflection of his "mind-mirror", also presented a different scene from before. He could see the desires of living beings as variegated fireworks, briefly blooming and fading on the foundation of "Stillness"; he could see spiritual qi as an undercurrent beneath the tide, flowing according to deeper laws; and he could faintly sense that, in certain specific regions, the earth's veins resonated in tune with this heaven-earth tide, nurturing special spiritual opportunities... or... hidden dangers.

This perception was not active investigation, but more like a passive reception, information naturally obtained after his own frequency coordinated with heaven and earth. This gave him a vague, macroscopic awareness of the "bodily condition" of this heaven and earth.

Silence Extinction

The spiritual qi in the air had clearly become thin and inert. Vegetation still existed, but grew extremely slowly, leaves tinged dark green to black, exuding a deep, solemn feeling. Even the wind's sound here was exceptionally gentle, as if afraid to disturb some eternal tranquility. An intangible "Silence" ambiance permeated heaven and earth; it was not dead silence, but like deep pool water—surface calm, yet inside lay unfathomable depth.

Han Wuxian slowed his steps, carefully savoring this ambiance. He discovered that the wisp of his essential-transformed Return to the Void qi was unusually active and gentle here, like a wanderer returning home, naturally merging with the surrounding "Silence" ambiance, indistinguishable. The Heavenly Dao Forbidden Seal on his brow, under the thick natural Silence, also seemed to be assimilated, becoming ever more still, almost imperceptible.

"Surely I came to the right place." Han Wuxian felt certain in his heart. The environment here had an effect of getting twice the result with half the effort on his comprehension and forging of the Return to the Void path.

He did not rush to delve into the core region of Myriad Silence Mountain; instead, on the outskirts he found an inconspicuous mountain hollow, opened a simple cave dwelling, and temporarily resided there.

What he did each day was simply sit quietly outside the cave dwelling, relax his body and mind, and guide his Return to the Void qi to fully merge with the Myriad Silence Mountain's "Silence" ambiance. He no longer sought to "guide" or "control", but like an apprentice, humbly listened and learned the true essence of the "Silence" that this heaven and earth naturally emitted.

Qi of Returning to the Void

In the past, he regarded the Return to the Void as a kind of "force", a "path" that could be actively employed. But here, the Return to the Void he felt was closer to a kind of "state", the essential background to which all things return after breaking free of the clamor of appearances. It is the stillness after extreme motion, the emptiness behind form, the eternal beach revealed when the tide of life recedes.

"Return to the Void... perhaps it is not my 'path', but the 'hometown' to which all things will ultimately return?" A more transcendent thought arose. "What I hold is not the Return to the Void itself, but the method and qualification to guide all beings to recognize and safely return to this 'hometown'."

This thought shook his mind and spirit. If that were true, then what the Heavenly Dao order restricts is not the Return to the Void, but his qualification and manner of 'guidance'? Fear that he would abuse this qualification, disturbing the natural order of all things returning?

Just as he was immersed in this contemplation, an anomaly suddenly arose!

That day, at midnight, the moon was hidden and stars sparse, all sounds fell silent, reaching the peak.

The previously steady tide of heaven and earth surged violently without any sign, as if the calm sea surface suddenly stirred up a towering wave! An extremely strong sense of repulsion and warning, like an icy tide, burst forth with a boom from the deepest part of Myriad Silence Mountain, sweeping in all directions.

Mm!

Han Wuxian jolted awake from deep meditation, feeling his breath stagnate throughout his body; the harmonious connection between himself and the surrounding Silence's artistic conception was instantly severed! It was as if this heaven and earth suddenly closed its door on him, even exuding strong hostility!

"What's happening?!" alarm bells rang loudly in his heart; the 'Heart Mirror' instantly operated to the extreme, gazing toward the depths of Myriad Silence Mountain.

All he saw, in the originally profound darkness, at some unknown time, countless points of dim blue light suddenly lit up! These lights were icy and deathly silent, like ghost fire, and like countless eyes that suddenly opened, filled with malice. They slowly drifted, gathering into a sheet of dim blue mist, spreading toward his direction like a silent tsunami.

Wherever the mist passed, even the inherent Silence's artistic conception of Myriad Silence Mountain was forcibly dispelled and devoured, replaced by an absolute void of destruction! Not the inclusiveness and transformation of the Return to the Void, but a malice that seeks to completely erase all Existence!