Chapter 2933: Living Past (3)

Tang Wei’s liquid form trembled violently, his entire body rippling like disturbed water. His voice, usually steady, cracked with disbelief.

"Gu Tianyi...?"

The name echoed through the chamber, carrying the weight of eons.

The blind figure’s lips curled into a faint smile.

"Tang Wei..." His voice was dry, like wind scraping across ancient parchment. "I didn’t expect to see an old friend here."

His head tilted slightly, as if studying Tang Wei’s liquid form despite having no eyes.

"You were always so stubborn. Even now, you refuse to die properly."

Tang Wei did not respond, his form quivering with unspoken emotions.

Yun Lintian’s gaze sharpened.

"You know him?"

Tang Wei nodded slowly. "He was the Grand Palace Overseer... the right hand of the Primordial Gods. He was supposed to have died in the battle that destroyed the Sacred City of Origin."

Gu Tianyi chuckled, the sound hollow.

"Death is a luxury not all of us could afford."

Yun Lintian’s eyes narrowed.

"Are you here on Nian Shi’s orders?"

Gu Tianyi’s smile vanished.

"No one orders me," he said, his voice suddenly sharp. "Not even the God of Time."

A beat of silence.

Then—

"Then why are you here?" Yun Lintian pressed. "This place is Nian Shi’s trap."

Gu Tianyi leaned back, his expression unreadable.

"You have many questions, Seed of Fate. Sit. We will talk."

He gestured to the empty space before him.

Yun Lintian studied him for a long moment, then nodded.

He walked forward and sat cross-legged opposite the blind man.

The others—Long Qingxuan, Long Chen, Yue Zhihe, and the rest—remained standing, their hands resting on their weapons, ready to act at any moment.

Gu Tianyi ignored them, his attention solely on Yun Lintian.

"Ah..." He sighed, his voice tinged with melancholy. "How glorious the Grand Palace once was. Now, I can’t even offer you proper tea."

Yun Lintian waved his hand.

A teapot and two cups materialized between them, steam curling from the spout.

Gu Tianyi paused, then laughed softly.

"Thank you."

He reached out, his movements precise despite his blindness, and poured the tea.

The liquid was golden, shimmering with flecks of starlight.

"A tea leaf from the Tree of Life?" he murmured. "Not bad."

He lifted his cup, his void-like eyes seeming to stare into Yun Lintian’s soul.

"To old friends... and new enemies."

Yun Lintian took the cup, but did not drink.

"Talk."

Gu Tianyi sipped his tea, his expression unreadable.

"The Grand Palace was never just a training ground," he began. "It was a seal."

Yun Lintian’s fingers tightened around his cup.

"A seal for what?"

Gu Tianyi set down his tea.

"For the Chasm of Uncreation."

The name hung in the air, heavy with ominous weight.

Long Qingxuan inhaled sharply, her draconic instincts flaring in warning.

"The what?" Long Chen asked, his voice tinged with unease.

Gu Tianyi turned his head slightly, as if observing the young man despite his blindness.

"The place where existence ends," he said simply. "Where even the Primordial Gods feared to tread."

A pause.

Gu Tianyi’s hollow eye sockets seemed to deepen as he spoke, the void within them swirling like two black whirlpools.

"More precisely, this palace was once the greatest seal ever created," he said, his voice carrying the weight of forgotten epochs. "Built to contain the Chasm of Uncreation—the wound in reality where even the Primordial Gods dared not look."

He looked at Yun Lintian and said. "Since you are here, it means the Chasm has already broken free on the other side."

Although Long Chen didn’t know much about the Chasm of Uncreation, he still asked. "Wouldn’t this mean this place no long her has any purpose?"

A dry chuckle escaped Gu Tianyi’s lips. "Yes, the seal has already failed elsewhere. This place... it serves no purpose anymore."

He leaned forward, his skeletal fingers tracing the rim of his teacup.

"No original purpose, at least."

The temperature in the chamber plummeted.

Gu Tianyi’s void-like gaze locked onto Yun Lintian.

"Now, it exists for one reason only—to seal the last Seed of Fate."

A collective shiver ran through the group. Even Tang Wei’s liquid form stilled completely, as if frozen in horror.

Yun Lintian’s expression remained calm, but his fingers twitched imperceptibly against his teacup.

"If you’re not acting on Nian Shi’s orders," he said slowly, "then why bother trapping me here?"

Gu Tianyi spread his arms, the tattered sleeves of his robe fluttering like broken wings.

"Look at me," he said, his voice tinged with bitter amusement. "I’m nothing but a shell now. A crippled relic of a dead era. A living past. I can’t even control this palace like I once could."

His fingers clenched into fists.

"My only purpose is to maintain its existence. When I die, the Grand Palace crumbles."

Long Chen’s eyes narrowed "Then if we kill you—"

"You walk free?" Gu Tianyi finished, his lipless smile widening. "Yes. If you can."

The challenge hung in the air, thick and heavy.

Yun Lintian set down his teacup. The delicate porcelain clicked against the stone table, the sound unnaturally loud in the tense silence.

"You want to die," he observed, his voice flat.

Gu Tianyi leaned back, his expression unreadable.

"I want release," he corrected. "There’s a difference."

A beat passed.

Then—

Yun Lintian moved.

His hand shot forward, fingers curling into a fist wreathed in prismatic light. The air screamed as space itself distorted around the blow.

Gu Tianyi did not dodge.

BOOM!

The punch connected, striking the Overseer’s chest with enough force to shatter mountains.

Yet—

Gu Tianyi did not budge.

Not an inch.

His tattered robes fluttered from the impact, but his body remained perfectly still, as if the devastating strike had been nothing more than a breeze.

"Disappointed?" he murmured.

Yun Lintian’s eyes narrowed.

Behind him, Long Qingxuan’s dragon aura flared, while Yue Zhihe’s sword hummed with gathering frost.

Gu Tianyi ignored them, his attention solely on Yun Lintian.

"You can’t kill me with brute force, Seed of Fate," he said softly. "Not here. Not in my palace."

He raised a single finger.

And the world changed.

The chamber melted away, replaced by an endless white void.

No ground. No sky. Just emptiness.

Gu Tianyi’s voice echoed from everywhere at once:

"This is my domain now. To leave... you must understand why you’re here."