# Chapter 4250: The Great Finale (Part 4)
Lin Ke told the truth: "It should be the Mother Goddess Nuwa. She opened a path out. Initially, it was the severely injured Wen Tianjun from the late Middle Ages who was guided by an obscure force along that path out of the Boötes Void."
Back then, Lin Ke had come to their universe at Wen Tianjun's invitation.
When he came, he also brought a letter for the Divine Princess.
As for his second visit, it was entrusted by the Mother Goddess Nuwa to help them deal with the Human Ancestor. He had even prepared for the worst—if the Great Calamity could not be resolved through reincarnation, he would lead the living beings of the War Galaxy to migrate out and find another home.
Everyone pressed for information about the Mother Goddess Nuwa, but Lin Ke did not reveal much to them, only saying that he owed the Mother Goddess Nuwa an enormous debt of gratitude.
Information about the Mother Goddess Nuwa was top secret. The fewer people who knew, the better.
Otherwise, the War Galaxy would truly have no chance to escape the Boötes Void!
Ji Fanxin departed for the Southern Universe, planning to follow the path Lin Ke had described to escape the seal of the Void Void and head to the Virgo Supercluster Sea.
"What you care about is the Minor Calamity, but the Minor Calamity does not necessarily have to be set in motion within this universe. All those galaxies out there are merely my medicinal fields."
She left these words before leaving.
Zhang Ruochen did not stop her, believing that the Nether Ancestor could not do anything to Fanxin.
If the Nether Ancestor could have dealt with Fanxin, he would have erased her long ago, rather than leaving her as his own weakness.
Lin Ke watched the dark light that disappeared into the sky, fully aware that a transcendent existence like the Nether Ancestor, once escaped, would be like a trapped dragon entering the sea, inevitably stirring up a monstrous wave in the galaxy sea.
But that was exactly what he wanted to see.
The power structure of the Virgo Supercluster Sea had been solidified for countless eons. The strong were strong, the weak were weak. Some clans and aristocratic families were too lofty, some laws only served the highest. The seats of Tai Shang and Yuan Shi needed to be shaken!
For the new generation to rise, someone had to stir up the waves and overthrow the old order.
Lin Ke's eyes were deep and unfathomable. He smiled and said, "All good things must come to an end. I've repaid my debts. It's time to go back!"
"Zhang Ruochen, I'll be waiting for you in Zu Zhou!"
Lin Ke was certain that someone like Zhang Ruochen would never be content to stay in a comfort zone. Sooner or later, he would step out and clash with those Tai Shang and Yuan Shi in a spectacular confrontation.
He himself was the same. He would never be content to remain beneath others forever.
To welcome this earth-shattering cosmic upheaval, Lin Ke had to rush back as quickly as possible to make his arrangements, so he could seize the most benefits.
Yan Wushen, Hao Tian, Heavenly Mother, and Lady Shiji each harbored their own thoughts as they departed one after another.
They were all stunned by the news Lin Ke had brought, realizing that they had previously been like frogs at the bottom of a well, believing their entire universe was just a single galaxy.
A prison within a universe!
But at the same time, their fighting spirit to contend for supremacy in the universe was ignited, and their hearts were stirred with excitement.
They had to heal their injuries as quickly as possible. They absolutely could not miss the future sea of stars.
In the Love Mountain Inn, only Zhang Ruochen and Chi Yao remained.
Zhang Ruochen did not share their sense of defeat or excitement. He said teasingly, "Once that monk took off his robe, his ambition was exposed. He's planning something big, wanting to use us as blades to challenge the authority of the Ancestral Council."
"Chen Ge thinks we shouldn't go and smash an egg against a rock, letting ourselves be used by him?" Chi Yao asked.
"No!"
Zhang Ruochen waved his hand with a smile, a sharp gleam flashing deep in his eyes: "If I don't go to Zu Zhou, wouldn't I be looked down upon by him? Being king in a pond is nowhere near as interesting as entering the vast sea to slay dragons. But..."
A wave of drowsiness washed over him, and Zhang Ruochen's eyes became much more hazy. He yawned: "As he said, I must first find myself and break through to the realm of Heavenly Beginning and Self-End."
"Yao Yao, I need to take a journey through the world. All matters at home will be left to you and Kong Le!"
Chi Yao was worried about Zhang Ruochen traveling alone. Her eyes were gentle: "I'll accompany you."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head, stood up, and walked out of the Love Mountain Inn, looking at the endless gray sea below the mountain: "Finding myself to fight against the divinity of the Heavenly Dao—no one can help me. I have to walk this path alone. Don't worry. Since I've already awakened, it means the most dangerous time has passed."
"When I return, we'll go to Zu Zhou together and drink with that fake monk."
By the gray sea, Zhang Ruochen bid farewell to Xue Hou and the Ming Emperor.
Xue Hou handed him the letter left behind by the Xue Jue Clan Leader.
"Father, you told us to go home first... but where is home?"
Chi Kong Le looked at the large group of figures behind her and asked on their behalf.
"Wherever there is smoke from cooking fires and lamplight, that is home. You are the eldest sister. Take care of your younger siblings. Wield my Creation Divine Sword. If anyone steps out of line, use the sword as a ruler to discipline them."
Zhang Ruochen passed the Creation Divine Sword to Chi Kong Le, boarded a divine ship that Xue Tu had prepared, and sailed away alone.
This divine ship was only a little over thirty zhang long, built from gray divine wood.
Its appearance was extremely simple, not attracting attention.
The divine ship was swallowed by the gray, deathly qi clouds of the Santu River. On the shore, his parents, children, disciples, loved ones, and friends gradually faded into the distance.
On this solitary journey, Zhang Ruochen did not feel the loneliness he had before. Instead, he felt only a heavy sense of responsibility. He silently swore that human determination would triumph over heaven.
No matter what, he had to find his "self" and return healed, rather than becoming one with the heavens.
The vision of "the sea embracing all rivers, encompassing all things" and the seven emotions and six desires of human nature—one of them had to prevail.
These were the two paths after Heavenly Beginning and Self-End!
Sitting cross-legged on the deck at the bow, Zhang Ruochen's heart gradually calmed. He pushed aside most of what Lin Ke had said earlier, unfolded the Xue Jue Clan Leader's letter, and read it carefully, his brow slowly furrowing.
Then, he smiled bitterly again and again.
"The creation of heaven and earth cannot escape the word 'fate.' Life, death, and destiny are nothing more than entanglements of love and hate. If fate has not arrived, destiny will not come. What use is it to force things by human effort?"
Zhang Ruochen folded the letter and put it away.
"Splash!"
The divine ship sailed upstream, the sound of breaking waves loud and clear.
Before long, it had sailed out of Wangchuan and entered the vast, boundless Earth Desolate Universe.
Here, the Santu River was as wide as a sea. Corpses constantly drifted down from upstream, covering the entire surface so that no water could be seen.
Only blue ghost fires burned on the floating corpses.
Ships carrying remnant souls sailed toward Wangchuan, and the sounds of weeping and sorrow could be heard.
On the Yin-Yang Path by the shore, countless ragged ghosts walked from various great worlds and life planets toward the Bihuo Pass for reincarnation.
Too many cultivators had died in the Divine Realm decisive battle. Countless great worlds had been annihilated, burying a magnificent and turbulent era.
Some could still enter reincarnation, but many more had vanished into thin air, leaving nothing behind—a deeply lamentable fate.
Zhang Ruochen took out a wooden clapper and sat at the bow, striking it to send them off.
In a weathered tone, he sang:
"A hundred years, as if drunk, the heart full of spring."
"Lying high on the Eastern Mountain, a patch of cloud."
"Tsk, right and wrong brush away the dust on the face, worn away, the countless people of past and present."
In his mind, he thought of the Grand Minister of Works and the Second Minister of Works, who had vanished into thin air among the chess pieces.
No one would ever call him "Uncle Master" again.
He thought of Yin Yuan Chen, who had left no remnant soul. When they first met in the Kunlun Realm, they could have become the best of friends.
He thought of Old Man Jie, of the Yama Tai Shang who had self-detonated his divine heart, of the Second Confucian Ancestor, of Yan Huanyu, Meng Naihe, Gan Kuo Po, Di Zang Wang, who had died in the gray sea... too many people, gone forever, unable to see the dawn after the eternal night.
"Worn away, the countless people of past and present..."
This song was taught to him by Old Mu.
He had also learned to play the wooden clapper back then.
Zhang Ruochen felt as if he had returned to the Linxing Inn, sitting by the small window as Old Man Zhang, singing to send her off as she departed this world.
He returned to the day he first met Xiao Lin and Old Mu. Back then, Xiao Lin had the beauty and kindness of a young girl. But later, that beauty and kindness were worn away in the suffering (kunan) of the world.
When the song ended, Zhang Ruochen was already in tears.
Gong Nan Feng had said he dared not look back, for looking back was all bitterness.
Was Zhang Ruochen any different?
But Gong Nan Feng had used Zhang Ruochen as a bright mirror, and in that mirror, he saw himself, thus knowing "I am I."
Who could Zhang Ruochen use as a bright mirror?
Since there was no mirror, he could only look back.
Walk a path of return, to see whether this life, this journey, was sweet or bitter.
All the ships—including the Undying Blood Clan's Ten-Winged World, the Shura Clan's Shura Star Pillar Realm, the Yama Outer Heaven, and the Rakshasa Divine Kingdom—were sailing toward Wangchuan, to build a new world in the Wangchuan Dao.
Only Zhang Ruochen's ship sailed in the opposite direction, appearing extremely lonely.
He disembarked at the Life and Death Boundary Star, abandoned the divine ship, and came alone to the Qiyuan Ferry.
The Qiyuan Ferry was located in the eastern city of Qiyuan Saint City, bordering the main channel of the Santu River.
Here, the water surface was vast and boundless, with waves several zhang high.
It was here, back then, that Zhang Ruochen and Bore had resolved their long-standing heart knot.
Leaving the Qiyuan Ferry, Zhang Ruochen stepped on the water waves and entered the territory of the Ghost Clan within the Santu River basin.
The Wuchang Ghost City was being rebuilt with great fervor. After the Black and White Daoists had reincarnated, Ming Ye Shen Zun and He Qing Shen Zun became the new masters of this ghost city. Zhang Ruochen did not disturb them, nor did he think of telling Ming Ye the secrets of He Qing and Gai Mie.
Some secrets in this world could only remain secrets forever.
A few days later, he arrived at Fengdu Ghost City and walked inside.
The most magnificent divine city in the Hell Realm was now reduced to ruins. No one knew how many years of rebuilding would be needed to restore its former prosperity.
Among the surviving Ghost Clan cultivators, only Zhu Que Huo Wu was an acquaintance.
She had to shoulder the banner of the Ghost Clan, and a new generation of Ghost Emperor was rising.
Zhang Ruochen stayed in Fengdu Ghost City for three days, walking every path he had walked before. Many blurry memories in his mind unfolded anew. After three days, he left alone, silently.
He did not want to be known and cause a commotion.
He also had to hide his tracks, so that the Human Ancestor, who might still be alive, would not dare to act rashly.
He only wanted to quietly, like an observer, take a good look at this world. Calm down, seek out the people and events he had forgotten under the backlash of time and causality, and ponder the rights and wrongs, gains and losses of the path he had walked in life.
He passed through the Ten Thousand Bone Cave, climbed over the Wangming White Bone Ridge... left the Santu River basin, walked for two months, and arrived at the star region where the Destiny Temple was located.