Chapter 532
“Behind us lies the foreign land, and ahead is the fertile Tianren City. There’s no turning back!”
The followers of the Hundred Beasts Hall shouted in unison, channeling their secret arts to bolster the strength of the demons.
The malevolent energy within the demons surged, and even the lower-tier ones, whose bodies had been trembling in fear, now stood resolute.
Clearly, they intended to burn their boats and fight to the death.
When fear reaches its peak, it transforms into rage!
For those in the martial world and the common folk outside the realm of the imperial court, it was a moment of mixed emotions, their hearts racing with anxiety.
Though they were demons, it seemed they were indeed... igniting with fury?
However...
Their anger appeared to be of little use.
The most powerful among them unleashed toxic flames, while others summoned strange thunder.
In an instant, the icy barrier shimmered with a kaleidoscope of colors, resembling a perfectly polished ice mirror that reflected their attacks back at them unchanged.
With their tactics rendered ineffective, they were left with sheer brute force.
Their strength was enough to shake the earth and mountains, and they collectively smashed against the city gates.
Yet, their immense power only managed to crack the solid ice, which quickly mended itself.
Even those who managed to escape would be swept away by the moonlight falling with the wind and snow, their steps growing heavier.
The methods they took pride in paled in comparison, their surging power continuously waning, their teeth and scales dulled and worn.
It was as if time itself was racing past them; what lay ahead was not just frost, but the relentless passage of time!
An hour later, even the mightiest of demons fell, leaving the southern gate in a silent ice prison.
The shattered gates were sealed once more.
But this time, the door was replaced by an even thicker, sturdier ice mirror.
Outside the city, amidst the gray mist, a gaze pierced through, fixated on the figure beneath the moonlight.
“When my body is whole again, we shall meet once more.”
His voice echoed like a whisper of the wind in the stillness, fading deep into the foreign land.
Within and beyond the imperial capital, an incredulous silence reigned:
“Even if placed outside, this would be at the level of the Seventh Realm, right?”
“She just used more than one path, effortlessly blending them into one. How many can achieve that at the Seventh Realm?”
“But she hasn’t even reached the Fourth Realm; how can she manipulate the Dao so freely?”
“It’s tragic; I almost feel compelled to speak up for the demons…”
The first wave of calamity was almost single-handedly ended by her.
Why “almost”? Because although the southern gate was sealed again, a considerable number of demons still surged into the human city.
Without the guidance of the Hundred Beasts Hall, they fought individually, scattering like dandelion seeds.
It seemed that for a long time, the human city would be unable to recover from this agony.
That same year, the underground city declared that all newly built cities would only allow exit, not entry, forcing a large number of panicked refugees to return the way they came.
The Celestial Clan was powerful, but they showed no concern for the lives of mortals.
Jiang Yu, however, issued orders for the martial artists of the underground city to gradually clear the remaining threats.
But the martial artists of the underground city wouldn’t risk their lives for no reason, and they were not united; factions were rampant.
After the Celestial Clan intervened in the underground city, internal strife only intensified.
With the situation still unclear, they all watched from the sidelines, unwilling to venture out, especially since without the advantage of terrain, the martial artists were not strong against the demons.
However, they did form a group of bounty hunters, issuing various rewards as a way to appease the Celestial Clan.
In no time, the martial artists from the common folk were eager and active, engaging in many acts of valor.
But their strength was ultimately a drop in the bucket.
At this time, the once-great Wang Village, now Wang Town, naturally became a beacon in the chaotic land, the only small island where one could find refuge amidst the vastness.
The Celestial Clan’s warnings kept the martial artists of the underground city from daring to touch this place.
After several probing attempts, the demons realized there was a forbidden presence in the town.
They were terrified! It could silence the cries of lesser demons!
Thus, Wang Town thrived in peace and prosperity.
Five years later.
Wang Town had expanded significantly, now only a city wall away from being a full-fledged city.
Countless mortals found their livelihoods here, and it had become a common resting point for bounty hunters.
It was just another ordinary day in Wang Town.
The sky was filled with layers of clouds, and the sun, peeking from the far horizon, revealed only half its face, casting a weeping hue over the green mountains, clear waters, vast farmlands, and closely-knit houses.
If not for the crowing of a rooster, one might truly mistake it for dawn or dusk.
The familiar faces from Wang Village gathered in a modest courtyard, waiting for the doctor to come out.
“The village chief was fine last night; how could this happen so suddenly?”
“Could it be a moment of clarity before death...?”
“Shut up! Xiao Li Ge is fine!”
Even Dong Erniu, who used to play with a wooden stick in his open-crotch pants, had grown old, yet he still called him Xiao Li Ge.
Just then, the door opened, and the noisy crowd fell silent.
Under the gaze of many anxious eyes, the doctor simply shook his head:
“He has something to say to you. Go on in.”
“...Take care.”
Dong Erniu opened his mouth but ultimately handed the doctor a handful of silver coins.
Including him, many had an inkling of what was happening, yet a sliver of unrealistic hope lingered in their hearts.
As they passed through the familiar courtyard, facing the unchanged scene from decades past, they felt a momentary daze.
They still remembered how the village chief, in his youth, had swung a hammer countless times in this courtyard, robust and cheerful. To this day, every farming tool in the village, including many weapons, had been forged here, one hammer strike at a time.
When Dong Erniu was in his thirties, he had a dispute with a martial artist from another village.
In the end, when their weapons clashed, his unremarkable iron sword unexpectedly severed the opponent’s finely crafted blade, cutting through steel like mud.
It was here that he had trained in martial arts alongside Xiao Li Ge.
Everyone felt as if they were in a different world, standing in this courtyard they had visited countless times, reluctant to push open the door to the room.
“Everyone’s back... come in.”
A weary yet faint voice came from within, barely audible unless one listened closely.
The villagers were pulled back to reality.
---
**Chapter 604: Wanting to Grow Old Together with You**
The first warm rays of morning sunlight broke through the paper window.
Lying on the bed, Li Mo wanted to open his eyes, but even this simplest of actions left him feeling utterly drained.
He longed to drift back to sleep, but seeing the familiar faces entering the room, he held back, uncertain if he would wake again if he succumbed to slumber.
Noticing the anxious expressions on everyone’s faces, Li Mo chuckled:
“Heh, Erniu, you’re a grandpa now; don’t go crying like a baby.”
“Xiao Li Ge, I’m a renowned master now; why do you still see me as a child?”
“True, in that case, this divine sword is yours. Haven’t you been yearning for it for years?”
Li Mo picked up the firewood stick resting on the bedside and placed it in Erniu’s hands.
He had used it as a firewood stick ever since he found it.
Erniu took it but couldn’t muster any joy.
Li Mo’s words began to flow more freely:
“Living this life is already a gain for me; there’s nothing to be sad about.”
“Honestly, I’ve been tired for a long time. Now that I see our village has become a town, once the city walls are repaired, it will be Wang City. I’m content.”
Everyone understood what he meant.
Over the years, the underground city had dared not intervene, and the demons had not dared to tread here, all because of Ying Bing.
And the only reason Ying Bing stayed was singular.
Wang Village’s current state was ultimately due to Li Mo.
“Erniu.”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“Among everyone, you have the best talent, the sharpest mind, and true martial arts aptitude. You’ll surely live longer than I will. No matter what happens in the future, you must be the backbone.”
“I understand, Xiao Li Ge.”
“The ancestral hall... let’s tear it down. We now have people from all corners living here; to unite, we can’t honor our ancestors separately.”
“...”
He spoke at length.
By the end, his words became slurred, nearly impossible to articulate clearly.
The room gradually fell silent as the familiar faces departed one by one, until even Erniu took the firewood stick and left.
It seemed they shared an unspoken understanding.
Li Mo instinctively hunched over, feeling a chill from the depths of his soul, as if each breath was siphoning away the scant warmth left in his aging body.
Gradually, he could no longer feel this world.
His consciousness drifted back to his past life, and the life he had traversed into.
“Who has ever seen a time traveler who toiled in the fields for a lifetime?”
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