The Divine Realm was almost complete, much like before, but without the divine power barrier, nor the need for the Divine Realm to maintain its divine power and balance, and most importantly, without Jian Shen Mountain.
The architecture of the Divine Realm had shed its previous style, becoming minimalist, elegant, and artistic. Gone was the Divine King’s Hall above the clouds, replaced by a city, a white city built halfway up a mountain, nestled between two thousand-zhang waterfalls.
Here, there were myriad mountains and seas of clouds, vast expanses of land, blue skies and white clouds, and gentle breezes, all suffused with a soft, divine radiance.
There was no Divine Race Realm to confine any gods; they could return to their ancestral lands to live or roam the universe.
Below the city lay a vast lake, and before it, endless lands. To the west, a thousand-mile mountain range had been carved out for the demon race to inhabit. They could also travel anywhere in the universe to find a place to rebuild Guixu. Chongming had gathered all the scattered demon tribes across the cosmos. Ya Yu was busy, leading a group of young demons wandering the universe, searching for their homeland.
He Li’s intention was for the demon race to live here; wouldn’t that be wonderful?
But according to Chongming, this was He Li’s Sacred City, and it was not appropriate for them to disturb it further. They had been granted one-tenth of the Divine Realm’s vast lands, which they already felt unworthy of. How could they impose further by staying here? Moreover, those little demons were always yelping and shouting, which might disturb He Li, and they feared other gods might be displeased, causing trouble for He Li. Although Chongming knew He Li wouldn’t mind, He Li’s current status was different; he needed to treat all gods equally and not be arrogant due to his early allegiance, thereby causing He Li any distress.
Knowing the ways of the world and understanding when to advance and retreat, Chongming had indeed become a qualified Supreme of the Demon Race.
At this moment,
He Li was drinking with Yan Ping, whose expression was cold. He Li felt a pang of sadness. The previous Yan Ping was a fellow who loved to laugh and curse, but now he exuded a chilling, desolate divine power, his eyes and expression as frigid as ice.
“Si An has occupied the Desolate Domain. Some days ago, he sent an envoy to find me, wanting to partition the Desolate Domain with me,” Yan Ping said, holding his wine cup.
“What did you say?” He Li nodded, picking up the wine bottle and refilling Yan Ping’s cup.
Yan Ping raised his cup and downed the wine. He looked up at He Li and said, “I refused.”
He Li continued to nod, remaining silent. Although he had previously promised Si An that he would give him what was due after the matter was settled, facing Yan Ping’s words, his promise to Si An was worth nothing.
*I help my own, regardless of reason.*
Yan Ping suddenly grinned, but his smile was no longer as bright as before; it was somewhat unpleasant. He said, “I withdrew.”
He Li asked, confused, “What do you mean?”
Yan Ping looked down at his wine cup, his fingers moving slightly as he twirled it. After a long silence, he said, “I never cared about the ownership of the Desolate Domain. Since Si An desires it, and it falls within your promise, wouldn’t it be a good deed to oblige?”
“If the Desolate Domain is given to him, then what about you?” He Li asked.
Yan Ping looked at He Li and said earnestly, “My brother is the Divine King. Where else would I go?”
He Li did not smile; instead, he looked at Yan Ping with heartache. He had sacrificed too much for him.
After a moment of thought, He Li said, “I will allocate the Southern Battlefield to your subordinate Aras tribes, allowing them to live there. Since Si An has taken the Desolate Domain, it is only natural to cede the Southern Battlefield. He won’t push his luck with me. Once you have settled your subordinates, you can return.”
Yan Ping fell silent, his eyes dimming. “Haven’t you already achieved the unity of the three natures?”
He Li was stunned. He understood what Yan Ping meant. With his unity of the three natures and becoming the Divine King, he now possessed beastly nature. Then, what position would Yan Ping occupy?
He Li looked at Yan Ping and retorted, “Xiao Yue and Uncle Li already have their own lives. Must you, Yan Ping, forever stand in my shadow?”
“Otherwise?” Yan Ping asked calmly.
“From the moment Xi Ming separated my divine nature and I sent you away, allowing you to live, Yan Ping, you have been merely Yan Ping, no longer He Li, but Xia Pei Shu’s beastly nature. From that moment on, you became an independent individual, no longer living as my shadow.”
After speaking, He Li paused, then shook his head. “Yan Ping, I hope you all live well, not just in words, but truly hope you all have your own lives.
Xiao Yue and the others are like this, and so are you.”
Yan Ping lowered his head as if he didn’t quite understand, like a sulking child, remaining silent, attempting to resist He Li with his silence.
He Li frowned, his tone slightly heavier. “Yan Ping!”
Yan Ping kept his head down. After a long while, he reluctantly nodded slightly.
He Li breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, refilling Yan Ping’s cup. “Drink and eat meat. When you were inside me before, you could only watch me eat. Now you can finally eat. Aren’t you happy?”
Yan Ping tilted his head back and finished the wine in his cup. He grabbed a chicken leg from the table and began to devour it. The price of freedom was an empty heart. Not only was his own heart empty, but He Li’s heart was also empty. They would both need a long time to adapt to being apart.
The next morning.
He Li gently pushed open the room door. The blinding sunlight streamed in. He Li squinted, shielding his eyes, and looked around. He strolled along the corridor, his fingers brushing against the exquisite railings, and sat down on a bench in the long corridor.
From here, he could see more than half of the Divine Realm. The scenery was the best. Occasionally, a streak of golden meteor flashed across the sky. He wondered which god was going where and doing what.
In the lake below the city, several flood dragons were swimming. They were the Ruilin tribe of the demon race, not true dragons but resembling flood dragons. Further away, several Sanqing birds frolicked in the air, their colors brilliant.
He Li couldn’t help but wonder what the demon race would have been like in its prime. He would have to ask Cheng Xilin, who was currently pursuing the Lord of Time, as the demon race was destroyed by his hands, and he had killed half of the Thirteen Heavens.
A gentle breeze blew, and the fire trees rustled. This was the fire tree forest where he and Huai Xi had pledged their love. He had transplanted it to the Divine Realm, at the edge of the lake. Its red glow, like a spread dawn, added a unique touch to the quiet and elegant Divine Realm.
Ripples spread behind He Li. He shifted his position and turned his head to look back. From within the ripples, Cheng Xilin emerged.
He Li looked at Cheng Xilin.
Cheng Xilin looked around and smiled, saying, “You seem quite leisurely now.”
He Li tilted his head and asked, “Should I call you Na Yanli, or Cheng Xilin?”
“Cheng Xilin, I suppose. I’ve used this name the longest.”
“Alright, Mr. Cheng Xilin, what brings you here?”
“Help me kill someone.”
“Who?”
“The Lord of Time!”
“No.”
Cheng Xilin was speechless.
He Li was also speechless.
The two sat opposite each other, staring blankly at one another, the atmosphere suddenly becoming awkward.
…