Chapter 2375: Discarding the Old, Establishing the New

When Zhu Xiuer arrived by He Lingchuan's side, she suddenly realized:

"Oh, flowers!"

Now He Lingchuan was crouched beside the massive stone dragon's head, two flowers protruding from the dragon's mouth, vivid and bright red, swaying in the wind.

That's right, when they first entered the Secret Realm they had seen these two flowers, but even He Lingchuan had merely glanced at them, paying no further attention.

In this world composed only of ruins and yellow sand, these two little flowers blended too well with the background, using their bleak beauty to contrast the desolation, yet causing people to overlook that they were the sole spark of life in this desolate wasteland!

Dong Rui also arrived, lowering his head to identify:

"This looks like a dragon blood flower, which only existed in ancient texts before; I'm seeing it with my own eyes for the first time."

"He Lingchuan is dull-witted; the deep meaning of Lord Zhong entrusting me with his sword, I only now comprehend." He Lingchuan knelt on one knee, solemnly planting the Floating Life Sword into the ground before the dragon's head, hand on the hilt:

"Please let go. From now on, I am here."

These twelve words weighed more than a thousand jin, yet they swirled and expanded with the whirlwind in Nancheng's gate square, like an echo in an empty valley.

In every corner of the city, they could be heard.

As the words faded, a sigh seemingly there and not there sounded in the air, both relieved and lonely.

Dong Rui tried to listen more closely, but only wind reached his ears.

Yet he watched helplessly as the two little flowers turned into two threads of fine, gossamer-like red light, drilling into the Floating Life Sword's blade within arm's reach.

Zhu Xiuer realized: "So the last trace of Zhong Shengguang's consciousness left behind still lingers in the dragon's head. No wonder you couldn't inherit his position when you went to his grave."

"No, what Lord Zhong left behind was not consciousness, but will." He Lingchuan gazed at the hilt. The characters "Floating Life" carved on the blade were also stained a blood-red brilliance.

"When he first gave me the sword, he already had investigative intent, but back then I was unworthy of this responsibility." At that time He Lingchuan had just crossed over, himself clueless and unaware, so how could he deserve Zhong Shengguang entrusting him with a top-secret matter of the highest order? "Until now."

This is the resonance of He Lingchuan's will and Zhong Shengguang's will, and also the resonance of the later generation's will with the predecessor's will.

Shared ideals, shared efforts, equally steadfast.

Now Zhong Shengguang can finally let go, truly passing this heavy responsibility into the successor's hands.

He Lingchuan sighed: "Actually I should have come to take over earlier; he also waited too long, which gave the demon an opportunity."

Although he had enjoyed the help of the Great Fang Vessel and reaped many benefits from the Panlong World, his relationship with the Great Fang Vessel was actually never as close as Zhong Shengguang's had been with it back then.

As for the Great Fang Vessel, as for the Panlong Secret Realm, in fact he had not yet assumed the responsibility he ought to bear.

Fortunately, it is not too late now.

He reached out and pulled up the Floating Life Sword; the blade flashed a hint of scarlet, then let out a "hum" as if singing on its own, like a dragon's roar.

He Lingchuan closed his eyes, as if communicating with the precious sword.

After a good while, he opened his eyes and stood up.

Dong Rui urged impatiently: "How? How?"

He Lingchuan gripped the sword with his right hand, his left palm making a slight lifting gesture toward the stone dragon statue on the ground, and a miraculous scene appeared:

The shattered stone statue parts on the ground suddenly began to roll, interlocking and adhering; once joined, the seams became invisible, as if naturally formed.

In barely more than twenty breaths, the stone dragon was reassembled as before. It seemed to possess a true dragon's flexibility, coiling its body effortlessly, its massive head lifting higher and higher, dragon eyes fixed on He Lingchuan.

"Go on." He Lingchuan pointed at the southern city wall, "Return to your duty as city guardian beast."

This black dragon statue was originally the guardian beast of Panlongcheng, but when He Lingchuan's father and son and Sun Fuping first entered, Zhong Shengguang had attached his will to it.

After Zhong Shengguang's will faded, the black dragon statue remained the original guardian beast.

The stone dragon received the order, turned and wandered, clinging to the wall, mighty and grand!

Dong Rui then asked: "Can you control the Panlong Secret Realm now?"

He Lingchuan nodded: "Lord Zhong has already transferred control of the Secret Realm to me."

Zhu Xiuer rubbed her paws, delighted: "Then aren't you able to reshape it at will?"

Dong Rui grinned happily: "You've become the master of the Secret Realm; if the Earth Mother dares to come in, isn't that just delivering vegetables?"

That ghost city outside will soon attack; He Lingchuan now has control of the Panlong Secret Realm, our side's survival odds—no, victory odds—have greatly increased.

He Lingchuan couldn't help but roll his eyes: "If only it were that simple. I can take over the Panlong Secret Realm Lord Zhong left behind, but its disconnection from the Great Fang Vessel won't change, its own demise won't change, unless——"

"Unless?" Dong Rui now hates hearing those two words.

He Lingchuan sighed: "Unless I also swear an oath to the Great Fang Vessel, reestablishing the connection between the Panlong ruins and the Great Fang Vessel. The rebuilt bond should then be quite solid."

"Maintaining and sustaining the Secret Realm consumes enormously; Lord Zhong originally left little surplus." He Lingchuan also pondered, "If I can forge a new alliance with the Great Fang Vessel, perhaps I can borrow strength from it. Then the crisis of the Panlong wilderness would also be resolved."

Over these past ten or more years, the Great Fang Vessel's own development has been astonishing; even He Lingchuan cannot judge how vast its divine powers are. Maintaining the operation of a Panlong Secret Realm, even lending him enough strength to fight enemies, should be a trivial matter for the vessel.

"You decide to follow in Lord Zhong's footsteps and make a pact with the Great Fang Vessel?" Zhu Xiuer worried, "That doesn't sound like a good thing."

"As the new master of the Panlong Secret Realm, I have just learned many internal details." He Lingchuan said seriously, "Just as I said before, the secret realm Lord Zhong the Commander left behind cannot be maintained for long. To strengthen the connection between the Panlong ruins and the Great Fang Vessel, I must rebuild the secret realm—my own secret realm, fundamentally solving this problem."

Dong Rui wondered: "Must rebuild? Then what about the secret realm we are currently in?"

"When I initiate the rebuilding, it will collapse! This is called discarding the old and establishing the new." Though deeply reluctant, He Lingchuan understood a principle: the old must go for the new to come.

"But there is one point: we now face a strong enemy outside; if Lord Zhong the Commander's secret realm collapses, the power guarding the Panlong wilderness will vanish instantly, which means——"

Zhu Xiuer immediately interjected: "The Earth Mother will notice!"

"Ah?" Dong Rui scratched his head, "Wait, how long will your rebuilding of the secret realm take?"

"About twelve shichen." Actually He Lingchuan wanted to say, at least twelve shichen.

Both were dumbfounded: "That long?!"

He Lingchuan was also anxious, but he knew this couldn't be rushed: "Lord Zhong back then, he used a full three days."

In real history, after the fall of Panlongcheng on the third day, strong winds rose, three corpse worms appeared, the entire wasteland turned into desert, and strangers were not to approach.