Pure was forced into a state of tranquility after the shocking battle. Many great powers and imperial lineages decided to go into shutdown mode.
Powerful ancestors warned their disciples to not go outside and cause trouble. This was a special moment because these powers chose to cut themselves off from the outside world.
Jin Ge's ascension was supposed to be an exciting matter in Pure but no one was talking about it any longer.
The battle at wildland was unavailable to cultivators outside of Pure. Nevertheless, they could still feel the fluctuation from the world-destroying energy. The weaker ones were unaware but still suppressed by the power.
After the battle, the former didn't want to talk about it while the weak only heard that it was a taboo subject. This was the reason for the silence in Pure.
The juniors were curious but the seniors were careful and continuously warned them against a possible disaster from being too nosy.
There was still something good that comes from this. Because of the general isolation, the young ones trained much harder. In just a few years, more talents came out of Pure than before.
Li Qiye left Pure after the battle. War-Monarch Heaven Emperor and Immortal Monarch Jilin's groups worked together to open a passageway to Arrogance for him, allowing a smooth trip.
There was a reason for choosing Arrogance. It was a haven and had the greatest population of the hundred races in all thirteen continents. They have been here for the longest.
Thus, the three races seemed weaker in comparison in this land.
The reason for its prosperity was due to the old sages, but of course, the biggest contributor was Immortal Emperor Jiao Heng.
He reigned over his aura and changed the name of the continent from White to Arrogance.
Moreover, he went as far as announcing a complete separation of the hundred races from their overlords and made this place a haven.
Because of this, the children of Arrogance all remembered and sang praises of his title for generations.
Li Qiye didn't meet up with the group from the nine worlds right away. His destination was an ordinary place full of mountains and towering trees. Deers and eagles were a common sight. Waterfalls scattered all over the place.
Small villages were around due to the sparse population. He stood on top of a peak to look at the villages shrouded in smoke billowing from the stoves.
The peak he was standing on was completely straight and perilous. A mortal had no way of reaching its pinnacle.
On top were numerous graves with only names on the tablets, nothing else. There must have been more than one hundred – all were unadorned and simple.
No one has been here taking care of this place but weeds and foliage didn't take over, only a few blades of grasses growing through the stony crevices here and there.
He poured good wine on them before leaning back to look at the distance.
“Watching the sunset while growing older, surrounded by children and grandchildren while dying of old age, that's not too bad. Mortals would praise such a life filled with fortune and longevity, surely a life worth living.” Li Qiye chuckled while drinking and looking at the smoke emanating from the villages.
No one knew that these graves belonged to existences that have once threatened the thirteen continents. Many of them were experts at the divine level for they were the fiercest of generals. They rode on the battlefield while their fame alone was enough to rob their enemies of courage.
The wind gently blew while he sat there quietly: “That's people for you. As a mortal ant, one would yearn to be a cultivator, wanting to fly across the sky and earth, through the mountains and rivers, live among the clouds, eat nothing but dew and mist…”
“… After becoming a true expert and experiencing enough, seeing too much and understanding the mysteries, they would see that being a mortal is actually quite nice. Ignorance is bliss, or so they say. Living for only decades from birth till death, no need to experience hardships. Having parents and children, to live and die is more than enough.” He gently sighed.
He took another sip and said softly: “I do envy you guys, able to let go, going back to your home and hang up your armors, leaving the cultivation world and years of domination. Unfortunately, I can't do it even if the opportunity were to come one day. Regardless of the future, I can only tread forward without rest. Who can I blame for making me this way?”
He stayed here for several more days to watch the sun goes up and down, the clouds gather and disperse, as if this scene didn't bore him at all.
“Goodbye, old friends, rest well.” He finally stood up and grabbed a handful of soil before releasing them to the wind. He looked at these graves one last time before leaving.
Not far from this peak was a fair-sized village with only several dozen families. They relied on hunting to get through the day. When the sun went up, they toiled; when the sun came down, it was time to rest.
It had this name because all of the villagers had the last name, Yao. They actually didn't know where they came from, only that their ancestors have been staying here all along.
Yao didn't seem different from other villages, still focused on hunting and farming for subsistence.
A gurgling stream ran by the entrance of the village. When the sun rose from the hills, its rays fell on the stream, resulting in bright reflection.
Li Qiye was leaning on an old locust tree by the stream to look at Yao in the morning.
Repetition could be heard already from both boys and girls. They were coming from a field nearby. Normally, it was used to sunbathe certain commodities, but now, these children were sitting cross-legged there to meditate.
“A king holds his head high, always calm and collected regardless of the situation…” A pleasant voice was coming from an older lass. She enunciated each word clearly in order to teach these young villagers dao laws.
“A king holds his head high, always calm and collected regardless of the situation…” The sitting children slowly repeated after her.
The lass was around sixteen years of age. She wasn't overly pretty but had an appearance that warms the heart and delights the eye. Her oval shaped face was white and soft with a pair of lovely and spirited eyes.
She had no makeup as she looked up in the sky. Her dress was also simple but it didn't diminish her beauty. Her hair casually draped on her back, natural and youthful.
The repetition continued as she chanted mantras and the children repeated after her. It made the village much more interesting and alive.
Li Qiye couldn't help but smile as if he was brought back to the past.
In the olden days, there have been people just like her spreading the dao in this village while the children's voice echoed to the sky.
As the sun rose higher, the lass finally finished this section. She stood up and said: “We'll stop here today, go home now.”
“Yay! Time to eat!” A few kids jumped up excitedly and ran back to their house like the wind.
“Big Sis Ting, when are you going to teach us real skills, so we can fly just like you?” One kid asked with a wishful flash in his cute, round eyes.