Chapter 1004: Secret Garden (2)

In the second drawing, the swirling motion had reversed to clockwise, and the glowing eye had cracked open. It had split apart. So far, Li Xiaofei found nothing particularly strange.

But the third drawing was different. The split eye had turned into two humanoid figures, one black and one white. They appeared to be on good terms, embracing each other closely and radiating intimacy.

In the fourth drawing, the two figures seemed to have fallen into conflict. They were no longer hugging, and looked to be locked in a fierce argument. In the final moment, they stood back-to-back, trapped in a cold silence.

The fifth drawing chilled Li Xiaofei’s heart. The white figure held a long spear and had driven it through the black figure’s chest. Blood spurted from the wound...

This doesn’t look like a child’s doodling,

Li Xiaofei sensed that something was wrong.

Children’s graffiti usually wasn’t this bloody. Moreover, although these powdered drawings appeared to be made with simple lines and patterns, they carried a powerful visual impact, as if they could instantly draw in one’s attention and spirit. These graffiti paintings held some kind of mysterious energy.

In the sixth image, the black figure lay dead, his body bleeding profusely. The surrounding swirling clouds, which had been in motion, were instantly stained black. The entire tone of the drawing turned dark and oppressive.

The seventh painting showed the white figure resting his head on his hand, seemingly deep in thought. His body appeared to emit light, releasing white energy that slowly dyed the black clouds around him into a mix of black and white.

In the eighth drawing, the white figure seemed drained of all energy. He lay down, unmoving, and astonishingly, his belly swelled as though he were pregnant.

But it was the ninth image that shocked Li Xiaofei the most. The swollen belly of the white figure split open, allowing two beings to emerge. One was a human and the other was a beast.

The two creatures appeared and immediately dove into the swirling black-and-white clouds, as if searching for food. Neither paid any attention to the fallen white figure who remained lying motionless on the ground.

In the tenth and final painting, another being emerged from the now-deceased white figure’s abdomen. It was a half-human, half-beast creature. It crawled out from the torn belly, clutching the white figure’s lifeless body, as if weeping over something heartbreaking. Then, it tore the white figure’s corpse apart and began eating it piece by piece.

The entire series of drawings ended there. Ten images in total. They told a complete story but Li Xiaofei couldn’t fully make sense of it. He roughly inferred that these ten drawings narrated a myth, or perhaps a tale of the origin of life.

It seemed that in the chaos of the nascent universe, a source shaped like an eye gave birth to two primal beings. These two fought, and in the end, the black one was slain. The white being then bore one human and one beast. But perhaps, more accurately, the human and beast were not literal individuals. They represented two distinct species.

Yet for some unknown reason, just as those two species began to spread and reproduce across the universe, a third kind of being was born from the white figure’s corpse. This third being survived by devouring the body of its 'mother.' There were no more murals beyond that point. And thus, what happened afterward remained a mystery.

Li Xiaofei pondered over the message hidden within the murals. He couldn’t help but speculate. This entire hollowed mountain space resembled a child’s playground. Despite its ancient atmosphere, it felt far from solemn. Perhaps, in the distant past, this really had been a play area for the children of the ascended race?

If that were the case, then the graffiti on the cliff walls might be their way of telling a mythological story. Just like how, on Earth, the Chinese had the legends of Pangu splitting the heavens and Nuwa creating and repairing the world—stories that explained the origins of humanity. So it wouldn’t be surprising if the ascended race had their own myths as well.

Children often expressed such stories through drawings and graffiti. It was a common, almost universal practice. However, given how mysterious and powerful the ascended race was within the Reaper world, perhaps the myths they passed down actually revealed some hidden truths of history?

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"Hey, Dad, why are you spacing out? Are you done looking?" asked Li Anyi, waving her hand playfully in front of his face.

"I’m done. It’s quite an interesting story," Li Xiaofei replied, then asked, "What do you think these drawings mean?"

Without hesitation, Li Anyi said, "A long, long time ago, there were two brothers in the world. They represented the two powerful forces of justice and evil,. They couldn’t convince each other, so in the end, justice killed evil. But after dying, evil used its corpse and dirty blood to pollute the world. So the white one thought for a long time, and eventually sacrificed himself to create all living things. He hoped they would cleanse the world and restore peace and harmony. But they didn’t realize that evil had also planted itself inside the white one’s body and was born again. That evil being ate the body of justice, gained even greater power, and now plans to take revenge on all living things..."

Li Xiaofei looked at her in surprise and asked, "Why do you see it that way?"

Li Anyi replied, "Mom told me lots of stories like this. Stuff like this is just child’s play. Once I see a few doodles, I can figure the rest out myself!"

Li Xiaofei nodded. He had to admit, his daughter’s interpretation was quite interesting. Considering that the graffiti might have been left by the children of the ascended race, her storytelling might actually align more closely with the original intent behind the drawings than his own more abstract guesses.

"Come on, let’s keep playing."

Li Anyi leaped onto Li Xiaofei’s shoulders. The father and daughter spent the rest of the day playing joyfully in their secret base. That evening, when they returned, neither of them mentioned any of it to Si Kongxue.

Si Kongxue still maintained her daily habit of praying to the nameless statue. It brought her peace of mind, and at the same time helped stabilize the strange power within her.

In the three months that followed, Li Xiaofei never once brought up the matter of leaving. He stayed by the side of Si Kongxue and their daughter.

At the same time, he also set aside time for cultivation. Perhaps it was because he had finally found Si Kongxue and their daughter, but his entire mental state had improved remarkably. His cultivation progressed rapidly and smoothly.

***

Three months later.

A beam of golden light shot into the sky. Li Xiaofei stepped out from the shattered thatched hut. His entire body was shrouded in golden radiance, exuding an ethereal aura as if he were about to ascend to the heavens at any moment.

He had reached the Great Luo Golden Immortal Realm, a brand-new realm of cultivation.

"In such a short time, my strength has advanced so greatly," muttered Li Xiaofei.

Even he felt a surge of joy and astonishment. It was time to leave; he could not remain here forever. Whether it was Earth, the city of Chongque, or the Ancestor Court galaxy’s resistance forces, they all needed his presence. The human race stood on the brink of peril. He truly had no time left to waste.