CHAPTER 356: CHAPTER 356: ABOVE THE WILDERNESS

In the past, Jiang Yuan would stand on the ground gazing up at the Wilderness descending or ascending. Now, as he follows the Wilderness World’s ascent within Crescent Lake, he can no longer see what lies below due to the change in perspective.

With the sound of rushing wind in his ears, he suddenly experiences the feeling of take-off, similar to being on an airplane—a brief sensation of weightlessness and heaviness lasts for about ten seconds, then a burst of brightness fills his vision!

A massive, fiery-red sun hangs in the east, casting its golden-red glow across the world.

As the Wilderness ascends, the Moon Pearl Birds dart into the woods and vanish; even the little birds chirping on the trees earlier have gone silent.

The White-Finned Demon Flood Dragon continues to dive deeper, and soon, the only thing Jiang Yuan can see while he’s also in the water is a vague, indistinct shadow.

"Gurgle! Gurgle!"

The ground trembles, as if a massive creature is approaching.

Though he is bound to the system, Jiang Yuan knows he is not strictly a cultivator, nor does he have spiritual power to reveal. He clicks to equip the bronze beast-mask to completely conceal his human scent, hiding underwater and holding his breath as he listens intently to the sounds above.

Having received the Mermaid’s Kiss, he is more agile in water than a fish. His skin’s pores seem to open and absorb oxygen, leaving him without a feeling of breathlessness or restraint, able to dive deep enough to reach a place connected to the sea.

"If you ask me, you should prepare early!" A clear and pleasant voice calls from across the lake, laughing coquettishly, "Don’t come running to me complaining if you get scolded later, after all, it’s just the beginning of summer and there’s plenty of time before the Mid-Autumn Festival, preparing early doesn’t hurt."

Amidst a flurry of footsteps, a timid voice responds, "I’ll give the orders right away, to prepare in advance. I’m just afraid that with the spiritual energy dissipating more severely now, heavenly and earthly treasures are increasingly hard to find. Even with preparations, it might be difficult to satisfy the Lord."

"You prepare what you can. After all, it’s a gesture of goodwill, my eldest brother isn’t that unreasonable."

"Seventh Lady, we’re talking in private... Since we can’t stop the Wilderness from descending, why does the Lord strictly prohibit us from venturing out at night to stop those filthy and lowly humans from stealing our spiritual energy?

If this goes on, the severe dissipation of spiritual energy in the Wilderness World might lead to its collapse at any moment. Why hasn’t the Lord planned ahead to lead us to migrate to other worlds?"

"As for why the Wilderness is descending, there hasn’t been a clear explanation. And as for the claim that humans are using some method to cause the Wilderness to merge at night to steal spiritual energy, it is utterly ridiculous.

Bear in mind, the human world has been devoid of spiritual power for hundreds of years. Those cultivators from before have long fled or perished. The remaining ordinary humans without spiritual power are no different from insects. How would they have the power or capability to drag the Wilderness down?

Thus, there’s no need to hold resentment toward these trivial and insignificant humans, let alone say they are stealing the Wilderness’s spiritual energy.

In the beginning, spiritual power was at its peak, and after running its course for millions of years, it nurtured countless mythical creatures. Ultimately, it will head toward the endpoint of spiritual dissipation. Once it completely collapses and remains silent for ten thousand years, it will reconvene into a new cycle. This is the endless cycle of the Heavenly Dao, unstoppable by anyone.

It’s not just my elder brother who forbids you from going out at night, the same attitude is shared by other Lords.

At night, the Wilderness’s descent causes the spiritual energy to become thin and walking outside is of no benefit to our cultivation. It is better to stay in the Spirit Gathering Array to cultivate properly. Otherwise, if allowed your freedom, those little low-level demons wouldn’t even have any chance of survival at all, moving around under the night sky."

As the voices fade a bit, Jiang Yuan quietly uses a leaf to float to the water’s surface and takes a stealthy peek.

[Sang Qi: Soul Condensation Realm Third Layer Jade Rabbit Demon, high-level creature. Ranked seventh in the family, known as the Seventh Lady, sister of Menglong Mountain Lord Sang Lishan.]

[Copper Claw Lion: Jade Rabbit Demon Sang Qi’s mount, Demon Pill Realm Fifth Layer intermediate creature.]

[Jia Wei: Bone Refining Realm Third Layer intermediate creature, subordinate of Menglong Mountain Lord...]

......

A glance over, the system’s inspection finally allows Jiang Yuan to see the strength of high-level creatures above the Wilderness during the day.

No wonder Yun Mo and his companions only dare to emerge at night, realizing that during the day, high-level demon cultivators are roaming everywhere. If luck runs just a bit out, their whole group could be exterminated.

"The Lord’s benevolent nature, I really can’t grasp it. If those weak beings die, they die. What’s the need to specifically protect them?" Jia Wei snorted discontentedly, "They clearly occupy the Lord’s land, enjoy the Lord’s resources, yet have never made any contribution or shown any gratitude to the Lord..."

Wearing a gold crown and clad in resplendent attire, the Seventh Lady glances coldly at him, cutting off his words, "Weren’t you once a small demon before cultivating into a great demon? How quickly you’ve forgotten your origins?"

Jia Wei’s face reddens slightly from the retort, lowering his head and not daring to speak further as he follows beside the Copper Claw Lion.

The Seventh Lady spoke leisurely, "Firstly: If this land is to have a continuous influx of new life, as a Lord, one must show tolerance and kindness to the little demons. Otherwise, if you allow them to wreak havoc on the little demons unchecked, the vitality of this land will be utterly depleted.

Secondly: Restricting you from going out at night avoids a great deal of slaughter. With your hatred of humans, if the Wilderness’s descent allowed you to venture out, you might massacre countless innocent humans overnight.

From the birth of the world, it was destined that it would eventually collapse and vanish. The dissipation of spiritual energy is naturally part of the grand scheme of the universe, nothing to be alarmed about. As for why not migrate to other worlds..."

She looked down at Jia Wei with a smile at the corner of her mouth, asking, "What is your ultimate goal in cultivation?"

"To answer Seventh Lady, naturally it’s... to seek immortality and to ascend!"

"Hmm, though somewhat shortsighted, you’re at least honest." Seeing this, the Seventh Lady’s smile grew even brighter, "Who among cultivators doesn’t wish to ascend? But aside from good fortune and talent enabling cultivation to the peak of the Tribulation Crossing Realm, there are many invisible conditions for a higher success rate in ascension.

Among these, one is: having your feet planted firmly on the land where you were born and raised, leveraging the power of the earth’s origin for an easier path.

So, do you understand now why those who gallivant around, thinking they’re clever for seeking more spiritual power in larger worlds, each face failure when crossing their tribulations? Abandoning the world that nurtured you, what’s the difference from abandoning your parents? Fleeing at the first sign of trouble is lacking in virtue unless absolutely necessary."

Jia Wei looked bewildered, "But... But what if the world collapses?"

"Hmm, if the world does indeed collapse, then this indicates that the path of cultivation includes such a calamity. Tribulation Crossing is the Heavenly Dao’s test for cultivators, facing the tribulation head-on rather than constantly seeking to escape and seek refuge, may appear to avoid a calamity on the surface, but the tribulation that should have been crossed remains looming. To achieve true mastery requires overcoming twice the difficulties, making it all the harder, don’t you think?"

"So you’re saying, should one just wait for the world to collapse, then..."

"Without the ambition of Tribulation Crossing and Ascension, naturally one can flee early. True cultivators seeking to transcend and become immortals are not afraid of falling or disappearing. They follow the natural course and fight until the very end, doing everything they can to turn the tide, even if it is just to save a few small creatures, it’s worthwhile. Surviving through such tribulations paves an unimpeded path to the grand road of cultivation!"

Jiang Yuan listens intently, thinking there seems to be a real degree of truth in it.

"Who’s hiding there?" The Seventh Lady, riding the Copper Claw Lion, has already walked far away but suddenly senses a disturbance within Crescent Lake. She turns the Copper Claw Lion around, her large, bright eyes fixed on the water as she sternly calls, "Come out!"