Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San-Chapter 704: Its About to Begin

"In the past, after I attained godhood, I fully merged with the Celestial Plume, nurturing its growth with my own essence. It became a powerful artifact that allowed me to see the future. Each time I did that, it would grow stronger, and it would gain even greater prophetic abilities. At that time, I even believed I could become the most powerful Demon Emperor in the entire Empyrean Dominion.

"Who cared about fortune? I could see the future; I was the strongest! It wasn't until later that I realized that I was nothing but a fool. The benefits of seeing the future were shared by both the demon and the nymph races, all races and clans, but the backlash fell solely on me and my kin. Even my son and grandson lost their lives because of it. In the end, only a thin branch of my bloodline managed to survive.

"Therefore, you must remember, no matter the circumstances, no matter who asks you, never attempt to peer into the secrets of heaven. In fact, it would be best to destroy the Celestial Plume, to end this ability in our lineage once and for all. Otherwise, our Peacock Demon clan will inevitably face extinction due to this power. Remember this, granddaughter of mine!"

Mei Gongzi's heart was in turmoil.

The words of this ancestor fully confirmed everything Tang San had told her, every single word. Tang San had once warned her never to use the celestial plume to look into the future, and now this Peacock Demon Emperor—the Peacock Demon Emperor—was proving with her own experience what would happen if she did.

The Peacock Demon Emperor sighed and said, "Your talent is exceptional, at least comparable to mine in my youth. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to sense this trace of divine consciousness, let alone talk to me like this. I made great contributions to our clan, but I also brought equally great disaster upon it. Even our fertility was affected by the backlash. How many members does our clan have now?"

As the clan leader and city lord, she knew best how many were under her lead. She responded without hesitation, "Three thousand six hundred and eighty-two."

"Do you know how many members there were when I was the clan leader?"

Mei Gongzi shook her head.

"Three hundred sixty... thousand."

Mei Gongzi shivered. Cold sweat dripped down her back.

Was the backlash for seeing the future truly so terrifying?

The Peacock Demon clan wielded the power of space. If the clan had more than thirty thousand members, then even if there was no Emperor, the Ancestral Court would not dare to strip them of control over Kali City just like that.

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Yet she was now finding out that they were at best one tenth of their peak number. One tenth! And worst of all, the Peacock Demon clan was completely in the dark! Even her father, who was almost demonically clever, hoped that she could become the master of the Celestial Plume, and through it, eventually become the next Peacock Demon Emperor.

"But it seems fate left us a way out. You did not make the Celestial Plume into your core divine item. Had you done so, it would have increased in power along with you, and eventually, you wouldn't have been able to resist using it. Its control over the secrets of heaven would inevitably impact you, pushing you down the path of revealing those secrets to others. Child, you must remember my words—never attempt it. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" Mei Gongzi nodded seriously. She already had every intention to follow Tang San's advice, and now, with this testimony born of personal experience, there was no way she would go near that dangerous path.

It was only at this moment that the emotions within the Peacock Demon Emperor's divine consciousness seemed to ease slightly. She said softly, "Since you have come here to undergo evaluation, let me use this time to guide you. You... deserve to pass. Have you learned our clan's most powerful combat technique, the Celestial Dance?"

Mei Gongzi nodded. "Yes, I have."

The Peacock Demon Emperor continued, "The Celestial Dance, with its steps that harmonize heaven and earth, is not merely a method to summon up visions of the future. It is also a means of harmonizing space. That’s right; one aspect of the dance is peering into the secrets of heaven, but the other is manipulating space in our clan's unique way, transforming it into our true domain. Space is omnipresent, and thus, our domain will be omnipresent. By mastering space, you can control the foundations of the universe itself. Now sit down, child. Let me teach you the true Celestial Dance."

Mei Gongzi crossed her legs and sat down. Immediately, the space around her began to ripple, with waves of space elemental energy surging around her and rapidly integrating into her very being.

She felt as if she were crossing through an endless span of space, with many different worlds flashing past her. It was as if countless, ever-changing spaces were dancing around her.

"Space can be divided, overlapped, torn apart, and fused. As the masters of space, we ourselves are part of space, and we are the Avatars of Space. Space is everything outside and everything within; it can contain everything in this universe, yet at the same time it can be as small as a mustard seed[1] You must always keep space under your control. Now, you must experience this, and you must experience it thoroughly. I will use my divine consciousness to guide you through the mysteries of space."

Boom!

Thousands of silver light spots surged and roared, and within that surge, everything seemed to shift and change in an illusory manner. Mei Gongzi felt as though her body had transformed into countless specks of silver light, expanding in all directions.

***

Tang San slowly opened his eyes. If one looked closely, they would notice that the space around him was slightly distorted, as if on the verge of collapsing.

A faint purple halo enveloped him, keeping him relatively stable. However, his eyes continually flickered with changing lights, as if different energies were struggling against each other deep within. The aura around him shifted in tandem with the changes in his gaze.

Tang San knew this was a sign that he was about to lose control over his cultivation entirely—he was reaching the final moments.

He took a deep breath and stood up.

Even the simple act of standing up—a movement that would usually be completely natural and effortless—now required extreme caution.

It had been two days since he lost contact with Mei Gongzi. During these two days, he hadn't left the cultivation chamber; he had focused on suppressing his cultivation and making fine adjustments to his abilities. He was making his final preparations.

Pressing his communicator, Tang San connected to someone. "It's time."

A familiar voice responded from the other side.

—Alright, everything's set. I'll come to pick you up in an hour.

"Mm."

After hanging up, Tang San slowly walked out of the cultivation chamber.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the room had become extremely dense again. However, Tang San didn't dare make any excessive movements; he could only let the faint purple halo on his skin completely isolate him from this energy.

He stretched his body slightly and then walked to the balcony, gazing into the distance.

The Council Mountain wasn't far from the White Tiger Hotel. From where he stood, he could even faintly see the side of the Council Mountain.

His beloved was in the Council Hall at the core of the mountain, right this very moment. According to the information he had been given by the White Tiger Demon Emperor, she would face her evaluation the day after tomorrow.

The great test would undoubtedly be extremely difficult for her. Passing or failing the test was the difference between a bright future and one of living in the darkness. For Tang San, it was far more simple.

If he failed, he died.

Mei Gongzi had to face the censure of the numerous Demon Emperors of the Empyrean Dominion, while he had to confront almost the entire plane.

But he did not falter even for an instant. She was waiting for him. She had told him that, and he would not disappoint her.

Don’t worry, Big Sister Mei. Don’t worry, Xiao Wu. For you, no matter what challenges I face, I will overcome them. Even if it means destroying this world, I will not hesitate.

Tang San's gaze was cold and unwavering. At that moment, there was no hesitation or doubt in his heart—only the determination to move forward.

And move forward he would, no matter what.

1. This is a reference to the Buddhist concept of Mount Sumeru. In Buddhist cosmology, this mountain is at the center of the cosmos, and it is as large as the entire cosmos itself—yet at the same time, according to some sutras, it can also be the size of a mustard seed. Interestingly, the Bible also mentions a mustard seed as a metaphor for the smallest thing in existence. ☜