Chapter 205: The Hundred-Year Deadline, the Day of Great Joy

Under his own sword Qi, although Saint Peter had endured it, he had suffered a fatal wound and indeed did not have many years left to live. Lu Yuan nodded slightly:

"Very good. It seems that even if I am not around in the future, the myriad people of Shenzhou will be able to strive for self-improvement and stand at the pinnacle of the world."

Chen Zhantang was startled upon hearing this:

"Master, are you... are you preparing to ascend to the Upper Realm and leave us?"

The fact that there was a Ladder to Heaven in the Extreme North had not been kept from Chen Zhantang, and he even knew a thing or two about the refining of the Mending Heaven Array Flag. Lu Yuan smiled:

"With the Ladder to Heaven severed, it is not yet certain whether ascension is possible. I have just finished refining the Mending Heaven Array Flag and am planning to go and see if it can be repaired."

Chen Zhantang immediately bowed in salute:

"This disciple is bold enough to request to accompany you, Master, to be at your beck and call. I wonder..."

In reality, Lu Yuan had intended to bring him along this time even without Chen Zhantang's request. He nodded and said:

"Very well. You already possess nearly a hundred wisps of Dharma Power, so you should be able to withstand the environment there. Come along and see for yourself. There is no time to lose; we shall depart now."

Having said this, a light breeze emerged beneath his feet, lifting both him and Chen Zhantang into the high sky, leaving only those young Daoist acolytes with their mouths agape, hurriedly bowing in awe as they saw them off.

After flying into the sky, Lu Yuan carried Chen Zhantang, cutting through the vast expanse like a meteor, breaking through the wind with extreme speed.

Carried by Lu Yuan, Chen Zhantang looked at the clouds streaming past and the mountains and rivers beneath his feet, his eyes filled with admiration and envy.

Aside from 【Ingestion】, Lu Yuan had actually taught him the 【Wind Riding Technique】 before entering seclusion. However, given his current cultivation and mastery of the technique, he could fly for less than half an hour at most, and his top speed was only three to five hundred li per hour.

Yet now, with Lu Yuan carrying him—a dead weight—they had already left the borders of the New Nation and entered the territory of Sha'e Country in less than half an hour; the speed had likely reached an astonishing level of several thousand li per hour.

Thus, after only two or three hours, the mountains and rivers in sight had completely vanished. A cold, boundless ice ocean and ice field appeared on the distant horizon, and the temperature between heaven and earth plummeted, causing Chen Zhantang to subconsciously use True Qi to protect his body and resist the bitter cold.

When they crossed the vast ice field and entered the central region of the Extreme North, even with his True Qi protection, he felt the freezing cold of a world locked in ice and eternal silence as if it were drilling into his bone marrow, making him unable to stop a shiver.

And when they finally arrived at the location of the glacier array, he was immediately stunned by the scattered rays of light between the sky and earth, and he could not help but exclaim:

"Master, is this the Ladder to Heaven, and the place where the ancient Human Emperor, the ancestors, and the Qi Refiners fought?"

Lu Yuan stopped his figure outside the light rays, looking at the phenomenon which was no different from five years ago, and nodded:

"Correct. This is the Ladder to Heaven severed by the ancient Human Emperor, the Qi clan. It was precisely because the passage connecting the two realms was cut off that the ancient Qi Refiners could not descend to enslave the ancient ancestors, until now."

"Within this glacier, there are actually many corpses from both sides buried, perhaps even those of the Human Emperor Qi. However, the dead are gone, and I have not sought to disturb them."

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhantang immediately bowed respectfully toward the four directions: "A person of later generations has rashly set foot here; may the ancestors of the human race rest in peace and not take offense."

As he spoke, he cast his gaze toward the magnificent light rays and said:

"Master, is the Dharma Artifact you refined used to repair this place? If you repair this Ladder to Heaven, will it...?"

He did not finish his sentence, but Lu Yuan understood his meaning and said noncommittally:

"The Spiritual Machine of this realm has been severed; whether the array flags I refined will be effective remains to be seen. Let us first try to see if it can be repaired. You wait here and do not approach at will."

Having said this, his figure continued forward, circling the large area of light rays to observe and search for a suitable place to set up the array.

Chen Zhantang, for his part, performed the Wind Riding Technique himself, waiting obediently in mid-air, watching everything with nervousness and anticipation.

Soon, Lu Yuan determined the position for the array. With a wave of his sleeve, the Mending Heaven Array Flags flew out, inserting themselves into the ice field beneath the light rays, while he simultaneously cast a spell.

The array flags stood tall in the frozen world, emitting a misty spiritual light. Lu Yuan paced the steps of the Big Dipper, his movements constant, as he rapidly deployed the array flags across the ice field using the 【Array Formation】 technique.

After a full hour, forty-nine array flags on the ice field formed a profound formation, encompassing all the light rays drifting in the sky.

The Great Evolution is forty-nine. As Lu Yuan cast the spell into the final Mending Heaven Flag, all the array flags bloomed with intense spiritual light simultaneously. A vast, chaotic fluctuation—enough to shift stars and invert the void—spread across the sky and surged upward!

The array seemed to draw upon the power of the entire world. For a time, light twisted in the vast frozen world, the heavens lost their color, the earth roared, and under the invisible power of the Great Evolution Mending Heaven Array, the fragmented light rays in the sky began to tremble continuously, as if being influenced by it!

【Array Formation】: Divine Communication (1%)

Capable of mobilizing the power of nature—the sun, moon, stars, wind, thunder, water, fire, mountains, and marshes—to set up various barriers, arrays, and restrictions, with infinite wondrous uses.

【Luck Power】: 33,254 units

Over five years, Lu Yuan had accumulated bit by bit, gathering nearly one hundred thousand units of Qi Luck again, most of which had been invested into the Earthly Fiend Arts he had already mastered.

In fact, when his Luck Power reached ten thousand, he had unhesitatingly upgraded the 【Array Formation】—which was already at the Heaven Tier—by one level, directly advancing it to the highest stage: Divine Communication!

Divine Communication represents the mastery of the Earthly Fiend Arts to the extreme, which can be called an Earthly Fiend Divine Ability.

Furthermore, after this technique rose to a Divine Ability, it was just like the Nine Breaths Serving Qi that had been lit up; it directly condensed an Earthly Fiend Divine Ability Seed, which could be activated instantly by consuming essence, Qi, and spirit!

Just like now, Lu Yuan had used the Divine Ability to set up the Great Evolution Mending Heaven Array, triggering an astonishing natural phenomenon.

During this process, Chen Zhantang, who was on the periphery, did not dare to breathe loudly in his shock, while Lu Yuan did not blink, staring tightly at the changes in the light rays under the shroud of the Mending Heaven Array.

One hour, two hours, three hours.

The Extreme North was currently in summer, and day and night were both like broad daylight. Chen Zhantang's Dharma Power was exhausted before long, and he could only land on the ground, while Lu Yuan remained in the air, carefully observing every change, his brows furrowing involuntarily.

Chen Zhantang, having rested for a while, did not know if the situation was good or bad. He used the Wind Riding Technique to come behind him and asked cautiously:

"Master, this disciple is dull and cannot tell—under this array, can the Ladder to Heaven be restored?"

Lu Yuan's brows relaxed slightly, and he said slowly:

"It is certainly effective. Look closely; those fragmented light rays are condensing bit by bit. When they fully aggregate together, it will signify that the Ladder to Heaven is completely repaired and reconnected to the Upper Realm."

"This..."

Chen Zhantang looked back and forth and discovered that there were indeed some extremely fine, scattered light rays beginning to aggregate under the mysterious power, and he could not help but show an expression of amazement:

"Incredible, Master's methods are truly vast and divine... but why are you not very happy?"

Lu Yuan sighed with slight regret:

"Although the Great Evolution Mending Heaven Array I set up is effective, because the Spiritual Machine of this world is severed, it has by no means exerted the power it should have."

"Normally, this array can automatically absorb the power of heaven and earth to operate continuously. However, the Spiritual Machine of this world is thin, and its driving force for operation is insufficient. It can only rely on the power of the sun, moon, and stars, and I fear it has only exerted less than one-third of its effect. Judging by the current repair situation, it will take at least a hundred years to repair this Ladder to Heaven..."

A hundred years?

A hundred years—the vicissitudes of life. Chen Zhantang could not help but gasp, turning his eyes to the Great Evolution Mending Heaven Array:

"It will actually take so long?" Lu Yuan nodded:

"Correct. A hundred years is only my estimate; the final repair time may take even longer. The only benefit is that there is no need for someone to guard it; one only needs to come over every few years to maintain the array."

The 【Array Formation】 that had ascended to a Divine Ability allowed him to clearly judge the operating status and even the effects of the array.

After all, this patch of light mist is a passage connecting to the Upper Realm, and coupled with the fact that the Array Flag was refined using only mortal materials, plus the severance of the world's Spiritual Machine and various other factors, the Great Evolution Mending Heaven Array requires a long passage of time far exceeding his estimates to repair the Ladder to Heaven.

One hundred years, even relative to the time scale of a cultivator, appears exceptionally long; Lu Yuan feels a headache just thinking about it.

Of course, a hundred-year wait is actually nothing to him; after all, after completing Refining Essence into Qi, his lifespan has already exceeded three hundred, and during this period, with the Heavenly Gang Divine Ability of Nine Breaths Serving Qi, he will certainly be able to break through the world's limitations again to advance his cultivation and increase his lifespan, so he can afford to wait a hundred years.

Moreover, once his cultivation enters Refining Qi into Spirit or even higher realms, he will be more capable of dealing with whether the Ladder to Heaven is fully repaired and the consequences thereof.

At this thought.

Lu Yuan did not say anything more to Chen Zhantang and continued to monitor the operation of the array with full concentration.

And this monitoring lasted for several days.

For several consecutive days, the Great Evolution Mending Heaven Array continuously drew upon the power of the stars in the heavens to operate stably, and the shattered light mist was being repaired at an extremely minute rate.

Lu Yuan also tried personally infusing Dharma Power to control the great array to accelerate the repair, but not only was his own consumption immense, the help to the repair of the light mist was a drop in the bucket and truly not worth mentioning.

After confirming that the Great Evolution Mending Heaven Array had entered the right track and was operating stably on its own, he did not stay any longer and immediately took Chen Zhantang, who had accompanied him for several days, to leave this land of ice and snow.

It still took only two or three hours for the two of them to cross the distance of ten thousand miles and return to the territory of the New Nation.

After landing on Xiantai Mountain, Lu Yuan instructed:

"Zhantang, I have other important matters, and I may not be able to return to Xiantai Mountain for a short time. I leave the Dao Palace to you to manage, and you may handle any matters of the Council yourself."

Chen Zhantang was stunned and asked in confusion:

"Master, where are you going?"

Lu Yuan smiled and said: "I intend to measure the world with these two feet, travel the world, and perceive the mountains, rivers, nature, the heavens, and the universe."

After five years of painstaking refinement of the Great Evolution Array Flag, he actually had one huge harvest, which was the continuous precipitation of his Dharma Power and cultivation; both his foundation and accumulation had become vigorous and heavy, sufficient to impact the final bottleneck blocking him from entering Refining Qi into Spirit.

He faintly felt that the breakthrough of this bottleneck could not be achieved by sitting in meditation, but required a bit of opportunity and a bit of insight, hence his plan to tour the world.

Chen Zhantang immediately understood that Lu Yuan might be at some kind of impasse, and immediately bowed and said:

"Understood, Master, please go ahead; I will certainly manage all worldly affairs for you."

Lu Yuan nodded and said no more; his figure immediately rose with the wind, flew into the blue sky again, and disappeared between heaven and earth.

One month later.

Jinjin City.

After many years, Jinjin, which was once the site of the Concession of three nations, has long since taken on a new look.

Because of the development of science, technology, and industry, and the extreme prosperity of commerce, this place has suddenly leaped to become a prosperous big city comparable to Shangdu; within the city, there has been replanning, large-scale construction, and the addition and expansion of buildings, with a large number of high-rise buildings rising from the ground, giving the entire city a different atmosphere.

It is not just high-rise buildings; nowadays, Steam Automobiles, and even new types of automobiles driven by burning oil, have begun to appear gradually on the market and have become the vehicles of wealthy families; and most of the well-off families in the central urban area have used electric lights, and even Telephone sets.

Besides this, the current Jinjin has long since banned and wiped out illegal organizations such as the Cao Gang and the Tianli Sect, and organizations like the Golden Blade Group and the Iron-Blooded National Salvation Society have long since disbanded spontaneously. In this prosperous big city, not to mention that everyone has enough food and clothing, at least beggars with tattered clothes, coolies as thin as sticks, and opium addicts who are not in human shape can no longer be seen in the streets and alleys; compared with a few years ago, the changes can be described as earth-shaking.

And on this day.

Inside the city, in the Fenghua Boxiyuan.

It was the afternoon, and guests were coming and going outside the venue; one by one, figures who were either rich or noble in Jinjin arrived at the front gate in carriages and automobiles, holding gifts, and congratulating with smiling faces:

"Owner Li, congratulations on your marriage with Madam Li."

"Wishing Owner Li and your wife a hundred years of harmony and mutual love without doubt!"

"After years of twists and turns, you have finally reconciled; Senior Brother, wishing you and Yunsheng a lifetime of togetherness and a heart joined forever!"

In front of the gate of the Boxiyuan, one could see Li Junxian, who was already over sixty years old, with graying temples and a glowing face, dressed in a dark red new-style formal suit, welcoming the coming and going guests with Gu Yunsheng, who was still charming despite her aging years, as well as his two disciples, Dahu and Erhu.

After presenting a generous gift, Lin Xingchao, who brought Xi Beichen and Gu Yourong, asked in a low voice:

"Senior Brother, is there still no news from A Yuan?"

Li Junxian sighed long:

"Half a month ago, I learned that he had finally come out of seclusion, and I immediately asked Dahu to go and deliver the invitation, but it turned out that he had already gone to tour the world. It seems our fate ends here."

Today was the day of his great wedding with Gu Yunsheng.

When the turmoil in Tianjing spread across the country, after he led his disciples to assist Wu Yixian and Fan Zhenxiong in completely controlling the situation in Jinjin, they were kept behind by Gu Kanshan and Lin Xingchao for various reasons.

After the establishment of the New Nation, the world was renewed, and the hatred of the country and the grudges of the family had completely become things of the past. Li Junxian and Gu Yunsheng, who had completely let go of the burdens in their hearts, rekindled their old love and finally chose to stay in Jinjin, living here for a long time, and reopened the Boxiyuan.

Of course, under the laws of the New Nation, this Boxiyuan is a completely legal and compliant regular competition, and it has even formed a league with several surrounding provinces; every time the competition starts, tickets here are hard to come by.

And after establishing a career, it was time to start a family. In fact, as early as two or three years ago, Li Junxian intended to invite guests widely, marry Gu Yunsheng in a formal ceremony, and make up for the regrets of both parties when they were young.

However, it is a pity that Lu Yuan was in seclusion at the Xiantai Mountain Dao Palace at that time, and now that he finally got the news of his coming out of seclusion, he was still a step too late; it can only be said that the meager fate between the two seems to end here.