Chapter 2288 Core of the Star-Field
Translator: BornToBe
“Where are you bringing me? You don’t even know this place.”
Ming Cangyue was following along as Long Chen pulled her flying off the tower, but she didn’t know what he was thinking.
“There’s a city over there. Let’s go have some fun.” Long Chen pointed at a city in the distance.
“That’s Miluo City, a residence for the Netherworld’s regular people. What’s interesting about that place? Also, even though it looks close, there are three separate spaces between us. For you, it would take at least three years of travel to get there.” Ming Cangyue frowned slightly.
“What, it’s that far? But you definitely have a way though.” Long Chen was startled, but then he smiled.
Seeing his expectant look, she didn’t feel good about declining. Ming Cangyue waved her hand, and runes condensed into a portal. When they came out, they were within a bustling city.
Long Chen looked back and saw that the portal had vanished. Furthermore, he was unable to see the bone tower they had been at just now.
“Immortals and mortals are separate. You can’t see the tower from here through the three spaces. These people can’t see us either,” said Ming Cangyue.
“What are the three spaces?” asked Long Chen.
“The three spaces refer to three voids. The void of the Heavenly Daos, the void of the world’s barrier, and the void of life. I’ve tested these three voids before, and they’re quite mystical. They separate the Netherworld from the mortal world. Gods can descend to mortal worlds, but for mortals to pass through the three voids requires ascension. After ascending, they can’t return. The three voids separate their past and future. Only I, the ruler of the Netherworld, can freely pass. Even Leng Yueyan is unable to reach this place,” said Ming Cangyue.
Long Chen was startled. “Does this mean that the three voids are the final barrier of the Martial Heaven Continent’s experts? Once broken through, you ascend into a god or immortal?”
Ming Cangyue shook her head. “That’s not the same. I’ve gone to your Martial Heaven Continent. The laws are completely different. The Martial Heaven Continent has its own heroic spirits protecting it. Even for me, I must strip away the majority of my divine energy to enter. Otherwise, back then…”
Ming Cangyue stopped there, and Long Chen felt a burning sensation on his face. He knew what she was referring to. However, he acted like he hadn’t heard it. “What are those heroic spirits? Even you must be afraid of it?”
Was it a Sovereign? No, that was impossible. How could a Sovereign threaten a god? If they were that powerful, how could they all be dead?
“I’m not sure. Their power is connected to the laws of the Martial Heaven Continent. If I wish to set foot on the continent, I must follow their rules. Let me put it to you this way. The Martial Heaven Continent is no ordinary continent. I’ve observed it for a long time, and I suspect it is the core of a star-field,” said Ming Cangyue.
“The core of a star-field? What is that?”
“This world is far vaster than you can imagine. A single star can give rise to life, while it itself is also alive. After thousands or tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of stars link up, they form their own trajectory and become a star-field. They move according to a set rhythm, and the one in charge of that rhythm is the core. It must be a powerful star. However, it seems that the Martial Heaven Continent is not a complete core. It has been badly damaged and seems to be on the verge of collapsing. Despite that, it still possesses its own powerful laws that even I must obey.”
Long Chen had not expected the Martial Heaven Continent to be such an existence. Was the damage to it referring to the battle of the immortal era? For a battle to damage the very core of a star-field, just what level of experts had fought back then?
They had gotten off topic. They couldn’t continue like this because Long Chen saw that Ming Cangyue was starting to throw off the effects of the wine.
“Let’s not talk about this. Do you know why I brought you here?”
“I was the one who brought you here,” corrected Ming Cangyue.
“Cough, if you put it that way, then… you… Fine, you’re right.” Long Chen wanted to argue, but he found he had no ground to stand on.
Ming Cangyue smiled at his awkwardness and found him to be interesting. She felt relaxed around him as if she could be free from restrictions.
“Let’s go comprehend the truth about life.” Long Chen grabbed Ming Cangyue’s hand. She hesitated for a moment, but in the end, decided not to fight his hand. She walked alongside him.
They reached city gates with three cursive characters written on top of them. Long Chen didn’t recognize them.
“Miluo City. Yup, these three characters were written decently, but they clearly lack some force.” Long Chen nodded as he walked through.
Ming Cangyue laughed, “These are the Zhangyang Gates.”
Long Chen’s expression stiffened. He had an urge to slap himself. His urge to act all-knowing had ended up losing him even more face. However, just who was Long Chen? His skin was thicker than the city walls. “Of course I know these are the Zhangyang Gates. I just feel like this grand Miluo City must not have a decent calligrapher to write it so badly.”
Ming Cangyue didn’t quibble with him. She only looked at him with a knowing smile. Long Chen pretended not to see that look.
This place was quite similar to the Martial Heaven Continent. There were many cultivators around. However, their auras were different from the people of the Martial Heaven Continent. Despite that, Long Chen was still able to estimate their power.
Based on his estimates, the strongest people here were only comparable to Soul Transformation experts. They were unable to threaten him.
However, as he walked through the streets, more and more curious gazes turned toward him, making him feel out of place. “Do they recognize me as an outsider?”
“Your cultivation base is higher than theirs so they can’t tell what level you are. As for me, they can’t even see me,” said Ming Cangyue.
Long Chen suddenly realized what the issue was. He was holding Ming Cangyue’s hand, but if she was invisible to them, his walking posture must seem unnatural to them.
“Don’t mess around. Otherwise, others will think I’m crazy,” complained Long Chen.
Ming Cangyue smiled and materialized herself to these mortals. She was especially conspicuous in her black dress. It seemed that the mortal world had never given rise to such a dress.
As for Long Chen, he was wearing black robes that matched her dress. The two of them continued down the streets, looking at their surroundings.
Long Chen said, “Everyone is hustling for their own goals. It’s all due to their desires. Every person has different goals and is fighting for them. A commoner and an emperor both have their own goals to strive for. But many people don’t even know what they’re working for. Only a few people can take a pause and ask themselves what they’re doing.”
“Then have you asked yourself?”
“Yes. I often ask myself over and over again, why do I live?”
“Then what’s your answer?”
“I live to make sure the people I love and the people who love me can be at peace and happy,” said Long Chen.
Ming Cangyue was drawn in my Long Chen’s gaze at that moment. Her heartbeat quickened without her sensing it.
There seemed to be a burning flame within his eyes. It made her tense up and feel at a loss as to what to do.
The two of them continued and experienced the things this world had to offer. They forgot about their cultivation bases, merging into this busy world.
At the start, Ming Cangyue was clearly ill at ease. But as Long Chen guided her, she gradually forgot about her status as a god, using the viewpoint of an ordinary person to view this world.
A supreme god was a lonely existence, while the mortal world was like a nest of ants in her eyes. She had never paid much attention to them.
However, today, she was walking through the mortal world, and she found that it wasn’t as inferior as she had imagined. She also saw the emotions of the mortal world.
She saw a girl holding candy that tripped. Her candy became covered in mud and couldn’t be eaten.
The girl’s mother scolded her as she took out three coins from a wrinkled-up purse, buying her a new stick of candy. Seeing how delighted the girl became, Ming Cangyue stared silently for a long time.
Long Chen said, “Those were the only coins she had. Perhaps buying that stick of candy means that she’ll have to go hungry tonight. But in her eyes, the happiness of that girl is the most important thing. Perhaps it’s foolish to others. Those three coins could buy a dozen buns to keep them full for a day. But sometimes life is just like that. A shoe only fits on the right foot, and happiness can only be realized by yourself… what’s wrong?” Long Chen suddenly saw that Ming Cangyue had started crying. He reached out and wiped away her tears.
Ming Cangyue didn’t say anything. She allowed him to wipe away her tears. Even afterward, she didn’t say anything.
Long Chen knew that he was doomed. The wine’s effect had completely faded. He didn’t know what he could use to pluck her heart strings. Her god energy was slowly returning, so she would no longer be able to maintain the attitude of a mortal.
Ming Cangyue didn’t wish to continue strolling the streets, so she brought Long Chen to a mountain outside the city. After that, she stood beside a waterfall, watching the water crash down for a long time before speaking.
“Long Chen, I have one question for you. On that day, when you jumped, did you think about me?”