stonecrandall Chapter 1019 Unexpected Death and Reward!
Chapter 1019 Unexpected Death and Reward!
When he finally reached the stone slab he had once barely managed to move, and tried to pry it up with his shoulder, his head, and his feeble fingers, an overwhelming despair instantly engulfed him. He was horrified to discover that the stone slab, which had once been relatively "obedient" to him, now felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
His body, utterly exhausted, couldn't even budge the stone slab by the slightest movement! With his last ounce of strength, he futilely struck the slab with his fists and stones, producing a faint, almost inaudible "knock-knock" sound. Even he himself could barely hear it; how could it possibly penetrate the thick layer of rock and soil to disturb the soldiers marching heavily above?
Darkness completely swallowed his vision, and cold seeped into his bones. Finally, filled with extreme resentment, endless regret, and an infinite longing for life, this once-renowned and enigmatic traveler, Yi Xiaochuan, met his end so tragically and silently in this dark, damp, and icy passage. His death did not stem from a fierce battle, but from injuries, thirst, isolation, and… a series of missed opportunities.
As the soldiers patrolling the ground continued to walk back and forth dutifully, just a few meters away, a body that had once been full of ambition and secrets was slowly growing cold and stiff.
Curled up in the cold, damp, and absolutely dark narrow passage, feeling his life slowly slipping away with the stench of festering wounds and the intense heat within his body, the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan, whose soul had endured a thousand years of reincarnation and believed itself to have long understood the ways of the world, was permeated by an unprecedented absurdity and icy despair.
He could never have imagined that his meticulously planned offensive, intended to completely eliminate Gao Yao, this major threat, would not only fail but also make him the one who was "dealt with." This ending felt like the most vicious joke, the most extreme mockery of his long life.
Until the very moment before his consciousness sank completely into eternal darkness, he still couldn't understand—why?
He was no ordinary mortal, born in the morning and dying in the evening, living a life of blissful ignorance. He was the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan, an existence who had stolen the secrets of time, wandering and lingering in the shadows of history for thousands of years! He had witnessed the rise and fall of dynasties, seen the demise of heroes, participated in countless hidden games, and even personally propelled or stifled certain historical processes. In his understanding, death, especially this kind of meaningless, silent death, should be something he was immune to.
He had weathered countless storms and narrowly escaped death many times, always managing to turn danger into safety through his wisdom, experience, and precise grasp of the situation. He deserved to die in a glorious duel or peacefully close his eyes when a grand plan was successfully completed, instead of like this... like an insect in a dark corner, slowly and painfully ceasing to breathe due to a trivial injury, thirst, or oblivion, deep in the unknown soil.
This way of dying formed an incredibly sharp and unacceptable contrast with his millennia-old experience and his superior sense of looking down on all living beings. His heart, hardened to the point of coldness by the years, was now filled with resentment and doubt, a doubt that even outweighed his fear of death. He repeatedly reviewed in his mind which step had gone wrong, leading to such a "pathetic" end.
The chilling touch of death was so real, undeniable. In his final moments, he clearly realized a truth he may have long understood, yet had always refused to confront: immortality is not the same as eternal life. These are two entirely different concepts.
Immortality means the extension of time, breaking the limits of lifespan; while immortality represents absolute existence, an eternity that cannot be destroyed by external forces. He possessed the former, but was far from reaching the latter. His body could still be injured, fall ill, weaken due to lack of energy, be pierced by sharp blades, and be corroded by toxins... This time, it was merely a few of the most "basic" ways of dying, combined, that easily robbed him of his long life, which he cherished so dearly.
He never imagined that his seemingly assured journey would end in such an unexpected way, completely contrary to all his plans and calculations. In his long-term scheme, Gaoyao, while a troublesome variable, was far from threatening his very survival. He underestimated the speed at which the variable grew, and even more so, he overestimated his absolute control over the situation after his strength was diminished.
Looking back at the origins of all this, the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan's initial plan was not actually to kill Gao Yao, nor even to trap him in the underground palace. He had a clear understanding of himself. Before his strength was significantly diminished, he couldn't gain the slightest advantage in a direct confrontation with Gao Yao. Now that his strength was far less than before, how could he naively believe that he could kill Gao Yao by force? That would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.
Therefore, his initial strategy was to observe in secret. Like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, he concealed all his presence, quietly waiting and spying. His greatest worry was that Gao Yao would harm "Tianxing." That meteorite, containing endless energy and concerning the secrets of his immortality and future plans, was the foundation he absolutely could not afford to lose. Whether Gao Yao attempted to move Tianxing, or worse—attempted to destroy it—it would be an unacceptable consequence for the enigmatic Yi Xiaochuan. He had to ensure the absolute safety of Tianxing.
He carefully concealed himself, like a ghost, following Gao Yao and his group into the underground palace. It wasn't until Gao Yao truly entered the core area and saw the suspended, glowing celestial star with his own eyes that the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan keenly noticed the intense interest in the celestial star revealed in Gao Yao's eyes—a gaze that mixed curiosity, longing, and even…possessiveness.
This gaze made the enigmatic Yi Xiaochuan feel extremely uneasy. Gao Yao's interest in Tianxing had exceeded his expectations, and he couldn't predict what Gao Yao would do next. Allowing Gao Yao to continue researching and touching Tianxing was too risky. He couldn't entrust the safety of Tianxing to Gao Yao's momentary whim.
So he changed his plans, stepping out from behind the scenes and revealing himself. But his purpose in revealing himself was still not to engage in a life-or-death struggle with Gao Yao—the success rate was too low. He was settling for second best, intending to cooperate.
The conditions he proposed, in his own view, were already a huge concession and a condescension. He was willing to cooperate with Gao Yao, even to give up the territory and power he had built up, and willingly become Gao Yao's prisoner. This was a highly tempting yet highly deceptive proposal based on millennia of wisdom.