Chapter 708: Leaving a Name in History
To describe it in more tasteful words, the current Immortal Ascension Realm cultivators of Chenping Continent were meeting all changes by remaining unchanging.
But viewed from a more pessimistic angle, Chenping Continent today was simply sitting around waiting for death.
The laws of heaven and earth had collapsed, and Chenping Continent was shrouded in "Eternal Night."
Perhaps in the end, no enemies from beyond the heavens would ever descend upon the mortal world from those torn rifts in the sky.
Chenping Continent would ultimately sink into the void amid thick, suffocating despair.
It wasn't only True Person Xuzhou, Lou Ye, who had figured this out.
The nine Immortal Ascension Realm True Persons of Chenping Continent today, as well as many Upper Three Realm greats with rich experience, and even Myriad Transformations Realm and Spirit Connection Realm cultivators, all had similar premonitions.
But even so, what could they do?
Faced with the collapse of the laws of heaven and earth, even Immortal Ascension Realm cultivators could only lament the mighty power of heaven and earth and their own insignificance, unable to do anything at all.
In other words, sitting around waiting for death, or meeting all changes by remaining unchanging, was itself the most conservative and safest response the current cultivation world of Chenping Continent could make to greet the impending crisis.
But in many situations, appropriate boldness and sacrifice were necessary.
This was also Lou Ye's thinking.
The first time Chen Yan heard the name of True Person Xuzhou, the fifth-generation Ascended Steward of Lingxiao Temple, he was still an outer sect disciple of Kongshan Sect.
In fact, among all the Immortal Ascension Realm greats that Chenping Continent had produced to date, Lou Ye was quite mediocre in both cultivation and achievements, with nothing particularly memorable about him.
The reason the young Chen Yan, then an outer sect disciple of Kongshan Sect, often heard of True Person Xuzhou was simply because Lou Ye's time of fall was close to the current era.
This fifth-generation Ascended Steward of Lingxiao Temple had fallen eight thousand five hundred years ago.
The third-generation Ascended Steward of Wind Ravine Valley, Realman Shuangyu, Yin Xia; and the third-generation Ascended Steward of Kongshan Sect, True Person Caiyun, Kong Yang.
The eras when these two Immortal Ascension cultivators respectively governed Wind Ravine Valley and Kongshan Sect overlapped to some extent with the era when True Person Xuzhou, Lou Ye, governed Lingxiao Temple.
Yet Lou Ye was completely overshadowed by the brilliance of Yin Xia and Kong Yang.
But it couldn't be said that he had done nothing at all. After all, before Lou Ye ascended to immortality, Lingxiao Temple had always been shrouded in the shadow of Wind Ravine Valley.
It was only until Lou Ye ascended to immortality that this situation was alleviated to a certain degree.
True Person Xuzhou's decision to risk his life by throwing himself into the heavenly rift was also a final decision made after deep and careful deliberation.
Before Chen Yan uprooted the Cause of Calamity and the immortal path revived, Lingxiao Temple's foundation was the deepest among the Five Great Sects of Chenping Continent.
The mere fact that at the time, only Lingxiao Temple possessed two Dao Union Realm greats simultaneously was proof enough.
And now, aside from Lingxiao Temple's sixth Immortal Ascension Realm True Person, Realman Xihe, Lingxiao Temple had five Dao Union Realm cultivators in total.
Although Realman Xihe's experience was still shallow, under the guidance and cultivation of Lingxiao Temple's Supreme Pivot Elder Bai Yuze and Supreme Imperial Law Elder Meng Shaoyuan, it was only a matter of time before he could shoulder great responsibilities.
In other words, True Person Xuzhou had no worries behind him.
Setting aside the current life and speaking only of the time when he governed Lingxiao Temple in the first life, Lou Ye had governed for a full fourteen thousand years.
More than three times the length of time Kong Yang had governed Kongshan Sect.
Yet he still hadn't left behind any achievements in Chenping Continent's history that later generations could praise.
Lou Ye wanted to do something.
Especially now, when the entire world was about to welcome its end.
"If you go, you won't be able to come back."
Chen Yan, seated upright at the far end of Du Cang Hall on the white jade throne, spoke toward True Person Xuzhou in a calm tone.
He had neither endorsed True Person Xuzhou's decision nor opposed it.
"I know."
Lou Ye nodded.
"The depths of that heavenly rift are the spatial rifts separating Chenping Continent from the myriad heavens and worlds. Even Immortal Ascension Realm cultivators would very likely be lost within them forever."
Chen Yan continued.
"True Person Chen."
Hearing this, Lou Ye raised his hands in salute toward the handsome young man in the plain white daoist robe seated on the white jade throne, then continued solemnly:
"Lou has already prepared himself for a one-way journey, all to win a sliver of hope for Chenping Continent."
"Why bother?"
Though Chen Yan knew there was no need for him to ask such a question, he ultimately couldn't hold it back.
Over the past hundred years, Chen Yan had also many times entertained the thought of personally entering the spatial rifts and confronting "that existence" face to face.
But whenever this thought arose in his heart, Chen Yan suppressed it again.
Because Chen Yan knew very well what he would face if he entered the spatial rifts.
Eight thousand years ago, in Heavenly Summit Palace, Chen Yan had once entered the spatial rifts.
The spatial rifts themselves had no concept of time or space.
But if a being entering the spatial rifts was powerful enough, it could influence the spatial rifts, thereby projecting the concepts of time and space within them.
For instance, that sword qi that had rescued Chen Yan from the spatial rifts back then.
Now, there probably wouldn't be a second sword qi to rescue him from the spatial rifts.
The same was true for Lou Ye.
If he rashly entered the spatial rifts, his final fate would surely be no return.
But what impact would entering the spatial rifts have on Chenping Continent?
Chen Yan didn't know.
But he was very clear that the current cultivation world of Chenping Continent was indeed in a state of sitting around waiting for death.
Doing something was always better than doing nothing.
If Realman Lou had truly prepared himself to sacrifice his life...
Chen Yan rose from the white jade throne beneath him, slowly walked down the steps, and stood before Lou Ye:
"Realman Lou, have you truly thought this through?"
Lou Ye didn't speak immediately upon hearing this. He first fell silent for a moment, then laughed heartily.
"True Person Chen, Lou once governed Lingxiao Temple for a full fourteen thousand years. Since luckily stepping into the Immortal Ascension Realm, my cultivation has scarcely improved at all. Therefore, Lou has often pondered a question."
Lou Ye paused for a moment, then continued:
"Cultivation, what is it truly for?"
Hearing this question, Chen Yan was dazed for a brief instant.
He had heard this question far too many times, especially eight thousand years ago when he had traveled everywhere with Little Su and Little Zhou.
Of course, this question also truly troubled every cultivator in this world, from the Body Forging Realm below to the Immortal Ascension Realm above.
"It seems Realman Lou has found his own answer."
Chen Yan said slowly:
"Realman Lou's answer, what is it for?"
"To leave a name in history."
Lou Ye answered frankly.