(Attention! Attention!
If you are already satisfied with the imperfect ending above, do not read further, do not read further!
This is an alternate perfect ending that has been written!)
...
Did I hear that?
Wu Wang twisted his head to look behind him. The starry sky was still just as profound, but within the profundity, there was a tinge of emptiness.
"Brother."
Jingwei reached out to grab Wu Wang's arm, her eyes gleaming with a trace of light, but she quickly revealed a smile and said softly, "Everyone is still waiting for you to say what we should do next."
Wu Wang gathered his emotions and quickly said, "First, let's find a place to settle."
The figures surrounding him nodded one after another.
At this moment, their powers were greatly reduced, mostly due to the loss of their own Great Dao.
In this strange yet real starry sky, the Divine Spirits of the Great Wilderness had also become beings with stronger bodies and souls, and the attributes of being protected by the Great Dao and having infinite lifespans had been erased.
But they all knew that this outcome was much better than being annihilated in the final catastrophe.
Yun Zhongjun let out a long sigh and said with a wry smile, "A thousand years of preparation, yet it still failed to withstand the so-called end of days."
"The catastrophe is inevitable," said Wu Wang. "You all may consider it as a violent disturbance originating from the essence of Heaven and Earth. The Great Wilderness, which depends on something beyond the essence of Heaven and Earth, is destined to be destroyed. To survive is already a great fortune. Come with me now."
Having said that, Wu Wang produced a cloud from his sleeve, which supported the many figures in the vicinity. With a beckon of his finger, the light from the surrounding stars was pulled into long trails, and in the blink of an eye, they had arrived above the planet covered by glaciers in the northern and southern hemispheres.
The gravity and atmospheric environment here gave Wu Wang a familiar sensation.
But this place was now part of a different cosmic space within the White Hole.
Wu Wang said, "The Six Paths of Reincarnation are right beneath us. Please rest here for now. I'll arrange for the first batch of beings to be reborn. Head Manager, Young Master?"
"Your Majesty!"
The Head Manager bowed in response, and the Young Master also bowed in respect.
Wu Wang smiled gently at the Young Master, and then turned to the Head Manager with a stern look. "Rebirth of beings requires a mother. I have specifically preserved a batch of ordinary humans, and now entrust them to you. Although the Divine Power is reduced to one-tenth and many Divine Arts are difficult to perform, I still hope you can quickly resolve the important task of reproduction."
Having said this, Wu Wang took out two Crystal Balls from his sleeve, each sealing an ocean with many islands within. The islands were populated with hundreds of thousands of humans and millions of different creatures.
This was also considered the starting point of civilization in this place.
The Head Manager bowed deeply to Wu Wang and declared loudly, "I will not fail my mission!"
"There is no need to spread my name as the Eastern Emperor here," Wu Wang spoke slowly, then looked towards Shen Nong beside him and smiled. "Father-in-law, I'm afraid there will be hard work for some time."
Shen Nong nodded slightly and said, "I also protected a million mortals and hundreds of thousands of Cultivators. The continuation of the Human race is not a problem. However, the spirits of the Hundred Races within the Six Paths of Reincarnation, reincarnating as the Human race... Would they have any dissatisfaction?"
Wu Wang counter-questioned, "The Human race, the Hundred Races, is there a difference?"
Shen Nong shook his head and chuckled, "No, there's none."
Wu Wang bowed to the surrounding Divine Spirits. "Each of the Divine Spirits should take up their duties and return to your positions. Though without the Great Dao, we should still work for the benefit of the people."
The two to three hundred figures lowered their heads to pay respect and shouted in compliance with the decree.
In the following two to three decades, this planet quickly became bustling with noise.
The Great Retreat from the Great Wilderness was a plan Wu Wang had long prepared, and every aspect was arranged thoroughly.
Although they were without the Great Dao, the Divine Powers of the gods remained, and their divine bodies were incomparable to mortals. Ascending to heaven and descending into the earth was no problem. The issue was that the Wind God could only blow with his mouth, the Rain God could only sprinkle water, and the Thunder God had to take up two chisels to collide and generate electricity.
Wu Wang carefully inspected this planet for a week and found no trace of living beings on it.
Not even primitive life forms.
There was an inexplicable hint of disappointment.
Soon, across the land near the equator of the planet, clusters of houses began to appear, one after the other.
After spending a few days with family and friends and half a month by Jingwei and Xiaolan's side, Wu Wang found a hilltop in the warm wind belt and hastily began his Enlightenment.
He was pondering the Dao rules of this universe.
As a transcender from the Great Wilderness world, Wu Wang had already integrated many of the Great Wilderness's Great Daos into this universe like nails.
But Wu Wang did not forcibly influence the operational rules of this universe; instead, he mastered these rules as quickly as possible in the shortest amount of time.
This process lasted no more than a hundred years.
When Wu Wang rose again, it seemed like energy pulsed throughout the entire cosmic space.
He raised a hand, and in the dark holes of the universe, streams of Spiritual Energy continuously surged towards him, condensing new Spiritual Power on this planet.
But this Spiritual Power was fundamentally different from the Spiritual Power of the Great Wilderness.
—Simply put, Wu Wang, in this universe, had found Spiritual Power that living beings could assimilate for their own use.
What followed was simple.
Classes began! Teaching followed!
Slight modifications were needed for the most basic parts of the Human Domain Cultivation methods, specifically regarding the absorption of Spiritual Energy and sensing of Dao rules. With these changes, the Cultivation methods could shine once again.
Wu Wang stepped out of his seclusion dwelling, exiting the simple tent, only to find himself in front of a majestic and imposing stone hall, guarded by tens of thousands of Heavenly Soldiers.
The clamor of living beings hit him in the face, giving Wu Wang a sense of being worlds apart.
He stepped forward when a light calling came from the side:
"Brother!"
Wu Wang looked up to see a whirl of green swooping in. Jingwei, still in her youthful girl's appearance, threw her arms around Wu Wang's waist, happily giggling and frolicking.
"How have you been lately?"
"Everything's fine. Xiaolan and I have been taking turns watching over you. Oh right, I'll go call everyone over!"
"No need for trouble," Wu Wang wrapped his arms around her slim waist, and in a flash appeared on the stone platform outside of the grand hall.
With a sweep of his mighty Immortal Consciousness, Wu Wang couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly.
In just under a hundred years, the planet had changed its appearance.
The ice cap had receded by almost half, green sprouts emerged on the land. The originally desolate planet was brewing with rich vitality everywhere.
The Human race had already built dozens of cities. Ji Mo and Lin Qi were bustling in the two main ones, seemingly becoming leaders of the land.
Old Master Shen Nong was sitting comfortably in the largest city, and the foundations of the Human Emperor Pavilion had also been established.
The Northern Wilderness tribes still stuck together, finding a large prairie to continue their pastoral livelihood.
Forest beasts raced, fish swam in schools under the water, and birds played in the clouds.
There was also the sound of new babies' cries, the sorrow of mourning, the laughter of wedding chambers, the cheers of banquet celebrations.
All things were reviving, every sound entering the ears.
The Great Wilderness might have been destroyed, but not entirely.
Wu Wang's heart, which had been somewhat gloomy, also felt slightly lighter now, and he declared aloud, "Those who can hear my voice, please come here for a reunion."
No sooner had his words fallen than figures flew out from various parts of the planet, converging towards where Wu Wang was, totaling four to five hundred.
Wu Wang whispered a few sentences into Jingwei's ear. With a lightly blushing face, she agreed, floating away and swiftly arranging things inside the hall with many other Fairy Immortals.
Soon, a 'lecture hall' emitting a faint fragrance of sandalwood was arranged as such.
Wu Wang sat upright at the main seat, while gods and humans below arranged themselves according to seniority and settled into their places.
Wu Wang said, "I have fully grasped many Dao rules under this starry sky, and today I will clarify them for you all so that you may once again step on the path of cultivation.
However, the Divine Spirits of the Great Wilderness are no longer the Divine Spirits of this starry sky. Do not cling to your identities. If you wish to acquire the power to roam the stars, you must start cultivating again from scratch."
The gods answered one after another, their eyes filled with anticipation.
Wu Wang picked up a small hammer and tapped a small bell placed on the low table before him. With the sound of a lingering DING, the first lecture on Enlightenment began.
In no time, lotuses bloomed all around the great hall, and gods, Immortals, and humans each gained something.
Three months later, Wu Wang awakened those engrossed in Enlightenment, speaking slowly, "The second lecture will be ten years from now. Please reflect on what you have learned on your own."
All the figures in the hall rose and paid their respects, and then they hurriedly departed.
Wu Wang, however, did not stop to rest. Making use of the ten-year gap, his form continuously shifted in the universe, searching and exploring something.
Ten years quickly passed, and the second teaching session also went quite smoothly.
After the teaching was over, Wu Wang left himself a twenty-year gap to continue exploring this universe.
How vast the universe is!
But with the guidance of the Great Dao, Wu Wang gradually found many beautiful and unusual places. This was only after exploring a tiny corner of this galaxy, akin to the Milky Way.
He came across strange life forms in the universe, observing how they evolved and developed, wondering if this counted as a kind of indirect fifth encounter.
He found traces of civilizations that had once existed, traces that could even shock him deeply.
Thus, the idea of exploring this starry sky blossomed in Wu Wang's heart.
After returning to his home planet, Wu Wang completed his third lecture, scattering the seeds of cultivation before starting to build a "spaceship."
The ultimate dream of a man is to steer a great ship!
Originally, Wu Wang had foreseen that some of his friends and teachers would follow him from this planet to explore the unknown secrets of the universe, but what Wu Wang never expected was...
That the spaceship he built, a circular base with a diameter of three hundred zhang, was still not sufficient to accommodate those who wanted to follow him!
Of course, 'living' here definitely doesn't mean cramped cabins.
For the likes of his Martial God teacher and Water God grandpa, one must offer a detached house or a small courtyard with mountains and water, right?
For his three wives, they must have some splendid accommodations, mustn't they?
Older brother Yun Zhong and big brother-in-law could make do with a little discomfort by living in a multi-person dormitory. But for those goddesses and gods who wanted to follow him, they surely needed to live separately, right?
Wu Wang had no choice but to bite the bullet and expand his 'spaceship' to be over a thousand zhang tall and ten thousand zhang in diameter, barely enough to serve its purpose.
Shen Nong decided to stay here to protect the Human race. Ji Mo, Lin Qi, Xing Tian, and others also did not wish to leave their clanspeople.
Yang Wudi and the original members of the Annihilation Sect were slightly conflicted before choosing to develop on this planet. Their powers were not very strong to begin with, and since they had started cultivating anew, following Wu Wang around would not be particularly helpful.
Thus, Wu Wang held a simple farewell ceremony, promised to return periodically to visit, and then, with over a hundred followers, entered the depths of the starry sky, beginning their vast journey.
On the road, the years once again seemed to lose their measure of significance.
Some Divine Spirits found planets they fancied and, carrying the life seeds Wu Wang had given them, left on their own.
Some Divine Spirits, after obtaining the power of Heaven and Earth shifting, volunteered to explore a certain galaxy. They took the life seeds Wu Wang had provided and departed hand in hand.
The universe was too fascinating, and the number of people by Wu Wang's side dwindled.
Gradually, with Wu Wang's spaceship as the origin, the seeds of life slowly scattered forth.
When only Jingwei, Young Master, and Ling Xiaolan remained by Wu Wang's side, he gathered with his three wives by the low table, unfolded the scroll of years, and gazed in all directions and towards the future.
They saw the footprints of the life on that home planet growing increasingly abundant, saw strife and battles erupt, and observed that several tribes had left the planet.
He could see that old friends like Ji Mo and Lin Qi aged and passed away, with their legacy transforming into tribes and clans.
But what Wu Wang did not expect was that among Ji Mo's later descendants, there would be a handsome young man named Shao Dian.
Even more unexpectedly to Wu Wang, Lin Qi received Shen Nong's favor, succeeded the position of Yan Emperor, and even received the support of Xing Tian and Da Yi.
What Wu Wang could not anticipate at all was that after nine generations under the Yan Emperor, the descendants of Ji Mo and Lin Qi engaged in bitter struggles. Amidst this, dear brother Xing Tian, who had served the Yan Emperor loyally throughout...
Still could not preserve his part above the long neck.
Wu Wang felt a somewhat unexpected sense of peace in his heart.
Gradually, more and more cultivators emerged from that home planet, their footprints linking into a star path, gradually connecting into a star route.
But that planet, the starting point, saw both its glory days and its periods of desolation.
The unrestrained exhaustion of cultivation resources caused the planet's Spiritual Energy to rapidly deplete. This forced cultivators to accelerate their departure, leaving behind only the towns of mortals and a civilization that had regressed several steps.
The continual activities of the cultivators had altered the planet's landscape, melting glaciers, and vastly expanding the land.
Wu Wang frowned as he glanced at a distant part of the scroll of years...
A Huaxia appeared on this planet later. Parts of the region carried legends about the Eastern Emperor, but the legends had completely lost their original form. Surprisingly, this planet then experienced two industrial revolutions, something utterly beyond his expectations.
However, this should not be Blue Star—the star system's structure is different!
But here, it had become a parallel world to Blue Star.
In the dark, there seemed to be a force. The real Blue Star was like a torch among the universes, reflecting a swath of light rays, and Wu Wang was one of them.
Mystery upon mystery, the gate of all wonders.
Wu Wang did not delve too deeply into this. He had already traveled too far into the cosmos and lost interest in looking back.
Upon closing the scroll, Wu Wang exchanged glances with his three wives, each revealing a light smile.
"Let's put these matters aside."
Wu Wang said, "I've always had something on my mind that I wanted to discuss with you all."
Young Master gently shook her head and spoke softly, "No need to discuss, we will follow your lead."
Jingwei asked directly, "Have you thought of a way to bring Suqing back?"
"Yes."
Wu Wang nodded slightly, his expression serious.
"I want to find the black hole where the Great Wilderness originally existed and refine it into my magic treasure.
Before the ultimate calamity, there were many consciousness entities within. But after the ultimate calamity, only the Eastern Emperor's Bell remains.
As the sole consciousness entity within, the Eastern Emperor's Bell would naturally become the artifact spirit of this treasure.
The difficulty now lies in the inability to locate the white hole that leads into this black hole. Moreover, the black hole is in another cosmic space where Dao rules are parallel yet distinct from here, and there are many perils therein.
I am still hesitant..."
"Husband," Ling Xiaolan said softly, "if you think back on this later and feel you would regret not doing it, then there's no need to hesitate now."
Young Master gave a brimming smile. "We will naturally accompany you wherever you go. Where you go, we go."
Jingwei laughed, "Bringing back Suqing would truly make things perfect."
Wu Wang chuckled, gave a Daoist salute to his three wives, and turned his head to gaze into the profound universe.
Although the journey ahead was long.
Although he did not know how long it would take to find the corresponding white hole to that black hole.
Although...
But Wu Wang seemed to see, in that realm of real yet illusory clouds and mist, someone lying on the bank of the river of time, her fingers tracing the shimmering starlight on the surface of the river, her eyes carrying a hint of laziness and longing.
"How can the majestic Eastern Emperor be without his bell?"
Wu Wang muttered to himself, as he and his three wives transformed into a beam of cyan-blue light, quietly blooming in the universe.
Suqing, wait for me.
...
(The true end)
...
Meanwhile, in a hall filled with the aura of primordial chaos, two pairs of eyes watched the cyan-blue ray of light.
"Brother, aren't you going to lend a hand to Wu Wang?"
"That's a neighboring universe. Wouldn't my interference be overstepping my bounds? Without the consent of those involved, one must not meddle in others' affairs."
"Then why not seek his consent?"
"He's still half a step from reaching the realm that I currently inhabit, where he can traverse universes and converse with you and me. These are the rules set by time and space. It seems inappropriate to contravene them without consideration."
"Just help him secretly, Brother, you're about to become the great manager of time and space!"
"Stay calm, no rush. It's better for him to break through on his own. It took me several hundred thousand years to achieve the position of Dao Court's Master before I could take this step."
"I don't care! I'm a Suqing supporter. Suqing must return!"
"Ah! Ling E, we must not interfere with other universes at will."
POP. The handsome, chic, dashing young man with a tall figure and a face like a fine jade, opened the folding fan in his hand, revealing a large character for 'steady' on it and gently shook it.
"Let's be steady. Wait for him for a hundred thousand years. If after a hundred thousand years he still hasn't taken this step, then I'll..."
"Help him retrieve Suqing!"
"I'll gift him a 3,000-page thick 'Guide to the Masters of the Planes.'"
"Oh! Brother! I'm going to complain to Sister Yunxiao!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha ha! Am I afraid of her? It's just a matter of respect."
