Chapter 214: This Tribute, for the Thousand Years of Steadfastness

Chapter 214: Chapter 214: This Tribute, for the Thousand Years of Steadfastness

He smiled faintly and pointed to the sky.

"After that Cultivator’s lifespan came to an end and he perished, no other prodigy of his caliber ever appeared among the remaining Ghost Clan. The suppression of the ghosts began to weaken."

"If left unchecked, the ghosts would have appeared in the human world once more."

"Later, someone from the Ghost Clan discovered that absorbing the Ghost Energy into their bodies could effectively reduce the birth of new ghosts."

"From that point on, all members of the Ghost Clan became vessels for absorbing Ghost Energy."

"However, the human body has its limits."

When their mortal bodies absorbed too much Ghost Energy, they found their own minds starting to transform into those of mindless ghosts.

If the Ghost Clan turned into ghosts, what awaited the outside world was a ferocious tide of ghosts that had been suppressed for millennia.

For the mortal realm, this would have been a great catastrophe.

To avert this calamity, their only choice was to leave the Ghost Gate and find a solution in the outside world.

Unfortunately, to prevent the ghosts from escaping, the Ghost Clan’s Cultivator had placed numerous sealing Arrays on the Ghost Gate.

Perhaps from the very beginning, that Cultivator had never intended to leave.

Trying to undo the seal from the inside was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

Generation after generation of the Ghost Clan was worn down, their bodies transforming into ghosts.

It is unknown whether it was the ghosts’ instinctual hunger for the flesh and blood of the living, or the Ghost Clan’s lingering obsession to leave, but even after they became ghost spirits, they continued to batter the Ghost Gate day and night.

After countless ages, the Array loosened. When the Ghost Energy accumulated to a certain point, the Ghost Gate would open for a period of time.

The story that follows is of the Divine Spear Sect discovering the Ghost Gate, suppressing it, guarding it, and establishing their sect here.

Due to their preconceptions, the people of the Divine Spear Sect never imagined that besides ghosts, the assimilated members of the Ghost Clan also came out of the Ghost Gate.

This past, long drowned in the river of history, inspired awe in all who heard it.

Not everyone could possess the resolve to suppress ghosts with their entire clan, and certainly not everyone had the courage to turn their own bodies into vessels to contain Ghost Energy.

"Senior, you are righteous. The Ghost Clan is righteous."

"The Divine Spear Sect, on behalf of the West State, thanks the Ghost Clan for their protection."

"All disciples, bow with me!"

Elder Jiang stood up and straightened his robes. He stood solemnly before the Ghost King, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply in a gesture of gratitude.

Behind him, everyone from the Divine Spear Sect, from the Sect Leader down to the disciples, all bowed.

"We thank the Ghost Clan for their protection."

Everything the Ghost Clan had done for the West State deserved this bow, a tribute to their thousand-year vigil.

Even Qin Zhan and the others bowed from the side.

Even though this was a story of the West State, both the West State and the Southern State were parts of the Green Origin Realm.

If the West State had fallen to the ghosts, the Southern State would not have escaped disaster either.

In this solemn atmosphere, the Ghost King paused in his eating of the roasted rabbit. He watched the scene quietly. Behind him, countless members of the Ghost Clan regained their sanity, transformed into ghost spirits, and dissipated between heaven and earth.

Traversing the endless river of time, the Ghost Clan could finally shed their identity as ghosts and re-enter the cycle of reincarnation.

Their millennia of guardianship and waiting had been rewarded.

A trace of relief finally appeared in the Ghost King’s downcast eyes.

’The moment I regained my sanity, I thought that if these people tried to deny the Ghost Clan’s sacrifice, I would slaughter them all for their ingratitude.’

’Of course, I’d have to leave Boss Lu alive. I still want to eat more roasted rabbit.’

Fortunately, though time had passed, gratitude and righteousness remained.

The Divine Spear Sect’s display made the Ghost King let go of the violent rage that had been building within him.

To save the countless members of the Human Clan with the strength of an entire clan, only for their own existence to turn to dust in the annals of time—it would be a lie to say they felt no resentment.

The Ghost Clan did not ask for repayment, only for shared hearts and minds.

This bow, he deserved to receive.

"Heh!"

"Rise."

He chuckled softly, his expression peaceful from the inside out.

Uncle Li, who was on Lu Wu’s other side, raised an eyebrow and smiled. ’Looks like it’s not my time to shine,’ he thought.

When Lu Wu offered him another roasted rabbit, the Ghost King shook his head.

"No more. That’s enough."

He lifted his sleeve, revealing cracks appearing on the skin beneath.

’My time is up.’

They had long ceased to be human. To be able to reclaim their humanity at the very end and die as humans—he was content.

The Ghost King once again placed that heart in Lu Wu’s hand.

"Keep it safe."

A heart that had gathered countless grievances was a powerful weapon.

’If Boss Lu ever suffers injustice in this world, this heart of mine will surely bring a little surprise.’

This was his way of repaying her kindness.

"Senior, rest assured. I will keep it safe."

’A true heart cannot be discarded.’

Lu Wu carefully put it away. When she looked up again, she saw the Ghost King’s figure beginning to turn illusory.

"The Ghost Gate will seal itself again for a hundred years after today."

Thanks to Lu Wu, the Ghost Energy on their bodies had disappeared. A large amount of the Ghost Energy behind the Ghost Gate had been concentrated within the bodies of the Ghost Clan. With them gone, the Ghost Gate would become much more stable.

"I am very happy."

The Ghost King waved to Lu Wu and, with a smile, dissolved into a sky full of motes of light.

Lu Wu reached out but grasped only air.

The Ghost Clan was gone.

Below the Cold Pond, the Ghost Gate let out a RUMBLE as it gradually closed.

Heaven and earth returned to clarity, and all things fell silent.

The CRACKLE of the bonfire brought everyone back to their senses.

"When I return, I will erect memorial tablets for them and have the Divine Spear Sect disciples pay homage for generations to come, so their incense will never be extinguished."

The Sect Leader made his decision.

Compared to the Ghost Clan, their own deeds were nothing.

"How moving and epic," Qin Zhan lamented.

"How respectable and admirable," Lou Xiaotian followed up.

"How... huh? What’s that burning smell?"

Long twitched his nose.

He turned his head, and his jaw dropped.

"My roasted rabbit!"

While they had been lost in thought, the skins of several roasted rabbits had turned pitch black. The burnt smell struck a heavy blow to everyone’s hearts.

"It’s fine. If you peel off the outer layer, it’s still edible," Jiang Yunhe concluded after a few glances.

Even if it gave them an upset stomach, he could produce medicine to treat it.

"I have a ghost story. Does anyone want to hear it?"

Zhang Yue spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention. Shan Hanzhi shot her a confused look.

"Boss Lu is gone."

The spot where the master chef had been was empty.

There were still many humans and beasts eyeing the roasted rabbits covetously, but only a few remained.

ZAP.

In an instant, the gazes of humans and beasts collided like sparks of fire, letting out a crackling sound.

"ROAR!"

A demon beast with a high cultivation level was the first to strike. It snatched a roasted rabbit with incredible speed, then spun around and vanished into the woods.

The second to act were Elder Jiang and Elder Dan.

It could only be said that their tacit understanding was extraordinary, as they both set their sights on the same roasted rabbit.

After each grabbed a leg, their eyes met, and they forcefully ripped the rabbit in half. Once they had their share, they slipped away.

Qin Zhan moved like lightning. With a long reach, he seized the opportunity to grab the nearest roasted rabbit, shot a look at the rest of his group, and disappeared.

This left only the remaining Divine Spear Sect disciples of similar cultivation levels to stare at each other, the air thick with tension.

"Let’s fight."

A senior sister pulled a long spear from her storage space.

"Bring it on."

Her junior sister let go of her arm, her expression grave.

The spear danced like a dragon, and a great battle erupted.

Elsewhere, Lu Wu was humming a little tune while admiring the moonlight. ’My business hours are over. You want me to work overtime? No way.’

’Admiring the moon, petting something fluffy... This is the life. This is the life.’