My gorgeous wife Chapter 1947 - 1916: A Different Kind of Destroyer

Li Chen not with his eyes, but his divine sense perceived the presence.

Guided by this divine sense, Li Chen swiftly located the origin of the faint aura.

It was an incredibly weak, almost dissipating aura – the aura of destruction.

"It truly is that entity," Li Chen mused.

To his relief, the other party’s aura was so diminished that it was nearly gone; even the aura of the law was as fragile as a whisper in the wind.

A measure of relief washing over him, Li Chen proceeded towards the source of the aura.

Upon witnessing the scene, despite having some inkling of the situation, Li Chen couldn't help but shake his head.

Could this be the Destroyer?

This Destroyer had utterly lost its humanoid form, with only a minuscule portion of its remnant body remaining, appearing on the verge of death.

Yet, Li Chen understood that even in death, these beings would transform into a law. However, the rule of destruction within this one was so weak it seemed poised to vanish at any instant.

What perplexed Li Chen was that, based on his knowledge, when faced with a certain death scenario, they could completely shed their physical form and adopt the state of law to withstand attacks, thereby enhancing their resilience and preventing their life origin – the 'law' – from weakening to this degree.

But clearly, when that terrifying attack descended, it did not abandon its body; instead, it chose to detonate with the origin of the destruction law to resist.

This action was akin to removing one's armor only to block a sword with one's bare body.

Had their minds also fractured under the erosion?

"You..."

This entity appeared to retain some consciousness. Noticing Li Chen's sudden appearance nearby, it managed to recognize him: "Are you one of those who escaped earlier?"

Li Chen offered no reply, simply observing this Destroyer in silence.

Compared to the crippled immortal apprehended outside the Battle Palace previously, this entity clearly possessed superior intelligence and significantly greater strength, capable of coherent communication like any ordinary person.

"Why were you so determined to preserve this remnant body?" Li Chen finally voiced the question in his heart, "If you had abandoned this physical form, wouldn't you have been able to survive better?"

The Destroyer stirred slightly. Its lower half was entirely gone, leaving only a single arm, and even its head was missing a portion, presenting a ghastly appearance. Yet, it clung to life, sustained by its formidable cultivation.

After carefully assessing Li Chen, the Destroyer spoke, its tone tinged with an inexplicable quality: "Your body... also carries that kind of aura. Are you one of us too?"

"I am not," Li Chen stated plainly, lacking any interest in deceiving someone on their deathbed.

"I thought as much," the Destroyer chuckled, though the expression was even more grotesque on a face where the skin was nearly entirely absent.

Gazing at Li Chen, the Destroyer spoke, a mixture of seriousness, awkwardness, and persistence in its voice: "I... have a name. Zhang Shutong."

"A long, long time ago, I was merely a rule, adrift in the cosmic expanse, unaware of my own existence," it confessed.

"I knew not the purpose of my being. Although, within my consciousness, a persistent thought, as if forcibly implanted, urged me to destroy everything in this starry universe. Yet, at that time, I didn't even comprehend what 'destruction' truly entailed."

"Until one day, I chanced upon a cultivator amidst the vastness of space. Hmm, he perceived me as well."

Zhang Shutong, already perilously weak, could barely utter the words, yet he resolved to convey this story to Li Chen through sound transmission.

As for the reason behind his insistence, even Li Chen couldn't fully grasp it.

He vaguely sensed that this entity was somehow different from other Destroyers.

Li Chen recalled the Destroyers encountered on the battlefield of countless souls – those beings seemed devoid of intelligence, their minds consumed solely by destruction and slaughter.

But this individual before him possessed his own thoughts, much like... Zhang Lu back then.

It was a simple tale, perhaps reflecting the simple life of this Destroyer.

It sought the meaning of its existence until it encountered that dying cultivator.

The cultivator willingly offered his body, pleading for a promise in return.

It was a vaguely worded, somewhat absurd request, perhaps born from the dying cultivator's delirium.

He asked it... to protect this universe.

It agreed.

And thus, it became Zhang Shutong.

Only after merging and becoming a true 'life' did Zhang Shutong gradually begin to grasp the meaning of his existence.

Born with the destiny to annihilate this universe, he was bound by a pact to protect it in exchange for this form.

A profound contradiction, indeed.

He wrestled with this paradox for an extended period, even up to the brink of entering the Ancient Battle Realm, still grappling with his identity.

What was his true nature?

How should his existence be defined?

These were deeply philosophical inquiries.

Though a Destroyer by nature, his subconscious recognized him as one of the cultivators, as Zhang Shutong.

The answer finally surfaced not long ago, revealed by another Destroyer.

He is Zhang Shutong.

Even the World-Destroying Beast, confined in the desolate expanse of the cosmos, could not have foreseen its own law-soul, severed from its core, developing an independent will—a will in opposition to its own.

Upon hearing Zhang Shutong's account, Li Chen was rendered momentarily speechless, musing that weakness wasn't the concern with these entities, but rather their unsettling penchant for intellect.

For a Destroyer to harbor such intricate, convoluted thoughts was perplexing.

Li Chen had initially resolved to eliminate this being, but upon further reflection, found himself unable to proceed.

"Then why did that individual pursue you so relentlessly just moments ago?" Li Chen inquired, unable to suppress his curiosity.

"I observed he possessed a valuable treasure, so I seized an opportune moment when he was occupied with other formidable opponents, ambushed him, and absconded with his prize. He has been in pursuit ever since," Zhang Shutong admitted with uncharacteristic candor.

Li Chen: "..."

It appeared this entity was, in truth, a cultivator of exceptional integrity!

"I... I will relinquish the treasure to you. Will you spare my life?" Zhang Shutong implored, his gaze fixed on Li Chen, his sincerity palpable.

"Even if this vessel perishes, your essence would not cease to exist, would it? Would not acquiring another body suffice?" Li Chen probed, his tone laced with curiosity.

Zhang Shutong fell into a moment of silence before replying with profound solemnity, "This body belongs to Zhang Shutong. Through its existence, I am Zhang Shutong. Should this physical form be extinguished, then... who would I become?"