Yefutidaolu

Chapter 433 The Living Sky
The dome was high and clear, with soft yet undeniably real sunlight streaming down, and wisps of drifting clouds could even be seen floating by. A gentle breeze caressed my face, carrying a fresh and moist scent, a stark contrast to the desolate world outside, where grand sacrifices were needed to keep it functioning!

Gao Jian stood at the end of the passage, his mind and spirit shaken.

This was no illusion, nor was it simply a projection of the outside sky. He could clearly sense that the "sky" here possessed complete rules, independent wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, and he could even vaguely perceive the trajectories of the sun, moon, and stars! This was clearly an independent little world that had been forcibly created, or rather, "cut out," and perfectly integrated into the Purple Palace Enclosure!

To imprison and house a real sky, a complete piece of nature, within a single building! What an incredible feat! It's practically creationism!
Deep within the Purple Palace, the central hub of the Divine Dynasty, such a hidden paradise was surprisingly concealed.

Gao Jian gained a more direct and wary understanding of the emperor he had never met and the unfathomable depths of this divine dynasty.

Jiang Youlin seemed to have anticipated Gao Jian's shock. She didn't urge him, but simply stood quietly to the side, waiting for him to process the impact. Her gaze also fell on the artificial sky, her eyes filled with complex emotions, as if she were lost in thought.

Gao Jian closed his eyes and began to perceive—

He could clearly feel that this was a real, tangible sky with a complete "weather" cycle!

Moreover, what stirred his heart even more was the existence of something else that had been long forgotten—

vitality.

It is the vigorous and inexhaustible vitality emanating from the natural workings of heaven and earth!

Gao Jian involuntarily closed his eyes and took a deep, greedy breath. A fresh, vibrant, and subtly changing aura flooded his lungs, instantly washing away the dullness and lifelessness from the outside world. He felt as if a warm current had been injected into his entire body, every cell was rejoicing, and his body was filled with an indescribable freshness and vitality.

The ways of Heaven are ever-changing, with all things waxing and waning. When life moves, it responds with life; when qi moves, it responds with qi. When the mechanism is right, there is prosperity; when the mechanism is disordered, there is decline. All things take shape, and prosperity and decline alternate.

It is this perpetual change that brings about the natural cycle of heaven and earth, and this cycle itself gives rise to even greater vitality. The flow of qi between heaven and earth is born from imbalance and dies in absolute unity. Therefore, all things are uneven and all things are intertwined. It is in this dynamic balance and collision that the world possesses infinite possibilities.

At this moment, this vital energy of all things rises up, the heavens gain its height, the earth gains its concealment, the Dipper gains its power, the sun and moon gain its constant light, the five constants gain their constant positions, the stars gain their proper course, and the four seasons gain their control over their changing energy.

Change breeds life, and life drives more change. The world itself grows and expands its possibilities in this cycle. A world that does not change is essentially a stagnant world.

The "sky" within the Purple Palace Enclosure before our eyes is a manifestation of this vitality and change! Gao Jian can "see" that the clouds here are gathering and dispersing on their own, that light and shadow are flowing naturally, and he can even vaguely sense a faint rhythm similar to the "cycle of the four seasons" changing in the dark.

If this state continues, constantly improving and growing, this "sky" that is confined here may truly allow the Purple Palace to completely break free from the desolate world outside and become an independent, living world!
However, after basking in this long-awaited vitality for a moment, Takami's keen senses immediately detected a fatal flaw.

Here, there is only the sky, but no earth.

The sky here is merely a dome suspended within the buildings; below it is not the earth that sustains all things, but rather the cold, ornate foundations of palaces and an unknown material. This results in the "weather" here losing its connection and circulation with the "earth's energy."

As the heavenly energy begins to descend, the earthly energy begins to rise; yin and yang combine and harmonize, freely interacting and competing within the universe, embracing virtue and harmony, flourishing in vibrant abundance—this is what is meant by 'the heavenly energy completes the heavenly order, the earthly energy completes the earthly order.' The descent of heavenly energy and the ascent of earthly energy are the origins of change.

The interaction between heaven and earth, and the harmony of yin and yang, are the foundation for the flourishing of life and endless changes.

At this moment, although the sky has active "weather," it lacks the stagnant "earth energy" to resonate with it, like an isolated sun that cannot last long, having lost its foundation and its other half. This results in the sky appearing vibrant, but in reality, its internal cycle is incomplete, and its vitality is slowly declining through invisible depletion. It can only rely on external supplies to barely maintain its current splendor, unable to truly form a perfect internal cycle.

Even so... this space, which has only "sky" and no "earth," still contains such precious and exhilarating vitality derived from genuine natural changes.

Breathing in the lively "weather," Gao Jian felt that the fatigue and depression accumulated from fighting in hell and traveling through the desolate world over the past few days were being slowly washed away.

My body felt like it had been parched for a long time and was receiving sweet rain. Every pore was greedily absorbing this vitality, and I felt my energy and spirit gradually recovering, even becoming more alert and clear-headed than before.

Even though cultivators have long been accustomed to the desolate world outside, and have even managed to maintain the survival of living beings through means such as the Grand Sacrifice at the Temple of Heaven, living in such an environment lacking natural vitality for a long time is actually an invisible and enormous burden for any living being.

That kind of environment is simply incomparable to living in the real, living world!
After taking deep breaths for about a minute, feeling the long-lost, naturally vibrant "weather" flowing through his body, cleansing away the lingering ailments brought from the outside world, Gao Jian slowly opened his eyes, looked at Jiang Youlin who was waiting quietly beside him, and said with a slight apology, "I'm sorry, I lost my composure..."

"It's alright." Jiang Youlin shook her head slightly, her face still bearing that gentle smile. "All newcomers are like this. This is the Qiyun Divine Dynasty." There was a hint of complexity in her tone, a mixture of pride and perhaps something else entirely.

Gao Jian nodded, understanding in his heart. For the locals of the Divine Dynasty who had never seen what a truly "living world" looked like, suddenly being placed under this incomplete yet vibrant "sky" would likely evoke a shock and longing stemming from their very life force, enough to make even an immortal bow down in awe.

It's like a ray of light in an endless prison of darkness. When creatures that have long crawled in the darkness witness and feel the warmth and brightness of this light for the first time, they would probably be willing to pay any price just to stay in this light.

With such a creation that is almost divine, the value of this "sky" is probably greater than the combined value of the ten lifeless states outside the Divine Dynasty!

“Since there is already such a paradise within the palace… why impose such harsh policies and oppression on millions of people in the outside world?” Gao Jian looked at the swirling clouds and couldn’t help but sigh softly, his voice filled with incomprehension and a hint of resentment.

Hearing his sigh, Jiang Youlin's eyes revealed genuine incomprehension. She replied matter-of-factly, "Official titles, wealth, high cultivation, and universal respect... these are what most people in the world desire in their lifetime. What's so strange about the court giving these things in exchange for their service and offerings?"

Gao Jian glanced at her but said nothing more.

There's no need to say anything.

There's no need to discuss this. My insightful comment was merely... a casual remark.

Therefore, they are evil people. The pursuit of happiness is an instinct of all living beings, but happiness comes in countless forms. Evil people are called evil because they feel happiness when they commit evil. They derive satisfaction and pleasure from the misfortunes of others. Therefore, they are evil people.

So the two stopped talking and continued to move forward in this strange "indoor sky".

The sky is not empty. Many "corridors" made of jade or glass float in the air, like rainbow bridges spanning the clouds, connecting palaces, pavilions and towers that are also suspended in the air.

Gao Jian noticed that flying seemed to be a privilege here, with only a very few people of special status able to travel directly through the air without using the corridors. Even a master like Jiang Youlin, who was at the peak of the twelfth realm, was only respectfully leading him to walk along the corridor.

As they traveled, the eunuchs they encountered were all well-trained. They would bow respectfully to Gao Jian and Jiang Youlin, but they would never linger for a moment, nor would anyone speak. Like exquisitely programmed puppets, they silently moved through this magnificent yet quiet sky city.

After walking for about half an hour, passing through several winding aerial corridors, Jiang Youlin finally led Gao Jian to a detached house suspended in the air.

The building has a simple and unadorned appearance, and it is not much different from the other floating buildings around it. Without someone to guide you, it would be difficult to identify in this three-dimensional, maze-like palace complex.

Upon entering, Gao Jian looked around. The interior was simply and elegantly furnished, and through the windows one could overlook the sea of ​​clouds below and the distant, continuous palaces, but there was nothing particularly special about it.

He knew in his heart that the entire interior of the Purple Palace Enclosure was a huge three-dimensional formation. Although he remembered the way he came with his powerful memory, he was still completely confused about the spatial structure and the mystery of the formation. He could only suppress his thoughts and wait cautiously.

Just as he was waiting patiently, a meek eunuch silently entered and presented a plate of golden, plump fruit.

It's a plate of loquats.

Just then, a clear and melodious voice, as pleasant as the clinking of jade stones, came from outside the door:

"The loquat embodies the essence of all four seasons: it forms buds in autumn, blossoms in winter, bears fruit in spring, and ripens in summer. After ripening, it forms buds again."

As he spoke, a young man dressed in the robes of an imperial eunuch slowly entered. He was handsome, with smiling eyes and a gentle demeanor, perfectly matching his pleasant voice; truly a rare and beautiful man. His gaze fell on the loquats, and he continued:

"The loquats cultivated in the palace possess the wonder of the four seasons when the 'weather' here is active, making them completely different from the fruits outside that can barely ripen only through grand sacrifices. Mr. Gao, why don't you give them a try?"

Gao Jian raised his eyes and looked at the young eunuch who had suddenly appeared with an extraordinary demeanor, and his heart stirred slightly.

"Eunuchs can be this handsome?" Gao Jian stroked his chin, his tone filled with undisguised surprise, as if he had just seen something strange and blurted it out.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Youlin almost choked on her own saliva. She barely managed to maintain her composure, but her face was filled with shock as she turned to look at Gao Jian!
Throughout the journey, Gao Jian had always impressed her with his composure, tact, and even unfathomable nature. How could he be so rude now, uttering such almost humiliating words?!

However, the eunuch who was directly called a "eunuch" showed no anger whatsoever.
Instead, he chuckled softly, his smile still gentle and pleasant: "Mr. Gao, you're quite the joker. Physical appearance is a gift from one's parents, not something I can control. Besides, what does it matter to a cultivator?"

He spoke calmly and continued, "Mr. Gao is a martial artist who has opened the gate of essence. I imagine your physical body has been shattered and reassembled countless times on your cultivation path. Your entire body has probably been replaced and reshaped countless times. In a sense, aren't you and I 'fellow travelers' in this physical form?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Jian remained expressionless, simply replying, "It's different, isn't it? I still have it in my heart."

This is even more direct, and it's truly scathing!

It points out that what the other person lacks is not only a part of their body, but also a certain spirit and dignity as a complete man.

Jiang Youlin, who was listening nearby, was terrified and almost cried out to stop them.

But the eunuch remained unperturbed, and his smile did not diminish in the slightest; it was just that the smile seemed to have faded a little, as if veiled by a thin mist.

He said politely, "Mr. Gao, we have no grudges against each other and this is our first meeting. Why should we speak sarcastically and rudely to each other as soon as we meet? Why don't you try this loquat?"

He gently pushed the fruit plate towards the higher table, his demeanor composed, as if the sharp verbal exchange had never occurred.

Looking at the other person's impeccable gentle mask, Gao Jian remained silent.

In truth, he didn't need to say these things. Given his nature, he could have simply played along and observed the situation.

However, seeing such a person, whose appearance, cultivation, and manners were all of the highest quality, yet who had chosen such a path, a surge of uncontrollable anger welled up in his heart.

In this world with cultivators and all sorts of strange techniques, limb regeneration is not difficult.

If one truly desires it, maintaining one's virginity is not impossible. But some people deliberately choose to do so.

But the more "outstanding" the other person was, the angrier he became!
Enraged that such outstanding individuals would willingly have their wings clipped and become like this?
Damn it, what a world this is.

Thinking about it, he picked up a loquat and took a bite.

(End of this chapter)