Above Destiny

Chapter 638 Enlightenment
Now that the forest kingdom has broken free from its constraints, it has begun to expand again, slowly but steadily, unstoppable, gradually spreading from the heart of the White Kingdom to the entire White Kingdom.

If one wants to escape from here, the first choice is undoubtedly the front-line bases where the Federation has amassed a large number of troops and resources.

But the key question is... what can you do once you're at the front-line base?

Should we continue to be cannon fodder and expendable resources?
From the perspective of the Security Bureau, it is definitely inferior to the front-line base in every way, but the problem is... Ji Jue is not from the Security Bureau.

It can only be said that the pursuers, despite their meticulous planning, ultimately underestimated Ji Jue's level of trust in the Federation—of course, from a beastly perspective, Ji Jue trusted the Federation implicitly, after all, they were capable of doing the most outrageous things.

It's one thing to take on some freelance work to earn a meager living, but now that Bai Bang has become such a mess, he's still running to the front-line base. He must have lost his mind.

At this moment, the craftsman's extraordinary wisdom told him that if he did not intend to embroider a black flag overnight to welcome the great calamity, then he would have no choice but to cross the entire forest kingdom from the outside and head towards the Red Kingdom.

Hongbang is great!

Business partners are everywhere. Even the Knights of Homecoming have their own branch. In the White State, I can only be an arms dealer. In the Red State, I can be considered a local unofficial priest. No matter what, I don't have to worry about the Knights of Homecoming selling me out, right?
Unless they break their oath and abandon even the priest, they can forget about it.

Having made up their minds, the ox-horse disguised as a member of the heretical cult began galloping through the forest kingdom, making a large circle, bypassing the core old capital, and then drawing an arc from bottom to top on the map, heading straight towards the Red Gang.

A sigh could be heard in the quiet carriage.

“Ji Jue, simply running away won’t solve the problem.”

Ji Jue stiffened for a moment, then slowly turned around, glancing at the 'spirit behind him' that had entered through the mold card. His eyes were filled with doubt, as if to say, "Old Deng, what the hell are you still doing here?!"

Shouldn't they just go somewhere cool and stay there?

"I shouldn't have said anything, but the key is that you're confused."

The Tzu Chi King gazed at him and sighed with regret: "Although Shangri-La has changed beyond recognition, it still retains some of its essence."

Despite the entanglements of cause and effect, everyone can still gain enlightenment if they face challenges head-on, including you.

As he spoke, he paused and looked at Tong Shan, who was pretending to be asleep with his eyes lowered.

A faint, almost illusory smile appeared on his indifferent expression:

"See, hasn't he already grasped it?"

"Go to hell and try to understand this!"

Ji Jue was amused, but then became furious: "If enlightenment were useful, how come all of you Chaos Kings are dead? You're even more ridiculous than Hua Xu Jun!"

“Insight has nothing to do with life and death, but in a sense, it is even more important than life and death.”

The Tzu Chi King remained unmoved, only asking in return, "For you, is there nothing more important than death and life?"

Ji Jue didn't answer, too lazy to pay him any attention.

But Tzu Chi King laughed.

Full of joy.

"Then you have already embarked on the path of enlightenment."

Even though my heart is already churning with hatred and resentment, I force myself to suppress it for the sake of others, and go against the tide...

Even if it means going against fate, perhaps it is still a long road to enlightenment.

The essence of Shangri-La remains.

The Kingdom of the Forest has fallen into a wicked realm where people eat each other, but isn't this wicked realm also formed by the enlightenment of countless people?
The moment they stepped into Shangri-La, the entanglements of cause and effect, the intertwining of destinies, everything was already predetermined. And under Ji Jue's pull, it became even clearer.

He will eventually understand.

Whether to stay or leave...

The Tzu Chi King sighed softly and disappeared.

The calf and horse continued to gallop forward.

Until, the speed gradually slowed down...

On the map, between two barren mountains, at the bottom of a valley, lies only a dilapidated village, shrouded in a thick, malevolent aura, likely already overrun by wolves.

If you don't want to draw attention and take a detour, you'll probably have no choice but to go through the village.

Ji Jue turned around, glanced at the barely breathing Tong Shan, then at An Ning who was forcing herself to stay awake, pondered for a moment, and sighed helplessly.

The Heavenly Origin and the White Deer have already been completely countered by the Forest Kingdom.

If the operation is even slightly large-scale, the alarm will probably be sounded at any moment.

With only one ember remaining, he could barely manage to make a difference.

After assessing his inventory and reserves of phlogiston weapons, he straightened the high priest's robes, preparing to put on a show of acting.

"Brother Ji Jue, something's not right."

Just as he was rubbing his hands together, preparing to take up his post in the Evil Cult again, An Ning raised her eyelids and her expression instantly became serious.

The smell of blood wafted through the distant air.

As the calves and horses slowly moved forward, no one peeked out to look, and the entire village remained deathly silent.

Until the first fresh corpse appeared before them.

It was as if it had been torn apart by some raging monster, severed in half at the waist, its head gone, blood splattering everywhere. The entire desolate village was littered with limbs and remains, blood and bits of flesh flying everywhere.

All the wolves that were here are now dead, their heads severed, and they are silent.

All dead!

Even the blood hadn't clotted yet...

"He only died recently."

Ji Jue bent down, picked up a skull that had been flipped over, and saw the sharp claw marks remaining on it, which made his heart jump.

Has the country in the forest really gone this crazy?

They'd even kill their own wolf?!
A sharp and frenzied aura still lingered in the air as the ravenous wolf left claw marks on the ground and walls in its madness.

The moment he realized it, Ji Jue was suddenly terrified, a chill ran down his spine, and he retreated without thinking. An Ning, who was on the verge of death, suddenly sprang up, shooting out a burst of light towards the shadow behind Ji Jue.

From the shadows, a blurry figure suddenly appeared. The lingering, crazed wolf bared its claws, and in a flash, its sharp claws were already slashing towards Ji Jue's neck.

It was too fast; there wasn't even time to react.

In an instant, Ji Jue raised his hand without thinking. The moment his reborn form appeared, an arm that had been raised was detached from his shoulder and torn to shreds.

The menacing black shadow pressed closer, its sharp, hook-like fingers just a hair's breadth from Ji Jue's neck. But that mere, insignificant moment of delay was enough for Ji Jue's spiritual hand to materialize from the void and press down on the attacker's face.

Pan Ying, Chun Jun, and Zhan Lu—three distinct spiritual energy fluctuations overlapped, tearing apart the shadow covering that face and revealing its true form.

In that almost non-existent instant, Ji Jue and the attacker widened their eyes in astonishment.

That dark-skinned, bearded man… that familiar face, it's like I've seen him somewhere before…

Unfortunately, it's too late.

There was no time to stop.

Just as Ji Jue's expression turned grim and he continued his attack without stopping, he saw... the attacker stop.

The hook, powerful enough to tear Ji Jue's neck apart, stopped at his throat, just a hair's breadth away.

Unfortunately, Ji Jue accelerated!
The spiritual hand pierced through the attacker's body without mercy, then appeared from behind him, grasping the flying light that was about to penetrate the back of his head.

boom!
With a momentary delay, Tong Shan unleashed his telekinetic power, sending the attacker flying backward and crashing into the ruins, raising a cloud of dust amidst the deafening roar.

"..."

Ji Jue stood still, caught his arm that had been severed at the root, and reattached it. In just a few seconds, it was back to normal. At this moment, he looked at the dust rising from the ruins.

And that face covered in dust and blood.

He finally remembered...

"It is you."

Ji Jue raised his hand to stop An Ning from finishing off the enemy, staring at her disheveled and distorted face for a moment.

He had seen this face before.

In the midst of the White Deer Storm, during the rescue of that banned drug factory, the man before him killed all the banned drug dealers. Before the floodwaters engulfed the basement, he carried all the victims on his back and walked step by step out of the sea of ​​fire.

We brushed past each other...

Ji Jue never expected that he would actually be a wolf.

Can you tell me why?

Ji Jue approached, squatted down, and scrutinized him, unable to suppress his doubt: "Just from one meeting?"

"one side?"

The bearded man's expression twitched, a nervous spasm, as if he were restraining something. For a moment, he seemed unable to control himself and wanted to pounce, but in the end, he did not move.

“More than one side, Mr. Ji.”

He raised his hand, fumbled in his pocket for a long time, and finally pulled out a twisted and faded emblem, which he then threw on the ground.

With a clatter, the emblem fell to the ground.

What Ji Jue found even more unbelievable.

That's... a badge of good deeds issued by the Chongguang Church?
“We are a group of homeless people who can’t live in the light of day. We live in hiding and never know where we are. How can we survive without help?”

Hey……"

Ni Lin's expression twitched, as if he were giving a self-deprecating laugh: "If I had the time, I'd probably still be making lighters in your factory."

"..." Ji Jue remained silent for a long time before asking, "Does Elder Longge know?"

"Perhaps? Perhaps I've guessed a little, or perhaps I haven't guessed at all."

Ni Lin paused for a moment, then replied bitterly, "Even though I stole so many things from him, he never said anything against me... Maybe he thought there was still a chance to make amends... But this damn place is beyond saving..."

He looked at Ji Jue and the cult uniform he was wearing, his expression complicated: "The elder said you are a good person."

"He's blind."

Ji Jue said indifferently, "What kind of good person can I be?"

Ni Lin remained silent, only sighing wearily.

Looking at Ji Jue, and then at the car behind Ji Jue, Tong Shan's cold and stern face.

Over the years, he only remembered two outsiders...

One is willing to stand at the forefront in the face of natural disasters, and the other is willing to reach out to the poor who have nothing but suffering...

For a fleeting moment, he almost thought that everything might still be salvageable.

As it turned out, he was wrong.

From the past to the present, we have made one mistake after another, and even now, we are still making mistakes.

But he simply didn't have the strength to deal with people like that anymore.

Let it be a mistake.

He closed his eyes.

Throughout, An Ning remained vigilant, whispering a reminder: "Brother Ji Jue, wolves cannot be trusted."

"I know."

Ji Jue nodded, unwavering.

Perhaps there is nothing to sympathize with about those who have been reduced to beasts, but if they really willingly become beasts, how could they stop at that moment?

An Ning understood what he meant, paused for a moment, and finally said, "He's about to lose control..."

Ni Lin remained silent.

His expression twitched repeatedly, a mixture of madness and chaos. The shadow beneath his feet writhed and throbbed, as if it were thirsting for something, repeatedly trying to pierce Ji Jue who was so close, but it could never break free of its restraints.

"name."

Ji Jue pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Tell me your name."

"..."

Ni Lin hesitated for a moment, then sighed bitterly and glanced at An Ning: "Inayat, my name is Inayat. If the White Deer Hunter doesn't recognize it, he might be more familiar with another name..."

“Wang Wei of Baibang back then, one of the first chosen ones to be transformed into wolves, the old wolf that my family has been chasing all these years, I recognize you.”

An Ning coldly interrupted him: "You are my 'inviolable taboo'."

"..." Ni Lin remained silent, speechless.

Receive your neck and be killed.

[The list has been verified. Inayat, male, 54 years old, registered with the church 19 years ago, with a total of 970 hours of charitable assistance.]

Isis's spiritual communication arrived: [Badge number verified.]

"Whether it's Inayat or Reverse Scale, do you believe me?"

Ji Jue scrutinized his appearance, then suddenly smiled and said, "Whether you believe it or not doesn't really matter. You're going to die anyway, so just pretend you believe it a little, okay?"

The moment he finished speaking, Chun Jun appeared out of thin air in his hand, piercing his inviolable scales and wedging himself into his soul without warning.

Ni Lin stared in astonishment, his expression shifting between confusion and shock, hunger and ferocity, almost uncontrollable. But in the end, no matter how it changed, it all turned into painful spasms and torment.

Involuntarily, a scream rang out!

As the bone knife plunged down, the Non-Aggressive Hand appeared and pressed against his face. The Disintegration Technique erupted, utterly engulfing everything. Under the premise that Chun Jun maintained his matrix and consciousness, it tore apart all the wolfish corruption with unstoppable force, forcibly building a brand new high wall within his soul.

It's been too long.

The wickedness of the wolf has long since seeped into his bones and soul. Moreover, in recent years, Ni Lin has been thirsty for human flesh more than once. No matter how wicked the people he eats are, eating is eating. He can't fool others, nor can he fool himself.

Forcibly separating them is no different from killing him.

However, Ji Jue could directly affect his Wolf Blood Oath, relying on his own Wolf Blood Oath to forcibly suppress the other party, and even cause this oath, which was constantly expanding under the irrigation of the Forest Kingdom, to directly go out of control, crash, and be sealed!

Under the flow of the Triad Alchemy, the crimson thorns that pierced the soul quickly lost their vitality, as if falling into a deep sleep, completely lifeless.

The intense pain and terrible aftereffects left Ni Lin on the verge of death. But after a moment of shock, Ni Lin couldn't help but grin and burst into laughter, feeling an unprecedented sense of freedom and exhilaration, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from its shoulders.

How many years has it been?

There was no deep-seated hunger or greed... It was like being reborn!
Ji Jue took out a spiritual tonic and a meal, and placed them in front of him: "This is just a temporary measure. Don't be too happy yet. Once the Wolf Blood Oath is revived, the counterattack will only be more severe..."

Consider this repaying the favor you just did. Use this time to leave the Forest Kingdom. Once you're back, settle your affairs as soon as possible, then find a secluded place to end your life.

For a moment, Ni Lin's smile froze on his face.

It's not about regretting myself.

Instead, he finally remembered once again... Even now, having escaped the Forest Kingdom, he was homeless and had nowhere to go back to.

Inside is hell, and outside is hell too.

it's the same.

There is nothing that can be used to deceive children about their future and hopes.

"Outside……"

He gave a bitter laugh: "It's almost gone... From now on, I'm afraid there will be no more Bai Bang."

Ji Jue's expression froze.

"The blood of Baibang has long been tainted by wolves. Those who did not fall into the shadow of the tower back then, but instead turned to the wolves, are nothing more than desperate measures, like a dog jumping over a wall or drinking poison to quench its thirst. They are beyond saving."

Fainting and madness are just the beginning. Now, even newborns are starting to develop sudden high fevers. When the blood thirst disease fully erupts, everyone will become living corpses.

No matter how far you escape, it's useless...

Before long, the Empire and the Federation will likely begin their massacre.

Ni Lin ate the food Ji Jue gave him in a disheveled state, a muffled, bitter laugh escaping his lips, barely able to hold back tears of resentment: "After waiting for so many years, I've finally gotten what I wanted."

"..."

Ji Jue remained silent for a long time before raising his eyes to look at the blood-red giant tree in the sky: "For his own selfish reasons, he has gone astray. How many people will he kill before he will stop?"

"..."

Ni Lin paused for a moment, then continued to frantically devour the food in his hand, even picking up bread crumbs that had fallen into the dust and putting them into his mouth.

After a long silence, he suddenly asked, "Mr. Ji, if you were in that situation back then..."

"I do not know."

Ji Jue interrupted him before he could finish speaking: "Don't ask me."

He disliked this inexplicable empathy, and even more so, he loathed this kind of 'luck' and 'what if' where everything could still be salvaged. Besides, even if it were him, what could he do?
The exploitation and isolation imposed by the Federation and the Empire, coupled with the looming threat of external threats, and the relentless internal strife stirred up by their proxies, meant that anyone in any position, with a sense of responsibility, would be tormented by unbearable pain and fear of death.

Life is filled with torment and unease, and even death is feared like a raging flood.

Even Ji Jue, in a moment of desperation, would probably curse and turn to evil. But why drag the entire Bai Bang down with him?

A desperate struggle, the deed exposed and his downfall—it could almost be called a good death!

What's there to regret?!

and many more……

Ji Jue's expression twitched, and his vision suddenly went black. He subconsciously stood up.

"Did the priest king of that year truly fail?"

Ni Lin remained silent, not uttering a word.

Only Ji Jue remained stiff, his expression shifting, feeling as if he could hardly breathe.

“Inayat, tell me—”

He subconsciously looked up at the giant, blood-red tree in the sky, incredulous: "Did the priest king back then really intend to succeed?"

Ni Lin lowered his head and remained silent.

Similarly, the former royal guard, the personal bodyguard of the priest king, provided the answer.

In a moment of daze, it was as if lightning flashed by, and countless scattered thoughts and clues seemed to suddenly find that long-missing piece of the puzzle, finally piecing it together completely.

The priest king of that time deliberately transformed himself into a wolf, dragging the entire White Kingdom along with him...

Then, he deliberately failed!
They deliberately exposed their plans, and then, at the last moment, deliberately suffered a defeat amidst the encirclement.

He was willing to bind the entire White State and himself to one place.

The oath of wolf blood is sown in the blood and soul of every Bai Bang person. With the power of the wolf's evil, the entire Shangri-La is corrupted and transformed into its own cocoon, the hope of resurrection.

It turned the entire White State into an unprecedented, colossal bomb!

With the possibility of its own resurrection, it can, in turn, threaten the erosion and oppression of the Empire and the Federation, and force everyone to leave a glimmer of hope for the White Kingdom by using the possibility and hidden dangers of its corruption!
As long as the people of Baibang continue their appallingly abject lifestyle, as long as there is even the slightest hope for survival, then the wolf of the forest will never truly be born or arrive.

Once the White Nation completely disintegrates, amidst the despair and death of all its people, the third wolf will be born from blood hatred and complete its creation!

It's almost like a desperate kidnapping when someone is cornered!
Conversely, this binds the entire White Alliance to the dual poles of Tianyuan!
They forced the empire and federation, as the oppressors, to maintain a bottom line, and even after their own death, they established a so-called provisional government to build dikes and provide relief...

This has allowed the White State, which has been in chaos for so many years, to continue to this day.

In order to avoid polluting Tianyuan, the Federation and the Empire had to cede some of their interests to local elites, which even indirectly shaped and catalyzed the decadent and extravagant monstrosity of Tacheng.

The death of one man forced the Federation and the Empire, the two largest entities in the world, to make concessions, thus maintaining the status quo for decades...

What the previous generation of priests could not do while they were alive, the previous priest accomplished with his own death!

Even if Bai Bang falls into a quagmire from now on...

Even in a mud pit, there is still room to survive!

The once glorious state of Shah, no less powerful than the White State, has long since lost all its territory, reduced to a precarious existence of nomadic herders, wandering in hell. They are nearly extinct, yet no one cares!
"..."

Ji Jue looked up at the giant tree in the sky and finally remembered the illusion he had seen before: the rotting giant wolf that had been trapped in the shadows and had not yet devoured him.

No, even if it wasn't bound by death, that wolf wouldn't eat itself, would it?

Even now, they are still doing everything they can to slow down the progress of the sacrifice and ritual, constantly stuffing the offerings that all the wolves are so eager to know into their bodies... just to delay the progress of the ritual by even a little bit.

He gave up the opportunity to exact revenge, swallowing blood, tears, and resentment in vain, all for the sake of keeping Bai Bang alive for even a little longer.

In the end, however, they could only watch helplessly as everything descended into hell.

Despite having already abandoned everything and even bound the Empire and the Federation, they never anticipated that one day, driven by the Federation and the Empire, the people of the White State would destroy the White State with their own hands.

Even if we had anticipated it, it was too late to care.

Where in the world are there so many choices?

Where else can we choose?

On this increasingly dead-end road, the White King had been walking in silence for decades.

In a daze, the mournful wind blowing through the branches of the giant tree seemed to echo once again with the wails and roars from the darkness of the dense forest.

The gradually expanding giant tree emitted a scarlet light, illuminating the arid wilderness.

Even in the wilderness... one after another, figures staggered forward, their clothes tattered.

Groans, screams, shouts.

Regardless of gender or age, as the wolf blood oath spreads, thirst gradually erodes consciousness and soul, and as eyes become increasingly vacant, they degenerate into beast-like walking corpses.

They came in droves from all directions, step by step, converging on the kingdom of the forest.

Heading towards the abyss and hell.

After decades of delay, destruction finally arrived.

Amidst the mournful howls and cries of the old wolf.

On the giant tree, the withered corpse trembled slightly, but ultimately could not break free...

Only thick, sticky tears of blood trickled down from the shattered face.

It fell into the thirsty dust and disappeared.

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Ji."

Ni Lin silently finished his last supper, then slowly rose and solemnly bowed to Ji Jue before him, offering sincere praise and gratitude in the manner of Bai Bang.

Ji Jue hesitated, but ultimately remained silent.

"I'm sorry, but now I have nothing left to repay you with. I'm afraid we'll never see each other again."

Ni Lin hesitated for a moment, then pulled out an old notebook from his pocket, presented it with both hands, and bowed his head in shame: "Over the years, I've raised some children. If I don't come back, those children will..."

Ji Jue remained indifferent and did not accept it.

"The coast is a business, not a charity. Useless children will be ignored and left to fend for themselves." Ji Jue said coldly, "Don't pin your hopes on others, Mr. Ni Lin. Learn to do your own things yourself. Don't you think you're shameless?"

"really."

Ni Lin gave a self-deprecating laugh, gently placed the notebook on the ground in front of her, took two steps back, and gave him one last look: "Then I'll have to trouble you."

They can't understand human speech at all.

They eat and take, then drag others down with them, expecting others to raise their children. This shameless behavior is what makes them worthy of being called wolves.

I've never seen such a disgraceful wolf!
Have you no shame?!
No matter how much Ji Jue mocked and remained indifferent, his eyes did not waver in the slightest.

He walked away step by step, turned back, glanced in their direction one last time, and then, without concealing his presence, roared to the sky.

The burst of spiritual energy, like a torch, disturbed the forest kingdom, attracting all eyes and using itself as bait to lure away all the surrounding wolves...

And so they charged into the dark wilderness ahead.

Never again.

"unlucky."

Ji Jue's expression was gloomy. He looked down at the notebook at his feet, but in the end, he didn't kick it away. Instead, he silently bent down and picked it up.

Right behind him, the phantom of the Tzu Chi King appeared once again.

He stared in the direction where Ni Lin had left.

“No matter how much you say, it will be of no use, Ji Jue.” The monk lowered his eyes with pity: “He has made up his mind, he has already understood, just like the priest king back then.”

Understanding, understanding, and more understanding!

To hell with enlightenment!

Ji Jue was already extremely annoyed and glared angrily, but Tzu Chi remained indifferent, simply staring at the hell before him without joy or sorrow.

This gave Ji Jue a chill.

"Wait, back then, the king who was a priest..."

"That was his own choice, it has nothing to do with me."

Tzu Chi calmly replied, "What kind of enlightenment one gains is never something I can decide. The only thing I can offer is the opportunity to seek enlightenment, nothing more."

"Comprehend my ass!"

Ji Jue was fed up. Pointing at the forest kingdom in front of him, he said, "Come on, tell me, what's the use of your enlightenment? Does it make any difference after you've enlightened it?"

"...What is the slight difference between humans and animals?"

Tzu Chi countered, "As the most intelligent species, isn't this understanding the most important thing?"

Whether one does good or evil, once one understands why one was born and why one is willing to die, then from that moment on, one transcends the boundary between beast and primate.

They will not be lost or confused in life, nor will they hesitate or fear in death. Compared to this, hell or heaven are merely appearances. Is there any difference between your supreme good and your greatest sins?

Ji Jue scoffed: "Can something like a wolf be considered a human?"

"Isn't it more courageous to accept one's own hunger and greed than to be a hypocrite who is two-faced?"
Even if one is ugly, isn't it more vibrant and wonderful to accept one's own appearance and live as such a beast than to live a muddled and ignorant life?

Only when a person understands their own true nature and heart can they be considered truly alive.

Tzu Chi King turned around and suddenly asked, "Leaving aside the beasts who willingly degenerate, how many people in the world today are truly alive?"

No matter the era or the world, it's the same.

There are too many wild animals and too few people.

That's why you need to understand, Ji Jue...

Good people or bad people, whatever they look like, as long as they're human, that's enough. When I embarked on this path, it was simply because I wanted to find more people like myself.

Ji Jue stared coldly at him and questioned, "Even if it kills more people?"

"Hmm, indeed... unforgivable."

The king, known for his compassion and charity, was unconcerned and retorted, "You've killed so many people with your own hands, have you ever regretted it?"

You know how I'd answer.

"Yes, that's your understanding."

Tzu Chi smiled, with a mixture of regret and anticipation: "Unfortunately, you're still a little short... I hope you can take that step, Chi-Chueh, you will understand."

"Get your mother's understanding!"

The phantom shattered.

Ji Jue left them aside.

Ignoring any further thoughts of enlightenment, Ji Jue opened the car door and got in.

Set off again.

Against the light calling from behind, we sped towards the distance.

The village was deathly silent.

Only the phantom of Tzu Chi King reappeared, raising his head to look at the illusory light above the sky.

Wait quietly.

(End of this chapter)