Refining the Mountains and Rivers

As White Ape was complaining inside and feeling anxious, the Sea God across from him who was filled with dreadful killing intent suddenly released a terrible pained howl.

White Ape looked up, startled. Just what was going on now? He was clearly the one taking a beating, so why was this fellow crying out so pitifully?

But soon White Ape couldn't bother attending to these random thoughts. He stared tightly at the Sea God shrouded in black clouds and his heart started to race, a foreboding feeling surging up that began to drown out his mind.

The pitch black clouds fiercely trembled. With a loud bang, they all began to combust. The flames were a strange gray color. Just by looking at them, one felt utter fear and despair.

Hou -

The Sea God roared again. Despair, anger, unwillingness, hate…all sorts of negative emotions wove together, nearly condensing into tangible essence.

Its aura rose crazily. If it had only burnt a portion of its source strength before, then now it had fully detonated it.

The feeling it gave off was like a living super volcano that could swallow the entire world and all things in it at any time.

White Ape's complexion really turned green this time!

Could someone tell him just what had happened? This Sea God had been in a good condition before, but now it was ruining its life.

No, this wasn't just ruining its life; this was completely giving up on its life!

As a consciousness bred from the world, the fountainhead of the Sea God's strength was the world itself. And its source was the medium it used to utilize the world's strength. Once that was completely burnt out, it would lose all its strength and fade away here.

The reckless were afraid of the arrogant and unreasonable, and the arrogant and unreasonable were afraid of those that didn't fear death…so, who wouldn't be afraid of this Sea God that wasn't afraid to die?

…

Qin Yu wasn't afraid at all. This was because as White Ape was shouldering all the hardships and suffering for him, the five strengths had merged into one and the inheritance of the brand mark began.

This was a marvelous and magnificent process. Qin Yu felt as if he underwent countless reincarnations through samsara, and each time he reincarnated he would witness the power of the unstoppable current of time from the point of view of a bystander.

The vicissitudes of life became nothing because in the long river of time, countless proud sons of heaven were born. Each one of them was incomparably powerful and they even possessed the horrifying strength to destroy entire worlds with nothing but a thought.

But no matter how formidable they were, they were still nothing but meteors. They left behind a brilliant and radiant trace in the endless river of time, yet in the end their light was extinguished as they fell to the earth.

Qin Yu couldn't remember how many glorious rises he witnessed in his samsara, but none of these talented individuals were capable of escaping the above ending.

Gradually, Qin Yu couldn't help but wonder. Just what boundary would he have to achieve in order to surpass the material world and become a truly eternal existence?

This thought became increasingly clear and increasingly intense. It slowly fixed itself deep into his mind, becoming a mark that could never be erased.

"Even now, no one knows where the path of eternal life is or how far it goes. Lucky descendant of the future, I hope you can take a step beyond what I waited for and become your true self."

A voice resounded within his soul, gentle and deep.

In the next moment Qin Yu woke up. He finally realized the origin of the brand mark. No wonder it was so formidable, it was actually…

After a long silence, Qin Yu stood up and bowed. "I have no idea where I will arrive in the future, but I vow I will do everything in my power to search for the path to eternal life. I will not disappoint the gift of the past sages."

The little blue lamp asked, "Are you awake? How do you feel?" Looking at Qin Yu, he seemed a bit curious and inquisitive.

When Qin Yu looked over, the figure within the great sun phantom instantly dispersed. The main body of the lamp enlarged and runes as thick as chains appeared around it.

But most of them were incomplete and there were places that were mottled with rust. It resembled a broken bronze mirror that had been exposed to the wind and sun for countless years.

The little blue lamp seemed to sense something. There was a hum in Qin Yu's mind and the image he saw vanished. Qin Yu apologetically said, "My apologies. I just obtained this ability so I wasn't able to freely turn it on and off."

The little blue lamp said, "I can understand, but others wouldn't. It would be best if you brought it under control as soon as possible. Before you have enough strength, do not expose the existence of the brand mark."

After a brief pause, it continued, "You should now be aware that this brand mark you obtained is a problem in itself. It should never have appeared…and since you have obtained it, you now belong in the ranks of things that shouldn't have appeared."

Qin Yu took a deep breath and smiled, "Nothing in this world is perfect. If there are gains, there are also losses. At the very least, I was lucky today. As for whether or not I will regret this choice in the future, I will leave it up to time to verify."

He turned around and slowly looked at the world he was in. There was joy and happiness on his face as he whispered, "I've lived for more than a hundred years and yet I now truly see the world today. May the world see me as well. Please take care of me in the future."

…

The jade pendant pierced into the skies, like a massive glacier that communicated with the heavens. But now this glacier was covered with cracks, as if it would shatter with the lightest touch.

Qin Yu stood beneath the jade pendant. He looked up at the endless skies and slowly reached out his hand.

The little blue lamp frowned, "Qin Yu?"

"It's fine. I can feel that it isn't truly destroyed." As he finished speaking, his palm touched the surface of the jade.

Hum -

There was a slight trembling as a faint light crossed the surface of the jade pendant like a wave. It was like invisible glue that wrapped around the cracked jade.

"Hm?" The little blue lamp was surprised. It seemed things were a little different from what it knew.

Qin Yu said, "The brand mark isn't complete. By fusing together the five strengths in my body, it was barely able to make it whole again. But perhaps because I provided a bit too much strength, after the brand mark was completed, this was the result."

He thought for a moment. A light flashed in his eyes and he said, "With this strength, I can control the jade pendant to move one final time."

The little blue lamp immediately understood. It smiled and said, "So, it should remain here."

An attack from the jade pendant, even if it was incomplete, would be enough to reverse a critical situation.

Moreover, as things stood, it was much easier to leave. Otherwise if the mystic realm was to break apart, how could the Beast Trainer Alliance give up?

"Shall we leave?"

Qin Yu shook his head, a complex look in his eyes. "Wait a moment. I have one final matter to attend to." He closed his. Then, the shadows at his feet started to wriggle about like a living creature.

At this time, the door to the shadow world was pushed open and Qin Yu's consciousness entered it.

He didn't understand the Path of Shadow Transformation, but after fusing together with the embryo egg and truly seeing the world, opening this entrance wasn't difficult.

The shadow world was incomparably vast. The skies and earth were gray and the air was filled with a bleak and deathly silence that lacked all vitality. A grand palace was situated in the depths of these empty plains.

With a thought, Qin Yu appeared at the entrance of the palace. He pushed open the doors, arriving at the great hall where Undying once lived.

He looked around and his eyes finally landed on the floor. Qin Yu tapped his foot against the ground and fluctuations instantly spread out. An entrance opened up. The stone steps led downwards as far as he could see.

As he walked down the steps, he came to a great underground chamber below the palace. There, above the altar, he saw the unconscious Spirity. He furrowed his eyebrows together and a guilty look crossed his eyes. He lifted his hands and faint traces of light glittered between his fingers.

"Hold on!" The little blue lamp suddenly said. The great sun phantom appeared at Qin Yu's side. Perhaps because its attributes were completely different from this shadow world's, it had to try its best to condense its aura. Only a faint layer of shallow blue enveloped the body of the lamp.

Qin Yu turned his head.

"Qin Yu, I know you want to save her, but you cannot do that, at least not now."

The little blue lamp spoke straight to the point, "There is a great secret behind the demonic altar. You should also be able to see a part of it now. If she isn't here to block the demonic altar's connection to you, then it is likely that the existence of the brand mark will be exposed.

"Believe me. With your current ability, it won't take too long before you are truly strong. When that time comes, I won't stop you. But now is not the time."

Qin Yu furrowed his eyebrows. "If I am a little more careful then I shouldn't be discovered. Perhaps I can find another way to seal off the connection with the demonic altar."

The little blue lamp said, "I acknowledge that you have the ability to achieve that now, but there are still certain risks involved…Qin Yu, you must be cautious above all. If you aren't then everything you have now might turn into mist. You may even bury yourself within it."

After a long time, Qin Yu looked at the deeply slumbering Spirity on the altar and said, "I promise that I will return your freedom to you in the future, and I will do my best to give you what you want."

He turned and walked away. With one step he left the chamber, with another step he left the grand hall, and with a third step his consciousness returned to his body.

Shua -

Qin Yu opened his eyes, "Let's go."