Chapter 2131: A New Life Within Reach
"It has been less than ten years since I last summoned all Divine Venerables. The reason for this gathering, I believe all of you already know."
His voice was soft, yet it seemed to ring directly in the deepest recesses of the soul, clear and irrefutable, carving itself into the heart and mind, never to be forgotten.
He was clearly right before their eyes, yet he felt like a figure within an ancient painting, beyond the clouds, at the end of a distant dream...
It was a sensation of being "an existence beyond reach," rooted in the depths of the soul and cognition.
Perhaps this was what Li Suo meant: he was, in the truest sense, an entity that had completely transcended the existing plane. A true god, different from the Divine Venerables who inherited the power of true gods.
If one had to use words to describe this intangible, unattainable ethereality, it would be the "divine bearing" and "divine nature" known to all living beings but forever beyond the grasp of ordinary cognition.
"As all of you know, during the previous Void-Breaking Ceremony—the thirty thousand and eleventh attempt bearing the history, power, and will of our Abyss—we finally opened a spatial passage to the 'Eternal Pure Land.'"
"Treading along this thirty thousand and eleventh spatial passage, our pioneers have successfully set foot in the 'Eternal Pure Land.'"
Though they had long known, these words spoken personally by Yuan Huang left no room for doubt.
For a moment, from the Divine Venerables of the six kingdoms down to the young Xuan practitioners, an uncontrollable surge of excitement welled up in their hearts. They clearly understood what this meant.
It would be a cataclysmic change in fate, an eternal severance from the nightmare Abyss Dust, and the culmination of a million years of the Abyss's efforts, yielding a dreamlike good fruit in their generation.
Especially the Dragon Lord. His aged features trembled, his lips unconsciously parted, and his old eyes were so misty he could barely see.
But before Yuan Huang, no matter how their hearts throbbed, not a single person made an improper sound. Only pairs of eyes blazed with fiery intensity.
Yuan Huang's divine proclamation settled the dust, declaring that the Abyss world was about to embark on a true turning point and rebirth.
And what this "rebirth" would bring to the "Eternal Pure Land"—no one cared, no one considered.
Except for the emperor of the "Eternal Pure Land," seen by all but known to none.
"Thirty thousand and eleven attempts. Generation after generation of effort from the various kingdoms. Nineteen thousand six hundred and fifty-seven fallen pioneers. Only now have we opened a new passage."
Yuan Huang raised his hand, his slightly spread fingers seeming to cover the entire Abyss: "This honor and reward, this dawn from the 'Eternal Pure Land,' has not only shone upon the Pure Land but will also bathe all of you present here."
The beating of hearts grew even more intense.
Dian Luohou, the least skilled at controlling his emotions, could no longer hold back. He stepped forward and bowed, asking: "May I ask Yuan Huang, does the next Void-Breaking Ceremony mean we can enter the 'Eternal Pure Land'?"
Yuan Huang smiled: "Naturally."
Those two words were an unquestionable divine proclamation to the world.
Dian Luohou asked again: "Then... when the spatial passage reopens, how many of us can enter at once?"
Everyone's nerves tightened, all eyes fixed intently on Yuan Huang. This, undoubtedly, was the matter they cared about most.
Yuan Huang's gaze shifted slightly, and instantly, everyone felt a gentle, otherworldly divine light brush over their bodies and souls: "Each of the six divine kingdoms may send a thousand people. The Dragon Clan may send a hundred."
He did not mention the Pure Land, nor did he need to.
Dian Luohou abruptly raised his head, momentarily unable to believe his ears.
After the shock, uncontrollable joy spread across everyone's faces. Even the expressions of the Divine Venerables from the various kingdoms showed clear agitation.
A thousand people... for the population of a divine kingdom, this was a very small number, yet it far exceeded their expectations.
Once every fifty years, with the combined power of the divine kingdoms and the Dragon Clan, the Void-Breaking Ceremony had always opened a spatial passage that could only accommodate a few people.
The previous thirty thousand and eleven Void-Breaking Ceremonies were merely pathfinding, naturally not requiring full effort. Now that the path was set, the spatial passage opened next time would certainly be incomparable to the past, but they had never imagined it could be so large.
This Pure Land gathering had allowed each divine kingdom to bring a hundred people. They had assumed this was a hint, informing them in advance that each time they could select a hundred to journey to the Eternal Pure Land. But the result was that Yuan Huang had given them a tremendous surprise far beyond their expectations.
Though a thousand was small, for the core members of each divine kingdom, it was more than enough. As long as the core was present, the divine kingdoms could take root and continue in the Eternal Pure Land.
The Void-Breaking Ceremony occurred once every fifty years, meaning each divine kingdom could move a thousand people every fifty years. Even if the ceremony continued forever, it would be twenty thousand in a thousand years and only two hundred thousand in ten thousand years.
But this did not matter, because in any class or plane, no one cared about the sacrifice or abandonment of the weak.
Even though... compared to the strong who were less afraid of Abyss Dust, the weak needed and yearned for the "Eternal Pure Land" even more.
*Thump!*
The Dragon Lord knelt heavily, tears streaming down his aged face: "Old Long Zhiming, leading the Dragon Clan above and below, kowtows in gratitude for Yuan Huang's grace of rebirth!"
Abyss Dust eroded beast clans far more severely than humans. And if they could go to, or return to, the "Eternal Pure Land" of their ancestors, the Dragon Clan would no longer need to despair over awaiting extinction and would surely, in some future era, return to the lords of all living beings.
The "Eternal Pure Land" was a redemption for the Dragon Clan far greater than for humanity. The Dragon Lord's excitement surpassed that of the six divine kingdoms by far too much.
"Dragon Lord need not be like this." Yuan Huang smiled faintly. "Today's result is also due to the Dragon Clan's indispensable contributions. There is no need to thank me."
As Yun Che's mind stirred, a warmth suddenly touched his shoulder.
Meng Kongchan's hand gently pressed on his shoulder, and looking ahead, he said softly: "How fortunate I am as a father. First, I was bathed in the grace of my ancestors, and now I have Yuan'er to carry on. Once I send Yuan'er to the Eternal Pure Land... this father's life will be complete, with no regrets."
"..." Yun Che did not turn his eyes, and said in a low voice: "I dare not speak lightly of the future. But... if I can safely set foot in the 'Eternal Pure Land,' I will definitely guard everything I cherish there... without sparing this body, without sparing this soul."
The hand on Yun Che's shoulder patted gently, and Meng Kongchan laughed: "Well said. Even without my divine soul probing, I can deeply feel the purity in these words. Father believes that if it's Yuan'er, whether in the Abyss or the Eternal Pure Land, everything will go as you wish."
"It will," Yun Che also smiled.
In the back corner of the Star Moon Divine Kingdom, Pan Buwang slowly raised his head. Unlike the excitement and agitation of others, there was still no light in his black eyes.
The Eternal Pure Land, huh...
Hmph...
Mother, Wuji... without you, even if it is as brilliant as a beautiful dream, it is nothing but a hopeless abyss of death.
And this body of mine, existing only for revenge... how could I let you have your way?
Pan Buzhuo, Shen Wuyi... before you set foot in the "Eternal Pure Land" of your fantasies, I will do everything in my power to drag you into a deeper, more painful, and more despairing abyss than mine!
No one noticed that at this moment, the High Priest turned his head slightly, gazing at Yuan Huang's back... His pupils did not shift, and no one could capture or understand the ripples deep within them that connected to millions of years of karma and resolve.
"I have another matter to announce to all of you."
Yuan Huang's voice sounded, instantly wiping away all clamor.
"To activate the Void-Breaking Grand Array capable of carrying several thousand people, the power required for the Void-Breaking Ceremony will also far surpass that of the past. This will require the divine kingdoms not to spare their resources, and the Divine Venerables not to spare their divine power."
Hua Fuchen said: "This is a fateful gift that benefits our future for millennia. Even if we exhaust everything, we would gladly do so. How could we speak of sparing?"
"Indeed," Meng Kongchan immediately added: "As long as Yuan Huang speaks a word, we will spare no effort."
All the Divine Venerables echoed in agreement. Faced with the "Eternal Pure Land," neither the divine kingdoms nor the Dragon Clan would be stingy with resources or power.
"It won't come to that," Yuan Huang seemed to smile, but his features seemed never to have changed at all. "To pave the way to the 'Eternal Pure Land,' the foundation array of the Void-Breaking Ceremony must be reconstructed. This will require the combined power of all the Divine Venerables."
"Senluo Jue Luo Divine Venerable, Zhe Tian Hua Xin Divine Venerable, Zhi Meng Wu Meng Divine Venerable, Xing Yue Tian Xing Divine Venerable and Qiong Yue Divine Venerable, Yong Ye Wu Ming Divine Venerable, Xiao Die Qi Heng Divine Venerable, and the Ancestral Dragon Lord Long Zhiming."
He named the seven Divine Venerables and the Dragon Lord one by one, his gaze passing over each of them: "On this day ten years from now, gather here to reconstruct the Void-Breaking Grand Array. Do not be absent."
His words were always like a gentle breeze, without a trace of authority or oppression.
He was speaking, declaring... but the phrase "do not be absent" at the end was an imperial command.
Absolutely unbreakable!
The seven Divine Venerables and the Dragon Lord all straightened their expressions and bowed with utmost reverence to receive the order: "We respectfully obey Yuan Huang's benevolent command!"
Ten years from now... reconstruct the Void-Breaking Grand Array...
Yun Che's expression did not change, but he engraved these words deeply into his heart.
According to the memories Chi Wuyue had seized from Mo Beichen, the strange mirror Yuan Huang used to open the Abyss passage would fall into a slumber after each use and needed fifty years to recover its power.
And that strange mirror was most likely the spatial artifact mentioned in Ni Xuan's memory fragments, which had fallen into the Abyss together with the daughter of Pan Ming Demon Emperor—the Panming Void-Breaking Mirror.
The names "Void-Breaking Ceremony" and "Void-Breaking Grand Array" were undoubtedly further evidence of this most likely possibility.
If the known information and speculations were true, then the next awakening of the Panming Void-Breaking Mirror would be in about forty-something years.
But why reconstruct the Void-Breaking Grand Array ten years from now?
Reconstruction does not mean activation; it means re-laying the foundation for activation.
Just... that?
...
"Hua Xin Divine Venerable," Yuan Huang's warm voice drifted atop the Garden of Eden clouds: "Over these ten thousand years, to save Cai Li, you have repeatedly wounded yourself, losing more than two hundred Jiazi of your lifespan. The divine power you bear has also become increasingly repulsive to your body, and the resulting pain is known only to you."
"!" Hua Cai Li abruptly turned her head to look at her father, her jade face instantly turning deathly pale.
"Fa... Father... you..."
She knew that during the ten thousand years she had spent in the "cradle," her father had endured great pain each time he saved her. But she never knew, and no one had ever told her, that Hua Fuchen's suffering was not just temporary pain, but such a massive loss of lifespan and the ever-present torment of self-devouring.
Hua Fuchen, however, gave his daughter a warm smile, his eyes telling her that he was fine and at ease.
"In these ten years, you must rest your mind and body. Do not use your divine power."
Hua Fuchen bowed in salute: "Yes. Ten years from now, Hua Fuchen will surely be in the most complete state."
Yuan Huang shifted his gaze: "Yong Ye Divine Venerable, in bearing your divine power, your body and soul have both been damaged, and your lifespan has been reduced by a full seventy percent. For you, the best course is to pass on your divine power as soon as possible."
"If you pass it on immediately, you can still retain about two hundred Jiazi of remaining lifespan, and there is a possibility that your vision may recover. If you continue to forcibly bear the divine power, after forty Jiazi, any day could be the day of your sudden death."
From behind the carriage came the hoarse voice of Wu Ming Divine Venerable: "Thank you, Yuan Huang, for the advice. Shen Wu has his own decision."
Everyone knew that Shen Wu Yanye was the least likely person to pass on his divine power early... even if it meant unbearable pain and a severely shortened lifespan.
Yuan Huang only mentioned these two Divine Venerables and said no more.
"It seems that the 'Eternal Pure Land' is so close that Yuan Huang is in a very good mood," Meng Jianxi said with a light laugh.
"How can you tell?" Yun Che asked in surprise.
Meng Jianxi paused to organize his words, then informed him through soul voice: "In the history of the divine kingdoms, the presence of Yuan Huang has actually been extremely low. The Void-Breaking Ceremony, which gathers the power of all Divine Venerables every fifty years, is almost the only intersection."
"Other than that, Yuan Huang never takes the initiative to interfere in any divine kingdom's affairs. He hardly even inquires. For example, when such a drastic change occurred in the Yong Ye Divine Kingdom, Yuan Huang didn't even cast half a glance in that direction... The only possible exception is the Xiao Die Divine Kingdom, but even there, his involvement was minimal."
"And today, for the first time, Yuan Huang has publicly given warnings and admonitions." Meng Jianxi's brows carried a smile. "I clearly saw the astonished expressions on my uncle and the others. It seems this is the first time in their memory."
"..." Yun Che looked ahead and did not respond.
For some reason, these casual words from Meng Jianxi made his heart sink inexplicably.
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