The First Demon of the Chan Sect
Chapter 351 - 39 Parting in Sorrow

Chapter 351: Chapter 39 Parting in Sorrow

(PS: I wasn’t quite in the zone while writing these two Chapters, and felt quite dejected seeing the mere increase of a thousand or so subscriptions from yesterday... Helplessly, Panda kneels and begs for subscriptions again!)

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Beneath the vast universe, the earth stretches boundlessly. A single towering tree stands tall upon the land, a sight somewhat bewildering to behold.

Startled by the sudden appearance of Li Qingming, Aoguang was quite astonished. However, remembering his unpredictable powers, Aoguang was soon at ease. He promptly knelt down and respectfully bowed, saying, "Aoguang pays his respects to Your Majesty, Emperor of the North!"

Li Qingming casually waved his hand and said, "Aoguang, how many times have I told you? There’s no need for such formalities between us!"

Aoguang stood up and respectfully said, "Aoguang has never forgotten the kindness Your Majesty has shown to the Dragon Clan and wouldn’t dare to overstep!"

Li Qingming shook his head helplessly, then looked up at Han Meng on the tree branches and said, "Little girl, do you find it interesting up there? Why not come down!"

With a gentle wave of his hand, a breeze instantly swept through and delicately brought Han Meng down.

Han Meng wanted to struggle but was terrified to find that her spiritual power was completely sealed, and she couldn’t mobilize it at all.

This was more frightening than Li Qingming’s abrupt appearance.

The Little Elf looked at Li Qingming somewhat fearfully, not daring to come forward and speak.

"I never thought that there would still be other Chaotic Demon Gods remaining under the heavens. You must be lonely," Li Qingming said, not paying them any further mind as he leisurely stepped forward and gently stroked the trunk of the Innate Jianmu, as if talking to himself or to the tree.

In the next moment, something astonishing happened.

"Who are you? I sense the aura of Swallowing Heaven from you; could it be that you are a descendant of Swallowing Heaven?" A voice suddenly emerged within this small world.

The roots of the tree started to bubble with green mist, quickly spreading over dozens of miles of land. Then, massive branches and leaves began to sprout from the roots of the tree. With exposure to the wind, they grew ceaselessly larger.

In just a few breaths, the towering Innate Jianmu had undergone a transformation. Countless robust branches spread wildly, their dense leaves filling the entire space. This was indeed a true covering of the heavens!

From this ancient tree, whose full view was completely obscured, a faint scent of life from the Chaos World could be sensed, strikingly similar to the aura of the Golden Turtle, ancient and massive, evoking a sense of returning to the time before the Primordial Chaos had separated and the Primordial World had opened.

"Spirit Ancestor!" Upon seeing the transformation of the Innate Jianmu, the Little Elf Han Meng was so moved that she cried. She had been nurtured by the Spirit Ancestor since birth, for billions of years, always knowing the Spirit Ancestor as an independent life form, never imagining it possessed such a terrifying consciousness.

"You really are a Chaotic Demon God who remained from the era of the Primordial Chaos!" Li Qingming looked up at the tree and said blandly.

"Is Swallowing Heaven well?" the Innate Jianmu asked after a long silence.

"The ancestor shattered through the Chaos Crystal Wall at the beginning of the universe’s creation, and now I’m not sure if he is still alive," Li Qingming shrugged and replied indifferently.

"Oh! I’ve sensed the wills of Hong Jun, Liu Tiao, and Old Ao from the Heavenly Dao of this world as well. Could it be that they have not fallen?" the Innate Jianmu solemnly spoke. Its branches and twigs shuddered slightly, and the inexhaustible power of life slowly dispersed into the surroundings.

Soon after, the barren land was barren no more. Stretches of red blossoms and green willows, vegetation, and Crystal Stones emerged gracefully. In an instant, the small world turned vibrant and blooming with the energy of spring.

Li Qingming plucked a blooming flower and said, "The world now is different from that of the Chaos times! The Hong Jun Ancestor, as well as seniors Yang Mei and Golden Turtle, have all reincarnated and cultivated anew. With the memories of their previous lives, the Hong Jun Ancestor has merged with the Heavenly Dao and become its spokesperson. Senior Yang Mei also attained the Primordial Chaos Great Luo Dao Fruit many years ago. As for senior Golden Turtle, it’s most unfortunate – his limbs have become the pillars supporting the sky, and now his soul has also reincarnated."

"These old fellows are indeed living comfortably!" the Innate Jianmu laughed heartily, its words inevitably tinged with nostalgia and sorrow.

Seeing Innate Jianmu lost in memories, Li Qingming quickly stepped forward to pay his respects and said, "Senior, I initially came here intending to cut down the Innate Jianmu for use in constructing a reverse channel! Little did I know that the tree is the body of Senior, a Chaotic Demon God, and I was too presumptuous! I’ve disturbed you greatly this time, please forgive me, Senior!"

Having said this, Li Qingming bowed once more to the tree and was about to leave with Aoguang.

"Don’t be so hasty, young one! If you want to construct a reverse channel, aside from my Innate Jianmu, there is nothing else in this world that can support such a spatial channel!"

Li Qingming paused midstep, then lowered his head to ponder.

Observing the contemplative Li Qingming, the Innate Jianmu remained silent. Some things are best left unsaid, and it believed that if a descendant of Swallowing Heaven were smart enough, they would know what to do.

Li Qingming didn’t keep it waiting; in just a moment, he understood all the stakes involved, turned his head, and said evenly, "May I ask what conditions you have, Senior?"

A Chaotic Demon God of Innate Jianmu’s caliber rarely has concerns. Now that he eagerly hopes, even at the cost of self-harm, to retain Li Qingming, he must want something.

Li Qingming, thinking about the reincarnation of the Golden Turtle, prepared himself and asked respectfully.

Innate Jianmu hadn’t thought too deeply; its entire being trembled, and from the silent space the sound "shush, shush, shush" resounded.

"There is only one condition!" the ancient voice echoed once again through the void.

Li Qingming thought to himself, "Just as I expected! These fellows all wake up for their own gain!"

Innate Jianmu waved its branches near the ground and pushed the standing Han Meng toward Li Qingming, saying, "I want you to take Han Meng out into the world to survive! I am old, and it is my fate to be buried here this lifetime. But Han Meng is still young; she should witness the wonderful world outside!"

The voice of the Innate Jianmu sounded ancient, yet it was filled with endless warmth.

"Spirit Ancestor!" Han Meng’s watery big eyes overflowed with clear tears, and her little face instantly turned deathly pale.

"Eh!" Li Qingming was stunned, having not expected the Innate Jianmu to pull such a move.

Is this damn tree essentially gifting its offspring generously to a rogue?

"Of course, if you don’t want to, that’s fine too! In respect of Swallowing Heaven and Hong Jun and those few old fellows, I will still give you a branch! It’s your choice!" Seeing Li Qingming silent, the Innate Jianmu thought he was refusing and simply threw out these words before falling into silence again.

After a moment of thought, Li Qingming nodded and said: "Alright, it’s a deal!"

"Good, that’s the spirit!" Excitement, indescribable in words, was hidden in the ancient voice of the Innate Jianmu.

"Han Meng, from now on, you will follow this young fellow, and whatever he asks of you, you must agree! This is not a request, this is an order!"

Han Meng felt a bit aggrieved as she pinched her skirt and lowered her head, saying, "Yes, Spirit Ancestor!"

Although there hadn’t been any communication for billions of years, it was, after all, the mother tree that nurtured her. The kind-hearted little elf did not want to defy the commands of the Spirit Ancestor.

"Boom!"

Just then, a small tree identical to the Innate Jianmu emerged from the sandy earth. However, compared to the towering Innate Jianmu, this sapling was much more frail and tinier.

The whole sapling radiated a green halo, and in the next moment, its roots pulled out from the land. Then it soared upwards, slowly moving towards Li Qingming.

Li Qingming instinctively reached out to catch the sapling, and immediately a torrent of Vitality Power rushed from the palm of his hand into his entire body. When he looked at the sapling again, it had transformed into a piece of wood about an inch long, dull and lightless.

"This sapling grew from a seed on my body, and it has gathered infinite Vitality Power. With it, you can definitely prop up the spatial passages between the Heavenly Court and the Four Great Continents. Take it with you!" the Innate Jianmu, trembling its branches, as the green light from the sky seemed to fade.

Li Qingming bowed deeply and respectfully towards the gigantic tree, saying, "Thank you for your generous gift, senior!"

Having said that, he turned and walked away. Compared to his arrival, he was now accompanied by a breathtakingly beautiful lady.

Upon leaving this magic world, Li Qingming handed the Innate Jianmu to Aoguang, saying, "Aoguang, take this Innate Jianmu quickly to Human Clan’s Chen Capital and give it to Emperor Fuxi. Don’t concern yourself with what happens after!"

"Yes!" Aoguang took the Jianmu and went to the Human Clan Sacred Land.

...

On the West Coast, billions of miles away from the East Sea, a pair stood silently on the sandy beach, gazing into the distant, gently rippling water.

The remaining sunlight bled through layers of mist, stretching their shadows long.

"Qianqiu, thank you for everything during this time!" Red Silk’s extraordinarily beautiful face lifted with a sweet smile as she turned her elegant neck to look at Li Qianqiu’s sharp profile and said softly.

After a long silence, Li Qianqiu indifferently said, "You’re leaving?"

"I still have important matters to attend to! It’s been over three years now, and it’s time to finish what I started!" Red Silk smoothed her hair by her ears, a tinge of sadness in her voice.

"Hmm!" Li Qianqiu nodded slightly, yet a mysterious pain gripped his heart.

The two fell into a speechless trance, and the West Coast regained its tranquility. Only the calls of the seabirds, occasionally slicing through the air above the sea, echoed in the sky.

"You!"

"You!"

After an uncertain amount of time, both spoke almost simultaneously.

"You go first!"

"You go first!"

The two of them just stared at each other for a while, and Red Silk blinked her big eyes, saying, "Qianqiu, these three years are the happiest time I’ve ever had in my life! I want it to become my most cherished memory. Perhaps! I mean, perhaps we will meet again in the future!"

Li Qianqiu suddenly reached out his hand, gently touching Red Silk’s soft hair.

Though they had shared a room for three years, they had always treated each other with mutual respect, never overstepping their boundaries.

But now, Li Qianqiu’s gesture caused Red Silk’s delicate body to tremble, and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

"Go ahead!" Li Qianqiu turned abruptly, and in a few flashes, his figure disappeared without a trace.

"Qianqiu, wait for me..." Red Silk’s eyes filled with tears, her slender silhouette looking so helpless amid the whistling sea breeze! (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)