12dz Chapter 944 Cause and Effect - Ending
Chapter 944 Cause and Effect - Ending
Yun Yao's fingertips traced the rough bark of the Karma Tree. Silvery threads entwined its mottled trunk, like the interwoven threads of fate. When the wind blew, countless translucent leaves rustled, each reflecting a different light and shadow—fragments of her and Chu Mochen's memories from countless reincarnations. This ancient tree, nurtured by the primordial purple energy and the power of will, took root on the shores of the Karma Sea in the Yunlan Realm, yet its crown soared into the heavens, as if to encompass the fate of the entire universe.
"My Lady, this tree has been shining brighter lately," Xiao Cui's voice called from behind. The former servant girl was now a priestess of life, her pale green robe embroidered with vines symbolizing vitality. She gazed at the Karma Tree with awe in her eyes. "Since your return, the tree's light has shone day and night, as if waiting for something."
Yun Yao didn't respond, her gaze fixed on the most damaged leaf at the top of the tree. It was a strange gray-black, its edges curled, as if scorched by flames. Amidst the myriad shimmering leaves, it seemed out of place, yet somehow commanded her full attention. Memories flooded back, reminiscing about her first reincarnation in the world of cultivation. Back then, she was still an unloved princess, and Chu Mochen was the aloof prince of a neighboring kingdom. This leaf, a record of that most bitter past.
"So, this is where everything started," Yun Yao whispered softly. She leaped onto the branch, and just as her fingertips touched the gray leaf, the entire world suddenly fell silent. The sound of the wind, the rustling of leaves, and Xiao Cui's exclamation vanished, leaving only a chaotic darkness.
When the light returned, Yun Yao found herself in a familiar yet unfamiliar space. She was surrounded by endless fog, and within it emerged images: her being framed by Liu Yan'er and struggling to survive in the palace; her first encounter with Chu Mochen, his icy gaze; and the first time she forcibly activated her system to save him, causing her meridians to sever. These images flashed by like a revolving lantern, finally settling on a scene she had never seen before—
The young girl stood in the Hongmeng Temple, before the towering, majestic Lord of Heaven. "Yao'er, Chu Mochen is the reincarnation of an ancient war god. His fate is predetermined. If you dare to tamper with it, I will make sure you never see each other again!" Her father's voice was filled with unquestionable authority. The little girl stubbornly raised her head and said, "I will change it! Even if I fall into reincarnation, I will protect him!"
The image faded, and an illusory figure emerged from the mist. It was Yun Yao from ten thousand years ago, clad in the magnificent robes of the Heavenly Dao, yet with the same stubborn gaze as now. "Congratulations, little girl," she chuckled softly, her voice tinged with the weariness of a lifetime. "After ten thousand reincarnations, you've finally reached this point."
Yun Yao clenched her fists. "So, it was all a gamble from the beginning. Father deliberately let me fall into the cycle of reincarnation just to make me understand the balance between love and Tao?"
"It's more than that." Yun Yao from ten thousand years ago shook her head. "Do you think Chu Mochen is really the reincarnation of the ancient God of War? He is the most special existence in the Hongmeng Universe - the container of rules. His mission is to carry the laws of heaven and become a tool for maintaining the order of the universe. And you, from the first time you tampered with his fate, became a variable in the way of heaven."
Yun Yao felt a chill run down her spine. She recalled how Chu Mochen had been repeatedly injured, how he had feigned distance, all to allow her to break the rules and become the true Heavenly Dao. "So, every injury he suffered was for me?"
"That's right." Yun Yao from ten thousand years ago sighed, "But he never complained. In his heart, your way is far more important than his life. However, now is the time to make an end." She raised her hand and pointed, and the gray leaf suddenly turned into a stream of light and sank into Yun Yao's eyebrows.
Intense pain washed over Yun Yao, and she felt as if her sea of consciousness was being torn apart. Countless fragments of memory flooded back: every moment she and Chu Mochen had shared in the world of cultivation, all its sweetness and bitterness; the countless reincarnations she had witnessed in the Hongmeng Secret Realm; and the bet between her father and mother—it turned out her mother had foreseen that only by letting her experience the hardships of reincarnation could she truly break free from the shackles of Heaven.
"Wait!" Yun Yao suddenly grabbed her past self, "Where's Liu Yan'er? She's now..."
"Her?" Yun Yao from ten thousand years ago gave a meaningful smile. "Do you really think she's just a puppet of the Void Heavenly Dao? After countless reincarnations, she's already developed her own consciousness. Remember when you were battling the Void Heavenly Dao in the temple? Who secretly saved those cultivators who were sucked into the abyss?"
Yun Yao shuddered. She recalled that familiar figure in the chaos. It turned out that Liu Yan'er was no longer the vicious supporting actress. Over the long years, she had found her own path.
"Every leaf of the Karma Tree represents an unfulfilled wish." Yun Yao said ten thousand years ago, "And this gray leaf carries the initial regret between you and Chu Mochen. Now, it's time to let it truly dissipate."
Yun Yao opened her eyes and found herself still standing on the Karma Tree. The gray leaves had vanished, replaced by a brilliant beam of light that shot from the treetops straight into the sky. She slowly descended and saw Chu Mochen standing beneath the tree, his eyes filled with tenderness and anticipation.
"Have you figured it out?" he asked softly.
Yun Yao nodded, channeling all her memories and insights into a stream of light, pouring it into the roots of the Cause and Effect Tree. Instantly, the entire tree erupted in dazzling light, and silvery-white threads began to grow wildly, extending to every corner of the Yunlan Realm. Wherever those threads passed, all cultivators felt an unprecedented sense of peace—the tranquility of perfect cause and effect.
"So, the so-called karmic resolution isn't about forgetting, but letting go," Yun Yao murmured. She recalled every moment of her time in the world of cultivation: the suffering and struggle, the love and hate, now becoming the foundation of her path.
At that moment, a sudden roar echoed from the sky. A massive crack appeared in the clouds, and a chaotic aura emanated from it. But this time, Yun Yao felt no fear. She exchanged a glance with Chu Mochen and simultaneously raised her hands. Willpower intertwined with the primordial purple energy, forming a solid barrier in front of the crack.
"Chaos Heavenly Dao?" Yun Yao's lips curled up into a smile, "It seems that a new challenge is about to begin."
A defiant laugh echoed from the cracks: "Daughter of Hongmeng, do you think that you can rest easy just because you have solved the Void Heavenly Dao? I, the Chaos Heavenly Dao, am the true ruler of this universe!"
Yun Yao squeezed Chu Mochen's hand, feeling the warmth from his palm. She shouted back, "No matter who you are, if you want to destroy this hard-earned peace, you have to get past us first!"
Before he finished speaking, cultivators from the Yunlan Realm gathered. Liu Yan'er led the disciples of the Karma Hall, Xiao Cui led the Life Priests, and countless cultivators who had been saved by Yun Yao stood under the Karma Tree, their gazes determined.
"We are with the Queen!"
"Protect the Yunlan Realm!"
Shouts shook the heavens, and the power of wishes converged into a brilliant light that soared into the sky. Yun Yao watched it all, her heart filled with emotion. She finally understood that the so-called Heavenly Way was never the practice of one person, but a belief protected by countless lives.
"Chu Mochen, do you think we can win?" she asked softly.
Chu Mochen held her hand tightly, with a determined light in his eyes: "With you here, we will definitely win. And this time, we are no longer fighting alone."
The aura of chaos grew stronger, yet Yun Yao's heart remained incomparably calm. She gazed at the causal tree, its shimmering leaves seemingly telling the story of countless reincarnations. And now, a new story was about to begin.
"Then let us rewrite our destiny once again," Yun Yao whispered, and then rushed towards the massive rift with Chu Mochen. Behind them stood countless people who trusted them, and a causal tree that had witnessed everything. Its roots dug deep into the Yunlan Realm, its crown reaching towards the vast universe, as if declaring to the entire world: Yun Yao and Chu Mochen's legend would never end.