Chapter 1955: Spring Arrives

Splash...

Ocean waves pushed broken glaciers, traveling alone across the vast North Sea, untouched for thousands of years. Here, apart from ice and water-element sea beasts, it was rare to see any other life forms.

The North Sea was also known as Beichuan. Compared to the East Sea and the Southern Abyss, its cold climate made it unsuitable for habitation. Few people would intentionally visit, except for cultivators with specific elemental affinities.

But on this day, all eyes from the Five Domains focused on the North Sea—or more precisely, on the golden temporal rift high above the border between the North Sea and the Central Domain.

"He went in!"

Kong Yuhen successfully reshaped the temporal realm, using the Ancient and Modern Forget-Sorrow Pagoda, the Six Ancient Gates, and the Seven-Segment Forbidden Temporal Rift as foundations. After inviting the Three Ancestors for aid, Ba Zun'an didn't hesitate. True to his independent style, he stepped right in.

"He just left?" His decisiveness left people speechless.

Following Ba Zun'an, Kong Yuhen also transformed into shimmering specks of light and merged into the temporal rift. The several-zhang-long, narrow temporal rift quickly closed. However, it didn't completely vanish; instead, it became a long golden streak, like a golden scar left in the sky after a battle. The Three Ancestors' aid, manifested as three magnificent pillars of light, arrived from three directions, maintaining the stability of the golden scar.

If needed, perhaps this passage could be reopened? But from another perspective, what if the Three Ancestors' aid withdrew, and this golden scar became 'gory' again?

"This doesn't feel right..." The eerie silence made many feel oppressed simultaneously. No one was foolish; they knew the Three Ancestors rushed to aid Kong Yuhen because Ba Zun'an had just been there, looming over them.

"If Ba Zun'an leaves, how long can they hold out?" Someone raised this thought, but quickly another perspective emerged: "I think what the Three Ancestors considered, Ba Zun'an might not have overlooked, so Ba Zun'an hasn't actually left."

"The Three Ancestors must have also considered that Ba Zun'an hasn't left, so these three pillars of light won't dissipate."

"In my opinion, it's a delicate balance that no one will proactively break. After all, the price could be death!"

Such profound insights naturally won applause from many. Indeed, with Ba Zun'an's threat looming, it seemed reasonable that the temporal rift would remain stable for at least half a year to a year.

And after that...

Boom!

As the Ancestor Gods fell silent, people immediately noticed the Grand Calamity of Ancestor God Annihilation, which had reached its final stages at the old Gui Zhai site. Yes, after this, Kui Leihan could step forward. He, as the Sealed Ancestor of Thought, could take up Ba Zun'an's banner and further negotiate with the Three Ancestors.

The only concern was... "Please, please don't seal another Ancestor God of Return to Zero, or they'll also be eliminated like Ba Zun'an, right?"

"As long as they don't 'return to zero', the Three Ancestors can guard the temporal rift for a year or two, then the Ancestor of Thought can stall the Three Ancestors for another three to five years. With enough delay, Ba Zun'an should be able to find his way back from the Heavenly Realm, right?"

"Gods willing, things will develop well..."

Just then, while the leaders of the various factions across the Five Domains were hotly debating from afar in a rare moment of calm, an anomaly startled them. The various faction leaders looked up. They saw that high above the North Sea, the three Ancestor God pillars of light, which had been maintaining the temporal rift, vanished simultaneously. At this moment, it had only been about ten breaths since Ba Zun'an entered the temporal realm.

The Grand Calamity... The Great Terror...

Amidst the sea of flowers and medicines, after a moment of dread, the Medicine Ancestor regained composure and did not choose to forget the matter, contrary to what the Name Ancestor had suggested. "The Grand Calamity, not a single word can be mentioned?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

The Name Ancestor remained indifferent: "Of course, there is no such explicit rule. The Medicine Ancestor can choose not to forget, or to spread it everywhere."

"But I bear the consequences myself?" The Medicine Ancestor understood the implication, pondered for a long time, and did not reply. He didn't believe it. He still didn't believe it could be so mystical. Time and Name may not be able to, but that doesn't mean Shennong Baicao cannot. The paths of Time and Name are outwardly manifested, whereas the path of Shennong Baicao is moderate and leans inward, closer to 'self', a step higher. Shennong Baicao was confident he could bear this karma.

Thinking of 'self', the Medicine Ancestor spoke again, afraid the Name Ancestor might inadvertently leave: "Nuo Ancestor, how powerful is he?"

The sea of flowers suddenly fell silent with this question. The Medicine Ancestor watched as the Name Ancestor's gaze shifted from level with his own eyes, to his head, then to the blue sky and white clouds above him, gazing into infinity.

He said nothing. He said everything.

The Medicine Ancestor's eyelid twitched. He felt as if something was about to possess him, and he suppressed his displeasure to speak: "Compared to my current self, or my 'return to zero' self?"

The Name Ancestor suddenly couldn't hold back and let out a laugh. The mockery in his laugh was undisguised, as if to say, 'What is your current self that can be compared to him?'

Seeming to realize he had gone too far, the Name Ancestor's expression showed a hint of apology: "No need to be modest. In terms of strategy and planning, you far surpass him."

Is this praise? Perhaps in his eyes, this was the only commendable aspect left of him?

The Medicine Ancestor no longer spoke of these things, but turned to another important matter: "Mount Taiyao..." Just as he began this sentence, the Medicine Ancestor's gaze shifted to the edge of the sea of flowers, seemingly seeing through this world, and his words stopped mid-sentence.

Xu Xiaoshou also felt a sudden premonition. His feeling was very real: a cloud-like oppression suddenly enveloped him. An ill omen... And a major one! And looking at the Medicine Ancestor's expression, it seemed a major change had occurred in the outside world.

No more delays... Xu Xiaoshou's decision to leave was firm. His face twitched again, as if the Name Ancestor's power was rapidly fading due to the changes outside. The Medicine Ancestor still wanted to speak, probably to cling to this last bit and ask something more. Xu Xiaoshou didn't give him the chance, and proactively said:

"Shennong Baicao! Regarding Mount Taiyao, if the Nuo Ancestor mentioned it to you, then it's fine; if not, asking more is useless. I don't have time. Give me your hand."

As the Name Ancestor pondered Mount Taiyao, he instinctively reached out his hand, then suddenly snapped back to his senses and stopped. Could it be that the Name Ancestor wants to leave some contingency plan on him?

"What, scared?" the Name Ancestor chuckled, glancing at the Ten-Lifetimes World-Breaking Fruit not far away. "You could also pick this fruit."

"The Name Ancestor wants it?"

"Not for me, but a gift for you."

Upon hearing this, the Medicine Ancestor realized he had been overly suspicious. Although the Name Ancestor had previously stated he wouldn't provide any assistance, it seemed his mind had changed after hearing the comprehensive plan. Now, he wanted to leave some ideas on the Holy God Continent, this future Heavenly Realm, and on himself, the future master of this Heavenly Realm.

The Medicine Ancestor generously extended his hand. If he were facing the Nuo Ancestor, he might indeed be more wary, but the Name Ancestor was merely a 'limb' of the Nuo Ancestor, with low combat power, unable to cause any significant stir.

Xu Xiaoshou's body swayed precariously. After grabbing the Medicine Ancestor's hand and taking a deep breath, the Name Ancestor seemed to have finally gathered his last bit of power. He extended a finger and, at an extremely slow pace, carved a single character into the Medicine Ancestor's palm, saying: "After all things are accomplished, if you still wish to know what follows, activate this character, chant my name, and you shall see me on the path of reincarnation."

The Name Ancestor gazed steadily at the Medicine Ancestor, seemingly with a hint of expectation, then released his grip and power. With a 'thud', his body collapsed to the ground. The Medicine Ancestor glanced at the body collapsed before him, then looked at his palm, silently murmuring: "Xi..."

Deep in thought, he soon understood: "A gap under 'Xi', to avoid a prophecy, called 'Name'..."

"This fellow, I'm afraid, has also touched the 'Return to Zero' realm!"

"Well done, Shennong Baicao!" Xu Xiaoshou hadn't expected the Medicine Ancestor to be so clever, quickly understanding even this small design of his. After a soft groan, he seemed to slowly awaken. Straightening his back, he suddenly clutched his head with one hand.

"So painful!" His head throbbed as if someone had just plunged a great sword into his brain and savagely stirred it. Xu Xiaoshou grimaced in pain, gasping for air, unable to lower his hand for a long time. His memories seemed to be resurfacing. He lowered his brows gloomily, a hint of grimness flashing in his eyes, and quietly said: "You... have seen him...?"

The Medicine Ancestor curled his palm, then squatted down with a smile, looking down at Xu Xiaoshou, his mood as bright as sunshine. The unknown was truly terrifying. Before meeting the Name Ancestor, he had been three parts wary of Xu Xiaoshou, not because of Xu Xiaoshou's strategic designs or hidden capabilities. Rather, it was because he couldn't grasp the extent of the unknown power within Xu Xiaoshou when it erupted, or whether it would affect his own plans.

Now? The situation was clear! If even the Name Ancestor, a contingency plan, was only at this level, how much was there left to fear from Xu Xiaoshou? At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou looked remarkably like a small cricket he had once raised—utterly adorable. Equally stubborn. And equally stubborn until death.

Reaching out, he ruffled Xu Xiaoshou's 'adorable' head. The Medicine Ancestor, in high spirits, looked up at the sky and merrily said: "Little fellow, it's time for us to leave."

Whoosh!

Like a cascading waterfall, the sound of flowing water and a gray presence surged past his ears, making him instinctively want to explore and understand.

Uncomfortable... So uncomfortable... Ahhh, let me up!

Cao Erzhu abruptly opened his eyes, as if cutting through a nightmare, simultaneously throwing off the invisible specter pressing down on him, sweat pouring down his face. He instinctively tried to pull back his covers, only to realize he had no hands, no covers, wasn't lying in a bed, and the surroundings were not his blacksmith shop.

"This is... Where am I?"

Memories, fragmented, flooded in. Before his eyes, a flowing river, frames passing one after another. It finally settled on the moment Bei Huai descended and poked him into meat paste with his huai branch.

"I... died?" Cao Erzhu was so shocked his soul felt like it left his body, yet he also felt this wasn't hell. Ancestor Ba Zun'an had just shattered Fengdu not long ago, so how could this be hell? On the contrary...

He looked around. The surroundings were dim. Before him, besides that winding long river, there was nothing else. The gray river carried countless fragmented images, including his entire life, and seemingly others' as well? It stretched from an unknown source, flowed to an unknown destination, and only a short segment of his life was displayed before him.

"What is this?" Cao Erzhu scratched his head, unable to find an answer, so he shouted aloud: "Is anyone there? Brother Xiaoshou! Dad, save me!"

A strange phenomenon suddenly appeared on the gray river. The powerful figure he had seen before the blacksmith shop in the small town, after learning of his father's 'death', suddenly solidified. He wore a black cloak, his features indistinct, impossibly powerful. He had given him answers when he was most lost. Similarly, he now emerged when Cao Erzhu was at his most ignorant.

"Li... Li Daren?" Cao Erzhu was overjoyed and surprised. "Li Daren, you're here! Quickly, tell me, where is this?"

'Li Daren' strode out from the gray river, his previous amiability gone, replaced by a touch of indifference in his voice: "The River of Memories."

Cao Erzhu felt something was off. His intuition told him this person didn't quite seem like Li Daren, but seeing was believing, so he didn't dwell on it. "What's the River of Memories? Li Daren, what happened to me? Am I dead?"

Li Daren stood on the river, maintaining a moderate distance, and presented an object in his hand, saying: "This is the reverse side of the River of Memories, a place where Ancestor Gods cannot pry. Here, I shall entrust you with an object. I hope you will guard it well."

Reverse side of the River of Memories... Ancestor Gods cannot pry... All these words proved Li Daren's unfathomable depth. Perhaps he was truly even more powerful than his father. Moreover, when Cao Erzhu looked, the object floating from Li Daren's hand was surprisingly familiar.

"Ancestor God Fate-Orb?" Cao Erzhu cried out in surprise. Sword Ancestor had shown this item, and Brother Xiaoshou had also shown it. He couldn't possibly mistake it. On the reverse side of the dim memory world, the Ancestor God Fate-Orb glowed faintly, as if igniting another spark of life in a dying existence.

As Cao Erzhu held the object, he felt his limbs and flesh rapidly growing and repairing... No, not growing and repairing? Rather, it was like regaining control of his body, a strange sensation akin to gradually waking up from a dream within a dream.

"Remember, the Ancestor God Fate-Orb is not an achievement, but a limitation."

"When you feel everything is about to give way, awaken past memories and retrieve this item to form a contract."

"As for the rest, how much you can accomplish depends on... fate..."

The River of Memories faded. Li Daren's figure also faded. The entire dim world shattered along with it. A faint light in front of his eyes gradually brightened, finally culminating in a thunderous roar beside his ear.

Boom!

Cao Erzhu abruptly sat upright. Ghost Buddha Uncle, with a bitten head and wounds covered in mushrooms and moss, exuding an ancient aura, lay slumped beside him. His father stood tall in the void, the Grand Calamity of Ancestor God Annihilation seemingly only a few strikes away from completion, still as fierce, rigid, and incredibly domineering as ever.

"I... I'm alive?" Cao Erzhu looked down at himself, touched himself, and found his body perfectly intact. Yet clearly, before this, he seemed to have been blown into meat paste by Bei Huai?

"Why? Because of Li Daren?" At this thought, Cao Erzhu frowned. He casually grabbed a handful of snow, and water pooled in his palm. The climate seemed to be warming rapidly. The accumulated snow on the ground quickly melted into slush, and the air became humid. Under the thunder calamity, the land of broken laws was originally barren.

Suddenly, Cao Erzhu's pupils dilated as he noticed something. Not far away, a golden osmanthus tree stump, which had been scorched black, began to grow rapidly, sprouting its first tender green bud.

Northern Domain, Land of Fragrant Flowers. The outskirts of this Seven-Break Forbidden Zone actually had many adventurers, leading to the formation of a market for spiritual refiners to trade. At the market entrance, flowers suddenly bloomed, and spiritual refiners, as if immersed in deep spring, unconsciously groaned aloud.

"Ah..." Butterflies emerged from cocoons, fluttering their wings and soaring high. Soon, some high-level cultivators snapped out of their blissful state, their pupils trembling abruptly, and they cried out in alarm: "Holy moly, Brother Zhao, why have you grown butterfly wings?"

"Oh my god, Old Qian, you, you, you... your pants are torn, is that your third leg? So thick, so long?"

"My goodness, Fatty, how do you have three mouths, ah! Monster! Long-tongued monster!"

"Help, help, ugh..."

Amidst the chorus of screams, no one noticed an old man with a straw hat slowly walking into the market entrance. The old man, dressed in an old undershirt, took off his straw hat, revealing a sallow, deeply wrinkled face. His eyes were bright and piercing, and in his hand, he held a small sickle for cutting grass.

"Oh..." The old man smiled and took a step. Like a ghost, he traversed from the north end of the market entrance to the south in a single step, leaving a trail of afterimages. Behind him, the entire market was instantly engulfed by flourishing vibrant colors, birdsong, and the scent of flowers.

"Sweet air, long absent..."

The old man took a second step, traversing from the Northern Domain, crossing the North Sea, and entering the Ghost Buddha Realm. Over the untouched North Sea glaciers, he left a straight path of flowers. Flower buds bloomed, afterimages dissipated, and life flourished.

"Like aged peach blossom wine, freshly uncorked..." A soft murmur echoed in his ear. The last lightning calamity had not yet struck, but Kui Leihan's pupils suddenly dilated, and he abruptly turned his head to look. A sallow face was right before his eyes! Taken by surprise, a light slap landed on his face. It didn't hurt, yet it made a crisp 'smack' sound. Kui Leihan didn't even realize what had happened. Who was this person, and why did he do this...?

The old man was gone. He realized something was wrong and quickly followed with his gaze. Amidst a series of afterimages, he found the final destination, his gaze falling upon Fusang City.

"Let's celebrate..."

Beneath Fusang City, Yu Zhiwen, Liu Fuyu, and Yue Gongnu had just raised their heads. The old man appeared right in front of them. He gripped the Scythe of Death floating in the void before him, then raised his deeply wrinkled old face and grinned at the three women, his teeth slightly yellowed:

"Spring has come."