The vast Starry Heavens had countless stars giving off resplendent light.
However, one experienced pitch-darkness when one traveled the vast universe. This was because the distances between stars were too great. The light could not illuminate the entire Starry Heavens.
A wound-riddled corpse floated quietly within the pitch-dark space.
Occasionally, meteors and asteroids struck the corpse, a somewhat miserable sight.
The corpse just drifted in the boundless universe alone, shattered rocks hitting it along the way.
If everyone ignored it, who knew where this corpse would eventually drift to?
“Whoosh!”
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the Starry Heavens. This figure searched around the pitch-black universe.
This figure looked into the distance, his vision extending, passing countless stars before he saw that cold and lonely corpse.
That figure turned into a beam of iridescent light after a few flashes in rapid pursuit.
About fifteen minutes later, this figure arrived before the corpse.
This person removed the hood on his head, revealing a grave and stern face. Then, the dragon scales on this person’s face disappeared slowly.
This was the leader of the Flood Dragon Humans, Yan Cangming.
The identity of this corpse was Zhen Yuan. Or rather, the Zhen Yuan who had merged with the Black Dragon King’s demonic nature.
“Brother Yan, if I die one day, please send me back to the Grave Sea Cluster’s Profound Light Temple.”
Long ago, the two met in the Abyssal Underworld’s Asura Hell. They had hit it off immediately, and after experiencing life and death together many times, Zhen Yuan agreed to accompany Yan Cangming and made his only request.
At this moment, Yan Cangming arrived as arranged.
Yan Cangming had spent a good part of a year searching for Zhen Yuan’s corpse in the vast Starry Heavens.
Deep in Yan Cangming’s heart, he was reluctant to accept that the Black Dragon King had really been killed.
Even when he saw Zhen Yuan’s corpse, he still felt disbelief.
To think that Xiao Chen had killed the Black Dragon King who made everyone in the Martial Epoch tremble back then. Yan Cangming’s many hopes and expectations scattered along with the Black Dragon King’s death.
Yan Cangming remained silent as he carried Zhen Yuan’s corpse and turned to leave.
—
Half a month later, outside the Grave Sea Cluster’s blessed lands:
The Grave Sea Cluster had three blessed lands. The Profound Light Temple was in Potala Mountain, a blessed land belonging to the Buddhist sects.
As Yan Cangming carried Zhen Yuan’s corpse, he stood on the starry sea and looked ahead quietly.
Oceanic fog veiled indistinct mountains, and Buddhist light shone in the sky.
Occasionally, the chantings of Buddhist sect esteemed monks penetrated the boundless fog, spreading out.
Yan Cangming frowned slightly. He did not like the environment before him. The Buddhist sect’s holy scriptures made his already jittery heart even more irritable.
He raised his right hand, and a pure Death Dao’s Great Dao Energy gathered slowly.
Strong winds blew around him, kicking up huge waves in the sea. Sinister winds howled, sounding like the wails of dead spirits.
With a rise of his hand, the energy that would burst forth from the Death Dao Domain could instantly destroy the restrictions on this blessed land.
“Whoosh!”
Yan Cangming took a long breath and lowered his right hand, calming his impatient heart.
Then, he looked towards the Profound Light Temple’s direction and shouted, “Is Venerable Xuan Bei there? I have something entrusted to me to pass on. Please come out to meet me.”
“Rumble…!”
Yan Cangming’s voice penetrated the formations. The mountains in the blessed land shook from the sound wave, looking like they would crumble at any moment.
Many Buddha statues trembled, instantly causing huge commotions.
Fifteen minutes passed, but no one appeared from the blessed land. Yan Cangming did not get to see the person he wanted to meet.
His expression suddenly turned incredibly cold.
“Stop!”
Just as Yan Cangming prepared to barge in, a bright Buddhist light suddenly shone in the blessed land.
A figure approached from afar in that bright Buddhist light, appearing before Yan Cangming while bathed in a bright Buddhist light.
“Yan Chen?”
Yan Cangming frowned slightly. He recognized this person. This was Yan Chen, the new leader of the Buddhist sects, now known as the Salvation Buddha.
However, this Yan Chen was just a clone.
Yan Cangming muttered to himself, quickly figuring out the reason. The people of the Buddhist sect were probably scared to death by his Demonic Qi and evil air. In their fluster, they used a Buddhist sect Secret Technique to summon Yan Chen’s clone.
Rumor said that Yan Chen was a prodigy of the Buddhist sect. After the Kāśyapa Buddha’s statue was destroyed, he gained enlightenment and made supreme accomplishments.
He might very possibly become the Lord Buddha of the new epoch.
“Benefactor, why are you bent on barging into a Buddhist holy land?” Yan Chen asked as he looked at Yan Cangming, showing a bright gaze.
Yan Cangming could not be bothered to explain. He retorted indifferently, “Move aside. You are just a clone, not something that can match me.”
Yan Chen’s expression turned slightly sullen as he advised softly, “If you have some business here, you can just speak directly. Your Flood Dragon Human Race is not experiencing good days at the moment. Why make enemies of the Buddhist sects?”
“Do I need to report everything I do to you?”
Yan Cangming’s eyes turned cold; he had no intention of explaining to Yan Chen. Then, his gathering of killing intent escalated.
“Whoosh!”
Just at this moment, a beam of light arrived and turned into the figure of an old man.
The old man first bowed to Yan Chen. Then, he took a step forward and looked at Yan Cangming, saying, “This benefactor, my humble self is Xuan Bei. My junior brothers obstructed me earlier, preventing me from appearing. I apologize for the offense.”
Yan Cangming raised his eyebrows before saying indifferently, “It’s fine. All’s good now that you are out. This is my friend. Before he passed, he left a dying wish, wanting to be buried at the Profound Light Temple. Please agree to it.”
After Yan Cangming spoke, he put down the corpse he carried on his back.
“Zhen Yuan!”
When Venerable Xuan Bei saw the corpse’s face, he appeared startled and quickly rushed forward.
Venerable Xuan Bei sized up the corpse, verifying that it was Zhen Yuan’s body. Then, he could not help showing a sorrowful expression. Pressing his palms together, he said, “May the Lord Buddha preserve us.”
Yan Chen entered deep thought. He recognized this corpse as well. This Zhen Yuan was once the host of the Black Dragon King.
Yan Chen’s thoughts raced. Since Big Brother Xiao Chen did not care about this corpse, it means that the Black Dragon King is thoroughly dead. However, would burying the Black Dragon King’s corpse in a Buddhist sect land cause trouble?
If others knew about it, they might try to make use of it.
“Zhen Yuan is a Buddhist sect traitor. He even went to take in the Black Dragon King’s demonic nature. How could we let such a traitor be buried in the Profound Light Temple?!”
Before Xuan Bei or Yan Chen could speak, a group of old Profound Light Temple monks rushed over from behind to object angrily.
“Is that so?”
A cold smile appeared on Yan Cangming’s face. In that case, I can only kill all of you and bury Zhen Yuan here after that.
“I agree.”
Yan Chen glanced over. Seeing the murderous intent in Yan Cangming’s eyes, he roughly knew what Yan Cangming thought.
The other party was skilled with the Death Great Dao and possessed unfathomable strength. He took life and death very lightly; as long as his demands were not met, he would relentlessly pursue them.
“I agree to let Zhen Yuan’s body be buried here,” Yan Chen said to Yan Cangming, pausing after each word while looking at Yan Cangming.
“Revered One, we must not do that!” the old Profound Light Temple monks behind quickly advised, showing confused expressions.
“I have made up my mind. There is no need to say anything more.”
“Goodbye.”
Since Yan Chen was the new leader of the Buddhist sects, his word was trustworthy. Yan Cangming did not hesitate to leave Zhen Yuan’s corpse behind and leave.
Yan Chen sighed. Then, he turned and said, “Make some preparations and organize the scriptures in the blessed land to prepare to move the temples. After we bury Zhen Yuan, I will seal this place to prevent unnecessary trouble.”
“Revered One, I would like to remain here to watch over his grave. After all, he was my disciple. My teachings were inadequate, resulting in him committing such a huge mistake. Take it as a chance for me to atone for my sins,” Venerable Xuan Bei murmured as he hugged Zhen Yuan’s corpse.
Yan Chen sighed, “Xuan Bei, right now, there are many things to be done in the Buddhist sects, and there are not many esteemed monks. The new epoch at hand is an opportunity to prove ourselves. Are you sure you want to spend the rest of your life here?”
“I’m sure.”
“Then, do as you wish.”
After all the people in the Profound Light Temple moved out, Yan Chen sealed off the entire blessed land. Yan Cangming appeared silently in the distance.
Yan Cangming had not gone far, keeping watch from a distance. He only released his bated breath after he verified that Zhen Yuan was buried in the Profound Light Temple.
Yan Cangming had spent his life fawning over others and serving others for the sake of the Flood Dragon Human Race’s interests, trying to seek a land for them to establish themselves. He had lived while enduring all the while.
There were only two that he could call friends: his former senior brother Lin Feng…and Zhen Yuan, who had accompanied him until Zhen Yuan’s death.
