Chapter 396: The Everlasting Duality
By the blazing bonfire, silence befell the four demonic entities.
Ning Po and Xie Yunniang both turned their gaze in this direction, their brows furrowing.
The Red-blue Twin Devils also sensed something amiss, ceasing their wicked laughter.
They all gazed at the young man sitting at the edge of the square, and the two sides locked eyes for a moment.
In the end, the Red-blue Twin Devils averted their gaze and murmured in a low voice, "Has this lad gone mad…"
"I feel like he's gone a bit mad…"
"The disciples of Hanyu Mountain are truly lacking in discipline…"
"Both of you, keep quiet!" Xie Yunniang furrowed her brow and spoke in a cold voice, "This monkey is a disciple of the Wolf God. Although his cultivation is low, we don't know if he has any life-saving tricks up his sleeve. If we truly push him to the brink, it could lead to troublesome complications!"
Ning Po, who had remained silent, spoke up, "It would be best not to provoke him any further. It's better to maintain a peaceful coexistence. We can discuss other matters once we arrive at the Arctic Skyark Palace."
Upon hearing Xie Yunniang and Ning Po speak up, the Red-blue Twin Devils, who had already felt a sense of unease, followed the suggestion of the two and said, "Very well, we will spare this lad as a favor to the two of you."
"Hmph! Once we arrive at the Arctic Skyark Palace, this lad will pay!"
The Red-blue Twin Devils, with every word they uttered, seemed to agree with the opinions of Xie Yunniang and Ning Po.
Although the conversation among these four demons didn't reach the ears of Sun Yan, who was isolated in the snowy field due to the temporary arrangement, he sat there with an understanding that these four demons were undoubtedly scheming and discussing something.
The little girl behind Sun Yan, on the other hand, huddled completely in the snow, staring blankly at the pool of blood not far away.
There, a mangled and nearly pulverized flesh, trampled to the point of being nothing but a bloody mess, was gradually being covered by the falling snowflakes. However, everyone present knew that this pile of flesh was the young boy previously stabbed to death by Sun Yan…
The next morning, when Sun Yan rose and left the small square to search for the little girl who claimed to be going to relieve herself but had not returned, what he saw was the lifeless body of the little girl hanging under the eaves, silently swaying in the cold wind.
The little girl ended up hanging herself, committing suicide.
On both sides of the village road, inside the houses, pairs of eyes concealed behind windows and door cracks watched Sun Yan in silence.
Amidst the swirling, snowflakes fluttering in the air, Sun Yan quietly gazed at the lifeless body of the young girl hanging under the eaves.
Time, seemingly frozen in this very moment…
…
……
Under the same gloomy sky, Lu Heng, who had awakened from a deep slumber, furrowed his brow and turned his gaze towards the frozen lake outside.
As a cultivator, he had gone without sleep for a long time, and had no need for it.
However, with nothing else to do but be amidst the swirling snowflakes, Lu Heng - now Lu Heng, took the opportunity to momentarily indulge in the experiences of an ordinary mortal, emptying his mind and succumbing to a much-needed slumber.
However, in his slumber, he witnessed a peculiar and ominous aura of red and white emanating from Hanyu Mountain, shattering countless stars in the sky.
That scene was so magnificent, yet so uncanny, that when Lu Heng awoke, his brows furrowed tightly together, unable to relax.
Cultivators generally don't dream, but when they do, it is always considered a premonition. Similar to the inexplicable intuition that cultivators possess.
The demonic presence that he witnessed in his dream last night flew out from Hanyu Mountain… Could it be an omen of the Moluo Evil Spirit within Hanyu Mountain breaking free from its seal and causing havoc upon the world?
It seems that I will have to find time to return to Hanyu Mountain and see what is happening, in the hopes that nothing untoward has occurred with the Moluo Evil Spirit…
With such thoughts in his heart, Lu Heng sat up and was about to continue crafting the puppet when, at that moment, he sensed You Yue from the Netherworld calling out to him.
Lu Heng was somewhat astonished, so he directly departed from the mortal world.
When he regained his vision, what he saw before his eyes was the gloomy land of the Netherworld, swept by gusts of chilling wind.
However, he was no longer in the Chakravartin Palace, but standing amidst a desolate ruin. Chakravartin You Yue, along with several esteemed ghost cultivators, stood by, bowing in reverence to Lu Heng.
"My lord!"
Since the conclusion of the battle at the Zhuxian Ancient City, whenever the ghost cultivators see Lu Heng, they address him as "my lord," as if they have already recognized Lu Heng as the Lord of the Nether.
And this ruin is the remains of the Zhuxian Ancient City, which collapsed and left behind shattered walls and debris.
Although only the remnants of ruins remain, the fragments of these ruins still possess an undeniable power, truly befitting the grand city meticulously constructed by the Master of the Yuz State Cauldron.
According to You Yue's plan, she intends to completely dismantle the ruins of this place, cleanse the spiritual energy within it, and use it to construct a brand-new Chakravartin Ghost City.
After Lu Heng appeared and glanced around, he quickly grasped the purpose for which You Yue had summoned him.
In this ruin, astonishingly stood a pair of twin siblings, one male and one female. Although their appearance differed slightly from Wuyou and Wuyu, whom Lu Heng was acquainted with, it was evident that these were the illusory specters that should have long vanished.
Or perhaps, the prototypes of those two false illusions?
Lu Heng looked at the two siblings in astonishment and asked, "What is your origin? And why are you here?"
Prior to Lu Heng's arrival, it was evident that these siblings had already been in contact with You Yue and the other ghost cultivators.
Now that Lu Heng spoke, the siblings promptly bowed and said, "To the esteemed Lord Wolf God, we ourselves are unaware of how we ended up in this place."
The elder sister said, "I am called Fan Wuyu, and my younger brother is called Fan Wuyou. Our mother is a successful cultivated He Luo Fish named He Luo Hong. Our father is a human cultivator named Fan Ling."
"In our early years, our father was killed by our enemies. Our mother took us and sought refuge in the Luwu Mountain, where we lived for several years. However, eventually, our enemies discovered our whereabouts…"
The sister looked somewhat bewildered at the sight before her and said, "In theory, both my brother and I, along with our mother, should have perished. However, when we opened our eyes again, we found ourselves here, but our mother was nowhere to be seen…"
Lu Heng listened to the little girl's narration while observing the condition of the siblings.
It appears that these siblings don't have any memories from the several hundred years after their tragic deaths. They only remember the events that occurred at the moment of their demise, and they don't recall being manipulated by evil forces in an attempt to harm Lu Heng.
Perhaps, when Lu Heng was revived, they were also influenced by that force. Instead of completely dissolving, they slowly started to revive.
However, this kind of revival is not complete. Instead, it is stuck in a state between full revival and complete disappearance, to the extent that these siblings are now suspended between reality and illusion.
They may be considered living beings, but they are ethereal and elusive, lacking any sense of vitality. Clearly, they are incapable of cultivation.
One could describe them as illusory phantoms, capable of speech and experiencing a range of emotions.
Silently observing the pair, Lu Heng rubbed his brow and spoke, "Though your plight, both as siblings, is undeniably tragic, since you have arrived in the netherworld, all earthly matters should be forgotten. If you have no other plans, how about staying in the realm of the dead? There happens to be a ghostly profession that suits you well. Would you be willing to serve in the netherworld?"
Lu Heng's words filled the siblings with great surprise and delight.
They had long since learned about the mysteries of the netherworld and the benefits of becoming a ghost cultivator through their conversations with You Yue and other ghost cultivators.
Therefore, Lu Heng's words caused them to nod in delighted agreement, fearing that a delayed response might result in missing out on this heavenly sent joyous event.
"Absolutely! We are more than willing!"
The siblings vigorously nodded their heads, resembling the vigorous pounding of garlic. They never anticipated that the benevolent and kind-hearted the Wolf God would actually take them under his care, which filled the now orphaned and homeless siblings with immense joy and excitement.
While Lu Heng observed the elated and excited siblings, he smiled faintly as the Requiem Seal emerged from within the netherworld.
Within the dilapidated ruins, the siblings heard Lu Heng's commanding voice, filled with a hint of amusement.
"I confer upon… the siblings Fan Wuyu and Fan Wuyou, the titles of Nether Messengers, capable of assuming countless forms and traversing between the human realm and the netherworld, guiding the deceased and the departing spirits."
"I hereby declare… them as the Black and White Impermanence!"
From within the profound and yellow-hued Requiem Seal, two sinister beams of deathly light emerged, descending upon the bodies of the siblings Wuyou and Wuyu, respectively.
At that moment, the previously ethereal and elusive figures of the siblings gradually solidified.
Their garments, too, underwent a transformation. They turned into black and white robes, symbolizing the attire of the Impermanence Gods.
The siblings felt a surge of joy as they experienced the transformation of their ethereal forms, promptly dropping to their knees and offering a respectful bow.
"Black Impermanence, Fan Wuyou!"
"White Impermanence, Fan Wuyu!"
"Pay our respect to the Lord!"
With a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, Lu Heng gazed at the siblings who had obtained the position of Impermanence Gods, and said to You Yue beside him, "Bestowing the title of Impermanence Gods upon these siblings couldn't be more fitting."
The siblings exist in a realm between reality and illusion, transcending the constraints of many earthly laws. Lu Heng bestowed upon them all the positions of Impermanence Gods. Henceforth, these two siblings can manifest in countless forms and instantaneously appear in all earthly City God Temples, guiding the departed souls from the mortal realm to the netherworld.
If not for these two siblings, ordinary ghost cultivators would not be able to transfigure without restraint. Once the reincarnation system is established, every region's City God Temples must have corresponding Black and White Impermanences to take charge, and the required number of ghost cultivators is truly terrifying.
However, the arrival of these two siblings directly filled the vacancies of all Impermanence ghost positions. In the future, the realms of the Underworld will no longer need to fret about where to recruit Black and White Impermanences.
These two siblings, empowered by the Requiem Seal bestowed upon them, are capable of guiding all the spirits in the world.
For the recently established and severely understaffed Underworld, the appearance of these siblings is nothing short of a tremendous boon.
Lu Heng smiled and said to Chakravartin You Yue, "With the assistance of Black and White Impermanences, the construction of the mortal City God system can be accelerated."
You Yue looked at Lu Heng with admiration and said, "Master, your thoughts are thorough. We admire you!"
Next, Black and White Impermanences Wuyu and Wuyou will personally guide the ghost cultivator and take them to become familiar with everything in the Underworld.
You Yue followed by Lu Heng, strolled through the desolate ruins. Including Lu Heng, everyone tacitly avoided mentioning the existence of the former Shen Wuyu and Shen Wuyou.
The story of those siblings is truly completely buried within this desolate ruin.
These siblings who inherited the position of Impermanence, however, will never be the same two children in Lu Heng's memory…
