Yu Yan quickly lifted his hand back, startled by the warning from the system.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to clear his mind of the distraction and refocus his attention on the threads of karma above Muyong's head, unable to keep his curiosity at bay.
Each thread represented a story, a life, a journey. He could see the past, present, and future of each thread, all intertwined and connected with the aid of his True Yang Soul.
But there was one thread that stood out from the rest. It was thicker, stronger, and seemed to pulse with an energy on its own.
He focused his gaze on the thread, trying to discern its meaning and purpose. It was as if the thread was calling out to him, beckoning him to follow it to its end.
Suddenly, he felt a jolt of energy coursing through his body, as if the thread had somehow entered his being. He gasped in surprise, struggling to keep his balance as the world around him seemed to shift and twist.
The world around him seemed to fade away, replaced by a desolate and barren landscape.
He found himself standing at the edge of a river, its waters a deep shade of red. The river flowed slowly, like thick, sluggish blood.
The sky above was dark and foreboding, with black clouds looming overhead. The air was thick with the stench of death and decay.
Yu Yan felt a sense of dread wash over him as he gazed out at the desolate landscape. It was as if the world around him was dying, decaying, and falling apart.
But as he looked closer, he noticed something strange about the river. There were no fish swimming in its depths, no plants growing along its banks.
The thread of karma pulsed within him, leading him towards the temple nearby which had countless corpses splattered outside the door.
As he walked, he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had settled deep in his bones.
He passed through corridors lined with ancient scriptures and artifacts, each one seeming to hold a piece of history and power. But as he delved deeper, he began to see glimpses of Muyong's future.
He saw Muyong standing alone, surrounded by the bodies of countless people.
The once vibrant and lively rivers were now crimson with blood, and the mountains were scarred with the remnants of battle.
Yu Yan watched with indifference as Muyong fought against the Murim world, wielding a power that was beyond comprehension. He saw the toll that the constant fighting and killing took on Muyong's body and soul.
The thread of karma pulsed within Yu Yan, urging him to see more, to understand the full scope of Muyong's fate.
Yu Yan felt a strange detachment as he watched the gruesome scene unfold before him. It was like he was a mere spectator, powerless to intervene in the events that were unfolding.
Muyong's movements were swift and deadly, his black spear leaving behind a trail of destruction in its wake.
With each strike, Yu Yan could see the fear and desperation in the eyes of the Murim warriors as they fell one by one.
It was as if he was watching a tragic play, with Muyong as the protagonist and the Murim world as the unfortunate antagonist.
Yu Yan's expression sunk as he watched Muyong's descent into darkness. The once gentle and kind-hearted man had been consumed by his desire for revenge.
For Yu Yan, it was like watching a book with an ending that he knew he couldn't change, but still hoped for a different outcome.
At this moment, he felt that this is the limit that he could see, anymore and he would faced consequences he could not bear!
Then, the scene before him changed again.
Instead of the crimson skies and mountain, it is dark and gray, as if he was inside a cave.
There, he witness Muyong younger self struggling to survive within the ruthless cave meant to train warriors for the Heavenly Demonic Cult.
Time passes by quickly, just as spring and autumn come and go, the people that Muyong acquainted also come and go like the passing of seasons.
Eventually, Muyoung became the young Heavenly Demon respected by every cultist in the Heavenly Demonic Cult.
Not long after, he fell in love with Yi Hua, a sword wielding martial artist that also happened to be one of the few survivors from the Demonic Cave.
With his status and power, along with responsibility as the Heavenly Demon, they came together to fend off the various orthodox faction such as Mount Hua, Nangong, Baek-Clan, and various other righteous power.
Facing dozens of life and death, they got closer, and eventually confessed their love, finally getting together.
Seeing this scene play out, Yu Yan chuckled," How come he never told me about this girl?"
For these people, years and countless hardship has passed, but for him, it was simply a blink of an eye.
This year, is the year that Yi Hua died as she was confronted with countless powerful Grand master, even Muyong was powerless to do anything.
"No wonder he never visit all those years..." He murmured.
The year that Yi Hua died, was also around the time his father passed away. Not only that, the war in the Murim was getting more rampant even years before, it is not surprised that Muyong was too burden with his responsibility as the Heavenly Demon to pay him a visit.
"Perhaps her death is also the reason why he turned his back against the entire world..."
Yu Yan stood there, lost in thought as he tried to make sense of the events that he had witnessed.
At this moment, he took a step forward, but instead of lingering in Muyong's past, he returned to the present.
What felt like a lifetime, was merely a blink of an eye in Liuyue river as his eyes opened.
After seeing Muyong's past and future, he sighed, and at the same time, He couldn't help but drop a hint of regret for Muyong, who had been consumed by his desire for revenge.
In the darkest of night, along the riverbank, a hint of light shone, catching Muyong's attention as he turn his back to look at the source of light.
"Yu Yan?" He murmured. With his eyesight, it wasn't hard to see from miles away, let alone this little distance.
He witness the light covering Yu Yan, transforming from an old man to his young self again, startling Muyong greatly.
Then, the young Yu Yan smiled at him, like an illusionary ghost staring back at him.
"Perhaps meeting you was fate." Yu Yan commented, this confused him even more," Meeting you that year can be considered to be sowing karma... In this life, other than my mother and father who had passed away, you are the only one who is still alive."
The light formed around Yu Yan's slender finger each increasing moment, before long, the ball of golden light that hovered in front of Yu Yan's finger caught Muyong's attention. It grew in size and intensity, as if it was drawing energy from the surrounding air.
"And this can be considered as reaping that karma," He continued with a newfound understanding," I hope one day you can see through cause and effect, and find me!"
Suddenly, the light transformed into a knife, hovering above Yu Yan's head, aiming at a thread of karma.
With a closer look, one could trace that thread back to Muyong!
Shang!
He watched as the knife fell, severing the thread of karma with a resounding clang. The world around them seemed to shake and tremble, as if reacting to the severing of the thread.
"From now on, there will be no Yu Yan in the Desolate God Temple!"
The knife fell, and karma was severed!
It was like an invisible rhyme humming through heaven and earth, the existent known as Yu Yan ceased to exist!
Muyong felt a sense of unease wash over him as the invisible rhyme hummed through the air.
It was like the world was changing, shifting, and transforming in ways that conforms to Yu Yan's announcement!
He couldn't explain it, but he felt like he had just witnessed something significant.
He watched in shock as Yu Yan disappeared, the light fading away into the darkness. It was as if he had never been there in the first place.
As Yu Yan disappeared into the darkness, Muyong scratched his head in confusion, still trying to make sense of the strange encounter.
Unbeknownst to him, the future he was meant to experience had already been altered by Yu Yan's interference.
Meanwhile, deep within the Desolate God Temple, a woman with hair as white as a cascading waterfall and silver pupils that glinted with a celestial light stirred from her slumber.
Her delicate and refined features seemed to have been crafted by the heavens themselves, and she exuded an air of serenity and calmness.
As she surveyed her surroundings, she couldn't help but wonder how a foreigner had managed to escape her watchful eye.
"It is hard to imagine an Imperial Lord daring to enter the sacred temple without retribution from the Heavenly Law let alone escaping from my senses," She said to herself," But I can't shake this feeling that something's wrong."
...