Chapter 513: This Feeling Can Wait to Become a Memory

The Immortal Court's Grand Immortal Supervisor left.

He left after completely annihilating the Divine Clan; no one knows where the Grand Immortal Supervisor went.

Everyone knows only one thing: the Divine Clan's Heavenly Emperor Feng Huan touched the Grand Immortal Supervisor's forbidden scale.

In a fit of rage, the Grand Immortal Supervisor not only annihilated the Divine Clan but also stripped Feng Huan naked and nailed him above the Heavenly Divine City, burning his divine soul with Law Flame.

Law Flame is something so terrifying that just hearing its name sends chills down your spine.

Even an Immortal Emperor might not be able to summon Law Flame.

Yet the Immortal Court's Grand Immortal Supervisor Ding Huan not only summoned Law Flame but also set up a Divine Soul Burning Array.

And the burning array the Grand Immortal Supervisor Ding Huan constructed was especially precise—it neither burned Feng Huan to death nor allowed him a single breath's respite from the flames.

This torment was unbearable for any being.

At this moment, anyone who approached the Divine Clan's Heavenly Divine City could hear Feng Huan's agonized wails.

Although the Immortal Court reclaimed the Divine Clan's territory, due to Feng Huan's fate, the Heavenly Divine City became an empty city, with no one willing to reside there.

The Dragon Clan, already on the brink of collapse, was utterly terrified upon hearing of the Divine Clan's fate.

The Dragon Clan's patriarch personally went to the Immortal Court to seek peace, abolishing the Dragon Clan's Heavenly Court and dissolving the Dragon Clan's territory.

The Dragon Clan reverted to its former state, becoming merely one race among the Pangu Great World, all under the management of the Human Immortal Court.

Because of this, the Dragon Clan became the only race to survive the great war—and thanks to access to the Immortal Court's Great Dao resources, the Dragon Clan flourished even more.

……

The Chaos Zone.

This place housed all kinds of races, including some cultivators who had committed crimes or were being hunted.

When the Five Heavenly Courts began their chaotic war, even more cultivators flooded into the Chaos Zone.

Initially, the majority who came here were Human cultivators.

The reason was simple: the Humans were losing ground, having lost even the Grand Immortal Domain.

Of the ten billion Human cultivators in the Grand Immortal Domain, only a tiny fraction could reach the Immortal Court, while some perished defending the Grand Immortal Domain.

Another portion followed the Immortal Court's military forces and hid beyond the Immortal Court's borders.

Most, however, came to the Chaos Zone, causing a massive surge in Human cultivators there.

After the Immortal Court's Grand Immortal Supervisor emerged, the Immortal Court's Human forces gained the upper hand and began retaking lost territories.

As a result, Human cultivators in the Grand Immortal Domain slowly revived, and the Demon and Beast Clans began fleeing in panic toward the Chaos Zone.

Wan Zu City developed gradually from this.

Wan Zu City's predecessor was merely a scattered collection of small market stalls where cultivators of various races banded together.

As more and more cultivators arrived in the Chaos Zone, survival grew harder, and the small market stall attracted ever more people.

The small market stall could no longer accommodate the ever-growing influx of cultivators.

Eventually, five Luo Tian Xian cultivators joined forces to build Wan Zu City.

Of these five Luo Tian Xian, two were Human, one was a Wu Clan cultivator, one was a Beast Clan cultivator, and one was a Black Abyss Clan cultivator.

The Wu Clan's ancestral home lay somewhere in the Chaos Zone, but not every Wu Clan cultivator wished to live among their kin.

Cao Ying of Wan Zu City was one such case—he was at the late stage of Luo Tian Xian, his physical body had reached seventy percent of an immortal body, and in strength, he ranked among the top two in Wan Zu City.

Yet his beliefs clashed with those of the Wu Clan; to uphold his own heart, he enraged the clan chief and was expelled from the Wu Clan.

Cao Ying, undeterred, founded Xincheng within Wan Zu City alongside several like-minded individuals.

Although cultivators from all races continued flooding into the Chaos Zone, Wan Zu City remained relatively peaceful.

After all, finding such a stable haven in the Chaos Zone was difficult, and the five city lords of Wan Zu City got along well enough.

Da Xiu Rest House.

A relatively famous rest house in Wan Zu City, where prices were reasonable and the backing was strong enough that no one dared cause trouble here.

Most cultivators arriving in Wan Zu City preferred to rest or stay at the Da Xiu Rest House.

With so many cultivators coming here, it became a hub for gathering news.

As usual, the first floor of the Da Xiu Rest House was already packed.

Those drinking tea or wine in this rest house came from all races.

Because the first rule of Wan Zu City forbade racial distinctions, no matter your race, you would not be attacked here.

A group of cultivators from various races drank cheap Immortal Spirit Wine while boasting about their vast knowledge.

Compared to sect disciples, the greatest advantage of free cultivators was their freedom—they could act as they pleased, unbound by rules, saying whatever they wanted.

Even here, with Humans, Demons, Beasts, Divine Clan members, and others all mingling.

In this place, one could freely comment, freely curse, and no one would rage because another cultivator insulted their race.

Thus, conversations here ranged wildly across heaven and earth, with no holds barred.

"The Demon and Beast Clans were so arrogant, nearly wiping out the Immortal Court—what happened to them now? They got annihilated outright."

"That's normal. I've always said that even if the Humans decline temporarily, they'll rise again quickly—since the birth of the Pangu Great World, hasn't it always been this way?"

"Heh, you're almost wrong. If not for the Immortal Court's Grand Immortal Supervisor emerging, the Immortal Court would truly have been destroyed."

"This Grand Immortal Supervisor is called Ding Huan, right? Is he really that powerful?"

"Whether the Grand Immortal Supervisor is powerful isn't something you argue with your mouth—do you know the Divine Clan's Heavenly Emperor Feng Huan?"

"That bastard thought himself mighty and nailed the Grand Immortal Supervisor's consort, Qi Qi Xinyue, to death outside the Heavenly Divine City—what do you think happened next?"

"What happened?"

"When the Grand Immortal Supervisor Ding Huan heard the news, he flew into a rage, personally leading the Immortal Court's army to annihilate the Divine Clan, leaving not even a single ant alive."

"So ruthless…"

"Ruthless? Do you know what became of Feng Huan? He was stripped naked, nailed outside the Heavenly Divine City, and his divine soul burned by Law Flame, screaming day and night—that's ruthless."

……

Upon hearing these words, the surrounding cultivators instinctively shivered, daring not to speak again.

Even if speech here carried no restrictions, a careless word might offend the Grand Immortal Inspector—this was worse than begging for death and being denied it.

At this moment, in a corner of the Grand Cultivation Rest Tower, two women sat quietly.

As these murmurs reached them, one of the women remained silent.

"Zhi Xi, is the Grand Immortal Inspector Ding Huan they're talking about the same Ding Huan who braved the Myriad Vast Marshes with you? Is he the one who saved me?"

The older woman raised her hand and cast a soundproofing seal, then asked softly.

The silent woman nodded, still saying nothing.

Clearly, one of these two women was Wen Wen Zhixi, who had fled from the Chiyunu Sect, and the other was her mother, Wu Wanting.

"How could Ding Huan have a cultivation partner? You didn't know about this?" Wu Wanting asked again, puzzled.

Wen Wen Zhixi shook her head once more: "I didn't know. When we were together, we never spoke of such things."

"Zhi Xi, let's leave the Chaos Zone and go to the Immortal Realm to find him. You love him—right now, his heart must be in great sorrow. You should go comfort him."

"Mother, I..."

"You're just too shy. If you love Ding Huan, why not go to him? When your father first loved me, he clung to me like medicinal ointment."

"But..."

"No buts. Ding Huan brought you out of the Myriad Vast Marshes, and even though he knew of your Great Dao physique, he never coveted it—he even used the Immortal Quan Flower to save me. Where else will you find such a man?"

"Mother, there's nothing else between him and me, and he already has a cultivation partner."

"His cultivation partner is in trouble now—you should go to him immediately."

Wen Wen Zhixi fell silent, offering no reply this time.

"Do you love him or not?" Wu Wanting was exasperated by her taciturn daughter.

"I... love him..." Wen Wen Zhixi spoke with difficulty, yet knew she could not hide her feelings from her mother.

But loving him was one thing—how could a woman take the first step?

Wu Wanting snorted: "If you love him, go. The universe is boundless, and you know where you and Ding Huan came from, how far away you are from here."

If one day Ding Huan leaves, where will you search for him? Before, you could say it was because of me—but now I'm fine. If you don't go find him now, what are you waiting for?"

"Mother, I brought back your last wisp of soul. Do you really think Ding Huan, with such power, cannot save his own cultivation partner? If I go, what will he do?"

"..."

Even Wu Wanting fell silent this time.

Having spent so long with her daughter, and hearing her speak of Ding Huan so often, Wu Wanting believed she understood his character well—even though she had never met him.

If Ding Huan truly managed to revive Qi Qi Xinyue, then her daughter's arrival would indeed put him in an impossible position.

And could a man who had carried her daughter out of the Myriad Vast Marshes, across the Gray Sea, not save a woman with a physical body?

Moreover, Ding Huan is now virtually the foremost human in existence—they say he rescued the Heavenly Emperor Xing Pan, and even raised him to his throne.

In other words, Ding Huan could become Heavenly Emperor himself—what's saving one woman to him?

After a long silence, Wu Wanting sighed deeply: "Since you don't want to make him suffer, we'll stay in the Chaos Zone for now. In time, find a way to break through to the Luo Tian Shang Xian Realm."

When your cultivation grows stronger, perhaps you can still help him in some way. You may not become his cultivation partner, but you must never forget his kindness."

"Patah, patah..."

Wen Wen Zhixi could not utter a single word; tears fell uncontrollably.

This feeling could one day become a memory, but even then, it was already lost in haze.

Looking at her daughter's eyes, Wu Wanting gently stroked her hair: "I'm sorry, Zhi Xi. This is my fault—I held you back."

If not for me, you would never have joined the Chiyunu Sect. Had you stayed with Ding Huan, you two would have eventually come together.

And I'm certain you will never meet another man like Ding Huan again. That's why I say I've delayed you.

……

The Cosmic Cauldron had appeared above the Ban Ting Sea.

Ding Huan caressed the jade coffin; inside, Qi Qi Xinyue had been dressed in the same clothes she wore on Earth.

Now, except for her pale complexion, she looked as if she were still alive.

If he could, he would pay any price to bring Qi Qi Xinyue back.

He still had one drop of her heart's blood—but what use was that?

Qi Qi Xinyue's soul and spirit were utterly annihilated. Even if the Dao Ancestor himself came, he could do nothing.

Yet Ding Huan's thoughts seemed to return once more to that boundless starry expanse.

Beneath that starry sky, with no future and no known destination, only Qi Qi Xinyue had ever stayed by his side.

They cultivated together, gazed at the stars together, and melted each other's loneliness together...

The promises Qi Qi Xinyue once made still lingered before his eyes—she had fulfilled them all.

The promises he once made to Qi Qi Xinyue also hovered before him—but he had failed to keep them.