Chapter 519: My Unwillingness to Part With Sentient Beings
Xiao Ai, the White Wolf, the inn, Peach Blossom Divine Brew, bonfire, the Bo horse, and the revelers…
The scenes that took place back then seem to linger vividly before Lu Heng's eyes.
The enormous white wolf and Huo Feng sat beside the bonfire, gazing around. Suddenly, the empty inn seemed to come alive with vibrant energy.
They seemed to spot another flickering bonfire not far away, surrounded by a group of weary yet exhilarated merchants. Though they were not far apart, they could hear the merchants engaged in eager and animated whispers.
Huo Feng couldn't help but let out a sigh, his expression filled with melancholy. "It's a pity that Xiao Ai has departed…"
In response, the enormous white wolf merely smiled faintly, feeling at ease. "She has her own destiny, we need not worry about her."
Regarding Xiao Ai's departure, although Lu Heng felt reluctant, he understood that Xiao Ai would not be in danger.
This is an inexplicable intuition, but the cultivator's intuition has always been precise.
While the white wolf conversed and exchanged laughter with Huo Feng, the Bo horse, not far away, remained terrified and trembling in fear.
This the Bo horse is not the same one from that year, but rather a descendant of the original the Bo horse. Despite Huo Feng's advanced cultivation and Lian Caiyi surpassing the limit of life and death, having lived for over four thousand years, their longtime companion of a steed didn't have such fortune.
That horse, which accompanied Lu Heng and journeyed with them throughout his youth, perished due to the depletion of its life force five hundred years after Lu Heng's departure. The horse before us now is the great-grandchild of that very same horse from that era.
Comparing to its ancestors, it possesses extraordinary talent and has already surpassed the limit of life and death, having lived for over a thousand years. Placed outside, it can also intimidate the top-notch cultivators and formidable figures of the demon realm.
However, now by the side of this human and wolf duo, it is rather anxious.
After all, Lu Heng's reputation, which resonated throughout the Heavenly Court, had also left an indelible and supreme aura of power in the hearts of the young generation of cultivators.
However, the protagonist of this journey is not the Bo horse, so its timidity and fear are not of great significance.
After a night of rest, in the early morning, Huo Feng followed the tradition to extinguish the campfire, tidy up the inn, and once again embarked on the southern journey, riding the Bo horse.
And this time, he once again embarked on the journey with the colossal white wolf, just like in the distant past, four thousand years ago.
Their pace was slow, relying solely on their footsteps to once again measure this vast world.
The cities and mountains they had once set foot in, now they stepped upon them once again. Passing through the Youtian Valley, they also ventured inside and caught sight of the colossal cauldron left by Wu Gu during her alchemy in the past.
After losing the Requiem Seal, the Youtian Valley has now transformed into an ordinary mountain valley, devoid of the mystical elements like mist and specters. The area where the Dark Spring Water used to flow in the valley has also been filled with regular mountain spring water, turning into a small lake.
And on the small island in the center of the lake, once the place where Wu Gu conducted her alchemy, now stands empty and overgrown with weeds. After several thousand years, the humble grass hut that once stood there has vanished without a trace, but the weathered, mottled grand cauldron still stands tall amidst the wind and rain.
In the drizzle, as the raindrops fell gently, half of the cauldron submerged in the heart of the lake seemed to represent the remnants of a bygone era, soon to be engulfed by the storms of the new era.
Standing by the lake, gazing for a long time, until that weathered cauldron was gradually engulfed by the rising waters, the massive white wolf and Huo Feng finally turned away and departed.
After departing from the Youtian Valley, they proceeded to the nearby Pang River.
Just like in the past, Huo Feng hastily purchased a boat and embarked with the white wolf, sailing southward.
While intimidating the four seas, the Heavenly Court continuously aids various nations in eradicating the demons lurking in the mountains and wilderness. Compared to four thousand years ago, the current wasteland has become much safer, and when merchants and travelers journey through it, there is less concern about being attacked by wicked spirits.
Therefore, this already bustling and vibrant Pang River, is even more lively and extraordinary than it was four thousand years ago.
The result of the demons being eradicated and driven away by the Heavenly Court is the flourishing of humanity.
Four thousand years ago, when Lu Heng descended from the mountain, there were few human figures along the magnificent road. The residents lived within their own grand cities, rarely venturing far from home for generations.
However, things are different now. The interaction between cities has become increasingly close, and even mortals can venture together to explore the mountains and wilderness. The tales of demons slaughtering people are merely confined to legends.
As they traveled south along the Pang River, not only were there countless boats and sails competing on its surface, but also on the riverbanks, they frequently encountered mountain villages and townships, with wisps of cooking smoke rising into the air. It was a stark contrast to the primitive and desolate scenery of the past.
Passing through several large cities, they could even witness the spectacle of flower boats sailing, adorned with colorful lights and vibrant decorations, particularly enchanting under the night sky. The melodious voices of singing maidens resonated across the river, while bursts of laughter from literati engaging in poetic exchanges occasionally reached their ears.
In comparison, their small boat appeared ordinary and unremarkable on the Pang River.
The enormous white wolf and Huo Feng observed this drastically transformed landscape and human sentiment, vastly distinct from four thousand years ago. During the day, Huo Feng rowed the boat, while at night, he would anchor the boat on the river and spend the night there. He would catch a few fish to cook soup, resembling an ordinary fishing family.
They traveled south all the way, drifting along the journey, until they finally arrived at Fu Shan City in the Dragon Falling Mountains. Once again, they entered this ancient city where they had once stayed for nearly half a year.
In comparison to the scenery four thousand years ago, Fu Shan City has not changed significantly.
At the very least, the city's orientation and the external appearance of its city walls have not changed much, but the architectural style and cultural atmosphere within, however, are drastically different from four thousand years ago.
The streets are bustling with prosperity and countless people are traveling north and south along the main road. Fu Shan City has always been a necessary stop for those traveling south, and even four thousand years ago, it was bustling with activity when the wilderness was difficult to traverse. Nowadays, it is even more vibrant, leaving people amazed.
With a thriving popularity that soars to the sky, even without the protectorship of wizards, ordinary monsters and evil demons dare not intrude into its midst.
And the Wuzhu of Fu Shan City, who has already served many terms, is no longer the same woman Lu Heng had once encountered.
Wizards have always had short lifespans, and the turnover of Wuzhus is frequent. The enigmatic lineage of the Fire God is still difficult to discern even for someone like Lu Heng in the present day.
The only thing that can be certain is that there is a reason why Wuzhus have short lifespans, and after their passing, their souls don't manifest in this world, leaving their whereabouts unknown. For over four thousand years, the realm of the netherworld has never received a single Wuzhu from the Fire Pass Country; only ordinary wizards go to the netherworld after death.
In Fu Shan City, Lu Heng and Huo Feng didn't stay long.
Although this city may not appear to have changed significantly, its interior is no longer reminiscent of the Fu Shan City from four thousand years ago. The houses and buildings have undergone numerous renovations, and even the magnificent Fire God Temple has found a new location.
As for the Wu Clan of Fu Shan City, who once received the protection of Lu Heng, they have long vanished into the depths of the four-thousand-year-old history.
While perusing the records in the Fire God Temple, Lu Heng distinctly observed the journey of the Wu Clan, from their initial prosperity and growth, to their gradual decline, ultimately vanishing into the vast sea of humanity.
Four thousand years may not be a long time for those on the path of Dao cultivation, but for ordinary mortals, it is an unfathomably lengthy period that can witness the rise and fall of a colossal lineage.
Even with the covert care of wizards from the Fire God lineage, the Wu Clan of Fu Shan City still gradually declined and vanished.
Although their bloodline has long been intertwined with this world, the lineage of the Wu Clan has spread even further. However, those individuals may have lost all connections with the Wu family, and it would be difficult to find any trace of the Wu family even by flipping through the family genealogy.
Recorded in history, the last surviving member of the Wu Clan met a lonely death in his own thatched cottage to the south of the city on a stormy night over two thousand three hundred years ago. Draped in the scent of liquor and burdened with a partial disability, he departed from this world without leaving behind a single heir or a single loved one.
…Indeed, the once illustrious and prosperous Wu Clan in Fu Shan City, after persevering through hardships for over a thousand years, even with the various covert assistance from the wizard lineage, their final curtain call still appeared so desolate.
The passage of a thousand years has worn away so many things.
Having finished reading this passage, Lu Heng, even though he was prepared beforehand, couldn't help but sigh softly in his heart.
In the face of the vast river of time, the existence of individuals is truly insignificant.
Even for a remarkable figure like the ancient deity, the Emperor Fu Xi, whose brilliance was unparalleled, his renown nowadays is only known among certain cultivators, let alone those exceptional cultivators who lived during the same era as Fu Xi. There are hardly any who have managed to leave a lasting legacy for future generations.
As for cultivators prior to Fu Xi, they have long remained nameless and unknown within the vast realms of the Celestial Desolation.
In the Celestial Desolation Realm, Lu Heng, despite his unmatched power and the awe he instills in people, who in the coming tens of millions or even billions of years, will remember that once, within Hanyu Mountain, there stood the mighty Wolf God?
Inside the library, Lu Heng was lost in a trance for quite some time, until the constellations shifted and the rooster outside crowed thrice, only then did he break free from that peculiar state of absent-mindedness.
Finally, Lu Heng transformed into his human form and gently bowed to Huo Feng, who stood beside him, and a smile adorned his face.
"I have reached the end of my journey here. Huo brother, the path ahead can only be walked by you alone."
Lu Heng's words seemed to hold another level of mystery.
Huo Feng, with his white hair, was slightly startled, realizing that the Wolf God had indeed made a breakthrough.
He chuckled and said, "The Wolf God has bestowed upon us an abundance of care. From now on, Huo Feng shall undoubtedly wholeheartedly continue on this path!"
Saying so, Huo Feng made a gesture of respect, clasping his hands together and bowing deeply, paying a profound tribute to Lu Heng.
While Lu Heng remained still this time, calmly accepting Huo Feng's gesture, he smiled and said, "It began with Hanyu, but it doesn't necessarily have to end with Hanyu… Brother Huo, your path can reach even further. I hope that when we meet again in the future, your sword will truly reflect the boundless heavens."
Lu Heng's intention to leave was evident.
Huo Feng, this time, was truly taken aback.
"The Wolf God…," he hesitated and said, "Shouldn't we retreat to the eerie world to avoid it?"
Regarding this, Lu Heng in his white attire smiled faintly, hands clasped behind his back, and said, "The eerie world is like fleeting clouds to me. I don't fear death, even if it means risking my life. Moreover, in this vast sea of sentient beings, such a lively and prosperous realm of humanity, it would be a great pity if it were easily abandoned, with no one to fight for it."
"Though all of you may not be able to undertake this matter, I, on the other hand, should step forward and do something. Even if unable to alter the overall situation, the closure of this era should, ultimately, be brought about by our generation," said Lu Heng.
Lu Heng's words made Huo Feng widen his eyes.
Although he was aware that the Wolf God must possess some form of life-saving technique and would not truly perish in the Earthly Catastrophe, to single-handedly confront the attack from the entire seven realms…
Huo Feng clenched his teeth, about to speak, but Lu Heng had already approached him and lightly tapped his shoulder, saying.
"What you want to do is just an unnecessary act of arrogance, there is no need for it."
Lu Heng said, "You and I are aware of this matter, and that is sufficient."
"I don't abandon sentient beings, and sentient beings themselves shall not yield to the enemies of the seven realms."
