701 Li Xingwens Guess! (1/2)
\”The talisman looks like an ordinary talisman, drawn haphazardly and made of a material that seems no different from ordinary paper. It's been placed at the bottom of the lake in the Ethereal Dao College. If the Federation should fall apart after this war, you are to take it away and become the guardian of our civilization. Also… I've examined the talisman before. It seems to be… some sort of memento!\” Li Xingwen gave Wang Baole a long, unfathomable look as he spoke in a serious manner.
Wang Baole reeled back from shock. He found that unimaginable. What kind of being could imbue an object with such an immense power—power that could defend an entire civilization—just by painting some characters on a piece of paper?
I wonder if Senior Brother has the power to do that… Wang Baole's breathing quickened. Stunned by what he had just heard, he didn't notice the complicated looks of hesitation exchanged between Li Xingwen and Duan Muque.
It took a while for Wang Baole to digest what he had just heard. Then, Li Xingwen, seemingly having come to a decision, spoke again.
\”That's why we have to defend Venus with our lives, even though it will eventually fall to the enemy. It's to prepare for the final battle, and our final sacrifice, on Mars!
\”Baole, I know that there are secrets buried on Mars. Various signs on Mars have shown that you have now mastered those secrets. I hope that you will give your all during the battle on Mars!\”
Wang Baole took a deep breath, then nodded solemnly. Li Xingwen had already realized something was going on with the Dark Artifact on Mars. Wang Baole had known that. He knew that if Li Xingwen hadn't helped him with his cover-up, he couldn't have kept the Dark Artifact under wraps. It would have been usurped by others.
Li Xingwen passed down a few other instructions to Wang Baole. As night drew close, Wang Baole finally left the secret chamber with a heavy heart.
Duan Muque couldn't hold it in any longer. He turned towards Li Xingwen and opened his mouth. He couldn't find the words. After a moment, he finally asked, \”Are we really not going to tell him the whole truth?\”
\”What should we tell him? About the statues in the main capital city? Those statues that are from an ancient civilization on Earth? There's not enough time for us to awaken them. We can only activate them once. Both of us have run through this. They won't be able to hold back the enemy forces. Instead of using them as an offensive weapon, we should keep them as a means to protect the survivors!\” Determination flashed across Li Xingwen's eyes. As he spoke softly, his right hand was forming hand seals as well. He was drawing power from the Solar System Array Formation, gathering it around them and forming a barrier.
\”Besides, what he doesn't know is the final part to the secret, and that incident… has been buried for decades. He shouldn't have to bear that burden. It's fine if we win the war, but should we lose, I want the past to remain the past, to turn to dust and scatter to the wind. What remains should be new life and new hope!\” Li Xingwen stared at Duan Muque as he spoke resolutely. Determination shone in his eyes. Hidden deep underneath was a tinge of unwillingness, as if he had not yet given up on something.
Duan Muque saw both emotions clearly in Li Xingwen's eyes. He fell silent. Then, after a long while, he sighed. His spirits seemed to have fallen, and his face looked older.
\”Those people… chose to leave all those years ago. They chose to abandon this place. Why did they leave the talisman behind then… You gave Wang Baole a hint and told him it was a memento. Isn't that proof that you still have hope?\” Duan Muque asked softly. Li Xingwen's eyes fell shut. He didn't answer Duan Muque's question.
The secret chamber fell into a deep silence. Neither of them spoke. Li Xingwen sighed inwardly, bitterness filling his heart and leaving a sour taste in his mouth. He hadn't shared the final part of Earth's secret with Wang Baole. Even Duan Muque didn't know the whole truth. He was the only one who did.
He could tell them, but he didn't want to. He didn't want to tell Wang Baole. When he had unearthed the talisman then, all those years ago, he had studied and researched it. He dug up all historical records and excavated all ancient sites that had ever appeared on the planet, uncovered many artifacts and information. In the end, he had made a single discovery.
The cultivators who had first appeared during the Spirit Inception Era were not the first generation of cultivators to have appeared in human history!