The forced fusion of the divided souls was like inserting another person into the brain of the person writing the ancient book. It even made the person writing the ancient book start to doubt his own identity. Fear prompted him to stop the fusion, and the subsequent records became much more sloppy.
In the end, the author of the ancient book left only one sentence: "I tried to interpret it, but it was not allowed. Later I realized that I was wrong. I and he were actually the same person."
The last character was written in a particularly hurried manner, with that stroke even taking up half the paper. It was as if he was trying to communicate with the divided soul, but the divided soul rejected him. In the face of a mutually destructive struggle, he left behind this regretful sentence with a sigh and resentment.
Before splitting his soul, Shen Mo had studied the ancient book in detail. The situation forced him to split his soul, but that didn't mean he wouldn't learn from the lessons of the ancient book. So when Shen Yebai was born, he gave Shen Yebai "freedom within restrictions" and constantly instilled in him the idea that "he was born to complete the plan," constantly denying the meaning of Shen Yebai's existence to prevent Shen Yebai from trying to escape his control later.
But things are unpredictable. Shen Yebai, who was originally under complete control, developed a rebellious spirit after meeting Qin Moyu, forcing Shen Mo to devise another scheme to force Shen Yebai to "voluntarily" merge with Qin Moyu.
Even with Shen Yebai's willingness, Shen Mo remained cautious and did not immediately integrate Shen Yebai. Instead, he chose to slowly absorb Shen Yebai's memories and emotions, and as it turned out, he did not make a mistake.
During this period of integration, he clearly knew from beginning to end that he was Shen Mo—except when facing Qin Moyu.
Different scenes, but the same person who makes his heart flutter. This makes Shen Mo's memory of Shen Yebai gradually blur. When he recalls his past with Qin Moyu, he unconsciously thinks that the Shen Yebai of the past is himself.
Shen Mo stroked the uneven, damaged surface of the ancient book, but his gaze fell on the bronze mirror not far away.
The clear bronze mirror reflected his face, yet Shen Mo felt it was so unfamiliar.
I……
Who is it?
Shen Mo couldn't help but reflect on his life.
To say it's boring would be an exaggeration, but to say it's unforgettable and cherished would be too dishonest. He would miss his parents and care about the people, but he was always like a hollow piece of wood, rising and falling in the sea of responsibility, doing his job to the best of his ability, but never thinking about what he wanted.
"Admit it."
Shen Mo sighed softly at the empty surroundings and muttered to himself, "You just want him."
Shen Yebai's memories and feelings only accelerated his feelings for Qin Moyu. Ultimately, it was he himself who fell for Qin Moyu, and for the first time since birth, he so longed to have someone.
But Qin Moyu didn't want Shen Mo, she wanted Shen Yebai.
So……
Why not give him a Shen Yebai?
Looking at himself in the mirror, Shen Mo chuckled softly, "Giving up is not my style."
He was never a coward; otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to defy the will of Heaven. At times, he could even be described as insane.
In the still of the night, a faint sound, unheard by anyone, existed only in Shen Mo's mind. He closed his eyes, completely letting go of all constraints, and accepted all of Shen Yebai's memories.
"Mo Yu, what do you consider to be a person?"
"I think, therefore I am, Night White—"
A cicada gently flapped its wings in the yard, falling from one tree to another, but suddenly its limbs stiffened, and it fell to the ground in an instant.
At the moment the cicada fell, dark clouds had already gathered above the royal palace of the Southern Kingdom.
The pale moonlight was obscured by dark clouds, and only the lights of the palace flickered in the sudden gusts of wind in the dark night. The patrolling captain of the guards felt a chill, touched his arms, and muttered that the day had changed so quickly.
Inside the Imperial Study, Shen Sheng was checking the results of Shen Yu's punishment of copying. The two looked up at each other at the same time, and without saying a word, rushed outside. A strong wind was blowing, and their robes were fluttering wildly in the wind.
Shen Sheng stared blankly in the direction of Shen Mo's residence, and finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Although Shen Yu sensed that something extraordinary had happened, he still didn't understand what his elder brother was laughing about.
“Xiao Yu.” Shen Sheng suddenly turned around. The hardships of the past few years had made him look haggard. Not only had his cultivation stagnated, but his body had also been damaged. There were dark circles under his eyes from staying up all night reviewing memorials. The wind blew his hair, and at such a young age, there were already a few strands of white hair at his temples. At this moment, Shen Yu finally understood how much his elder brother had paid for the restoration of the Southern Kingdom over the years.
Shen Sheng felt the exhilarating wind and laughed loudly:
"Before long, we will witness the most glorious emperor in the history of the Southern Kingdom."
As early as the day Shen Mo merged with Shen Yebai and awakened, Shen Mo told Shen Sheng about his plans and the reasons for the Four Continents War. Only then did Shen Sheng realize that Shen Mo's life over the years had been no easier than his own.
After years of heartache and suffering, the fall of countless emperors, and endless blood debts and feuds, they can finally begin to fight back!
On the other side, Xuanjing Zhenren had just learned from Qin Moyu that Shen Mo and Shen Yebai were the same person. After the initial shock, he started arguing and wanted to take Qin Moyu away quickly, shouting that he couldn't let his little cabbage fall into the hands of the big bad wolf. When Qin Moyu, who was both amused and exasperated, stopped him and they argued endlessly, he also sensed that something was wrong with the atmosphere.
After stopping what appeared to be a reasonable argument but was actually a tantrum, he looked sharply in a certain direction, his expression becoming much more serious: "You brat, did you say that there are three levels in the Transcendent Tribulation stage?"
"Yes." Qin Moyu didn't feel anything was wrong, he was just wondering why a strong wind suddenly came, but he was thankful when he saw that Master Xuanjing had calmed down.
"...Didn't you just say that Shen Mo has already reached the third level of the Tribulation?"
"Hmm, is there a problem?" Qin Moyu replied casually.
“That would be a big problem…” Master Xuanjing’s lips twitched slightly as he looked at the increasingly dense dark clouds overhead, feeling extremely distressed.
If Qin Moyu is right, then the only one who could attract this level of lightning tribulation is Shen Mo. But lightning tribulation... is something that only happens when breaking through a realm!
Although he knew perfectly well that Shen Mo couldn't possibly achieve ascension without the path to heaven, the thought that the other was just one step away from ascension made him silently glance down at Qin Moyu, who knew nothing, and think with a bittersweet smile:
—As expected of my apprentice, even his suitors are so impressive.
…………
Master Xuanjing was right. Although he didn't know what Shen Mo had done to attract the tribulation, without the path to heaven, even the Jade Emperor couldn't truly break through. Therefore, the tribulation only gathered for half an hour before dissipating on its own.
When the lightning tribulation dissipated, Shen Sheng also received a message from Shen Mo, telling him that he could begin to make arrangements for his ascension to the throne.
Zuo Shu and Chen Yi's first reaction upon discovering the lightning tribulation was to go find Shen Mo. They waited anxiously outside Shen Mo's residence for half an hour before Shen Mo finally gave them the word "come in".
At the desk, Shen Mo, dressed in white, sat reading under the candlelight. Although it was a face they had seen countless times, Zuo Shu and Chen Yi felt an unprecedented pressure, making them unconsciously lower their breathing.