Chapter 1365: Which to Choose

Granny Xiao Fan knew precisely what had transpired.For countless years, she had faithfully upheld the dying wish of her beloved, firmly steering the course of the Sacred Clan.From a tender age, she had held an unwavering belief in the Dragon God, deeming Him flawless and magnificent.Yet, fate is capricious, and the Dragon God Himself seemed to have encountered some plight.The divine oracles were frequently chaotic, nigh incomprehensible...In the beginning, divine signs manifested often, and oracles descended frequently, yet they were disjointed, self-contradictory, pointing hither and yon.Following the guidance of her beloved, she heeded only those oracles beneficial to the Sacred Clan's future, treating them as the true decree. Those tumultuous and disordered pronouncements, she chose to ignore.As for what constituted benefit to the Sacred Clan's future, Guan Yan had long ago laid out detailed precepts. And through the years, she too had gradually developed her own understanding.Days of tranquility and harmony, rules of fairness and justice, virtues such as kindness, bravery, and responsibility...The future the Sacred Clan deserved was one of peace and happiness.It was at this juncture that she first discovered and became certain...She trusted Guan Yan more than she trusted the Dragon God.Compared to faith in the Dragon God, she placed greater faith in the beautiful future of her clan.Guan Yan had never once denied the Dragon God in her presence, stating even in death only that he had left behind a method to deal with the Yan Xiao.But she had eyes to see, and a heart to feel.She knew which path was the better choice for the Sacred Clan.Many young members of the Sacred Clan assumed their current lives were a matter of course, suffering through traditions like "mutual hunting," and resenting the incursions of the night.She had lived through the dark ages; she knew the nature of days far more painful and harrowing.The education of the Sacred Clan of the Sea of Forests was the method devised by Guan Yan, but its concrete implementation over centuries had been accomplished by her, bit by bit. Transforming everything Guan Yan had envisioned into reality... was her ceaseless labor, her stitch-by-stitch mending, day and night.She realized that the chaotic oracles were slowly eroding her inner self, attempting to pull her towards the "disorderly" side. As time wore on, and the chaos accumulated, she found herself increasingly unable to resist.Thus, she began selecting Blue Priestesses, changing them generation after generation, to listen to the divine oracles in her stead.Those retired Blue Priestesses who had been affected by the chaotic oracles were required to dwell in the sacrificial chamber for ten years. Only after ten years free of any anomaly could they return to the Sacred Clan and live normally. If their rotation was merely due to the passage of time, without any sign of disorder, this was not required.She herself consistently held the position of Priestess, thus retaining the "right of interpretation" over the divine oracles, ensuring that the descending pronouncements would never deviate from the path. Thus, they lived in peace for centuries.In later ages, the descent of oracles became less frequent, and the instances of chaotic oracles grew fewer. Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction; the Dragon God appeared to be slowly "recovering normalcy"...But Qing Hua's current state clearly indicated she had again heard those chaotic oracles, and was already affected.Though this day had arrived too soon, the time had come when she had to be replaced...To confine a young maiden to the sacrificial chamber for ten years was undoubtedly cruel, yet there was no other choice.The old woman knew well what became of those completely swayed by the chaotic oracles in the end.Over the long years, there were some holy maidens whom she had personally ended...For the next Blue Priestess, she had originally favored Little Guor, and had kept her by her side to instruct her. In another ten years or so, Qing Hua would go on to live her own life, be it marrying and raising a family or exploring the world. By then, Little Guor would have grown, ready to take over the task of listening to the divine.But clearly, that was no longer possible now.Little Guor was still too young. So, who else in the clan was suitable?The old Priestess of the Sacred Clan of the Sea of Forests was burdened with heavy thoughts, a myriad of worries pressing upon her, deepening the lines on her face.How could Qing Hua go astray at this time? She was kind-hearted, resolute, and had not been the Blue Priestess for many years, having listened to the oracles only a limited number of times in total...Normally, it took the accumulation of dozens of chaotic oracles before a holy maiden was affected and exhibited disordered behavior.Had something happened to the Dragon God again?The white-haired old woman looked at Qing Hua, her eyes filled with sorrow."I don't want to hear it... I don't want to hear it." Qing Hua squeezed her eyes shut tightly, covering her ears, her expression one of deep pain: "But it rings in my heart when I sleep, it rings in my ears when I walk. No matter what I do, where I go, that voice always rings... I don't want to hear it, but I cannot not hear it! I am the Blue Priestess, born to listen to the will of the gods. This is the meaning... the value of my existence!""Listen to me, child..." Granny Xiao Fan gently placed the book she held back on the shelf.She rose from the reclining chair, walked to Qing Hua, and gently embraced her.She had watched this child grow since she was small, seen her transform from a shy young girl into a beauty that the Sacred Clan warriors could not take their eyes off.She understood her pain and felt her struggle.She gently stroked her long hair: "You are Qing Hua. You were born for yourself, the meaning of your existence is for you to be happy. It is not some divine decree, nor does it need to embody any value. Child, do you know? Your very existence, to me, is already precious beyond measure.""What you say is different... why is it different?" Qing Hua held her head in her hands, her voice more pained, even with a hint of tears: "Priestess! Granny! Dragon God! What should I do... what should I do?""What is different?" Granny Xiao Fan gently stroked her, her voice kind and warm: "Tell me, what did you hear?"Qing Hua sobbed: "I heard..."Amidst a sudden flash of cold light, a short dagger plunged into Granny Xiao Fan's abdomen.Qing Hua was immediately shoved away by a palm, colliding with the door of the study before falling to the ground.Granny Xiao Fan stumbled back a few steps, then fell back into the reclining chair, her breathing becoming ragged.It wasn't that she hadn't guarded against problems with Qing Hua; she had seen many holy maidens affected by chaotic oracles and knew their behavior was uncontrollable. While showing concern for Qing Hua, she had not relaxed her own defenses.With Qing Hua's strength, she should not have been able to harm her at all.Yet, at that very moment, a divine whisper suddenly descended upon her ears, a chaotic oracle she had not personally heard in a long time... She had deliberately cut herself off from it for so long!The chaotic oracle battered her mental defenses, causing her to momentarily lose focus.Only then was she struck by Qing Hua's dagger.This dagger was smeared with some unknown, eerie substance; she could feel a bizarre power rapidly eroding her body...Was I wrong? she thought.A wisp of evening breeze blew in, making the candlelight flicker throughout the study, casting a hazy yellow glow on the bookshelves.It danced a lonely circle, brushing past the white-haired old woman slumped in the reclining chair and the beautiful woman who was shakily getting up from the doorway, then flew out of the room.Compared to the environment outside, the Land of Divine Shade was indeed fresh and bright.But the night here remained silent. Without the lighting of Dragon God incense, no one dared to walk outside.The Dragon God wood stretched far, and in the fruit houses suspended from the branches, were warm homes, one after another.Perhaps nowhere else in the entire Sea of Forests Realm could one see such a multitude of flickering lights.The evening breeze drifted gently through the empty forest.It happened to brush past a window...The fruit house was warmly furnished, the candlelight gentle.A lovely girl sat before a dressing table, her beautiful mother unraveling her braids. The man was in another corner of the room, using a small knife, earnestly sharpening arrows.Tonight's sleep and tomorrow's hunt; life flowed on like this.To avoid accidentally pulling her daughter's hair painfully, the mother's movements were delicate and gentle.The girl was feeling a little sleepy while waiting, watching herself in the mirror, she yawned... Her drowsy eyes instantly widened in terror.In the mirror, her mother's beautiful, gentle eyes had suddenly become filled with bloodshot veins!The girl felt her hair instantly pulled taut, her head involuntarily tilting backward...Screams and sobs were confined within this fruit house, like the candlelight, unable to pierce the night.And the night flowed like water, drifting from one home to another.In this fruit house of some age, an elderly woman leaned against the headboard, her face kind.A sturdy-faced man sat by the bed, holding a bowl of meat broth, feeding her spoon by spoon.Bloodshot veins had appeared in his cloudy eyes at some point.The old woman's mouth closed, biting through the ceramic spoon!"Mother!" The man cried out in alarm, reaching to scoop out the ceramic spoon, preventing his old mother from swallowing it.But a withered hand had already clasped his neck...This was a night unlike any other.All who had once been the Blue Priestess, who had listened to the divine oracles, regardless of whether they had exhibited disordered behavior in the past, changed on this night.It should be said that when Priestess Xiao Fan initially decided to select Blue Priestesses to listen to the oracles in her stead, she ought to have foreseen the potential consequences.The safest choice, of course, would have been to secretly kill all the retired holy maidens. In that case, whatever issues the chaotic oracles presented would no longer be issues.But Priestess Xiao Fan did not make that choice.She would rather spend ten years filtering, spend more time waiting.And the cause of yesterday was the effect of today.In the distant sky, the star Yuheng had already vanished.On every night in the Sea of Forests Realm, it was stingy with its light.This was for day and night.But in a pair of vertical pupils that saw through the ages, it still shone brightly in that direction, and grew ever brighter.The vast and boundless Sea of World Origin was stirring up raging waves.A golden divine dragon leaped within, struggling fiercely with its opponents. It had two enemies, one before, one behind. Blocking the front was a clumsy, towering giant tree, its branches lashing, shaking the entire Sea of World Origin.Blocking from behind was a fair-faced, handsome monk in white robes, holding a verdant divine staff.This golden divine dragon was, naturally, the Dragon God.That He could fight one against two, simultaneously suppressing the World Will of the Sea of Forests Realm and Guan Yan, who had taken the divine handle of the True God of the Sea of Forests, in this Sea of World Origin... the strength of the Dragon God was evident.However, this was not His true power. Perhaps He feared the desperate counterattack of the Sea of Forests Realm's World Will, or perhaps He did not yet sufficiently understand Guan Yan and was unwilling to take risks.In any case, the Dragon God firmly controlled the flow of battle, holding the scales of victory and defeat. He neither retreated further nor pressed harder.This delicate balance made the battle appear extremely tense.In the matter of opposing the Dragon God.Guan Yan and the World Will of the Sea of Forests Realm clearly had a certain unspoken understanding, trying their best to cooperate, but this cooperation was not harmonious.It was nothing more than each occupying a side, fighting their own battles.The World Will was merely a vague concept and could not be completely equated with the intelligence of sentient beings.The World Will of the Sea of Forests Realm, its behavioral logic was closer to a certain instinct... an instinct to protect the Sea of Forests Realm, an instinct to react to hostility, to fight back against encroachment.But it couldn't be said to be entirely devoid of intelligence. It was just that the World Will's "thinking" was not the same as the general meaning of thinking for intelligent beings.As the World Will, it was sometimes terrifyingly "stubborn." For instance, the Yan Xiao, clearly evil creatures controlled by the Dragon God, were still seen as "native inhabitants" of this realm and were never targeted by the World Will of the Sea of Forests Realm.At times, the World Will made profound and unpredictable choices. For example, choosing to shelter the true spirit of an "outsider" like Guan Yan in the past...The World Will did not possess human-like "personality," "morality," "emotions," etc., but it was also more than just the instinct of a world protecting itself.It could be said to be very simple, and it could be said to be very complex. From ancient times to the present, no one has truly been able to explain the World Will clearly.But one thing was beyond doubt - being able to interact with the World Will was in itself extraordinary.For the vast majority of people, perhaps their entire lives would pass without sensing the existence of the World Will.Specifically regarding this battle in the Sea of World Origin, the entire situation was completely dominated by Guan Yan's coordination.He had to study both the Dragon God and the World Will. The three parties had been entangled in battle for hundreds of years.By now, the entire Sea of World Origin in the Sea of Forests Realm was divided into three colors.About three-sixths of it was a brilliant gold, like the Dragon God. About two-sixths was still an emerald green, and only the remaining one-sixth was clear as water, reflecting Guan Yan.On the surface, Guan Yan appeared to be at a significant disadvantage. But only those within the battle could clearly perceive how terrifying this monk was.He had entered the battle in his monk's robe when the Dragon God was completely overwhelming the World Will. He had entered the Sea of Origin alone, creating from nothing, forcefully wresting one-sixth of the Origin Sea's share from between the Dragon God's fingers!The World Will of the Sea of Forests Realm, which held the full advantage of the home ground, could only retreat step by step under the Dragon God's attacks, its share of the Origin Sea shrinking.Guan Yan, who seemed the weakest and had the least to rely on, was able to maintain a trend of growth in the endless struggle, day and night. He even slowed the decline of the World Will.They were not only vying for the World Origin, but for the world itself!And at this moment—The Dragon God towered in mid-air, looking down: "Little monk, all this should end!"He did indeed not understand this monk well enough; after battling for so long, there was still a sense of looking at flowers through a mist. But He had learned that the Sacred Clan of the Sea of Forests held special significance for Guan Yan, and that Priestess was crucially important to Guan Yan...That was enough.Was it not?After so many years of planning and strategizing, it was indeed time for the finale.Battling in this Sea of World Origin for centuries, even an existence like Him could not help but feel weariness!As this voice fell, the entire Sea of World Origin echoed with resonance.Waves roared and swept forth.End!End!End!And Guan Yan, clad in a moon-white monk's robe, simply looked up quietly at this deity, holding the staff that represented the divine handle of the True God of the Sea of Forests, and took a step forward.The raging waves subsided, the tumultuous swells stilled, the echoes dispersed.One step leveled the sea!Divine handle, the authority of a god.It represented the highest control over the power of faith.Holding this verdant staff, Guan Yan could be said to be holding the faith of the Dragon God and opposing the Dragon God.And his expression was so calm, he merely said: "Underhand coercion, this is not the method of a true deity; gaining advantage through conspiracy is not the path of the Great Dao. A base existence like yours, the wider your doctrine spreads, the greater the calamity... It is indeed time to end this!""Ridiculous! Ridiculous!" The Dragon God burst into laughter: "What ridiculous divine path, a mere triviality, you think I care? Divine handle, divine position, take them if you wish, I merely discard them for you to play with!"The brilliant golden Origin waves firmly resisted the clear ripples.And in His brilliant golden vertical pupils, the image of the star Yuheng was already reflected.In the long struggle, He had long since captured Yuheng. Today was the opportune moment to take possession.Having controlled half of the Sea of World Origin and captured the star Yuheng, He indeed no longer needed any divine position as the True God of the Sea of Forests.From any perspective, He had enough certainty to achieve final success.Nevertheless, at this critical juncture, He still used the residual influence on the divine position to unsettle the Blue Priestess, to strike at the Priestess named Xiao Fan, and even to influence the entire Sacred Clan of the Sea of Forests, creating bloody slaughter.Whatever methods Guan Yan possessed, today he had to make a choice—Should he interfere with the Dragon God's occupation of Yuheng, or escape to save Xiao Fan, to save the Sacred Clan of the Sea of Forests?In the Sea of World Origin, the waves surged wildly.Only the manifestation of the World Will of the Sea of Forests Realm continued to lash with branches, attacking the Dragon God furiously.As if completely unaware that something was happening.In the Land of Divine Shade, in the study.The white-haired old woman fell back into the reclining chair, struggling against the power eroding her body, unable to speak or move.Qing Hua, who had finally stabilized herself, drew another dark dagger and resolutely walked towards her.Just at this moment, a voice suddenly rang out from outside."Qing Hua!"Qing Bayi, whose hair was braided into eight ropes, leaped agilely into the study, holding a javelin horizontally in his hand, his expression grave: "What are you doing!""Our mutual hunt, even the descent of the Dragon God's envoy, all are meaningless..." Qing Hua stopped and turned, asking: "The Yan Xiao has come back to life again, are you afraid? That day you spoke to me, you said you didn't know when this life would end.""I don't deny my fear," Qing Bayi said. "But now, first move away from the Priestess."Qing Hua ignored him, simply asking again: "Qing Qishu's death, are you sad?""I didn't like him, but I am indeed sad for him." Qing Bayi frowned: "What are you trying to say? You are very wrong today.""You don't even know what's wrong." Qing Hua shook her head, smiling strangely: "Do you know what caused all this? Why did Qishu die so meaninglessly? Why for so many years, generations of warriors died in mutual hunts, yet the outcome hasn't changed in the slightest? The Priestess interprets the divine oracles, guiding the way! Why has she led us down an increasingly difficult path! Who is wrong, you say! Bayi?"Qing Bayi clenched his javelin and said: "We were all raised by the Priestess, there must be some misunderstanding here... Put down the dagger first.""Do you love me?" Qing Hua asked.Qing Bayi said with a涩聲: "My feelings, you have always known, why ask when you know the answer?"His sadness was not that Qing Hua doubted his feelings, but that Qing Hua was using his feelings as a weapon."Love me, then help me kill her!" Qing Hua said: "Don't you think she has been the Priestess for too long? So many years have passed, and our situation hasn't changed at all. The great Sacred Clan is still confined to the Land of Divine Shade... She has deviated from the divine will and will one day be abandoned by the gods. Can you imagine such a situation? The time has come for change!"She looked at Qing Bayi: "From now on, I will be the Priestess, and you will be the Clan Leader. We will revere the gods and follow the divine mandate, and together make the Sacred Clan stronger! How does that sound to you?"Looking at the beautiful face that had entered his dreams countless times, Qing Bayi's heart was in turmoil.But his hand was steady: "Qing Hua, you should calm down. You are not clear-headed now. I am a Sacred Clan warrior, with responsibility on my shoulders. I will never allow you to harm the Priestess.""I am very clear-headed, it is you who are still lost."Qing Hua said: "When Qishu left, he said he would return. When the Yan Xiao died, I thought the nightmare was over... But has anything changed? We are still like pigs and dogs, confined to this place. We will never know what is at the end of the world. We can only watch our relatives and friends die, without a single way... Why are we like this? Since all this is meaningless, why do we still persist? It is better to take a different path, follow the true will of the Dragon God. The god will shine upon us!"Qing Bayi shook his head: "No, you cannot harm the Priestess. I can agree to anything else for you, but not this."Qing Hua looked at him coldly, her eyes like knives: "You are simply no match for Qishu, he was willing to do anything for me!"Qing Bayi gripped his javelin and remained silent.Just at this moment, a sharp whoosh suddenly came, Qing Hua swiftly stepped back, decisively parrying with her dagger, deflecting an incoming arrow!The arrow lodged in the ground, its fletching still vibrating.One could see the force with which the attacker had shot and the decisiveness of the shot.Qing Jiuye, with a fully drawn bow, drifted down, looking at Qing Hua and said: "You don't understand Qishu at all. If he saw you today, he would regret loving you. Take another step... die!"Qing Hua held the dagger, her slightly red eyes looking at Qing Jiuye, smiling sorrowfully: "I know you won't kill me, because you have me in your heart."Responding to her was an arrow aimed directly at her throat!Qing Hua had to retreat two more steps to avoid the sharp arrow, simultaneously moving further away from the old woman on the reclining chair.Qing Jiuye's voice was cold: "I had you in my heart, but that is not your excuse to harm the Priestess. I know clearly who is truly protecting this place. Centuries of painstaking effort, something you cannot slander with a few words! The Sacred Clan of the Sea of Forests absolutely cannot be without the Priestess, but it can be without me, and it can be without you!""Hehehe..." Qing Hua laughed: "Slander?"She looked at Qing Jiuye, then at Qing Bayi: "As the Blue Priestess, I listen to the divine oracles. Do you know what the Dragon God says?"Qing Jiuye said: "What the Dragon God says is not for you to say. How to interpret the divine oracle is the Priestess's matter."Qing Hua looked at him: "You don't believe me?"She looked at Qing Bayi again: "You don't believe me either?""I don't believe the you of now," Qing Jiuye said directly.Qing Bayi said: "For so many years, no matter who the holy maiden was, the divine oracles were interpreted by the Priestess...""What if her interpretation has always been contrary to the divine oracle?!" Qing Hua asked fiercely: "If I can prove this, you, as Sacred Clan warriors, who have been bestowed with divine power for years, receiving divine grace! What choice will you make now?"