Chapter 414: Discourse (Part 3)
When Candle Dragon reached this point, his expression darkened with a tinge of resentment and hostility.
Having experienced several instances of the Earthly Catastrophe, he personally witnessed the cruel and ferocious nature of those enemies from beyond the realms. For him, these were not just ancient tales, but also the humiliation and pain he personally had to endure!
While Lu Heng and Jiu Mie remained silent, they watched Candle Dragon, who remained silent as well, waiting for him to continue his narrative.
After a considerable period of time, the ethereal tranquility of Candle Dragon resonated once more upon the majestic Cliff of Dao.
"In the midst of the Earthly Catastrophe, within the Celestial Desolation Realm, regardless of strength or virtue, the inhabitants are mere pawns on a chopping block, to be slaughtered at will."
"Even with our innate cultivation at such levels, we dare not recklessly provoke adversaries. Once the Earthly Catastrophe descends, we must employ various survival concealment techniques that have been prepared in advance, in order to hide ourselves and preserve our lives."
"Because in such a cataclysmic upheaval of the heavens and the earth, even if one's cultivation is high, there will inevitably be enemies from beyond the realms with even higher cultivation who come to assassinate. They may either overwhelm through sheer numbers, leaving no room for resistance or escape for the dissenters."
"When the Earthly Catastrophe descends, a dark haze will engulf the entire world, obscuring the heavens with a crimson glow. Upon the celestial realm and earthly domain, countless divine beings from beyond the realms and primordial beasts of the wild will manifest, mercilessly reaping the lives of all beings in a brutal and frigid manner."
"Surviving such the Earthly Catastrophe is a test of endurance; those who endure shall live, while those who cannot shall perish."
The Candle Dragon nonchalantly uttered a chilling statement, "Even if one manages to endure the current Earthly Catastrophe and survive, it will be difficult to withstand the next Earthly Catastrophe. The endless cycles of reaping, though distant for mortals, loom over top-tier cultivators like a poised executioner's sword, ready to descend at any moment."
"We are in the Dragon Falling Mountains, and this is the name of such a deceased person."
"In ancient times, she had once laughed arrogantly at the world and roamed the four seas. As the Empress of the Dragon clan, she held dominion over all dragons, controlling the skies, bringing rain, and blessing all beings. Her cultivation surpassed mine, and she lived an incredibly exhilarating and splendid life."
"But when the Earthly Catastrophe descends, all of this is shattered like a fleeting illusion."
"After the Earthly Catastrophe descended, she clung to her kin, unwilling to seek refuge and forcefully took the lead. Engaging in a fierce battle with formidable foes from beyond the realm, they fought relentlessly for ten days and nights, causing the earth to shatter and staining the vast sky with divine blood. She annihilated countless adversaries from beyond the realm."
"However, what more could be done? In the end, she perished here, her divine blood drained, her dragon soul imprisoned, dying in a pitiful and tragic manner. Even the Dragon clan members she desperately tried to protect all perished in the calamity, not a single survivor remains, the entire clan eradicated."
"And her shattered body, drained of divine blood and depleted of life essence, forever remains in this place, transforming into the present-day Dragon Falling Mountains, becoming a monument of glorious achievements that the foes from beyond the realm disdain, a testament to the illustrious feats within the Celestial Desolation Realm."
"However, until now, apart from survivors like myself who have lived through the ancient times, the majority of living beings in this world have never even heard of her name, let alone her lineage. Her death can be considered utterly meaningless."
When speaking of this, Candle Dragon looked towards the Dragon Falling Mountains shrouded in mist before them.
The consecutive days of rainfall caused a dense mist to rise in the mountains, creating an ethereal and enchanting atmosphere.
As Candle Dragon with a fierce and malevolent countenance gazed upon the elusive clouds and mist, what reflected in its eyes was a deep-rooted hatred.
Beside him, Lu Heng and Jiu Mie remained silent for a long while, observing this Candle Dragon with a speechless gaze.
In the end, Jiu Mie spoke up and asked, "Since the ancient Dragon Clan has been completely exterminated, why is it that there are still dragons reigning over the world, controlling the rain and clouds? Moreover, every time the Earthly Catastrophe occurs, the enemies from beyond the realm harvest the inhabitants of the Celestial Desolation Realm, yet after the Earthly Catastrophe, the Celestial Desolation Realm flourishes with life once again… Could it be that during each apocalypse, these external enemies purposely leave behind some survivors to perpetuate their species?"
The question from Jiu Mie was also a question shared by Lu Heng.
If every few years, there are exterminations of beings from beyond the realm, how can the Celestial Desolation Realm continue to give birth to living creatures without end? Could it be that they are being kept captive by the enemies from beyond the realm?
Jiu Mie's inquiry made the Candle Dragon exhale a long breath.
He said, "The formidable enemies from beyond the realm, of course, are not so benevolent. Every time they harvest and bring about an apocalypse, they show no mercy. They will search through the entire Celestial Desolation Realm over and over again, killing every living creature, not even sparing a single blade of grass or a mosquito."
"Just that the Yu King's nine cauldrons, have long branded the endless beings of the Celestial Desolation Realm upon them. Even if the world is destroyed and the Celestial Desolation Realm becomes a dead land, as long as the nine cauldrons remain unextinguished, the beings of the Celestial Desolation Realm will reappear and gradually flourish in the heavens and earth."
"Also for this reason, those enemies from beyond the realm exhausted all their efforts to destroy the nine cauldrons, but they were utterly incapable of doing so. They even attempted to reforge the nine cauldrons, transforming them into wicked Magical Tools for harvesting living beings, yet they still failed to prevent the resurgence of living creatures in the desolate ruins of the Celestial Desolation Realm after the annihilation of all beings."
"Therefore, they can only repeatedly come to exterminate living beings, repeatedly stir up the Earthly Catastrophe, and repeatedly hunt and kill the cultivators of the Celestial Desolation Realm."
"They fear that the Celestial Desolation Realm will produce another Emperor Fu Xi, and they are even more afraid of what terrifying contingency Emperor Fu Xi might leave behind after his demise, which could potentially impact them in the future."
"After all, the enigmatic sea of flowers in the South Sea, within the Immortal Kingdom, is a publicly known secret. It is not uncommon for the world to be aware of its existence, including those enemies from beyond the realm."
"Just that they cannot destroy that sea of flowers, and they don't even know what lies inside. From ancient times till now, no one has ever been able to come out alive from that mysterious and unfathomable sea of flowers. Everyone who enters has perished."
"Even the primordial vengeful spirits that crawl out from within, and the Immortal Kingdom's own lord, Luo Yujun, who was born within it, can only enter the outer periphery at specific times, let alone those enemies from beyond the realm."
Candle Dragon, speaking of this, let out a cold sneer and said, "As long as that sea of flowers remains invincible, the enemies from beyond the realm will forever live in constant fear."
Having paused for a moment, Candle Dragon continued, "While the Immortal of Martial Arts, Lian Cangqing, the Lord of Kings, arose during the demise of the Emperor, the disappearance of the supreme god, and the multiple annihilations of the Celestial Desolation Realm by external forces. In an era where all beings were filled with endless despair and lost all aspirations, Lian Cangqing alone stepped forward as an ancient sage, shouldering the banner of resistance."
"She possesses extraordinary talent and cultivation, surpassing ordinary cultivators. In the desolate and hopeless era of primeval wilderness, she single-handedly established the Human Emperor Palace, safeguarding all beings of heaven and earth and maintaining the fundamental order in the mortal realm. Moreover, she decimated those cultivators from the Celestial Desolation Realm who attempted to surrender and submit to the enemies from beyond the realm."
"Under her governance, the Human Emperor Palace brought stability to the chaotic Celestial Desolation Realm, upholding righteousness while suppressing malevolent forces, allowing all beings to flourish and enabling gifted cultivators to cultivate in a world of orderly tranquility."
"Even though she mysteriously vanished later on, she left behind her legacy and secret techniques, ensuring the eternal succession of the Human Emperor Palace, withstanding the Earthly Catastrophe unscathed."
"And the [Life Deviation Technique] she pioneered has preserved the power of the top cultivators from the Celestial Desolation Realm to the greatest extent, allowing many formidable cultivators to survive, enabling them to gather strength and await the future."