Chapter 2612: The Mortal World
Yan Liren brushed off the inquiry by referring to them as "two old friends of this Sect Leader," and the matter was dropped.
Sui Han did not press further and instead turned to the business at hand, saying, "The Ten Realms Challenge Letter from the Hell Realm has already been delivered to the Heavenly Palace. I wonder if Yan Sect Leader has heard of it?"
Yan Liren nodded. "This matter has been widely discussed even in the Kunlun Realm."
Sui Han said, "The Heavenly Palace has debated this challenge letter for many days, and in the end, they decided that they must accept the battle. Many cultivators across the Heavenly Court Myriad Realms already harbor fear toward the Hell Realm. If they refuse to fight, they will struggle to hold their heads high before Hell Realm cultivators for the next thousand years, and morale will suffer a severe blow."
"The Heavenly Palace made this decision out of necessity," Yan Liren said.
Sui Han nodded, his face etched with worry. "Who says otherwise? In this millennium, the Hell Realm has produced a multitude of powerful figures, known as the ten Eon-level representatives rising together. Beyond that, Que and Yan Wushen are unparalleled talents of their generation, each more heaven-defying than the last, forcing cultivators across the Heavenly Court Myriad Realms to bow their heads. When encountered on the Merit Battlefield, they immediately strike fear into hearts."
"The Hell Realm sent the Ten Realms Challenge Letter precisely to use this surge of elite talents to psychologically crush the Heavenly Court's cultivators completely."
Yan Liren asked, "If we accept the battle, defeat is far more likely than victory."
Sui Han agreed with this view. "Thus, the Heavenly Palace has entrusted this matter to the Mortal World Peerless Pavilion. The Mortal World Peerless Pavilion will select participants from across the Heavenly Court Myriad Realms and various ancient civilizations."
"The Mortal World Peerless Pavilion is about to host the Mortal World Assembly, and they have sent a total of twenty Mortal World Invitations to the Kunlun Realm."
Sui Han took out a jade-white invitation and handed it to Yan Liren. "At the Mortal World Assembly, the Paradise Realm Faction will surely try to suppress the Kunlun Realm again. Please accept this Mortal World Invitation and represent the Kunlun Realm at the gathering."
"For the Heavenly Palace, the most important thing is to win the Ten Realms Battle."
"For the Kunlun Realm, it is enough to hold its ground at the Mortal World Assembly and avoid being humiliated too badly by the Paradise Realm Faction."
Sui Han's words undoubtedly boosted the enemy's morale while dampening their own, but Yan Liren could understand the worry and bitterness in his heart.
In terms of mortal-world power, even after a thousand years of development and the awakening of many cultivators, the Kunlun Realm still could not compare to the Paradise Realm Faction.
Otherwise, Tai Shang would not have to personally teach the Great Saints.
The Kunlun Realm had a fair number of Great Saints, but it lacked top-tier Great Saints, especially demigods. Even Yan Liren was still striving to reach the demigod realm.
But without centuries of accumulation, reaching that level was impossible.
Although Yan Liren had gained great opportunities in the Endless Abyss, the demigod realm remained as difficult as reaching the heavens. It was the threshold to godhood, not something everyone could cross.
Only by becoming a demigod could one have a chance to assault the Divine Realm, a goal that even many Great Saints could only gaze at from afar.
"Rest assured, this Sect Leader will definitely arrive at the banquet on time."
Yan Liren took the Mortal World Invitation, glanced at it, and put it away.
As one of the top experts of the Kunlun Realm, he had to bear this responsibility.
Sui Han let out a long sigh. "Cultivators across the world all think that with Tai Shang's return, the Kunlun Realm is bound to grow and thrive, but they don't know that the Kunlun Realm's Great Saints are barely holding on in the Heavenly Court. I only hope that Baichi and Shudaizi can break through to the Supreme Realm as soon as possible, so they can pose some deterrent to the Paradise Realm Faction."
"Not long ago, Xu Xu of the Blade God Realm challenged Ling Xiu, the Great Saint and lord of the Jinsha Holy Domain. Ling Xiu was severely injured and nearly killed with a single slash."
"To avenge her father, Ling Sect Leader immediately challenged Xu Xu, shattered his Sacred Source, and crippled his cultivation."
"But because of this, the Great Saints of the Blade God Realm have declared all-out war on the Kunlun Realm, even vowing to cripple Ling Sect Leader and seek justice for Xu Xu. When I returned to the Kunlun Realm, an envoy from the Heavenly Palace had already gone to mediate, but I suspect it will be of little use."
"I didn't expect the Blade God Realm to ultimately choose a side." Yan Liren's heart sank slightly. The Blade God Realm was the fourth strongest realm in the Western Universe, and the Kunlun Realm's mortal-world power was far inferior to it.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "The Ling Sect Leader you mentioned—is that the former Feiyu Sword Saint, Ling Feiyu?"
Sui Han nodded. "That's right."
...
After Sui Han left, Zhang Ruochen rose and bid farewell to Yan Liren. Then he went to Ji Shui's side, wanting to say something but unable to utter a single word.
In the end, Zhang Ruochen took out a divine wooden box and handed it over. "Shishu, consider this a parting gift, a way to settle a karmic bond."
With that, Zhang Ruochen and Kong Lanyou mounted the peacock transformed by Kong Xuan and soared through the clouds, departing.
"Shishu?"
Ji Shui was puzzled and casually opened the box.
"Swoosh—"
From the box burst a dazzling, brilliant light of origin, shrouding the entire Guiyuan Divine Palace in a layer of white mist.
Inside the box lay a silver-white, human-shaped blood-striped ginseng, its medicinal fragrance so intense that Sun Jueduan, standing nearby, felt his cultivation rapidly increase just by breathing it in.
It was a high-grade Eon Sacred Medicine.
Moreover, the medicine spirit had been sealed away; otherwise, it could unleash power at the level of an Immortal Realm Great Saint, far beyond Ji Shui's ability to suppress.
This gift was far too precious, exceeding Ji Shui's expectations. With this Eon Sacred Medicine, her chances of reaching the Great Saint realm would greatly increase.
Who was this person, to be so generous?
Could she have mistaken him for someone else?
Ji Shui quickly closed the divine wooden box. Such a treasure was not meant for her; it would be better to return it, lest the great figure later realize his mistake and vent his anger on her.
She wanted to hand the divine wooden box to Yan Sect Leader for him to return.
But Yan Liren just smiled and said, "If he gave it to you, then accept it."
Yan Liren's figure flickered and vanished from the Guiyuan Divine Palace.
Ji Shui held the divine wooden box, still uneasy, and had to ask Sun Jueduan, "Who is that person?"
Sun Jueduan, seeing that Elder Ji had a past with that person, did not hide it. He transmitted his voice, "If I'm not mistaken, it should be that Sect Leader of our Blood God Sect from a thousand years ago. Eh..."
Sun Jueduan found that Elder Ji had already disappeared from his sight.
Ji Shui chased out of the Guiyuan Divine Palace, out of the Blood God Sect, and for thousands of miles, but ultimately could not catch up to Zhang Ruochen, who had already departed.
She gazed at the sky, then at the wooden box in her hand, knowing that from now on, their karmic bond was truly over. Her mind recalled the past, and she murmured to herself, "From now on, I'm afraid I'll never see him again. Why is it that even though a thousand years have passed, the scenes of our time together are still as clear as if they happened yesterday?"
...
Kong Lanyou sat leisurely on the multicolored peacock feathers, her snow-white, slender legs dangling in the air as she played a bamboo flute.
Above her head was a sky as blue as washed jade, and below were seas of clouds and dark green mountains.
Her white hair fluttered in the wind, her black eyes bright, but the flute's sound was deep and desolate, as if telling of the pain of parting.
Zhang Ruochen sat behind her, arms crossed, knowing why she was playing this piece, "Mortal World Farewell." "Shishu Ji is a very good person, but unfortunately, everyone has their own path. If these paths cannot overlap, then there must come a time when they diverge. Is there any banquet in the world that never ends?"
The flute stopped.
Kong Lanyou turned her jade-white, radiant face and said, "I am your cousin, and you are my cousin. Our paths can overlap until the day one of us dies."
"As a cultivator, if you cannot let go of your emotions, you are destined to suffer greatly. No one can truly grow old together. Lanyou, why haven't you thought about finding your own life?" Zhang Ruochen said.
A thousand years ago, Kong Lanyou lived for revenge.
For this thousand years, she stayed in the Endless Abyss.
How much youth had she wasted?
Kong Lanyou blinked her eyes and said, "You are my life. Where else could I go to find it?"
Zhang Ruochen said no more and took Da Sikong and Er Sikong out of the Qiankun Realm.
The peacock swooped down and landed at the foot of a holy mountain shaped like a lying ox.
The mountain was rich with sacred qi and covered in oak trees.
Halfway up the mountain sat a blue-gray meditation courtyard.
Da Sikong's eyes lit up. "Sikong Meditation Courtyard! Shishu, why are we back at the Sikong Meditation Courtyard?"
The Sikong Meditation Courtyard was also located in Tiantai Prefecture, not far from the Blood God Sect.
"Of course, to find your master, Yintuo Luoshi," Zhang Ruochen said.
"Master should be in the Western Region's Fantian Dao," Da Sikong said.
"I say he's here, so he's here."
Zhang Ruochen's gaze fixed on a sacred carriage parked by the oak forest. Two qin-playing children stood on either side of the carriage, but there was no sign of Sui Han.
Er Sikong looked toward the Sikong Meditation Courtyard on the mountainside, his face showing excitement. "I think I really sense Master's aura!"
"Haha! Great! Finally back at the Sikong Meditation Courtyard, finally able to see the old master again!"
Da Sikong laughed heartily as he charged up the mountain, showing none of the demeanor befitting a demigod.
Er Sikong followed closely.
They had grown up in the Sikong Meditation Courtyard and had deep feelings for the place.