Chapter 26 : A Journey Through the Line of Memories
With his spirit finally calmed, Shen Yuan had come to terms with the emotional and physical turmoil he'd endured. He now faced the universe and its laws with a fresh perspective. Part of him wanted to curse them once more, but he hesitated. The hard-won freedom he'd achieved made him wary of risking it all again. For now, at least, he set aside his grievances and allowed himself a rare moment of peace.
Over the past month and a half, Shen Yuan had fallen short of his goal to reach the Ninth Layer of Body Refinement. Instead, he had broken through only one layer, achieving the Eighth Layer with a strength barely comparable to a Seventh Layer Foundation Establishment cultivator. It was modest progress, but enough to fuel his hope to press forward.
Deciding to grant himself a brief respite before resuming his cultivation, Shen Yuan's thoughts were interrupted by the cryptic voice of the Elder, as enigmatic as ever:
"Now that you've broken free, sit and meditate. Dive into the depths of your memories. Reflect on the events of your life—not as they seemed, but as they truly were. Seek the genuine emotions, untainted by external control."
Shen Yuan nodded in agreement. The Elder was right. How many moments of his life had been distorted by outside forces? How many of his feelings had been fabricated, imposed upon him? If he truly wanted to understand himself, he had to confront his memories with unflinching honesty.
Rising to his feet, Shen Yuan turned his attention to the scattered corpses of the beasts around him. No matter the universe's schemes, he wouldn't leave a single beast core uncollected. Wealth was wealth, and he wasn't about to squander a chance to bolster his resources. After gathering them, he returned to his familiar cave—his sanctuary, which had witnessed both his moments of weakness and strength.
Before beginning his meditation, Shen Yuan felt an urgent need to cleanse himself. His body was caked in sweat and blood, the stench unbearable even to him. Stripping off his tattered clothes, he leapt into the nearby pool, its waters inexplicably pristine despite the time he'd spent here, as if it refused to be sullied no matter how often he used it. The cold water washed away the grime of battle, and with it, some of the burdens weighing on his soul.
After two hours of bathing, Shen Yuan emerged and donned clean robes. He felt revitalized, as though the pool had not only purified his body but also prepared him mentally to face his past. Settling into a meditative stance, he closed his eyes and sent his consciousness plunging into the depths of his memories.
He returned to a moment when he was five years old, standing at the Spirit Root Awakening Ceremony in the Boundless Star Realm. In this world, spirit roots were classified into four tiers: Mortal, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. There was also a legend of a tenth root—the Primordial Root—but it had vanished since the Primordial Era, reduced to a mere tale.
In the lower realms like the Boundless Star Realm, Gold Roots were exceedingly rare, and those who possessed them were hailed as heaven-blessed geniuses. But young Shen Yuan, at that fateful moment, knew nothing of this. When he placed his hand on the spirit root testing crystal, it shattered into pieces. Oblivious to the envious and hateful glares around him, all he saw were the joyful expressions and warm smiles of those present, which he believed to be genuine.
At first, there was a misunderstanding. Everyone assumed the crystal had shattered due to the power of his stepbrother's Gold Root, awakened by his father's second wife. But after Shen Yuan shattered three crystals in succession, the Shen Clan Patriarch—his father—ordered the test to be halted. He handed Shen Yuan a basic Qi Gathering Technique and instructed him to begin cultivating spiritual energy.
The innocent Shen Yuan activated the technique, astonishing everyone. His speed in absorbing spiritual energy was more than twice that of his stepbrother. In that moment, the truth dawned on those present: Shen Yuan possessed a Diamond Root, a legendary tier even in the Boundless Star Realm.
Yet, in his innocence, Shen Yuan failed to notice the dark emotions creeping into the hearts of those around him. He saw love and support everywhere, even in his father's cold gazes and his stepbrother's "pranks" that sometimes left him bedridden for weeks. Every apology from his stepbrother seemed sincere, and every absence of his father felt justified by his duties.
This illusion persisted until he was nine years old. That year, a mysterious "accident" crippled his cultivation. His family, which he had believed to be filled with love and care, abandoned him with ease. Exiled from the clan, he was blamed for his own failure. In his heart, he believed he was at fault, that their disappointment in him was justified.
Now, as he meditated in his cave, Shen Yuan began to see the truth clearly. Those smiles were not warm, and those gazes were not loving. There had been hatred, envy, and fear of his potential. Even his father, whom he thought was "kind," was merely a cold patriarch who discarded him without hesitation. His memories began to reshape, revealing the bitter truth he had been blind to all those years.
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**Spirit Root Classifications**:
1. Mortal
2. Bronze
3. Silver
4. Gold
5. Diamond
6. Mythical
7. Immortal
8. Divine
9. Celestial
10. Primordial
The Primordial Root is considered a legend, possessed by no one—except, as it stands now, by Shen Yuan himself.
Enjoy everyone:)
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