"Descendant..." the emperor's voice echoed once more. "The allies that helped me set up those two formations to seal the demons and secure humanity's victory came from the Divine Moon Realm. Listen well. Should you fail to prevent the specters from returning to the human realm, the humans will definitely not be able to resist their might. If that day ever comes, bring this moonjade to the Old Deepstar Path to open the Moon Astral Gate. If those from the Divine Moon Realm are aware that the specters aren’t extinct yet, they’ll definitely send help. That is the only hope we humans have. Make sure to never offend them!" He made sure to emphasize the last sentence.
"Where could the Divine Moon Realm be?" Tianming wondered. Was it out in the cosmic aether?
The emperor, seemingly having heard his question, said, "Just look up at the moon."
The moon seemed to be so distant it hung above the layer of stars beneath.
"So, the world of two hundred thousand years ago basically had the Flameyellow Continent at the bottom, the grey star above it, and the Divine Moon Realm even further up?" It seemed the world was bigger than Tianming had imagined.
Soon, the area began shaking. Tianming continued moving toward the light where the exit was. The emperor's voice grew deeper. "Descendant! I’m far too fearful at imagining what could have happened to the world in your day. I grew up in hardship and lost the peaceful days I spent with my parents, wife, and brothers, all for the sake of bringing about our triumph. I lost everything and will only live on in the memories of others. However, I have no regrets.
"The reason for that is that we survived. All of us who fought and died for our dignity will never come to regret it. We changed our fates and refused to remain slaves. We're no longer the livestock of others, and our descendants aren't guaranteed a life of suffering. Our race used to be forced to procreate and cultivate so the specters could enjoy our lifebound beasts as delicacies.
"You wouldn't know how agonizing it was to live in those days without experiencing it yourself firsthand. Our forebears weren't even allowed the luxury of ending our own life on our own terms. Do you know what the greatest pain is? It's living after losing your brothers and sisters that cultivated with you over centuries. They don't eat humans, only lifebound beasts. Those left behind are never able to shake off that trauma."
Lifebound beasts were sentient beings that cultivated with their beastmasters. The bond between them and their beastmasters was something that would inevitably develop. They weren't just simple animals; they were partners for life. There was no way Tianming would be willing to see Ying Huo and the rest slaughtered and eaten. Tianming didn't know why the specters didn't just eat masterless wildbeasts instead. Perhaps they just weren't as nourishing or tasty, or maybe they just chose to eat lifebound beasts out of spite and hatred.
By now, Tianming was at the shining light. Great Emperor Xuanyuan continued, "So, do you understand now? They are the hunters and we are the hunted. Even though we were born as prey, we can't afford to lose! Who knows how much agony will result as a consequence of failure? The Flameyellow Continent has been our home since aeons ago. The Ninefold Hell is a newcomer. Their star descended from our skies. They are the invaders, yet they claim to be the masters of the continent!
"For the sake of our descendants’ ability to live a life of freedom and dignity as sentient beings, you must endure! Don't ever lose! Only those who experienced what life was like back then know true despair. I beg this of you as your ancestor."
This was Great Emperor Xuanyuan. Tianming saw him as a dignified and powerful monarch, and seeing him beg sent chills down his spine. It was a sign of how much he truly loved his home and kin, and that was something which moved Tianming dearly.
Closing his eyes, Tianming mouthed an oath: "I will. I will definitely endure!"
Then the light flashed and he was out of the black hole star. His whole body felt empty all of a sudden before a sensation of death assaulted him.
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"That's right! Every time I leave the black hole star, I'll be sent to another place... Since it was sandwiched between the formations, where have I been sent to now?!"
He was currently in absolute darkness, as if he was in a basement that had been abandoned for countless years. There were all kinds of weird stenches that made his stomach churn.
"Where in the world is this?" He looked down through the thick grey mist with his Plundering Eye. There seemed to be a mountain range below him, and there were countless large green and red eyes scattered all over. When he looked above, he saw a five-colored formation. That could only mean he was now in the Ninefold Hell!
"Fucking hell!" He never would have thought that the black hole star would send him in here, the world of the specters! He hurriedly held his breath and forced his shaking body to calm, then immediately turned back toward the five-colored formation above. Right as he took two steps, he heard a rough sound from beneath him and was subsequently assailed by a stench.
His face paled as he looked down. The countless eyes were glaring at him, more and more of them by the second! Even though he wasn't one to sweat much, his entire forehead and even his palms were wet with perspiration.
Come to think of it, he had been having a rather lucky streak recently. Yet during such a crucial time, the heavens seemed to play a prank on him and sent him right into the Ninefold Hell. One could only imagine what the specters, who had been imprisoned for more than two hundred thousand years, felt when they saw a live human in their world.
"A human...."
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
Harrowing cries echoed with the pent-up hate of two hundred millennia, shaking the entirety of the Ninefold Hell.