542 Original Energy (1/2)
Outside the Green Bronze Door.
Tantai Guijing, Daoist Sanmu and Master Kuhai stared at the Door with doubt in their eyes.
”The Door...is only a protective layer. The true core lies behind it?”
Tantai Guijing's eyes were open wide.
”Just this Door alone was enough to nearly wipe out the Tantai family...”
The more he found out, the more insignificant he felt in the grand scheme of things.
He felt a wave of panic too.
The Tantai strategies had always been targeted at the Green Bronze Door. Now, it was clear that even if the Door were to be destroyed, the Tantai family would not be safe. If anything, having to face that entity directly would plunge them into greater despair.
”Amituofo...I'm ashamed at myself for not being of any help...”
Master Kuhai shook his head sadly.
Even though the Green Bronze Door had closed and lowered its defences, no one was powerful enough to approach it.
This alone was enough for them to realise the huge disparity between their abilities and Fang Yuan's.
”It's been so long. What in the world could be happening in there?”
The Daoist Sanmu made use of his daoist techniques and divination skills, but he only ended up more confused than ever.
”I can't be sure...”
Tantai Guijing shook his head.
”With regards to that entity, the concept of Time would be of no concern. Years in the outside world might be the equivalent of a mere moment in there!”
Buzz!
Just as he spoke, the Green Bronze Door began to scream once more.
”Woowoo!”
The black chains slid off the Door and the two ghostly guards let out a whimper before they melted into a puddle of blood.
The carved figures of people crying tears of blood had adopted serene expressions on their faces and were beginning to fade.
”Amituofo...helping souls gain salvation is truly a noble deed!”
Master Kuhai pressed both his palms together and recited mantras at the top of his voice.
Crack! Crack!
Web-like cracks appeared on the Door and began to extend like cracks on ice. Then the Door exploded into pieces.
Another great black Door appeared in its place. It was like a rebirth.
Although this Door still carried with it the smell of death and silence, it was peaceful. It no longer displayed the intent to brutalise.
”This...this is the legendary Heaven's Gate!”
Tantai Guijing and Daoist Sanmu were awed.
”This is the mythical core of the world. Crossing it would lead to immortality and sagacity!”
At this point, a mysterious light emitted from the Door and cleansed the world.
Before the Tantais, the monk and the daoist knew it, they were transported out of the netherworld and back to the human world.
”This is...the human world!”
”We're...finally back!”
At that moment, all the Tantais were shedding tears of joy.
Tantai Guijing saw more.
”The curse...it's gone?”
The 20-year cycle had been a part of the Tantai bloodline for as long as they could remember. Now, it was finally gone forever.
”Could it be...that Tantai Mieming has succeeded?”
Tantai Juexin had a mixed look of disbelief and elation on his face.
”Everything wrong with the world...is right again?”
Daoist Sanmu and Master Kuhai looked astonishedly at each other.
”I did not think that our young Friend Fang Yuan was this formidable!”
Unfortunately, from this day onwards, no one would hear from Fang Yuan again.
In a blink, 30 years had gone by.
Time passed in the original world as per its original track, as if nothing out of the ordinary had ever happened before.
The widespread rumours of ghosts and curses were eventually proven to be fake.
The professional exorcists also found that the supernatural abilities that they had inherited or cultivated with great effort were leaving them. They became no different from the man on the street.
As more time passed, even within closed circles, talk of ghosts and curses became myths.
Only a select few knew that their world had once fallen into a bottomless abyss.
But the evil, fear, despair and struggle of days past were insignificant in the face of time's passage.
Years later, even the Tantai family had reintegrated into the masses. That person's name was gradually lost in history.
...
In the deepest recesses of the netherworld.
On a black piece of land, a mound appeared, then a hand.
”Whew…”
Fang Yuan exhaled and looked up at the quiet glimmering of the stars in the night sky.