Longevity Candle

Chapter 97 He once created the Netherworld, attempting to grasp eternity.
The former capital of Yunmeng has changed hands several times and has now welcomed a new owner.

The dragon energy of the world gathered, but it only reached a height of 65 meters, far less than during the reign of Emperor Yunmeng.

Years of war have resulted in too many civilian deaths and injuries.

After a period of recuperation, the nation's fortune and auspicious energy will return to their peak. As for whether it can break through and grow as powerful as Ningguo, that will depend on the emperors who come after.

Xu Wenhe, clad in a dragon robe, pushed open the palace gates, and the sunlight shone down upon him.

"The dragon lost, the serpent won."

He strode toward the dragon throne, filled with emotion: "They all say I am a despicable villain, a cowardly wretch, but now, the one they look down upon is sitting here."

The officials kowtowed and shouted "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

"Long live?" Xu Wenhe smiled, enjoying the moment.

Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!

He was captivated by this feeling and wished time could stand still at this moment forever, but time will never stop for anyone.
"Thanks to the protection of the late emperor, I, Xu Wenhe, have been able to find a way to survive for the people of the world. I also hope that you all will take this chaotic world as a warning and help Yunmeng recover as soon as possible."

"We will do our utmost to assist Your Majesty in building a peaceful and prosperous world," the officials said respectfully.

One of the elderly officials stepped forward and bowed, asking, "May I ask Your Majesty, will the new nation's name be the same as Yunmeng?"

Xu Wenhe gazed at him, his eyes hesitant, then turning firm: "No need. Starting with me, the nightmare of all dynasties should be broken."

"To establish a prosperous nation, I will build a peaceful and prosperous era that far surpasses that of Ningguo. My ambition for peace will illuminate the entire country. The era of divine right of kings is over. I am the son of a true dragon, born of the dragon's blood!"

In a daze, the officials seemed to see a real dragon and hear a high-pitched dragon roar.

Son of the Dragon!

Xu Wenhe sensed the vibration of the dragon aura of the nation's destiny. He resisted the name of the Yunmeng Kingdom, wanting to break the divine right of kings. The power of heaven, which was already entangled with the nation's destiny, wanted to leave.

However, the Dragon Blood Serpent had already made its move; it had established a connection with the nation's destiny and stabilized that flower.

Xu Wenhe breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you all for your help with the founding ceremony. The late emperor and I still have matters to discuss."

"I'm waiting to retire."

The officials were already aware of the late emperor's existence; without Gu Pingsheng, Xu Wenhe's path would not have been so smooth.

After the officials had left, the dragon's voice rang out: "You hesitated just now."

"How could I not hesitate? I have longed for this position day and night, and now I have finally taken it."

Xu Wenhe gripped the armrests of the dragon throne tightly: "I am truly afraid that all of this will become a dream, but I must continue on this path."

Gu Pingsheng revealed: "If you don't do it, there's nothing we can do to you."

"I also have blood in my veins!" Xu Wenhe glared at him: "Yue Wu looks down on me, and you look down on me too. I am terrified and walk on thin ice, afraid that he will not lower his eyes and take away my throne. As an emperor, you should know better than me how painful it is for an emperor to be controlled by others."

"This is the choice of the nation's destiny and the dragon's aura, and also the choice of Yunmeng," Gu Pingsheng said calmly. "What use is your fear?"

"I am afraid, which is why I am even more determined to cooperate with you and make use of his opportunity to command the dragon's energy, so that future generations will not live in fear."

Xu Wenhe said in a deep voice, "I am not as great as you. I am just an ordinary person. Whether you respect me or not, I can find a way to survive for all people. You have no choice!"

"You can rest assured and rule your throne. Leave the rest to us." Gu Pingsheng held out his hand: "Give it to me."

A golden light, enveloping the scarlet flower, fell into Gu Pingsheng's hand.

“You…” Xu Wenhe was shocked.

"I am also an emperor, so let me do my part for Yunmeng once again."

Gu Pingsheng grasped the golden light, his expression filled with guilt: "I have failed Li Qingxuan. I promised not to enter the mortal world."

Xu Wenhe said, "Take him with you after I die."

“She left for a year,” Gu Pingsheng said. “The so-called ‘returning to one’s roots’ was nothing but disappointment in us. She had aspirations for peace in her heart, while Xinsheng and I had aspirations for peace in Yunmeng. In fact, we are not as good as the emperors of Ningguo throughout history.”

Xu Wenhe opened his mouth, filled with admiration for the late emperor, but also with shame.

“I know you are afraid, but the Green Lamp is not something you can hold onto, nor can the serpent. After it commands the dragon energy, you should not pursue it.”

Gu Pingsheng held a peach wood lamp and said, "Don't seek immortality or search for an afterlife. Just take good care of Yunmeng."

An endless entrance to darkness appeared. Gu Pingsheng grasped the ball of light, held a peach wood lamp, and stepped into the darkness.

The scarlet flower, out of control, fell into the darkness, and in an instant, a scarlet light illuminated the darkness.

Gu Pingsheng sighed softly, "The ancient Netherworld beings, the Netherworld power they stole has now returned..."

A spatial rift reappeared in the sky above Yunmeng, and brilliant celestial light illuminated the sky above the capital.

With the return of the power of the underworld, the enormous tomb was now covered in cracks, and roars came from within.

expensive

A resounding dragon roar echoed, and the dragon-blooded serpent, harnessing the nation's destiny, charged towards the spatial rift.

In the void, celestial light shone brilliantly, like dazzling fireworks.

The spirits of the Qingjiang River, a pair of white cranes, an old dragon, a green ox, a blue peacock, and a mermaid-like spirit came from the south.

They once again waged war against Shuntiandao, aiming to completely shatter this heaven that should not exist and sever the growth of Xunmu.

The drooping silver chains, the roots of the Xunmu tree, snapped swiftly at that moment.

Rumble

The distant void trembled, black energy surged, and a gigantic centipede crossed the void, accompanied by golden apes, white deer, black tigers, and strange ancient trees...

The Path of Immortality has entered!
Last time, when the Longevity Path was chasing the Dragon Blood Serpent, the Heavenly Path also had the power to retaliate.

But things are different now. The Dragon Blood Serpent made the first move, and Shuntiandao was too busy to take care of itself. When the time was right, they naturally had to step in.

Nine fox tails transformed into a pillar reaching the sky. The nine tails made their move, intercepting the alligator dragon: "The scores between Taoyuan and Huling will be settled together!"

She pushed her magic to its limit, and her nine fox tails, like nine giant pythons, enveloped the alligator dragon.

The alligator dragon was no weakling either, its body transforming into a vast blue sea: "It's just a mere mortal village, I'll just give you another one. Are you really going to keep bothering me?"

The nine-tailed dragon remained silent, its pink celestial light, like a sharp blade, pierced through the azure sea and struck the alligator dragon.

In the distance, celestial light erupted, unleashing a world-shaking shockwave that caused the nation's destiny to crash into the great tomb.

"Gah!"

A clear, crisp cry rang out, and three raven-like creatures, carrying a soul-guiding lamp and the wandering soul of an old man, broke through the celestial light.

"Old crow, where is the true dragon?"

The dragon-blooded serpent shouted a question.

The old crow looked at them with icy eyes, and even its gaze toward the old dragon became unfamiliar.

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

Ancient chants resounded, echoing across the celestial battlefield.

The Taiyin Immortal Stone, far away in the peach grove, trembled, and Jiang Zhu released his restraints.

The ancient Taiyin Immortal Stone transformed into a rainbow, flew into the battlefield, and then transformed into a huge hollow ring, sacred and ancient.

The ancient, ghostly light lowered its eyes!

"Old crow, you..."

"Run away..."

At this moment, regardless of whether it was the Dao of Following Heaven or the Dao of Longevity, the old dragon and the others all felt the crisis of death.

They didn't understand why the old crow was doing this, but there was no time for them to think about it further.

The ancient chanting has finally come to an end.

That ancient, ethereal light radiated boundless moonlight, illuminating heaven and earth and enveloping the entire sky.

One by one, figures vanished in an instant; immortal masters, Taoists, and spirits of mountains and seas—those who were slow to escape—all turned to ashes under the moonlight.

Rumble

Thunder roared again, and the old crow, with its wandering spirit, exuded a trace of ancient, illuminating power. The lightning struck the great tomb, and the ancient wood that had existed for countless years collapsed rapidly at that moment.

Jiang Zhu and Li Qingxuan gazed at this scene from afar: "The sky that shrouded Yunmeng has come to an end."

"The old dragon has become a member of the path to immortality after all," Jiang Zhu sighed softly.

“Old Crow seems to have lost all sense of kinship,” Li Qingxuan said. “Zhang Ning’s ancient candlelight has also been activated.”

“Perhaps he remembered something,” Jiang Zhu said. “Commanding the dragon energy.”

Li Qingxuan grasped the green lamp and activated her magic: "May the green lamp protect you and bring peace and tranquility. I, Li Qingxuan of the Way of Peace, beg the green lamp to lower its gaze, gather the dragon energy of the world, and bestow it upon Xu Wenhe!"

Amidst the horrified gazes of all the elves, thin dragon energy rose from all corners of Yunmeng, rapidly converging and heading towards the capital of Yunmeng.

Xu Wenhe, seated on the dragon throne, beamed with joy; the dragon's aura had returned! Qingdeng lowered his eyes.

"I can finally rest easy." Xu Wenhe slumped onto the dragon throne and let out a long sigh.

As he breathed a sigh of relief, the reunited dragon energy bowed slightly towards the distant peach grove, like the spirit of the past, expressing gratitude once again.

Jiang Zhu saw that his ability to command dragon energy had not disappeared, because he had helped Yunmeng again, not for his own benefit, but to forcibly change the choice of the throne.

Unfortunately, neither the Dragon Blood Serpent nor Xu Wenhe knew this.

The light in the sky gradually dimmed, but the ancient chants still echoed.

The light of the moon radiated in all directions, and it never stopped.

The old crow was far superior to Li Qingping; it carried the soul-guiding lamp, rode the ancient moonlight, and slew elves and immortal masters.

Three heads, filled with hatred, lowered their eyes with the help of the ancient, ghostly light, venting the overwhelming hatred that had been suppressed for many years.

"Old crow!"

The old dragon roared.

The old crow's body was cracking as it forcibly unleashed the ancient power of the ghostly light, which even someone as strong as him could not withstand.

"You want the afterlife, you want immortality, come on, why are you running away?!"

The old crow cawed madly: "You imprisoned us, searching for the afterlife time and time again, seeking Nirvana time and time again, and now you have it all..."

He's gone mad; he's completely lost his mind.

When the power of Taiyin faded, the hollow ring transformed back into the Taiyin Immortal Stone, and everything came to a close.

The old crow grabbed the Taiyin Immortal Stone, transformed it into a beam of moonlight, and vanished into the void.

In the peach grove.

Jiang Zhu sensed the fluctuations in the void, stretched out his right hand, and an old crow fell out of the void.

“Jiang Zhu.” The old crow, its body covered in cracks, looked at Jiang Zhu with a complex expression in its three eyes.

"Isn't the old dragon your friend?" Jiang Zhu asked.

"He is just a member of the Longevity Path, but because of me, and because of his own pride, he is unwilling to join the Longevity Path and the Path of Following Heaven."

The middle head said coldly, "I'm leaving. I'm returning to the Netherworld."

"What is the Netherworld like?" Jiang Zhu asked.

"Why do you make me ask you? Didn't he leave you a message?" the left head said. "After his rebirth, he should have tried to leave behind his memories."

"You've regained your memories?" Jiang Zhu frowned. "He didn't leave me any memories. I am just me."

"The memories that have been recovered are incomplete. Time will erase everything, even the memories that you try your best to preserve."

The right head sighed heavily, "I was originally a spirit born from the Netherworld. Without a body, I could not survive in the human world. It was he who brought me out of the Netherworld."

"Him?" Jiang Zhu asked.

"Yes, you could say it's you, or you could say it's the previous generation of the Green Lamp Spirit."

The person in the middle spoke in a deep voice: "He created a body for me, allowing me to replicate the Netherworld and create the Lesser Netherworld. He wanted to use the Lesser Netherworld as a foundation to create reincarnation and the next life, thereby gaining immortality, grasping eternity, and replacing the original Netherworld."

“It seems he has failed,” Jiang Zhu said.

“He succeeded,” the old crow said. “He created the Lesser Netherworld, brought the Seeking Wood back to the human world, and used it to connect the Yin and Yang realms, allowing mortals to be reincarnated.”

“They also captured Feng. They were not satisfied with the rebirth of Nirvana Fire and wanted to completely grasp immortality. Under his guidance, they successfully created Taiyin Rebirth, but it was no different from Nirvana Fire, and even inferior to Nirvana Fire.”

The old crow's voice was full of sarcasm: "They succeeded, but it was yet another failure."

"Again?" Jiang Zhu frowned.

"Don't ask me, these are memories from my past," the old crow said.

Jiang Zhu sighed softly, "You wanted to stop them from continuing their exploration, so you destroyed the Seeking Wood?"

"The rebirth of Taiyin is extremely complex. It requires breaking through the Yin and Yang by searching for countless roots of trees to obtain new life."

The stronger the wandering spirit, the greater the energy required; for an elf to reincarnate, a massive amount of wandering spirits are needed.

The three-headed raven said, "As for why Little Netherworld was destroyed and why it was found by Shuntiandao, it failed to leave any relevant memories."

Before Jiang Zhu could respond, the three-headed raven twisted its body and said, "I am returning to the Netherworld."

"Will you come back?" Jiang Zhu asked.

“Unless you make another trip to the Netherworld, I won’t be able to return,” said the three-headed raven.

Jiang Zhu fell silent.

The three-headed raven laughed and said, "You can't see the Netherworld. It doesn't want you to go there unless you can find a new Seeking Wood. The previous generation of elves also went to the Netherworld through Seeking Wood."

He left Zhang Ning behind, shed his human body, returned to his soul, and headed towards the underworld. He glanced back at him and said, "Jiang Zhu, I don't want to see you again, because seeing you again might mean another cycle of reincarnation. By the way, he also knows the Seven Star Sword Technique."

Jiang Zhu was shocked. The previous generation of the Green Lantern Spirit actually knew the Seven Star Sword Technique?

No wonder the Seven Star Sword Technique could gather moonlight when it reached Yunmeng.

After a long silence, Jiang Zhu said, "Tell me, what's the point of chasing after such a past?"

"I've never seen the sea before, how about we go see the sea?" Li Qingxuan said with a smile.

"Okay." Jiang Zhu nodded.

Moonlight rippled through the void once more, and a silvery ray of moonlight entered Jiang Zhu's brow.

Taiyin Xiaoyouming!
The true Netherworld has been destroyed, and the cycle of reincarnation has dissipated, but the outer shell remains, forming an independent Netherworld realm. Therefore, he no longer needs to exert himself to create a Netherworld realm.

Occasionally, wisps of silver lightning would bloom within the small underworld; this was the Yin Lightning, a type of Yin Lightning, which is mutually reinforcing and restraining with the Yang Lightning, and is extremely lethal to wandering souls.

Jiang Zhu turned and glanced at Zhang Ning: "Hu Ling will come looking for you. We'll meet again if fate allows."

"May peace and tranquility forever surround you." Zhang Ning bowed.

Jiang Zhu smiled faintly and rode away on a cloud with Li Qingxuan.

In the distant mountains and forests, the battle continues, with pink fairy light and azure sea colliding constantly.

The mountains were leveled, the vegetation turned to dust, and the Nine-Tailed Fox's pent-up anger, suppressed for many years, erupted at this moment.

The alligator dragon stirred up endless waves, like the Milky Way pouring down from above, a flood unleashed, accompanied by divine might, which suppressed the nine-tailed fairy fox.

"A mere immortal master and a mortal village, is it worth risking your life like this?" the alligator dragon roared in anger.

Even if he had the upper hand, he wouldn't dare to actually kill the Nine-Tails, because he wouldn't be able to withstand the karmic retribution.

Nine-Tails is ultimately not good at fighting. Even though it gained the upper hand for a while due to anger, it gradually fell into a disadvantage as time went by.

"If once isn't enough, then twice, three times!" the Nine-Tails said coldly. "One day, I will kill you!"

"You don't have that opportunity. The fate of the nation and the might of the emperor are not things you can control," the alligator sneered.

bang
Suddenly, a loud bang resounded from the sky, and a bolt of silver lightning descended from the heavens, striking the alligator dragon.

A agonizing scream echoed through the heavens and earth as the massive body crashed to the ground.

The earth cracked open, smoke and dust filled the air, and the billowing dust engulfed the alligator dragon.

Nine-Tailed Fox paused, then instinctively turned to look back. Two figures in the distant sky disappeared into the distance.

Not long after Jiang Zhu left, Zhang Ning also left, flying away with the little fox into the distance.

A group of armored soldiers rushed into the peach grove, but found no trace of them; even the houses they had seen earlier had vanished.

High in the distance, Jiang Zhu sighed softly, "You gave up your only way out."

“I’m scared,” Li Qingxuan said. “I knew I was going to die, and I was terrified. But if I really ate the spirit’s life-extending food, what would I be? A new path to immortality?”

"Have you ever considered that the previous generation of Green Lantern Spirits might have initially chosen to explore immortality because of someone, or some other spirit, just like you?"

Jiang Zhu said calmly, "It's not for you, but just to give an account of Peach Blossom Spring's more than 100 years of protection."

"Uncle Jiang Zhu, I hope you will always be peaceful and carefree, without any attachments," Li Qingxuan said sincerely.

“I will help you pass on the legacy of Peace and Tranquility, and I will not be fixated on the previous generation of the Green Lamp Spirit,” Jiang Zhu said.

Li Qingxuan rode the clouds and arrived at the South China Sea. She saw the vast ocean and a distant island with blooming peach blossoms. There, a group of people were playing carefree in the peach grove.

"I think I've seen a paradise..."

She gazed at the distant islands, as if she were seeing a paradise from her dreams, unsure whether it was real or an illusion, and dared not be sure.

"Then go and take a look. Perhaps this is where you should stay."

(End of this chapter)