I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1824 - 255: The Torch is Passed

Chapter 1824: Chapter 255: The Torch is Passed

The consciousness so hazy it could only count numbers repetitively was as lifeless as the ubiquitous flora around—something alive, yet incapable of any meaningful communication.

But isn’t the so-called Martial Arts Monarch precisely one who bends heaven and earth to their will through sheer determination?

If a Lingxiao Sect disciple guarding the Rejuvenation Cave were to cease their cultivation and glance toward the cave entrusted to their safekeeping, they would witness a most profound scene.

There, lying on the Cold Jade Heating Bed, was the living dead. At this moment, under the soft glow of golden light, his body was disintegrating. Hardened keratin layers separated from his frame, not dropping away but floating within the yellow aura.

Bit by bit—like countless files at work—they stripped away the scales that had hardened over 90% of Tang Zhi’s flesh.

Yet, after years of accumulation, the poison had seeped into his very bones and blood. To shed the keratin was tantamount to shedding his body itself.

As pieces of hardened scales decomposed, Tang Zhi was reduced to less than half a skull and a fragment of chest cavity. Every other part of his body had dissolved into the hazy golden halo.

But Tang Luo had not truly severed those keratin layers. Instead, he rewrote their order. Though it appeared as disintegration, the keratin and Tang Zhi remained interconnected.

For at this moment, Tang Zhi’s fragile existence was sustained entirely by the very toxins in those scales. A sudden removal would only spell his demise.

With the order rewritten, Tang Zhi’s consciousness could regain a fleeting clarity, as though given a foretaste of final flashes before death.

"You’ve come."

Tang Zhi, whose mind now shone clear, quickly noticed Wang Nian intruding upon his Sea of Consciousness. He smiled and greeted him, saying, "I can no longer tell if this is an illusion or reality. If it’s the former, I hope it brings good news—I doubt I’ll last another year."

Despite the prolonged agony, despite walking the tightrope between life and death, Tang Zhi remained as composed and serene as ever.

Wang Yi projected his own image within the Sea of Consciousness and transmitted all the information, including the coronation in the King Realm, the wager against Dragon Beasts, and the promise of a Blossoming Era.

Tang Luo spoke softly: "What you see is not an Illusion Mirror. I, Tang Luo, am here to fulfill the five-year pact. I have already crossed the threshold, achieved kingship, and risen to the King Realm, where no rivals remain. From now on, the Tang Clan no longer needs to live a life of evasion."

"Good, that’s wonderful!"

The entire Sea of Consciousness erupted in joyous rapture. For the weakened Tang Zhi, this was almost deadly, but he cared not, exclaiming: "If I had known back then you’d prove so capable, there’d have been no need to act so hastily. But it’s not too late now. Education, the Most Sacred Path—how do you plan to proceed?"

"Now that the Martial Saints have sealed themselves away, I’ve established Unparalleled Academy on Red Cloud Mountain. I’ve lifted the martial ban, teaching true skills, drawing the scattered cultivators of Xiehe into reverence, causing sects to race to emulate us. After the wager with the Dragon Beasts, the world now sees Red Cloud as the new sacred land. Pilgrims gather in ceaseless droves, as numerous as carp crossing a river."

Tang Luo replied, "Once the Medicine God Sect matter fully unfolds, Red Cloud Mountain could become the martial arts holy land of this era, a renown capable of redeeming the Tang Clan’s tarnished legacy."

"That’s truly splendid."

Tang Zhi sighed, "You’ve done better than I ever imagined. Such a pity... Red Cloud Mountain—it’s too small. It might serve as a foundation for noble clans, but it cannot anchor the ambition of a sacred land meant to last millennia. You must plan further ahead."

"Patriarch, where do you think such a foundation should lie?"

Tang Luo humbly sought advice.

"There’s no need to cater to me. Follow your own judgment."

The Sea of Consciousness surged with joyous waves once more. "You are now the Tang Family’s king. The path ahead must be charted by you. There’s merely a small matter I must entrust to you."

"The old Tang Clan is already gone. Concerning those stubborn elders, you must exercise extreme caution in dealing with them. Cunfu and Tang Zuo can assist you in this matter, so do not rush to bring people out of the Minor Spiritual Realm. Instead, select them with care."

"For those who remain obstinate, clinging to grudges, let them grow old and die in the Minor Spiritual Realm. For those willing to let go of hatred and work earnestly toward living, they may be brought out."

"The young ones in Marshal Star Pavilion are the same. As for those excessively radical among them, you can enlist Tang Yao to handle them."

"They are exceptional in ability, loyal, and wise; they can carry out your vision while safeguarding you."

"This will save you considerable effort, allowing you to focus on plans spanning centuries or millennia."

As though delivering a final will, this conversation held no lingering sentimentality—only a transfer of duty from the former patriarch to the successor of the Tang Clan.

The people appointed to manage affairs—every individual trait was as though meticulously inscribed on cards, pinned down without margin for variation. Who was fit to handle what and what flaws they possessed were all laid bare with precision.

Though Tang Luo saw only an image of Tang Zhi within the Sea of Consciousness, he almost seemed to glimpse the patriarch’s stern visage offering unrelenting lessons. After a long, heavy silence, Tang Luo hesitated before speaking: "Patriarch, there is actually a way to prolong your life, should you be willing..."

"Become a beast?"

The turbulent thoughts within the Sea of Consciousness almost seemed to laugh as they swiftly turned down the offer: "No need. These past years have been far too arduous—I haven’t dared to sleep, fearing I’d never wake again. I have nothing left to hold onto now; it’s time I have a proper rest."

"I’m afraid I won’t carry this out well."

Reluctantly, Tang Luo admitted, "The path I’m about to walk may be incomprehensible to many in the clan..."

"If mediocrities could understand, you wouldn’t be Tang Luo—a prodigy seen once in a thousand years."

The Sea of Consciousness chuckled again, adding self-deprecatingly: "Truth is, I don’t fully understand either. If I’d known you’d become a king at thirty, there’d have been no need to seize such desperate opportunities back then. Today, it’s clear—it was I and the Tang Clan who burdened you, not the other way around. So from now on, whatever you desire to do, just do it. No matter your choices, they cannot possibly be worse than mine, the patriarch who nearly brought ruin to our thousand-year legacy."

"So have no reservations. Do as you will. The next millennium of the Tang Clan rests on your shoulders."

Tang Zhi was ever-proud. From beginning to end, he never once mentioned his wife or children. Instead, he used his remaining strength to entrust all his care and concerns to the matters of the clan.

This prioritization of family duty over personal life weighed upon Tang Luo like a mountain pressing on his shoulders.

If only to honor the patriarch, he was determined to build an indomitable foundation for the Tang Clan’s future. Yet, the sheer thought of the challenges ahead left him far from confident.

For once he embarked on this path, he could not predict the magnitude of resistance he would face—it was incalculable, even to himself.

As Tang Zhi’s presence lingered within the Sea of Consciousness, the entire palace of awareness darkened, leaving Tang Luo to withdraw from Wang Nian.

What Tang Zhi needed most at this moment was a deep and peaceful slumber.

What was the meaning of life?

For him, it was to die well.

To die as a patriarch worthy of the Tang Clan. For five years, he had clung to life not only for a promise,

But out of contrition and remorse. He had to witness a bright future before he could finally let go of his guilt.

Now, at long last, that bright future had arrived. Tang Zhi could rest, knowing the road ahead no longer required his vigilance.

Yet, in the final flicker of his consciousness before it extinguished completely, a fleeting thought of his wife and child crossed his mind...