Chapter 451: The Arrival of the Heavenly Lord
The Floating Light Boat, a cherished treasure of the Human Emperor Palace.
When Lu Heng brought forth this object, the Dragon Emperor couldn't help but widen her eyes in astonishment.
"Brother Lu…"
She exclaimed in astonishment, "How do you possess the cherished treasure of the Human Emperor Palace? This object is rarely known to be circulating outside."
Lu Heng smiled and said, "The Human Emperor invited me to be his guest, but I have been busy all this time. Consequently, he dispatched someone to deliver this item to me, in hopes that when I have the time, I can journey to the Human Emperor Palace aboard the Floating Light Boat."
"However, as time flies, many years have passed without being able to find the time to fulfill the appointment. Instead, this item remained in my possession and now it has come into play."
"The Floating Light Boat is the fastest treasure in the world. There is no other treasure that surpasses its speed. We might be able to leave the Starry Sky Tomb before Your Majesty's spiritual energy dissipates…"
When Lu Heng uttered these words, he felt a hint of helplessness in his heart.
Although the Dragon Emperor had suspicions about his intentions, she ultimately was a virtuous woman and a good friend. He truly didn't want to see her meet her demise.
However, he had no recollection of the events from thirty million years ago and was unable to locate the River Map and the Luo Book. Furthermore, the token of the Dragon Emperor's realm led him to this place, but there were no further instructions.
For them, the only recourse now is the Floating Light Boat.
However, Lu Heng felt guilty and believed that he couldn't come up with a better solution to aid the Dragon Emperor. But when Xiu Ya laid eyes upon the Floating Light Boat, she was already filled with tremendous delight.
"With this artifact, Xiu Ya could potentially transform into a state of minimal spiritual energy depletion, perhaps truly able to depart from this Starry Sky Tomb."
She exclaimed joyfully to Lu Heng, "It's fortunate that Brother Lu accompanied Xiu Ya here. Otherwise, if Xiu Ya had come alone, I would have been utterly desperate, unable to see a glimmer of hope."
"Brother Lu is truly Xiu Ya's lucky star and benefactor!"
The Dragon Emperor, feeling blissful and smiling widely, tried to get closer to Lu Heng. In response, Lu Heng could only awkwardly smile.
This Dragon Emperor… even in life and death situations, still thinking about teasing him, is too persistent.
Upon casually tossing the Floating Light Boat from his hand, the palm-sized jade boat instantly multiplied in size by several times, transforming into a sleek and handsome small vessel.
Lu Heng changed the topic, saying, "Let us depart from this place first, for leaving a moment earlier will save us a fraction of spiritual energy."
Standing on the Floating Light Boat, Lu Heng extended a companion invitation towards the Dragon Emperor.
The Dragon Emperor, adorned in a divine robe, nodded repeatedly. Then, in a swift transformation, she turned into a small dragon measuring about a foot in length. Fluttering her eyes, she flew onto Lu Heng's shoulder and affectionately nuzzled her head against his face. Afterward, the tiny white dragon entered a state of slumber.
Regarding Lu Heng, she naturally had complete trust in him.
With an awareness of this fact, Lu Heng sighed internally, thus amplifying the pressure he felt.
If it were possible to return to the Celestial Desolation Realm, it seems that one must distance oneself from the Eastern Sea.
Perhaps even Hanyu Mountain may not be a suitable place to stay, he might have to frequently descend from the mountain…
With a heavy heart, Lu Heng directly activated the Floating Light Boat, and a dazzling light instantly shimmered from within the moon. The Floating Light Boat, known for its incredible speed, swiftly leaped out and headed towards realms beyond.
Once the Floating Light Boat is activated, it can immediately fly towards the Human Emperor Palace on its own, without requiring Lu Heng to control its direction.
He sat cross-legged on the jade boat, quietly closing his eyes, summoning the clouds of calamity, merging his body into the midst of the calamity clouds, and embarking on his cultivation journey.
The road ahead is long, and it is uncertain when one will be able to return to the Celestial Desolation Realm. Therefore, it is crucial to seize every moment and devote oneself to cultivation.
However, aboard the Floating Light Boat, he looked back at the Earth behind him. This once incredibly familiar planet now seemed remarkably unfamiliar to him.
On this planet, he was unable to encounter any familiar acquaintances. The long-awaited and deeply pondered reunion with loved ones turned out to be an unforeseen outcome.
Even the humans living on this planet have long since migrated to other star systems, and it has been a staggering thirty million years since then.
Within this vast expanse of celestial seas, it is even unclear whether the original inhabitants of Earth still survive to this day.
At this thought, Lu Heng's mind became intricate, and he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
In the next moment, the Floating Light Boat sprung into action, and Lu Heng instantaneously leaped across the vast and pitch-black expanse of cosmic space, causing the entire solar system to rapidly vanish from sight.
The Floating Light Boat, moving at an incomparable speed, constantly shattered space and traversed within this somewhat fragile Starry Sky Tomb, even causing light itself to retreat in awe.
And thus, that life-sustaining planet gently rotating within the expanse of the cosmic seas disappeared completely from Lu Heng's field of vision.
All his connections with the past were severed in this very moment.
Lu Heng's state of mind experienced a slight loosening in this moment.
Upon the White Jade Boat, his figure trembled ever so slightly, as the radiant light of celestial thunder emanated dazzlingly from Lu Heng's being, illuminating the starry seas.
Amidst the boundless shimmering of thunderous light, Lu Heng felt a tremor within his soul, and the scenery before his eyes underwent a complete transformation.
He found himself amidst a vast expanse of clouds, with a colossal Heaven Door standing tall in the distant horizon.
Above the Heaven Door, there are imprints of the ways of the heavens and earth, the mountains and rivers, the beings of humans and gods, the spirits and beasts, and the cycle of life and death.
As Lu Heng soared towards that heavenly gate, the white clouds beneath his feet carried him towards his destination.
The vast heaven door that Lu Heng once could not shake, now resoundingly swung open, directly exposing its contents on both sides.
The ethereal mist of celestial radiance, the awe-inspiring sights of the heavenly palace, and the array of divine beings lined on either side of the heaven door all unfolded before Lu Heng, one by one.
The clouds and mist billowed as the divine robes draped and descended, resonating with the mighty power of the vast celestial thunder. The multitude of immortal beings and gods on both sides of the Heaven Door all bowed in reverence.
"I pay my respect to the Heavenly Lord!"
The collective greetings of the multitude of immortal beings and gods echoed resoundingly within the heavenly palace, striking straight at the depths of one's soul and spirit.
The white clouds beneath Lu Heng's feet, however, continued incessantly, advancing further into the depths of the heavenly palace.
Along the journey, the heavenly palace loomed grandly, exotic flowers bloomed, and ethereal aura permeated the air. Within the palaces and pavilions, celestial beings soared through the sky, each performing their own respectful gestures.
The flickering silhouettes of countless celestial gods, familiar yet blurred, their countenances utterly indiscernible, yet evoking an unparalleled sense of warmth and familiarity.
Ultimately, Lu Heng traversed the vast majority of the Heavenly Court and arrived before the highest temple at its pinnacle.
Above the vast and majestic hall, divine plaques hung high in the air.
Within the temple, an expansive and awe-inspiring sight unfolded. However, the scene of countless celestial beings lined up within the heavenly palace remained hidden from view.
Awaiting Lu Heng within the expanse of the divine palace was a formidable figure, seated atop the elevated divine throne.
Clothed in divine robes, emanating an extraordinary aura, he sat serenely upon the divine throne, as if he had already witnessed the passing of countless ages and comprehended the grand affairs of all living beings.
After Lu Heng's appearance, the figure on the divine throne slowly rose to its feet.
Within the radiant and resplendent celestial light, the figure on the divine throne wore a smile, with the magnificent presence of heavenly thunder enveloping their being. With a familiar yet unfamiliar countenance, they extended a respectful greeting towards Lu Heng.
"Heavenly Lord, you have finally returned."
Upon the Floating Light Boat, Lu Heng's form suddenly trembled, and he swiftly opened his eyes.
Boom!!!
The horrendous roar shattered the vast expanse of space around,
In the instant Lu Heng opened his eyes, dazzling electric lights shot forth, illuminating the entire universe!
On his face, an expression of disbelief was clearly revealed.
"Heavenly Lord…"
He murmured the title repeatedly, feeling a sense of melancholy rising within his heart.
The figure atop the divine throne, so familiar to him, an exact replica, seemed to be the silhouette of someone from ancient times… as if it were his own mirrored reflection.
However, he struggled to recall the multitude of deities and immortals within the Celestial Palace.
Even though those countless gods and immortals appeared incredibly familiar and dear to him, upon glimpsing many indistinct figures, his heart would even stir with fervent excitement.
Yet, in the end, he remained incapable of remembering.
Moreover, his intuition told him that for the rest of his life, he would never be able to recall who those familiar figures truly were.
This would be his final encounter with these former acquaintances.
In the future, even if he could dispel all the mists within the Cloud Sea Sky Palace and return to the supreme cultivation of ancient times, he would still be unable to behold those figures or recall their names.
Those gradually fading, indistinct traces would be the everlasting regrets in Lu Heng's heart, forever unforgettable yet forever unrecallable.
On the jade boat, the radiance emanating from Lu Heng's body gradually dissipated.
His figure also gradually relinquished the previous terrifying majesty, returning to its normal state.
It appears as though nothing has changed.
However, it was only when Lu Heng devoted himself to introspection that he discovered the changes within and around himself.
Inside the Cloud Sea Sky Palace, as the mist dissipated, a celestial radiance permeated the air. Within the vast yet desolate heavenly palace, Lu Heng could no longer find a single wisp of obscuring white clouds.
The expansive heavenly palace finally unveiled itself before him.
And his cultivation, also unknowingly, reached the realm of Innate, far surpassing his former self when he departed from the Earth.
However, in reality, seven hundred and fifty years have also passed.
Fortunately, the small white dragon curled up on his shoulder still breathed calmly, without depleting its spiritual energy.
Otherwise, the cost of attaining this spiritual enlightenment would be too great…
Thinking of this, Lu Heng couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.
He gently touched the small white dragon curled up on his shoulder and murmured, "Seven hundred and fifty years…"
The passage of time in the spiritual enlightenment seems to have only been a little over ten minutes.
But in the real world, so much time has already passed. The Floating Light Boat beneath him continues to speed through the stellar sea, constantly shattering space and leaping towards the distant direction of the Celestial Desolation Realm, heading towards the Human Emperor Palace.
The starry realms around him had become completely unfamiliar to Lu Heng; he had never witnessed or heard of such places before. This location was long detached from the Earth where Lu Heng originated, and it even surpassed the farthest region within his memory that was observable during that era. It was a distant stellar sea that humanity on Earth could never fathom.
However, returning to the Celestial Desolation Realm from the edge of that universe still seemed indefinitely distant.
Within the vast expanse of stars ahead, a grand and icy emptiness stretched endlessly, and one could never perceive the boundaries of the universe.
Meanwhile, the little white dragon nestled on his shoulder had become feeble and seemed unable to endure much longer.
At the very least, this little white dragon can no longer persevere for another seven hundred and fifty years.
Lu Heng took a deep breath and rose directly from the Floating Light Boat, his gaze fixed on the distance.
In the next moment, the power of heavenly thunder surged magnificently.
Lu Heng directly retrieved the Floating Light Boat, transforming into a blazing streak of ethereal light as he swiftly flew towards the distance.
Within the majestic and surging might of heavenly thunder, brilliant rays of white lightning illuminated the celestial expanse.
Its speed was unexpectedly several times faster than the renowned swiftness of the Floating Light Boat!
