Chapter 517: Paths of Their Own
Before the Wolf God Temple, the atmosphere froze momentarily.
The sudden visit of Qianxin Jie, perplexing and unsettling, caught everyone off guard.
Candle Dragon desired to make a move to detain this mysterious and enigmatic woman, but the opposing party possessed extraordinary techniques and was said to be an elusive spirit body that was difficult to comprehend. If one were to rashly take action and provoke them, it would undoubtedly result in great chaos.
In the end, Candle Dragon and his companions exchanged glances with one another, ultimately giving up their intentions to intervene.
Gu Yan said coldly, "Just go away. We don't need your pity! What does Heaven beyond Heaven matter? One day, I will attain eternal enlightenment, reach the pinnacle of Heaven beyond Heaven, and avenge my Master!"
Gu Yan directly drove people away with his words, showing no mercy or kindness, and even uttered harsh words about seeking revenge.
However, Qianxin Jie, upon hearing it, merely smirked with disdain, clearly treating it as a joke. She even couldn't be bothered to utter sarcastic remarks.
To her, the words spoken by Gu Yan seemed no different than a cold joke told by someone with a narrow perspective.
She gazed at everyone in the field, awaiting their decisive actions.
And naturally, Candle Dragon and the others scorned the offer of assistance from this woman, showing complete indifference.
In the end, Qianxin Jie coldly shook her head and said, "Since you are willing to seek your own demise, then so be it."
After speaking, Qianxin Jie intended to depart.
However, at this moment, Xiao Ai, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke up.
"I'll go with you."
The words spoken by Xiao Ai made Qianxin Jie slightly startled, while Gu Yan and Fei Yi were utterly dumbfounded.
Gu Yan exclaimed in astonishment, "Senior sister…"
However, the silver-haired, beast-eared little girl had already approached Qianxin Jie. Before leaving, she turned back and glanced at everyone, saying, "I will embark on a journey of arduous cultivation in Heaven beyond Heaven, and in the future, seek vengeance for the Wolf God!"
Xiao Ai's words only elicited a disdainful smile from Qianxin Jie, who replied, "As you wish."
After finishing her words, Qianxin Jie waved her hand, and a splendid light beam soared into the sky, carrying Xiao Ai as they departed from Hanyu Mountain.
Only leaving behind the bewildered and dazed crowd in front of the Wolf God Temple.
A quarter of an hour later, until Qianxin Jie's presence had completely vanished, the figure of Lu Heng slowly emerged from beneath the ground.
Upon Candle Dragon's appearance, he immediately inquired, "Friend Lu Heng, was it you who arranged for Xiao Ai to go to Heaven beyond Heaven?"
Candle Dragon felt extremely perplexed because this manner of behavior didn't resemble that of the Old Wolf.
However, apart from the instruction given by Lu Heng, they simply couldn't think of any reasons for Xiao Ai and Qianxin Jie's departure.
Under the puzzled gazes of the crowd, Lu Heng let out a faint sigh and said, "No, this was Xiao Ai's own decision…"
He gazed in the direction where Xiao Ai had departed, his eyes filled with complexity.
Lu Heng was able to perceive Xiao Ai's intentions and understood that she wanted to go to Heaven beyond Heaven to investigate the enemy's situation, as well as to contact Shen Yuanjun, who was far away in Heaven beyond Heaven.
However, according to Lu Heng's speculation, at this moment Sister Yuanjun, despite her impressive cultivation, must be entangled with important matters and thus unable to spare her attention. Otherwise, it would be impossible for Sister Yuanjun not to appear after Lu Heng regained consciousness. Xiao Ai's idea of seeking reinforcements in Heaven beyond Heaven is truly impractical.
However, although Qianxin Jie may be inclined towards extreme actions and employ wicked methods, she would not actually harm Xiao Ai. If she is willing to help Xiao Ai escape from the Celestial Desolation Realm and if Xiao Ai herself desires to go to Heaven beyond Heaven, this presents a new opportunity for Xiao Ai, who was born in the Celestial Desolation Realm.
If Xiao Ai didn't go, she would either fight to the death or, like Candle Dragon, use the Life Deviation Technique to escape before each apocalypse, awaiting the next cycle of revival, repeatedly experiencing such a life until a decisive victor emerges between the Seven Realms and the Celestial Desolation Realm.
Moreover, Qianxin Jie harbors a deep-seated hatred towards Lu Heng, and if Lu Heng were to appear and obstruct her, Qianxin Jie would not be thinking about protecting Lu Heng's friends, but rather about how to annihilate this group of people.
Now that the Earthly Catastrophe is about to descend, the pressure of the impending world destruction is already immense. It is not a wise choice to provoke Qianxin Jie, who is both mysterious and formidable, under these circumstances.
Anyways, considering Lu Heng's past strength, as long as he fully restores his previous cultivation, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to go to Heaven beyond Heaven and retrieve Xiao Ai.
Before the Wolf God Temple, the atmosphere was slightly subdued due to Xiao Ai's departure.
However, the Earthly Catastrophe is imminent, and for these cultivators here, ten years of time will pass in the blink of an eye, they were ultimately burdened by the heavy pressure of world destruction in the Seven Realms.
Lu Heng explained to Candle Dragon and the others about the mysterious dimension where the four great ferocious beasts reside, and put forward an idea.
All cultivators above the innate realm, enter the enigmatic world to escape the Earthly Catastrophe.
That enigmatic world is mysterious and unfathomable, even the beings of the Celestial Desolation Realm have never known of it, let alone the cultivators from the Seven Realms. Practicing cultivation inside it would provide a practically worry-free and safe environment.
While the Celestial Desolation Realm only needs to withstand this occurrence of the Earthly Catastrophe, once Lu Heng regains his cultivation level of the past with the divine power of thirty-six Peach Fruits, he can sound the horn of counterattack and gather the strength of all cultivators in the Celestial Desolation Realm, competing head-to-head with the Seven Realms.
As for the selection of cultivators above the innate realm, there is also a reason behind it.
The enigmatic world is perilous and unpredictable, with various ferocious beasts running rampant. Cultivators who haven't reached the innate realm, upon entering it, are nothing more than prey for those beasts.
Moreover, entering the enigmatic world requires the assistance of Tao Wu. Before Lu Heng departed, he had consulted Tao Wu and learned that Tao Wu can only bring a maximum of three people into the enigmatic world at a time. This can be deemed as quite troublesome and it is simply impossible to relocate all the cultivators of the Celestial Desolation Realm in there.
Only excellent and vital beings can be prioritized and preserved.
However, Lu Heng's proposition caused a slight furrow of the brows for Candle Dragon and Lian Cangqing.
The enigmatic world is filled with unpredictable dangers. Based on Lu Heng's account, even ordinary innate cultivators face a perilous existence upon entry. Although cultivators from the Celestial Desolation Realm can join forces to establish a refuge and eliminate the surrounding ferocious beasts, these beasts are elusive. If confronted with a Beast Tide, even the Four Great Fierce Beasts must retreat, making entry into the enigmatic world an extremely treacherous endeavor for innate cultivators.
In the end, the decision regarding this matter rests entirely upon voluntary participation.
For the cultivators willing to utilize the Life Deviation Technique to escape to the next life, their fate shall be left to unfold as they see fit.
However, if anyone is willing to accompany Lu Heng in his departure, Lu Heng will find a way to send them into the enigmatic world.
However, externally, the truth about the enigmatic world was not revealed, only informing those innate cultivators in the mortal realm that Lu Heng possessed means to protect everyone. However, it was emphasized that compared to the Life Deviation Technique, the enigmatic world was equally unpredictable and hazardous, leaving it to the innate cultivators to make their own decision.
Gu Yan gathered the gods of the Heavenly Court and spent half a year selecting seventeen hundred cultivators who met the criteria to enter the enigmatic world. Among them, the majority were innate cultivators nurtured by the Heavenly Court, while there were also lower-ranking cultivators who, although not yet reaching the innate level, possessed extraordinary talent and great potential.
These cultivators, in accordance with their priority levels, arrived at Hanyu Mountain one after another and were escorted into the enigmatic world by Tao Wu.
However, a greater number of cultivators who didn't come to Hanyu Mountain and declined Lu Heng's summons exist.
Within the territory of the Fire Pass Country, colossal flames burn fiercely in the skies above the capital. Within the flames, the true form of the Fire God reveals itself to the world.
As the Earthly Catastrophe loomed upon the horizon, the long-dormant Fire God finally emerged, and she took away a group of wizards that she had chosen, leading them into the midst of those flames, vanishing from the world.
Before the Sacred Mountain, all nine major tribes gathered, prostrating themselves before the ancestral spirits, awaiting the arrival of the Earthly Catastrophe.
On this vast land, the numerous legacies present themselves, showcasing their respective divine abilities in this very moment. Some secluded deep in the mountains and forests, previously unseen and unheard of, have even been visited by transcendent cultivators who have taken away their disciples who have undergone trials among the mortal realm.
The seemingly weakened Celestial Desolation Realm, at this moment, uncommonly came alive with bustling activity.
The Heavenly Court, with its thousand years of accumulation, originally stood unrivaled in the Celestial Desolation. However, in the presence of these ancient monsters that have emerged, the power that the Heavenly Court has amassed over the years appears so feeble.
The world before the Earthly Catastrophe had never been so lively before.
And soon after, what awaits is the annihilation of everything.
