ccnovels #413 - A glance at nearly a hundred years
#413 - A glance at nearly a hundred years
Wang Ji Xuan originally thought that sealing his primordial spirit would relieve most of his pain;
But he still underestimated this backlash.
The agony, almost capable of tearing his primordial spirit apart, made it nearly impossible for him to remain calm.
The constant wails and screams echoing in his ears only compounded this suffering.
In comparison, the pain of his bones and meridians being shattered throughout his body seemed almost insignificant.
There was no good solution now; he could only grit his teeth and endure.
Failing to endure meant the destruction of his primordial spirit;
Surviving it would only make his will more resolute.
Wang Ji Xuan's consciousness quickly entered a flickering state, but the little flame that constantly drew his spirit was still the two words: 'Become Immortal'.
He had already weathered the heavenly tribulation.
He had already endured the heavenly punishment in his second life;
It was just that a slight accident occurred when ascending to the Immortal Gate.
In this life, he must break through!
Regardless of any great power or divine being, to hell with their refusal to allow immortality; the cultivation of living beings seeking longevity was already defying the heavens, and he would ascend into the ranks of the Immortal Realm and become a carefree immortal!
Wang Ji Xuan's body, suspended in the center of the main hall, emitted a layer of shockwaves.
The old man sitting on the futon sighed softly at the sight.
The old man was filled with emotion, marveling at the tenacity of Wang Ji Xuan's will and the unyielding nature of his spirit, all condensed into one sentence:
"As expected of me."
The old man stretched languidly, and the futon beneath his buttocks extended on its own, becoming a soft cushion. He leisurely reclined, raised his hand, and with a gentle tap, the wall beside him opened on its own, and several slender young 'women' wearing rainbow-colored skirts gracefully entered.
They were merely puppets with perfect humanoid appearances.
They brought fine wine and danced gracefully, and only the old man in his spirit form grinned.
Although he couldn't go to the Immortal Realm, he wasn't lacking in enjoyment in this second life.
The main hall seemed to enter a realm of both ice and fire.
Wang Ji Xuan was going through cycles of life and death, the torment of his body and soul seemingly endless, and he didn't know how long he could endure;
The second life was singing and dancing, even finding Wang Ji Xuan an eyesore, and had people move several screens.
The sun rose and set, spring passed and autumn came.
Wang Ji Xuan actually endured the first wave of pain for more than half a year.
The bones in his body began to slowly reshape, a process of unknown duration.
The second life didn't intend to let Wang Daoren pass easily either.
The old man deployed drones and bronze puppets, opened the vault, and transported materials, beginning to reshape Wang Ji Xuan's perfect Dao body.
"Wang Ji Xuan, ah, Wang Ji Xuan, if you want to become an immortal, besides having an unwavering Dao heart, an unswerving belief, and an indomitable spirit, you also need to be perfectly prepared."
"As your previous life, all I can do for you is to forge you an unparalleled Dao foundation, a twelve-lotus platform, a thunderous, invincible, ghost-fearing foundation."
"That finger that obliterated me, if you can ascend to the Immortal Realm and enter the realm of immortality one day, you must settle the score with him."
"What's mine and yours? Aren't you just me? It's a pity that my memories are too dissolute; it's best not to let you know. Being pure, having a one-on-one Dao partner, is really good."
"At least my back doesn't hurt."
The old man kept muttering "Add more ingredients," "Add more ingredients" in the main hall.
It's not that we aren't working hard enough;
It's just that the enemy is too powerful.
Reshaping the perfect Dao body, still reshaping the perfect Dao body according to the second life's vision, and taking it a step further on the foundation of the second life, was no easy task.
Fortunately, with the spiritual energy supplied by the City Above the Clouds, Wang Ji Xuan had another opportunity to be reborn after destruction, and this matter had a chance to be realized.
Even when the old man was enjoying himself every day, he was still conceiving new ideas.
By the second year, Wang Ji Xuan's primordial spirit had stabilized, and although the feeling of pain had not lessened, his life was no longer in danger.
There was no need to worry that he would not be able to withstand this calamity.
There are no years in cultivation within the hall.
Outside the City Above the Clouds, there were constantly several figures wandering around.
Nierda Tamon, wearing golden armor, had come once, but was dissuaded by a sign held up by the bronze puppet outside the gate.
The sign read: [Healing, Do Not Disturb].
Aemina came almost every few months, occasionally bringing Xia Huating, Wu Man, Red Serpent, and Zheng Shiduo.
Unfortunately, she could no longer enter the City Above the Clouds either.
Her permissions had been revoked, and every time she came, the bronze puppet outside the door would flip over the sign it was holding.
The content on the sign became [Everything is fine, no need to worry].
A year and a half after Wang Ji Xuan burned his Great Vehicle Soul, Aemina arrived outside the gate of the City Above the Clouds again, with lingering worry in her eyes.
The bronze puppet raised the sign.
But Aemina said: "He Ruli, can I see Wang Zheng? The Blade Beasts have already opened the interdimensional portal on Mars. I will protect this place for Wang Zheng, but I may not be able to stop them, even though Wang Zheng has given me a lot of strength..."
After waiting for a few minutes.
Aemina sighed softly and turned to leave.
The sign held by the bronze puppet dropped, and it turned around and bowed in invitation.
The formation, which had been closed all along, opened a gap.
Aemina was stunned for a moment, then immediately flashed inside and flew towards the very center of this empty, vast, and silent city.
Then she received ten thousand points of critical damage.
In the main hall, four screens surrounded Wang Daoren's strong body.
His muscles were clearly defined and not exaggerated in any way. Although his hair was a little long, his handsome, clean-shaven face still didn't look sloppy at all.
Aemina subconsciously stared for a few seconds, then immediately shifted her gaze, forcing herself to look at the center of the hall.
Uh.
Where's He Ruli?
An old man with white hair was sitting upright on a futon, with six extremely beautiful 'women' on each side. No, not living beings, they should be some kind of realistic puppet.
The old man's body was also not a physical entity.
The old man said with a smile: "We meet again."
In just an instant, Aemina felt a realization in her heart.
This was He Ruli.
Or rather, He Ruli was just a disguise of his.
"You are?"
"The Great Pioneer, the Wanderer of the Three Realms," the old man said gently, "He Ruli was just someone I impersonated. There is no such person as He Ruli. Xia Huating was also awakened by me. She is indeed the reincarnation of the last leader of the Ina Civilization."
This sentence took Aemina several minutes to digest.
"Then… Obsidian…"
"Consider them to be cultivated by me, but I didn't know they would create Blade Beasts."
The old man shook his head:
"This debt cannot be counted on me. I just wanted to avenge the Lingxiu Civilization for the Ina Civilization."
"Alright, let's not mention these things. You don't have to think of me as the Black Storm, lest you get confused. You can continue to call me He Ruli."
"The Blade Beasts are coming?"
"Yes," Aemina said, "They have been reorganizing for several months and are about to launch an offensive. More than forty pillar Blade Beasts have arrived on Mars, and this is just their vanguard."
The old man smiled indifferently: "Trash is trash, no matter how much it aggregates, it's still trash."
The old man shook his head, raised his hand, and with a gentle stroke, one side of the wall cracked open, and a giant sword flew out from within.
The old man flicked his finger lightly at Aemina, and the giant sword flew in front of Aemina, proactively extending strands of immortal light, enveloping Aemina.
Don't forget that Wang Daoren's talent for weapon refining is far above his skills in formations, talismans, and alchemy!
In his second life, he didn't just create things like core circuits.
Aemina grasped the hilt of the great sword, feeling the surging power on it. Extremely complex circuits appeared on the thirty-centimeter-wide blade, and then these circuits were simplified, turning into simple decorative patterns.
The old man smiled and said: "This sword is called… Heart of the Storm. I used countless treasures and refined it for ninety-nine Earth years. Its power has already reached the threshold of immortal artifacts. Take this to defend against the enemy."
"Thank you… um, thank you, Senior."
Aemina responded in a low voice.
The old man continued: "You are the woman Wang Zheng, that is, my reincarnated body, has taken a liking to. You must ensure your own safety. I will give you three more treasures."
After speaking, the old man repeated his trick, the wall cracked open again, and a rainbow skirt and inner armor, a bracelet, and a pair of embroidered shoes flew out.
Aemina solemnly accepted them, her mind filled with the two words 'taken a liking to'.
Her usually aloof pretty face inadvertently turned red at this moment.
The old man struck while the iron was hot: "Wang Zheng is here. He has now survived the most difficult moment, but it will take a long time to recover. Later, you can come here once every three years, but only one person can come. I don't want to see anyone else."
"Yes, Senior."
Aemina held the treasures and asked in a low voice:
"Can I resist the Blade Beast tide with these?"
"Not enough," the old man smiled, "Later, I will use the great formation to wrap this planet. This is a legacy left by the Ina Civilization. There will be no problems for a hundred years. Giving you these treasures is to allow you to kill as many Blade Beast groups as possible."
Aemina visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
The old man added: "If Ling Tong asks about Wang Zheng, you should tell her that Wang Zheng is fine, but he will not appear until a hundred years later. She does not need to wait any longer. The two of them are not married, just a past love affair."
Aemina frowned and asked: "Senior, is this Wang Zheng's intention?"
"No, this is my intention," the old man said with a smile, "I just don't want people to be widowed. The relationship between the two is almost over. For Ling Tong, a hundred years is too long. Wang Zheng's Dao partner can only be a woman with a long lifespan, sufficient respect for him, and a certain degree of obedience."
Aemina nodded in agreement, but she still felt a little uncomfortable in her heart.
The old man's words were gentle, but the domineering nature in his bones was not concealed at all.
However, this does fit the persona of a great pioneer of the Yina civilization.
Amina said, "Senior, as far as I know, Ling Tong will wait for Wang Zheng to return. Her belief is extremely strong, and she has already made all preparations to sacrifice for the continuation of human civilization… If you allow, I would like to bring her with me next time to prevent her from taking a path of self-destruction."
"Hmm?" the old man asked, "Don't you want to wait for Ling Tong to die of old age and then take over?"
Amina looked up at the old man, wanting to be a little assertive, but then she remembered the difference in strength between the two.
The old man was different from He Ruli; at this moment, he did not conceal his own strength.
Even if it was just a wisp of remnant soul, it could suppress all enemies in this world.
Amina nodded honestly: "I did think about it before, but matters of the heart cannot be forced, so at this stage, I would rather become Wang Zheng's comrade-in-arms and wait for time to slowly settle things."
"It's so assertive of a spirit cultivator who can live for tens of thousands of years to say that."
The old man calmly shook his head:
"Alright, I already know what you mean. Giving you the opportunity is useless.
"Go now, and there is no need to come over in three years."
After saying that, the old man casually waved his hand.
Amina only felt a blur before her eyes, and she was already outside the City Above the Clouds.
Looking at the great sword and various clothes in her hand, a bitter smile appeared on her pretty face.
What exactly…
Well, it's good to know that Wang Zheng is fine.
If this guy took action, the Blade Beasts should not be a concern.
Inside the palace, the old man clicked his tongue softly, muttering, "I have to waste spiritual energy to do this kind of self-sacrificing thing again," preparing to activate the planetary array.
Was it easy for him to gather so much spiritual energy here?
Now, he is not just simply ascending to immortality; he still has to challenge that finger.
Without making his accumulation thick enough, there will be no chance of survival.
Wang Daolong, who was wrapped in the pain of reshaping his Dao foundation, was completely unaware of what was happening.
Profound insights were constantly emerging from the bottom of his heart;
The accumulation of three lifetimes of cultivation was now truly beginning to slowly 'bloom'.
…
After returning to the surface, Amina thought for half an hour and still went to find Fu Jian.
The human front line had already moved to the space fortress.
Over the past year or so, Amina and Nierda Tamon had led a large number of spirit slaves to clear the remaining Blade Beast forces on the surface. The Blade Beasts that could escape to space had already fled to space.
Such as those cunning Jialinuo.
The remaining Blade Beasts that could not escape to space became raw materials for filling underground passages and cavities.
The human military did not waste too much firepower in this process, actively preparing for war for more than a year. All fortresses, while meeting people's basic living needs, were producing military facilities at full power.
Because a large amount of land had been recovered, humans had also regained a large number of resource points.
It is worth mentioning that the number of autonomous mechanical fortresses was rapidly increasing.
The human commander is now Fu Jian;
The commander of the autonomous machines is Mu Dan.
After Amina arrived at the space fortress, she easily found Fu Jian, who was holding a combat meeting. Ling Tong and Mu Dan were also present.
She ignored the 'Do Not Disturb' sign, directly appeared, ignored the other marshals and generals, and said to Ling Tong and Mu Dan:
"Wang Zheng is fine; I saw him."
Ling Tong was stunned for the first second, then closed her eyes, gently exhaled, and did not say anything more.
Mu Dan, who had changed into a military uniform, was now啧啧称奇: "It's really fresh, the token left by the commander has not been broken, indicating that the commander has always been fine."
Amina was immediately full of resentment: "Then why didn't you say so earlier."
"You didn't ask."
Mu Dan blinked her big eyes, her eyes full of innocence.
With Wang Daolong absent for a long time, she was showing signs of letting herself go.
Fu Jian asked: "Is there a plan to deal with the enemy?"
"Yes," Amina said, "You don't need to worry; prepare for war as usual, but don't go too far from the Earth's atmosphere. The rest is enough for the guardians of the ancient civilization."
Fu Jian nodded slowly, not relaxing his vigilance.
Amina thought for a while and decided not to reveal He Ruli's true identity.
That would affect Wang Daolong's personal image.
She didn't want Wang Daolong's image to have any blemishes.
At least, it seemed that way on the surface.
Amina looked at the electronic calendar hanging on the wall, which was a unique dating method for the space fortress, to commemorate the key time point when 'humans can spend their entire lives in space'.
Space Era: February 8, 54.
The numbers above were constantly changing, and the figures in the conference room gradually changed.
For Amina, the years without Wang Daolong might just be a trance. When she came back to her senses, the clock on the wall had changed its style and material.
Space Era: May 19, 134.