Above the Great Dao

Everyone thought that the early darkening of the sky followed a pattern, dimming fifteen minutes earlier with each interval. Even Chen Shi believed this.

But this time, the sun remained dark for a whole day and night before it shone again, suggesting what they considered a pattern was probably not one at all!

They were merely observing the sky from a well, mistaking their observations for truth, but on a larger temporal scale, neither their patterns nor truths would stand.

This time, the sun was extinguished for a day and night; who knows if next time, it might never shine again!

"The ancestors of the Thirteen Families in the Upper Realm surely know about the end events of the True King Era! They survived and live on to this day! They must know how to face this catastrophe!"

Chen Shi suddenly realized that although he had been to the Upper Realm, he didn't actually know how to get there.

The Thirteen Families had prepared for thousands of years; if the Upper Realm were so easy to find, Despair Slope would have long eradicated it.

Granny Sha arrived at Huangpo Village; now she looked like a woman in her twenties, beautiful and dignified. Ever since she regained her youth, she rarely showed panic, but now she was utterly lost.

"Little Ten, I've never seen anything like this in my life."

She was unusually frightened, murmuring, "I've never seen... where's your father? Don't find your father, he won't do. This matter needs your grandfather; he always has crafty ideas..."

She muttered to herself, pacing back and forth.

Chen Shi brought her to his home. Both Chen Tang and Wu Qingyu were not at home, only Black Pot was there.

Black Pot boiled water to make tea, and handed her a cup. Granny Sha held the cup with both hands, her gaze scattered, suddenly saying: "Something big is going to happen, isn't something big going to happen? Many people will die, right?"

Chen Shi was still comforting her when a timid voice from outside, Hu Xiaoliang, said: "Granny Sha is here too? Little Ten, where's your father? I won't find him... what do you think of all this? I always feel a foreboding, an ominous feeling..."

The bearded giant's body was trembling slightly. Black Pot also offered him a cup of tea; his hands shook a little as he took it, and his voice trembled slightly.

Chen Shi brought over another small stool and invited him to sit.

Just as Hu Xiaoliang sat down, Qing Yang's voice came: "Something bad has happened! Little Ten, where's your father... I won't find him."

He burst in, saw Granny Sha and Hu Xiaoliang were there, breathed a sigh of relief, poured himself a cup of tea, gestured to Chen Shi not to fetch a chair, drank the tea in one gulp, and said: "This time the sun went out for a day and a night, it's probably not a coincidence! If Old Chen doesn't come back, we can't solve it! This is not a calamity, but a hundred times more terrifying than a calamity!"

Du Yiran entered from outside, saying: "Chen Yindou always has clever ideas; if he's here, there's surely a solution."

Granny Sha's eyes suddenly showed a glimmer of spirit, and she looked up saying: "Yes. Find Old Chen! I know where he is! I'll go find him! But..."

She hesitated, saying: "Going to find him would take several days."

Azhuo's voice came from outside: "Even if it takes several days, we must go. The underworld is not peaceful, we will go together to find him!"

"Alright!"

Granny Sha, Hu Xiaoliang, and the others all stood up and headed outside in a whirlwind. Qing Yang said: "There's no time to lose, Granny, cast the spell immediately!"

Hu Xiaoliang said: "Little Ten, are you going?"

Granny Sha shook her head and said: "We can't take him! If he goes there, and the master of the green ghost hand crushes him in anger..."

They left quickly, leaving Chen Shi and Black Pot behind.

Chen Shi thought to himself: "They came to my house, asking about my father, but in fact, they were looking for my grandfather. Yet they know my grandfather is in the underworld, still they came here, merely out of subconscious habit. But..."

He felt a bit anticipating: "Is grandfather really coming back? If grandfather comes back, the family will be whole again!"

The Upper Realm.

The thirteen ancestors had explored the broken land and returned to Jade Sky Heaven, quietly listening to Yang Bi report about the day-and-night solar darkness.

"It's about to begin."

Gao Xuan recalled the past, saying, "In the late True King Era, it was like this. It started with the extinguishing of the sun."

Fei Zichong sighed: "Countless people will die. The scenes of that time are still vivid in my mind."

"But there is nothing we can do."

Xia Gongjin said, "The people will find their own way to survive. Our only goal is Despair Slope! Eliminate Despair Slope, eradicate the True God, only then can this end!"

Everyone regained their spirits and nodded in agreement.

Yang Bi remained silent, quietly listening. After the ancestors finished speaking, he finally asked: "May I ask the ancestors, how long before the sun fully extinguishes?"

Zhang Longhu said: "The first time, the sun went out for a day and a night. The second time, it was two days and nights. The third time, it was three days and nights, then it brightened as usual. By the fourth occurrence, people thought the sun would go out for four days and nights, but that time it never brightened again."

Yang Bi's heart shook, asking: "Back then, how did the ancestors cope with this great change?"

Xia Gongjin shook his head and said: "At the time, the True King held all power, not us."

Yang Bi frowned slightly and asked, "Then why did the sun shine again later?"

"I don't know."

Fei Zichong said, "At that time, West Bull New Continent plunged into darkness, people were destitute, and cannibalism ensued. The True King went to Despair Slope once, later, Despair Slope returned the True King's corpse. Not long after, the sun resumed its brightness as usual. Yang Bi, you shouldn't be concerned with these matters; you should focus on cultivation. Our target is Despair Slope, don't get distracted."

Yang Bi agreed, bowed to the ancestors, and departed.