ebookland Chapter 646 Weakness and Strength
Chapter 646 Weakness and Strength
The night was as dark as ink, so thick that it could not be dissolved. After a thrilling battle, Wenxin Pavilion finally regained its peace temporarily. The moonlight struggled to penetrate the heavy clouds, casting a few strands of cold light, falling on the scarred courtyard.
In the meeting hall, the candlelight flickered, and the light and shadows swayed restlessly on the walls, as if they were also palpitating for today's tragic battle. Yun Yao and Chu Mochen sat opposite each other, their clothes torn and bloodstained, revealing the cruelty of the war. Chu Mochen's face was slightly pale, and the clothes on his chest where he was hit by the devil were charred, faintly emitting wisps of devilish energy, which were the remaining traces of the power from outside the domain, corroding his body and making his breath a little disordered. Yun Yao was not much better, her spiritual veins were overdrawn, and every breath was accompanied by a tingling pain in her spiritual veins, which was a sign of the backlash of the power of heaven. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, soaking the hair at her temples.
Outside the hall, disciples were busy moving around, some carrying the wounded, some cleaning up the ruins, and occasionally heard a few painful moans, making the night seem even heavier. However, in the midst of all the busyness and pain, there was a touch of warm light, like a spark, flickering stubbornly in the darkness.
Those were the "heart lamps" that the disciples of the Heart-Searching Pavilion had spontaneously lit. One, two... In the blink of an eye, thousands of heart lamps all over the mountains and plains gathered into a brilliant sea of light, covering the entire Heart-Searching Pavilion. These heart lamps were made of the simplest materials, and the wicks were burning with the purest true Dao rhyme of the disciples. The light intertwined and turned into an indestructible light shield, floating above the Heart-Searching Pavilion, resisting the invasion of the remaining evil spirits from the outside world, and also warming everyone's heart.
Yun Yao raised her hand slightly, and weakly pushed aside a few strands of hair that fell in front of her eyes. She looked through the open door of the palace, at the dreamlike sea of lights, and tears welled up in her eyes. These disciples usually practiced, exchanged ideas, laughed and played in the pavilion, and seemed ordinary. However, when life and death were at stake, they could devote their strength without hesitation and condense into such a shocking protective light.
Her thoughts drifted away involuntarily, back to the palace in the secular world. At that time, she had just arrived, facing the open and secret struggles and conspiracies in the palace, isolated and helpless. Liu Yan'er's difficulties were commonplace, and the servants' cold eyes made her even more chilled. However, even in such a desperate situation, she did not give up, and saved Xiao Cui with her kindness and wisdom. Xiao Cui was just an insignificant maid in the palace, timid and cowardly, and suffered from bullying. But when Yun Yao reached out to her and gave her warmth and care, Xiao Cui's eyes ignited a spark of hope. From then on, Xiao Cui followed Yun Yao wholeheartedly, delivered messages for her, and accompanied her in difficult situations.
Later, Yun Yao entered the world of cultivation, and the competition among the sects was equally cruel. When she was framed and excluded, it was Chu Mochen who stood firmly by her side and faced the storm with her. There were also those like-minded friends who fought side by side with her in the experience and supported each other in difficulties. They were either hearty and heroic knights or gentle and intelligent fairies. They came from different places and had different life experiences, but they gathered around Yun Yao because of a heart that pursued freedom and adhered to justice.
Even her former enemy Liu Yan'er appeared in Yun Yao's mind at this moment. Liu Yan'er has been competitive all her life, and she will do anything to achieve her goals. Her jealousy and hatred made her go further and further down the wrong path. However, after experiencing so many changes, she finally saw her heart clearly, knelt in front of Yun Yao, and asked to become an outer disciple of the Wenxin Pavilion. At that moment, Yun Yao saw in her eyes no longer the sinister look of the past, but the desire for a new life and the regret for the past.
These people and these things flashed through Yun Yao's mind like a revolving lantern. She suddenly realized that along the way, what they had been protecting was never the glory of a certain sect, nor a certain established rule, but the most ardent desire for freedom and the right to choose their own destiny in the depths of every life.
"Cough cough..." A violent cough interrupted Yun Yao's thoughts. She came back to her senses and looked at Chu Mochen opposite her. Chu Mochen was trying to endure the severe pain in his chest and adjust his disordered breath. Seeing Yun Yao looking at him, he slightly raised the corner of his mouth and showed a comforting smile, but the smile could not hide his fatigue.
Yun Yao felt a pain in her heart, and she stood up and walked to Chu Mochen's side, gently squatting down, raising her hand to check his injuries. The moment her fingertips touched his chest, Chu Mochen trembled slightly, not because of the pain, but because of her touch. Even though he was seriously injured, this touch of gentle warmth could still hit the softest part of his heart.
"Don't move, let me see." Yun Yao said softly, with unquestionable concern in her voice. She carefully uncovered the torn clothes on Chu Mochen's chest, and saw that the wound was surrounded by black air, and the power of the demon soul was trying to further erode his body. Yun Yao frowned, her eyes full of worry.
"I'm fine, don't worry." Chu Mochen held Yun Yao's hand, trying to reassure her. His palm was broad and warm, and even though it was weak at the moment, it still conveyed a firm strength. "Look, our disciples, they are so united and so brave. With them around, the Heart-Searching Pavilion will not fall."
Yun Yao nodded slightly, and cast her eyes again towards the sea of lights outside the hall. Those flickering lights, like the determined eyes of the disciples, illuminated the darkness and also illuminated their path forward.
"Yes, they are the most precious treasure of the Heart-Searching Pavilion." Yun Yao sighed softly, "Today's battle made me understand more clearly that the power of the True Dao Rhythm does not come from a certain person, but from the yearning for freedom and beauty in each of our hearts. The enemy thinks this is our weakness, but they are wrong. This is precisely our most powerful strength."
Chu Mochen followed Yun Yao's gaze, his eyes also full of emotion. He gently stroked the Daoyun mark on Yun Yao's palm, which was emitting a faint light at this moment, like the brightest star in the night sky. "You are right, just like this mark, it carries the faith and strength of countless people." He pointed to the scattered cultivators gathered at the foot of the mountain. Those scattered cultivators heard that the Wenxin Pavilion was in trouble and rushed here. At this moment, they were holding up their heart lamps and silently praying for the Wenxin Pavilion. Their clothes were tattered, their faces were haggard, and some even had injuries. It was obvious that they had experienced hardships on the way here. However, the light in their eyes was extremely hot. It was the trust in the Wenxin Pavilion and the admiration for Yun Yao and Chu Mochen.
"These independent cultivators have no sects or schools, and are often looked down upon and bullied. Under the old Heavenly Dao order, they could hardly obtain resources for cultivation, and their spiritual veins were suppressed to the point of being dim." Chu Mochen's voice was low and powerful, with a hint of anger. "But since we founded the Heart-Seeking Pavilion and promoted new Heavenly Dao concepts, they have seen hope. With their own efforts, they have condensed the true Dao rhyme and broken the shackles of fate. Now, when the Heart-Seeking Pavilion is in trouble, they come to help without hesitation. This friendship is as heavy as Mount Tai."
Yun Yao's eyes were moist again, and she thought of the people she had saved in the secular world. They lived in poverty, were oppressed by the powerful, and were ravaged by diseases, but they still lived tenaciously, with a vision of a better life. When she was in the palace, she did her best to provide them with medical treatment and medicine, impart knowledge, teach them literacy and arithmetic, and let them understand that fate is not destined at birth, as long as they work hard, they can change it. The eyes of those people looking at her, from the initial gratitude, gradually turned into a firm belief in the future. Now, this belief has also been passed on to the world of cultivation and to the hearts of everyone fighting for freedom.
"Chu Mochen, we can't let them down." Yun Yao raised her head and looked at Chu Mochen with a firm gaze. "There have been too many difficulties and sacrifices along the way. But as long as the faith in our hearts is not extinguished, as long as we stick to the way of asking our conscience, we will definitely be able to break the old shackles and create a truly free and equal world of cultivation."
Chu Mochen held Yun Yao's hand tightly and nodded firmly. "Well, no matter how difficult the road ahead is, I will stay by your side and face it with you. These bonds are our driving force and the source of our strength."
The two smiled at each other, and at that moment, all the fatigue and pain seemed to disappear. In this heart-searching pavilion full of ruins and pain, their hearts were closer, and their beliefs, like the burning heart lamp, became more and more blazing, illuminating each other and the future of the heart-searching pavilion.
Outside the palace, the breeze blew gently, and the light of the heart lamp flickered, as if responding to their vows. And in the distance, the mountains, rivers, plants and creatures in the cultivation world seemed to feel this firm power, quietly accumulating energy in the darkness, waiting for the dawn, waiting for the arrival of a brand new world.