Chapter 1025 - The World In WIllow Deity’s Heart
“Willow Deity, what kind of world is that?” s.h.i.+ Hao wanted to know. He had always been searching for the answer. Where was Willow Deity going, and what was he going to do?
“The world I am familiar with no longer exists, my homeland long burnt black, the people I knew long dead.” Willow Deity looked into the horizon and then into the boundless mountains, expression full of melancholy.
This was the first time it revealed this type of temperament, different from before, carrying loss, reminiscent memories, and sentimental emotions. It was as if it saw old friends struggle to their deaths one after another.
“Willow Deity!” s.h.i.+ Hao called out. He saw those eyes through the hazy mist. They were originally clear like water, but now, they were deep like an abyss, immersed in a world of grief.
In the distance, the undying existence and Qi Daolin were waiting, not aware of what was happening here.
Willow Deity stood on the mountains, releasing a deep sigh.
“The place I am headed to, I do not know how far it is. The road is long, and perhaps it can be reached after pa.s.sing the Primordial Gate. It is also possible that my true body has already been turned into a pool of dirty blood,” Willow Deity said, revealing how great the difficulty was.
When s.h.i.+ Hao heard this, his mind was greatly shaken. Even someone as powerful as Willow Deity was like this, so how was anyone else supposed to succeed?
However, he wanted to go there, explore together with the Willow Deity. Willow Deity was the one that raised him up, so he naturally had to head out together with it, as well as fight by its side.
“Immortal Ancient Great Era, there were immortals existing in the world, but in the end, they still failed. This great era has never seen a true long life individual, so what is there that can even be done?” Willow Deity said softly.
“Give me time, I will definitely have the qualifications to partic.i.p.ate!” s.h.i.+ Hao said. He was going to follow along.
“There were immortals in the past, yet they all died in battle. Even if you can reach that height, do you feel like you can change anything?” Willow Deity asked in return.
s.h.i.+ Hao felt a wave of silence. He thought back to everything he saw in Immortal Ancient Remains. After he rose up on the arena, transported to the final place of natural luck, he had previously witnessed the ‘Wall of Despair’.
That was the despair of countless past experts, all of them incredibly downcast. They felt that even if someone obtained the natural luck left behind by the last great era, they would still be powerless to turn things around, unable to change anything.
Meanwhile now, Willow Deity’s mood was a bit downcast as well. It was clear that it thought that even if there were experts rising up, it would still be difficult to defy the heavens and change anything.
“I will become stronger, I will be able to remain completely fearless, sweep through all enemies in the nine heavens and ten earths!” s.h.i.+ Hao said.
“Not even that is enough… being unmatched in the nine heavens and ten earths is still only becoming the most powerful in this fragmented and tattered world.” Willow Deity shook its head.
“I will become even stronger, strong to the point where I alone can change any battle situation, invincible, rise above all opponents past and present!” s.h.i.+ Hao said.
Will there really be that day? When Willow Deity heard this, it calmly stood there, gazing into the distant skies, and then back at s.h.i.+ Hao. It released a light sigh.
This road was too difficult, perhaps losing too much along the way!
“After endless years, perhaps there will be someone like that, standing alone in the long river of time, endless time behind him, accompanied only by the divine dao.” Willow Deity said.
Then, it turned around to look at s.h.i.+ Hao, saying, “However, I do not wish for you to walk this type of path, because you will lose too much, too much!”
“Willow Deity, can you tell me? What kind of world are you going to?” s.h.i.+ Hao asked.
“Immortal Ancient’s battle, an incredibly bitter place. There were those who have went there before, but no one has reached the final destination. I am only searching as well, taking a look around and resolving desires.” Willow Deity said.
s.h.i.+ Hao understood. The place Willow Deity was talking about should be where those opponents were. They didn’t belong to the three thousand provinces and other places.
When saying these things, Willow Deity’s eyes recalled fondly of the past. There was sadness, as well as a type of great brilliance!
“I will become strong enough. I can reach that place and fight together with Willow Deity!” s.h.i.+ Hao shouted loudly.
“Do you know what kind of place that is? How long it takes to get there? How profound one’s cultivation needs to be to have the qualifications to partic.i.p.ate?” Willow Deity shook its head and then said, “You don’t know, don"t understand.”
“Regardless, I will still try my best.”
Willow Deity still shook its head, saying, “If the day comes when the starry sky collapses, the world overturned, and you are the only one left, even though you are unmatched in the world, when you turn around, there will only be memories left. Beautiful women will grow hair white like snow, buried into the great earth, old friends will decline, entering eternal sleep in graveyards. When that time comes, will you still feel like it is worth it?”
s.h.i.+ Hao clenched his fists. He didn’t know why the extraordinary Willow Deity would lack confidence like this, why it would tell him these things.
Willow Deity should be someone unmatched, transcending above, yet right now, it was warning him not to rashly tread on a path of no return.
“My mind is resolute like steel, I will advance with large steps and advance courageously!” s.h.i.+ Hao said loudly.
“Then we’ll have to wait until you truly stand at a high enough level. Even if I don’t say anything, you will encounter it and see those things, understand everything.” Willow Deity said.
“How should I proceed to go to that world?” s.h.i.+ Hao asked.
“Should just pa.s.s the Desolate Border trial first.” Willow Deity said.
s.h.i.+ Hao’s mind was greatly shaken. Countless experts were in charge of defending the Desolate Border, all for the sake of guarding that path, preventing anyone from crossing over. However now, he had to cross over the Desolate Border and take the initiative to slaughter his way over, and only then would there be a path to take, a chance to reach that world.
This was too difficult!
Was there anyone in the higher realms who could do this? At the very least, there was no one right now who could reach that step!
“Then I’ll have to create a miracle, change history, transcend past and present. I will head there sooner or later one day!” s.h.i.+ Hao vowed, his gaze resolute.
Then, Willow Deity said many things to s.h.i.+ Hao, touching upon many things, including Stone Village’s past events and Lower Realm’s old friends. It didn’t wish to talk about topics too grave any longer.
This imprint was what Willow Deity left in this world before entering Primordial Gate. There wasn’t much time left; it was going to scatter soon.
s.h.i.+ Hao felt emotional, fearing that the true body really might never appear again after entering the white bone gate, forever disappearing.
Therefore, even though Willow Deity no longer spoke about serious topics, he was still questioning it closely, wis.h.i.+ng to understand more so that it would be easier to find it in the future, stepping on that endless path.
“Alright, I am about to scatter. Before leaving, I’ll display a final technique, see if something will happen in the future.” Willow Deity nodded.
What kind of method was this? Could it see into the future? s.h.i.+ Hao’s mind was shaken!
After endless years pa.s.s, past and present drawn out, the number of times Willow Deity could display this method was limited. Currently, this imprint was about to scatter, about to display a divination.
One could see how much importance it attached to s.h.i.+ Hao, willing to use it once for him alone!
In the distance, the undying existence’s expression was moved, Qi Daolin also watching impatiently, unknown as to what was going to happen, what kind of situation they were going to see.
“Are you sure that you wish to look?” Willow Deity asked.
“I…” s.h.i.+ Hao was a bit scared. Was he really going to see the future? What kind of repercussions will there be if he saw it ahead of time? For him and Willow Deity, was it a good or bad thing?
“I am sure that I wish to take a look!” In the end, he made this decision. It was because only by doing this could he understand more, see the world in Willow Deity’s heart.
“Alright, let me prepare a bit.” Willow Deity nodded.
Soon after, Willow Deity sat down on the mountain peak, devouring the essence of the sun and moon. Its body seemed to resonate with the great universe, pulsing at the same rhythm as the stars in the sky.
Its figure became indistinct, white clothes turning into mist, like immortal energy, rising and pervading the air. The entire world seemed to have lost the brilliance it should possess. There was now only a haziness.
At this moment, a wave of mysterious power surged, spreading outwards with Willow Deity being at the center. It was as if they returned to when heaven and earth were opened, what remained only the most primitive matter, as well as desolateness.
Chaotic light scattered outwards, immortal energy pervading the air. Indistinctly, he could see that creatures existed before heaven and earth were opened. There were also great battles that happened in the distance, not close by!
“En?” s.h.i.+ Hao was stupefied. Was this indistinct scenery he saw real?
Hong!
Suddenly, a thunderous sound erupted between heaven and earth, breaking his train of thought.
Willow Deity moved, continuously forming imprints and chanting incantations, immediately making crazy winds stir about here. Smoke clouds surged, multicolored light overflowed, fragments of time flew about!
Everything changed, not being like before. Willow Deity was displaying a type of divination, allowing s.h.i.+ Hao to see the future he wanted to learn about!
Honglonglong!
At this time, there were ghosts and deities howling, immortals and devils roaring, all of them void figures, imprints. Perhaps it could be said that these were the reappearance of departed spirits that died in battle, formed from their damaged imprints.
All types of irregular scenes appeared between heaven and earth.
“What you wish to see, you should just earnestly see!” Willow Deity released a low shout.
It was operating the method, using the last of its power to display this great divine ability, interfering with the world’s laws and regulations.
Honglonglong!
A great river flooded outwards, surging from before their eyes. A blade of time rushed into the heavens, rumbling as it moved.
Was that the river of time? s.h.i.+ Hao didn’t know, but he saw a few scenes on the sh.o.r.e that left his mind greatly shaken.
Were they the ancient people? In a flash, they changed from their prime to the declining years, gradually aging.
Of course, the so-called old age was something relative. Several thousands to even tens of thousands of years have pa.s.sed, right?
“There isn’t much time left, hurry!” Willow Deity urged.
s.h.i.+ Hao’s mind was shaken. He no longer watched these scenes on the side, instead wis.h.i.+ng to see the final destination, the last conclusion. He wanted to witness the Willow Deity’s inner world, as well as the future.
Hong!
All of the scenes changed, the river of time surging. He seemed to be rus.h.i.+ng ahead, seeing the final destination.
He saw the future his mind was the most concerned with, the future he wished to understand the most!
In that instant, s.h.i.+ Hao saw another him, one who was exactly the same as him, but one who was clearly deeper and more experienced!
That person was extremely young, yet his eyes carried endless great changes, as if he could see through the past, present, and future!
s.h.i.+ Hao’s mind shook, because that ‘him’ also looked over, as if he saw the current him. His eyes carried loneliness.
A single person, in that world!
He existed in that world alone, standing above ten thousand dao, experiencing the great solitude, enduring the sorrow of endless years. When he turned around, there was actually nothing at all!
This was the scene s.h.i.+ Hao saw, his heart greatly shaken.
“No, there’s more, how can I be the only one left? I wanted to see the Willow Deity’s everything! Where is it in the future?” s.h.i.+ Hao shouted, telling his current world self to calm down.
Then, he saw it.
A charred black willow tree, long broken, eternally silent as it rested there.
In that world, that person stood there alone, gazing into the heavenly domain. He released a great roar, his voice shaking the other sh.o.r.e, about to slaughter towards the distance.
“I refuse to believe this!” The present world s.h.i.+ Hao shouted loudly. How could there be this type of scene?
In that world, he reached the absolute peak of the divine dao. It was too lonely, the entire world boundless, nothing left in existence.
Only a charred black willow tree was at his side. However, it had long died, already broken, only a piece of black wooden pile left.
This scene was too miserable!
There was no one in this entire world, no creatures, only him standing there. Even Willow Deity turned into broken wood on the scorched earth, accompanying him in his mournful solitude.
“It won’t be like that, everything can be changed. The future will be changed by me!” s.h.i.+ Hao roared. He couldn’t accept this conclusion, and he refused to believe that it was going to be like this. He was going to change everything.