Chapter 422: Changes in the Mortal Realm
After a conversation with Lianshan Jing, the lingering gloom in Lu Heng's heart was alleviated.
This passionate and spirited woman, always radiating with such sunshine and brightness, seems to have the power to infect others with her optimism and eliminate all fear of worldly hardships, just by engaging in conversation with her for a while.
After exchanging their views, Lianshan Jing straightforwardly expressed her intention to entrust the matter of the River Map and the Luo Book to Lu Heng. After all, Lu Heng is an esteemed predecessor from ancient times, and it is only fitting that the capable shoulder more responsibilities. As a junior, she decided not to join in the commotion on Sanxian Island.
In the end, Lu Heng personally escorted Lianshan Jing outside the mountains, and promised that upon returning from Sanxian Island, he would promptly inform Lianshan Jing of the outcome.
After Lianshan Jing's departure, Lu Heng returned to the midst of calamitous clouds to continue his cultivation, without lingering in the mountains.
Although he was aware of the fervent desire of those third-generation disciples in the mountains to see him, if it were the former Lu Heng, he would surely have appeared to fulfill the modest wishes of these disciples.
However, now, Lu Heng bears immense pressure in his heart and has no more time to attend to such mundane matters.
He longed to swiftly cultivate his abilities and thereafter embark upon a quest to Heaven beyond Heaven in search of Sister Yuanjun, to unveil the truths of the world.
The truth of the world within the Celestial Desolation Realm, formidable adversaries from other realms, and the imminent threat of the Earthly Catastrophe… These things, akin to haunting talismans, constantly weigh upon Lu Heng's mind, leaving him no room for negligence.
Once he stops to rest, a deep sense of guilt immediately arises. Although he is aware that taking a day or two of rest would not have any significant impact.
Yet Lu Heng ultimately could not bring himself to halt.
The current Lu Heng finally came to understand why most of the ancient mighty beings in this world choose to seclude themselves and withdraw from the public eye.
After comprehending the truth of the Celestial Desolation Realm and experiencing the Earthly Catastrophe, it is likely that few individuals can continue aimlessly wandering in the mundane world without a care in the world.
Not to mention that Lu Heng faces even greater pressure compared to ordinary ancient powerhouses.
While the pressure of his existence may not be significant, the whereabouts of Sister Yuanjun remains a persistent concern that Lu Heng cannot shake off.
And also his parents on Earth…
Nowadays, it has only been a little over a decade since Lu Heng left Earth. If progress is made quickly enough, perhaps he can return to Earth before his parents pass away and have a distant reunion with them.
To fulfill the lingering obsession within his heart.
However, if he lingers too long in the Celestial Desolation Realm, his parents on Earth will have already exhausted their lifespan. In that case, what significance would his return to Earth hold…
Therefore, Lu Heng dare not slacken, striving to utilize every single minute and second of his time for cultivation, aiming to reach the realm that Sister Yuanjun mentioned as soon as possible.
At the very least, he must break through to the realm where he can cross worlds and travel back to Earth before his parents pass away.
Amidst such pressure, Lu Heng dedicates himself within the calamitous clouds, ceaselessly absorbing the power of heavenly thunder, and continually dispersing the celestial mists within his body.
While Lu Heng cultivates diligently within Hanyu Mountain, the world outside remains as bustling as ever.
Under the constant influx of deceased souls from the Youxiong Country and the Fire Pass Country, the number of lost souls within the netherworld is increasing steadily.
After utilizing the authority of Chakravartin to select qualified spirits for employment in the netherworld, You Yue proceeded to initiate the transformation of these spirits, infusing them with vitality.
As batches of deceased souls from the mortal realm are delivered, ghost cultivators in the netherworld are also born in succession. The construction of the Ten Halls of the Underworld is continuously being perfected.
After returning from the Dragon Falling Mountains, Lu Heng engaged in a lengthy conversation with You Yue, where they discussed and rectified numerous shortcomings, and proposed several improvements.
As a result, You Yue's workload began to increase significantly.
However, the reincarnation system in the netherworld gradually began to take shape.
Under the steady construction of a continuous influx of ghost cultivators, the Ten Halls of Reincarnation began to take shape.
The Ruoshui River, which is difficult for ordinary people to approach, now has colossal Naihe Bridges built upon it, all leading to the central Wheel of Reincarnation tunnel in the river.
Once the Wheel of Reincarnation is fully established in the future, all the ghost messengers will take up their positions, and the souls of the deceased who have completed a series of journeys will eventually arrive here, crossing the Naihe Bridge and drinking the Meng Po soup to stabilize their souls, before being immersed in the cycle of reincarnation.
The Wheel of Reincarnation tunnel in the netherworld possesses the inherent power to cleanse memories.
The role of Meng Po soup is to protect the souls of the deceased from being torn apart by the Wheel of Reincarnation tunnel.
After all, the souls that will come here for reincarnation in the future are mostly fragile and powerless mortal souls. Without the protection of the specially brewed Meng Po soup, the souls of mortals will be torn apart once they enter the Wheel of Reincarnation tunnel, and they will be unable to reach the human realm for rebirth.
While the construction of the ghost government in the netherworld is flourishing, the temples dedicated to local deities in various places on Earth are empty and desolate.
Although in recent years, the Youxiong Country and the Fire Pass Country have been continuously sending souls of the deceased to the netherworld, these souls, in comparison to the desolate and starting-from-scratch nature of the netherworld, are insufficient to fill all the positions of the ghost messengers.
Roaming in the human realm, the ghost messengers still consist solely of the siblings Wuyou and Wuyu, also known as Black and White Impermanences.
As for the temples dedicated to local deities? Let them remain empty for now, as even the ghost messengers in the netherworld are insufficient. How could there be any spare capacity to serve in the human realm?
The fervent development of the netherworld in Youxiong Country and Fire Pass Country has also caught the attention of other nations. Apart from the overseas countries that continue to overlook the situation on land, the majority of nations on this land have started to establish contact with Youxiong Country and Fire Pass Country, and subsequently established connections with the netherworld.
Later, new but empty temples dedicated to local deities were constructed on their homeland. The only ghost messengers that would appear in these vacant temples were still the siblings known as Black and White Impermanences.
After an increasing number of people became aware of these nearly endless doppelgangers, the sisters directly shattered people's perceptions and left numerous cultivators astonished and shocked.
Because such beings were simply impossible to exist in the mortal world, it was the first time they learned about the so-called netherworld and became aware of the reincarnation system it aimed to establish.
And the cultivators were astonished and shocked, while ordinary mortals quickly became aware of the existence of these siblings and subsequently learned about the concept of reincarnation.
Although the reincarnation system has not yet been successfully established, in the mortal realm, only the siblings known as Black and White Impermanences roam.
However, in the temples dedicated to deities, mortal beings began worshipping the duo known as Wuyou and Wuyu, making them the first pair of ghost messengers in the netherworld to be revered and receive offerings.
Following that, even funeral customs in various regions gradually began to differ slightly from their original cultivates.
Even in countries like the Fire Pass Country, which in the past advocated cremation and believed in the return of ashes to the earth and sea, people have started to opt for burial.
Because mortals believe that since the realm of the netherworld is called the "netherworld," it must naturally be located underground. By being buried in the earth after death, they believe they can more swiftly enter the realm of the netherworld…
This way of thinking is full of flaws, yet it gradually became a customary cultivate among mortals.
Meanwhile, the Fire Pass Country also doesn't care whether mortals choose cremation or burial after death, allowing them to follow their preferences.
After all, in the belief system of wizards, there has never been any stipulation regarding how followers should be buried. The daily responsibilities of wizards, in addition to their cultivation and maintenance of order, are to gather and harness the power of incense, using its energy to nurture the land, bless the region with favorable weather and abundant harvests year after year.
