Chapter 371: A Sense of Familiarity
On the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, a heavy snowfall in the depths of winter.
Only one day and one night remained until the fateful day of the Zhuxian Town's anomaly.
However, before the anomaly arrived, what descended first were snowflakes as light as goose feathers and a chilling icy wind.
This sudden blizzard came down last night, sweeping across the vast territory of the Youxiong Country, appearing remarkably abrupt and unexpected.
Although just yesterday was filled with sunny brilliance, today the mountains are covered in heavy snow and frosted trees, while the sky appears cloudy and dim, devoid of radiant sunlight.
This sudden and unexpected heavy snowfall greatly hindered the speed of relocation for the residents of Zhuxian Town.
Although being an ancient city that has experienced major disturbances in the past and faces occasional anomalies every hundred years, the city has long implemented contingency plans to prevent unexpected situations.
However, it is too challenging to evacuate hundreds of thousands of residents from the entire city within a day and night, risking such harsh weather conditions.
However, at the critical moment, the Lord's Manor as well as several ancient clans in the city simultaneously exerted their efforts and dispatched their respective cultivators to aid in the relocation of the residents.
On a grassy plain fifty miles away from the Zhuxian Town, the cultivators of the Lord's Manor set up a vast formation. This formation has only one remarkable purpose: to provide a warm and spring-like environment within it, shielding anyone present from the biting cold.
Meanwhile, the cultivators of several ancient clans employed various spells, escorting the residents out of the old ancient city in batches and leading them to this vast grassy plain, which remained warm and spring-like despite the swirling snowfall.
The scene of hundreds of thousands of people relocating simultaneously was simply awe-inspiring and intimidating.
When standing atop the celestial dome, overlooking the Earth, the panorama below was filled densely with moving figures, as if the influx of people extended endlessly to the very edge of the heavens.
Moreover, with such a massive scale of human migration, it naturally gave rise to numerous disturbances and disputes.
However, this time, the Lord's Manor and several ancient clans within the city displayed an uncommon unity. Not only did they not hinder each other, but they even cooperated with remarkable synchrony. Amidst the authoritative presence of numerous cultivators, though occasional commotions and chaos arose within the crowd, overall, the order remained well-maintained.
After all, the ordinary people in this world have become accustomed to surviving under the protection of the venerable cultivators.
When the venerable cultivators instruct everyone on what to do, no one dares to contradict or secretly oppose them. Because any ordinary person who dares to do so would have long been reduced to nothing more than the excrement of demons.
Not to mention temporarily moving out from the city, even if the Lord were to truly force everyone to relocate to a foreign land, forsaking their homeland, the ordinary people would not resist in the slightest.
They would be unable to resist.
Within the wilderness, ferocious beasts and demons lurk, and as mere mortals, there is no room for struggle against those man-eating creatures.
There exists only the legendary southern kingdom, where the ordinary individuals who refuse to accept the shelter of cultivators and yet manage to thrive can be found.
The Fire Pass Country, from which Lu Heng hails, is known as the "Land of Zero Demons". Although there are exotic beasts lurking in the mountains and wilderness, there are scarcely any demons that pose a threat to humans. Within the boundary of the boundary stones, demons are completely absent, and the shadows of fierce beasts are nonexistent.
In comparison to the Fire Pass Country, most places in this world harbor demons.
Although major demons are rare, the land is teeming with lesser demons who have yet to take human form but possess some level of cultivation. These minor demons employ bewitching illusions and sorcery to deceive the minds of ordinary mortals, and their indiscriminate slaughter knows no end.
These minor demons, who may have unintentionally absorbed the essence of the mountains or, through good fortune, have lived long enough to nurture spiritual energy and start cultivating, are as numerous as endlessly growing chives. In the eyes of cultivators, these small creatures are as fragile as ants and can be easily driven away even by ordinary mortal men with a stronger vitality.
However, the various sinister methods of these little monsters are not something that ordinary mortals can withstand. Once careless, it could cost them their lives.
Inside the Fire Pass Country, where demons are completely eradicated and wizards are active everywhere, the monsters within the borders are constantly in danger of being hunted down by wizards. As a result, most minor demons, despite their temptation to take the easy path of dark cultivation, dare not venture down the path of evil, valuing their lives above all else.
However, outside the Fire Pass Country, things are different.
Outside the Fire Pass Country, such as the Youxiong Country, it is commonplace for demon cultivators in the wilderness to consume humans. Demonic forces abound, and the tyranny of malevolent creatures is taken as a matter of course.
The mountainous little monsters with a bit of cultivation encounter demon cultivators mostly inclined towards the dark path. Everyone consumes humans, so if you're the only one who doesn't, how will you fit in?
Therefore, as the prevailing cultivate of monsters consuming humans took shape, the situation became increasingly chaotic.
It is unimaginable to have "wild tribes" like those in the Fire Pass Country who refuse to be under the jurisdiction of the Fire God Temple, refuse to surrender food taxation, and instead build villages in groups in the wilderness to live self-sufficient lives, in the Youxiong Country.
Here, if a village lacks the suppression of the "Human Emperor Stele", within three days malevolent spirits will run rampant, and if the villagers don't flee, within ten days the entire village will undoubtedly be annihilated.
Therefore, the mortals of Youxiong Country naturally behave obediently. They dare not defy the orders of the cultivator masters from the City Lord's Manor in the slightest.
In the face of the authoritative presence of the cultivators and the maintenance of order by numerous minor officials, the large-scale migration of hundreds of thousands of people remarkably proceeded without any disruptions.
As night fell, the vast Zhuxian Town transformed completely into an empty city.
Apart from a few rare cultivators, hardly any human figures could be seen.
Lu Heng stood on the city wall, gazing at this desolate and ancient town, astonished by the obedience of these mortals, and marveling at the personal involvement of the cultivators.
In this world, there seems to have formed a rather positive relationship between cultivators and mortals.
Both sides assimilate with one another, yet remain clearly distinct.
Righteous cultivators, influenced by their chosen cultivation methods, inevitably undergo a refinement of character, seldom exhibiting the behavior of traditional bullies who exploit and oppress ordinary people, and cultivators themselves rarely rely on the support of mortals.
And the mortals, too, are willing to accept the leadership of these cultivators, gladly becoming obedient subjects under their rule, in order to distance themselves from the threat of demons and monsters.
The Zhuxian Town, which lies before us, is but a small, remote place with a population numbering in the tens of thousands. In this remarkably productive world, it is considered one of those secluded and desolate corners.
However, Lu Heng had never witnessed such a strict and law-abiding order before.
He couldn't help but marvel that when the ruler truly is a superior cultivator, the desire for rebellion among ordinary people indeed diminishes significantly.
Thankfully, the cultivation in this world places great emphasis on moral character, and cultivators of the righteous path rarely, if ever, become malevolent individuals. In fact, they often harbor benevolence and compassion for all beings. Otherwise, the consequences would be simply unimaginable…
On top of the city gate tower, Lu Heng couldn't help but express his utter astonishment.
As Duanmu Zhi, dressed in mourning attire, approached not too far away, her expression slightly tense, she walked towards Lu Heng.
"Senior Wolf God, the entire population of Zhuxian Town has already relocated outside the city, as per your instructions."
"Currently, there are only thirty-seven cultivators remaining in the city, and they are free to depart at any time."
After reporting the situation, Duanmu Zhi looked at the profile of the Wolf God and carefully phrased, "Furthermore, upon learning of the anomaly in this place, His Majesty attached great importance to it and dispatched King Zhennan to the Zhuxian Town."
"Currently, King Zhennan's royal carriage awaits outside the city, stationed thirty li away, desiring an audience with you. I wonder, esteemed one, if…"
Duanmu Zhi's expression displayed a slight hint of unease.
Lu Heng, on the other hand, smiled and inquired, "King Zhennan? How is his relationship with King Zhenbei?"
"Do you still remember an old acquaintance from the Youxiong Country, none other than King Zhenbei himself?" Lu Heng casually mentioned.
Upon hearing these words, Duanmu Zhi became even more apprehensive.
After she conveyed the message to the capital last night, she immediately received feedback from there and learned about the current disaffection between the Wolf God, who once attended the Treasure Conference of the Mermaid Kingdom in the South Sea six years ago, and King Zhenbei.
Although the Wolf God might not be concerned about the trivial matters of six years ago, the capital city still emphasized its warning to Duanmu Zhi.
Therefore, Duanmu Zhi promptly responded, "Regarding the matter of the Wolf God, King Zhennan resides in the southern realm, a distance of six million miles separates it from the northern realm. With towering mountains and vast distances, the two noble lords might find it exceedingly difficult to meet face-to-face even once in a span of several hundred years. Hence, the two royal lords have remained unfamiliar with each other."
No matter how the Wolf God perceives the relationship between King Zhenbei, Su Lie, and the cultivators of the Youxiong Country, it is imperative to separate Su Lie from both the Youxiong Country and the other cultivators of the Youxiong Country!
And upon hearing Duanmu Zhi's response, Lu Heng was momentarily taken aback.
It was not astonishment at Duanmu Zhi and Su Lie's clear distinction, but rather this distance…
"Six million miles?" Lu Heng was genuinely astonished this time-The territorial expanse of the Youxiong Country is indeed so vast?
The Fire Pass Country has a narrow and elongated border, so he didn't really have a strong sense of it.
Although the South Sea has a vast territory, at that time he was mostly relying on his speed to search for Huo Feng, hence he didn't pay much attention to the distance and didn't have a comprehensive understanding of it.
And the distance between the southern and northern borders of the Youxiong Country is a staggering six million miles… What kind of concept is this? It's worth noting that the farthest distance between the Earth and the Moon is only about eight hundred thousand miles or so.
The straight-line distance between the southern and northern borders of the Youxiong Country is as far as six million miles.
According to Lu Heng's understanding, the maritime area of the South Sea, located further south of the Fire Pass Country, is many times larger than the entire Youxiong Country.
Furthermore, to the north of the Youxiong Country, there is the Kingdom of All Demons, which has an even more expansive territory. And to the north of the Kingdom of All Demons lies the vast Northern Sea…
The land area of this world is so massive, it is somewhat awe-inspiring.
Previously, without deliberately seeking to understand, Lu Heng didn't have much of a sense. Now, having briefly encountered the specific numbers, it has truly startled him.
One can only say that it truly is a world where divine beings exist, exempt from following the laws of physics.
Otherwise, according to the laws of physics, a planet of this magnitude would absolutely be impossible to exist.
However, when one considers that this world is not a spherical planet, but rather a world with a celestial roundness and earthly flatness, doesn't it become easier to accept?
Lu Heng's mind wandered in a tangled manner, but his facial expression remained calm and composed.
Observing the cautious and extremely nervous demeanor of the timid widow, Lu Heng smiled faintly and said, "It's better not to meet. I need to go underground to assess the situation next. As the imminent upheaval is approaching tomorrow night, I have no time to make new acquaintances."
"Madam, it would be wise to first summon the cultivators within the city and prevent them from being affected by the impending repercussions."
After speaking, Lu Heng promptly departed from the gate tower, transforming into a streak of lightning as he vanished into the underground.
He had absolutely no intention of meeting with King Zhennan.
Regarding this matter, Duanmu Zhi could not come up with any alternative and could only comply with Lu Heng's request to inform the remaining cultivators within the city to evacuate, and to convey the Wolf God's response to King Zhennan outside the city.
As the Wolf God, he can disregard this lord who holds semi-authority over the Southern realm, but she cannot overlook the opponent's influence and power.
After Lu Heng vanished into the underground, he immediately detected a faint scent of blood.
Although the Zhuxian Town appears dilapidated and ancient, even at this moment, there is no apparent sign of any abnormalities. However, beneath the surface, a completely different scene unfolds.
The dark red soil seems to be tainted with countless fresh blood.
As Lu Heng delved deeper into the ground, the scent of blood he perceived grew increasingly potent.
When he descended to a depth of about a thousand zhang underground, the surrounding scent of blood had practically solidified. Amidst the dark red soil, peculiar blood-red vapors permeated the air.
And Lu Heng came across a colossal stone stele.
The stone stele soared to a height of hundreds of zhang, unparalleled in its magnificence, and was buried deep underground, a thousand zhang below the surface, leaving one to wonder how it had come to be there.
The surface of the stele was covered with densely inscribed large characters, all of which were powerful incantations to suppress and banish evil forces.
And beneath this immense stone stele, however, lay a scene of absolute crimson. The pungent red blood essence had completely solidified, forming a wall that obstructed Lu Heng from descending further.
Evidently, this colossal stone stele is the edict issued by the ancient kings a thousand years ago, suppressing the malevolent spirits of this land.
However, on the day of the anomaly, even this stone stele was unable to fully suppress the things beneath the ground, and the dense, pungent red blood essence seeped out.
However, the good news is that although this dense blood essence is pungent, it lacks any harmful potency and poses no danger to the creatures on the surface.
However, this may also be related to the fact that the day of the anomaly has not yet fully arrived.
Perhaps by tomorrow night, when the anomaly begins, the scenes underground will once again be different?
While pondering, Lu Heng hurriedly traversed underground, swiftly locating the most concentrated spot of blood essence.
In the dark and eerie netherworld, Lu Heng's white attire had been tainted with the ubiquitous blood essence, taking on a peculiar crimson hue, yet his countenance remained serene as ever.
Standing at the most concentrated spot of blood essence, Lu Heng directly invoked spiritual energy, unleashing his formation.
Evidently, beneath Zhuxian Town, there exists another ancient citadel.
That is the true Zhuxian Ancient City, which is now projected into the netherworld as a peculiar citadel.
However, under the imperial decree of the Human Emperor, all malevolent forces have been sealed, rendering even Lu Heng unable to discern the whereabouts of that city.
Fortunately, as the night draws near the day of upheaval, the seal has loosened somewhat, allowing Lu Heng to perhaps catch a glimpse of the scenes within that city by relying on the secret techniques recorded in the book "Divine Skill".
If one could glimpse the scenes inside the city in advance, perhaps it would be possible to unveil the enormous secret of this ancient sinister citadel.
In that case, Lu Heng would also be prepared to prevent this ancient sinister citadel from damaging the newly constructed Chakravartin Palace.
Exhaling deeply, Lu Heng's body surged with cascades of lightning as he took in a breath.
When he opened his eyes once again, they instantly emitted a dazzling burst of white light.
The two beams of white light, appearing as if piercing through the veil of darkness, swiftly flew into the dense barrier of blood essence below.
In an instant, Lu Heng's eyes beheld an immensely shattered altar.
In the center of the ancient dilapidated city, upon the colossal altar, stood a throne crafted from yellow earth.
As Lu Heng beheld this scene, the ominous figure on the throne seemed to sense something, abruptly opening its eyes and fixing its gaze upon Lu Heng…
"……?!" Lu Heng, resonating with blood essence, trembled, his gaze returning to reality directly.
A certain indescribable sensation arose within his heart.
Lu Heng's expression, slightly astounded.
Due to the ominous figure on the throne, Lu Heng experienced an incredibly peculiar and yet familiar sensation.
It seems familiar, as if seen somewhere before…
