Heaven’s Shadow

In the world today, within the Kunlun Sect, there is only one person who can truly be called “Senior Brother” by Tianlan Zhenjun.

That person is Bai Chen, another renowned Mahayana True Monarch of the Kunlun Sect.

According to the lineage of the Kunlun Sect, Bai Chen and Tianlan, both extraordinary talents, were disciples of the Kunlun Sect’s founding ancestor, Tianhong Laozu. To have mentored two figures who stand at the pinnacle of the human cultivation world, Tianhong Laozu himself was undoubtedly an extraordinary figure. It can be said that the Kunlun Sect, after Tianhong Laozu’s emergence, experienced a resurgence, flourishing to the present day, continuing its legacy, dominating the Western Continent, and looking down upon the vast land of China.

The legendary figures of old have long since passed away, but the grandeur of Kunlun remains undiminished, largely due to the contributions of these two True Monarchs. However, the relationship between Bai Chen and Tianlan has always been somewhat subtle within the Kunlun Sect.

Bai Chen, the eldest disciple of Tianhong Laozu, was exceptionally talented, well-known early on, and deeply versed in Daoist techniques. From the beginning, he was regarded as the heir apparent to the position of Sect Leader of Kunlun, a position he assumed after Tianhong Laozu’s passing. Tianlan, on the other hand, emerged over a hundred years later, recognized for his extraordinary talent by Tianhong Laozu, who took him from obscurity. Tianlan rapidly progressed in cultivation and ultimately became the youngest Mahayana True Monarch in Kunlun’s history.

These two unparalleled figures, as Kunlun’s pride, made the sect shine and made countless Kunlun disciples proud. Their presence established Kunlun as a leading sect among the top cultivation sects of the time.

After Tianhong Laozu’s ascension to immortality, the position of Sect Leader was inherited by Bai Chen. Many years later, Bai Chen passed it on to his disciple Xian Yue Zhenren, while Tianlan focused his efforts on the outside world, prominently managing the True Immortal Alliance and becoming one of its six True Monarchs.

From another perspective, Bai Chen and Tianlan, each focusing on internal and external matters respectively, elevated Kunlun’s prestige to a peak it had not seen in a millennium.

The twists and turns of their relationship are speculated upon by many, but who can truly understand the details? Just as the majestic Kunlun is indifferent to the voices of insignificant ants.

Beneath the thick fog, on a black disc, the two most prominent figures of the Kunlun Sect today sit opposite each other. The surrounding area is shrouded in gray, suffocating mist, with no sound penetrating, making it seem as though only the two of them exist in this world.

True Monarch Bai Chen gazes at Tianlan and finally speaks after a long pause, “It seems your cultivation has advanced again.”

True Monarch Tianlan smiles slightly and replies, “Senior Brother, your eyes are sharp; everything in the world is like dust, nowhere to escape.”

A faint smile tugs at the corners of Bai Chen’s mouth, though his smile seems stiff and unappealing, reflecting his age and the years of experience he has endured. His voice sounds old, as if this towering figure of the cultivation world has reached the final stages of his journey, with only a few days left.

“We haven’t met for ten years, have we?” Bai Chen seems somewhat sentimental.

Tianlan nods and replies, “Indeed. After the Battle of the Desert Valley in the Land of Confusion, Senior Brother was displeased with the bloodshed I caused and secluded yourself for cultivation, unwilling to meet.”

Bai Chen’s gaze lifts slightly, looking at Tianlan, and after a moment, he suddenly smiles, “Are you harboring dissatisfaction with me?”

Tianlan also smiles, his round face full of warmth, and says, “Senior Brother is joking.”

They fall silent, the two long-separated brothers seeming to have little to say to each other.

There is a sense of estrangement and inexplicable awkwardness.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Bai Chen calmly says, “Shall we proceed?”

“Yes.” Tianlan responds.

※※※

Under the previously silent fog, a gust of wind suddenly emerges from nowhere, swirling the mist into strange patterns and gradually forming an ancient and desolate image.

The symbols on the black disc surrounding the two figures glow one by one, as if ancient light is seeping into the present, slowly illuminating and exuding a grand power.

The light reflects on the faces of the two True Monarchs, deep within their sea-like eyes.

A thunderous sound erupts from beneath, and the black disc begins to slowly rotate. The light dances and accelerates, and with a sudden shriek, the mist freezes in the air. Moments later, the black disc plunges into the depths of the ground.

Darkness rushes in, engulfing all light.

The gaze of the two individuals seemed to make even the darkness wary, unwilling to approach. They stared through the void and shadow, their eyes locked on each other.

The black disc descended faster and faster, producing a chilling, shrieking sound as it cut through the air. The depth of this descending passage seemed unimaginable; it appeared as if the disc was taking them straight into the deepest part of the earth, heading towards the fabled Netherworld.

At some point, the atmosphere around them suddenly became tense. Thunder and lightning erupted from the darkness, striking from all directions. Countless ghostly figures, making various terrifying faces, roared and rushed towards them.

Two invisible protective shields appeared around the two True Monarchs, keeping all the constraints at a distance of a few feet. The difference was that Bai Chen’s shield was pure white like snow, while Tianlan’s shield was a fiery red.

The rumbling noise was incessant, and the ghostly figures seemed to cover the sky, making it appear as though the most terrifying and dreadful scenes in the world were hidden in the Kunlun Mountain’s depths. However, in the eyes of the two True Monarchs, these threats did not seem to affect their resolve in the least.

They merely observed each other with a calm and cold demeanor.

The fiery shield isolated and burned away all the ghosts.

Gradually, the thunderous sounds quietly subsided, and the horrifying illusions vanished into the darkness, as if they had finally given up their futile pursuit. Meanwhile, the black disc continued its rapid descent, racing towards the bottomless underground world.

“After ten years, Senior Brother, you have made further progress in your cultivation of the ‘Wind and Snow Sutra.’ Congratulations,” Tianlan’s voice suddenly came from the darkness.

“It is merely a matter of lingering,” Bai Chen replied淡ly, his voice sounding somewhat weary. When he looked at his junior brother, there seemed to be a trace of strange light in his eyes, “Not comparable to yours.”

Tianlan smiled, “Senior Brother is being modest. I remember when our master was still alive, he often taught me that my mind was unsettled and that unless I changed, I would never achieve greatness. He also said that Senior Brother’s determination and resoluteness made you a model for cultivation, something I must learn from diligently.”

“Master…” Bai Chen’s usually calm face showed a rare change, and even his eyes, which seemed as cold as snow, had a slight ripple, like a hint of wind and snow.

“Boom!”

Suddenly, a tremendous sound erupted from beneath them. The black disc shook violently and stopped, as if it had finally reached its destination.

In the seemingly endless darkness, a faint light emerged from somewhere, illuminating the area ahead.

※※※

The light came from the front, revealing an enormous passageway. The walls were made of ancient, massive rocks, and the dome overhead was over a hundred yards high, resembling an immense, unending divine temple.

A profound silence pervaded, devoid of any signs of life. This hidden, subterranean realm seemed eerily quiet.

Bai Chen and Tianlan stood up, looked around, and then walked side by side toward the front.

Against the backdrop of this colossal passage, their figures seemed extremely tiny. Even the stones paving their path appeared to be many times larger than ordinary stones.

The light falling from above flickered intermittently, as if time itself had become somewhat stagnant here. Their footsteps echoed far and wide, and their journey felt long.

Eventually, they reached the end of the enormous passage.

The light there dimmed, and darkness resurfaced, with shadowy and shifting images appearing as if they had reached the boundary between light and darkness.

There stood a great door.

Very tall, grand, and ancient.

The door was weathered by time, as if quietly waiting for something.

The two True Monarchs approached the massive door, stopped, and looked up at it.

The door seemed like a mountain, coldly overlooking them.

Darkness surged from all sides, coalescing at the door and pushing away the light.

“Awakened?” Tianlan suddenly asked Bai Chen without context.

“Not yet,” Bai Chen shook his head and added, “Just turned over.”

“Oh.”

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