Chapter 49: Past Like Smoke: The Truth of Twenty Years

Shen Yan stared at the image that appeared on the Terminal—two infants lying on a stone platform, with four ancient characters between them burning into his vision like red-hot branding irons: “Twin Bearers of Tribulation.” And the copper coin hair tie on that woman’s wrist was exactly the same as the one Yu Xiaotang wore in her ponytail every day.

Before he could process this, Bai Guizhen, kneeling before the altar, suddenly threw his head back and laughed—a hoarse, rasping sound, like a vengeful ghost clawing its way out of the earth.

“You want the truth?” he roared, tearing open his Taoist robe to reveal a twisted black demonic mark writhing like a living thing on his chest. “Back then, your father used the Source Code Spiritual Root to cripple my Cultivation Base, seal my Meridians, and discard me like trash in this earthly hell! What I do today is merely reclaiming what should have been mine!”

Before his words faded, some Disciples nearby began to waver. Murmurs spread: “So… he was persecuted by the Celestial Clan?”

Shen Yan frowned. This old bastard, still trying to win sympathy even at death’s door?

He said nothing, simply tossing his phone into the air. The Dust-Severing Sword hummed and flew up on its own, its tip pointing downward to form a vertical line with the phone. A pale blue pillar of Data instantly enveloped the two, and the Terminal Interface displayed three Encryption boxes: Bloodline Verification, Soul Frequency, and Timestamp.

“Trying to play the victim card?” Shen Yan sneered. “Then let the System judge.”

He bit the Tip of his Finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto the Screen. Then, he softly hummed a fragmented Children’s Rhyme—the same tune Ye Shi’er had hummed before losing consciousness, the only resonant Key between Twin Spiritual Roots.

【Verification Passed】

【Accessing Original Database of Celestial Clan Orphan Transfer Records】

The air trembled faintly as a holographic Image slowly unfolded.

At a mist-shrouded mountain peak, two Swaddling Clothes lay side by side on a cold stone platform. A frail woman knelt with her back to the scene, weeping bitterly, the copper coin hair tie on her left wrist swaying gently in the wind. In the next scene, Bai Guizhen rushed out from the shadows, forming hand seals as if to refine the two Infants on the spot!

“Stop!” a furious shout rang out as a Celestial Clan elder appeared to intercept him. Bai Guizhen roared, “These Twins are born with ill omens—they cannot be kept! Let me extract their essence and rebuild the Great Dao!”

The elder rebuked coldly, “It was you who colluded with the Demon Lord to cultivate the ‘Soul-Corrosion Art,’ leading to Qi Deviation and the destruction of your Meridians! Now you dare to turn and bite—utterly shameless!”

The final Image froze on the scene of his suppression, the demonic mark on his chest identical to the one now revealed.

Dead silence fell over the gathering.

Shen Yan sheathed his sword and said calmly, “Now you know who the real madman is?”

Bai Guizhen’s face turned ashen, then he burst into maniacal laughter. “Fine! Truth is false, lies are real—you insects can keep living in this self-deceiving order!”

He violently tore open his chest, exposing a pitch-black demon core that throbbed violently, like a bomb about to detonate.

“If fate cannot be changed, then let’s all—go to hell together!”

A fierce wind erupted, the ground cracked, and a terrifying suction force burst from the demon core at its center. Several Disciples standing too close were lifted off their feet, pulled toward the black hole-like vortex.

Shen Yan’s eyes sharpened as he immediately Initiated the Program: “Local Gravity Anchoring Protocol, load!”

The Dust-Severing Sword plunged into the ground, its blade rippling with layers of data waves that wove an invisible three-dimensional force field net in mid-air, temporarily blocking the spread of the suction force. But sweat beaded on his temples. The Heavenly Dao permission had just been unlocked, and the System was still initializing. Forcibly invoking high-level functions was like dancing on the edge of a blade.

“Just ten more seconds… only ten seconds…” he muttered under his breath, fingers flying across his phone as he prepared to initiate the memory imprinting protocol, engraving the recent scene into everyone’s Consciousness Sea.

But at this critical moment, Bai Guizhen’s demonic core had already begun to swell, on the verge of exploding.

At the brink of disaster—

“Clear Heart Guidance·Nine Needles Seal the Veins!”

A flash of silver light, nine hair-thin long needles shot through the air, piercing precisely into Bai Guizhen’s vital acupoints. His movements halted abruptly, his neural transmission instantly paralyzed.

Pei Yue stood three zhang away, the last needle still pinched between her fingertips, her face pale. An old wound on her wrist had split open, blood trickling down between her fingers. Yet she didn’t even glance at it, her gaze fixed solely on the demonic core, her lips moving faintly: “This time… I won’t let you succeed again.”

Immediately after, violet-red flames erupted violently. Luo Li leaped into the air, her Demon Power condensing into two chains that coiled around the periphery of the demonic core. The flames clashed with the Demonic Energy, emitting a piercing sizzle, filling the air with a scorching scent.

“Old bastard, bullying kids and still trying to run?” she snorted coldly, her cat ears perked up, tail held high. “Today, this blame is yours to bear.”

Meanwhile on the ground, Yu Xiaotang crouched, her brush moving like a dragon and snake, Talisman Papers pasted one after another, forming a small Formation in the blink of an eye. She licked her chapped lips and muttered, “Soul-Sealing Spirit-Suppressing Talisman·Triple Overlay Seal, lock—now!”

The Talisman Array glowed with golden light, a radiant dome descending to firmly seal Bai Guizhen’s soul fluctuations.

The three of them didn’t exchange a word, yet their coordination was seamless, as if rehearsed a thousand times.

Shen Yan seized the opportunity, pressing his phone against the sword hilt, and commanded in a low voice, “Memory Imprinting Protocol, initiate! Target range—full coverage!”

In that instant, everyone saw the scene.

Some gasped sharply, others covered their mouths in shock, while disciples who had once spoken up for Bai Guizhen hung their heads in shame.

The lie collapsed; the truth landed.

Bai Guizhen glared with bloodshot eyes, a beast-like growl rumbling in his throat: “Impossible… you… you don’t understand at all… the cycle of fate…”

Before he could finish, he was suppressed by the combined force of the three techniques. His demonic core dimmed, consciousness scattered, and he finally collapsed to the ground, only the faint rise and fall of his chest remaining.

Disciples from the Enforcement Hall quickly stepped forward to drag him away, awaiting judgment by the sect rules.

The wind ceased, the dust settled, and the altar returned to silence.

Shen Yan remained standing in place, the Dust-Severing Sword planted beside his feet, his phone Floating in the air, continuously running the Heavenly Dao monitoring program. His expression was calm, but his eyes were clearer than ever before.

This battle was fought not only against the enemy but also against the hearts of people.

Pei Yue silently walked to the medicine chest, took out gauze, and bandaged her wrist. Luo Li withdrew her Demonic Fire, her cat ears twitching slightly as she sensed unusual fluctuations in the distant woods, quietly slipping a scale into her sleeve. Yu Xiaotang nibbled on her already-melted Candied Hawthorn, gazing at Shen Yan’s back, and whispered, “Brother… your mom is wearing our family’s cord…”

Only after speaking did she realize she had slipped up, quickly covering her mouth and shrinking her neck.

No one responded to her.

But deep within the Terminal, a line of small text quietly appeared:

【Pending Decrypt File: Mother Identity Verification in Progress… 7%】

Shen Yan glanced down at the Screen and said nothing.

He knew that some answers were already on their way.

And at this moment, all he could do was stand still, guarding this newly Restarted world.

Until the next Bug appeared.

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(End of Chapter)