Longevity Candle

Chapter 90: Either be reborn from destruction, or perish in destruction.

The two countries engaged in their most brutal war, during which both generals perished.

Countless soldiers died on the battlefield, never to return to their hometowns.

The emperor of Yunmeng had no intention of continuing to conscript soldiers; instead, he ordered that they cease resistance.

In an instant, the entire Yunmeng was in chaos, and the surviving soldiers cursed loudly.

They fought to the death, but His Majesty gave up first.

The court officials were also shouting and cursing: "The late emperor emerged from the chaos of war, walked through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and ended the war. What heroic spirit he had! To protect the country, Marquis Dingwu fought to the death and refused to retreat. Why does Your Majesty have to surrender first?!"

"If Your Majesty wishes to surrender, then take this old minister's head and go to Emperor Ning to claim credit!" An elderly man with gray hair glared at His Majesty for the first time.

"The land still stands, Your Majesty, we can still fight!"

"Even in death, I will have face. If I surrender and beg for my life, what face will I have to go down and meet the late emperor?"

"Your Majesty, I request that you execute Prince Gu Yunshen of Taiping. He has bewitched Your Majesty and spread the so-called Way of Peace."

"Your Majesty, I request that Prince Taiping, Gu Yunshen, be executed!"

The court officials knelt and begged, their hatred and murderous intent all directed at Prince Taiping, Gu Yunshen.

Without his instigation, His Majesty would never have given up the resistance and disregarded the fate of the nation.

The Emperor of Yunmeng looked at his officials expressionlessly, removed his crown, revealing a full head of white hair.

"Since ascending the throne, I have been working tirelessly, unable to eat or sleep properly, constantly reminding myself that I must not fail the country and not let down the late emperor."

"How could I not wish to lead a million soldiers and personally lead an expedition to protect my Yunmeng land and my Yunmeng people?"

But can I do it? Can you do it?

Most officials bowed their heads and remained silent.

The gray-haired official looked up and said, "Your Majesty, this old minister is willing to sacrifice his own flesh and blood to protect my Yunmeng kingdom!"

"Flesh and blood?" Emperor Yunmeng sighed softly, "I have thought so too, but what use is it? Since I am sitting here, I must find a way for the people of the world. I cannot find one, but Prince Taiping has."

"But Ningguo's Taiping Dao is also a powerful military force that protected its people. They have shifted the disaster to us. Whom can we shift it to?"

The old official's eyes welled up with tears: "King Taiping only teaches us to give up resistance, only makes you give up your kingdom. Are we, the men of Yunmeng, without any backbone?"

"We beg Your Majesty to issue the order for the entire nation to fight!" The officials kowtowed.

"Before I ascended the throne, I stood on the pavilion and looked into the distance. I saw countless wandering souls in the sky. They were the countless sons of my Yunmeng who died in battle."

They guard the land and its people on the frontier, but what about their homes? Clan oppression, land annexation, forced servitude—and I still expect them to defend this empire, to fight to the death.

"I have no face to face them. You shall follow the Prince of Taiping and go see the world. See if Yunmeng is worth fighting for!"

Emperor Yunmeng's long hair was disheveled, and his white hair covered his face: "If you still want to fight in half a month, I will listen to you."

The officials were stunned. Gu Yun Shen walked out carrying a sword box: "I have invited an elf named Three-Headed Dark Raven. He will take you to see Yunmeng and let you see what Yunmeng is like now."

Gu Yunshen led his officials out of the capital of Yunmeng. The old crow, whose mind had recovered considerably, stirred up black clouds and led his officials up into the sky.

He used his magic to bless the officials, enabling them to see the situation below clearly, with a particular focus on the clans.

Clans in various places seized the fields and shops, leaving the able-bodied men behind to sell themselves for a living.

Those orphans and widows didn't even have the right to sell themselves.

Corpses were found everywhere, abandoned in the mountains and fields, to be eaten by wild animals.

“Those are the Buyun tribe. They worship a black wolf that can ward off packs of wolves. Look closely, what are those wolves eating? Those are my people of Yunmeng!”

“That’s the Peak Clan. They worship poisonous bees that can spray poison gas that kills on contact with blood and can also control swarms of bees. And look at that huge beehive, that’s one of my Yunmeng people!”

“That’s the elephant tribe. They worship a white elephant and have the ability to communicate with the herd. That’s food, food that our people can’t even get a bite of!”

"..."

"Our soldiers are risking their lives in the north, but what about their families?"

“Look again, what are those floating in the sky? Those are soldiers who died in battle, they cannot find peace!”

Even after you die, you'll just wander aimlessly in different places...

"Ningguo launched a war, yet their people live in peace and prosperity. The families of the soldiers who died in battle are getting better and better every day. What about Yunmeng?"

"The soldiers are not afraid of death; they have a heart full of courage. But do we really want to use their courage to defend this filthy land?"

Gu Yun Shen's voice was like a giant hammer, striking their hearts heavily.

"That's Qiuyue City. Now most of the shops belong to the Chang family, and the land outside also belongs to the Chang family."

There was a tavern in town that was registered under the Chang family's name, which is why it was spared from being bullied.

Gu Yunshen said coldly, "You say I'm bringing chaos to the country, and you resist the will to maintain peace. I understand your stance, but you should also look at the world today. We have nowhere else to go."

“But once the Ning Kingdom’s army enters Yunmeng, will Yunmeng still have a chance to survive? At least, there are still people who can survive now,” an official said in a low voice.

“The Yunmeng army will not enter Yunmeng, at least not now,” Gu Yunshen said. “You all know that they are shifting the disaster onto others. As long as those powerful and influential people still have the ability to shake Ningguo, Ningguo will not destroy Yunmeng.”

"So what will you do after you give up?" the old official asked.

"I defy the will of Heaven, and seek liberation for the soul of Yunmeng." Gu Yunshen looked up at the sky: "The sky that shrouds Yunmeng should change. Even if it fails, there will be successors to continue the will of peace."

"The clans of Yunmeng are all backed by mountain and sea spirits, immortal masters and Taoists, who are devouring Yunmeng..."

The officials fell silent. They had seen the situation in various parts of Yunmeng, and although they were trembling with anger, they were powerless to change anything.

Even so, they sometimes have no choice but to compromise when faced with these clans.

Some of them were even from the era of the previous emperor, considered veterans of both the Yunmeng and Yunmeng dynasties, and their fighting spirit remained.

Even they had to compromise, let alone those who came later?
"If we don't do it, who will? The descendants who have lived under clan oppression since childhood, their fighting spirit crushed?"

Gu Yunshen's gaze was firm: "Either be reborn from ruin, or perish from ruin. If Ningguo could be reborn back then, so can we!"

"I am willing to follow the King of Taiping and Your Majesty to destroy Yunmeng!" the old official said in a deep voice. "I will bear this infamy for all eternity."

"Your subject is willing to bear the infamy."

One by one, the ministers abandoned their idea of ​​fighting to the death, and were willing to personally participate in pushing Yunmeng towards destruction.

The old crow led them back, and Emperor Yunmeng stood atop the high building, gazing at the Yunmeng River and Mountains.

"Your Majesty, we pay our respects." All the officials bowed, but no one shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

"I haven't seen the landscape of Yunmeng yet, so you can go first."

Emperor Yunmeng chuckled and looked at Gu Yunshen: "Royal brother, are you ready?"

Gu Yunshen said, "We have already notified him. When he lowers his eyes and the light of the moon descends, that will be the time for us to make our move."

Far away in Qiuyue City, amidst a peach grove.

Li Qingxuan's family of three, represented by golden snakes, gathered together, with a green lamp in front of them.

The radiance of the sun and moon descends, enveloping the green lamp and awakening the slumbering river candle.

The ethereal figure gradually solidified and grasped the Taiyin Immortal Stone.

"It seems you have become a Qi Refiner." Jiang Zhu looked at Li Qingxuan gently, then at Li Zhu and his wife: "It's been a long time."

"We are well." The two bowed and said, "Thank you for your concern, you are a mere mortal."

"The Way of Peace," Jiang Zhu sighed, his Yin power surging forth and transforming into a sacred, ghostly glow.

A silvery-white ring encircled the Taiyin Immortal Stone, drawing upon the vast moonlight.

Rumble

The moonlight poured forth like a torrent, crashing against the shore, or a tsunami rising into the sky. At this moment, the silvery moonlight eclipsed the sunlight; the light of the moon shone faintly, like a dreamlike, ethereal glow.

The torrent of moonlight traversed the void, reaching all the way to the capital city of Yunmeng.

"Gah."

The sharp cry, somewhat piercing, echoed throughout the entire Yunmeng.

A gigantic three-headed raven blotted out the sky, embracing the torrent of the moon.

His spiritual injuries are healing.

expensive

A high-pitched dragon roar rose from the capital. The white-haired Emperor Yunmeng rode a dragon to the heavens, standing atop the dragon's aura of national destiny, and also above the three-headed raven.

At this moment, everyone in Yunmeng saw this emperor.

They looked up at the sky, and although they were separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, the Cloud Dream Emperor was reflected above their heads.

The nation's destiny and the dragon's aura connect every citizen of Yunmeng.

Despite his young age, he already had gray hair and looked as weathered as an old man.

The nation's fortunes have declined, far worse than Ningguo, and it is only seventy meters long.

"I, having inherited the will of the late Emperor, should have protected the nation and its people, but I am powerless to save the nation from collapse. I have failed the people of Yunmeng, I have failed you all..."

"His Majesty……"

The soldiers, their eyes brimming with tears, longed for the day when they could be ennobled and appointed generals, and receive the emperor's favor.

"My sworn brothers, I have failed to protect your homes. Go back and see your homeland."

They suffer from clan oppression; your land has been seized by the clan, and your wives and children have been bullied by the clan. It is all because of my incompetence…”

"You little emperor, you're as good as your mother..."

Throughout Yunmeng, all the clans felt their scalps tingle at this moment, wishing they could kill the Yunmeng Emperor immediately.

At this point, you will blame the clan?

"Behind the clan are the mountain and sea spirits they worship, the immortal masters and Taoist priests, and the souls of their fallen comrades, bound by them, their wandering spirits unable to find release..."

"Shut up, you fucking shut up!"

"Nonsense, this is slander, a frame-up..."

Clans in various places are roaring, but they do not have the ability to spread their voices throughout the world.

Rumble

At this moment, the sky changed color, the wind rose and the clouds surged, thunder roared and lightning thundered, trying to drown out the voice of Emperor Yunmeng.

"Are you in a hurry? Don't worry, don't worry, I'll be there soon."

The world of Yunmeng belongs to all people, not to one person. After my death, all people may compete for the throne.

Emperors and generals were not born of noble birth; they were originally just people from the mountains and fields…

"Confused lads, are you willing to follow me in one last battle, to slay the spirits of mountains and seas, and the immortal masters and Taoists, so that the souls of future generations may find liberation!"

"I hereby decree that all the souls of Yunmeng shall become the spirits of my Yunmeng, and protect my Yunmeng world."

After my death, I will also become the spirit of Yunmeng, forever protecting this land... I will personally perform the ritual for your souls...

"O ancient, ghostly light, the lost souls pray to you..."

expensive

In an instant, the fate of the nation behind them bowed down, bowing towards the direction of Qiuyue City.

Jiang Zhu was slightly taken aback. He sensed the dragon's aura of national destiny, which was not suppressed in the slightest. Instead, it made him feel extremely humble and devout.

The Taiyin Immortal Stone in his hand trembled, and the vast Taiyin Moonlight sensed the emperor.

"Then... go."

Jiang Zhu agreed and helped them draw out the power of the Taiyin Immortal Stone.

bang
The even more magnificent lunar radiance departed, transforming into a giant silver python that traversed the void.

"I wish to follow Your Majesty, to become a spirit of Yunmeng, to subdue the spirits of mountains and seas, and to become a celestial master and Taoist."

"I am willing to follow Your Majesty..."

The wandering souls from all over Yunmeng seemed to be drawn towards the giant silver python, merging into it.

The thunder in the sky grew louder, and the rain poured down. Beams of light descended from the sky, blocking the giant silver python.

"You can stop it, but can you stop me?!"

The mighty imperial voice resounded through the heavens, white hair fluttered, imperial power was overwhelming, and the Emperor of Yunmeng rode away on a dragon.

Before the dragon's aura of national destiny, no mountain or sea spirits, immortal masters or Taoist practitioners can stop it!
Nine-colored rays of light rose from Yunmengze, arriving to lend their support.

A vast celestial might arose from beyond the heavens, carrying a sword beam that traversed the void and slashed towards the silver giant python.

Deep in the mountains, various lights shone, and the mountain and sea spirits, immortal masters and Taoists had no choice but to take action.

hold head high!
A resounding dragon's roar echoed across the southern mountains, where a colossal dragon, stretching like a mountain range and carrying brilliant golden light, entered the mortal world.

He single-handedly stopped the nine-colored rosy clouds, the celestial sword light, and the dragon's blood from falling on the land of Yunmeng.

"Old dragon, you..."

The spirits of the mountains and seas, as well as the immortal masters and Taoists, were furious, never expecting the old dragon to make a move.

"Old crow, the old dragon has repaid what he owed you!"

The old dragon was covered in blood, but its eyes were very bright.

He retired back then, and for many years he lived in guilt and regret. This time, he will not retire.

The countless wandering souls, stretching as far as the eye can see, merged into the giant silver python, shattering the light of immortality and uniting with the dragon of national destiny.

The golden and silver light rippled, and all the people of Yunmeng saw that emperor, who was like a god, so holy, offering prayers to the souls of all people and turning to the green lamp.

"Why? It's broad daylight! How could he have successfully performed the ritual to appease the spirit?!"

The spirits of the mountains and seas, the immortal masters and Taoist practitioners, were all puzzled.

The Nine-Colored Deer gazed at the sky and did not make another move: "Although it has an ancient aura, it is not the ancient Youying. It is the immortal master or Taoist who has lowered his eyes, or the mountain and sea spirits who have inherited the Youying's methods who are helping them."

It fell silent and decided not to get involved in what followed.

"Gah!"

Three sharp crow cries, three ghost crows shimmering with silver light, carrying Gu Yun Shen, their merits radiating golden light, the culmination of many years of accumulation.

At that moment, the distant void cracked open, revealing a colossal mountain reflected in the sky, exuding immense divine might.

The mountain was shaped like a tomb, flowing with silver celestial light, and had countless moonlight chains, densely packed like ten thousand snakes, disappearing into the void and spreading throughout the entire Yunmeng.

All the people of Yunmeng looked up at this scene, never expecting that such a thing existed in the sky.

Rumble

Boundless light burst forth, and silver radiance converged into a massive ring, as if an ancient ghostly light had descended. Led by the three-headed raven, it crashed headlong into the tomb.

The chains were collapsing, and angry roars came from within. They tore the tomb apart, revealing the souls within. Bound by the moonlight, their souls burned, becoming fuel to nourish the great tomb.

Emperor Yunmeng harnessed the dragon energy of the nation's destiny and gathered the power of Taiyin, charging into it and crashing into the elves, immortals, and Taoist masters who were extremely shocked and furious but had no time to escape...

(End of this chapter)