readbooksol Chapter 661 A New Journey, A New Beginning
Chapter 661 A New Journey, A New Beginning
A land forsaken by God.
As its name suggests, this is a place abandoned by the gods, and even most beings who have heard of it have never actually seen it.
Wu Wang had entered the area once under the manipulation of the Desire Sea Spirit Lord, and during the process of embodying the [Void Sand], he was assimilated into sand countless times. If it weren't for his [Undying] trait, he would most likely have had to hide in the Spirit Disaster Square to avoid death.
However, at this very moment, a figure is strolling across this seemingly endless expanse of yellow sand.
He wasn't walking very fast.
Yet they showed no signs of fatigue or the helplessness of someone lost in the desert.
His steps were firm, and his goal was clear.
And there seems to be absolutely no sign of it being assimilated into the yellow sand.
"Humanity, you have won."
Suddenly, in this place that should have been deathly silent, a second eerie sound rang out.
The next second, a grayish-white beam of light descended from the sky and landed in front of the figure.
Just as his bare feet were about to touch the yellow sand, a slick of murky, lustful water appeared beneath his feet. He stood on the water's surface, the seawater preventing him from contacting the sand.
Of course, what appears could not possibly be the true form of the [Desire Sea Spirit Venerable]. Although this is one of the few places where a Venerable-level being can temporarily descend with their will without the aid of a temporary body, it still cannot withstand the presence of the true form.
Moreover, there are certain factors that make the Venerable One dislike this place. Even if he discovers the passage into this place, he will never send his will here unless absolutely necessary.
This is why the [Desire Sea Spirit Lord] hid Wu Wang here and asserted that [Hope] would never be able to find him.
The [Desire Sea Spirit Lord] who has now descended is essentially more like a projection.
Hearing the other person call his name.
The figure slightly raised his head and revealed a humble smile, saying, "It is truly my honor to have the opportunity to play against the great [Lord of Desire] and gain a slight advantage."
While the other person showed respect to me through their facial expressions and words, deep down they possessed an attitude that was neither humble nor arrogant, and could even be described as proud.
[The Desire Sea Spirit Lord] thought of one of his undevout followers.
Haha, humans are truly an interesting species.
He said calmly, "I never expected that the Azure Dragon would actually transcend the boundaries of living beings and laws. Oh, now I should call him [Dawn]."
"That was an opportunity that even we couldn't comprehend, so why did you dare to make a vow to me so soon after it happened? Or perhaps you know how He did it?"
"After all, you once stole a sliver of authority from [Suffering], leaving Him with endless hidden dangers."
"Heh, this has really angered that masochist. He'll probably hunt you down until the end of time."
From the perspective of the [Lord of Desire], in a sense, the way things have developed to this point is inextricably linked to the human in front of him.
Especially this apocalyptic invasion of reality by the Venerable One.
If we examine the details step by step, we might discover that the key point is not at all about the Venerables uniting.
Rather, it was because [Desire Sea Spirit Lord] set a trap for Wu Wang, using this undevout believer to send the deluded [Supreme Bliss] into the real world, thus posing a fatal threat to the alliance between Azure Dragon and [Chaos].
The Venerables were merely taking advantage of the situation.
Even without Wu Wang's existence, He would have found other candidates and methods to complete this step.
But ultimately, the problem lies with [supreme bliss].
The other Venerable Ones wouldn't be foolish enough to allow the [Desire Sea Spirit Venerable] to do such a thing to them.
The reason why [Supreme Bliss] is not clear-headed, and even takes longer to awaken than [Despair], is not only due to the interference of [Lord of Desire], but the most fundamental reason is that [Suffering] has a problem.
The opposing venerable ones share the same lineage and origin.
Before the birth of [Bliss], [Suffering] became extremely weak, and even its own laws were not yet perfect.
This is why the awakening of [Supreme Bliss] is so difficult, and why one may experience a state of confusion and unconsciousness.
And the conspiracy to steal the Law of Suffering.
The human in front of us is one of the culprits!
If it weren't for the foreshadowing he laid, the real world, under the alliance of Azure Dragon and Chaos, could probably have held on for a very, very long time.
In this short period of time, Qinglong will most likely be able to truly step into the Venerable level.
Instead of paying such a terrible price and losing the right to climb forever.
"Truly worthy of being a Venerable One born from the laws, time is but a fleeting moment for you, and a vow made years ago is just a short while in your words." The figure sighed slightly, "For humans, that is a very long time."
Then, as if he had thought of something, the smile on his face became even more pronounced.
Even from his humility, [Yu Hai Ling Zun] could see a genuine sense of admiration.
He then said, "You asked me if I know how Azure Dragon did this, and I can only regretfully say that I don't know either. After all, my oath back then was that your invasion was destined to fail, and I didn't know that Azure Dragon would fight back in this way."
"As for why we dared to draw such a conclusion years ago, there is only one reason—"
“I believe in him, just as everyone believes that the Azure Dragon will protect them.”
"Or rather, I have an even stronger trust in you than they do. I believe that Qinglong will find a way to fight against you, no matter what sacrifices or extreme measures are required."
"That may sound arrogant, but... you underestimate humanity."
Upon hearing this guy's words, [Desire Sea Spirit Lord] remained silent for a moment.
Trust? Such an absurd reason?
You see, this oath is insignificant to me, but for this guy in front of me, the price he would have to pay if he failed would probably be more unbearable than death.
Despite the dire consequences, he explained them with the word "trust."
They couldn't even detect any signs of lying themselves.
"Ha, such trust. When [Dawn] is rejected and leaves your world, will you dare to see her off?"
"See if He will respond to your trust."
The words of the "Lord of Desire" were laced with undisguised sarcasm.
It's ridiculous that, among all humans, the Azure Dragon is most hostile to and most eager to kill anyone.
That must be the guy in front of me.
Countless disasters were caused by him, and countless lives were lost directly or indirectly at his hands.
The real internal threat to human groups—
[Disaster Cult Leader]!
call--
A yellow robe was conjured out of thin air and draped over the other person's body, stirring up clouds of yellow sand that floated in this god-forsaken land.
The moment the hood was pulled up to cover the body, a flesh-and-blood mask without any holes was also placed on the face.
He said softly, "You're joking. Of course, I firmly believe that he will try every means to get rid of me. Not to mention parting ways, I will have to hide even more for this short period of time."
"So that my dear friend might leave behind some means to deal with me for the sake of those who come after him."
Having said that, he extended his well-defined hand from his yellow robe.
Clutching a compass-shaped pendant, he handed it to the [Lord of Desire]. Only then did he continue, "So, before that, please fulfill my reward for my lucky victory. It's really troubled for you to come all this way."
With a flick of his finger, the compass floated in front of him.
Countless grains of yellow sand began to swirl and pour into it, and a wisp of turbid water from the sea of desire also emerged from His fingertips, mixing with the yellow sand and teasing the compass needle.
The compass began to show unusual behavior under this influence.
The old rust on the surface began to peel off, revealing an unknown, dark metallic luster.
As the dense star charts and runes on the compass began to emit a dazzling light, the central pointer revealed its true form—it was not made of metal, but a section of finger bone from some unknown creature, pale and slender, which was now spinning wildly, making a clicking sound, like something sleeping gnawing its teeth.
When it points to a specific location.
The earth began to tremble.
In the direction indicated, somewhere outside the field of vision.
The yellow sand looked as if it had been cleaved in two by a hand reaching out from the ground, creating a crack that then expanded to both sides at a visible speed, like a giant eyelid opening.
The sand flowed down the edge of the crack, creating a roaring sound like a waterfall.
A massive stone pillar slowly rose from the crack, its surface covered with some kind of crystal, reflecting an eerie bronze color against the yellow sand. The pillar was inscribed with characters that did not belong to humans or any civilization, like symbols written with bones and tentacles.
The stone pillar was so tall it almost reached the sky; even the leader of the Disaster Cult, who was quite far away, could see a faint bulge appearing at the edge of his field of vision.
This appears to be just the outline of a broken door.
It's unimaginable how horrifying the remaining parts buried deep beneath the yellow sand must be.
Hearing the sounds of some enormous object appearing in the sky, the compass had already fallen back into the hands of the leader of the Disaster Cult.
[The Lord of Desire] said disdainfully, "I have helped you summon that ruin and possess this item. From now on, you can rebury or awaken it at any time."
"Go, go pick up some trash from those ruins forgotten in the river of time."
“I’d like to see what else you can glean from the past.”
"I also wonder if He will discover you, the thief, during this process."
"After all, He really hates it when people touch His things..."
Having said that, His projection once again turned into a gray-white beam of light and disappeared.
Only the leader of the Disaster Cult was left to stroll into the distance.
Looking at the yellow sand and the waters of the sea of desire within the compass in his hand, he said softly:
"I'm really looking forward to it too."
"What truths might lie hidden in the history obscured by nothingness?"
"How did the [Old Days] disappear? Did they really leave no backup plan at all?"
But just as they were about to arrive at the site where the ruins appeared...
He paused slightly.
He looked up at a certain spot and remained silent for a moment, then took out a glass bottle from his robe.
After unscrewing it, a strong smell of alcohol wafted out.
As if commemorating a deceased friend, he slowly tilted the wine bottle in his hand and poured the liquid horizontally onto the ground little by little.
The liquor in the bottle was assimilated the moment it came into contact with the yellow sand, proving that it was not a special prop, but just ordinary liquor.
"Consider this my farewell."
Even if we have different paths and cannot work together, I will still consider you my best friend. At least we share one goal: to one day bring them down from the clouds.
"I hope that after you become a Venerable One, your taste in alcohol will improve a little. Erguotou really doesn't taste very good."
"Then, just wait for me to pull you down too, and witness humanity walking into the embrace of spiritual disaster."
May calamities continue forever.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
Wu Wang sat on the deck for a long time.
He's been rubbing the fur on Little Hill's head so much that it's almost bald.
Only when the sky was gradually tinged with the orange hues of dusk did he slowly stand up and let Xiao Qiu go to eat.
Stretching, the confusion and melancholy in Wu Wang's eyes had disappeared.
He walked towards Mary and Lilith, a smile on his face, and said, "Since things have come to this, let's eat first."
"Does the ship have strawberry mapo tofu, pomegranate oil, chocolate braised pork, durian snail rice noodles, Lao Gan Ma yogurt, or soy sauce ice cream? I'm getting a little hungry."
Upon hearing his words, Mary's smile froze on her face.
But she still responded politely, "Sir, could you suggest some food that humans can accept? Even if you consider yourself a dumping ground, please treat Lilith and me as human beings, thank you."
Wu Wang shrugged, expressing a sense of disappointment with the restaurant on the Mary.
Alas, restaurants that stick to the old ways will eventually decline. Why don't they consider the menu they offer?
Not long ago, Wu Wang sent a food menu to the kitchen, hoping that the Mary would have these novel delicacies in the future.
But the kitchen staff threw the menu into the shredder right in front of him and then burned all the scraps in the stove, indicating that no one should see something that contaminates the food.
Seeing his regretful expression, Lilith walked over and said softly:
"It's alright, sir. I can cook for you after you disembark."
"Lilith! Stop spoiling Mr. Lilith! Don't think I don't know you've secretly used the kitchen utensils to cook those dishes!"
Mary raised her hand and tapped Lilith on the head.
With a serious expression, he said, "The second young lady is not here for the time being. We need to take good care of the master for her. From now on, I will take care of the meals. None of you are allowed to enter the kitchen, especially you, master."
Wu Wang sighed and said, "Well, you might be disappointed. I'll have to eat at the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs from now on. I can't exactly take you two with me as cooks."
Amidst the puzzled looks of the two ladies, Wu Wang briefly explained how he had joined the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs.
Then, he narrowed his eyes.
Clenching his fist, he added more seriously, "Although the [Wandering Plan] was ultimately not used, the preparations I made for it were not in vain."
"I have a feeling that it's either the ability to traverse dungeon worlds or the ability to hide from the Venerable Ones."
“These things will play an unexpected role in the [Tower of Disaster], especially the latter.”
“I will climb to the top of the tower step by step to make up for the mistakes I have made.”
"It's time to embark on a new journey."
By the way, speaking of new things...
I haven't even looked at the effects of the [Catastrophe] title that Qinglong gave himself yet...
Wu Wang casually brought up his personal panel and looked at the title field.
After staring at it for a moment, he revealed an expression of disbelief.
"Holy crap! Could a human have designed this title effect?!" (End of Chapter)