Chapter 151: A God Weeps for a Maiden, Shedding Tears of Sorrow

Yushang could not help but smile inwardly at this, though he felt it inappropriate to be too blatant. He truly had no way to deal with this stubborn little snake, yet this was actually for the best—it allowed Xiaoyin to deflate the arrogance of these two old fellows just a bit, making them wary enough not to provoke them lightly. Moreover, this time Yushang felt that the two old fellows had gone a bit too far, not only pressing him repeatedly to work for the Yanlan Academy, but also so mercilessly detaining his friend. They claimed it was a necessary evil to prevent any leaks, but it would be more accurate to say they used this underhanded trick precisely to pressure him.

Although Yushang had, to a greater or lesser extent, obtained what he wanted from each of these transactions, he had imperceptibly lost far more of the things that others yearned for. He always felt there was a pair of hands pushing from behind, propelling him step by step into a trap they had long since dug. Waiting for him in that trap was a heavy burden that Yushang was forced to shoulder. Though he could not yet say what he was about to face, intuition told him it would be a yoke he could never cast off for the rest of his life. He wanted to let go, yet he could not; he could only swallow his resentment and bear it in silence.

"The juniors have already done what the two seniors asked. Can you now truthfully tell me where the Primordial Tear is hidden?" By this time, Yushang had composed his emotions, making his expression as aloof as possible, and spoke to the two cunning old men before him. It was necessary to establish a certain amount of majesty in their presence at the right moments; otherwise, always being so amiable would lead them to mistake him for a soft persimmon. If they were to become even more unscrupulous in toying with him, it would not bode well. After all, if he were to fall out with them then, it would mean a complete and final parting of ways!

"This matter must begin with that celestial-nether war from several years ago. Rumor has it that after Fuyou Ming killed his own wife, who had been lurking by his side, with his own hands, he was unexpectedly picked up by attendants sent by a primordial deity from another realm. Ever since then, he vanished from this mortal world, and no one has ever seen him again. And that woman, who was both the wife of Fuyou Ming and the daughter of the celestial realm, perished because her injuries were too severe for heaven to save. Yet just as the god of the celestial realm wished to bury the remains of his beloved daughter, the true primordial deity descended to the celestial realm to see her off on her final journey." The old headmaster slowly recounted the past as he had heard it—perhaps not entirely true, but enough to shake one's soul.

"What on earth is the background of this woman, that even this primordial deity would condescend to personally descend to this mortal world to see her off? Logically speaking, she was merely a daughter of the celestial realm; her status and position were far less noble than those of the primordial deity. Furthermore, how could two people of such disparate standings have any intersection, unless her existence was not a coincidence but deliberately arranged by someone? Or perhaps the primordial deity purposely planted this woman in this mortal world. But if that were the case, how could she have been so easily injured by Fuyou Ming? All of this must be connected in the dark, yet it remains impossible to untangle. What is going on here, and who is this woman?" At this moment, the more Yushang thought, the more chaotic his mind became, unable to find any clue. Truly, this matter was simply too unbelievable!

"No one knows what the origin and identity of this woman were, nor what kind of relationship she had with that primordial deity far away at the edge of the heavens. We only know that the primordial deity infused a portion of his own cultivation into this woman's body, causing her corpse to remain uncorrupted for eternity. He also bestowed upon her a treasured land left over from primeval times, renovating it into a celestial mausoleum coveted by the entire world—the very mysterious region about to open, which drives many powerhouses mad. The primordial deity even personally cast spells to set up a barrier preventing anyone from entering this place, and even if one were fortunate enough to enter, one would not possess the ability to come out alive." The headmaster continued smoothly from his previous words, though even his tone revealed a hint of doubt.

"This is merely the origin of that mysterious region; what does it have to do with the Primordial Tear we are searching for? I say, old man, stop beating around the bush here and cut straight to the point. Tell us where the Primordial Tear is hidden and how we should go about retrieving it!" Xiaoyin urged impatiently from the side. Truly, he had no leisurely mood to listen to stories right now. At this moment, his mind was entirely occupied with how to obtain the Weeping Spirit Grass and the Primordial Tear, so as to thoroughly cure the stinky brat's illness, sparing him from such suffering and preventing it from taking his life.

"Xiaoyin, calm down. We've waited this long, a moment more won't hurt. Besides, I am also quite curious about what is going on here. Please continue, Senior," Yushang turned his head and said with a smile to the impatient Xiaoyin. This little snake was good at everything, but his fiery temper could never be changed. Fortunately, he usually had him to keep him reined in so he wouldn't be overly rude; otherwise, given his temperament, who knew how many people he would offend or how many things he would ruin. Still, it was good for Yushang to have such a lively person by his side; if both of them were as quiet as each other, it would truly be too dull!

"The strange thing about this matter is that on the day of the celestial woman's burial, the primordial deity actually escorted her into the burial chamber himself, and even spoke some inexplicable words with lingering reluctance. Some even witnessed with their own eyes that when the primordial deity drew close to the woman, a tear dropped from his deep, profound eyes, only to vanish in the blink of an eye. You must know that a primordial tear cannot spontaneously merge into any object, nor will it vanish into thin air, unless the primordial deity knew its importance and deliberately hid it so that those harboring evil intentions would return empty-handed and be unable to use this primordial tear to harm the world or disrupt the balance among the realms." Even the grand elder could not help speaking up. It seemed this matter was just as unbelievable in his eyes, to the extent that an elder with such vast experience could not help but voice his thoughts.

"For a primordial deity to shed a tear for a mere celestial woman—isn't that a bit absurd? Weren't they saying that to become a deity, one must cast aside all joy and sorrow and become someone devoid of desires and feelings? Why would he let this woman stir up emotions buried deep within his heart for so long, and even fail to conceal his inner sorrow as he dropped such a precious tear? Forget a primordial deity; even an ordinary man knows the saying that a real man does not shed tears easily, let alone lose control and cry publicly for a woman." Yushang sneered, shook his head in utter incomprehension, and spoke. Indeed, this matter was even harder to accept than he had imagined.

"This also leaves me utterly puzzled. What kind of intense emotion could revive the heart of someone long since devoid of emotion and feeling, making it ache? You must know that not even when the primordial deity's closest kin perished in the flames of war did he so much as furrow a brow, let alone feel heartache. Yet at that time, it was merely a celestial woman whose status appeared humble beyond measure before him. How could she possibly possess the ability to make the primordial deity feel sorrow and grief? But since he was so reluctant to part with the woman, why did he not use his magic to save her life, instead of burying her in a mausoleum where no living soul may set foot for eternity? Compared against his actions, doesn't this demeanor seem somewhat contradictory?" The grand elder smoothly voiced the doubts in his own heart as well. Although he knew he would get no answers, he still wanted to speak his mind.

"Never mind the relationship between that primordial deity and that woman for now. By your account, isn't it highly likely that the Primordial Tear is hidden within that mysterious region?" Xiaoyin glared at these people who were distressing themselves over pointless matters, impatiently interrupted their conversation, and asked loudly. He simply could not understand how these people failed to distinguish between primary and secondary priorities; their most crucial task right now was to find the Primordial Tear and the Weeping Spirit Grass. Everything else was completely unimportant and could be dealt with later. Yet they insisted on getting bogged down in such boring trivia—it was truly anxiety-inducing!

"You are right. After days of careful observation, recollection, and consultation between my senior brother and myself, we believe the Primordial Tear is hidden within the magical pool in front of the burial chamber," the headmaster said very seriously to Yushang and Xiaoyin. After much deliberation, the only place capable of guarding the Primordial Tear without having it snatched away by others was that bottomless pool containing the bizarre demonic entities. Not only was it fathomlessly deep, but it was also guarded by demonic creatures. Anyone whose cultivation had not reached a certain realm would surely drown within it. With defenses so strict and strangeness permeating every corner, it was undoubtedly the optimal hiding place for treasures!

"I originally still clung to a sliver of hope, thinking you would focus single-mindedly on recovering my remnant soul and would not discover the secret within, so the Primordial Tear would not fall into your hands. But afterward, I realized that some things are ordained in the dark; perhaps that primordial deity left the Primordial Tear specifically for you. Since that is the case, there is no need for me to go against the heavens and stubbornly conceal it here. It is better to tell you where it is hidden, and in the end, it can still count as a favor done." The grand elder laughed self-deprecatingly, looking quite helpless. Indeed, human calculation is no match for heaven's will; everything ultimately bows to destiny!

"Grand elder, actually you don't need to explain so much to me. This is all human nature; if it were me, I too would want to keep such a precious holy artifact by my side for unexpected needs, rather than giving it away to others. Moreover, you have already done very well. If you hadn't told me, this junior wouldn't even have known that my body was afflicted with a severe illness, nor would I have known that such an item existed in this world. Rather than saying I owe you a favor, it is more accurate to say you have saved my life in a roundabout way." Yushang spoke very sincerely to the two of them. Truly, he greatly appreciated this old fellow's ability to be so candid with him, and even more, admired his spirit of letting go and moving on—something ordinary people could never achieve.

"Actually, the moment I first came into contact with that peculiar pool, I knew that a peerlessly precious holy artifact must be concealed within it. It was only later, when I accidentally fell into it and narrowly escaped with my life after cheating death nine times out of ten, that I became even more certain of this thought. The water in that pool can drag any high-cultivation powerhouse down into its depths, yet it cannot buoy up even a single feather—isn't that rather strange? Furthermore, I once tried bringing back some water from the pool to study it, only to discover that no matter what vessel you use, you cannot scoop it out from the pool. The moment that water leaves the pool, it vanishes in an instant. Add all these strange phenomena together, and I cannot help but recall that legend. Perhaps the tear shed by the primordial deity back then was hidden right within it." The grand elder placed his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed tightly as he spoke slowly. The mere thought of that pool sent a chill through his heart. It was simply too terrifying; if one were not the person destined by fate, it would be utterly impossible to escape from there, and his own survival had been purely a matter of luck.

"Though others cannot dive alive into that pool, you are different. Do not forget the connection between your Soul-Severing Blade and that mysterious region. We believe you must be the person destined by fate. With you around, all doubts will be readily resolved, and exploring the secrets of the pool will be even less of an issue. Yushang, right now only you can rely on the Soul-Severing Blade to retrieve what everyone desires. Truthfully, I am not worried at all that you might meet with any mishaps, because I believe your little life won't be snuffed out so easily. There are even more important things waiting for you to accomplish in this world; the mysterious region is merely a small test given to you by the heavens." The headmaster looked at the helpless-looking Yushang and smiled. There was an indescribable and obscure meaning in his smile, yet it did not make one feel uncomfortable; instead, it added quite a bit of confidence.