Chapter 1341: Chapter 1339: The Withering After the Prosperity (Part 2)
"This is the cosmic rules wreaking havoc."
Within a small farmhouse surrounded by paddy fields, fences, and willow trees, the Immortal Scholar was tirelessly giving a wry, helpless smile, as if he had guessed something.
On the stone bench not far from him sat the Sorcerer Lord and the Saintly Love Young Master.
Neither of them were ordinary individuals. The Saintly Love Young Master said, "Do you mean to say, as the world’s capacity to accommodate increases, it also cuts down on the life force of every expert?"
They had experienced two major cosmic battles and could easily surmise that the current world of East Victory could easily withstand even Semi-Broken Level warriors, and the threshold for becoming a Supreme Lord was much lower than before.
"Is there any other explanation?"
The Immortal Scholar shook his head: "Ordinary martial artists, even Earth Immortals at the Divine Border Realm, have very limited destructive power against the world. But Void Origin Realm warriors, and even more so Sky Origin Realm Supreme Lords, if they were to emerge in large numbers, would sooner or later harm the very foundation of the world."
"To prevent this scenario, the cosmic rules have changed, drastically reducing the lifespan of Supreme Lords and Void Origin Realm warriors! Furthermore, is this not also a form of reciprocal cycle? What is taken from the cosmos is returned to it!"
The courtyard was silent except for the quacking of a few ducks in the pond.
"The spiritual energy of the world has not changed for now, but if predictions hold true, it should start to decrease. Perhaps in tens of thousands of years, martial arts will once again decline," the Sorcerer Lord said softly.
Indeed, as the three Supreme Lords had anticipated, in the years that followed, many an aged Void Origin Realm expert died.
Supreme Lords who had lived since sixteen thousand years ago were also aging one after another, and within two thousand years, more than thirty ancient Supreme Lords had died, leaving less than ten.
"I’m not willing to accept this; I still had ten thousand years to live. Why take away my life now? What of the cosmic rules, I defy these heavens!"
In the depths of the palace of the Fire Stiffs, the Mingyi Fire General roared to the skies, feeling the pull of the void’s power. He unleashed all his life’s work, desperately trying to sever this force.
Boom!
The Mingyi Fire General was undoubtedly one of East Victory’s top Supreme Lords. His power was enough to overturn rivers and mountains, and his vigorous energy shook the surroundings, making even the peak Sky Origin Realm array systems around him expand outward.
However, this void power was even more resilient and mysterious, resembling the tentacles of a monster—impossible to avoid, impossible to sever, leaving him helpless as he watched his soul’s essence being drained away.
"Father, save me!"
In his last moments of life, the Mingyi Fire General cried out loud, turning into the essence of the Great Dao and returning to the cosmos.
Outside the array system, the eyes of the ancestor of the Fire Stiffs were bloodshot red.
He had seven sons, each with exceptional talents. The Yuan Sword Emperor had vanished into the mortal world long ago; four sons had died at the hands of foreign Supreme Lords, and a few years ago, the master of the Color Crossing Ship also passed away.
Now, even his most prized eldest son had turned into a pile of air, and all he could do was stand by, powerless to intervene.
The cosmic rules, how merciless indeed!
Nine Profound Mountain.
The five Great Envoys were emaciated, their white robes fluttering. They sat withered on the barren peaks, calmly facing death, devoid of any fear.
This day was bound to come, was it not? The five only regretted not being able to see the Holy Monarch one last time, wondering about the outcome of his battle against the three mighty foes, curious if the Holy Empress was revived?
"After we depart, the protection of the Shishi Clan will depend on you two."
Among the Great Envoys, the oldest slowly opened his eyes and looked towards Fairy Xinluo and the Red Jade Saint in the distance.
Fairy Xinluo said bitterly, "I won’t live much longer than you. Of late, I’ve felt the draining of my soul’s essence; it will probably be just a few more years."
The Red Jade Saint turned abruptly, her gaze towards her senior sister filled with profound sorrow.
Fairy Xinluo added, "According to the Immortal Scholar’s calculations, new Supreme Lords have about fifty thousand years of life, and the stronger they are, the longer they live. Nine Profound Mountain has a wealth of talent, and the Holy Young Master and his son are among the best, ensuring that at least for the next forty or fifty thousand years, the mountain will flourish without decline."
The words that followed went unsaid, but everyone present understood them.
No one could escape the constraints of the cosmic rules. In the end, even the strongest Supreme Lords were like fish in water, always restricted by the cosmos, without any recourse.
"Prosperity followed by decline, the peak eventually falls—this is the normal state of life, an unchanging law. We have indeed become attached to it."
The five Great Envoys looked at each other, making their final farewells. They had experienced too much and had long become indifferent to life and death.
Hum!
Just then, a figure stepped out of the void, dressed in a clean blue robe, with an unparalleled demeanor. If not the long-lost Shi Xiaole, then who could it be?
Compared to the past, he was even more unfathomable; his entire being was shrouded in mystery, and even the seven Supreme Lords present could not discern the slightest detail about him.
"Holy Young Master, we are indeed fortunate to be able to see your valiant figure once more before we die."
The five Great Envoys laughed heartily.
"My five uncles, why not enter the Life and Death Pool? Perhaps in the years to come, you may see the light of day once more."
Shi Xiaole sighed.
The five of them naturally knew that it was Shi Xiaole’s effort to resurrect his friends and family. However, in their eyes, how could one be resurrected when even one’s life pattern was exhausted? In the end, it seemed destined to be a futile effort.
The five declined the offer.
Shi Xiaole, as the Holy Monarch, persuaded them, saying that having one more hope was always good, and then the five showed signs of being moved.
"The Holy Young Master has taken great pains, it’s just a pity that we, as Supreme Lords, in the end could not even leave a trace of our soul force. There’s nothing we can put into the Life and Death Pool."
The greatest of the Holy Envoys said with a bitter smile.
With a wave of Shi Xiaole’s hand, five streams of Sword Qi surged into the bodies of the five Holy Envoys and, in an instant, separated their Supreme Lord’s power back into Vigorous Air and spiritual force.
All seven people present were shocked!
They simply couldn’t imagine how Shi Xiaole had managed it. What realm had the Holy Young Master reached to be able to do such a thing? Could he possibly rival the Holy Monarch?
Having lost their Supreme Lord’s power, the decomposition of the five Holy Envoys by the laws of heaven and earth was indeed much weaker. But they were also severely weakened and could not escape the shackles of death. However, they ultimately left behind a trace of their soul’s essence.
Five bodies sank into the Life and Death Pool.
Shi Xiaole stood by the pool and heaved a deep sigh.
The Life and Death Pool, originally a hundred zhang in size, had over the years expanded to a thousand zhang, containing many corpses.
In the thousand years after Su Yanru’s death, her brother Yu Fangge also passed away.
Yu Fangge’s talent was not as good as Su Yanru’s, but he had a fortuitous encounter in the Martial World, cultivating to the Divine Barrier Realm and, blessed by the nourishment of Life and Death Valley, lived to be over eight thousand years old.
After him, came the three senior disciples of the Huajian Sect: Yuan Qiuwei, Xiao Yuanbo, Mao Wenjing, who passed away peacefully one after the other, among whom Xiao Yuanbo and Mao Wenjing never married in their lives.
Then came Zhu Ling. The woman who silently loved him and devoted herself to him without asking anything in return finally received his embrace before her death and wept with joy.
"Shi Xiaole, at the snow-watching and wine-brewing gathering that year, when I came down to chase after you and confessed to you, did you find me shameless?"
"Yes, but also very brave. I will always remember you."
After hearing this, Zhu Ling pounded Shi Xiaole’s chest, and after a few times, her arms fell weakly, and she passed away in Shi Xiaole’s arms.
Then there were Xia Yunxi’s sworn brother and sister, Li Jiuding and Lei Jiaxin—a couple who departed this world in tranquil contentment, hand in hand, with smiles on their faces.
The elegant and unrestrained Crown Sword Marquis, the fame-indifferent Lian Chen, the loving couple Yang Feng, the three eccentrics who first followed Shi Xiaole, his oldest disciple Chou Hentian, Hua Yiyun’s wife Yuan Yuying, and the couple Niu Dali, Qiu Rou... These friends and family who never cultivated to the Void Origin Realm, passed away one after another.
Everyone has a limit to their lifespan. When it is exhausted, no amount of the essence of life can extend their life.
The first Void Origin Realm friend to die was the Purple Wood Sword Emperor who had returned to Nine Heavens Mountain many years ago. In Mist Rain Town, he once risked his life to save Shi Xiaole, thus forging a bond.
Following him were Uncle Wang, Qiao Yu, the Mandarin Duck Swordsmen, siblings Ai Wenhong, the chief steward Qu Wuyan, the Yan Zhenning family who joined Nine Heavens Mountain, Yu Yourong who entered Nine Heavens Mountain later, as well as old friends like Pei Qiuyan, Bai Ruiting, Qu Ni, An Rumei, Fairy Yunni, who left one after another.
When Qiu Yuchu died, Shi Xiaole sighed inexplicably and also returned from the cycle of reincarnation.
"I’m about to die, so I’m not afraid to admit that I entered Nine Heavens Mountain just to be close to you and then to be your woman. My aptitude may not be high enough, but in terms of appearance and figure, I’m good enough for you."
This Hundred Flowers Fairy with a figure unmatched by even Xi Xianglei, full of confidence, murmured again, "Had I known this day would come, I should have made my move when you were still Xie Xiaofeng!"
Shi Xiaole asked, "Aren’t you afraid?"
Qiu Yuchu replied, "I am afraid, but I know that if there’s anyone in this world who could resurrect me, it would definitely be you. If you can do it, I’d be willing to offer myself and sleep with you."
This was the most optimistic person Shi Xiaole had ever met.
More and more people left, even the descendants of those dead friends one by one laid to rest.
Finally, Xia Yunxi left as well.
With the Blood Sun as a medium, she cultivated to the level of a Heaven Realm Martial Emperor and, with the help of the essence of life, lived for over ten thousand years.
Without any sentimental words, in Xia Yunxi’s courtyard, she lay quietly in Shi Xiaole’s arms, her eyes closed, bathing in the afternoon sun, just as she had done years before, only this time she never woke up again.
In addition to these people, there were two beautiful bodies in the Life and Death Pool, one dressed in black and the other in white. They were none other than the Grand Elder of the Dreamy Sect, Ren Xiaoxiao, and the master of Pudu Peak, Ci Xin Yao.
After the second great war between heaven and earth, both the Dreamy Sect and Pudu Peak existed in name only. The two sisters, together with Ren Mengzhen and her son, depended on each other for survival.
When the two grandmothers were about to die, the well-known Carefree Supreme personally climbed up to Nine Heavens Mountain.
Shi Xiaole had complex feelings toward this son who had drifted outside, a mixture of strangeness and overwhelming guilt. He hoped that one day he would have a chance to make up for this guilt.
With close friends seven or eight gone, only those few who reached the Sky Origin Realm remained alive.
The Martial World continued to change with the generations, as many older figures quietly exited the stage, and a new generation of figures vigorously contested, each displaying their prowess.
