# Chapter 2724: The End of the Sky
Under the moonlight, cold and chill.
Unconsciously, Earth Mother had already brought Zhang Ruochen to a mottled stone stele.
The stele had existed for who knows how many years, covered in cracks, entwined with black vines flowing with blood threads.
On the ground, weeds grew wildly, jagged rocks lay scattered.
Earth Mother approached, reaching out to caress the stele.
The black vines coiled around the stele retreated one after another, sinking into the soil.
"Entangled all life by emotional burdens, cutting off the mortal world, cutting off the heart." Earth Mother recited.
This verse was carved on the stele.
The characters were very ancient, each stroke containing Dao rhythm and complex emotions.
These emotions could be transmitted through the characters, reaching countless tens of thousands of years later, allowing Zhang Ruochen, this later generation junior, to truly feel them.
The environment here was extraordinarily eerie.
The clouds and mists in the sky were like layered mountain ranges.
On the ground were inscribed extremely profound demon patterns. If not for Earth Mother leading the way, with Zhang Ruochen's cultivation level, he would never have been able to reach this place.
Even the demon vines that had just been coiled around the stele, Zhang Ruochen sensed extreme danger from them.
Something that could make Zhang Ruochen, at his current level, feel danger was certainly no ordinary worldly object.
"Entangled all life by emotional burdens, cutting off the mortal world, cutting off the heart."
Zhang Ruochen repeated the verse, then asked: "Senior, who left these characters? These characters must have been carved hundreds of thousands of years ago, right?"
Hundreds of thousands of years, vicissitudes of time, was an unimaginably long period for the mortal world.
Earth Mother said: "On Cloud Mountain there is Heavenly Mother, her name unknown."
"Heavenly Mother reaches to the sky, stretching across the heavens, clouds and mists flickering, impossible to see clearly."
The so-called "Cloud Mountain" clearly referred to Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm.
Zhang Ruochen showed a thoughtful expression: "These are characters left by Heavenly Mother?"
Earth Mother nodded: "When Heavenly Mother was a young girl, she once had a fateful encounter with Immovable Bright King Great Venerable, who was already a Heavenly Venerable at that time. A single meeting led to a lifelong mistake. Unfortunately, until the moment Immovable Bright King Great Venerable fell, Heavenly Mother was unable to achieve any result of romantic feelings between man and woman with him."
"This became Heavenly Mother's lifelong regret."
"Until several eons later, when Heavenly Mother met Yinsnow Heavenly, she learned about the curse. I don't know what exactly happened between Heavenly Mother and Yinsnow Heavenly, but in any case, after returning, Heavenly Mother sat in meditation for three years."
"Then, as if she had seen through everything, she left this heart-severing stele on Heaven's End Cliff, and from then on disappeared from the world, never appearing again."
Earth Mother walked to the cliff edge not far away, facing the biting cold wind, her thoughts already drifting back hundreds of thousands of years, to the time when she cultivated alongside Heavenly Mother.
Unfortunately, time ages people.
The youthful, graceful her back then was now white-haired.
What about Heavenly Mother?
She was so stunning—was she still alive now?
"So, regarding the curse, was it Heavenly Mother who told Senior?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Earth Mother remained silent, immersed in her own universe of thoughts.
Zhang Ruochen stepped to the cliff edge and looked down. Below was bottomless, carrying a terrifying demonic power that could devour a cultivator's soul.
He quickly withdrew his gaze and looked into the distance.
But he couldn't see the ground, only endless darkness.
Even when mobilizing Truth Rules, it was the same.
It was as if this truly was the end of the sky.
I don't know how long passed before Earth Mother recovered from her thoughts and said: "Zhang Ruochen, your talent surpasses that of the young Immovable Bright King Great Venerable. Xumi Saint Monk clearly placed his hopes on you, hoping you could become a figure like the Great Venerable, only then could the Kunlun Realm be saved."
"But fate is determined, while fortune changes."
"Xumi Saint Monk couldn't completely calculate everything about the future either. Once the Nether Hall restarts the curse, your path will be cut off. Without becoming a god, it's all in vain."
Zhang Ruochen said: "Senior brought me here and said so much; surely there must be a way to resolve the curse."
"Hmph! What kind of existence is Yinsnow Heavenly? To resolve her curse, even if Xumi were alive, he might not be able to do it. The Nether Hall inherited everything from Yinsnow Heavenly. If they are determined to prevent you from becoming a god, then you will definitely be unable to reach the Divine Realm. This is your fate!" Earth Mother said.
Zhang Ruochen smiled: "If that were truly the case, why would Senior personally appear to arrange a marriage for me? Wouldn't such an action be announcing to the world that Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm would firmly support me? Does a cultivator destined to never become a god have such value?"
"I have to say, you are very clever, but also very foolish."
Earth Mother said coldly: "Since you know that marrying a woman from Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm would gain the support of Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm, why are you so ungrateful?"
"Perhaps there is some resistance," Zhang Ruochen said, his gaze profound and solemn.
Earth Mother seemed not to hear clearly: "What did you say?"
Zhang Ruochen said: "Everyone has different ideals in their hearts. I don't like treating marriage as a means, as a method to gain benefits. That often leads to no good outcome, and instead harms them."
"People should have their own emotions; they shouldn't be tools in the hands of gods."
Earth Mother showed a disdainful expression: "In front of the strong, the weak should be grateful that they can still be tools. At least you still have value!"
"Below the Divine Realm, no one else would receive such treatment as you."
"If you pursue strength, then what you face will inevitably be the strong."
"If you don't want to become strong, then go stay with the weak. That way, you can be a person. You can even treat them as your tools."
"But when the strong invade your world in the form of disaster, you can do nothing. You can't protect the people around you, and you can't even protect yourself! At that time, you will find that being a person is the most painful thing."
"This world is cruel! Those who don't strive are useless, worthless."
"Moreover, with the outbreak of war between the Heavenly Court and Hell, this world will become even crueler. Zhang Ruochen, do you think you are truly ready to welcome this era?"
Earth Mother turned and walked away, her voice drifting back: "If not for the chaotic era having arrived, the future unpredictable, with no one able to remain untouched, why would I waste so much time on you? Think it over carefully, then come find me."
...
Zhang Ruochen returned alone.
Along the way, he was constantly pondering Earth Mother's words.
Yes, the chaotic era had arrived, and no one could remain untouched. Now, he still had the strength to struggle, and many gods were willing to help him struggle.
If he couldn't even "settle his body," how could he "establish his destiny"?
How could he talk about establishing a new order in the universe?
Zhang Ruochen didn't fully believe Earth Mother's words.
He didn't fully agree with Earth Mother's thinking either.
But it still had a considerable impact on his heart.
"Zhang Ruochen, what did the ancestor say to you?"
A clear, cold voice came from ahead.
Zhang Ruochen looked up and saw Gushe Jing standing in the distance, surrounded by wild grass. The moonlight of the Blood Moon turned into blood mist, swirling around her.
Her eyes were suspicious, hiding a trace of anxiety.
How could Zhang Ruochen not know what she was thinking? Seeing that she always had a fierce, cold look, especially when Zhang Ruochen's cultivation wasn't strong enough before, she had completely suppressed him.
Now that the opportunity had come, Zhang Ruochen developed some different thoughts, so he walked over and said: "Earth Mother Senior forced me to marry you, saying that if I didn't marry you, you might never be able to get married."
"Impossible! I am the Heaven Pavilion Eye, the future master of Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm." Gushe Jing didn't believe it at all.
Zhang Ruochen said: "Right! I said the same thing at the time. I said, you are the Heaven Pavilion Eye, the future master of Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm, how could you marry me?"
Gushe Jing became nervous and pressed: "What did the ancestor say?"
"She said, precisely because you are the Heaven Pavilion Eye, the future master of Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm, you must have a powerful offspring. Your Zhang Ruochen's bloodline, combined with our Gushe family's bloodline, will surely produce an unprecedented and unmatched successor." Zhang Ruochen said.
Gushe Jing's expression changed slightly, and she suddenly somewhat believed what Zhang Ruochen said.
Because Earth Mother had indeed praised Zhang Ruochen's bloodline endlessly earlier.
But Gushe Jing thought again and felt something was wrong, saying coldly: "With my cultivation and status, how could I not be able to get married? Zhang Ruochen, if you're going to make up lies, at least make them more believable."
Zhang Ruochen looked her over from head to toe and sighed: "If you didn't have this cultivation and the status of Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm's Heaven Pavilion Eye, with your seductive face and tall, outstanding figure, there would definitely be countless men who like you."
"Talk if you're going to talk, but who told you to touch me?"
Gushe Jing blocked Zhang Ruochen's hand.
Zhang Ruochen said: "Unfortunately, with high cultivation and high status, your standards are also high. Ordinary men, you can't look up to. Too powerful men, however, won't like your cold, fierce personality."
"How can you get married?"
Shaking his head, Zhang Ruochen walked toward Yunliu Divine Hall with his hands behind his back.
Gushe Jing caught up and blocked him, glaring: "Make things clear before you leave! Did you agree to the ancestor?"
"Why wouldn't I agree?" Zhang Ruochen asked back.
"How could you agree?"
"Why can't I agree?"
Zhang Ruochen looked her over again, at her face and figure, and said: "Although you have countless flaws and no man likes you, your sister is still very lovable. I have a bond of hardship with her. At most, in the future, when I get intimate with her, you just don't come out to cause trouble."
Gushe Jing stared at Zhang Ruochen, trembling with anger, not daring to imagine what might happen in the future.
What was even more hateful was that Zhang Ruochen had belittled her, an Eon-level representative and the Heaven Pavilion Eye of Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm, as worthless.
Hateful.
Truly hateful.
Unfortunately, now she was no match for Zhang Ruochen, otherwise she wouldn't let him be so arrogant.
Luo Sha walked out from the shadows, watching the already distant Zhang Ruochen, and said: "Why are you so angry? In fact, from the moment Earth Mother appeared and arranged the marriage, this matter was already settled."
Gushe Jing closed her eyes and said helplessly: "Yes, I know. But did you hear what he just said? In his eyes, I, Gushe Jing, am like an abandoned woman that no one wants. Does he really think I can't live without a man? Does the ancestor think so too?"
Luo Sha said: "Earth Mother is laying out plans for the future, for the future of Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm. Zhang Ruochen is destined to become a future God Venerable that major powers will invest in, or a threat they urgently need to eliminate."
"Marriage alliances centered around him are already inevitable."
"Rather than resist, it's better to go with the flow. If you really hate him, at most in the future... I'll help you handle it!"
Gushe Jing was full of worry, not noticing that Luo Sha's words contained other meanings.
The two women stood under the moonlight, embracing each other.
...
There will be another chapter tonight.