Chapter 250: Remembrances at the Eastern Hundred Cities
At this point, the yearning sentiment emerged once again as Su Yuhe’s figure came out from the coffin. She prostrated before Li Qiye and bowed before speaking: “This is the second time Your Excellency Dark Crow buried me, I am very grateful!”
“No, this bond was formed because of me, so I should be the one to end it!” [1. More literal is, this human fate (Su Yuhe and Min Ren) was because of me, so this fruit should also be ended by me. Mortal Fruit is the literal words used by the Chinese to describe karma caused by humans.]
Li Qiye then gently sighed and said: “Go, there is nothing in this world that is worthwhile for you to linger around any longer. You shouldn’t continue to be a yearning sentiment! Disperse without any burden and become part of the heaven and earth again.”
Su Yuhe bowed again and got an apricot vase from the coffin, then she handed it over to Li Qiye: “I hope that this vase will be helpful to Your Excellency in the future against the ominous thing under the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect.”
Li Qiye gently accepted the apricot vase and nodded his head: “All karma formed by humans will disperse. Rest in peace!”
Su Yuhe deeply prostrated. The moment she lay down in the coffin, a gentle and flashing breeze blew by as the yearning sentiment that took the shape of Su Yuhe finally floated up before disappearing from this heaven and earth forever.
Su Yuhe no longer existed in this world. The only person who remembered this name might only be Li Qiye in the present times.
With another lamenting and gentle sigh, Li Qiye buried the coffin deep under the old peach tree. Standing beneath it, Li Qiye couldn’t help but become melancholic. Little Brat Min Ren was such an enthusiastic and optimistic boy at this place. Unfortunately, this all changed in the future because of the heaven’s dao; because of the simple woman that was simple to the point of stupidity; because of General Su; because of his master, the Dark Crow...
Even though he became invincible in the Nine Worlds with the Heaven’s Will, Immortal Emperor Min Ren was not as happy as he was during his youth!
In the end, Li Qiye gently stroked the old peach tree before turning around to leave. He might never come back to this place again.
After Li Qiye was far away, the dispersed flashing light below the old peach tree was absorbed by its root. Suddenly, the old peach tree gave birth to young branches; it was as if it was a dried tree meeting the coming of spring and once again exuded signs of life!
The Eastern Hundred Cities was just as lively and prosperous as the Grand Middle Territory. Its origin was very simple. There was a legend that stated that there were one hundred extremely ancient cities in the east of the Mortal Emperor World, so the eastern area was referred by others as the Eastern Hundred Cities! [2. This is one of those moments where I fist pumped myself because choosing “Hundred” in the title was the perfect choice. Translating Chinese to English without context can be difficult, especially for names.]
Even though the Grand Middle Territory was more vast, its population was quite scattered. This was not the case for the Eastern Hundred Cities with its countless populated cities. It was the largest enclave of the human race within the Mortal Emperor World, and there were even many other races gathered at the Eastern Hundred Cities.
It was considered the starting place of the human race. Legend has it that during the Desolate Era, humans took their roots here, and after the chaotic war between the races during the Desolace Expansion Era all the way until the dark ages of the Ancient Ming Era till the splendid Emperors Era, the human race was still firmly rooted in this place.
Needless to say, this was the domain of the human race during the Emperors Era. It was not preposterous to say that all humans in the Mortal Emperor World originated from the Eastern Hundred Cities.
With countless powerful sects, countries, and sacred grounds, there were many ancient heritages at this place! For example, there were the Eternal River School, the Heavenly Dao Academy, the Brilliant Ancient Kingdom, the Ice Feather Palace... They were all ancient and powerful Immortal Emperor lineages!
Regarding ancient heritages, the Grand Middle Territory truly could not be compared to the Eastern Hundred Cities.
One could say that too many Immortal Emperors of the human race came from the Hundred Eastern Cities! Even the patriarch, Immortal Emperor Min Ren, of the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect originated from this place.
Li Qiye traveled through a location that had vast and countless cities along numerous ancient veins. Li Qiye, step by step, traversed through this place while cultivating and immersing in the dao.
Back into the mortal world and arriving at his past homes, Li Qiye recalled many things for these places were filled with his memories. Since time immemorial, he had went to the Eastern Hundred Cities many times. At the ancestral ground and origin of the human race, he had found many great seeds, trained countless invincible existences, and had buried many remains at these cities...
To the Dark Crow — Li Qiye, this place had too many joys and sorrows!
The relentless years were heartless as the landscape underwent transformations. Many cities had turned into ruins, mountains were shaped into bustling towns, and then there were rivers that had run dry. Also, there were some places where the earth had sunk... Li Qiye slowly walked through one place after another while cultivating. This was not only for remembrance, but also as a type of motivation so that he could immerse himself within those heroic years.
In a city with a great abundance of people, Li Qiye went into a small alley. However, this place was already abandoned. There used to be a monstrous clan in this place — a heritage that had been passed on for countless years. Sadly, it could not withstand the torture of time and was eventually destroyed and turned into ruins.
Li Qiye gently sighed while standing amongst these ruins. During the Desolace Expansion Era, he had a general who had followed him during his conquest across the world. After their success, the general retreated and established an extremely powerful heritage in this place. However, time was endless and even powerful heritages will become smoke in the end.
Li Qiye, alone, walked upstream along a great river before stopping at its source. He stood silently at this place while leisurely watching the flowing river.
Who knew that this place was the resting place of an invincible existence. At that time, the Tetra-War Bronze Chariot was next to him; a maid next to him would frighten the Nine Worlds the moment she unsheathed her sword in order to enforce his myriad of rules.
The years were too endless and heartless. Even the most devastating war came to an end as all became nothingness in the gentle breeze from the inevitable decay. The sword maid that had followed him to all of his battles, a woman that was loyal to him for life... She didn’t want to be like those who lingered on a borrowed life with their last breath; she was willing to leave this world in her most graceful bearing and carefree attitude! In the end, he buried his lifelong sword maid at the place of their first meeting.
During that era, who knew that the goddess with one sword that frightened the Nine Worlds used to be a daughter of a fisherman? Because of the training from a crow, she eventually became the most amazing sword goddess in the Nine Worlds!
“Fallen leaves returning to their root; this is but an impossible wish for me.” [3. Meaning that Li Qiye thinks he will most likely die away from his hometown]
With one final glance at this resting place for all eternity, Li Qiye eventually drifted away!
Above the mountains on a high peak, Li Qiye silently stared at a shattered column. This used to be a monstrous and prosperous city. Unfortunately, the heartless torment of time had turned this place into a wilderness with towering trees!
Pictures of the “Grand Heaven” appeared one after another in his mind. This was the area where he met Empress Hong Tian for the first time. At that point, she was just a stubborn girl and nothing more! Who would have guessed that she would eventually become an invincible character in all the domains.
As the Dark Crow, an eternal existence, Li Qiye had developed many invincible characters and not just one Immortal Emperor. However, the most exceptional was still Empress Hong Tian!
An entire generation as an invincible empress who put an end to the Thousand Emperor Gate! This was one gate with four emperors in a row. At that time, even the Soaring Immortal Sect would not dare to compete with the Thousand Emperor Gate!
This was the Thousand Emperor Gate that reigned over the Nine Worlds, yet it was ended in the hands of Empress Hong Tian. Even a genius with the highest talents and probability to become an Immortal Emperor was killed in the hands of Empress Hong Tian!
This was a time when they were always together and shared many experiences. In the end, because of conflicting ideologies — because they aimed for different paths, they were separated and even became enemies!
Li Qiye stood in this place with a heavy heart. It seemed that there were some things that couldn’t be helped for there was no other option; he had his own principles, and so did she! The master and disciple —lifelong friends became enemies in the end and never met each other again!
“Why must you pick such a route?” Li Qiye finally murmured: “Time is endless; there will be a day when even the ocean dries up and the mountains erode, a time where even the blue seas turn into mulberry fields. Why the need to suffer like this!?” [4. Blue seas turn into mulberry fields indicates a transformation. In this case, this is a transformation caused by the vicissitudes of eternal time. Interesting note, this particular line is a passage from Magu’s mythology.]
In the end, Li Qiye dejectedly sighed before leaving this place. Empress Hong Tian had become a legend forever. There were too many secrets buried behind her that were not known to the world!
Li Qiye walked and contemplated some more. Cultivating and traversing the mortal world while heading eastward, he was not only thinking about the past. By walking along this land, it immersed him in a mysterious state of selflessness. This indescribable state allowed him to lay down a solid foundation. [5. I would say selflessness here is akin to nirvana. The actual raws say “forget self”, so I kept it close since selflessness still made a bit of sense. The general idea is enlightenment/nirvana, but I didn’t want to use those particular terms because of accuracy reasons. The words for those are different.]
After several days, Li Qiye’s Heaven’s Primal had reached grand accomplishment and he began to step into the Soul Creation realm! [6. Reminder: Soul Creation used to be Fertility God]
Soul Creation was another big step for cultivators. Soul Creation cultivators were considered experts, and even vagrant cultivators could join and accept the title Named Hero from many countries. They were quite welcomed and could even be bestowed their own territory to become lords of their own domain!
Named Heroes and Royal Nobles could be considered the temporary masters. During the Difficult Dao Era, all the Enlightened Beings and Ancient Saints were living in seclusion. As for the legendary Heavenly Sovereigns and Heavenly Kings, they were even more hidden inside their Blood Era Stone for they did not want to endure the torturing Difficult Dao Era.
Because of this, the contemporary world was a battle stage for Named Heroes and Royal Nobles, especially before the end of the Difficult Dao Era.