The dark gray land was burning, the dark blue sea was burning, and the boundless sky was burning. Everything in the world seemed to be enveloped by the blazing flames, trying its best to squeeze out every bit of fuel in its body, adding it to the raging flames.
The volcano erupted, and the boiling red magma submerged into the seawater, evaporating endless fog. It also drove the ocean currents to set off huge waves that were each taller than the last, constantly slamming against the land that had long been melted into a strange shape. The world was filled with terrifying light and heat, filled with the smell of destruction.
The animals on the land screamed miserably, their fur rotten, and their bones could be seen. It was as if the light, the waves, and the flames were soul-devouring flames from the netherworld that they could never escape. No matter how far they escaped from the burning forest, no matter how deep they dug into the deep holes under the grassland, they still could not escape the destruction that could destroy all living beings.
The animals in the sea were also swimming uneasily, desperately avoiding the heat and poisonous gases that surged out from the deep trenches at the bottom of the sea. The mammals that were used to swimming freely in the cold sea poked their heads out of the water in extreme despair, but what entered their lungs was boiling air and the dust that carried fatal toxins.
The birds in the sky were still flying with all their might, far away from the dazzling light in the sky, desperately flying towards the two ends of the land. The natural sensitivity of life made them know that they could probably only find the final paradise in those places where people rarely went. This was a great migration that was completely out of sync with the season, and in this migration, most of the birds still died on the way, landing on the withered land. There were very few birds that could truly hide from the blazing light and the black dust.
The light in the world gradually dimmed, but the air was filled with dust and dark clouds, mercilessly blocking the round sun above their heads. The entire green grassland had long changed color. The animals that had survived the calamity gathered around a small pool, desperately fighting for the only clean water source. More than thirty large crocodiles hid in the depths of the pool, and countless animals around the pool gathered and began to dig small puddles. Some bold and strong carnivores bravely began to attack the crocodiles' territory.
There were no longer any traces of birds in the sky, and the fish at the bottom of the sea had long been frightened into the coral reefs in the deep sea, not daring to come out. The sharks swimming around opened their large eyes in confusion, not knowing what had happened to this world and what had happened to their home. And on the surface of the sea, more than ten huge sperm whales floated tiredly, occasionally flicking their tails weakly. Further away on the edge of the small island, the sea lions roared at the sky in despair and anger, mercilessly biting each other to vent the fear in the depths of their hearts.
The animals gathered around the pool gradually died. Some died from killing each other, some died from inhaling the black dust in the air, some died from hunger, some died from thirst, and most of the animals actually died from drinking the water in the pool.
The air was dry, and there were only countless pale bones left around the pool. Some were large, some were small, some were curled up, and some were crouching in fear. Their fur and flesh had long returned to the earth, leaving only these white bones in the surroundings, accompanying the most powerful reptiles in the pool, the reptiles that had not perished after tens of millions of years.
After a few more days, the pool dried up. The large crocodiles that weighed hundreds of kilograms lay on the soil as if resigned to their fate, allowing the red mud on their backs to be burned by the not-so-blazing sun. They gradually died, gradually withered, gradually rotted, and gradually turned into shocking white bones.
In reality, these powerful reptiles were actually dried up in the end.
The sky was still deathly silent. Other than the thick black clouds that rolled and pressed down on the ground, there were no signs of life. The scene on the surface of the sea was even more cruel. Where the warm ocean currents met the cold currents in the northern part of the bay, countless large aquatic mammals either floated in the seawater by the island or sank to the quiet bottom of the sea. The whales, sea lions, and manatees had long become rotten flesh, polluting the entire seawater and turning the entire bay into a field of carnage. The air was filled with a foul stench.
The scavenging animals struggled at death's door for a longer time because of these huge existences. They acutely sensed that the closer they were to the shore of the land, the more the world was filled with the aura of death, so they were very careful when eating.
Finally, one day, the dry, gloomy, hell-like world finally rained. The rainwater struck the few remaining leaves at the edge of the grassland, waking up the insects hiding in their holes. Round water droplets rolled on the muddy ground, and a beetle happily washed its face. The rainwater gradually gathered and followed the ancient waterway, heading deep into the grassland. Along the way, it woke up countless creatures that used sleep to avoid destruction.
The trickling river flowed into the pool surrounded by white bones. What was surprising was that a lizard hiding deep in the cracks of the rocks in the river was still alive. It stuck out its red tongue and clumsily stepped across the shallow water, licking the white bones in the crocodile's huge eye sockets. Occasionally, it would extend its right front leg and announce to the surroundings that it owned the pool … In any case, there were more than a thousand white skeletons around the pool, and they had all sunk into silence. It was impossible for them to express any objections to its announcement. If those lions and baboons were still alive, the world would be different.
No matter which world it was in, rain always represented life. This time seemed to be no exception. The black dust that filled the air was washed away by the rain. The dust that could not be blown away by the wind finally yielded to the power of the water god. A fresh and pleasant smell appeared in the air again. The creatures in the wilderness were born because of the water, gathered because of the water, and began a happy new life after the disaster. They began to hunt and kill each other again. Even though it was a bloody hunt, it still carried a happy smell of life.
However, these creatures did not know that the black dust carried by the rain that fell from the sky was terrifying. They also did not know that the rain could wash away the dust, but it could never wash away the invisible lines that filled the world but were enough to kill most life.
When it rained, the sea was much calmer. The waves slowly pushed the corpses of the dead animals to the rocks on the shore, and the rotten smell was washed away by the rain.
However, the rain became heavier and heavier as if it would never stop. The animals that drank the rain began to feel that their lives were slowly leaving their bodies. They did not know why, but the instinctive fear made them feel despair. In the pouring rain, they used the last of their strength and began to carry out a cruel and ruthless killing. They did not even spare their own compatriots.
After countless floods, big and small, life on land was once again dealt a heavy blow. Other than leaving countless corpses soaked in the muddy water, there was no longer any trace of life. The rotten corpses that piled up at the edge of the sea were beaten into disgusting bubbles by the rain. It had nothing to do with the fairy tale at all.
However, heaven's punishment for this world did not seem to be over. After the rain came a sudden frost. From north to south, the air suddenly dropped by more than ten degrees. The sun could not be seen in the world, and the seasons seemed to be in chaos. The deep cold of winter appeared in front of life that was already in danger.
After the frost came the endless snow. At first, the snowflakes were still black and gray, but in the end, they returned to pure white, looking incomparably pure. They covered the sky, the earth, and the sea. The whole world was shrouded in wind and snow. The bitter cold descended on the earth, and the ice extended into the sea.
The vast expanse of white was really clean. Endless snow fell endlessly. There was no longer any sign of life on the snowy ground. This scene continued calmly and coldly. One year, two years, ten years, a hundred years … …
…
…
It was a long time before he pulled his gaze away from the light mirror in the air. His eyes were bloodshot, and his lips were slightly white. Although everything shown in the scene earlier was the result of his analysis and judgment after entering the Temple, truly seeing it happen in front of his eyes, the powerful sorrow and pain still made his heart ache even more. He knew that this was not the divine realm. He could not be like the people of this world and treat these as myths and then record them on murals and legends. He knew that all of this had truly happened. The lives that had died in the calamity had once truly existed.
The bloodshot in his eyes represented exhaustion and mental and physical exhaustion. Fan Xian lowered his head and rubbed his eyes. He then raised his head again and gazed at the snowy scene in the mirror in the air that seemed to not change for tens of thousands of years. He knew that change would certainly happen. Otherwise, how could civilization have continued to the present world? What made his heart tremble was that even now, he still did not see what kind of terrifying torment the people in that world, his former companions, had suffered.
…
…
Grand, wonderful, exquisite, simple, simple, simple … buildings were completely different from grass nests and caves in this world. They were also the existences that had suffered the heaviest blow in the calamity. The people of that world had grasped some of the creator's secrets. In the end, they had thrown these weapons of mass destruction onto their heads. This was an absurd reality.
The high temperature melted cement and steel. The shock wave shattered everything that remained. Invisible and nameless rays of light killed everyone. After the drought came the flood. After the frost came the wind and snow. Countless years passed. Under the cover of the boundless white snow, the glory it once had had been covered up. No one knew that there had once been a race that had once been incomparably glorious in this world.
After an unknown number of years of wind and snow, someone finally appeared in the scene once again. The destruction of civilization, the survival instinct of life, and the brutal killing appeared once again. In the wasteland, the only thing that could survive was to successfully display the side of animal nature that was most difficult for human nature to accept in order to survive.
Fan Xian did not want to see this, so the scene quickly spun and moved. It was as if he was sitting in front of a time machine, watching the fall of civilization, the remnants of civilization, and the remnants of the fire of civilization disappear into the wastelands.
He watched as the remaining tall buildings under the snow were eroded by the wind and snow and collapsed. After the ice and snow, the weeds took over their bodies. Using the power of time, feng shui, and nature, they turned into pieces of rock and rusted gravel. None of their original appearance could be seen.
He watched as the people dressed in animal skins moved back into their caves, built grass huts, and picked up bone arrows again. However, they forgot words and language.
Buildings rose, buildings collapsed, and buildings rose again. In the past, Fan Xian had always thought that civilization was the existence with the most life force. No matter how great of a blow it suffered, it could always rely on a few sparks to start a new prairie fire. However, as he watched the scenes flashing quickly across the mirror, only then did he know that civilization itself was the weakest thing in the world. When the material world that civilization relied on was lost, the spiritual aspect was always so easily forgotten.
The scene flashed by in an instant, but hundreds of thousands of years had already passed in this world. The last glory did not leave any trace in this world and completely disappeared.
Fan Xian watched all of this happen. His eyes were confused and slightly red. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, he clenched his fists tightly. In an instant, he saw a thousand years. The stone beside him had not rotted, but tens of thousands of years had passed.
He truly saw the sea turn into mulberry fields, the stars move, and the earth change.
He saw the once bay become fertile soil. He didn't know if the nutrients left behind by the countless dead animals would be of any help to this change in the world. He saw the deathly grassland rise slightly after the volcanic activity calmed. Freed from the threat of the flood, a tribe of primitive people came from the northeast. They began to arduously chase away the wild animals and use slash-and-burn cultivation.
After an indeterminable amount of time, a blind man covered in black cloth stepped through the ice and snow in the north and came to the tribe of ancient humans. He was called an emissary by later generations.
The emissary came from the north and taught the skill of weaving nets. The people of the tribe bowed to the north and praised the favor of the gods.
Another emissary came from the north and taught the method of knotting ropes to record events. The people of the tribe again praised the grace of the gods.
Another emissary came from the north and taught the matter of writing. The people of the tribe built altars and painted paintings on the mountain walls. They praised the grace of the Temple.
…
…
Fan Xian buried his head deep into his knees. His hurried breathing made his back rise and fall. He was silent for an indeterminable amount of time. He finally understood most of the things. Ever since he confirmed that this was Earth, there were many things he did not understand. Why did the words used in this world just happen to be the words he knew in his previous life? Why did the words in this world not seem to have undergone an overly complicated process of evolution? It was as if they had been like this from the beginning.
"I have a question. Why is it that everything is gone, but you, or perhaps the Temple, is still able to be preserved?" Fan Xian's voice was very raspy. He had basically confirmed that the time of the calamity should have happened after his death. However, it could not have been too long after his death because he was unfamiliar with the construction and craftsmanship of this Temple. However, in terms of technology and civilization, there was nothing he did not understand yet.
On the smooth mirror of light, scenes of the tribe people's joys and sorrows continued to play out. The hot-blooded sacrifice during the opening up of the wastelands continued to play out. These remnant people who had experienced hundreds of thousands of years of cold and deathly stillness had long forgotten that they were ancient existences too far away. However, they were, after all, humans who had already evolved once. When the environment of this world allowed them to move about relatively freely, the intelligence hidden deep in the collective unconscious finally exploded. In particular, the black-clothed emissary from the north would descend upon the tribe every once in a while and bring the grace of the Temple. This quickly catalyzed the progress of human society and civilization.
Just like a game with a plug-in, the scene in the light mirror progressed extremely quickly. It seemed like the human race did not spend hundreds of thousands of years to develop to its present state. However, since many years ago, the black-veiled emissary had never appeared in the world again. The ones who took up this task were the emissaries who walked the world, as well as the Tianmai practitioners who were taught by those emissaries.
When Fan Xian asked his question, the scene in the mirror just happened to stop on a lone peak. Countless commoners were frantically and courageously digging stone steps on the mountain. They then transported stone and wood to the summit of the mountain to build a temple there.
This lonely sea was by the sea. Half of the mountain was like green jade and as smooth as a mirror. It faced the sun of the East Sea. It was the Dong Mountain that Fan Xian was very familiar with and had even personally climbed.
The Temple's voice once again rang out in all directions. Its tone was still warm, but there was still no hint of true emotion. "For the museum's beautiful appearance to be preserved, it is all due to luck. Using the words of the people of the world, this is fate."
Yes, other than fate and luck, what else could explain the ruins of a civilization from hundreds of thousands of years ago still lying quietly in the snowy mountains, calmly and warmly watching each step of the remnant people of the world?
Perhaps only the eternal and unchanging ice and snow could withstand the power of time. Nature's unintentional destruction did not make the Temple disappear without a trace in the long river of time like those grand buildings.
The Temple used solar energy. Perhaps this was one of the reasons. However, it was clear that the ancient war could not bring about such a large change in the world. Did something big happen to the earth itself?
Fan Xian could have thought deeply about this question, but the emotions in his head were unusually violent, particularly when he saw the black-clothed blind emissary and the scene on the jade wall of Dong Mountain that appeared at the end. It made his mouth dry and tongue dry. He was unable to speak.
If everything in the scene was true, then what was Uncle Wu Zhu? A prophet of the entire human society? A teacher? Thinking of how he had grown up with Uncle Wu Zhu and had truly lived by the side of a legend, Fan Xian's body couldn't help but tremble.
"But, I don't believe that you are the only place left in the world." Fan Xian's raspy voice trembled. It sounded strange. "That doesn't make sense."
"Time can prove everything. I have spent hundreds of thousands of years in this world and have not found a similar existence," the Temple's voice rang out calmly by Fan Xian's ear. The voice of the Temple rang out beside Fan Xian's ear. It was very calm. "For me to be able to survive until now and continue to complete my mission of helping humankind, on one hand, is luck. On the other hand, during these hundreds of thousands of years, the emissaries have been endlessly repairing the Temple. Unfortunately, the emissaries have gradually been used up by time."
Although the Temple's voice said it was a pity, there was no such emotion in its tone. Fan Xian closed his eyes and thought deeply for a long time. He then pointed at the great Dong Mountain in the mirror and the temple that was gradually being completed. "I've been to this place before. Why did you send out a prophecy through the emissaries and build a temple there?"
As he passed by Dong Mountain from the sea, each time he saw the neat and tidy jade wall that seemed to have been cut by a god's sword, Fan Xian's state of mind would waver. Looking at the impossible scene in this world, he always felt that the jade wall did not seem to be formed naturally. If it was done by a human, what kind of power did it take?
What Fan Xian didn't understand the most was why Uncle Wu Zhu had gone to Dong Mountain to recover after he was injured. Why did the Emperor choose Dong Mountain for his final battle?
"To commemorate." The Temple's voice was silent for a moment. It then said, "That was the starting point of the battle. It was the weapon that humans used to kill each other. In the end, it created a result that even humans themselves could not have predicted. As for the final imprint, it was that neat and tidy jade wall. That city had long ceased to exist. Half of that mountain had been melted by the heat. In the end, it became what it is now."
Fan Xian closed his eyes tightly. His eyelashes trembled slightly. It was not until today that he learned of this secret. Dong Mountain had been the point of the battle. A mountain range had been melted into a lone peak hanging by the ocean. The rocks had been melted by the high temperature into a green jade wall. How exaggerated and terrifying was this?
"Thus, the radiation left behind on Dong Mountain is the most powerful. It is also the most powerful yuanqi in the world …" Fan Xian's raspy voice rang out as he spoke of his deduction. "If my deduction is correct, I don't understand why the radiation from killing people can become yuanqi in the world. If the people of the world are truly the remains of a previous generation of humans, why do they have things like Meridians in their bodies? "
"Because humans are the stupidest species in the world and also the smartest. Most importantly, they are the species most able to adapt to their environment," the Temple's voice replied. "Concerning this, I have absolute confidence."
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