CH 76

“Can’t you leave?” Bai Xianzhi remained motionless for a long time, and Feng Ye sensed something unusual and immediately voiced his speculation.

Just as Bai Xianzhi was about to come up with an excuse to brush it off, Feng Ye said, “You really can’t leave.” This time, it was not a question but a statement. He had confirmed his suspicion from Bai Xianzhi’s reaction.

“Ha… hahaha,” Bai Xianzhi chuckled awkwardly. “Well, isn’t this quite a coincidence?”

Feng Ye’s expression soured. So, if he hadn’t come, was Bai Xianzhi really planning to wait here and die?

“Come with me!” Feng Ye once again grabbed Bai Xianzhi’s hand and headed towards the exit.

“Wait, wait!” Bai Xianzhi desperately called to a stop, forcefully pulling his wrist back. There were already red marks on it. He rubbed it nonchalantly, marveling at the strength of the divine race.

“Well, Feng… Ye, since we are friends, I hope you can respect my choice. If I leave with you this time, I might never return to my own world for the rest of my life. I’d have to stay in the Three Thousand Food House. Do you expect me to rely on you for the rest of my life?” Bai Xianzhi looked at Feng Ye as he spoke.

Feng Ye was looking thoughtfully at the red mark on Bai Xian’s wrist. Upon hearing this, he blurted out without thinking, “I can.”

Bai Xianzhi: “????” What can? Rely on you?

Wait, why “rely on you”? What kind of dirty words has he come up with?

Thinking of the “rely on you” phrase from Chinese historical fantasy TV dramas, and remembering the earth-shattering news he heard from Nuan the last time he and Feng Ye were separated, Bai Xianzhi’s face turned a bit warm.

“Ahem, that’s not a long-term solution no matter how you think about it,” Bai Xianzhi said, finally daring to look at Feng Ye. “Besides, leaving our homeland, I find it quite uninteresting. My friends and family are all there. I grew up there from childhood to adulthood. I can’t accept spending the rest of my life unable to return.”

“…So you should leave quickly. The Stone Clan is coming soon. Find a safe place first. Besides, the Three Thousand Food House connect two worlds. I don’t think I’ll get hurt staying inside. You should leave.” Feng Ye pursed his lips. He wanted to ask, am I not your friend? He also wanted to ask if the two of them were really just friends. But all these questions paled in comparison to the panic caused by the thought of Bai Xianzhi dying. This was the first time in Feng Ye’s life that he had experienced this kind of feeling. He didn’t know what emotion it was, but he knew he didn’t want Bai Xianzhi to die.

“If you come with me, even if the Three Thousand Food House are destroyed, I can find a way to connect the two worlds again.”

Feng Ye stubbornly looked at Bai Xianzhi, who felt a bit helpless. “Did you forget what you just said? Didn’t you say earlier that you didn’t understand the principles of connecting two big worlds?”

Feng Ye replied, “I may not understand now, but that doesn’t mean I won’t understand in the future.”

Bai Xianzhi sighed and advised, “Thank you, really, thank you. But I’ve already made up my mind, so you should leave first.”

Feng Ye watched Bai Xianzhi silently. He crumpled the can in his hand, and the remaining half-can of beer dripped down his hand. Bai Xianzhi took the can away and used a tissue to wipe his hand, smiling and saying, “It’s okay, I don’t think there will be a problem.” He wasn’t just saying this to reassure Feng Ye; he genuinely felt this way. For some reason, he had a feeling that he would be safe inside this place. He defined this feeling as something akin to a woman’s sixth sense. It might be mystical, but after experiencing such mystical things in another world, believing in other mysteries didn’t seem so difficult.

Feng Ye still didn’t speak. Emotions welled up inexplicably in his silver eyes. At this moment, the sounds of metal clashing outside the door were almost at their doorstep. He flipped his right wrist, and a black longsword appeared in his hand. Bai Xianzhi thought he was about to leave and was about to say goodbye. But just as he was about to speak, the face in front of him suddenly enlarged, and then his lips warmed as his waist tightened. In an instant, he found himself inside a spatial crack.

Bai Xianzhi: “!!!!!!!!”

“What, what, what is happening here?!!!”

The warmth on his lips left as quickly as it had come, but something slid into his mouth and down into his stomach, slowly spreading through his limbs and body. Most importantly, his mouth was now scalding!

What is happening here?! Is this “rely on you”? Why use this method?! He doesn’t even need to “rely on you” now to enter the spatial crack!

The warm words from that day flashed in his mind again:

“Boss, haven’t you realized that our clan leader likes you?!”

Oh my, could this be true?!

Nuan’s eyes were so misleading!! Bai Xianzhi sighed in his heart, and in the next instant, he remembered another sentence that Wen Nuan had said:

“Stop, stop, quickly restrain your thoughts.”

Thoughts raced through his mind, but in reality, only a few seconds had passed. Bai Xianzhi hadn’t even had a chance to notice Feng Ye’s expression when a massive stone fist descended from the sky.

“Clang!”

The black longsword clashed with the stone fist, emitting a piercing screech, and sparks flew. Bai Xianzhi stared wide-eyed at this highly impactful scene. The grinding noise persisted, and the longsword in his eyes seemed insignificant beneath the colossal stone fist. However, it possessed the power of a mantis challenging a cart, and the veins in his arms seemed to intertwine with the black sword, creating a gap for them to escape.

The massive gust of wind accompanying the punch splattered Bai Xianzhi’s face with dust and gravel. He quickly wiped his eyes to clear them and saw the massive stone fist heading straight for the building below.

The Three Thousand Food House!

Subconsciously, Bai Xianzhi held his breath and concentrated. Beneath the huge stone fist, the Three Thousand Food House, which was essentially a building, seemed tiny. Without a doubt, if this punch landed on the Three Thousand Food House, it would instantly turn into a pile of rubble.

Bai Xianzhi’s heart tightened instantly, and he widened his eyes, staring fixedly at the fist descending towards the Three Thousand Food House.

…..

“Big Brother Zhuo Long, have you seen Dad?”

Xiao Long and Xiao Lu looked worriedly in the direction of the Three Thousand Food House, tugging at Zhuo Long’s trousers and asking anxiously.

Zhuo Long held binoculars in his hands, his face solemn. “The Stone Clan is near the Three Thousand Food House.”

“So fast!” Tu linlin also approached, watching the direction of the Three Thousand Food House with concern. He asked, “Do you think the boss can really protect himself?”

“He definitely can! Dad wouldn’t lie to us!” Both little ones stared wide-eyed and shouted at Tu linlin.

Tu linlin patted their heads. At this moment, Zhuo Long suddenly said, “The Stone Clan… is attacking… the Three Thousand Food House!”

Zhuo Long’s voice trembled slightly, but Tu linlin didn’t notice. He had already tightly grasped Zhuo Long’s arm, and even the white rabbit fur on his hand, faintly visible, went unnoticed. The two little ones also stared at Zhuo Long, waiting for his next words.

A few seconds later, Zhuo Long, still holding binoculars, exhaled as if he had just let go of a heavy burden and said, “The Stone Clan has stopped, but the Three Thousand Food House… is still there.”

Whew…

Bai Xianzhi let out a big sigh of relief. For some reason, the massive stone fist suddenly stopped just above the Three Thousand Food House for some unknown reason. Despite being so close, it had yet to come crashing down. Moreover, this particular Stone Clan member seemed frozen in place, and several dozen other Stone Clan members behind him, like they had been paused, maintained the same positions they had been in seconds ago.

“What’s going on again?” Meng Yan was going crazy. What’s wrong with these Stone Clan members today? They stop and start, turn into giant Stone Clan members, and then stop again. It’s completely baffling!

“I don’t know,” Ji Lan replied calmly. “Since he’s not moving, let’s give it everything we’ve got and attack one spot. Let’s make sure he can’t move even if he wants to.”

This made sense, and Meng Yan immediately followed Ji Lan towards the waist and abdomen of the Stone Clan members. Many other divine beings had the same idea. Seizing the opportunity, they attacked again after a brief moment of confusion.

Meanwhile, Bai Xianzhi suddenly felt a strong impulse to return to the Three Thousand Food House. It was an inexplicable urge, but it couldn’t be ignored. In just a few seconds, this urge completely filled his mind. So, he said to Feng Ye, “I need to go back to the Three Thousand Food House.”

Feng Ye looked at him, his expression seeming to say, “Are you crazy?” But Bai Xianzhi was firm. “Just take me to the entrance; I must take a look.”

Feng Ye asked, “Why do you want to go back?”

Bai Xianzhi replied, “I don’t know.”

“You’re sure you have to go back?”

“Absolutely!”

“Alright.”

Feng Ye embraced Bai Xianzhi, and with his full speed, they arrived at the entrance of the Three Thousand Food House in an instant. Time was running out, and the massive stone fist overhead could fall at any moment. They didn’t say much; they entered the Three Thousand Food House directly. Feng Ye remained right behind Bai Xianzhi, ready to protect him in case of any unexpected developments.

As Bai Xianzhi led the way, his heart thumped rapidly. He abruptly stopped when he entered the kitchen and, as he lifted the curtain, his footsteps came to an abrupt halt. Sitting on an old rattan chair, drinking beer and swinging his legs, was the person he saw—his uncle.

“Uncle…”

“Uncle.”

In a dream, time seemed to rewind, and in the blink of an eye, it felt like he had gone back over a decade. The twilight was deep, and his uncle lay on a rattan chair, drinking beer and swaying, humming an unclear tune with strange, intermittent tones that reached his ears as he was cooking in the kitchen. He stood on a small stool, skillfully stir-frying while rolling his eyes dramatically.

“…Uncle, what are you doing here? Aren’t you… dead?”

“Oh, Zhi Zhi, come, sit by Uncle.”

The swaying rattan chair came to a halt, and the elderly man with white hair opened his eyes and looked kindly at Bai Xianzhi. Bai Xianzhi didn’t hesitate and walked over, but he was stopped by Feng Ye from behind. “Don’t go, he… is very strong!”

Bai Xianzhi smiled at Feng Ye, freed himself from Feng Ye’s grasp, and said, “He is my uncle.” Bai Song let out a belch and looked at Feng Ye, saying, “If you’re so worried, kid, come over too.”

Feng Ye tightened his grip on his longsword and walked over, standing to the right of Bai Xianzhi. His protective intentions were evident.

However, Bai Song didn’t pay him any attention, pointing to a small stool beside him, “Zhi Zhi, come and sit here.”

Bai Xianzhi sat down on the small stool, looking at his uncle who had been absent for over a year, someone he thought was already deceased. He felt a bit out of control, with many questions in his mind, but he didn’t know where to start. A thousand words converged into a single sentence: “Uncle, why are you drinking again?”

As soon as the words left Bai Xianzhi’s mouth, his eyes became slightly moist. Bai Song laughed, took another sip of beer, and said, “This is the last can, and after I finish it, Uncle won’t drink anymore.”

Seeing the tears welling up in Bai Xianzhi’s eyes, he reached out and patted Bai Xianzhi’s head, “Zhi Zhi, you’ve done well this past year! Uncle has seen it all, you haven’t tarnished the reputation I built for you, and you’ve barely managed to keep the Three Thousand Food House.”

Bai Xianzhi, feeling sentimental due to the reunion, replied, “…”

Bai Song continued, “I know you have many questions for me. Don’t worry; Uncle will answer them one by one.”

After saying this, he glanced at Feng Ye, who was standing straight next to Bai Xianzhi. Pointing towards the door, he said, “Kid, go outside for a while. This is our father and son bonding time. You haven’t entered our Bai family yet, so you shouldn’t hear these things.”

Bai Xianzhi hesitated for a moment, then told Feng Ye, “You go out first; I’ll be fine.”

Only then did Feng Ye exit.

Outside the door, dozens of giant Stone Clan members remained frozen like statues, while five hundred divine beings continued to inflict damage on them. Inside the room, Bai Song watched his nephew and began to speak.

“Do you remember how I told you about your parents?”

Bai Xianzhi nodded, “You said my parents died in a plane crash, and their bodies were never found. My grandparents and great-grandparents are no longer in this world, so you took me to live in S City.”

Bai Song smiled, “In reality, those two people weren’t your parents. The man just happened to have the surname Bai. I don’t know who your real parents are; you were a child I found.”

Bai Xianzhi remained calm and said, “Not surprising. After all these years, your story had so many loopholes. I knew a long time ago that I wasn’t related to you by blood.”

Bai Song laughed heartily, “That’s right, if you believed what I said, you would be a fool. Haha! Alright, let’s put your past behind us. Now, let’s talk about my story.”

“Zhi Zhi, you’ve been to the Three Thousand Worlds, seen various races, and learned about the Great and Little Realms from that kid at the entrance. What are your thoughts?”

Bai Xianzhi replied, “The world is vast, full of wonders.”

Bai Song chuckled, “Haha, you’re still not one to use your brain, haha.”

Bai Xianzhi retorted with a cheeky grin, “Blah, blah, blah.”

Bai Song put away his smile and said seriously, “Let me tell you a story.”

When Bai Xian heard the word “story,” he recalled some unpleasant memories and hadn’t even had a chance to speak when his uncle continued, “A long, long time ago, a world was born. After its death, its consciousness managed to survive, but it split into two parts. One part was the will that refused to accept its demise, and the other part was the contented will. These two consciousnesses shared a common origin, accompanied each other, and coexisted. However, they pursued different goals. One wanted to resurrect the world, while the other only wanted to live one day at a time. In the end, these two wills disappeared together in the midst of the heavens and the earth, leaving no trace of the world that had once existed.”

Bai Xianzhi blinked and licked his lips, “Is that it?”

Bai Song took a sip of beer, looking surprised, “That’s it! What more do you want to hear?”

Bai Xianzhi responded, “…Just as I thought.” It was a familiar formula, a familiar taste. Who tells a story like this? So dry and incomplete, a thumbs-down!

After finishing a can of beer, Bai Song stood up from the rattan chair, patting Bai Xianzhi’s head, “Alright, alright, I’ll tell you the ending.”

He looked into Bai Xianzhi’s eyes with endless affection, “The ending is that the will that refused to accept and the contented will both ultimately vanished into the heavens and the earth together. There will be no trace left in this world of the existence of that world.”

Bai Xianzhi’s heart sank as he looked up at his uncle, dazed.

“Zhizhi.”

“Yes?”

“In this world, there is nothing eternal. Extinction is the only destiny for all existence. It’s just the most natural law of all.”

“So, Zhizhi…”

“Yes?”

“We will all eventually reach the same destination. There’s no need to be sad or nostalgic. Enjoy the present.”

“…Yes, Uncle.”

Bai Xianzhi’s voice carried a slight tremor.

Among the divine clans who had experienced the great battle, not a single person could fully understand how that battle had concluded. What had they done?

They had indeed launched an attack, but could their attack have had such a significant effect?

In an instant, all the colossal stone beings crumbled into countless grains of sand, suspended within the spatial rift, creating an unprecedented sight – a “Sand Belt.”

This vivid name was coined by Ji Lan. Upon seeing the colossal stone beings transform into the Sand Belt, her first words were, “Will this Sand Belt transform back into colossal stone beings?”

Beside her, Meng Yan remained puzzled, “Sand… Belt?” How had she instantaneously come up with such a name for this thing?

Ji Lan explained, “The sand looks like a belt.”

Meng Yan glanced at Ji Lan’s black belt and exclaimed, “Oh.”

Later, the divine clans spent a whole month guarding the Sand Belt within the spatial rift. Seeing that the Sand Belt had indeed turned into ordinary sand with no vitality, and seemed incapable of transforming into stone beings again, they returned home. However, due to the immense shadow cast by the stone beings on the inhabitants of the Three Thousand Worlds, the divine clans decided to station six adult clan members by each of the six Sand Belts each year, to prevent any possible resurrection of the stone beings.

What they hadn’t anticipated was that due to the presence of the divine clans in the spatial rift, the rampant space pirates who once thought the rift was beyond the law gradually disappeared.

Numerous captured space pirates wailed, “Wuwuwu, robbing in the spatial rift was tough enough, and now with the divine clans around, who can match their speed, let alone their prowess? Isn’t this just bullying? Wuwuwuwuwu…”

In short, with six divine clans continuously guarding the spatial rift, it transformed from an outlaw’s haven to the most secure place in the Three Thousand Worlds, without question. After all, in most of the other small worlds of the Three Thousand Worlds, there was only one divine clan stationed, but here, there were six!

For Feng Ye, the younger generation made up the majority of the forces in this recent battle. They had been significantly influenced by the regulations he had established during their time in the Unified Training School. As a result, his reforms progressed more smoothly than ever before. Of course, there were challenges, but the younger generation actively sought solutions.

After the battle against the stone beings, the Three Thousand Worlds saw rejuvenation and vitality blossom in countless places. Once certain ideas took root, they were passed down from one generation to the next, continuously improving and evolving, like a thriving wildfire.

Author’s Note: Not finished, not finished. I’ll continue tomorrow!

Special thanks to the angels who voted for me or watered my nutrient solution between 2020090115:12:03 and 2020090220:58:55~

Thanks to the angel who planted a landmine: Bai Tao Wulong Duck – 1;

Thanks to the angels who watered my nutrient solution: A Ying, Bai Tao Wulong Duck – 10; rgmau – 2; Idle Fish and Salty Fish – 1;

Thank you all so much for your support. I will keep working hard!

1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ”