Supreme Emptiness

Chapter 2285: Chapter 2332: Hua and the Others

After entering Central Earth, the paper crane’s speed gradually slowed. Like a wanderer returning with an exhausted body after drifting in solitude, it looked down at its long-lost homeland inch by inch in the gentlest posture.

Standing on the paper crane, Jiang Fan watched the magnificent mountains and rivers retreating beneath his feet and the bustling cities flashing by. His nerves, which had been tense for months, suddenly relaxed. A trace of a gratified smile appeared on the corner of his mouth as he murmured, "If I were to die on the land that raised me—a land I have never failed—it wouldn’t be too lonely."

The paper crane flew over the Great Wilderness State.

Jiang Fan’s powerful soul scanned the earth, reflecting everything along the way in his mind. He saw ruins after ruins. The several demonic sects that had flourished in the past were now desolate and overgrown with weeds. The broken walls and debris quietly told of this place’s past glory. He also saw the birth of a brand-new great sect. He even saw a coquettish and charming demonic sect female Venerable standing before thousands of disciples, preaching and answering their questions. She was the only surviving demonic sect Divinity Transformation Realm expert in the Great Wilderness State, the Red Dust Venerable.

Suddenly, the Red Dust Venerable felt something in her heart and looked up at the high heavens.

Among the disciples sitting in the front row, a similarly charming woman in the Nascent Soul Realm asked in confusion, "Master, what are you looking at?"

The Red Dust Venerable withdrew her gaze. After pondering for a moment, a nostalgic smile curled her lips as she whispered, "It seems an old friend is passing by." Saying so, she looked at the new disciple in front of her—a woman in a long red dress whose coquettishness and sex appeal surpassed even her own—and added, "Of course, it’s also an old friend of yours."

The woman in the red dress blanked for a moment, then lowered her head and murmured, "It’s truly wonderful that he’s safe."

The paper crane crossed the Returning Ruins State. He saw a stunningly beautiful woman with flowing silver hair leaning lonely against a tree and drinking wine on an Immortal Mountain that pierced the clouds in intertwining purple and cyan. Her expression was cold and aloof, her gaze staring blankly into the world beyond the sky, completely mesmerized.

Demon Continent. He saw an unruly girl with a head full of golden hair throwing a temper tantrum. Beside her, a middle-aged man with equally long golden hair, exuding the aura of a Demon Venerable, looked at her with a face full of doting indulgence. He looked every bit the stereotypical slave to his daughter.

Heavenly State. He saw the Thunder Annihilation Sage cultivating silently on Young Emperor Mountain; he saw the Buddha Venerate preaching Zen in the Buddha Country; he saw a fairy-like figure floating like Chang’e in the Moon Palace; he saw the hunched back in the Medicine God Hall.

Dan State. He saw a couple over fifty years old—one elegant and upright with slightly white temples, the other in a long blue dress with eyes full of tenderness. They wandered among the mountains and rivers, using the rest of their lives to make up for the youth they had missed out on.

...

The mountains and rivers remained unharmed, and the old friends were still the same. It was truly wonderful. The faint smile on Jiang Fan’s lips was like the rolling clouds in the horizon, dispersing and gathering, gathering and dispersing again...

At this moment, the paper crane passed through a patch of clouds and mist, its speed becoming even slower. Jiang Fan looked down, his heartbeat slightly accelerating. It was because the Great State beneath his feet was the place he was most familiar with.

Taicang State!

His soul swept over, and he saw the Continent. He saw Lonely Boat City on the Continent. He saw the Green Cloud Sect, Boundary Mountain, the former Demon Emperor Court, and the faces of old friends that were almost becoming blurred in his memory. He also saw the vast Great State, the Divine Sect waiting to be rebuilt from ruins, and the Divinity Transformation Venerables springing up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. There were some he knew, but more that he didn’t. A deep sense of unfamiliarity welled up in his heart.

Finally, he took a deep breath and looked toward the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion! Here lay the deepest marks of his journey. Moreover, it held the people he could not let go of the most. With just one glance, he spotted several familiar figures. Fairy Yun Shang, dressed in white as pure as snow. Gong Caiyi, with her bulging belly. And Green Pearl, with her long, silver hair.

The three women gathered in a pavilion, nervously staring at the Book of Life and Death in Green Pearl’s hands.

"Jiang is still alive!"

Even Fairy Yun Shang, who had always been calm and served as the backbone of the women, had her eyes trembling slightly at this moment, losing her composure. Gong Caiyi also lightly covered her red lips, her eyes glistening with tears.

Green Pearl, pale-faced, hurriedly closed the Book of Life and Death, revealing a trace of pain. "My husband will be fine! He survived the Desolate Ancient Hunt; the Chaotic Ancient Blood Marquis can forget about killing him!"

Ever since the Chaotic Ancient Blood Marquis announced to the heavens that he would hunt down Jiang Fan, they had been sitting on pins and needles. Time and time again, they used the Book of Life and Death to check on Jiang Fan to confirm whether he was still alive.

Jiang Fan was moved. His safety had completely disturbed their peace of mind. Especially when he saw Gong Caiyi helplessly holding her six-month pregnant belly, Jiang Fan closed his eyes in bitterness. If he were to die, wouldn’t his unborn child not even have a father?

He wanted to use Instantaneous Movement to return to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. But rationality triumphed over emotion. It was better to follow the paper crane first and take a look at its final destination.

The paper crane flew unhurriedly, passing through the Sea of Death and crossing the Cloud River.

When a trace of sea breeze mixed with Spiritual Energy blew over, Jiang Fan slowly opened his eyes. Looking down, the azure Vast Sea was surging with waves, crashing against the reefs and splashing up clusters of snow-white foam. Flocks of seagulls hovered over the sea surface, pecking at the small fish that surfaced.

Jiang Fan was puzzled. "Is this... the South Sea?"

Among the Four Seas, the waves of the South Sea were the largest. The paper crane had brought him to the South Sea? What puzzled him even more was that the paper crane’s speed became slower and slower, eventually nearing a glide.

The destination was arriving!

Jiang Fan stood up and looked forward. Not long after, the paper crane’s speed approached zero. Catching the wind, it slowly glided down from the highest heavens and descended upon the Vast Sea. Right in front of him was an island formed from a cluster of reefs.

Jiang Fan sensed his surroundings and said in astonishment, "Is this... the South Sea Palace? Why is there an island right above the palace?"

Suddenly, he remembered what Yuan Zhiyu had reported to him before. An island had appeared out of thin air above the South Sea Palace, and on it was a white-haired old woman from the Sea Demon Clan. To prevent Jiang Fan from worrying about the safety of the South Sea Demon Emperor, Gong Caiyi had ordered the Green Cloud Sect to dispatch Nascent Soul Experts to resolve this hidden danger.

Jiang Fan frowned. "A tiny island still hasn’t been dealt with after so long? That shouldn’t be!"

With the Green Cloud Sect’s current strength, destroying a mere small island would only require the lifting of a hand. That unidentified white-haired old woman also wouldn’t last a single exchange. Why was this matter still left unresolved?

He raised his hand, intending to destroy the island, but on second thought, he slowly withdrew it. This island was the paper crane’s final destination. Could there be something extraordinary about this island? Carrying these doubts, he flew toward the island.

The so-called island was constructed from piled-up coral reefs from the seabed, its surface sprinkled with soil brought from the Continent. It was planted full of various fresh flowers. Spring blossoms and autumn chrysanthemums; summer lotuses and winter plums. Flowers from four different seasons were blooming simultaneously in one place. Brilliant purples and vibrant reds, gorgeously eye-catching.

"An island full of blooming flowers? Were they planted by that white-haired old woman?"

Jiang Fan observed the sea of blossoms filling his vision. He could feel that every single flower here had been meticulously cultivated using Life Spirit Liquid. A great deal of effort and painstaking care had been spent on them.

At this moment, he noticed an artificially carved stairway leading straight from the foot of the mountain to the summit of the island. On both sides of the stairway were night-blooming cereus plants, their flower buds waiting to burst open.

"Ten thousand flowers compete in beauty, yet only you remain in bud," Jiang Fan whispered. With his hands behind his back, he stepped onto the stairway, wanting to head to the top and take a look.

However, the moment he stepped onto the stairs, the night-blooming cereuses that had never bloomed before slowly began to blossom. By the time Jiang Fan reached the halfway point of the stairway, hundreds of night-blooming cereuses on both sides had fully opened at the exact same time. The snow-white petals were holy and stunning. Swaying in the sea breeze, they looked like fairies in white dancing gracefully.

A flash of deep amazement crossed Jiang Fan’s eyes. He crouched down, his fingers gently touching a night-blooming cereus as he murmured, "So the night-blooming cereus is this beautiful."

While he was lost in thought, a sudden, light sigh of realization and helplessness came from the end of the stairway:

"So it turns out, they have been waiting for you all along."