Chapter 487: Getting Ruthless, Even Betraying One's Own Disciple
The Earthly Catastrophe.
This is a shadow that lingers over the heads of beings in the Celestial Desolation Realm.
Ordinary mortals may perhaps be unaware of the weight behind these four words, yet for the majority of cultivators, this term is far from unfamiliar.
Even if the vast majority of cultivators are unaware of the significance represented by the Earthly Catastrophe and its underlying truth, most cultivators have inevitably come into contact with relevant information and are aware of the existence of what is known as the "moment of ultimate demise, the calamity of world destruction."
Once the time arrives, the Earthly Catastrophe will descend, annihilating all living beings.
Aside from the reclusive ancient divine beasts and the Li Tribe, a unique group, the majority of living beings are unable to escape the Earthly Catastrophe.
Due to the limited lifespan of beings in the Celestial Desolation Realm, the vast majority of innate cultivators are unable to transcend the restrictions of their mortal existence and eventually will undergo the process of self-realization and pass away.
Only a small fraction of elite cultivators have the ability to break free from the constraints of lifespan, enabling them to endure, much like the ancient divine beasts, for an extended duration. However, cultivators at such a realm are bound to acquire the Life Deviation Technique. When the Earthly Catastrophe arrives, they can directly undergo life deviation, awaiting the rebirth of a new world.
However, cultivators who are unable to transcend the limitations of lifespan, even if they activate the Life Deviation Technique, cannot be reborn in the new world. With their power, they are also unable to safely weather the Earthly Catastrophe…
It can be said that every cultivator above the innate level, before surpassing the limitations of lifespan, most fears and worries about the inevitable arrival of the Earthly Catastrophe.
For ancient cultivators like the Candle Dragon who have experienced numerous cycles of life and death, the words "the Earthly Catastrophe" hold a deeply profound and significant meaning.
The shame of having to retreat and avoid battle…
The hatred of witnessing loved ones being annihilated without being able to resist…
The anger of wanting to change everything but being powerless to reverse it…
The three words, the Earthly Catastrophe, are the most despairing nightmare for cultivators of the Celestial Desolation Realm.
However, when the words were uttered on the Cliff of Dao, all three individuals fell into silence.
After a moment of silence, Lu Heng slowly spoke, "If the Earthly Catastrophe befalls, all the conflicts that Sun Yan and Xiao Ai are currently entangled in will no longer matter. Whether it is the Demon Palace or the Heavenly Court, they will both turn to ashes in the face of the Earthly Catastrophe…"
After Lu Heng finished speaking, Jiu Mie and Candle Dragon remained silent.
Jiu Mie silently rubbed the edge of the teacup in his hand and remained speechless.
Candle Dragon, with a gloomy expression on his face, gazed at the Dragon Falling Mountains that were shrouded in mist ahead, lost in thoughts unknown.
After a moment, Candle Dragon slowly spoke, saying, "My friend, I can only warn you that the Earthly Catastrophe cannot be resisted. I have already lost a dear friend and don't wish to experience the pain of losing a trusted companion again… That is why I entrust my life to you, so that we three may face the storms together, united in both advance and retreat."
After Candle Dragon finished speaking, Jiu Mie also set down the teacup in his hand and said with a distressed expression, "The old ascetic cultivator has lived for over four thousand years, which is already quite long enough…"
The words of the old ascetic cultivator were concise and to the point.
However, the attitudes of the two mischievous friends were quite distinct.
Upon this, Lu Heng could only offer a helpless smile and said, "Why are you two friends acting like this? It feels as if we are bidding farewell to life and facing death… I, Lu Heng, am not a fool. If the matter is impossible, how could I blindly forge ahead?"
"And besides, the Earthly Catastrophe may not even be imminent. How long has it been since the last Earthly Catastrophe… Even if we are to harvest the leeks, we should wait for them to grow fully, shouldn't we?"
"This time, the top cultivators from outside the Celestial Desolation Realm are likely here only to investigate the situation, at most to provoke a conflict between the demonic palace and the Heavenly Court. If they truly wanted to bring about the end of the world, why would they need to overtly send such top-tier pre-heaven cultivators to scout the truth and falsehood in the Celestial Desolation Realm?"
"Therefore, I believe the purpose of these people's arrival is merely to investigate the truth and falsehood of the Celestial Desolation Realm, while also observing the ultimate outcome of the conflict between the righteous and demonic factions. Once the war between the righteous and demonic forces has ended, they will naturally depart. At least several thousand years will have to pass, allowing the Celestial Desolation Realm to develop to a certain extent under the integration of the victorious side in the war, before they ruthlessly bring about the end of the world in order to seize the greatest benefits and harvest the most essence of life."
Lu Heng analyzed the situation and chuckled, saying, "And in response to such circumstances, the three of us have a straightforward task at hand. We must discreetly locate those foreign visitors who have infiltrated the Celestial Desolation Realm, find a way to integrate ourselves among them, and subsequently follow them to their world. By thoroughly understanding the truth and falsehood of those seven realms, we can then formulate targeted strategies for our side."
"When the time comes for a counterattack, then we can have an impact."
The plan proposed by Lu Heng left both Jiu Mie and Candle Dragon slightly taken aback.
The two exchanged a glance, their expressions peculiar.
Candle Dragon said, "My friend, it's not that I don't trust you, it's just that this plan of yours…"
"It's a little wild," Jiu Mie said.
Lu Heng laughed heartily and said, "No, no, no, this plan is quite refined. I have been preparing for this plan since my wanderings in the celestial realm."
"I have comprehended a technique called 'Soul Seizure', which forcibly infiltrates the soul and seizes one's memories, cultivation, and techniques, transforming into their appearance and actions flawlessly. As long as we find those beings from other realms and cast this technique on three isolated individuals, the three of us can perfectly disguise ourselves as beings from the Celestial Desolation Realm… Uh… Why do both of you look at me like that? Could it be that you doubt the legitimacy of the technique I have comprehended?"
Lu Heng asked with confusion.
Jiu Mie and Candle Dragon chuckled, and Candle Dragon said, "Friend, instead of using this technique when encountering the foreign cultivator named Ban Qi, you annihilated him and his group, missing the best opportunity to infiltrate… Could it be that you are waiting for the three of us to join forces?"
Candle Dragon's question made Lu Heng burst into laughter, and he nodded without hesitation, "Of course! The three of us face hardships and obstacles together. How can we miss out on such a marvelous opportunity to explore foreign realms? I must have my two good friends with me, hahaha…"
Lu Heng had a hearty smile on his face.
Jiu Mie shook his head and said, "Old Wolf truly has a mischievous nature… But you have already killed all those beings from other realms. Now, where shall we find foreign visitors?"
Regarding this, Lu Heng chuckled and said, "Naturally, I have made some preparations… When I exterminated those beings from other realms, I left behind a little trick. As long as their companions in the foreign cultivation find the corpses, they will trace their target to the Arctic Skyark Palace, believing that Demon King Sun Yan has somehow exposed their tracks and is responsible for their demise."
"For self-preservation, the remaining visitors from other realms will undoubtedly go to the Arctic Skyark Palace to participate in the grand battle between the righteous and the demonic forces, with the intention of eliminating Sun Yan, the greatest threat."
"And just as we are meeting, someone has already triggered the little trick I left behind. By now, those visitors from other realms have probably set foot on the northern path."
"Next, all we need to do is journey to the Arctic Skyark Palace. With the power of my celestial lightning magic eyes, I can easily discern through the disguises of those beings from other realms. From there, everything will naturally fall into place."
Lu Heng's plan was remarkably flawless, but Candle Dragon and Jiu Mie remained quite speechless after hearing it.
"You old wolf… You're so ruthless that you even deceive your own disciple…"
"Wolf-hearted! Wolf-hearted, indeed!"
