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Chapter 453 (The End of the Myriad Abyss Chapter)
The Taoist priest—that is, Xiao Dushui—nodded slightly.

The poor Taoist priest's appearance had vanished. Although his face was still the same, it now appeared deep and imposing, so much so that people dared not look directly at him.

After a long while, he slowly spoke.

"Did anything happen in the mountains while I was away?"

An elderly man with white hair on the left immediately bowed his head and replied.

"Reporting to the Sect Leader, there is nothing wrong in the mountain. Moreover, as you instructed, the entire mountain has been working hard to eliminate the evil spirits. Now most of Cangzhou has been cleared away, and we can probably maintain peace for several decades."

Xiao Dushui nodded.

"A few decades is enough. Now that the root of the problem has been eliminated, it will be difficult for any more disturbances to arise. At least the common people can have a few years of peace. By the way, how many people will die during this period?"

Before he finished speaking, the old man had already understood what he meant.

"Reporting to the Sect Leader, during this cleanup, a total of eighty-two disciples perished in the disaster. However, as you instructed, their bodies have all been recovered and are now being placed in the Qingjing Hall."

Xiao Dushui's expression darkened.

"These are all admirable people. If any of them still have relatives, ask if they would like to take them back. We, Shangqing, will cover all funeral expenses and also give their families a sum of money. If they don't have any or are unwilling, then bury them in the Ancestral Shrine on the back hill."

"Sect Leader, isn't this a bit presumptuous?"

"To sacrifice for the common people, what is that presumptuous of?"

"In accordance with the teachings of the Master."

Seeing the white-bearded old man silently retreat, Xiao Dushui spoke again.

"Also, we'll be holding the mountain-closing ceremony soon. All the menial servants should be dismissed as soon as possible. Ask the disciples of each branch; those who want to stay can stay, and those who don't should be given some money to leave the mountain and return to secular life."

"So early?"

"It's getting late. The torrent of Heaven's will come soon. If we don't close the door now, we'll be torn to shreds by this cause and effect sooner or later."

This time, no one had any questions; they all nodded silently.

However, just as Xiao Dushui finished giving his instructions and was about to leave, someone with sharp eyes suddenly noticed that there was a small gap at his waist.

"Sect Leader, your Zhenyuan Magic Sword..."

"Broken."

A gasp of cold air instantly filled the air.

"Broken?? That was something passed down through generations of our Shangqing clan, something we cherished as our very life. How could it break so easily??"

However, Xiao Dushui's answer was very understated.

"the reason is simple."

"It's just returning it to its original owner."

After dismissing the elders, Xiao Dushui straightened his clothes and walked straight into the Ancestral Hall.

The candlelight flickered as he took three sticks of incense and placed them in the incense burner in front of him.

Smoke curled around, blurring the boundaries of reality. Xiao Dushui lifted his long robe, knelt down, and devoutly performed three kneelings and nine kowtows.

"Xiao Dushui, the forty-seventh generation leader of the Shangqing Sect, pays his respects to all the patriarchs."

There was no response; in the firelight, only numerous memorial tablets remained silent and awaiting.

But Xiao Dushui still bowed his head to the ground and reported respectfully.

"Disciple has finally found the traces of the Ancestral Master. Although his appearance has changed drastically, he must have been reincarnated from a corpse. However, his behavior is exactly the same as described in the records. In addition, his identity as the chosen one has been confirmed without a doubt."

"Unfortunately, due to karmic entanglements, I cannot reveal my identity to him. I can only try to guide him indirectly, hoping that the patriarch can return to Shangqing, set up a memorial tablet, and fulfill the last wish of the founder of the sect."

"After a thousand years, Shangqing has finally traced its origins back to the source."

"Master Lu Ping, your last wish has finally been fulfilled."

When Xiao Dushui looked up again, he saw through the wisps of smoke and looked at the memorial tablet at the top.

The thing was covered in the marks of time, and there were only about ten words on it.

—The unworthy disciple of Master Zhou, Yun Yazi, the patriarch of Shangqing.
Lupin's position.
-
Another place.

With the deafening sound of gongs and drums and the crackling of firecrackers, it seemed as if some great joyous occasion was taking place.

That statement is actually not wrong.

A wedding is being held here.

Moreover, it was a rather grand wedding.

Leaving aside the ostentatious displays of wealth and extravagance, and the fact that the banquets stretched almost to the other side of the street, the guests were all either rich or noble: famous heroes from the martial arts world, county officials of all ranks, and even, according to some sharp-eyed observers, entourages from the Eight Great Shanxi Merchants and the Feng family.

Goodness, even the prefect couldn't reach this level, right?
Various speculations and envious voices abounded, but when the bride and groom made their appearance, they all fell silent.

The difference between the two
A toad eating swan meat?
No, it's much more than that.

A beautiful flower stuck in cow dung?

That seems somewhat fitting, but even more so.

Finally, one of the scholars couldn't help but speak up with a sigh.

"It's like a crystal goblet falling into filthy soil, or a lingzhi mushroom growing in dung; it's all in vain."
What a waste!

The others couldn't help but nod in agreement.

After a while, the newlyweds finished their wedding ceremony and performed the rituals. They were supposed to proceed to the bridal chamber next, but the unwilling old man Li was suddenly sent to the front hall to entertain the guests. Meanwhile, Hua Niangzi was in the backyard, holding her apprentice's hand and saying something with a worried expression.

"—I said, Hanlu, are you really alright?"

Zhou You's cheap junior sister, the girl who hadn't appeared for a long time, withdrew her hand and said with a smile.

"What could possibly be wrong with me? But you, on your wonderful wedding day, why aren't you with your beloved husband, and instead come here to find me?"

Hua Niangzi paused, but still sighed.

"I was just worried about you. Ever since that kid left, you've been so sullen. I was afraid you'd do something rash. You know, your aunt is the same; after Shi Dakai left, she only had me left."

However, Hanlu laughed quite freely at these fragmented words.

"You misunderstood. I just feel a little empty after my responsibility was suddenly fulfilled—don't worry, I really don't have any other thoughts."

"Really?"

Hua Niangzi looked at him with great suspicion, but then whispered her advice.

“Your lineage has been bound by this destiny for too long; it’s time to let go. My reputation as a brothel is indeed bad, but I still have some connections with Xiang Ming. If all else fails, I can ask Master Feng to pull some strings. You don’t have a blood oath to uphold, so going overseas to relax and clear your head would be good.”

Hanlu responded with a smile.

"Let's talk about these things later. Today is your big day, don't keep them waiting."

"You."

Hua Niangzi sighed helplessly, but upon hearing Old Man Li's call, she turned around and returned to the bustling meeting place.

Only Hanlu remained standing amidst the dappled shadows of the trees, gazing up at the crescent moon in the sky, lost in thought.

After a long while, a slight smile suddenly appeared on her lips.

Then he rummaged in his pocket for a while and pulled out a photograph.

If Howard were here, he would be absolutely shocked. For no other reason than...

—This photo is the one he lost before!

Hanlu just stared at the figure above, laughing like a fox that had only stolen a chicken.

Honestly, this was the first time in over a decade that she had laughed so unrestrainedly.

"Senior brother, do you think leaving will solve everything?"

"Heh, that's right. After the chosen one completes the correction, this world will deviate from its original course, and apart from some lingering causal connections, it will have no further connection with your place."

"Moreover, even if someone could escape through cause and effect, it would be difficult for them to live to see that point in the span of over a hundred years."

Hanlu paused for a moment, then continued.

“But senior brother, don’t forget that I am not human, and I have the ability to jump to other realms.”

"And I can wait—most importantly, of course..."

The moonlight shifted, and a silvery glow suddenly fell upon the photograph.

What appeared in that light was not the refugee's face, but...
In reality, it belongs to Zhou You, the real face.

Hanlu looked at that always smiling face and smiled sweetly.

"No matter what, I will eventually find you."

Everything has been explained.

But...did we forget something?
—The Yin Road.

It once belonged to the Water Heaven Buddha, in that collapsed Dharma realm.

A rock suddenly moved a few times, and then a dusty head popped out of it.

Cang Le struggled to climb out of it, then spat out a mouthful of sand.

"Pah! Pah! Pah! What a despicable thing Master Zhou did! He not only killed a Buddha, but he also destroyed the exit of this place before leaving, making me waste more than three months of my time."

As he spoke, he patted his buttocks and pulled out a pitch-black object from somewhere.

Or perhaps, it's not a thing.

That thing was just a cloud of black mist, with dark colors flowing through it, and countless wails could be vaguely heard flowing out from it, but if you listened carefully, you could only hear one sound.

Those were words that were festering like pustules, words that were utterly horrifying.

"Let me out. I will grant you anything you desire."

If Zhou You were still here, he would definitely recognize her immediately.

This was the voice of the Water and Heaven Buddha after his spiritual awakening!
However, Cang Le just laughed.

"That's why I said you chosen ones are all sloppy in your work, you can't even finish this job properly. It's true, this thing is like a drop in the ocean in the underworld, but what if some fool picks it up?"

Seeing that Cang Le did not move, the voice urged him more and more anxiously.

"I swear by that great power, if you release me, I will help you rule this world and achieve immortality."

Cang Le shook his head and smiled.

"I don't really care about ruling, after all, the position of emperor sounds quite tiring. Getting up earlier than the rooster and going to bed later than the dog, I really don't want to do such a life-shortening job, but this immortality..."

The voice suddenly turned extremely sarcastic.

"You mean that by receiving the blessing of the Abyss of Filth, one can neither die nor live, but can only eternally sink into suffering, becoming an immortal that attracts countless filth?"

The golden statue of Shui Tian suddenly launched into a barrage of persuasion, then its voice became extremely astonished.

"How did you know? Wait, you're not, no, you are—"

Just as he was about to roar out, Cang Le gently grasped the hole, and then...

It was as if he were caressing his girlfriend's skin, crushing it with utmost gentleness.

At this point, all hope of the Water-Heaven Golden Body escaping was extinguished.

Cang Le seemed to have exhausted all his strength and plopped down in the ruins.

"Well, it wasn't for nothing that I went through all that trouble to get close to that chosen one. I finally managed to cut off that tentacle. Speaking of which, shouldn't I use this achievement to ask my lord for a raise?"

After a moment, he shook his head again.

"Forget it, given how stingy my lord is, I'm afraid he'd kill me the moment I mentioned it."

Finally, Cang Le clapped his hands, letting the black ash in his palms fly away in the wind.

"Shui Tian, ​​don't blame me. Our Lord wouldn't let you occupy such a vast world for nothing, after all, the Heavenly Demons are endless."

"And the struggle between them will never cease."
-
Zhou You naturally couldn't possibly know these things.

Of course, he had absolutely no idea how much trouble he had gotten himself into.

Now he sits in the temple, looking at the altar with utter helplessness.

It's not that he didn't want to go back, but for some reason, the altar seemed to have a programming error and got stuck there, refusing to respond no matter what he did.

As a result, he was stuck here, forced to wait for the thing to recover on its own.

"That's weird. Does this feel like an old machine malfunctioning, or has some programmer's garbage code finally crashed?"

After circling the altar several times, Zhou You finally couldn't resist knocking a few times.

Who would have expected.

It would have been better if he hadn't knocked at all; once he did, there was a series of crackling and popping sounds, followed by...
It completely collapsed.

"No way, you're going on strike already? Even the old folks who stage accidents on the street aren't as fragile as you!"

Seeing this, Zhou You finally panicked—he didn't want to be trapped in this godforsaken place for the rest of his life, so he quickly shook the platform vigorously.

Whether it was a lucky coincidence or the other party finally passed the self-check, after a while, a muffled voice finally came out.

"Congratulations player, you have achieved this."

At first, the sound was intermittent, but soon it came together to form complete sentences.

"Congratulations, player, you have achieved the 'Ten Thousand Abyss' ending: Dynastic Change. This scenario is 178% complete, which is far beyond the original progress of the instance. This scenario will be excluded, and no related scenarios will be generated from now on."

"Because players have significantly exceeded the script completion target, the original reward has been cancelled and will be replaced by a special shop reward."

These were all things he was already familiar with, so Zhou You simply skipped over them.

However, the next prompt made him suddenly freeze.

"The player has reached a crucial point and obtained one of the key fragments to end the cycle."

"Special item, 'Idol,' has been activated."

"All the incense offerings and prayers you receive will be accumulated within it, and your lifespan will be extended in proportion."

"There are generally two ways to obtain incense offerings and prayers. You can achieve a certain feat in the script to make living beings make offerings from the heart, or you can kill/help fallen gods and Buddhas to obtain a portion of the prayers that belong to them."

"Please note that when the faith and devotion in the statue increase to a certain level, you will embark on the path to immortality."

"From this day forward, one will transcend the mortal world and attain immortality."

(End of this chapter)