Chapter 1943: The Spark of Panlong City

A sudden gust of wind swept through, lashing his face with fine sand. Fang Canran instinctively lowered his head.

When he opened his eyes again, he was standing by the Unfamiliar Pavilion of the Purple Dock Association once more. A wild osmanthus tree towered above him, and a pewter wine pot lay at his feet. Tiny osmanthus petals covered his shoulders. He reached out to brush them off, and his hand brushed his face, only then realizing he was in tears.

A man does not shed tears lightly.

"Forgive my unseemly display," Fang Canran said, brushing away his tears and lightly coughing twice.

"The first time I entered Dragon City, I too shed tears," He Lingchuan said. He conjured a pot of fine wine and two cups, filling them. "Brother Fang, we are so alike."

Fang Canran raised his cup and drained it in one gulp.

"Your ancestor, Shao Jian, took the Dragon Punishing Pillar from Mitian and single-handedly threw the entire demon realm into chaos. In the past 160 years, how many demon lords have fallen because of the Dragon Punishing Pillar? Such a complex and grand chain of cause and effect must all be attributed to the late Mr. Shao."

"I inherited the convictions of Dragon City, constantly spurring myself on, never daring to slacken for a moment. Brother Fang, you too upheld Mr. Shao's legacy, infiltrating Beijia to fight against the gods. How many great deeds have you accomplished?" He Lingchuan said with a serious expression, "Brother Fang and I are the same kind of people! It's just a pity—"

He sighed softly, "Perhaps there are only two of us left in this world who have inherited Dragon City's legacy."

Fang Canran closed his eyes, exhaling a long breath. "He Xiao, what will you do next?"

"Dragon City passed the torch to me. What I'm going to do is, of course, the same as what Yuan Kingdom and Dragon City aimed for." He Lingchuan stood up and walked two steps with his hands behind his back. "Revolutionary change requires unyielding persistence and successive efforts!"

These last words moved Fang Canran.

"But I must learn from the lessons of the previous two. I need to amass greater power, build a more solid foundation, and forge a stronger team, so that I don't follow in their footsteps!" A gust of wind made He Lingchuan's left sleeve flutter, carrying his words, one by one, into Fang Canran's ears. "Therefore, this world needs the Great Emperor of Nine Hells; and the Great Emperor of Nine Hells needs the Glimmering Gold Plain!"

For the first time, he revealed his ideals and convictions to a living person.

After such a candid disclosure, Fang Canran finally understood what the "Great Emperor of Nine Hells" truly intended.

Yuan Kingdom resisted Beijia; Dragon City confronted the gods. Now, He Lingchuan, embodying the Great Emperor of Nine Hells and claiming to be the reincarnation of the Dragon God, inherited not only their convictions but also the responsibilities they shouldered but couldn't fulfill.

This responsibility was so immense that he dared not reveal a single word beforehand.

Fang Canran recalled their first meeting in Lingxu City and their cooperation on the Yangshan Archipelago. He Lingchuan had been hiding his true intentions so deeply!

He Lingchuan said earnestly, "Brother Fang, you must understand me."

What he truly wanted to accomplish, he never revealed to others, not even expressing himself freely to Dong Rui or Aunt Zhu, precisely because he wasn't understood.

They could hear, but they couldn't understand.

You are merely human; why defy real, tangible gods for the sake of an illusory "common populace"?

As Bai Ziqi said, how could humans hate Heaven?

How dare an ant resist an elephant?

Up until now, only Fang Canran, who also upheld the legacy of Yuan Kingdom, could truly resonate with his convictions.

Up until now.

"So, it wasn't just the Yangshan Merchant Guild after all," Fang Canran mused. "Brother He, what you are doing now for the living beings of Glimmering Gold is truly an act of immeasurable merit!"

As the two spoke of the Great Cauldron and Dragon City, he understood everything without needing further explanation. Just as He Lingchuan said, they shared a common conviction; they were truly kindred spirits. Indeed, how could someone chosen by the Great Cauldron be anything less than extraordinary?

The Dragon Punishing Pillar, the Spirit Gathering Array, the Flood Dragon Head Mark, the reincarnation of the Dragon God... Countless thoughts flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern. Having known each other for years, he had long known that He Xiao, though appearing sophisticated, was in fact stubborn; and though seemingly amiable and kind, was actually ruthless. The elements for achieving great things were already complete in him.

Most importantly, He Xiao's meticulously planned endeavors always succeeded.

He was good at making decisions, possessed boldness, dared to act, and had one equally important quality—luck.

He Xiao said today that he would defy the heavens. To others, it would sound like nonsense, but Fang Canran felt there might actually be a glimmer of hope. No matter how difficult something is, someone must attempt it; otherwise, there won't even be a one-in-a-million chance of success. If he, Fang Canran, had never held hope for success, how could he have covertly operated behind enemy lines for over a decade?

He Lingchuan smiled, "You flatter me. It'll be time enough to praise me after we succeed."

Both men laughed heartily.

Finally, Fang Canran temporarily suppressed all his thoughts and said to He Lingchuan:

"Did the Haoyuan Golden Mirror record Miaozhan Tian's final moments?"

"Yes, it did," He Lingchuan said. He snapped his fingers, and the Haoyuan Golden Mirror continued to project the Battle of Upside-Down Sea.

Of course, secrets that shouldn't be disclosed—such as Miaozhan Tian and Qianhuan being unable to leave the Isolated Dragon City, thus leading to their desperate struggle—had been edited out beforehand. He had promised the Illusory Sect to preserve a good name for True Master Qianhuan and all the fallen heroes of the Illusory Sect. Such a good reputation was both an honor and a chain, keeping the Illusory Sect by He Lingchuan's side and preventing Elder Liu from revealing the truth about Qianhuan's death. This way, He Lingchuan's relationship with Mount Ling remained harmonious—

He was already preparing to draw his sword against the gods; it was not advisable to create another powerful enemy at this time.

Fang Canran watched in silence.

"Before his sacrifice, Sect Master Xiao entrusted the Illusory Sect to my care. Therefore, after this battle, over four hundred members of the Illusory Sect, from immortals to cultivators, followed me from the Upside-Down Sea back into the world," He Lingchuan stated truthfully. "Elder Liu is a living witness, but the spiritual energy outside is sparse, so he is currently in seclusion. You'd need an appointment to see him."

"No need, I know how to respond to Mount Ling," Fang Canran said. "Speaking of which, Miaozhan Tian, along with over ten demon lords and thousands of followers, and True Master Qianhuan, along with a dozen immortals under his command, all failed to leave the Upside-Down Sea." Fang Canran sighed, "Brother He, you've always been a person of great fortune, always!"

He Lingchuan smiled, "Who can deny it?"

He also understood the unspoken meaning behind Fang Canran's words. Tremendous luck also requires tremendous capability to seize and make the most of it. Who can always be so lucky? Only those who are truly capable.

"With such fortune upon you, perhaps you can fulfill the unfinished ambitions of your predecessors!" Fang Canran raised his bowl of soup as if it were wine. "Come, I toast you!"

The two raised their cups and drained the fish soup in one gulp.

Everything He Xiao had accomplished in the past was incredible. So, if he could take over the Glimmering Gold Plain and then resist the outer-realm demon lords, why couldn't it succeed?

A glimmer of hope also rose in Fang Canran's heart. He suppressed his smile and suddenly asked He Lingchuan:

"I have a question for you, Brother He."

"Please ask."

"The Glimmering Gold Plain has been fractured for over eight hundred years, and people's hearts have long been divided. Many heroes have tried to unify it, only to end in dismal failure. Brother He, what assurance do you have that you won't follow in their footsteps?"