"Zhao Ming?!" Yan Luo stared at him without blinking.The sorrow in his eyes slowly gave way to caution.He felt Something... wrong. Chen Yu noticed it as well.His gaze quietly sharpened.He had traveled beside Zhao Ming for a long time,but at this moment...the man standing before him felt like a complete stranger.Yan Luo slowly took a step forward. "Zhao Ming..."There was no response. Zhao Ming simply continued watching the glowing flowers rising higher and higher into the sky.
A faint smile slowly appeared on his face.He softly whispered,"So..."He paused for several long moments before continuing. "...you really kept your promise until the very end."Lin Chen looked around in confusion. "Promise?"He frowned before looking back at Zhao Ming."Who are you talking to?" Zhao Ming didn't even turn around.His eyes remained fixed on the flowers disappearing into the clouds.Then he smiled again."You stubborn fool..."he murmured ,"Even at the end..."He let out a soft breath."...you still chose the same path."
Chen Yu's expression slowly changed.He stepped forward,never taking his eyes off Zhao Ming."You knew Hei Long's true identity?! "Zhao Ming remained silent for a few moments before giving the nod."Yes." Lin Chen immediately looked at him."You... you really knew him?"His voice rose in disbelief."Then why didn't you ever tell us?" Yan Luo's brows slowly furrowed.He stared at Zhao Ming's back."How long have you known him?"Only then did Zhao Ming slowly turn his head.His calm eyes met theirs one by one.His smile never disappeared. "Long..."he answered softly."Long before any of you ever met him."Chen Yu's heart sank.As he looked into Zhao Ming's eyes,he suddenly realized something terrifying.
ChenYu watched every movement Zhao Ming made.His instincts screamed that something was wrong."You're hiding more than Hei Long's identity,"he said quietly. "You've been hiding yourself."Zhao Ming's smile widened ever so slightly."You're as sharp as ever,Chen Yu."Lin Chen looked back and forth between them,completely lost."Will someone please tell me what's going on?!"His voice rose."First Hei Long says he's only a shadow...now Zhao Ming acts like he's known everything from the beginning!"
Yan Luo never took his eyes off Zhao Ming. "Answer him."His voice was calm,but there was unmistakable anger beneath it."Who are you?"Zhao Ming remained silent.At that exact moment,the countless glowing white flowers left behind by Hei Long suddenly stopped drifting.They hung motionless in the air.Everyone instinctively looked up. Then...one by one...the flowers slowly descended.Not toward the ground and sky but they gathered around Zhao Ming instead.
Lin Chen blinked in surprise."The flowers..."Chen Yu frowned."They're moving."Dozens of glowing flowers quietly circled Zhao Ming like silent spirits.No one understood why.Zhao Ming slowly looked up at them.He let out a quiet sigh."Even after disappearing..."he whispered."...you're still watching me."For a brief moment,the flowers floated around him then...everything changed.Without warning,the gentle glow surrounding the flowers turned sharp and petals began spinning faster and faster.
A powerful wind swept across the village. The glowing flowers suddenly rushed toward Zhao Ming from every direction like countless white arrows.Yan Luo's eyes widened."Zhao Ming!"The flowers didn't pierce his body.Instead,they struck an invisible barrier surrounding him. Every collision sent ripples through the air as if the flowers were trying to break through something hidden.Black mist seeped out with every impact.Lin Chen stared in shock. "They're...attacking him?"Chen Yu's expression became serious."No..."His eyes remained fixed on the glowing flowers. "They're rejecting him."
More flowers crashed against the unseen barrier surrounding Zhao Ming.Their gentle light gradually dimmed before dissolving into tiny specks of silver.One flower after another vanished,as though sacrificing itself just to reach him.Zhao Ming quietly closed his eyes.He didn't resist.He didn't move.He simply stood there and accepted every impact.A bitter smile slowly appeared on his face."So..."he murmured."Even now..." Another flower shattered against the invisible barrier before him.He opened his eyes and looked at the remaining blossoms. "...you still can't forgive me."Yan Luo stared at Zhao Ming in disbelief."Forgive...?"His voice was barely audible."Hei Long...hated you?"Zhao Ming gave a faint,lonely laugh. He slowly shook his head."No..."He looked at the last few flowers circling above him.
"Hatred would've been easier to bear."He reached out his hand as though trying to catch it,but the flower quietly slipped past his fingertips before dissolving into countless specks of light."What remained between us..."he whispered,"...was far heavier than hatred."
No one understood what he meant.The battlefield fell silent once again.Chen Yu's gaze never left Zhao Ming.His mind rapidly pieced together every strange moment since they had first met.The way Zhao Ming always remained calm.The way he somehow knew where the Threads would appear.The way he never seemed surprised by the shrine...or the Heart Blossom...or HeiLong.As though none of it was new to him.Chen Yu slowly stepped forward.His voice became firm."You're not an ordinary member of Heaven."He paused,his eyes locked onto Zhao Ming."Tell us the truth."
Lin Chen immediately nodded."Enough hiding."His fists tightened."Who are you really?"For several long moments... Zhao Ming said nothing. Then he slowly turned toward them.His eyes quietly swept across each familiar face before stopping on Yan Luo. And he smiled, "The Zhao Ming you've traveled with..."He paused.His voice was calm,but filled with exhaustion."...was only one of my names."
Everyone froze.Lin Chen stared at him blankly."One...of your names?"Yan Luo immediately stepped forward.His eyes were filled with anger and confusion."Stop speaking in riddles! If that wasn't your real name..."He pointed his sword toward Zhao Ming."Then tell us who you are!"Zhao Ming looked at the sword for a brief moment before quietly lowering his eyes."If I tell you..."he murmured,"...the Zhao Ming you know will disappear forever."
Those words made Chen Yu's heart sink. Before anyone could ask another question... the village suddenly became unnaturally quiet.The countless threads covering the village stopped moving at exactly the same moment.The Heavenly cultivators immediately became alert.One of them tightened his grip on his weapon."Why did they stop attacking?"Another looked around uneasily."What's happening?"The Threads didn't answer.Instead...they slowly turned.A single thread drifted toward Zhao Ming.Then another and another.Within moments, hundreds of black threads silently glided across the battlefield toward him.They no longer resembled weapons.They moved like streams of black silk flowing through the wind.Thousands of Threads gathered around Zhao Ming without making a sound. They circled him in slow,elegant rings before weaving together beneath his feet.
Countless black lines spread across the cracked earth,forming an enormous ancient pattern unlike anything anyone had ever seen.The design continued expanding with every passing second,its shape so complex that merely looking at it made one's heart feel heavy.None of the Threads attacked.Not a single one.They simply surrounded Zhao Ming quietly.Zhao Ming lowered his gaze toward the living Threads brushing gently against the edge of his robe.A faint smile appeared on his face."So..."he whispered softly."You still remember me."
The Threads immediately responded. Thousands of black strands rose together like waves upon a dark sea.They did not make a sound,yet they moved with strange order,as if carrying someone's will.One slender thread slowly drifted before Zhao Ming and stopped in front of him.It swayed gently,almost as though waiting for him to speak.Zhao Ming quietly looked at it.He smiled bitterly."You're still following his orders..."he murmured."Even after all this time..."The Thread trembled lightly. Zhao Ming let out a helpless laugh."That stubborn fool..."He slowly shook his head."Even after disappearing...he still refuses to rest."
Another thread wrapped itself loosely around his wrist.It did not bind him.It simply remained there.Zhao Ming lowered his eyes."Did he really leave everything to you?" he asked quietly."Or..."A brief pause followed."...is he still watching?"The threads swayed together.No one knew whether it was coincidence...or an answer.Zhao Ming slowly closed his eyes."I told you..."he whispered with a tired smile."You never needed to protect me."His voice became almost inaudible."Why didn't you listen...just this once?"
The Threads brushed against Zhao Ming's sleeves before quietly circling around him once again.Lin Chen frowned deeply. "Who...is he talking to?" Chen Yu slowly shook his head."Not the threads."His eyes remained fixed on Zhao Ming."He's talking to someone through them."Yan Luo narrowed his eyes. "Someone...who isn't here?" Lin Chen looked at Chen Yu in confusion."How is that even possible?" Chen Yu's expression remained serious."If the Threads can carry memories..."He paused,watching Zhao Ming carefully."Then perhaps...they can also carry someone's will."
Yan Luo's brows slowly furrowed. "You're saying..."He glanced at the sea of black threads."Someone may still be watching us through them?"Chen Yu gave a slow nod."Or waiting."Lin Chen looked around at the endless black threads surrounding the battlefield."Then...who is he apologizing to?"Yan Luo quietly added,"And why does it sound like...he's been waiting to say those words for a very long time?"Zhao Ming heard every question,but he never looked back.His gaze remained on the Thread gently wrapped around his wrist.His lonely smile gradually faded."You always did this..."he whispered."You listened...even when I told you not to."The Thread swayed lightly in response.Zhao Ming slowly closed his eyes."You're still as stubborn as ever..." he murmured."No matter how many years pass...you never change."Chen Yu noticed something else.His eyes narrowed."Look carefully."Lin Chen immediately followed his gaze."What is it?"Chen Yu spoke quietly. "The Threads...are reacting to every word he says."Sure enough,the countless threads moved almost like breathing.Whenever Zhao Ming spoke,they gently rose and fell together,as though silently answering him.Yan Luo stared in disbelief."It's almost..."He couldn't finish the sentence.Chen Yu completed it for him. "...like they're having a conversation."
The Heavenly cultivators stood frozen.Not a single one dared to move.Their eyes remained fixed on the countless threads circling Zhao Ming like loyal servants.One young Heavenly cultivator,Xiao Ren,slowly swallowed.His grip on his sword had become so tight that his knuckles turned white."Grand Elder..."His voice trembled. "Why...why aren't the threads attacking him?" Beside him,Mu Chen frowned deeply. His sharp eyes never left Zhao Ming."I've fought for decades..."he murmured."I've seen them hunt cities...destroy sects...and slaughter cultivators without hesitation."He slowly lowered his sword."But I've never seen them behave like this."
Another Heavenly cultivator,Shen Kai,took an uneasy step backward.His breathing had already become uneven."They're not surrounding him..."He stared in disbelief as the black Threads silently revolved around Zhao Ming."They're protecting him." Chen Yu's expression grew even more serious.He quietly shook his head."No..."His eyes followed the graceful movements of the threads."Look closely."
Everyone instinctively looked again.The Threads weren't standing guard.They slowly lowered themselves whenever they passed Zhao Ming,almost like bowing before him.Chen Yu's pupils contracted."They're..." He finished in a low voice."...welcoming him."Lin looked between Zhao Ming and the sea of black Threads,unable to believe what he was seeing."What kind of person..."He slowly shook his head."No..."His voice became noticeably quieter."What kind of existence makes the threads welcome him like this?"
Yan Luo tightened his grip on his sword.His instincts screamed that he should move.But every step felt impossibly heavy.His eyes remained locked on Zhao Ming."Who...are you?"he asked quietly."Who have we been traveling with all this time?"Zhao Ming gave no answer.The living Threads gently brushed against the sleeves of his robe before spiraling upward around him.They floated through the air with strange elegance, forming countless black circles that slowly expanded across the crimson sky.It resembled an ancient ceremony that had not been performed for thousands of years.
TianXuan suddenly stepped forward.His usually calm face had become unusually serious."Everyone..."His voice echoed firmly across the battlefield."Stand down." Every Heavenly cultivator looked at him in shock."Grand elder?"Xiao Ren asked in confusion."What are you saying?"Mu Chen immediately frowned."If we don't strike now,we may lose our chance."Shen Kai also stepped forward." Grand Elder,give the order.We can surround him before the Threads completely gather."Tian Xuan slowly raised one hand,stopping every one of them without taking his eyes off Zhao Ming."No one moves."Mu Chen couldn't help asking,"Why?"Tian Xuan remained silent for several moments before finally speaking."Because..."He slowly exhaled."If he truly is the one I believe he is..."His gaze never left Zhao Ming."Then all of you together...wouldn't survive a single breath."
Xiao Ren's face turned pale."A...single breath?"Shen Kai unconsciously tightened his grip on his spear."Grand Elder..."His voice shook."Who...is he?"Mu Chen slowly looked back toward Zhao Ming."No..."he whispered."It can't be..."Lin Chen immediately noticed."Senior Mu Chen..."He stepped closer."Do you know him?"Mu Chen opened his mouth,but no words came out.He simply stared at Zhao Ming as though looking at someone who should never have existed.
Chen Yu slowly turned toward Tian Xuan. "You recognized him the moment the Threads gathered..."His eyes narrowed. "Didn't you?"Tian Xuan quietly closed his eyes for a brief moment.When he opened them again,they were filled with emotions no one had ever seen before."I once believed... "he said softly,"...that his name had disappeared from history forever."Yan Luo frowned."His name?"Tian Xuan slowly shook his head."No..."His expression became solemn."Not his name..."He looked directly at Zhao Ming."His existence."
At that exact moment,the countless Threads surrounding Zhao Ming suddenly descended together and thousands of black strands bent toward him in perfect unison, forming layer after layer of silent bows.The sight resembled loyal ministers greeting the return of their emperor.Not a single Thread showed hostility.The entire battlefield became deathly quiet.Zhao Ming slowly closed his eyes then smile appeared on his face."After all these years..."he whispered. "...your manners haven't changed."
Zhao Ming slowly opened his eyes once more.His quiet smile lingered on his face as he looked at the threads surrounding him. For several long moments... he said nothing.Then he let out a tired sigh."I've carried this name for so long..."he murmured."Long enough to almost believe it was truly mine."Chen Yu's brows knitted together."What are you talking about?" Yan Luo took another cautious step forward."Zhao Ming...don't do this."His voice was firm."Whatever you're hiding,we can face it together."A faint smile crossed Zhao Ming's face.He slowly shook his head."No..."His eyes were filled with quiet regret."This was never a path you were meant to walk."
Lin Chen looked completely lost."Will somebody explain something?!"He pointed helplessly at Zhao Ming."First Hei Long disappears,then the Threads start bowing to you,and now everyone from Heaven looks like they've seen a ghost!"He turned toward Tian Xuan."Who is he?!" Tian Xuan remained silent.Mu Chen slowly stepped beside Tian Xuan.His voice was unusually tense."Grand Elder..."He lowered his weapon."Is it really him?"
Tian Xuan whispered,"I hoped...I would never have to see this day."Xiao Ren looked between them in confusion."Grand Elder ... who is he?"Shen Kai's breathing became uneven."Why won't anyone answer us?" His voice trembled."Why does everyone suddenly look so afraid?"Shen Kai took one uneasy step forward."Please tell us."He tightened his grip on his spear."We've hunted the threads for years.We've fought demons,evil spirits,and ancient beasts.I've never seen the threads bow to anyone."
Another Heavenly cultivator,Huo Jin,slowly lowered his sword."Because..."He hesitated before speaking."They aren't bowing to just anyone."The words instantly drew everyone's attention.Xiao Ren hurriedly looked toward him."Senior Huo Jin...what do you mean?"Huo Jin opened his mouth, but the moment he noticed Tian Xuan's expression,he immediately fell silent. "Enough."Tian Xuan's voice echoed across the battlefield.Huo Jin immediately lowered his head."Grand Elder..."Tian Xuan slowly shook his head."No more."His tone was calm,but absolute.
Mu Chen frowned deeply."Grand Elder..."He hesitated before continuing."Keeping silent won't change what we're seeing."He slowly looked toward Zhao Ming."The younger generation deserves to know."Tian Xuan slowly closed his eyes."They deserve peace..."He quietly replied."...not the burden of forgotten history."Xiao Ren couldn't remain silent any longer."Forgotten history?" His brows furrowed."What history?"Shen Kai immediately added,"Every disciple studies Heaven's history from the First Era until today."He looked completely confused. "There's no record of anyone who could command the Threads."Mu Chen gave a bitter smile."There isn't..."He paused. "...because those records no longer exist."
Everyone froze.Lin Chen blinked repeatedly. "What?"Mu Chen looked toward him."There were records...But one day...every page disappeared."Xiao Ren stared in disbelief. "Disappeared?"Mu Chen nodded." There was no fire or theft. No one entered the archive.The pages simply...became blank."A chill ran through every listener.Chen Yu's eyes narrowed."Blank?"Mu Chen nodded again."The names, faces vanished and battles vanished.The only thing remaining... was a single warning."
Lin Chen couldn't help asking,"What warning?" Mu Chen slowly answered,"'Do not search for those whom Heaven has erased.'" Shen Kai looked toward Tian Xuan."Grand Elder...is that warning talking about him?"Tian Xuan remained silent.His silence itself became the answer.Huo Jin quietly spoke despite himself."When I was still a disciple,my master accidentally mentioned an ancient story."Every Heavenly cultivator immediately turned toward him. Huo Jin swallowed."He said...there was once someone who stood between Heaven...and something even Heaven feared."Xiao Ren whispered, "Heaven...was afraid?"
Another older cultivator immediately shook his head."That's nonsense! Heaven fears nothing."Huo Jin lowered his eyes."My master only smiled."His voice became quieter."He told me...'There are things older than Heaven's laws.'"Mu Chen continued softly."The next morning...my master disappeared."Xiao Ren stared at him. "Disappeared?"Mu Chen nodded once."No farewell.No body.No grave.When I searched the records...his name had never existed."
Lin Chen unconsciously stepped backward. "What kind of place...is Heaven?"No one answered.Chen Yu quietly observed every Heavenly cultivator.The younger disciples looked confused.The older ones looked terrified.Not terrified of Zhao Ming's strength...but terrified of remembering him. Yan Luo slowly looked toward Tian Xuan. "So...you all know exactly who he is."
TianXuan opened his eyes.His gaze rested upon Zha oMing for a long moment before he answered,"We know...what little remained after Heaven erased the rest."He slowly clenched his fist."But none of us ever believed those stories were real."Chen Yu slowly turned back toward Zhao Ming. "Whoever you are...I don't want Heaven's version.I don't want erased records.I want the truth."He stepped forward."Tell us yourself."
Everyone's eyes fell upon Zhao Ming.The threads quietly circled around him like an endless black sea.Zhao Ming slowly lifted his head.His lonely smile carried exhaustion that seemed to have lasted countless lifetimes."If I tell you..."He looked at everyone one by one.Finally,his gaze drifted toward the glowing flowers Hei Long had left behind."...the Zhao Ming you've laughed with...the Zhao Ming you've trusted...the ZhaoMing you've called your friend..."He quietly closed his eyes."...will disappear forever."When he opened them again,there was only sadness within them."And after today...none of you will ever be able to see me the same way again."
The moment those words fell...*Boom!*A deafening explosion erupted from Zhao Ming's body and wave of dark demonic aura burst into the sky like a raging storm.The ground beneath his feet shattered and countless cracks spread through the village as black wind swept across every street.The Heavenly cultivators instinctively shielded their faces."What is this?!"Xiao Ren shouted as the violent pressure forced him backward.Mu Chen planted his sword into the ground to keep himself from being blown away."Such terrifying demonic energy..."
Lin Chen covered his eyes with one arm.His clothes whipped wildly in the storm."Zhao Ming!"he shouted."Stop!"But Zhao Ming could no longer hear him and his dark aura continued spreading from his body without end.His white Heavenly robes suddenly caught fire and black flames silently spread across the fabric.Within moments,the robes were completely consumed,turning into glowing ashes that scattered into the wind.
Beneath them,ancient black garments embroidered with crimson patterns slowly revealed themselves,as though they had always existed beneath the disguise. Chen Yu's pupils contracted."His robes..."Yan Luo stared without blinking."Those aren't Heavenly robes..."A low cracking sound echoed through the battlefield. *Crack... Crack...*
Everyone looked toward Zhao Ming's head.Two jet-black horns slowly pushed through his hair.They curved elegantly toward the sky,their surfaces covered with ancient crimson markings.As they fully emerged,the surrounding demonic aura became even heavier.Lin Chen instinctively stepped backward."H-Horns...?"His voice trembled."No..."He slowly shook his head. "That's impossible..."
At the same time,countless ancient runes began spreading across Zhao Ming's neck and arms glowed faintly beneath his skin before climbing slowly toward his face.Like living symbols awakening after countless years.The Threads circling around him became even more excited.They rose into the air together,forming an enormous black halo behind his back.Every strand gently swayed as though celebrating his return. Xiao Ren's sword slipped from his trembling hand.He stared blankly."A...a demon..."
Shen Kai unconsciously retreated several steps."No ordinary demon..."His lips quivered."I've never felt pressure like this before..."Mu Chen slowly lowered his head.His voice was barely audible."The records..."He swallowed hard."They were true..."Chen Yu stood frozen.His eyes remained fixed on the man they had called Zhao Ming for so long."You're..."His voice was filled with disbelief."...a demon?" Yan Luo tightened his grip until his fingers turned pale. "You've been hiding this..."He stared into Zhao Ming's unfamiliar crimson eyes."All this time..."
For several moments,Zhao Ming simply stood there his violent demonic aura slowly settled around him.His long black hair drifted gently in the wind while the threads quietly revolved behind him like loyal shadows. Then...he laughed."...Heh."The laugh gradually grew louder."Hehehe..."He slowly lifted his head and his crimson eyes swept across every face before finally resting on Chen Yu,Yan Luo,and Lin Chen.And calm smile appeared on his face"Finally..."he said softly."I don't have to pretend anymore."