# Chapter 4256: The Question from Back Then
Unbending. Desolate Heaven, don't you think so? The heroes under heaven are only you and me, Blood Absolute."
"If you say so, then it must be so!" Desolate Heaven revealed a rare smile.
Blood Absolute Clan Leader said, "Then shall we journey together?"
Desolate Heaven gently shook his head, looking at Yu Yao beside him, about to speak.
"No need to say more. My mind is made up." Yu Yao's gaze was firm.
"Very well."
Desolate Heaven looked at Bai Qinger: "Qinger, see us no further!"
After a long silence, he added, "I'm sorry. In this life, I was wrong. In the next life, I will be your beast of burden to atone for my sins. Can you forgive me?"
Bai Qinger had waited her entire life for this apology, and now it had finally come. But she had long forgiven Desolate Heaven, and her heart was calm: "If you become a beast of burden, what about Aunt Yao? The Six Paths Reincarnation, guided by the six volumes of the 'Fate Heavenly Scripture,' hangs above the Naihe Bridge, temporarily governed by Shi Bei Ya. I suggest, before reincarnation, you borrow the power of the 'Fate Heavenly Scripture' and use the Fate Lock to bind your fates together. That should tie you together for one lifetime."
The Naihe Bridge was once the Star Heaven Cliff.
On the River of Time, the Heavenly Demon had used the Naihe Bridge to attack the Destiny Temple army, but Zhang Ruochen shattered it with a cauldron.
The fragments of the Naihe Bridge were collected into the six volumes of the 'Fate Heavenly Scripture' suspended above the Destiny Temple army.
It was all one cliff.
Shi Tian had recondensed it.
Yu Yao said, "There's no need to be so deliberate! If fate truly exists, we will naturally meet again in the sea of people."
"Why is there no need?"
Desolate Heaven showed a forceful side: "You are willing to accompany me through reincarnation, so how could I let you down? Let's go. In the next life, I will show you all the splendor of the mortal world and the fireworks of human life."
Blood Absolute Clan Leader watched Desolate Heaven and Yu Yao walk away hand in hand. Their silhouettes were like an immortal couple, deeply in love. It didn't look like they were heading to reincarnation at all, but rather to enjoy the mortal world and experience a magnificent romance.
At the Wangchuan Ferry, the confused gray mist and dim deathly aura seemed to become lively and vivid.
"When did he become so corny? Is he deliberately trying to anger me?"
Blood Absolute Clan Leader pointed at the gradually fading figures ahead and suddenly realized: "Wait, that's not right. Yu Yao's cultivation is at its peak; she's not a remnant soul. Why would she reincarnate? She's a Formation Divine Master with nearly ninety levels of spiritual power, and she's just giving that up?"
The Underworld King was very good at comforting: "Father, don't get agitated. In your next life, you might also find true love in the mortal world."
Blood Absolute Clan Leader said, "Then will you accompany your father through reincarnation?"
The Underworld King refused: "The Undying Blood Clan still has a mountain of messes to clean up."
Blood Absolute Clan Leader had, of course, been joking. His gaze fell on Xia Yu. After thinking for a moment, he asked her for a brush and a sheet of paper.
After writing, he handed it over: "My grandson, Imperial Dust, will surely regain his humanity. Heaven itself cannot defeat him. When the time comes, give this letter to him, and he will not let you down."
"Clan Leader, there's no need. Xia Yu is no longer young. My heart now holds the vision of rebuilding the Undying Blood Clan. Where is there room for personal feelings?" Xia Yu said.
Blood Absolute Clan Leader said, "Don't talk to me about being old. I've watched you grow up. Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? How old are you? Haven't you seen that old rogue Desolate Heaven blooming a second spring? Talking about the splendor of the mortal world and the fireworks of human life—a piece of stone, and he's become a spirit!"
Stuffing the letter into Xia Yu's hands, Blood Absolute Clan Leader took one last look at the Eternal God Sea in the void, let out a long sigh, and walked alone into the gray mist.
"Take it!"
The Underworld King watched Blood Absolute Clan Leader disappear: "The Clan Leader has always treated you like his own daughter. He naturally can't bear to see you grow old alone. If Chenchen regains his humanity, with his personality, he will never refuse his father's final request."
"Father!" Blood Queen arrived at Wangchuan.
But she was too late. Blood Absolute Clan Leader's figure had already vanished.
She saw the letter in Xia Yu's hands. "Father left it for Chenchen."
The Underworld King said this, then turned and left, boarding the divine ship to head to the Ten-Winged World. Blood Queen opened the letter and read:
"Grandfather doesn't want to enter reincarnation, doesn't want to die, and is unwilling! Of course, it's not because I'm greedy for the Half-Ancestor realm's cultivation or the position of Clan Leader. It's because there are still too many things I can't let go of."
"Because of political marriages, Grandfather had many wives and concubines in his life. Some were hard to call true love, some fell early in calamities, leaving endless regrets. At the moment of reincarnation, only six sons and Xia Yu came to see me off, yet I was mocked by Desolate Heaven. How sad! How sorrowful!"
"Grandfather has been waiting at Wangchuan, wanting to wait for you to return, to see you one last time."
"Unfortunately, my remnant soul is about to scatter. I can't wait any longer."
"I recall back then, when I hung up my seal and resigned as Grand Clan Steward, carrying my halberd alone into Tiannan... Ah, forget it... Let's not mention it. Enough, enough. Don't mention the youthful anger of those years. At Wangchuan, someone's soul is about to break..."
In the letter, Blood Absolute Clan Leader painted himself as extremely sorrowful, full of unwillingness and pain.
At the very end, he begged Zhang Ruochen to take care of Xia Yu.
Blood Queen didn't know that Blood Absolute Clan Leader was setting a trap for Zhang Ruochen. After reading the letter, she was filled with self-blame, regretting that she hadn't come sooner.
So Father had been waiting at Wangchuan all along.
In the end, he hadn't waited for Zhang Ruochen, nor even for her.
She knew very well how strong-willed Blood Absolute Clan Leader had been his entire life. If he weren't in pain and unwilling, why would he leave behind this letter full of sorrow at the final moment of his life?
"Xia Yu, if Chenchen regains his humanity, I will definitely give him this letter. His grandfather... did not pass peacefully..." Blood Queen choked up, her heart heavy.
Xia Yu frowned, wanting to speak but stopping.
Whether it was peaceful or not, she dared not say. At least, he hadn't passed quietly.
Luo Sheng Tian waved goodbye to Luo Yan Emperor and Luo Sha, walking away very calmly.
Unfortunately, after Shang Xia and Feng Qingli died, their remnant souls were annihilated in the Ancestral Calamity waves of Lihentian, unable to accompany him to the next life.
In the end, the world had more regrets.
"Father, you will definitely enter reincarnation soon. When that time comes, only you will be left in this world!"
To help Zhang Ruochen achieve perfect Dao, countless cultivators had offered their Divine Sources, and Luo Yan Emperor was one of them.
Luo Sha did not dwell in sorrow for long. As the Luo Clan's Empress for many years, her heart had been tempered countless times and was extremely strong: "Father, your Eon Calamity is still far off. There's no need to rush into reincarnation. Perhaps there's still a turning point."
"You mean..."
Luo Yan Emperor looked toward the Eternal God Sea vortex in the distant void.
Luo Sha also looked in that direction: "Wait a little longer. He is Imperial Dust, the destined one of my Luo Sha. His will cannot be taken by hardness, and heaven and earth cannot destroy his heart."
The Death Clan was nearly completely wiped out. The remnant souls left in Lihentian and the Hell Realm had also dissipated countless under the Death God Sacrifice.
At this moment at Wangchuan, the figures of Death Clan remnant souls were few and far between.
The Seventh Elder's remnant soul stood alone by the ferry for a long time, not waiting for anything, but wanting to see how many of the Death Clan could enter reincarnation.
He was very calm. So what if no one came to see him off?
Compared to those soldiers who hadn't even left remnant souls, he was already incredibly fortunate.
The remnant soul of the Xuan Gu Nine-Eyed Dragon God flew in midair, urging: "Stop looking. Let's go. Even if the Death Clan can no longer be counted among the Upper Three Clans after this battle, at least we have been glorious and honored."
"Would the teacher forgive me if he knew that I, in my stubbornness, led the Death Clan to destruction?" the Seventh Elder asked.
He turned around somewhat desolately and walked along the Santu River toward the gray sea.
"Under the Doomsday Sacrifice, who dared to counter-sacrifice the Human Ancestor except our Death Clan? If not for our Death Clan's full-clan counter-sacrifice, the Doomsday Sacrifice would have already destroyed the universe. If Qingtian were still alive, he would be proud of us." The remnant soul of Hu Shang Old Woman said.
The remnant souls of one dragon and two people walked toward the gray sea, desolate and lonely.
Suddenly.
An old and melodious song drifted from the ferry: "Tiannan has nowhere to return, the mortal world is free and easy."
"If people come to bully me, the ground will be dyed three feet red."
"If heaven comes to bully me, I'll curse that thieving heaven..."
The Seventh Elder trembled all over and stopped, looking toward the ferry.
He saw Old Drunkard and Void Heaven disembarking together.
Old Drunkard wore a coarse robe, his hair a mess, walking briskly, calling from afar: "Old Seven, are you leaving without waiting for Senior Brother?"
The Seventh Elder was a remnant soul, without tears, but his eyes were covered by a moist veil, as if returning to his youth, when he had been ordered by his master to wait outside the Tiannan Life-Death Ruins for Senior Brother to return from training.
Back then, Senior Brother had also been like this, laughing heartily and calling him Old Seven as he hurried over.
But back then, Senior Brother had been very young, without wrinkles on his face, and not as slovenly as now. His handsome face had been full of smiles.
Today was no longer a reunion after a long separation. Tonight, there were no other fellow disciples to celebrate with wine, no master's sudden arrival. Presumably, Senior Brother had no thrilling stories to tell all night.
Of those people back then, only he and Senior Brother remained!
But Senior Brother had come. After years away, they were still the closest of fellow disciples. Nothing was more precious than this.
"Senior Brother, Senior Brother..."
The Seventh Elder tried to make his remnant soul more solid, hurried to meet him, and embraced Old Drunkard, weeping with joy: "I'm just a remnant soul. How was I to know if Senior Brother was still alive? Thank heaven and earth, Senior Brother is still here. The Tiannan lineage will not be broken!"
"Don't think about all that messy stuff. In the next life, I will search through the Six Paths to find your reincarnated body and personally teach you the Tiannan cultivation method." Old Drunkard said.
The Seventh Elder agreed immediately: "Good, we'll still be fellow disciples."
Void Heaven walked slowly, saying unhurriedly: "No need to search through the Six Paths. With just one word from me, would Shi Bei Ya dare not arrange it properly? When the time comes, you can go directly to his reincarnation place to pick him up. What are you looking at? I'm repaying the Death Clan's favor on behalf of the Destiny Temple. Don't worry, the Destiny Temple will protect the Death Clan on the Hell Path side."
In the Battle of the River of Time, if the Death Clan hadn't used their full-clan Death God Sacrifice to hold back the Human Ancestor, the Destiny Temple would likely have been completely annihilated.
The Seventh Elder respectfully bowed to Void Heaven, then waved goodbye to Old Drunkard, his heart no longer sorrowful.
After seeing off the Seventh Elder and the others, Void Heaven found the remnant soul of Hai Shang You Ruo.
Hai Shang You Ruo had suffered severe time backlash and died in the space-time storm, unable to recondense her physical body like Chan Bing and Xiu Chen Heavenly God.
Fortunately, her remnant soul hadn't been annihilated.
"In the next life, do you want to be reborn into the Human Path as a living being, or return to the Destiny Temple to cultivate? Or, you could wait a while. I could temporarily take a concubine. If she becomes pregnant, it might be in time."
Void Heaven was very fond of Hai Shang You Ruo and wanted her to be his daughter.
Hai Shang You Ruo was very cheerful and smiled: "I've been tired of the Hell Realm for a long time. In the next life, I want to go see the mortal world. Old fellow, can you pull some strings?"
Void Heaven showed disappointment, then thought of something: "The Human Path is about to undergo great changes. It's too bitter, and becoming a god isn't easy. Reincarnate directly into the Heavenly Court! I have connections there too. The Truth Divine Temple and the Five Elements Temple are both good choices."
After seeing off Hai Shang You Ruo and countless Destiny Temple gods and saint realm cultivators, Void Heaven finally went with Old Drunkard toward the Eternal God Sea.
"Do you really have confidence in awakening his humanity?" Void Heaven was skeptical of Old Drunkard's words.
After all, the various Ancestors, as well as Empress Chi Yao and Feng Caiyi, had all failed. What use could a mere drunkard be?
"Do you know where Imperial Dust realized the Wuji Divine Dao?"
"Do you know that when Imperial Dust's cultivation was once crippled, he fell into the same state? But back then, he was extremely weak. Today, he is extremely powerful. But what's the difference? It's all man fighting against heaven."
"He won back then, so Wuji gave birth to Taiji, and nothing gave birth to something."
"If he wins today, humanity will naturally overcome the divine nature of heaven, and ruthlessness will give birth to emotion."
"You must understand: if something has a hidden danger, that hidden danger must be at the source."
Seeing Old Drunkard's smug expression, Void Heaven felt there might be some hope.
The fundamental reason Heaven wanted Zhang Ruochen's humanity to triumph over his divine nature and return was Ji Fanxin.
Ji Fanxin had first seized the Dao of White Jade Divine Emperor, then killed Murong Overlord, her methods extremely sharp, as if she had been building up power all along.
What was a spiritual power cultivator who practiced the Path of Life doing constantly seizing Ancestral Great Medicine?
Every time Void Heaven encountered Ji Fanxin, he felt a chill, as if falling into an ice cave.
Only with Zhang Ruochen's humanity returning could she be suppressed.
As for the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable that many Kunlun Realm cultivators hoped for, Void Heaven wasn't optimistic. He believed that in this situation, the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable's return would instead be a disaster.
If two supreme beings fought, it would surely be another great calamity for heaven and earth.
Zhang Ruochen wasn't just powerful in cultivation; he had a unique personal charm that could balance and unite all cultivators in the universe.
No one could replace that.
At the edge of the Eternal God Sea.
Empress Chi Yao, Mu Lingxi, Bore, Luo Sha, Luo Ji, Ling Feiyu, Bai Qinger, Moon God, Wu Yue, Yan Zhexian, Yu Chenjing, Ao Linglong, Kong Lanyou, Ming Emperor, Blood Queen, Xia Yu, Xiao Hei, Blood Butcher, A Le, Lian Xi, Mo Yin, and other relatives and friends gathered together.
Descendants and disciples like Chi Kongle, Zhang Hongchen, Yan Ying'er, Zhang Yuyan, Zhang Chuanzong, Zhang Xingchen, Zhang Shen, Zhang Beize, Zhang Su'e, Zhang Nicai, Zhang Chunian, Han Xue, Qing Qing, Qing Su, Ye Luochen, and Ye You had also mostly arrived.
Shang Tian, Xuanyuan Lian, Xiang Chunan, Qingsi Xue, Feng Yan, Feng Xi, Han Qiu, Xuanji Sword God, and others were also gathered.
There were over a hundred gods of various sizes. Some had lost their Divine Sources, some were only remnant souls.
They were all preparing for a final farewell before heading to reincarnation.
In helping Zhang Ruochen fight against the Eternal Beginning Supreme, too many cultivators had lost their Divine Sources.
Those like Wu Yue, Xiao Hei, Yan Ying'er, and Zhang Yuyan, who primarily cultivated spiritual power, still had their cultivation at its peak.
Those like Bai Qinger and Yu Chenjing, who cultivated both divine and martial arts, could still use their spiritual power cultivation to resist the next Eon Calamity even if they had lost their Divine Sources.
In this universe-wide doomsday war, the Sword Realm Star Domain had erupted suddenly but suffered the lightest casualties. However, when pushing the tide of time on the River of Time and when besieging Murong Overlord, countless still died.
Ye Luochen, Ling Feiyu, Zhang Chuanzong, and others had all died in these two battles.
In Ancestor-level battles, even the aftermath could easily kill a group of gods. Not everyone could fall with a bang.
Most died in silence.
Countless remnant souls from myriad realms and clans, gods and saint realm cultivators alike, came to the Eternal God Sea to pay their respects.
It was under Imperial Dust's leadership that they had won the war against the God Realm and the Immortal, gaining the chance for reincarnation.
They had indeed won, winning a new life.
But Imperial Dust seemed about to leave them forever.
"Boom!"
A seven-colored space wormhole suddenly appeared, several hundred zhang away.
Xiao Qi was the first to fly out.
Niu Jianqiang, Tun Xiang Tu, and Mo Yuan escorted the bound E Da and E Er, walking out of the space wormhole.
"Move, you two traitors. Keep glaring, and I'll stew you!"
"You're a bit arrogant."
"They followed the Human Ancestor, their cultivation is powerful, nearly becoming Undying Birds. They have the capital to be arrogant."
Xiao Hei rushed over to the six beasts and asked: "Did you find the Empress?"
Xiao Qi shook his head.
Xiao Hei grabbed E Da by the neck, lifted him up, and slapped him: "Where is the Empress?"
E Da and E Er had long been beaten back to their original forms, becoming two white geese.
Otherwise, how could Niu Jianqiang, Tun Xiang Tu, and Mo Yuan have captured them?
E Da kept his mouth shut, turned his face, and glared at Xiao Hei.
"Slap! Slap!"
Another two slaps, one on each side.
"Stop hitting... We really don't know. The Empress's cultivation was sealed by the Human Ancestor at the time. The battle at the Tian Shi Wu Zhong Mountains was chaotic. We were beaten senseless too. How could we have watched over her?" E Er couldn't bear it and said.
Xiao Hei threw E Da away: "Since you know nothing, kill them!"
"How dare you! We were raised by Imperial Dust. If Imperial Dust doesn't speak, who dares to kill us?" E Da finally spoke.
E Er said: "We followed the Human Ancestor to learn the Dao, but we never did anything to harm the world. Why do you call us traitors? Speaking of which, Zhang Hongchen also followed the Human Ancestor to cultivate and became the Great Sacrificer of the Doomsday Sacrificers. Why don't you dare to kill her?"
"Speaking of which, he himself is the Human Ancestor's disciple's disciple." E Da said.
"..." Xiao Hei was momentarily stunned.
Old Drunkard's voice came from afar: "Don't kill them! These two geese were stolen by me from Imperial Dust. E Da was given to the Human Ancestor by me. Keep them; they're still useful."
Old Drunkard led this group of divine beasts to the edge of the Eternal God Sea and used his spiritual power to call out to Zhang Ruochen, who was sitting in the center of the divine sea: "Imperial Dust, back then at the Linxing Inn, you asked that question. I already have the answer!"
"The white goose can bully the yellow ox because it is full of fighting spirit, its cry is sonorous, and it is fearless. But it is inherently insufficient, its strength limited. When it meets a truly skilled butcher, it is destined to be slaughtered. So, it is merely bluffing, bullying the weak and fearing the strong."
"The yellow ox, though immensely strong, is bound by a small rope, resigned to its fate, toiling for a lifetime. Even when the white goose plucks a tuft of its fur and bullies it into running around the railing to escape, it dares not fight back."
"However, the worst thing in this world is to push an honest person to the brink!"
"When the butcher pushed it to the brink, wanting to kill and eat it, that's why it kicked him to death."
"Among the three, the butcher is the superior. In his eyes, both the white goose and the yellow ox are livestock, and he thinks he can slaughter them at will. But it is precisely this arrogance that leads to his death under the ox's hoof."
"Back then, you asked me: the yellow ox fears the white goose, the white goose fears the butcher, and the butcher dies under the ox's hoof. Among the three, who is stronger?"
"I want to tell you: the yellow ox, the white goose, and the butcher—each has a dual nature to their character, just like the countless beings in this world. The one full of fighting spirit may be bluffing. The timid and cowardly may have earth-shattering actions. The one who strategizes may be arrogant."
"As the saying goes, human nature is never perfect. Where there is merit, there must be something to discard. The cautious are often timid and find it hard to achieve great things. The brave are often reckless and easily cause catastrophic disasters."
"Among the three, who is stronger? I believe: whoever can recognize themselves is stronger."
Many gazes turned to Old Drunkard, all confused about what he was saying.
Niu Jianqiang was the first to object: "I hadn't awakened back then, so I was letting them have their way."
Old Drunkard ignored him, staring intently at Zhang Ruochen in the center of the Eternal God Sea, his brow gradually furrowing.
"This method of yours is completely useless."
Void Heaven shook his head, somewhat regretting bringing Old Drunkard here to make a fool of himself.
"Hua! Hua!!!"
Two beams of Buddha light bloomed in the void, and Lin Ke and Cihang Venerable arrived.
"Let me try! Imperial Dust absorbed ten thousand lifetimes of my merit. Perhaps I can use Buddhist Dharma to awaken him."
Cihang Venerable looked at Lin Ke: "Can Residual Lamp Master assist me?"
"With pleasure." Lin Ke said.