Chapter 1342: Chapter 1340: The Withering After the Prosperity (Part 2)
For the Sky Origin Realm Supreme Lord and the Void Origin Realm warriors, this was the most dreamlike era, for the difficulty of breaking through had dropped to the lowest in history.
But it was also the most cruel era, as not only was the power achieved after breakthrough incomparable to predecessors, but life spans were also significantly reduced.
The Flying Horse Dynasty, land of the Western Region.
Amidst the ruins, a lone figure was gradually eroding away. He was a man clad in black, exuding an intense aura of death.
"Senior."
Shi Xiaole watched him, hesitating to speak.
The man in black said, "I fear not death, thank you for coming to see me off."
He was the Undead Supreme Lord, who once took the form of the last ruler of the Yanbei Country in the Western Region. It was there that Shi Xiaole found a stone emitting death qi. (Chapter 1067)
It was thanks to that black stone that Shi Xiaole was able to enter the Life-and-Death Unfounded Cave, and from the abode of the Undead Supreme Lord, he obtained the essence of death qi. (Chapter 1223)
The Undead Supreme Lord was also a friend of the Holy Monarch; by a twist of fate, a wisp of his soul drifted in the world, fell into Yanbei Country, and later was slandered as one from the Devil Path, resulting in the annihilation of the entire Yanbei Country.
This was the only time in the long life of the Undead Supreme Lord that he owed someone, so he chose to die here on purpose.
"There is no need to do anything for me; I am a person of indifference, arriving without intent and leaving without intent, let nature take its course."
Shi Xiaole deeply bowed, watching as the Undead Supreme Lord vanished from the spot. Of all the people he had seen, perhaps only the Undead Supreme Lord truly saw through life and death, unattached to anything.
One after another, the ancient Supreme Lords turned into the essence of Dao.
Twenty thousand years after Shi Xiaole’s disappearance.
Only the Immortal Scholar, the Sorcerer Lord, Saintly Love Young Master, and the ancestor of the Fire Stiffs remained of the ancient Supreme Lords, and these four were also in the twilight of their lives.
Lost World Peak.
The Saintly Love Young Master, in his elegant blue clothes and a handsome appearance, cheerfully drank the fine wine provided by the Immortal Scholar, saying, "Your brewing skills have really improved. In the next life, you might as well not practice martial arts; just be a winemaker instead. You’ll be guaranteed wealth and honor."
The Immortal Scholar scolded with a laugh, "Facing death, and you can still utter such cold jokes; I really admire you!"
The Saintly Love Young Master shook his head with a smile, if crying could extend his life, he wouldn’t mind shedding a few tears.
After taking the last sip of wine, the Saintly Love Young Master tied the gourd to his waist, saying, "Immortal Brother, I might as well keep this as a memento."
The Immortal Scholar was still smiling, but his nose was sore, and he couldn’t speak without choking up.
The Sorcerer Lord simply closed his eyes.
The contemporaries had turned into the essence of Dao, returning to the heavens and earth, and now it was finally their turn. What saddened him was not death, but parting.
If death is another beginning, can they still encounter sworn friends along the way, to toast and share in joy? Ultimately, one must embark alone; perhaps, this was the true face of life.
"Eighteen thousand years ago, during the first grand conflict between heaven and earth, it was then that Dao Jisheng schemed and betrayed us, many were killed! I only hate that I’ve never been able to slay him myself, to avenge them!"
Feeling the power starting to corrode him, the Saintly Love Young Master shouted.
At those words, both the Immortal Scholar and the Sorcerer Lord shook violently, seeing their friend’s body start to fade, their hearts ached immensely, but they were powerless.
A stream of Sword Qi came piercing through the void, fragmenting the Supreme Lord’s force in the Saintly Love Young Master into Vigorous Air and spiritual power. With his last gaze, the Saintly Love Young Master saw the young man in green, revealing a faint smile.
How unnecessary.
In the fifth year after the Saintly Love Young Master’s death, the Sorcerer Lord followed his footsteps. The universally acknowledged unmatched Shi Wuyou knelt on the ground, personally seeing his uncle off on his final journey, tears streaming down his face.
Xi Xianglei’s eyes were also blurred with tears, unable to help crying out, "Brother!"
The Sorcerer Lord laughed loudly.
Another body was added to the Life and Death Pool.
After another fifteen years.
Deep inside the palace of the Fire Stiffs, a series of unwilling and desperate roars echoed.
The once vigorous and stalwart ancestor of the Fire Stiffs now appeared no different from an ordinary dying old man, his skin shriveled, his body bent, resembling a tall bag of bones that could be toppled by a breeze.
Yet, such was he that with one punch thrown, it caused vast stretches of the void to collapse, the heavens and earth to shake, and the several layers of the peak Sky Origin Array Systems around the perimeter were nearly shattered, on the verge of collapse.
A figure in a green robe appeared out of nowhere within the Array System, and the punch’s force dissipated without reason when it neared three yards of his body.
"It’s you!"
The ancestor of the Fire Stiffs looked at Shi Xiaole with disbelief.
The Supreme Lords of the present barely had lifespans of fifty thousand years. If he wasn’t mistaken, it had been over twenty thousand years since Shi Xiaole became a Supreme Lord, but his aura was as deep as the starry sky, his long ink-black hair glistening, his skin radiant and supple, like the rising sun, full of vigorous life!
"How, how did you do it?"
The ancestor of the Fire Stiffs asked with envy and admiration.
Shi Xiaole did not answer, only saying, "If you are willing, I can lend you a helping hand and place you in the Life and Death Pool."
The perspective from which one stands alters the attitude towards the world; Shi Xiaole of today had long let go of all grievances, for no one was worthy of being his enemy.
Rather than say he wanted to save the ancient Supreme Lords, it was more accurate to say, he wished to preserve the memories and times of yesteryear.
Only a very few knew the secret of the Life and Death Pool, and the ancestor of the Fire Stiffs happened to be one of them. At first, his interest was piqued, but moments later, he burst into hearty laughter.
"I have visited the tomb of my son, the Yuan Sword Emperor, and there I found your scent."
"That year, the Yuan Sword Emperor wanted to seize my body, but he was killed by me instead."
The ancestor of the Fire Stiff, his eyes flashing with intense murderous intent, suddenly bellowed, "Although I am greedy for life and fear death, I do not wish to be looked down upon by my own son! What ’Life and Death Pool’ you speak of is nothing but your foolish dreams! Shi, if it wasn’t for the fact that my power wasn’t as great as yours, I would have long since ascended Nine Heavens Mountain to avenge my child, hahaha, I no longer need to fear you!"
In the midst of his wild laughter, the ancestor of the Fire Stiff transformed into the Qi of the Great Dao and scattered into the air. In the last moments of his life, he finally spoke his mind freely, finding a cathartic release.
Shi Xiaole sighed softly.
The Immortal Scholar was less powerful than the ancestor of the Fire Stiff, but what he had comprehended was the Immortal Martial Way, which gave him an astonishingly vigorous life force. According to Shi Xiaole’s estimate, he could have lived for several more decades.
But unexpectedly, the Immortal Scholar managed to tough it out for two hundred years before reaching the end of his tether.
"Chief, will there truly be a day when we meet again?"
The Immortal Scholar asked.
"As long as there is hope in your heart, there is a chance. The thing people should fear the most is giving up on themselves."
Shi Xiaole answered.
The Immortal Scholar nodded, gazing towards the horizon and muttering to himself, "Holy Monarch, Three Divine Generals, Sorcerer Lord, Saintly Love Young Master, Blue Lotus Sword Lord... I truly wish I could gather with you all once more and drink three hundred cups."
This ancient Supreme Lord, who once lived a carefree life, shed a tear for the first time, caressing the liquor gourd at his waist. He told Shi Xiaole that he would hold off drinking the wine inside until the day he could share it again with those old friends.
Shi Xiaole’s heart ached with grief, and he solemnly agreed.
In the following years, even Xi Xianglei, Witch Queen, and Wu Xuanyu, having recovered their memories and powers, eventually reached the end of their lives.
Having successfully undergone rebirth, they had almost been given a new life, but they only managed to live a few thousand years longer than others. Bound by the rules of the universe, even the essence of life could not extend their lifespan.
And so, the ancient Supreme Lords from eighteen thousand years past have all vanished from the human realm.
Time is the most heartless of all; no one can escape it.
When the fifty-thousand-year limit arrived, the newly risen Supreme Lords finally experienced the despair and helplessness that their ancient predecessors had felt.
One after another, they returned to the natural order as Qi of the Great Dao.
Statistics were made, and in just one year, three hundred and sixty-eight Supreme Lords vanished from the world. They were the weakest among their kind; if not for the perfect rules of the universe, they would never have successfully joined the ranks.
Another five years passed, and this number climbed to a frightening seven hundred and eighty-six.
After that, the number of Supreme Lords meeting their demise began to decrease each year.
Clearly, those who remained were the true stars that dominated an era, their power unfathomable, having survived the fundamental limit.
However, as the days went by, the force of the universal laws they had to endure grew ever more terrifying, intensifying with each passing day, and their powers regressed at an alarming rate.
Fortunately, as the universal laws changed, these Supreme Lords had already been contemplating a way out, recalling how, two hundred thousand years prior, some had abandoned their cultivation in an unconventional manner and vanished into the mortal world to evade these rules, and many chose to emulate it.
Regrettably, this method required an extremely long period of thought and perfection, and even so, the odds of success were incredibly low. Historically, only Wu Xuanyu and Blue Lotus Sword Lord had accomplished it.
Shi Xiaole could neither stop nor had the right to stop them; he simply truly hoped that all these individuals could safely return after many years.
Above the boundless South Sea,
The Great Battles Emperor, foreseeing his limit, had left the Hundred Battles Tower alone half a month earlier, wanting to see the world one last time where he had lived for many years.
He saw Shi Xiaole waiting ahead and happily approached him.
"Chief, you truly have the stature of a celestial being, unaffected by the rules of the universe. It’s a pity Lingmo is dead; I even made a bet with him about this."
The Great Battles Emperor exclaimed in amazement.
"I saw the Supreme Lord Lingmo before he died,"
said Shi Xiaole.
The Great Battles Emperor was startled, then stamped his foot and cursed, "That rascal, always so cunning! He must have known he was likely to lose, which is why he left early."
As the two walked and talked, they reminisced about the past, of the time they fought over the Fate Stone that belonged to Shi Xiaole in the land of Fate, and then battled for their lives at the Fate Platform for the ownership of that land. Both sighed endlessly at the memories.
Looking back, it had been over fifty-five thousand years ago.
"Chief, I’ve always owed you an apology,"
said the Great Battles Emperor suddenly stopping in his tracks, bowing deeply to Shi Xiaole, then saying, "Of all the people in my life, it is the Chief whom I admire the most. To see the Chief in person before my death leaves me without regrets. Chief, Young Hero Shi, Yue Lingxing takes his leave!"
"Take care on your journey!"
Shi Xiaole said softly, sighing inwardly.
He had just mentioned the existence of the Life and Death Pool, but the Great Battles Emperor had only laughed. Shi Xiaole understood the intent behind that laughter; he could only watch as this legend of the South Sea walked further and further away.
Before a secluded village, a tombstone stood erect, engraved with the surname Yue.
Standing before the tombstone, beneath which lay the woman he loved the most in life yet also hurt the deepest, the Great Battles Emperor wept and laughed, saying, "I’ve been dreaming of you often lately. I should have come to you a long time ago."
The sixtieth thousandth year.
Supreme Lords in the mortal world became almost a rarity.
Even Zhang Xiangfeng, Gui Zhihang, Mu Ling, Duanmu Keren, Hua Yiyun, Meng Xiaoliu, Shi Xiaoba, and the ancestral figures of the Meng and Shi clans who had unsealed themselves and risen to the ranks of Supreme Lords, all departed this life one after another.
Shi Wuyou also disappeared.
He did not enter the Life and Death Pool but left Nine Heavens Mountain tens of thousands of years ago, desiring to forge his own path through the vast sea of life, and since then, no word of him surfaced.
There were also Hong’er and Beigong Shiling, the two girls who never seemed to grow up. One day, their traces vanished without a trace. All the forces of Nine Heavens Mountain were mobilized, yet they still couldn’t be found.
After that, Shi Xiaole no longer appeared in the world, for there was no one left who could stir his heart.
