"Report!"
Suddenly, within the Human Immortal Cave, a red figure dashed in and knelt on one knee.
"Sensing Sect experts ambushed the Spirit People noble convoy at East Xin Cliff in Fu Province. Not a single survivor in the convoy."
"How many times has this happened?" A deep, hazy voice slowly emerged from the Blood Pool.
"According to records, it’s the fifth time." The Bloodline expert replied with his head lowered. "As per the master’s orders, we’ve verified that this Spirit People noble convoy, on the surface just ordinary nobles, was in fact a member of Great Capital’s major Spirit People nobles from back in the days."
"You may leave." Zhang Rongfang instructed.
"Yes."
The visitor’s red shadow flickered and vanished.
Within the Blood Pool, Zhang Rongfang closed his eyes, contemplating.
’Seems once I stop paying attention, his progress accelerates quite a bit.’
’What is the Moon God exactly doing?’ Bai Lin asked curiously, evidently unclear about the situation.
’Collecting Spirit Seals. Plundering the vast power Spirit Flying Heaven has accumulated over the years.’ Zhang Rongfang briefly explained to her.
’Since he mentioned not interfering with each other, why bother with him? Isn’t it best if there’s no fighting?’ Bai Lin suggested.
’Just afraid humans have no intent to hurt a tiger, yet the tiger harbors harmful intentions.’ Zhang Rongfang recalled the sights and experiences of Taoyuan’s fourth layer.
’By the way, have you inquired about whether the celestial canopy is indeed shrinking?’ he asked again.
’The gods and buddhas I know say they haven’t noticed, but they suggested a method to verify it.’ Bai Lin replied.
’What method?’ Zhang Rongfang asked.
’Measure the width of various gorges, faults, and mountains; they should shrink along with the celestial canopy. Measure for a few years and you should reach a conclusion.’
’Good method!’ Zhang Rongfang shook his head upon hearing it, ’But too slow.’
Being modern, how had he not thought of this method before, but the Moon God is about to collect all the Spirit Seals, he needed a way to confirm things within a short period.
’There’s no helping it then.’ Bai Lin sighed. ’Actually, even if you confirm it, what then? The Moon God has waited too long and is impatient, but you’re still young. If disaster does strike in fifty years, as he mentioned, you’d have plenty of time to attempt to resolve it.’
’That’s true...’ Zhang Rongfang naturally understood this logic, but...
’Don’t overthink. Living well every day is the true principle. Aren’t you still searching for the Celestial Maiden to marry?’ Bai Lin said earnestly.
’Yes, I’m still looking... huh?’ Zhang Rongfang snapped out, ’When did I ever say I was looking to marry the Celestial Maiden?’
’You mentioned that five days ago when you fell asleep.’ Bai Lin chuckled.
’I haven’t slept in ten days.’ Zhang Rongfang replied deadpan.
’Ah, whatever. The point is, if the Moon God intends to rush out, that’s his decision, why worry yourself sick?’ Bai Lin said.
’I’m afraid he’ll die out there, and by then Old Yue would die along with him.’
This was Zhang Rongfang’s true concern.
’That’s what I like about you. Loyal and faithful!’ Bai Lin said thoughtfully. ’But worrying doesn’t help, his Spirit Seal collection is too swift. There’s hardly any time.’
’Moreover, from your intel, he’s collected from six families, but it’s impossible for your intel network to capture every detail. So now, the Moon God might have greatly surpassed the progress you gathered.’
As the words fell.
Suddenly, an indescribable restlessness simultaneously rose within Zhang Rongfang and Bai Lin.
’May the spirits protect... Flying Heaven, Flying Heaven, Flying Heaven...’ A deep murmur akin to thousands of voices echoed in their minds.
’Could it be!!?’ Both hearts skipped a beat.
’Enter Taoyuan!’ Zhang Rongfang leapt up, darting out of the Blood Pool, a circle of grey-white round aperture automatically formed above his head.
He tossed away an arm and surged into the aperture.
In the Void, before him appeared the Gate of the Void.
Charging through the Gate of the Void, he suddenly found himself amidst Taoyuan’s dark scene.
With a swift step out of the passage, he looked up.
Above, a faint glow loomed intermittently.
Without delay, Zhang Rongfang vibrated his wings, flying towards the light.
At his speed, he swiftly traversed the sixth layer, entering the fifth.
In the fifth layer, the light markedly grew more dazzling.
Even from afar, one could see the temple representing Spirit Flying Heaven—the blue crystal Celestial God Hall—radiating brilliant blue light.
Zhang Rongfang swiftly winged closer, stopping before a rocky wall outside Spirit Flying Heaven’s entrance.
"You’ve arrived?" The Moon God’s voice, indistinguishable as male or female, directly entered his ears.
"You’ve succeeded?" Zhang Rongfang hadn’t anticipated his counterpart to be so fast.
"Indeed, all Spirit Seals have been collected. I’ve acquired all Spirit Flying Heaven’s accumulated power.
Next... I shall leave this land, heading towards that boundless freedom of my homeland!"
The Moon God’s tone brimmed with eagerness and hope.
"Have you ever considered would the outside truly be as you imagine?" Zhang Rongfang, without entering Spirit Flying Heaven, could sense the vast gentle power radiating within.
It was a special field akin to a gentle breeze; he tried moving forward yet couldn’t.
As soon as he moved slightly ahead, that gentle power instantly hardened, blocking his path.
"I’ve certainly considered that. Hence, taking Spirit Flying Heaven’s power is preparation for what’s to come." The Moon God replied.
"Actually, I originally thought you’d obstruct me variously during my Spirit Seals collection. Unexpectedly, you stood by your word, completely uninvolved." The Moon God continued, "So, I invite you to witness this historical moment together!"
"Before you leave, can you return Yue Shi to me?" Zhang Rongfang was silent for a moment, then spoke.
The Moon God burst into deafening laughter.
"He is me, and I am him. Everything about him is a fabrication I wove. Even if he came out, what then? Would he continue to live in an illusion? His existence fundamentally has no meaning."
"Then when you get out, take care of yourself, don’t die." Zhang Rongfang continued.
He knew he couldn’t stop the other party; the Moon God was collecting Spirit Seals at a frightening speed. Now, with the power of Spirit Flying Heaven accumulating, it probably wouldn’t take much effort for him to kill his current body.
The grand scheme is now set, and he was still too slow.
"I won’t die." There was boundless confidence in the Moon God’s voice. "My power has now reached an unprecedented peak level. If even I were to die like this,
then perhaps everything outside isn’t a homeland, but a hell."
"Perhaps it truly is hell." Zhang Rongfang recalled the information he had previously explored.
"Alright, let’s not talk about such discouraging things. After many years of exploration, I’ve calculated the weakest spot in the sky curtain. Let’s go."
The Moon God stood at the center of the Spirit Flying Heaven Hall, and with a gentle wave of his hand,
he and Zhang Rongfang vanished from Taoyuan.
When they reappeared, they were in a desolate golden desert.
The sunlight was scorching, and the dust was whipped up by the gale, vaguely obscuring the distant landscape.
The Moon God was standing in front of Zhang Rongfang at this time.
He still appeared in the form of Yue Dewen, but his posture was much more upright, and he now unknowingly had a pair of jade white antlers atop his head, something that had never been seen before.
From those antlers, Zhang Rongfang felt an intense, glaring sensation.
It was as if an ordinary person was staring at the sun; clearly the antlers were not a glaring object, yet they gave him a discomfort so intense he could hardly keep his eyes open.
"What a pity... such a historic moment, yet there’s only you to witness it." The Moon God sighed slightly.
"If you struggle outside, remember to come back." Zhang Rongfang replied.
"You are quite interesting." The Moon God turned to look at him. "You already have a faint touch of our qualities on you. If you wish, you can go to the sky curtain, gather black Spiritual Lines, merge them into yourself, and become one of the gods."
"Spiritual Lines originally all come from the sky curtain?" Zhang Rongfang finally understood.
"Yes, just remember, human life is ultimately limited, but the gods are vast. Even if the sky curtain contracts and everyone dies, the gods can leave it and head to the outside.
And ordinary people, never mind if they can even fly that high into the sky, even if they do, the counter-reaction mechanisms of the black Spiritual Lines will attack and devour all who are not of the same kind." The mood seemed good for the Moon God, perhaps because his dream was close to realization.
"Thank you for the lesson." Zhang Rongfang nodded.
"You hardly ever show such humility...." The Moon God’s smile suddenly froze, realizing that the tone just now was something he habitually spoke.
But once spoken, he realized it was in Yue Dewen’s tone, not his Moon God’s.
He calmed his expression, retracted his smile, and looked up at the sky.
"Let’s go."
He raised one hand.
The gentle power belonging to Spirit Flying Heaven instantly surrounded them, lifting them towards the sky.
Zhang Rongfang looked up at the sky.
Quickly, they passed through the clouds, through the atmosphere, through that pale blue halo.
They came to the middle layer.
Above the middle layer was the ever-moving black sky curtain.
The Moon God didn’t stop but continued flying upwards.
Zhang Rongfang followed by his side, watching the anticipation in his eyes and face almost overflow.
Soon, the two were only twenty or thirty meters from the sky curtain.
"You stay here." The Moon God glanced at Zhang Rongfang. "Remember this distance, any further and the sky curtain will attack you."
He instinctively gave a piece of advice.
"Understood, Master," Zhang Rongfang suddenly replied.
The Moon God was about to respond but suddenly froze, staring at him as his expression constantly changed.
As Zhang Rongfang said, Yue Dewen’s hundred years of memories and experiences, though the identity was false, everything experienced was real.
The integration of memory was not so easily dismissed.
Indeed, he the Moon God was Yue Dewen, but Yue Dewen was inherently a part of him too.
It was impossible not to have reciprocal effects.
"I am not your Master," the Moon God responded.
Zhang Rongfang did not reply, he just quietly watched him.
For a moment, both were silent in front of the sky curtain.
A dozen breaths later, the Moon God smiled wistfully.
"Alright, I won’t argue with you. Watch closely." He turned to the sky curtain and darted upwards toward the writhing black sky curtain.
Oddly, the sky curtain seemed to sense his approach, automatically ceased its movement, then recessed inward, tearing open with a rip, revealing a black fissure.
The fissure was infinitely deep, extending to an unseen depth with no end.
The Moon God paused in front of the fissure for a moment, then without hesitation, plunged headlong into it.
As he flew inside, the sky curtain behind him automatically healed, sealing, leaving nothing to be seen again.
Zhang Rongfang floated in mid-air, looking at the spot where the other had left, silent for a long time.