Chapter 1942

"It has merged with the entire Panlong Desert; no one can take it out. But you weren't wrong—I do maintain countless threads of connection with the Great Square Vessel—" He looked toward Fang Canran and spoke softly, "My relationship with it is just like its relationship with the Abyssal King over a hundred years ago, and its relationship with Zhong Shengguang."

Fang Canran was greatly startled: "You, you mean...?"

No way, no way is that what he meant?

"Over a hundred and seventy years ago, before the fall of the Abyssal Kingdom, the Abyssal King had your ancestor Shao Jian take the Great Square Vessel away and hand it over to Zhong Shengguang." He Lingchuan said slowly, "One hundred and seventy years later, although the Great Square Vessel was not handed to me, it has taught and accompanied me through Panlongcheng in another, more concealed way."

"Brother Fang, please follow me."

Under the clear blue sky and white sun, he stepped into the Haoyuan Golden Mirror.

Fang Canran's eyelid twitched, unexpectedly.

Can this mirror still be entered and exited freely?

He steadied himself and took a step forward to follow inside.

Then, the scene before his eyes changed:

Is this still the Ziwu Meeting? Clearly, I have arrived at a vast, bustling square, with crowds flowing like a tide, buildings layered and interlocking, full of the vitality of human life.

"Where is this?"

Suddenly, a sharp female voice came from behind: "Hey, move aside!"

Fang Canran instinctively looked back, realizing he was blocking the front door of a household.

A fierce woman with broom-like eyebrows stepped out, glaring coldly: "What are you doing blocking my door? Trying to steal something?"

Fang Canran originally thought this was an illusion, but the woman's gaze locked onto him, her chubby hand almost touching his nose.

At this moment, He Lingchuan turned around; seeing him, the chubby woman's face instantly changed, and she broke into a smile like a flower: "Tiger Wing General!"

He Lingchuan glanced downward: "Aunt Wu, your chicks have run away again."

Taking the chance as she opened the door, two little yellow dots squeezed out from the crack and rushed toward the distant freedom.

Aunt Wu cried out, lifted her leg, and went to chase the chicks.

He Lingchuan led Fang Canran forward.

Fang Canran also stopped asking where this was, because he saw ahead a towering, majestic city wall, as massive as a mountain!

On the wall were two grand, imposing characters:

Panlong!

That's right—earlier, in the Haoyuan Golden Mirror, I saw Miao Zhantian and Qianhuan's decisive battle; that scene was the solitary city of Panlong!

It is this very square, this very city wall, this very mountain-like gate!

The only difference is that here, people come and go, order is well maintained; whereas in the solitary city, only broken tiles and scorched ruins remain, ravaged by war.

"Panlongcheng?" Fang Canran spoke, his voice as if blocked by something: "This place, this place isn't reality, is it?"

The real Panlongcheng should already have been buried in the yellow sands of history.

"This is Panlongcheng, existing only within the Great Square Vessel." He Lingchuan's voice passed through the bustling market and reached Fang Canran's ears, "It is not in reality, nor is it illusion."

Fang Canran didn't understand: "Then where is it?"

"It lies between these two." He Lingchuan knew a few words couldn't explain it clearly, so he changed the subject, "It was Mr. Shao Jian who brought the Great Square Vessel to Zhong Shengguang, thus initiating this chapter of Panlongcheng's history. He himself has visited this place many times."

Fang Canran was moved: "You mean you... met my ancestor here?"

"Exactly." He Lingchuan accompanied him toward the city gate, pushing through the crowded throng, "When Mr. Shao received the Punishing Dragon Pillar from Mitian's hands, I happened to be standing nearby."

Before, in Lingxu City, He Lingchuan had spoken of Shao Jian's past, but at the time he had fabricated a half-hearted lie, which Fang Canran could see through even with his knee.

Now Fang Canran understood what was going on, and instinctively said: "Can I... also see him?"

"Sorry, the history here cannot be retraced." He Lingchuan shook his head, "In the Panlong Chronicle within the Great Square Vessel, Mr. Shao Jian took the Punishing Dragon Pillar two years ago and left Panlongcheng, and has not returned since."

He said it tactfully, but what does "since then" even mean? After Shao Jian took the Punishing Dragon Pillar, he never came back.

Fang Canran pressed his lips tightly together.

He Lingchuan approached the Nancheng Gate, and the guards also bowed to him, addressing him as "Tiger Wing General."

Their reverence overflowed in words and expression.

Fang Canran couldn't help but ask: "Are you a living person, or did the heroic spirits of this place seize an external body?"

"I am certainly a living person, but to the citizens of this city, I am still a comrade, still the Tiger Wing General who guards their homes and defends the city."

The two passed through the heavy Nancheng Gate, and Fang Canran unconsciously stroked the large stone bricks on the wall.

Weathered and ancient, not only bearing the marks of wind-blades and frost-swords, but everywhere are indelible black stains—Fang Canran knows these are blood that solidified long ago.

He was still lost in thought here when the wall surface bulged outward, and suddenly a huge dragon head protruded!

Not a single word, not a single line, not a single stroke, not a single inner part, not a single existence, not a single one is overlooked!

Fang Canran was startled, leaping backward.

The black dragon's sharp teeth nearly touched his forehead; he could see red light flashing inside the dragon's mouth, as if holding a pearl.

Then, the dragon head slowly lowered, a pair of giant eyes locking onto his.

He could even see his own shocked expression reflected in the other's pale golden pupils.

"Dragon... God?"

With such a distinctive appearance, it would be strange if he didn't recognize it.

The black dragon stared at him for two eyes, seemingly confirming he posed no threat, then turned and swam into the wall, vanishing like sinking into water.

Fang Canran knew this was not a true divine dragon, but a manifestation of divine power and technique.

"In the solitary Panlongcheng, was it this dragon that drove the two great powers into chaos like flying chickens and jumping dogs?" Fang Canran shook his head again, "No, that dragon was gray."

"This is the guardian beast of Panlongcheng, driven by the Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl, namely the pearl in its mouth." He Lingchuan explained, "The gray dragon in the solitary city is the residual shadow-dragon fury left by the Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl."

"Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl?"

"It is the item that Qianhuan True Person took from here before the fall of Panlongcheng."

Fang Canran's face changed slightly: "Did Miao Zhantian say he betrayed Panlongcheng just for this pearl?"

"At least this is one of the reasons." He Lingchuan didn't add fuel to the fire either, "All that is past, the True Person of Thousand Illusions took his answer with him into the netherworld."

Fang Canran turned around again, seeing the vast sky and boundless earth, the great river surging, golden wheat waves rising and falling with the wind, human caravans coming leisurely.

It turned out that outside Panlongcheng, the scenery had once been like this.

He Lingchuan laughed and said: "Mr. Shao Jian also liked to stand below the city gate and look out over the wilderness, yes, just stand where you are now."

Outside the southern city gate is the best viewing spot, many people come here to see the scenery.

Fang Canran subconsciously touched the city wall again. This is living history, his ancestors also once entered and left this mighty city, and also witnessed the bustling market life here.

What he sees today is what his ancestors saw over a hundred and sixty years ago, a beauty of the human world worth protecting with one's life.

At this moment, he understood the persistence of Shao Jian and He Lingchuan.

"Go back." He Lingchuan patted his shoulder.