Chapter 539: The Future Has Not Yet Come

"What are the arrangements for afterwards? Regarding the precautions against the Withered Power." The Group Leader asked about the serious business, looking at Chen Shu and Ning Qing.

"This needs to be explained from a few points." Chen Shu began to speak. In fact, Ning Qing had already briefed him on it two days ago, asking him to relay it to the group members because she was too lazy to talk to this group of people who were becoming increasingly silly.

"Take your time," the Group Leader said.

"First, we must talk about the observed properties of the Withered Power." Chen Shu said to them, "The Withered Power..."

"Keep it simple," Zhang Suannai blurted out.

"Alright." Chen Shu coughed. "Then everyone needs to know two points. First, the Withered Power currently shows no signs of attacking us, but it has already completely 'eaten clean' that Plane. This process won't be too far off. As for exactly how long until it arrives, no one knows."

According to the historical progression of the Qianweimian, that power which destroyed the Plane would, after several decades, begin to show characteristics of eroding surrounding Planes. Once it completely began to spread, the intensity of its erosion of the Plane barriers would grow from small to large, until they broke through the Plane barriers and brought disaster to new Planes.

However, because they went to the Withered Plane to fight in advance, it is uncertain whether this will stimulate or affect the Withered Power, but for the sake of safety, the historical progression of the Qianweimian no longer holds significant reference value.

"Continue," Wu Eiwei said coldly.

"Second, the Withered Power will continuously weaken. So, after they completely 'eat' the vitality of a Plane, they will erode the next target. It generally starts eroding towards the nearest life-bearing Plane. Once a gap is opened in the Plane barrier, they swarm in, leaving not a single bit behind... or rather, even if some power remains in the Withered Plane, without a new 'source of food,' they will gradually weaken until they disappear."

"It sounds like it has life and thoughts," Dharma Master Tongdeng said.

"That is indeed the case, but it is the result brought about by a series of mechanisms; it is very strange, like a virus," Chen Shu said.

"How was this observed?"

"It is the result observed and calculated by the New Sage."

"So we only need to guard the Plane barrier, and wait until it spreads to other Planes, and this power in the neighboring Plane disappears or dies out, and the threat we face will be considered temporarily over?" the Group Leader asked.

"More or less."

Chen Shu paused: "We brought back thirty-five strands of origin from the Withered Plane, and we were allocated eighteen. Once they are assimilated by our Plane, plus the fact that several deities are already very old, it is enough for everyone in our generation who possesses a mark to become a deity. This is the first thing we should do..."

"Will any deities fall?"

"To be precise, it is to age and Transform into Dao."

Chen Shu looked back at the Sword God Statue.

This was the oldest deity.

Under the starlight, the Sword God's eyes seemed to have gained a spark of life, and the cold face also seemed to soften a little.

Chen Shu pursed his lips, his tone softening as well: "Besides, the deities will all return soon, because the standoff with the alien Plane has ended. Although the crisis we face exists, it has become clear. Even if the Withered Power has unusual movements, there is enough buffer time. The Calamity-Responding Buddha will remain in the 'Hall' to monitor them, so other deities can return to Earth... If the power of the Withered Plane has any unusual movements, the buffer time is enough for them to go back."

"Amitabha... they have stayed in that place for too long."

"Of course, if the Withered Power has not yet attacked after we fuse the origin, we cannot let the Calamity-Responding Buddha endure the loneliness there alone. We can have one or two people go up every so often, just like a rotation."

"It should be so."

"Yes."

"Continue."

"Many deities can no longer hold on. After a period of time, they will pass their origin to the younger generation," Chen Shu said. "So if the Withered Power has not moved after we fuse the origin, we must also set about cultivating a newer generation of top-tier geniuses to take over for the old gods."

In short, it is to convert the seized origin into deities as quickly as possible, and into the power to protect the world.

If the Withered Power comes quickly, it will be this group of new gods and the old gods resisting together; if the Withered Power comes slowly, they will cultivate a newer generation of top-tier geniuses to gradually replace those old gods who are already at the end of their rope. New gods are destined to be stronger than old gods; after all, the waves behind push the waves ahead.

However, calculating carefully, among the seventeen existing deities, except for a few, the others seem to be very old already.

"So we have to stay in the 'Hall' in the future?"

"Yes, are you afraid?"

"Amitabha, if the predecessors could do it, the successors can too."

"I don't care."

"What is there to fear?"

"I am used to loneliness."

"It's just a bit dull... but if you and Qingqing go, I won't feel it's dull. It would be best to get Xiaoxiao and my little sisters over there too."

"Relax," Chen Shu smiled. "We don't need to spend our whole lives there like the deities of past generations. It is foreseeable that we will stay there for a long time, but not for a very, very long time."

"Oh..."

"And there is good news..."

"What good news?"

"We have sixty-seven strands of origin. Qingqing and I don't need the origin, so that's sixty-nine deities, but sixty are enough to guard the Plane." Chen Shu turned his head to look at them. "What does this mean?"

"It means a few of us don't have to go," Zhang Suannai reacted extremely quickly and gave the answer instantly.

"Idiot," Wu Eiwei said.

"Amitabha, my sin, my sin..."

"It seems the Wishing Dragon doesn't grant every wish..." Little Master Xuanzhen said.

"Then what do you say it is?"

"It means we can take turns resting," Chen Shu said.

"But that doesn't make sense..." Zhang Suannai blinked, thought for a moment, and said, "Sixty people working, nine people resting—how long can a rotation last? It takes half a year to get from Earth to that Hall or to come back. A vacation isn't even enough for the travel time."

"!"

Everyone looked at Chen Shu in unison.

Little Master Xuanzhen lowered his head and said shamefully, "I was wrong, the Wishing Dragon is awesome."

"The New Sage and I are researching the technology for deities to remotely monitor Earth from the 'Hall.' Originally, this technology was very crude, very primitive, and had great limitations. Basically, deities could only use their own statues to project briefly and establish contact with people on the ground," Chen Shu said to them. "For example, perhaps as we are talking here now, the old Sword God can hear us. He also knows about the time Zhang Suannai got drunk and swore a brotherhood oath with him. Sometimes when we pray to them, they will cast their gaze down—that is this kind of technology."

"And then?" Meng Chunqiu asked.

"I don't understand," Zhang Suannai blinked.

"If we can upgrade this technology to strengthen the connection and increase the duration, and then coordinate it with the Artificial Life Technology of our family's Xiaoxiao, we can create an artificial body for each of you. When you are on vacation, you can be free and at ease on Earth," Chen Shu said, then looked at Yan Keling. "Yes, we are preparing to refer to the Imperial Sect's Divine Contract Secret Technique and the remote projection technology of the Star Beasts."

"So complicated," an anonymous person said.

"Yes, I'm just helping out. It's mainly the old New Sage who is working on it. He is knowledgeable and quite awesome."

"I see."

"Thank you for your hard work."

"Hey! It's no trouble at all!" Chen Shu waved his hands. "When the time comes to go to the Hall, everyone, listen to my arrangements. In any case, no matter what, I can't stay in that pitch-black place that lacks even air, soil, and light. I'm going to give it a DIY makeover."

"What does 'DIY' mean?"

"Do it yourself; design and renovate it."

"..." Wu Eiwei fell silent for a moment. "You guys really know how to have fun."

"Anyway, we can take shifts, so we won't have to be as tense as the gods of the past. Come to think of it, they really had it hard."

"Amitabha..."

"In short..."

Chen Shu leaned his back against the base of the Sword God Statue and looked up at the stars in the sky: "They are probably already on their way back..."

This place really is very different from the Spirit Sect.

Although both have exquisite, classical palace complexes and are located on mountains, the altitude of Yuding Mountain is far inferior to that of Moshi Mountain. Yuding Mountain is merely cool and comfortable, while Moshi Mountain is freezing even in the height of summer, with a large temperature difference between day and night, and the wind is boisterous and noisy.

The scenery of Yuding Mountain at night lies on the ground; the firefly lamp posts on both sides of the stairways and the lanterns hanging from the wooden corridors look like stars that have fallen from the sky.

The scenery of Moshi Mountain is in the firmament.

The stars are like sand, and the galaxy hangs upside down.

Suddenly, he felt that this place was actually quite nice.

Chen Shu blew in the night wind, and he actually began to calculate in his heart the distance from Yujing to here, and from the Spirit Sect to here.

The people around him were still chatting, and the atmosphere was very relaxed.

It wasn't until Zhang Jianzhu's mother called her that a howling sound rang out. Embarrassed and indignant, Zhang Jianzhu tossed her head and left, and the conversation ceased.

That night, everyone stayed here.

Zhang Jianzhu was still quite loyal; she assigned the best guest rooms on the mountain to them. He heard that some people were staying in the hotel prepared for tourists on Moshi Mountain, and some Outer Sect Disciples who had returned from outside had no place to stay and were living in the prison cells.

The Sword Sect has few guest rooms but many prison cells.

It is said that their prison cells could hold every disciple of the entire sect at their peak; he didn't know if it was true or not, but it could be considered a feature of the Sword Sect.

Chen Shu even felt that they could consider opening the prison cells as a separate tourist attraction, charging a separate admission fee, and letting everyone come to see the place that had left the most colorful mark in the four-thousand-year history of the Sword Sect. The words carved on the walls of those cells and the graffiti left behind were probably more spectacular than the Dunhuang Grottoes; perhaps some inconspicuous mottled mark you see came from some Sword God in history.

The next day, morning, on the Sword God Plaza.

It was still a bright, sunny day.

The Sword Sect is situated above a sea of clouds, the sky is a perfect azure hemispherical dome, and a scorching sun hangs in the firmament. There are figures flying on Swords shuttling back and forth, and at any time and any place, there are people fighting on the Shijiantai or in the distant sky; it is truly a world of Sword Immortals.

Yet Chen Shu sat in the plaza, basking in the sun.

In front of him was a stone chessboard, sitting opposite him was a nameless person, and a group of people surrounded them.

Xiaoxiao and Qingqing stood behind him, the little cat-girl holding his arm with both hands, her whole body leaning obliquely against him, staring intently at the chessboard.

"Nineteen horizontal lines and nineteen vertical lines form three hundred and sixty-one intersection points; this is the Go board. Both black and white sides take turns placing pieces. Of course, someone like Zhang Suannai might place pieces consecutively; you'll never beat her no matter what..."

Chen Shu said to the nameless person.

Both of them were stunned for a moment, feeling a bit sentimental in their hearts.

However, Chen Shu recovered in just an instant, hiding this touch of sentimentality deep away. After hesitating for a few seconds, he looked at the nameless person, and he finally said: "But if you want to beat me, I'm afraid you'll need ten years of Daoist cultivation..."

The nameless person revealed a smile.

Chen Shu also revealed a smile.

The nameless person had seen similar fragments before, and for a moment, the complexity in his heart was hard to put into words.

But he didn't know that Chen Shu had also seen them.

"Let's try a game first..."

Chen Shu picked up the first piece, thinking of a strategy in his heart.

The nameless person is very stubborn, and his life is dull, so he can bury himself heart and soul into a certain matter, just like cultivation. Chen Shu rarely plays chess, so the energy invested by both sides is not proportional; it is very normal that he cannot beat him.

Need to think of a way.