Chapter 28: In a Flash

Enlightened? What on earth have you become enlightened to?!

Even the fact that He Zhi reached the rank of Titled Douluo without hunting spirit beasts to obtain spirit rings was not as terrifying as the manifestation of his Martial Soul. The sight of facial features blooming upon the tree shattered the worldview they had cultivated for centuries, leaving them doubting the very reality of the moment.

Yet, it did not end there. He Zhi suddenly let out a painful shriek, collapsing to his knees and writhing on the ground. Beyond his ninth spirit ring, the other eight were vibrating violently.

As everyone stood in shock and confusion, they heard the sound of something shattering. Then, they watched as He Zhi’s first spirit ring disintegrated in the air, transforming into pure spirit power that flowed into him.

Someone exclaimed, "He’s detonating his spirit rings! He’s throwing his life away!"

Spirit ring detonation is a technique every spirit master is capable of, yet almost no one uses. It is a desperate choice to abandon one's future, a final gamble to survive a life-or-death crisis by shattering one’s rings to unleash a massive surge of power. In essence, it is the act of forcefully expelling spirit power that the body cannot contain to strike down an enemy.

But where could He Zhi direct this uncontainable torrent of power?

Everyone instantly grasped the only possible answer. Their faces paled, and they quickly retreated, raising their strongest defensive spirit skills.

However, the scene they feared—the unleashing of that power upon them—never came. He Zhi did not stop after the first ring; the second, third, and so on, all shattered in turn. By the time the eighth ring echoed with the sound of destruction, only the newly acquired ninth ring remained.

The dense spirit power surged within him like waves crashing against a reef. His physical shell began to crack and tear, fissures spreading across his skin until he was drenched in his own blood.

Lu Chun stood before him, watching quietly. From beginning to end, he did not intervene. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, soon replaced by a look of understanding.

He whispered, "So, what did you see?"

"Ahhhhh! I! I see! Ahhhhh!"

"Bang! Bang!"

Amidst pained roars, He Zhi’s eyes suddenly burst, leaving only remnants connected to nerves and blood vessels. At that same moment, his limbs and torso could no longer contain the spirit power surging past his limits. Like an overinflated balloon pierced by a needle, he exploded!

Flesh and blood splattered, exposing the crystalline spirit bones and internal organs within!

Yet, even then, He Zhi’s immense vitality continued to sustain him, forcing him to endure that incomparable agony.

"Ah! Hahahaha! I see it! I see it, old man! In that field of golden wheat, a merciful existence cast a glance! My path! It shall be forged this day!!"

Suddenly, the wailing turned into a genuine, manic laughter. No longer resembling a human, He Zhi stood up and walked toward his Martial Soul manifestation, leaving a trail of bloody footprints with every step.

His approach drew a reaction from the eerie tree. Eyes stared, mouths murmured, ears listened, and noses sniffed! Lacking any sentient will of its own, it lowered its branches, embracing He Zhi as one would a person.

Roots plunged into He Zhi’s flesh, draining his spirit power and life force until nothing remained but a withered husk that drifted away in the wind. The spirit bone, now lusterless, fell to the ground and shattered into dust.

The unique spirit ring merged into the strange tree. Its bark instantly turned a golden hue, and at the same time, the vacant eyes upon the trunk flickered, a trace of color manifesting within them.

Everyone present could clearly sense that the once-lifeless, eerie tree had come alive.

The mouths on the tree opened and closed, the chaotic thousands of words finally coalescing into a single sentence.

"Three hundred and eighty-seven years... my path is finally complete!"

They found it hard to imagine how they could hear a tone that was simultaneously hollow and exalted in that single sentence. Perhaps they, too, had gone mad?

Zhu Yun, who remained relatively composed, stepped forward. With a grave expression, he asked, "Are you He Zhi, or some other monster?"

"Life, why struggle? Life, why question?" The eerie giant tree issued a query, its voice encompassing the timbres of men, women, the old, and the young. It said, "I possess all of He Zhi’s memories and emotions. Even this body is his Martial Soul. I consider myself no different from him."

"Then you are not him! You are merely a monster wearing his skin—or perhaps you don't even have that!" Zhu Yun shouted in anger.

"Alas, is that your perspective? Living on the surface, superficial and hollow." The tree seemed to lament their dullness. "Since you do not believe I am He Zhi, then I am not. He Zhi was killed by you in this moment. From now on, I shall have a brand new name and a future."

"I am Shu Hu, I am the Eternal! Starting with me, you shall all attain true immortality!"

"Immortality? How laughable!" Zhu Yun scoffed at the words, turning to the true architect of this tragedy. "Is this your so-called path to immortality? Abandoning one's humanity to live as a monster?"

"Answer me! Apothecary!"

It seemed that Zhu Yun’s roar awakened Lu Chun from his thoughts. He looked up at Zhu Yun and smiled. "This is immortality. Where lies the meaning of life?"

"Does life have meaning?" Lu Chun asked and answered himself. "Of course, life has meaning. But the greatest meaning of life is to live. Instinct pursues life, obsession magnifies that pursuit, and life only wishes to continue forever."

"Absurd and ridiculous."

Zhu Yun felt he had seen through this apothecary. He could not be bothered to argue further. Scanning the crowd, whose expressions varied, he sneered and turned to leave.

Lu Chun watched him go without stopping him. Seeing this, many felt a sense of relief and quickly followed Zhu Yun—these were the ones who, like him, had gained no enlightenment from Lu Chun’s teachings.

The remaining few who had entered a state of enlightenment during the sermon also felt their resolve wavering after witnessing He Zhi’s death and the birth of Shu Hu. They, too, chose to leave, though as they departed, they addressed Lu Chun as "Teacher."

In the end, only Lu Chun and Shu Hu remained in the garden.

Before long, a massive explosion echoed from the distance. Amidst the flames, several figures were thrown back, and one could vaguely see Zhu Yun spreading a pair of wings to flee into the distance.

Then followed endless sounds of battle and the release of spirit skills. From time to time, one could hear a miserable shriek, followed by silence.

Yet, no matter how fierce the battle raged outside, it was intentionally kept from encroaching upon the estate.

Lu Chun stood beneath Shu Hu’s canopy and asked, "Shu Hu, what did you see?"

"My God," Shu Hu replied respectfully. "I saw destiny."

"Is that so."