Chapter 467: The Battle of the Great Dao
Lu Heng's obstruction startled the young white dragon girl for a moment.
"Ah? Is there such a saying?" She looked pitifully at Huo Feng beside her, clearly still wanting to drink.
Huo Feng laughed heartily and said, "The Wolf God speaks the truth. This wine is indeed extraordinarily potent. Two cups are sufficient for you. If you wish to drink more, you will have to wait for twelve hours."
The young white dragon girl's eyes rolled and she asked, "What will happen if I drink more?"
Huo Feng chuckled and said, "Most likely, it would cause a burst of sword energy within the body? Actually, I'm not sure either, as this wine has never been tried by anyone outside. Miss Little White can give it a try."
"Exploding with sword energy…" The face of the young white dragon girl froze, and she immediately set down the wine glass in her hand, saying, "In that case, I won't drink."
She can clearly distinguish the difference between having a satisfying meal and being satisfied every day.
While Lu Heng and Huo Feng, on the other hand, chuckled heartily as they watched the girl with an annoyed expression.
After laughing for a while, Lu Heng restrained his expression and said seriously, "Brother Huo, after four thousand years of separation, your charm surpasses the past. However, I noticed your arm…"
Lu Heng looked at Huo Feng's empty right arm sleeve and said nothing more.
Regarding this, Huo Feng smiled nonchalantly, undeterred, and said, "Losing an arm is merely a minor setback that doesn't affect much given my cultivation. My sword is still capable of exterminating evil demons, even stronger than when I was whole in the past."
Lu Heng, however, shook his head and said, "But the lingering aura of divine punishment in Brother Huo's wound… If I am not mistaken, this arm was severed by Xiao Ai, am I right?"
Huo Feng chuckled, nodded calmly, and said, "Indeed, it was Miss Xiao Ai who severed it. During our encounter two thousand years ago, Huo Feng witnessed the prowess of Miss Xiao Ai's techniques. However, she showed mercy and didn't unleash the might of the Heavenly Thunder Sword. Otherwise, Huo Feng would have long been reduced to a lost soul beneath the blade of the Heavenly Thunder Sword, and today, I would not be sitting here enjoying a conversation with the Wolf God."
Huo Feng had no intention to conceal or hide anything, speaking openly and without any hint of resentment in his words.
Lu Heng could sense that it wasn't merely out of consideration for him, Lu Heng, that Huo Feng chose not to dwell on the matter, but rather that Huo Feng truly didn't care about it.
Therefore, Lu Heng grew even more perplexed.
He pondered for a moment and asked, "Brother Huo, could you kindly enlighten me about what happened over two thousand years ago? Why has Hanyu Mountain transformed into its current state, and also, Brother Huo, about your arm…"
After Lu Heng finished speaking, Huo Feng nodded and said, "Indeed, it should be so."
Speaking thus, Huo Feng pondered his words for a moment and then proceeded to explain.
"Over four thousand years ago, the Wolf God embarked on a journey to the three islands at sea, only to mysteriously disappear."
"From what I understand, at that time, everyone on Dragon Island, including the esteemed predecessors Candle Dragon and Jiu Mie, exerted utmost efforts in the search, yet there was no conclusive outcome."
"Since then, the position of the Dragon Emperor has remained vacant for four thousand years, until this day, when the dragons on Sanxian Island still lack a leader."
"After the departure of the Wolf God, on the side of Hanyu Mountain, the esteemed predecessors Candle Dragon and Jiu Mie took charge and protected for fifty years. It was only when Miss Xiao Ai attained enlightenment and transcended worldly matters that these two venerable predecessors departed."
Speaking of this, Huo Feng couldn't help but exclaim, "Miss Xiao Ai is truly extraordinary, attaining enlightenment and transcending worldly matters after only decades of cultivation. Such progress is so remarkable that even the knowledgeable and experienced Candle Dragon venerable would be astonished, considering it a rare occurrence throughout history."
"After Miss Xiao Ai attained enlightenment and transcended worldly matters, she was already sufficient to protect the entire lineage of Hanyu Mountain. However, in Miss Xiao Ai's heart, ensuring the safety of the Hanyu Mountain lineage alone was not enough."
"She mentioned that when the Wolf God was present, you had repeatedly mentioned to her the existence of order in the Heavenly Court, as well as the way to bring about a harmonious utopia for all living beings. Although the Wolf God is currently away, she cannot be lazy and must establish the Heavenly Court on his behalf."
"Thus, Miss Xiao Ai has established connections with the realms beyond and forged alliances with various nations of the mortal realm. She has also welcomed disciples, encouraging and aiding cultivators in establishing sects and guiding more ordinary mortals onto the path of cultivation."
"In less than a thousand years, she has already constructed the general framework of the Heavenly Court, and even assisted Chakravartin You Yue in expanding the influence of the entire Underworld to encompass the entirety of the Celestial Desolation Realm, establishing a stable system of reincarnation."
"Moreover, on the territories of various nations in the mortal realm, numerous cultivator sects have emerged, and various schools of cultivation have flourished, making cultivators no longer rare. It is precisely in such an era of change that many ancient lineages that have been passed down have disappeared."
"For example, the Yun sect, which I am a part of, gradually became lost amidst such dramatic changes in the mortal realm."
Speaking of this, Huo Feng couldn't help but let out a bitter smile and said, "In short, with the assistance of the Hanyu Mountain sect, the cultivator community has been continuously growing and expanding. The number of righteous cultivators is increasing, and the presence of evil forces has been greatly suppressed."
"In the wilderness, a large number of demons have fled towards the north, bolstering the power of the Kingdom of All Demons. The Blue Hill Country and the Arctic Skyark Palace have become the most formidable forces on Earth, even surpassing the yet-to-be-integrated righteous forces."
"However, Miss Xiao Ai soon established the true Heavenly Court, which integrated the righteous forces of the mortal realm and formulated the "Immortal Celestial Clan," encompassing the esteemed names of numerous righteous cultivators. Many virtuous cultivators hold positions within the Heavenly Court."
"Thereafter, the Celestial Desolation Realm entered a lengthy period of conflict between righteousness and evil, until this very day."
Speaking of this, Huo Feng paused for a moment and continued to ponder his words.
Obviously, the next words are the key focus.
While Lu Heng and the White Dragon maiden quietly listened and waited, they refrained from interrupting with any remarks.
In this way, after several dozen moments, Huo Feng let out a long sigh and said, "After the establishment of the Heavenly Court, the disciples of Hanyu Mountain occupy prominent positions within the Heavenly Court, each commanding their own territories. They serve as the right-hand and left-hand of Miss Xiao Ai."
"However, among the disciples, there is one individual who is an exception. He is unwilling to hold a position in the Heavenly Court, and rarely appears in public."
"During the thousands of years that Miss Xiao Ai established the Heavenly Court, he spent most of his time wandering in the mortal realm, with the immortals of the Heavenly Court and even the various nations of the mortal realm unaware of his identity. Only on rare occasions, when Miss Xiao Ai faced danger, did he hurriedly come forward to offer assistance."
"And this exceptional individual is none other than Sun Yan."
Speaking of this, Huo Feng let out a sigh once again and said, "It seems that the discord between senior sister and junior brother started from that time."
"However, until the upheaval two thousand years ago, such differences were still manageable. There had not been any real conflicts between them, senior sister and junior brother."
"However, two thousand three hundred years ago, a major event occurred at Hanyu Mountain, completely driving a wedge between these two senior sister and junior brother."
Huo Feng forced a bitter smile and said, "Two thousand three hundred years ago, the All Souls Ancestral Root, nurtured for over two thousand years, finally fully ripened. The fragrance of the divine fruit permeated the entire Celestial Desolation Realm, and it could be distinctly smelled even tens of millions of kilometers away, out at sea."
"According to records, when a fully ripe Ancestral Root Spirit Fruit is consumed, it can transform an ordinary person into a cultivator of the Innate Realm. If a cultivator who has already achieved a certain level of cultivation consumes it, the effects will be even more potent."
"The handling of the spiritual fruit became a point of disagreement between Sun Yan and Miss Xiao Ai."
Huo Feng said, "According to Miss Xiao Ai's plan, she wishes to distribute these thirty-six spiritual fruits among the top thirty-six immortals in the Heavenly Court, in order to strengthen its power and counter the threat of the demonic path."
"However, Sun Yan, who was typically quiet and reserved, stepped forward and voiced his opposition."
"Sun Yan strongly opposes Miss Xiao Ai's approach, believing that these thirty-six divine fruits should be concentrated on a single individual in order to fully unleash their unparalleled power."
"He argued that even if these thirty-six divine fruits were used to create thirty-six formidable innate cultivators, when the Earthly Catastrophe arrives, they would still be left scrambling, trapped in a cycle of destruction, rendering the divine fruits' effects completely wasted. Rather than dispersing the fruits, it would be better to concentrate them within the most powerful and gifted individual in Hanyu Mountain, Xiao Ai, allowing her to break through to a higher realm. If Xiao Ai could make significant progress as a result, and perhaps even reach the legendary realm where the Emperor, Fu Xi, resides, it might be possible to change the fate of the living beings in the Celestial Desolation Realm who are continuously being harvested."
"However, Xiao Ai disagrees with this approach. She believes that the Earthly Catastrophe is still far off, and that the immediate pressing concern is the threat of the demonic path."
"But Sun Yan believes that even if the Heavenly Court is destroyed and the demonic path runs rampant, it is inconsequential. The living beings in the Celestial Desolation Realm are bound to be harvested regularly, and sentient beings will not only perish in the hands of the demonic path but also in the hands of enemies from other realms in the future. As long as the power of the divine fruits can be concentrated to cultivate a supreme powerhouse, all sacrifices will be worthwhile."
"However, Xiao Ai believes that the Heavenly Court cannot be destroyed…"
"In this way, there was simply no way for the senior and junior siblings to reach a consensus. As time passed and with the increasing covetousness of the demonic path towards the divine fruits, along with mounting external pressures, the debate between the senior and junior siblings over the divine fruits became increasingly intense."
"In the end, Sun Yan betrayed the Heavenly Court and came alone to Hanyu Mountain, intending to personally pluck all the divine peaches."
"If you are unwilling to bear the burden of all sentient beings, then I shall."
"Sun Yan, at that moment, spoke to the senior sister who rushed to intervene."
As Huo Feng spoke up to this point, he let out another sigh and remained silent, his expression somber.
After a moment of deep silence, he slowly began to speak, "In the end, fellow disciples turned against each other, engaging in deadly combat. During the fierce battle, the All Souls Ancestral Root suddenly swelled in size, enveloping the entire Hanyu Mountain range, concealing all the divine peaches within its dense branches."
"And at the critical moment, I intervened in the chaotic battle to save Sun Yan, resulting in Miss Xiao Ai severing one of my arms."
"Since then, Hanyu Mountain never heard the name of Sun Yan again. He ventured alone to the northern lands, ultimately becoming the feared Demon King."
"And I, remained solitary in Hanyu Mountain, vowing never to set foot in the mortal realm."
"Under the advice of esteemed cultivators such as Senior Candle Dragon and Senior Jiu Mie, Miss Xiao Ai relinquished the divine peaches…"
"In short, since that battle, the situation in the Celestial Desolation Realm has undergone a complete and drastic transformation."
"The Heavenly Court intensified its eradication of the demonic path, while the demonic path, on the other hand, underwent gradual changes with the emergence of Sun Yan's prominence."
"In the current state of the Celestial Desolation Realm, it has almost transformed into a conflict between these two major factions, to the extent that even many reclusive ancient cultivators have been engulfed by their respective factions, resulting in increasingly intense battles and killings."
"And Xiao Ai and Sun Yan's cultivation skyrocketed. Now, one is Superme God Lu Ai, who wields the cauldron to determine the fate of the world, while the other is Demon King Sun Yan, who commands respect over the four seas. Each of them stands at the pinnacle of the Celestial Desolation Realm. Even those reclusive ancient powerhouses, in terms of strength, there are few who can rival them."
Huo Feng cast a bitter smile and said, "If I hadn't comprehended the transcendent and incomparable technique of 'Demon Heart Severing the Sacred', I wouldn't dare to provoke the Supreme Deity."
