234 Leaving the Mausoleum

Facing the red morning sun, Chen Changsheng spread out his hands and didsomething contrary to every law of cultivation. Later on, he would also wonderwhy he had done such a thing. It was just like how he had, for no reasonwhatsoever, become deeply moved. He wanted to do it, so he did it... He spreadhis hands out, turned to the sky that was just changing from a dull gray to adark blue, found his Fated Star, and began to absorb the starlight. This was the first time that he had ever attempted to absorb starlight forpurification in the daytime. This was also perhaps the first time in countless years where a normalcultivator attempted to absorb starlight for purification in the daytime. Perhaps because he was lucky, he did not die, nor was he burnt to ash. On thecontrary, he was able to clearly sense that the gate to his Ethereal Palace hadbeen completely opened, so the speed at which he absorbed starlight wasincreased by several hundred times. Of course, his meridians were still broken in many places. His seven mostimportant meridians, especially, were still broken. That bottomless abyss stillexisted, but amongst those meridians which had been broken into countlesspieces, especially those around the inner organs around his Ethereal Palace,the true essence that had been converted from the radiance of the stars wereextremely plentiful, such that it seemed like the wounds inflicted upon hismeridians had been somewhat healed. Could this be one of mystical properties of the Heavenly Tome Monoliths? Heturned and looked at the broken monolith as he ruminated in silence. As he was standing on the cliff edge, he was somewhat far from the brokenmonolith and he could not see it clearly. And yet, he felt that he could seethe missing monolith, and that it was not because his eyes were playing trickson him. Up to now, Chen Changsheng had truly comprehended the meaning of the HeavenlyTome Monoliths of the front mausoleum. He had accomplished the same feat thatZhou Dufu had accomplished all those years ago. If he were to continue forward, he would most likely enter another mausoleummountain and see Heavenly Tome Monoliths that were even more mystical. However,he glanced at the color of the sky and chose not to continue. In this way, hedeparted. In the early morning, the Mausoleum of Books was very peaceful. The previousnight’s display of fireworks had finished long ago. There were no people infront of any of the seventeen monoliths. The mountain path was also devoid ofpeople. Many people were deep asleep and they had yet to wake up. Perhaps they wouldstay asleep for many days ahead. Breaking into a new realm was never a simple venture. Not everyone could belike Chen Changsheng and to seemingly so casually stride across that threshold,without even feeling a hint of exhaustion. Of course, to some people, breakingthrough was not a very arduous affair. An example of this was Gou Hanshi. Gou Hanshi stood at the end of the mountain path, calmly waiting for him. Chen Changsheng walked up to him, clasped his hands in greeting, and then hesaw the faint luster in Gou Hanshi’s eyes. He knew that Gou Hanshi’scultivation had also improved. From the Ivy Festival to the Grand Examination to the Mausoleum of Books, thepair’s level of cultivations was finally identical. They were both at the upperlevel of Ethereal Opening. Chen Changsheng bid farewell to him. “I’m going now.” Gou Hanshi replied, “There are still several days until the Garden of Zhouopens. There should still be enough time.” “There are still some matters I have to take care of in the capital.” Gou Hanshi was silent for a while, then he said, “I am not planning on goingto the Garden of Zhou. Take care of yourself on the journey.” “Why are you planning on staying here?” Chen Changsheng asked with somebewilderment. “At the very least, I have to finish seeing all seventeen monoliths of thefront mausoleum.” Gou Hanshi smiled as he replied. Chen Changsheng said sincerely, “I wish you the best.” Gou Hanshi looked at him and said, “All of this year’s Grand Examinationexaminees should be thanking you.” Chen Changsheng did not understand, so Gou Hanshi explained everything thathad happened last night. After a period of thought, he replied, “There’s no need to thank me. I onlydid what I wanted to do.” Gou Hanshi knew that he was not being modest, because Chen Changsheng was onlythinking about his comprehension of the monoliths. As for the starlight thathad illuminated the capital and the mausoleum, that was not something that hehad willed. Side by side, the two youths walked back to the grass hut. Walking past the fence that had just been fixed not two days ago, ChenChangsheng entered the hut and he began to pack his things up. Seeing TangThirty-Six with his thunderous snores, Chen Changsheng shook his head. Yet,when he realized that Zhexiu was not there, he could not help but feel a bitdown. Carrying his luggage out, he said to Gou Hanshi, “I trouble you to take careof Tang Tang for me.” Gou Hanshi said, “That’s no problem. But just to be clear, outside themausoleum, we are still rivals.” Chen Changsheng said, “Understood.” Gou Hanshi added, “Third junior brother and youngest junior brother are alsogoing to the Garden of Zhou. Once inside, I would like you to look after themfor me.” Chen Changsheng asked in confusion. “You just said that we were rivals.” “Being rivals doesn’t mean we can’t mutually support each other.” Chen Changsheng thought it over, then said, “That’s reasonable… though I don’tthink I have the ability to look after those two.” Liang Xiaoxiao and Qi Jian were ranked amongst the Divine State’s Seven Laws,the most shocking disciples of the Mount Li Sword Sect sword style. ChenChangsheng felt that even though he was at the upper level of Ethereal Opening,abundant with true essence, because of his damaged meridians, the amount oftrue essence he could use was rather small. If it was a true battle for lifeand death, then he might not even be able to defeat his opponent, much lesshelp others. Gou Hanshi chuckled. “I value your strength in other areas.” Gou Hanshi saw him off all the way from the grass hut to the stone doors ofthe mausoleum. The ground trembled as the stone doors slowly opened. To those who cultivated the Dao, the Mausoleum of Books was the supreme andonly sacred ground. Regardless of who one was, when the time came to leave themausoleum, one would always feel some reluctance or else some complicatedemotion. Yet Chen Changsheng’s expression was very serene. Just like that, hewalked through the stone doors very casually, not even sparing a glance behindhim. Gou Hanshi as well as those monolith guardians that had caught wind of thenews, upon seeing his scene, could not help but feel that it was a littlestrange. It was just like many people had said before, Chen Changsheng’s attitudetowards everything was too calm and unflustered, not like a fifteen-year-oldteenager at all. This was because he treasured his time. In addition, he had found the paththat he wanted to walk, making him treasure his time even more. He alsobelieved that there would be a day where he would enter the Saint Realm. Onthat day, he would return to the Mausoleum of Books. Whether he intruded on theDivine Path or walked the same path as this time, there would be no problems.So why would he be reluctant to part? And if that day did not come, thenseveral years later when he returned to the starry sky, what good would anyfurther reluctance do? After viewing the monoliths for twenty days, especially that period startingfrom yesterday of viewing the monoliths without sleep, in the end he succeededin entering the upper level of Ethereal Opening. Besides this, there was oneother extremely important reward. He finally understood the last sentencewritten in Wang Zhice’s notebook—There is no such thing as fate. Since the stars could move, then naturally there was no such thing as a fixedand unchanging fate. Perhaps his master Daoist Ji had wanted him to enter thePavilion of Ascending Mist and find Wang Zhice’s notebook so that he could findout about the secret of changing fate used by Emperor Taizu and EmperorTaizong. Only, Daoist Ji could not have imagined that in the Mausoleum ofBooks, Chen Changsheng would comprehend these things that would cause him towalk a different path. He had an unprecedented confidence that he could change his fate on his own.He did not need to do it by changing the fates of others. He had to enter the Concealed Spirit Realm before the age of twenty. Indeed, no one in the world had ever done this before. However, who said that he was unable to do it? In the forest, Mao Qiuyu and the principal of the Star Seizer Academy lookedat Chen Changsheng’s figure, their moods complex. The principal of Star Seizer Academy said, “He should be the youngestcultivator to reach the upper level of Ethereal Opening in history.” Mao Qiuyu nodded. “He’s earlier than Mo Yu by two years. After the Grand Examination, Chen Changsheng became one of the youngestcultivators ever to reach Ethereal Opening. After viewing the monoliths in the Mausoleum of Books, he became the youngestcultivator to reach the upper level of Ethereal Opening. There were no others. With these two points, he was apparently quite skilled at making what manyviewed as impossible possible. In the quiet and secluded forest, Chen Changsheng saw a youth standing under atree. He could not help but be a little surprised. There was someone that had actually left the Mausoleum of Books even earlierthan him.