Chapter 1294 - 1180: Da De Life Palace
The world was shaken!
“What’s happening? Above the Immortal Land, an Immortal River is actually flowing in reverse, pouring down into the Taiyin Continent!”
“It’s not just the Immortal Land—there’s also the Sacred Soil! The Sacred Dao Origin Qi from the Sacred Soil is converging like a vast river toward the Kunlun Holy Realm, at the border between the Taiyin Continent and the Taiyang Continent!”
“The Kunlun Holy Realm? That’s where the Tai Yin Empress and the Ancient Sun Emperor both chose to attempt creation epochs ago! It has been sealed for countless ages, and now it’s about to reopen? Could it be that the Sun and Moon Emperors are about to embark on the Path of Creation?”
The Nine Continents were in uproar!
After the reappearance of the Immortal Land and Sacred Soil, was the Path of Creation about to be unveiled?
“The Path of Creation aims to forge a new Pure Land of Life, hidden within the currents of time to ensure survival!”
“During the later periods of the Era of the Lifting Fire, this path was considered the one most likely to bring salvation to the world. Unfortunately, the Tai Yin Empress and the Ancient Sun Emperor were obliterated in the darkness. Only then did the War Heaven Emperor’s Court rise, waging war against the darkness and becoming the dominant force!”
The world was abuzz!
At the same time.
On the Immortal Land.
Hei Bai Di took a step forward and arrived at Immortal Cloud Peak.
In front of the peak, the disciples of the Divine Moon Emperor’s Court had already departed.
After activating the formation, they used it to directly teleport to the Kunlun Holy Realm, preparing for the upcoming attempt at creation.
Hei Bai glanced across the field and suddenly noticed a sheet of blank rice paper lying on the ground.
On the rice paper rested a single strand of blood-stained hair.
“This paper is no ordinary object… Could it be related to Senior Li?”
He murmured, his black and white eyes reflecting unspoken thoughts as he gathered the bloodied strand of hair and the rice paper.
Then, his figure vanished from the spot, and in the blink of an eye, he arrived in the vast Sacred Soil above.
In the Sacred Soil, a range of majestic mountains stretched onward, but the Sacred Origin Qi between the mountains had vanished as well.
Amidst the mountains, however, there were several Blood Talismans that appeared to have been exhausted!
Hei Bai’s brow furrowed slightly, and he immediately collected the Blood Talismans.
“Is Senior Li laying out the Path of Creation?”
He faintly sensed something.
“The Path of Creation may not fully save the people of the world, but it is certainly the most troublesome to the darkness. Once realized, a new world would slip into the currents of time, impossible to locate without immense toil and effort…”
Hei Bai murmured to himself and said:
“Perhaps I should go to the small mountain village.”
He had already made contact with Fire Spirit and Mu Wanqing, knowing they were journeying to the small mountain village alongside Qing Chen and the rest.
With that, he vanished from the spot.
…
At this moment.
On the Kaiyuan Continent.
Qing Chen, Lu Rang, Fire Spirit, and Mu Wanqing had already arrived in front of the Kongshou Mountain Forest.
“It should be deep within this region.”
Fire Spirit spoke.
They didn’t know the exact location of the small mountain village.
Thus, the group ventured deeper into the Kongshou Mountain Forest.
Before long, they finally spotted the small mountain village nestled in the depths of the forest.
Smoke spiraled from chimneys, and the sounds of chickens and dogs echoed in the air. Amidst the surging tides of such a Forbidden World, the mountain village seemed like a tranquil utopia frozen in time!
“Master… we’re back!”
Seeing the small mountain village, Lu Rang’s eyes filled with tears!
“I wonder how Sister Spider and the others are…”
Qing Chen murmured softly, smiling faintly as he said:
“Come, let’s return to the village!”
At the same time, outside the mountain village, yellow dust rolled as Hei Bai appeared.
“Great Emperor.”
Fire Spirit and the others looked at him.
“Something has changed within the Kunlun Holy Realm. I found these, and it seems they are connected to Senior Li’s two disciples. Thus, I’ve come to pay my respects to Senior Li.”
Hei Bai spoke, producing the blood-stained strand of hair, the rice paper, and the Blood Talismans.
“Senior Sister Zi Ling?”
“Junior Brother Lin?”
Qing Chen and Lu Rang immediately reacted!
“What happened to them… Why are there bloodstains?”
Lu Rang grew anxious and said:
“Quick, let’s return to the village!”
…
At this moment.
Within the small mountain village, inside the courtyard.
“Master… Are you alright?”
Dugu Yuqing and the others were slightly nervous as they looked at Li Fan.
They had witnessed Li Fan wielding his brush to draw, creating an entire Saintly Path Timespace.
Moreover, in the end, he had bitten his finger and used a single drop of blood to grant life to that Saintly Path Timespace!
The moment that drop of blood fell, they distinctly felt that Li Fan’s presence was like the boundless Star River, suddenly stirred by tempestuous winds, vast and roaring, surging with infinite origin.
At the same time, however, they felt that Li Fan… seemed different from before.
The previous Li Fan was flawless, occasionally making them feel distant—like a phantom of light and shadow. Yet now, he exuded an unfamiliar sense of… reality.
This left them uncertain whether Li Fan’s condition was better or worse.
“It’s a trivial matter.”
Li Fan spoke casually, glancing at the Sacred Dao Calendar with a look of satisfaction before lifting his teacup to take a slow sip.
Creating this calendar had been quite taxing.
“Master… must have paid a great price…”
Dugu Yuqing murmured softly and said:
“Otherwise, with our level of cultivation, it would have been impossible to sense even a trace of his origin’s fluctuations…”
Long Zixuan clenched his fists and said:
“Master has awakened the Saintly Path Timespace… We must strive to grow stronger, quickly!”
At once, they resumed their efforts to break through their realms.
Their own Saintly Path Flame had already been ignited, and the next stage, Casting, also known as the Life Palace, awaited them.
“Master, uh… I think I might not be a person of faith? What should I do… Does this mean I don’t deserve to live?”
At that moment, Wu Dade looked at Li Fan with a face full of confusion and distress!
Long Zixuan, Dugu Yuqing, and Su Baiqian had all already kindled their Saintly Path Flame and started forging their Life Palaces.
But he alone had not moved at all, and he was panicking…
Yet he truly had no idea… what to place his faith in.
It was as though his lack of education had let him down greatly…
Li Fan chuckled softly and said:
“Dade, let me ask you: If one day, your master dies, your senior and junior brothers and sisters all perish, even Da Hei leaves you, and the village vanishes completely, what would you do?”
Wu Dade froze upon hearing this. Imagining such a scenario made him uneasy and a bit frightened as he said:
“Master… That can’t happen, can it?”
Li Fan said, “What if it did?”
Wu Dade replied:
“If that day ever came, and everyone was gone—Master, you included—and even the Dead Dog was no more, and the village ceased to exist… Well, I don’t think life would hold much meaning for me anymore…”
Li Fan smiled faintly and said:
“Exactly. When everything and everyone connected to you in this world fades away, what remains would only be the past—memories to savor. At that point, every person, every event in your memory would become knives carving slowly into your soul, leaving you in utter agony.”
“Living, in itself, holds no inherent meaning. But those people and things in this world that are connected to us, they give life its meaning.”
“And the meaning of life, itself, is a form of faith. Faith isn’t just some distant dream or grand ideal—it’s also found in the visible rice and firewood, in the touchable joys and sorrows of daily life.”
“Even within the mundane, one can discern the faith of life, uncover the meaning of life. But this requires a certain ability to discover… Think back on your life: What is it that you cherish most, can’t bear to part with, and long for the most? That is the meaning of your life.”
Li Fan spoke casually.
Wu Dade seemed lost in thought…
Even Long Zixuan, Dugu Yuqing, Su Baiqian, and the others standing nearby appeared to gain new insights!
The flame of life existed ultimately to forge the Life Palace.
And the Life Palace, to achieve harmony with the five elements, demanded grounding in the meaning of life—only then would its foundation be steady.
At this moment, Li Fan’s seemingly simple words led them all to introspect on their innermost feelings.
“What I cherish most, can’t bear to lose, and long for the most…”
Wu Dade muttered to himself:
“It’s nothing special, really… I just want to keep living the way I am now, staying in the village with everyone else, helping Uncle Zhang raise pigs, keeping dogs in the yard, eating and drinking well, and not having too many worries…”
Images of his life in the village flashed through his mind…
There was the pain of being knocked over by Second Elder’s family pig,
The fear of being chased and bitten by the Big Black Dog,
The joy of tasting the first bite of Master’s cooking,
The relief of drunkenly being dragged back home by his Master after feasting with his brothers…
In this moment, his life flame blazed like never before. In the vast Land of Nothingness, amidst boundless earth, a palace of life seemed to be slowly taking form within the fires…
Within that Life Palace were his cherished emotions and treasured memories. Those were enough to sustain him through hardships and calamities!
At this moment, Wu Dade completed his five elements.
The final realm of the five elements—Casting—was achieved.
His lack of education and simplistic thoughts had, paradoxically, allowed him to tap into his inner core most directly, unearthing his life’s meaning.
For people like him, emotions were pure and straightforward.
…