Chapter 515: Guests of the Heavenly Court
Leaving the sea, thousands of miles away from Mount Buzhou, Lu Heng and Xiao Ai encountered the gigantic beast Tao Wu that was waiting there.
Upon seeing the safe return of Lu Heng and Xiao Ai, Tao Wu breathed a sigh of relief.
Lu Heng exchanged a few words with it, smiling, before bidding farewell.
Regarding this, Tao Wu showed a hint of reluctance, for within the desolate and eerie world, companionship was a rarity, and boredom prevailed. Although the other three ferocious beasts would eventually regenerate, there was no camaraderie among the four major monstrous creatures. With Lu Heng and Xiao Ai departing now, Tao Wu naturally couldn't bear to part with them.
However, it was also aware that Lu Heng wouldn't stay for long, so it prepared its emotions, once again carrying Lu Heng and Xiao Ai towards the exit.
The method of entering the eerie world is known only to the four major monstrous creatures.
And leaving, naturally, follows the same course.
Tao Wu, however, was unable to depart this time.
The eerie world is isolated from the outside world, and even the four major monstrous creatures can only enter the Celestial Desolation Realm when the opportune moment arrives.
And now, evidently, there is no opportunity.
Tao Wu escorted the pair of Lu Heng to the edge of the world and, after traversing that most enigmatic and formidable level of power, returned to the eerie realm.
While Lu Heng and Xiao Ai continuously shuttled through one small world after another, eventually, with Lu Heng wielding his sword to shatter the void and break through the spatial barriers, they forcefully cleared a path and successfully entered the Celestial Desolation Realm.
When they arrived at Hanyu Mountain, at that moment, Hanyu Mountain had already restored its appearance from years past.
Nestled within an ordinary mountain range that was neither particularly treacherous nor considered a heavenly abode, there stood the Wolf God Temple, adorned with several small cottages.
The immense and towering peach tree, which once obscured the heavens, had now dispersed the barrier that kept the outside world at bay. Standing at the outskirts of Luoye City, closest to Hanyu Mountain, one could gaze into the distance and witness a pale streak of lightning travel through the sky, ultimately descending upon the distant mountains on the horizon.
In front of Hanyu Mountain, before the Wolf God Temple.
Candle Dragon, Jiu Mie, and others have already gathered, only awaiting the return of Lu Heng.
Upon the descent of the pale streak of light, Lu Heng and the others exchanged greetings and Lu Heng shared the discoveries within the enigmatic realm.
"Mount Buzhou?" Candle Dragon furrowed his brow and said, "I have never heard of such a mountain before…"
Therefore, Lu Heng turned his gaze towards Lian Cangqing, who stood beside him. Lian Cangqing, the progenitor of martial immortals, was an even more ancient being than Candle Dragon.
However, when Lu Heng looked over, Lian Cangqing gave him a stern glare and said, "What are you staring at? I never heard of this mountain before!"
Lian Cangqing's attitude remained, as always, exceedingly hostile.
With a helpless smile, Lu Heng shook his head and said, "In that case, let us proceed with the discussion of the Earthly Catastrophe…"
The Earthly Catastrophe is imminent, and it is widely acknowledged by all. Furthermore, the disturbances of the Green State Cauldron and the Yuz State Cauldron serve as confirmation; there is no need to doubt the impending arrival of the world-ending calamity.
And thus, presented before everyone, only one simple question remained…
However, this question also happens to be the most challenging ancient enigma that perplexes people.
To fight or to evade…
If choosing to evade, then utilize the Life Deviation Technique that was created by Lian Cangqing back in the day, sealing one's cultivation within the void, while the primordial spirit escapes to await reawakening in the next era.
And if one chooses to fight, with the currently weakened combat power of the Celestial Desolation Realm, it would be a formidable challenge to contend against the apocalyptic forces of the Seven Realms…
Lu Heng glanced at the people present and said, "Why don't we temporarily depart from the Celestial Desolation Realm and seek refuge in the realms of the heavens to avoid the impending danger?"
Lu Heng proposed such a concept, saying, "Although the Celestial Desolation Realm is surrounded by the Earthly Behemoth, my speed can evade it. Within ten years, it should be sufficient for us to ensure the safe departure of all cultivators from the Celestial Desolation Realm."
However, Lu Heng's proposal left the people present in a state of mutual perplexity.
"Leaving the Celestial Desolation Realm?" Lian Cangqing looked strangely at Lu Heng, saying, "You, an outsider from another realm, are speaking such absurd words… It is common knowledge among the denizens of the Celestial Desolation Realm that the inhabitants cannot depart from the Celestial Desolation Realm. Even if one's cultivation reaches great heights, attempting to ascend and escape would be futile, as an intangible force would forcibly pull back both body and soul, rendering escape impossible. Do you think all cultivators in our realm are fools? Don't you know about the vastness of the other realms, where can one easily find refuge?"
The Candle Dragon also sighed and said, "Indeed, that is true. Even the progenitor of Martial Immortals in our realm has never witnessed the so-called Earthly Behemoth. This is because the regions beyond our realm are forbidden areas that we cannot set foot upon. The Nine Cauldrons have imprinted the living beings of the Celestial Desolation Realm upon themselves, safeguarding the eternal cycle of sentient beings, while also restricting our ability to leave this realm."
The words exchanged between the Candle Dragon and Lian Cangqing left Lu Heng filled with astonishment.
"Why can't we leave the Celestial Desolation Realm? But… how is it that Dragon Emperor Xiu Ya was able to enter the Starry Sky Tomb with me?"
…as well as the inexplicable Xuanyuan lineage that runs through Lu Heng's veins.
If the beings of the Celestial Desolation Realm cannot leave the Celestial Desolation Realm, then how did the Xuanyuan lineage on Earth come to be?
Lu Heng was extremely perplexed.
Regarding this, the Candle Dragon explained, "The Dragon Emperor's Secret Realm is an ancient heritage, which enables the Dragon Emperor to leave the Celestial Desolation Realm, so it's not surprising. But as for the others, they can forget about it. The only way for beings in our realm to survive is through the Life Deviation Technique."
However, the activation of the Life Deviation Technique also comes with a price…
Though the Life Deviation Technique is simple and easy to learn, anyone with basic knowledge of cultivation can acquire it. However, once the Life Deviation Technique is activated, the spiritual essence that retreats into the void requires the spiritual power preserved by the cultivator, awaiting the dawn of a new era and the revival of all things.
If one's cultivation level is low and their spiritual power is insufficient, forcefully activating the Life Deviation Technique without awaiting the dawn of a new era, once the spiritual power preserved by the practitioner is depleted, the unsupported spiritual essence will dissipate into the void, vanishing into thin air.
Therefore, every instance of the Life Deviation Technique is a high-stakes gamble, betting on whether one's preserved spiritual power is sufficient to sustain the spiritual essence until the next epoch.
With the current level of cultivation in the Celestial Desolation Realm, it is estimated that less than fifty cultivators would be able to rely on the Life Deviation Technique to survive until the next epoch.
At this moment, even the typically optimistic Lu Heng couldn't muster a smile.
He sat under the pavilion, observing his few silent friends before him, remaining silent for a prolonged period.
Outside the pavilion, Xiao Ai and Gu Yan stood respectfully, refraining from speaking out of turn.
But at a certain moment, Xiao Ai and Gu Yan, who were standing by, both paused for a moment, exchanged a glance, and finally looked towards Lu Heng in the pavilion.
"Master…" Gu Yan called out as he opened his mouth.
Lu Heng glanced at him and said, "What happened?"
Lu Heng noticed the astonishment and unease in Gu Yan's eyes.
Gu Yan hurriedly said, "Master, at this moment, the Heavenly Court has been visited by a mysterious woman in red, who claims to be looking for the three of us."
After speaking, Gu Yan hastily kicked the slumbering fat bird next to him, startling the gigantic bird that was several meters tall.
Upon seeing that everyone was looking at it, the fat bird promptly widened its eyes. Subsequently, from within the giant blood-red pupils of the fat bird Fei Yi, two beams of light flew out. These beams of light converged in the void, transforming into a water mirror.
And what appeared in the water mirror was the scene in front of the heavenly door at that moment.
The fully armed heavenly soldiers and generals all wore expressions of fear, gradually retreating. In front of them, a figure of a woman in red stood with a cold and chilling countenance, exuding a menacing aura.
The appearance of that woman was astonishingly identical to Lian Cangqing's…
