ATPnovel #673 - Causal Thread
#673 - Causal Thread
"To understand why Xie Chong is special, we must return to the limitations of the 'Causal Threads' ability—as I, this old Daoist, mentioned before, the deeper and heavier the causal entanglement, the more difficult it is for the Thousand-Eyed, Thousand-Threaded Demon Lord to use its abilities."
"Therefore, based on this limitation and each time it uses its abilities, I, this old Daoist, have deduced that the Thousand-Eyed, Thousand-Threaded Demon Lord's 'Causal Threads' usually first find a relatively peripheral, unimportant person as a breakthrough point. Through the weak connection between that person and the 'Thousand-Eyed, Thousand-Threaded Demon Lord' itself, it modifies their past, and then, through that person's 'past,' it gradually erodes those who have contact with them."
As Xuan Yunzi spoke, Lin Yu nodded, pondering in his heart.
"This ability is like some kind of plague that spreads through 'interpersonal relationships'..."
This also aligned with the "pattern" he had observed—those guards in the escort team were affected, starting with unimportant characters and gradually reaching pivotal figures in the team.
Meanwhile, Li Nian muttered, "It sounds a lot like the process of a spider weaving a web..."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yu looked at Li Nian.
Although Lin Yu initially thought the process was akin to contagion, after hearing Li Nian's words, he indeed found Li Nian's metaphor more fitting.
It truly resembled a spider weaving a web—and the Thousand-Eyed, Thousand-Threaded Demon Lord really was a large spider.
Threads connected to form a web, and each node on the web was a living person.
"I see. So, besides steadfastly guarding one's heart, people with heavy karma themselves have high resistance to it, and it also depends on whether they have close relationships with those who have already been manipulated."
As Lin Yu said this, the other players also understood.
Gao Shan pondered and said, "That's not right then. Judging from Xie Chong's experience, he should be the type with extremely deep karma, so why... Could it be that he has some connection with the Thousand-Eyed, Thousand-Threaded Demon Lord?"
Xuan Yunzi nodded, "Indeed—Xie Chong's ancestors were the only survivors in Willow Town back then!"
"I didn't know this at first. It wasn't until two years ago that I learned about it," Xuan Yunzi said in a deep voice. "Although my Taiqing Sect's founder successfully suppressed the Thousand-Eyed, Thousand-Threaded Demon Lord, he also left a fatal loophole for it because of his benevolent heart!"
"Back in Willow Town... there was an abandoned infant of unknown parentage who was discovered by the founder and brought back to the mountain gate."
"After the founder's long-term observation, it seemed that the infant was not affected by the Thousand-Eyed, Thousand-Threaded Demon Lord's 'Causal Threads,' so the founder personally named the infant and raised him in the mountains."
"After that infant completed his studies, he went down the mountain and, following my founder's instructions, found a place to live in seclusion under a false name, leading a peaceful and prosperous life... And he was Xie Chong's great-grandfather."
Xuan Yunzi said calmly. Hearing this, Lin Yu knew what was going on, and he sighed, holding his forehead.
"I understand. The Thousand-Eyed, Thousand-Threaded Demon Lord has been biding its time, not using this hidden card, until the bloodline passed down to Xie Chong, is that right?"
Xuan Yunzi said solemnly, "Indeed. When Xie Chong was very young, he displayed extremely high martial arts talent, and was therefore sent to the Hanging River Martial Arts School—it seems to have sensed that his future would be extraordinary, so the Thousand-Eyed, Thousand-Threaded Demon Lord began to lay its plans."
"It manipulated fate and the past, making Xie Chong's originally destined future even more magnificent... But unfortunately, that was not the future Xie Chong wanted to see."
Seagull couldn't help but interject, "Could it be that the destruction of the Hanging River Martial Arts School was actually..."
"Indeed, it was it that confused Xie Chong's mind and made him do it," Xuan Yunzi said painfully. "Overnight, he went from a promising martial arts prodigy to a master-killing, sect-destroying, insane demon, and the most deadly thing is that Xie Chong probably thought he did it himself—because he would have those memories of the massacre."
Xuan Yunzi had only said this when Lin Yu suddenly reacted.
"Senior Xuan Yunzi, could you be the 'Mountain Hermit'?"
"I heard that two years ago, Xie Chong reappeared and consecutively defeated the martial artists who besieged him. In the end, a reclusive expert known as the Mountain Hermit took action, eliminated Xie Chong, and cut his corpse into five pieces."
"And that 'Mountain Hermit'... rumor has it that he is a retainer of your Taiqing Sect!"
Hearing Lin Yu's words, Xuan Yunzi sighed deeply, "Little friend, you are indeed quick-witted, able to figure out so many connections in an instant."
"Indeed, I am the one who transmitted a message to Xie Chong two years ago, and also the 'Mountain Hermit' in the rumors," Xuan Yunzi said, pausing for a moment. "But I was not the one who killed Xie Chong back then. I only sensed the aura of the Thousand-Eyed, Thousand-Threaded Demon Lord on him, and then told him everything."
"Layman Xie Chong... after learning the truth, understood that he would become the key to the revival of a demon, and also understood that the demon was the very culprit who slaughtered his school, so he was willing to die rather than accept such a fate, and prepared to commit suicide."
"As for why the corpse was shattered and had cut marks—this old Daoist doesn't know either."
"In fact, I'm not even sure how Layman Xie Chong died?"
Hearing Xuan Yunzi's words, Lin Yu frowned, "You don't know? How could you not know?"
Li Nian also stroked her chin, "That's a bit strange, isn't it? Weren't you the one who called him over?"
"Yes, there was a third person present at the time—an uninvited guest interrupted my conversation with Layman Xie, knocking this old Daoist unconscious before Layman Xie committed suicide," Xuan Yunzi said helplessly. "I still don't know who that person is, I can only determine through the last vague perception that the other party should be a human martial artist."
"Perhaps, that person killed Xie Chong."
Hearing this, Lin Yu suddenly realized something.
"Wait, since this spider demon manipulates others using 'Causal Threads,' and the Causal Threads take effect through 'causal connections between people'..."
And now, although Xie Chong has been torn into five pieces, he is still "alive"!
Most importantly—now, Xie Chong's five fragmented remains have once again formed connections with countless people in the martial world—even more famous than when Xie Chong was alive!
You can understand by thinking with your little toe nail, who is the biggest beneficiary of this phenomenon.
"I understand—there's another guy active in this Prison Mountain Realm, who has been working hard to make this spider appear as soon as possible!"