The old man started climbing the mountain while surrounded by his attendants. Behind him were a few young land dwellers. There were both men and women among them, and they all followed him respectfully.
The old man said, “Little Five, Little Six, come with me. The others will stay back and wait.”
Two land people walked out. They were a man and a woman who looked like they were 18 or 19 years old. They supported the old man and climbed the mountain together.
The old man spent a much longer time climbing the mountain than the previous humans. Some residents stationed near the volcano surrounded him. They were stunned when they saw the old man’s face.
The attendants carved a path in the crowd. The old man smiled kindly at the residents.
A child suddenly said, “Grandpa Leader, there are devils on the mountain. Don’t go!”
The old man smiled. “They aren’t devils.”
For countless years, the top of the mountain had been a forbidden zone. People said that the mineral resources on the mountain were richer. There were piles of gold there, and the mouth of the volcano was a lake formed by Soul Refining Water. There was endless wealth waiting for them there, but no one could reach the top.
This was not just because ordinary people could not reach the peak of the 30-kilometer mountain. More importantly, the aura of the peak of the Legendary stage prevented them from reaching the peak. Wei Huo was guarding the peak alone. No one could reach the peak with him around.
However, the old man was an exception. He led the two young land dwellers up the mountain. The aura of the peak of the Legendary stage gave them a chance to walk up easily.
When the old man arrived at the peak with the two land people, they saw Wei Huo. Wei Huo had not changed at all. He was still sitting cross-legged, just like before. Time had not left a single trace on his body.
The old man said, “It’s been 3,000 years. My eldest brother is dead. I’ll be inheriting the position of the leader.”
Wei Huo opened his eyes. There was no trace of gold in them. His eyes were black and white, like a baby’s eyes. When he saw the old man in front of him, he thought of an Atlantean who had lived in the land world for 50 years, Zhang Li. Back then, he had been a young man around only 500 years old. He had not expected him to become so old.
The old man said, “My eldest brother still hadn’t broken through to the peak of the Legendary stage, but his lifespan was exhausted. He’s dead. He can’t fulfill his promise now.”
Wei Huo looked at the two young land people behind the old man and said, “Did you take away a group of land people?”
The two young individuals were terrified. Although they were both land dwellers, they were more afraid of Wei Huo and were closer to the old man.
They were wearing specially-made protective suits that could ensure their survival. Otherwise, Earth would not allow them to survive. They would not even be able to breathe.
The old man said, “I brought a group of children from the land. That way, even if the migration failed, we could still save our race. However, if my eldest brother had listened to my suggestion, perhaps our relationship would not have been so tense now.”
Wei Huo said, “There’s no difference. I still wouldn’t have let you pass.”
The old man shook his head. “I’m not asking you to let us pass. I came here to tell you two things. One, my eldest brother is dead. Two, I will carry out my eldest brother’s oath. When I break through to the peak of the Legendary stage, I will fight you fairly and defeat you.”
Wei Huo closed his eyes and said, “I’ll wait.”
The old man left, but the two young land dwellers stayed. They became Wei Huo’s attendants and started building houses and roads. At the same time, they became husband and wife while Wei Huo bore witness.
Time started flying again. The couple grew older, but they had children and built more houses on the mountaintop. In the end, the couple’s lifespan was exhausted and they died. However, newborns were born continuously. A new cycle started at the top of the volcano.
The Atlantean spacecraft could only land at the foot of the mountain. Only land people could go up the mountain, but they were not much different from the Atlanteans. They also used the Atlantean language and ate Atlantean food. They often went down the mountain to communicate with other Atlantean residents. Some of them married Atlanteans, but only pure land people could go up the mountain.
Soon, a new town appeared on top of the mountain. Wei Huo was admitted into the temple and became the new deity. He was worshiped by the residents living around the volcano.
The Power of Faith condensed into a new Wei Huo. Unlike the deity who had died early in the Soaring Cloud City, this deity was well-nourished and kept growing.
Wei Huo had been there the whole time. He had closed his eyes and comprehended death, reincarnation, and the world.
The residents of Soaring Cloud City had gradually forgotten about Wei Huo after his departure. That was why the deity formed by faith had died again. However, things were different now. Wei Huo had been sitting cross-legged at the mouth of the volcano for thousands of years. The Atlanteans, who did not have long lifespans, already worshiped him like a deity.
Humans had always admired people who could persevere. They admired people who spent their lives running. They admired people who had been wronged and had spent half their lives in prison. They admired people who had been crippled but were determined to pursue a music career. That was why the administrator had made these people’s stories into movies and earned a lot of money by making the audience cry.
Humans were persevering creatures. They persevered to survive, they persevered in their marriages, they persevered for reproduction purposes, and they persevered to become deities.
That was why Wei Huo, who was still alive, had moved them and become their deity. That was what worship was like. The same applied to the worship of fathers, teachers, and Gautama Buddha. The same applied to Chinese historical heroes Guan Yu and Yue Fei. The same applied to Wei Huo now.
Even the leader of the Atlanteans started worshiping Wei Huo.
They all worshiped Wei Huo, who had not moved for thousands of years. However, Wei Huo’s goal was to comprehend the True Intent of Annihilation and break through to the Mythical stage. Wei Huo had no intention of becoming their deity. He did not know about it either.
Countless years later, an extraordinary middle-aged Atlantean arrived at the foot of the volcano with a group of attendants behind him. On one side of him was a beautiful female land person. She was wearing a unique dress that Atlanteans would wear only when they got married. They all scaled the volcano as a huge crowd.
Were they there to seek Wei Huo’s blessing? Were they there to seek the blessing of the ancients who had persisted for thousands of years?
The Atlanteans did not differentiate between land people and themselves anymore. They called themselves the Fallen Night Clan, and the difference between the Atlanteans and the land people was not obvious. The mercury spots of the Atlanteans gradually disappeared, and the land people also experienced some changes. Their physique was strengthened as well.
Too much time had passed, and they had already begun a new round of evolution.
The new couple scaled the volcano. The man was dignified and had an extraordinary aura. The woman was beautiful and had an outstanding temperament. They ascended the divine mountain together as if they wanted Wei Huo’s blessing. After all, Wei Huo was considered the oldest person in the clan.
Time had really passed.