Above Destiny

Chapter 625 Epitaph

"..."

There was no answer. The grotesque, bloody body twitched, and its shattered, withered eyes trembled as it struggled violently, emitting muffled sounds.

Cursing or pleading.

I can't hear clearly.

There's no need to worry about it anymore.

Ignoring Tong Shan's hesitant expression, Ji Jue decisively reached out his hand...

They don't care about the inferior quality of the materials, the variety of the raw materials, or the quality of the finished product.

With the blessing of non-aggression, it is forged by hand, and begins once again!
As the spiritual fire burned, the bloodied wolf quickly shrunk into a fist-sized, bone-white sphere, upon which lay a twisted, eerie, wailing face.

Under the erosion and infiltration of numerous great evils, it became the spirit of creation, suffering eternal torment from which it could not escape.

"Don't worry, I'm not like trash like you. I won't push my fellow countrymen into hell."

Ji Jue looked at its disheveled appearance and told him, "As long as one day someone can help you break this ball, you will naturally be free. See? It's that simple."

Then, witnessed by that desperate face, he raised his hand.

He tossed the ball into the gushing spring lake.

It fell into the lake and disappeared.

Soon, amidst the muffled, strange gurgling sounds, the wonder of the underground spring came to an end. The original lake water, under the changing pressure underground, fell back into the crevice and quickly receded, disappearing into the endless darkness along with the wolf's urn.

Never again.

"Let's go."

Tong Shan sighed, pretending not to have seen anything, and patted Ji Jue on the shoulder.

But Ji Jue didn't move.

Stand still.

Tong Shan froze for a moment, then saw the scene he least wanted to see.

Ji Jue turned around.

He looked at everything he had created as a craftsman.

In the deathly silence, there were no more people coming and going.

Only a devastated land, burned into a desolate marketplace, and ashes falling from the sky like snowflakes drifted down and landed on his hair.

"...So ashes are all the same everywhere."

Ji Jue murmured, unable to suppress a laugh.

He mocked his own naiveté as a craftsman and his foolishness as an ember, for he hadn't even been able to grasp the most basic concept of 'value'.

They are blinded by a leaf, unwilling to even see the truth right in front of them.

Where could you find better materials?

Having lost their land, their homes, their past and their future, all they have left is hatred for the people of the White Nation who have lost everything...

Ji Jue thought that at least they could fend for themselves. After all, they had already fallen to such a state, what value did they still have?
But what I never expected was that even this last bit of freedom as a human being would be cruelly taken away.

Even this dying struggle will be used...

Hatred and despair became the fuel for the blood pact, and souls and bodies became prey for the transformed wolves.

After the Federation and the Empire took everything, what ultimately pushed them into the abyss was their own people.

But what truly crushed their last remaining trace was themselves.

Ji Jue had no regrets, nor did he feel ashamed.

No matter how many times he has to do it again, he will make the same choice.

However, for some reason, he suddenly recalled the storm that had occurred not long ago.

Amidst the floodwaters of the slums, a woman holding a child...

Could I have saved her back then?

Is it possible?
Perhaps, if only it had been a little earlier, a little faster, he could have reached out his hand...

Once, again, and once more, as many times as you like.

But facing the world before him, even if he gives it his all and uses all his strength and time, how much can he grasp with just his own two hands?
How much can it change?

"Let's go."

He took one last look, leaving the ashes and scorched earth behind.

Tong Shan patted him on the shoulder, but ultimately said nothing.

The car started again.

click -

An Ning gritted her teeth, pulled out the last remaining trace of wolfsbane that had solidified into a needle from the wound, squinted at the dim light under the clouds outside the window, and examined it carefully.

Above the congealed blood, a faint blue glow shone within the crimson, causing her to squint.

really……

"Brother Ji Jue, something's not right about that dead wolf."

She suddenly said, "Its lineage is completely different from the wolf blood oath of Baibang."

The differences between wolves are often greater than outsiders imagine, and there are also differences between wolf packs.

The White Wolf Den follows the White King's blood oath and does not mingle with other wolf packs. Their boundaries are clearly defined, and they even wage war against each other… Know that heresy is more detestable than enmity!

"Although they are both wolves to outsiders, their nature and behavior will still be different. Because the White King has not truly become a wolf demon, he is still a little lacking. But this one is different."

She picked up the blood needle in her hand, and then took out another one from her pocket, which she had made as a souvenir. When the two blood needles were placed together, the difference was immediately apparent.

The first one is noticeably darker in color, while the second one is much more transparent.

“Look, the second one is the one we killed in the rally. It’s from the Wolf in the Heart lineage, and it’s better at stealth and disguise.”

An Ning explained, "The one we just saw was even faster and more explosive, and its fur was grayish-white, so it should be a mountain wolf."

The wolf in the mountains, the wolf in the heart, and the White Wolf, whose lord failed to become a wolf demon and was even slightly inferior, are all three lords who are completely different and have no reason to be mixed together.

The appearance of the Mountain Wolf now indicates that the mastermind behind it all is not simply the White Bang Restoration Front...

Ji Jue suddenly realized: "So, in other words, an outside pack of wolves has gotten involved, right?"

"Yes."

An Ning became serious.

Even in the worst-case scenario, if the wolf in the mountains comes, the wolf in one's heart may not necessarily stand idly by.

Sheikh is likely backed by two more wolf lords!

If the goal is to resurrect the White King and make him the third Wolf Demon, thereby accelerating the growth and completion of the wolf race, then the three parties could potentially temporarily unite... The current situation is perhaps even worse than anticipated!

Ji Jue thought for a moment, then slowly nodded:

"...Then kill them all."

It's like finding your destination when you're lost.

Ji Jue gripped the steering wheel, staring intently at the road ahead, and finally found the direction leading to his destination:
“Let’s go and kill them all, leave no one alive.”

It was impossible to tell whether it was arrogance born of ignorance or absurd fantasy. But at that moment, An Ning saw once again the color that appeared in those black pupils, peaceful and serene, like distant moonlight reflected on a desolate wasteland.

A cold glance from the white deer, and life and death.

Then she chuckled softly.

He nodded without hesitation.

"Ok!"

Hunter, keep going.

Above the overcast sky, the last ray of sunlight gradually faded away.

As the turbulent night fell.

Under the same night sky, amidst the desolate mountains, the ruins and scars of the former capital of Bai Bang are unrecognizable from its former self.

The city, which was destroyed by natural disaster more than two hundred years ago, has once again been illuminated by flames.

The dancing flames swept contemptuously across the ruins and broken bones.

A trail of crimson blood meandered down the cracked altar, crossing desolate streets and ruins, extending in all directions.

It resembles a spider web.

boom!
Within the black clouds that resembled an iron curtain, a bolt of lightning suddenly flashed, illuminating the figure at the highest point of the altar.

At the very front was Ensur, the only remaining bloodline of the former White Priest King, now the young wolf lord. Behind him were Sheikhri, Burhush, Lazarz, and other high-ranking members of the Restoration Front and representatives of the wolf pack.

At this moment, through the crimson light at the center of the altar, two blurry projections on the other side of the altar gradually became clear. One seemed to be perched atop a mountain range, vast and magnificent, ferocious and violent.

One is seemingly invisible and formless, and is difficult to detect unless it actively manifests itself.

At that moment, the ethereal phantom stretched out its hand, and a gilded dagger appeared out of thin air in its hand, pointing towards Ensul.

Without hesitation, Ensour took the knife and slashed his wrist.

Instantly, blood with a faint black hue meandered from his wrist, strands of it shimmering with a brilliant gold hue, before dripping into the golden cup at the center of the altar.

Just a few drops seemed to have taken away most of his life, leaving Ensul's face pale.

Immediately afterwards, the magnificent figure in the phantom picked up a short knife and slashed his own wrist. A trickle of grayish-white blood dripped from his wrist and gathered in the cup.

Finally, the invisible and elusive entity also severed its own wrist.

The blood was colorless and transparent, like dew.

The golden cup hissed and bubbled as three distinct streams of wolf blood converged, their blood clashing and intensifying until finally merging completely into one.

Sometimes it shines like pure gold, sometimes it displays an eerie rainbow of colors, and sometimes it is a raging, ferocious iron gray...

"Very well, let us now swear an oath of blood and establish a contract."

The voice of the Mountain Wolf Lord came from beneath the vortex, calm and indifferent.

"You can start."

Another voice, like a whisper, rang out: "Welcome back our third kind, welcome back our third companion, our third wolf offspring."

Ensul's breathing quickened, and a flush of excitement rose on his pale face.

"Sheikhri—"

"As ordered."

Behind Ensul, Sheikhi nodded respectfully, bowed his head, and stepped forward to pay his respects to the two wolf lords.

However, when I reached out my hand, I hesitated for a moment for some reason.

He seemed dazed.

It was merely a fleeting, insignificant moment.

He gripped the gilded dagger offered by the wolf of the mountains with both hands, and then picked up the golden cup of covenant given to him by the wolf of his heart.

It was clenched tightly, as if it had used up all its strength.

And so they walked toward the altar.

When he took the first step, he was completely focused and extremely cautious.

Just like the first time I followed my teacher onto the altar as an apprentice, I was drenched in sweat and filled with fear.

As he took the second step, he couldn't help but drift off into thought, involuntarily recalling his past, the spirited way he looked when he first donned the white robes of a priest.

Back then, there was also Bai Bang...

In the third step, he no longer stumbled, having transcended the insignificant past and left everything behind.

The priest, who was gradually destroyed under the weight of powerful enemies and endless pressure, has long since died in the past and has been forgotten along with the country.

When he took the fourth step, he stood at the highest point of the altar. When he raised his head again, the flames in his eyes were illuminated by the lightning in the sky.

Looking down with disdain at the myriad phenomena of heaven and earth.

"——White King Supreme!"

He murmured the words he had repeated countless times over the years, and stood here once again.

Just as the sower made a promise to him.

Having overcome so many obstacles and endured countless torments and sufferings, he returned here once again, to start anew!
But everything is different now than before.

There is no more Baibang, nor is there any more Sheikhi.

Things have changed, people are no longer the same, and the world is full of enemies, but none of that matters.

This time, he will not let others dictate his destiny...

Even the so-called White King is the same!
In that instant of hunger, the wolf created by Bai Bang could no longer restrain itself, revealing its ferocity and ambition.

The wolf in his heart smiled without saying a word, while the wolf lord in the mountains calmly looked down.

Isn't this what a wolf is all about?

As long as the third wolf can complete it, that will be enough.

Everything else is irrelevant.

"Your sacrifices are all for the sake of the future White Nation."

Holding a dagger and a golden cup, Sheikhi's senses radiated outwards from the wilderness, once again surveying everything. His hoarse words echoed in the ears of every sacrifice: "The magnificent and solemn cause is forged from your dedication!"

Snapped!
In that instant, amidst the shattering sound, countless wails echoed in the void.

In the wilderness, in settlements, in villages, one after another, empty shells devoured by the thirst for blood crumbled and exploded out of thin air, the remaining bloodstains dancing and staining the earth red.

Like countless drops of blood, densely packed, emerging from the land of Baibang.

Densely packed and countless.

It's like trying to dye the entire white city scarlet.

In that instant, under the observation of the aura-gazing technique of the Hanxiang Mirror, the calamity aura of the entire Baibang suddenly boiled, and countless dormant natural disasters were suddenly awakened from their silence under the irrigation of this massive sacrifice.

A piercing and shrill roar resounded throughout the entire world.

Blood rained down in the wilderness, howling past and taking all life in its path.

Thunder rumbled, and countless bolts of lightning, like living creatures, surged, converged, and lashed the earth. The earth trembled, and cracks appeared, like a gaping maw that swallowed countless clods of earth and rocks, turning them into deep valleys.

Pale mist spewed from the cracks in the ground, echoing the wails of souls.

The floodwaters, surging like worms, rose from the riverbed, their countless viscous tentacles dancing thirstily once more.

From the blood rain born from slaughter, from the abyss formed by earthquakes and blood sacrifices, from the death fog formed by the massive resentment that gathers after repeated plagues, and from the living disaster that comes after the distorted torrent is given life...

In an instant, one natural disaster after another emerged from the silence at Sheikhi's call!

On the earth, countless crimson veins meandered and writhed, extending towards the old capital. In the end, they merged into one. In the blink of an eye, crimson pulses covered the White Kingdom, entwining countless souls, taking root in the earth, and completely merging with the entire wilderness.

Cries, wails, roars, whispers...

Countless sounds echoed continuously in the void, surrounding Sheikhi.

Sheikh laughed loudly, almost dancing wildly with ecstasy.

The gilded dagger slashed down, creating a gap in the altar. Then, the goblet of blood, already overflowing, was raised high in his hand.

They were incredibly generous, pouring all the bait into the crevice.

"Today, I offer my pain and tears to the Garden of Bliss!"

He gazed intently at the crack beyond, drawing upon the brilliant light that rapidly sprouted from the blood, and sang praises, crying out in ecstasy: "Shambhala, I long for you to take root and flourish once more!"

Based on the blood of this wolf, the sacrifice, and the remains of the White King buried within it.

Amidst the raging natural disasters, the crimson covering the earth transformed into real, tangible roots, and withered seeds sprouted anew.

In an instant, the crack rapidly expanded, and a pure white giant tree grew out of the deepest darkness, spreading out thousands of branches and leaves to cover the sky and the earth.

Like a dream, so distant.

On the altar, everyone saw once again the skeleton pierced by a sharp blade and hanging from the giant tree.

It looks as if it has been weathered for millions of years, and its original appearance is no longer visible!
The remains of the sacrificial king!

For a fleeting moment, as if sensing a call from the mortal world, my withered fingertips twitched slightly.

At this moment, the legacy of kings far removed from the present world, the last trace left by the compassionate and benevolent king... the so-called Shangri-La has finally cast its shadow on the present world once again!

No, from now on, it should be called...

Sheikh grinned, laughing silently, embracing the phantom that filled the heavens and earth:

"—【Shangri-La, the Kingdom in the Forest】!"

Surrounded by endless natural disasters and nourished by streaks of blood, the Tree of Illusion stands tall between heaven and earth, expanding, growing and expanding at a speed visible to the naked eye!
The dazzling light shines upon Baibang.

However, amidst this grotesque appearance, the solemnity of what was once a pure land is no longer there...

Under the same radiant light, countless phantoms from time immemorial appeared for a fleeting moment in the desert.

The gaunt monk, who sat cross-legged under the giant tree, looked up once more at the unrecognizable world before him. His expression showed neither praise nor sorrow, nor resentment nor joy.

Soon, those calm eyes slowly closed.

Disappeared without a trace.

Only a faint sigh remained, which dissipated in the raging wind and was never seen again.

(End of this chapter)