"Everyone, come over." Li Shenrong instructed calmly, motioning for them to stand on the stone platform.
"The trio were curious as to why he'd suddenly ask them to stand on the platform instead of leaving.
When they were standing on the stone platform, it suddenly lit up with bright light. Everyone felt their vision turning bright as their body felt levitating. When the light faded, they opened their eyes, only to find themselves in a completely different place.
"Where is this?" Bao Zhentian muttered.
Before them stood a pavilion, half collapsed, Smell of decay and rotten wood entered their nose. The air itself felt ancient, carrying a visage of forgotten era.
"The most priceless reward of this trial ground.." Li Shenrong answered.
The group was surprised. They never imagined that there'd be a secret prize after passing the highest level difficulty.
"Congratulations, fellow Daoist, for passing the Trial of Heart."
A voice rang out softly from behind.
Bao Zhentian and the others immediately looked back with wary gaze. They saw an old man standing there for who knows how long. No one noticed his presence. Even when he's standing infront of them, they couldn't notice a shred of his presence as if he didn't exist.
He looked like a kind elder, no different from the amiable grandfather next door, smiling warmly as his eyes fell upon Li Shenrong.
"Don't worry. He is merely a remnant will of his past self." Li Shenrong's voice dispelled their alarm.
"Keen eyes, fellow Daoist." The old man chuckled, his tone relaxed. "If you don't mind, I would like to have a conversation with you."
"Sure…" Li Shenrong agreed without hesitation and followed him into the broken pavilion.
The trio exchanged looks, everything was so strange and bizzare. They were curious about the old man's identity.
"You are brave. Even in my time, there were no geniuses who passed the Trial of Heart so swiftly." He looked at Li Shenrong up and down, praising.
Li Shenrong smiled and shook his head. "You praise me too much."
"But i feel flattered being praised by a supreme emperor like you."
"Huh..!?" The old man was surprised, then he laughed heartily. "Good good. I found a rare gem this time. If you were born in my era, I would have taken you as my disciple."
Li Shenrong just smiled without saying anything.
The old man seemed very pleased with Li Shenrong. Then his voice suddenly turned serious as he spoke. "As you know, the great calamity that had nearly destroyed the world is about to descend again. This time, no one could stop it. You just need to do guard a certain thing and escape far away." He stared at Li Shenrong for a moment before continuing.
"Also, you don't have to worry, i have prepared enough life saving methods. You just need to safely guard it and escape. This is also your fortune." His voice was laced with seriousness.
As he said this, he reached toward a dusty desk.
"I don't plan on escaping." Li Shenrong's words made the old man to stop in his tracks.
The old man frowned, "Don't be rash, you don't understand the level of danger i am talking about."
"Where is your true body?" Even though Li Shenrong had guessed but still asked softly.
"Dead." The elder's voice carried a bitter sigh. "Even emperors like me gave everything, sacrificed ourselves, yet we still could not overcome it. Do you understand now? Do not repeat our mistake…" he wanted to persuade Li Shenrong further.
Li Shenrong smiled and flipped his palm. A wisp of light appeared on his fingertip. It was pure golden in colour, carrying a majesty that seemed to suppress heaven and earth.
The old man's eyes shrank as he staggered backwards. His whole body trembled violently.
"You…you…." His voice turned incoherent, there was excitement and awe mixed in.
With a low thud, he knelt on the ground, his head lowered.
An emperor kneels to no one, they reign supreme, standing above the heaven, eternal and majestic. With a wave of their hand they could dictate the fates of billions. Who would've thought that inside a broken pavilion, a supreme emperor knelt before a youth.
Li Shenrong swiftly reached forward, helping him up. His voice was steady and solemn. "You should not kneel. The world may forget your sacrifice, but your efforts will not go in vain."
The old man smiled, "Indeed… such is human nature. But now, I can die in peace, knowing you will intervene."
Li Shenrong's eyes turned cold, his words carrying a chilling weight. "Rest assured. The traitors shall pay the price, condemned to eternal damnation. As for that thing, I will take care of it."
He paused, then asked, "Tell me, what truly happened back then?"
The emperor fell silent, his gaze was distant. Then he spoke, voice heavy with sorrow.
"Everything was peaceful… until the day the world trembled and the blue sky cracked. From the rift, a terrifying entity suddenly stretched its claws. With its presence, the world fell into a strange gray hue.
Cultivators beneath the Godking realm twisted into abominations. as the world fell in to chaos and darkness. No one was spared. An entire era was almost destroyed.
It was so powerful that many of my comrades fell in that battle.
We tried with all our might, barely able to stop the entity from completely descending. Even then, a fragment of the entity descended, wreaking havoc. In desperation, we sealed it… and to prevent further contamination, we shattered the world into nine pieces.
Our body and soul were beyond saving, so we left behind some methods as the final ace, knowing one day it'll happen again.
The whole ancient ruin is a formation to suppress that thing. The ruin will only open once in a while to find a fated individual who can be the beacon of hope…."
When the old man finished his stories, there was a lot of information. Li Shenrong was deep in thought. The old man didn't disturb him, quietly stood in a corner.
After a while, Li Shenrong smiled. "I understand. This time, I will erase it from the source."
The old man exhaled softly, then produced a leather pouch. "Your Excellency, I had intended this to aid your escape. It may be meager, but these are my life's savings… I hope it serves you well."
An emperor's life long savings! Anyone would drool over it. On the outside world, people would spill river of blood for this.
Li Shenrong accepted calmly, tucking it away.
"Your excellency, take this as well…" he handed him an uneven crystal ball. It was heavy and filled with dust. "A long time ago, I stumbled upon it. This orb changed my destiny, saving me from countless disasters. Yet even after becoming emperor, I could not discern its origin..
I am dead and this thing is no longer any use to me so…."
"Oblivion sphere.." Holding the uneven crystal in hand, Li Shenrong muttered.
"Your excellency recognise it..!? As expected…" The old man became happy.
"Indeed. This is a fragmented Oblivion Sphere. It carries something tied to me. I shall accept it." After a brief pause, his gaze softened. "Tell me… do you have any final wish left unfulfilled?"
The supreme emperor who once dominated an era fell silent.
"I have no other wish but the world to be saved." He uttered, gazing directly at ali Shenrong.
Li Shenrong was moved for a moment. "From now on, this world shall be under my protection." He promised.
A genuine smile bloomed across the emperor's weary face. A strand of Dao Law emerged from his fingertip, vanishing into the desk. Moments later, the sound of a hidden mechanism echoed. From within, he drew out a wooden chest and carefully placed it before Li Shenrong.
"You're bold," Li Shenrong remarked with mild surprise. "To keep something like this right under that thing's nose…"
The emperor laughed, "haha the most dangerous place is the safest."
"Did he tell you?" Li Shenrong asked.
The old emperor instantly understood who he meant. His eyes grew solemn. "Yes… it was that being who helped us greatly."