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Chapter 649: The Source of All Evil

"Please, let him be safe. Please, let him be safe," the three women silently prayed.

Suddenly, the sky filled with resentment dispersed, vanishing as mysteriously as it had appeared.

"Clay Bodhisattva, what\'s happening?" Bao\'er immediately asked.

"I don\'t know, but it looks like His Majesty might have defeated the heavenly demon," the Clay Bodhisattva whispered.

"Might? What about the other twenty percent? What could the other twenty percent be?" Bao\'er pressed.

The Clay Bodhisattva remained silent, and everyone felt a sense of foreboding.

"Sister, I need to go in. Let me go in!" Tian Ling\'er pleaded, on the verge of tears.

Just then, a wooden-faced Zhong Shan slowly emerged from the cavern.

"Zhong Shan! It\'s Zhong Shan! He\'s okay!" Tian Ling\'er exclaimed joyfully.

"Your Majesty!" the Da An officials called out.

Zhong Shan seemed oblivious to their calls, stepping out of the Hundred-World Cavern, and took to the sky.

"Huh?" Everyone was puzzled by His Majesty\'s behavior.

"Hey, wait for me! Where are you going?" The voice of the phantom woman echoed from within the cavern.

As Zhong Shan ascended into the sky, the phantom woman reached the entrance. Strangely, despite her presence and loud shout, no one noticed her or heard her voice.

Everyone\'s attention was on Zhong Shan, but it was still odd that no one sensed her.

The reality was as it seemed. The woman stepped out of the Hundred-World Cavern, but those around her could neither see nor hear her. It was as if she were invisible.

Zhong Shan flew upwards, with the phantom woman following closely behind, but she remained unnoticed by everyone.

Seeing Zhong Shan\'s unusual behavior, everyone expressed their surprise and followed him.

The Hundred-World Cavern valley was heavily guarded, with strict protocols for anyone entering or leaving. But who would dare to stop Zhong Shan? He was allowed to fly out of the valley without question.

Zhong Shan continued to fly, seemingly wooden and detached. No one dared to intercept him. This was Da An, the entire realm was Zhong Shan\'s, who would dare to block his path?

After flying for the duration of an incense stick, Zhong Shan arrived at a desolate mountain area.

This was a silent, barren mountain, yet it seemed like the most important forbidden zone in Da An, with numerous guards stationed outside. Inside, there was nothing but mountains and a small lake.

The lake, named Cuihu, was filled with crabs and had no special features. However, the level of security rivaled that of the Longevity Hall in the royal palace.

This was the place where Wei Kui\'er had died.

Zhong Shan descended from the sky.

"Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!" The guards respectfully bowed, allowing Zhong Shan to walk in step by step.

Outside, the Da An officials also landed.

Seeing Zhong Shan walk in with a wooden expression, everyone was stunned. Zhao Suoxiang was about to step forward.

"Don\'t move, no one should disturb the master!" Bao\'er suddenly commanded.

Bao\'er stopped everyone. This place was Zhong Shan\'s heart\'s grave, his deepest scar. No one was allowed to step inside, not even Zhong Shan himself dared to come here.

Others may not know this place, but Bao\'er knew well. This was Wei Kui\'er\'s resting place, the reverse scale of the dragon.

Why had her master suddenly come here?

With Bao\'er\'s intervention, everyone waited outside, while the phantom woman followed Zhong Shan inside.

"This is where Wei Kui\'er died?" the phantom woman mused to herself.

Not far from Cuihu Lake was an unremarkable mound of earth, where Zhong Shan\'s subordinates had built a small grave after he was knocked unconscious. This was the grave of Zhong Shan\'s heart.

Standing before the small mound, Zhong Shan closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He recalled many memories, and finally, as a tear rolled down his cheek, he opened his eyes.

Zhong Shan walked forward, removing the weeds from the small grave and tidying it up.

Finally, Zhong Shan took out a stone tablet and placed it in front of the grave. Using his finger as a blade, he inscribed:

"The Grave of My Beloved Wife Wei Kui\'er"

He then gathered flowers from around and placed them in front of the gravestone.

A gentle breeze blew Zhong Shan\'s robes, the cool air flowing around. Zhong Shan took a deep breath, his expression becoming much calmer. He exhaled deeply, as if he had gained some profound insight.

The phantom woman beside him showed a look of obvious astonishment.

What had happened to Zhong Shan? Why did he now exude a different aura? It seemed as if he had let go of his longing for Wei Kui\'er, but from his previous determination, it was clear Zhong Shan wouldn\'t give up.

What was this aura? A sense of liberation? A lightness as if all shadows had been dispelled? What was this?

The white jade statue brewed the heavenly demon, and the phantom woman was the spirit of the white jade statue, capable of creating the heavenly demon. The heavenly demon could evoke the most subtle emotions in people, an innate understanding. Yet, the phantom woman couldn\'t comprehend Zhong Shan\'s emotions at this moment.

What was going on?

The phantom woman didn\'t understand, but Bao\'er did. She looked at the gravestone with a face full of admiration. Zhong Shan\'s feelings had transcended, from \'little love\' to \'great love,\' a deep love for Wei Kui\'er.

This great love was truer than anything. When love reached its depths, it broke through and transformed into great love!

"Kui\'er, today I finally came to see you," Zhong Shan exhaled, his face free of sorrow, as if his beloved were still alive.

"Bao\'er, Ling\'er, Qingsi, come here!" Zhong Shan called out, taking a deep breath.

Hearing Zhong Shan, Bao\'er immediately pulled Ling\'er and Bei Qingsi over.

Standing behind Zhong Shan, Tian Ling\'er wanted to say something, but Bao\'er pulled her back. Tian Ling\'er looked at Bao\'er in confusion, but Bao\'er shook her head, signaling her not to speak.

"This is Bao\'er, Ling\'er, and Qingsi. Qianyou isn\'t here today. I brought them to see you!" Zhong Shan said, looking at the gravestone with a glint of affection in his eyes.

"Sister, we will take good care of the master!" Bao\'er stepped forward and said.

The other two women followed Bao\'er, looking at the gravestone.

Although Ling\'er didn\'t fully understand, she knew it wasn\'t the time to speak.

Zhong Shan nodded in satisfaction, sighing slightly as he looked at the three women. "I made you all worry."

"It\'s nothing, as long as you\'re alright!" Bao\'er said affectionately.

"Hmm!" Bei Qingsi, though rarely speaking, had emotions in her eyes that spoke volumes.

"Zhong Shan, are you really okay?" Tian Ling\'er asked worriedly.

"I\'m fine. You all go back and rest. I need to return to the Hundred-World Cavern," Zhong Shan said.

"Uh?" The three women were taken aback.

Not just them, but even Di Xuansha, the Clay Bodhisattva, and others were stunned. Why was the Emperor returning to the Hundred-World Cavern? Was he planning to complete the remaining five cycles of reincarnation? Could that even be possible?

Nobody stopped Zhong Shan as he headed back to the Hundred-World Cavern, followed by the phantom woman.

The phantom woman observed everything, from start to finish, yet she couldn\'t understand Zhong Shan. For the first time, she felt baffled by him. What did he mean by all this? Who exactly was he?

Inside the Hundred-World Cavern.

"You, what did you mean just now? You said you wouldn\'t give up, but did you? Did you give up?" the phantom woman asked, her tone genuinely confused.

"I\'ve already said it, I will never forget Kui\'er in this life," Zhong Shan replied solemnly.

"But..." The phantom woman looked at Zhong Shan, clearly not understanding.

"Human emotions are quite mysterious. Perhaps you will understand someday. But let\'s not talk about that now. Let\'s talk about you. Who are you?" Zhong Shan asked, looking at the phantom woman.

As Zhong Shan looked at her, a strange light flickered in his eyes. It was bizarre that no one else could see her. Moreover, every movement, every expression she made carried an inexplicable allure. If it weren\'t for his spiritual elevation due to Kui\'er, even his strong will might have succumbed.

When he first entered, he had unknowingly lost himself, entering the world of reincarnation. But now, after his spiritual elevation, he saw through much more. Entering the Hundred-World Cavern again, the previous illusions no longer affected him. The cavern had lost its hold over him and could no longer force him into reincarnation.

His spiritual state had unknowingly reached a transcendent level.

"Me? I don\'t know who I am!" the phantom woman shook her head, a look of confusion flashing in her eyes.

"Oh?"

"I remember being called the \'Source of All Evil\'," the phantom woman recalled, frowning.

"The Source of All Evil?" Zhong Shan\'s expression turned peculiar.

"Yes, that was before I could take shape, when I was just in my original form," the phantom woman said.

"Oh? Your original form? The white jade statue?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Hmm."

"I can\'t stray far from my original form. When I went out with you earlier, I felt a lot of my energy draining away. I almost collapsed!" the phantom woman remembered.

"Why can\'t others see you, only I can?"

"I don\'t know either!"

"When did you take this form?"

"When the Hundred-World Cavern was formed."

"Oh?"

"My original form absorbs countless resentments, evil qi, emotions, and other things from the world. It also purifies and releases heavenly demon energy into the surroundings, maintaining a balance. But when the Hundred-World Cavern was formed, my original form only absorbed and didn\'t release. It\'s as if the Hundred-World Cavern has a power that binds me, preventing my energy from leaking," the phantom woman explained.

"Oh? So, as long as the Hundred-World Cavern exists, you can continue to grow?" Zhong Shan asked in surprise.

"Hmm!" The phantom woman nodded.

"Who called you the \'Source of All Evil\' then?"

"I don\'t know. It\'s something my original form instinctively recorded. It seems this name was used a lot. Some people also called me the Heavenly Demon Pool, but I don\'t like either name."