Chapter 1526: Dominating the Inner Realm, Falling Leaves Seek Their Roots

Standing on the Heavenly Ladder, Wang Lin looked down at Vermilion Bird Star. This star had become unfamiliar; its mountains and rivers seemed to have changed significantly, vaguely losing their former appearance.

The ground was covered in greenery, with lush grass spreading everywhere. As the high-altitude wind blew, a faint fragrance seemed to permeate the heavens and earth.

"How fun! How did this place become so beautiful? Look, there's even a mountain statue, haha! This mountain statue isn't well made; it's too crude, not as good as the mud figures this King molds!" The madman clapped his hands, laughing heartily.

The four individuals, a master and three Disciples, had originally been standing solemnly on the Heavenly Ladder, bowing towards the stone statue ahead. Hearing the madman's words and laughter, all the Disciples, except for the old man, turned back to glare, their eyes filled with disdain.

This mountain statue was precisely the peak connected to the Heavenly Ladder. This peak was the highest on Vermilion Bird Star, and someone, using a great Divine Ability, had forcefully used the mountain as a body to carve out a giant statue. The statue depicted a Cultivator in a long robe, his left hand forming Hand Seals, his right hand gripping a massive Sky-Opening Axe. He gazed up at the sky, his expression revealing an invisible majesty, as if he intended to contend with the heavens!

The connection point of the Heavenly Ladder was at the base of this mountain statue. Thus, all Cultivators who came to Vermilion Bird Star for pilgrimage would immediately see this colossal mountain statue. And upon stepping onto this star, due to the difference in elevation, as they drew closer, the pressure would intensify due to the height. All Cultivators passing by would feel their minds tremble, proceeding as if in worship.

The statue depicted Wang Lin!

It was Wang Lin during the first battle in the Cloud Sea!

However, the statue's face was somewhat blurry for some reason, making it difficult for outsiders to see clearly.

"This statue represents the heroic posture of Honored Seal during the first battle in the Cloud Sea, after slaying the Fire Sparrow Clan Old Ancestor, Venerable Nanzhao. He stood at the gap of the Sealed Realm Grand Formation, single-handedly confronting the invading Cultivator army from the Outer Realm, preventing tens of thousands from advancing even half a step!" The old man's words carried a sense of vicissitude, causing his three Disciples behind him to turn and bow to the statue.

"After the first battle, Honored Seal's name resonated throughout the Inner Realm. People learned that he came from Vermilion Bird Star. Our Inner Realm Cultivators spontaneously organized, under the guidance of several great Divine Ability Seniors, and with the approval of Zhou Wutai of Vermilion Bird Star, transformed this highest peak into the Honored Seal statue." The old man's voice echoed.

Wang Lin silently gazed at the statue, gently shaking his head and sighing inwardly. He vaguely remembered that the mountain peak here had belonged to Vermilion Bird Country, a Holy Land of Vermilion Bird Country, but now, it had changed.

Wang Lin did not wish to see such changes. He took a step forward, leading the madman far away, disappearing from the sight of the master and three Disciples. After they had gone far, a young man among the three Disciples sneered.

"Such a vulgar person, how dare he come to pilgrimage to Honored Seal's hometown!"

His two fellow Disciples beside him nodded, glaring at the receding figures of Wang Lin and the other.

"The two of them spoke disrespectfully on Vermilion Bird Star; they will surely be punished. Let's see how miserably they'll be driven off this star then."

Wang Lin slowly walked through the sky, looking at the land below, which grew increasingly unfamiliar. This unfamiliarity made his expression even more solitary, as if everything in the world had changed, and only his heart remained as before. Yet, against the backdrop of these changes, it seemed so lonely and reclusive, completely out of place.

"Too many changes… there's no longer a sense of home…" Wang Lin fell silent, trying hard to find even a trace of familiarity from back then, but as his gaze swept across the land while he moved forward, he found nothing.

On Vermilion Bird Star, the many Cultivation Countries from long ago had all changed. The Cultivators of the entire Vermilion Bird Star had become a single nation, and even the Sects, once diverse, had now become the Nine Great Sects of Vermilion Bird Star.

These Nine Great Sects occupied most of the territory of Vermilion Bird Star.

As Wang Lin walked, he saw the Soul Refining Sect from back then.遁天's kind face from the past was still in his memory, but the location of the Soul Refining Sect was no longer the same.

That mountain had vanished, becoming a lake. Around the lake were numerous pavilions, from which waves of spiritual energy emanated—it was another Sect.

Situ Nan had awakened here, and his domineering words about not letting the sky rain still echoed in Wang Lin's ears, but now, he could find no familiar aura.

As Wang Lin proceeded, the former Giant Demon Race appeared in his sight, also changed. The entire region where the Giant Demon Race resided had become a grassland. On the grassland, there were still some nomadic Mortals, dressed in simple clothes or bare-chested, moving with their flocks of sheep amidst joyful and clear songs.

Within the flock were several sturdy large dogs, whose barks occasionally rang out as they ran, mixing with the bold songs without any discord, instead blending together and echoing leisurely.

"This place… has also changed…" Wang Lin felt melancholic and lost, slowly walking through this world. The madman, behind Wang Lin, was uncharacteristically silent. He could sense the deep loneliness from Wang Lin's back; vaguely, he too missed home.

Snow Domain Country appeared before Wang Lin after a long while. The former snow-covered, silver-clad land was also gone now.

The snow had long melted; this place had become a dense jungle, no longer bearing any resemblance to its past self. Even the former cities had been toppled, becoming ruins buried in the jungle, lost to time.

Buried along with them was that special Mortal city, which recorded nearly a hundred years of Wang Lin's time, and all traces of the Mortal child named Ceng Niu gradually growing up.

Staring blankly at the jungle below, Wang Lin's heart ached. He felt an indescribable sensation, vaguely feeling that this was no longer his home… on this Vermilion Bird Star, he could find nothing familiar.

Without familiarity, only memories remained, like a wanderer returning home after many years abroad, only to find everything so strange in his old age. So strange that it made him want to cry, so strange that it made him grieve, so strange that he couldn't find… home.

Wang Lin had returned to Vermilion Bird Star before and had seen changes, but never like this, almost a complete upheaval. This change was too sudden, leaving him unable and with no time to adapt. He even dared not spread his Divine Sense to instantly perceive the entirety of Vermilion Bird Star, to go to the State of Zhao, to his parents' graves… He feared seeing more unfamiliarity there, seeing the shadow that made him lonely, that left him with only memories and no home, only solitude.

He was equally afraid to see the Cultivation Devil Sea cave where he and Li Muwan once lived, afraid to see the warm valley. He feared that even these would be lost.

Gazing at the jungle below, Wang Lin silently walked into it, as if searching for something. Finally, amidst the dense woods, he pushed aside the leaves blocking his view and, facing the sunlight, saw the remains of a city.

Several small animals scurried through the overgrown city ruins, within the collapsed houses. With Wang Lin's arrival, these small animals seemed startled and scattered.

Wang Lin walked through the city ruins, searching. He vaguely felt a trace of familiarity, as if he was about to grasp it, but moments later, this trace of familiarity silently collapsed. He stared blankly at a huge pit in front of the ruins; it was this pit that had shattered his nascent familiarity, burying the street where he had lived back then.

Standing there for a long time, Wang Lin sighed softly and turned to leave.

He went to the Cultivation Devil Sea, but the entire Cultivation Devil Sea was no longer there. Although the mist had dissipated back then, a huge basin had remained. Now, it had been filled in, becoming the mountain gate area of one of the Nine Great Sects.

The cave where he and Li Muwan once lived was naturally gone. Wang Lin looked at all this from the sky, his heart aching. He had wanted to take a look at that cave, at that massive Dragon body, at the place where Li Muwan had poured her heart and soul.

Dejected, he turned away.

Unknowingly, Wang Lin arrived at the valley that had once brought him warmth, where Li Muwan's beauty slowly faded with age. It was also where Zhou Ru grew up.

However, even this place had been leveled, becoming an inland sea, very beautiful and picturesque, but it gave Wang Lin an even sharper pain… "This place is gone too…"

The various changes on Vermilion Bird Star made it appear infinitely more beautiful than before, but this beauty was merely superficial. This kind of Vermilion Bird Star was definitely not what Wang Lin desired!

The world only knew that this was the hometown of Honored Seal and wanted to transform it into a Holy Land, but they didn't understand that such a Holy Land was hollow. Was this what Wang Lin wanted? All of this was just external superficiality. Wang Lin was not a flamboyant Cultivator who cared about appearances or personal fame; he was an ordinary person, a small Cultivator who remained as he was even after becoming Honored Seal.

He merely wanted a home, a hometown where he could find peace and quietly reminisce. He just wanted to find even a trace, even a tiny bit of familiarity, to let that familiarity bring him warmth after two millennia of cold cultivation—just a bit of warmth… But now, this warmth had become a luxury. He wanted to find it, but after walking all this way, he couldn't find even a speck.

Lonely, solitary. Wang Lin turned around, gazing blankly at the madman following behind him, and softly asked, "Why is it like this…?"

"This King thinks it's quite pretty, hehe…" The madman grinned foolishly.

Wang Lin fell silent. He looked at the sky, and after a long while, he sighed deeply, took a step forward, and led the madman away from here, heading towards the place he dared not go, dared not look at… his true home, the former State of Zhao!

In the sky, Wang Lin looked at the State of Zhao below, his eyes blurring.

"This place, hasn't changed…"

In front of the world, he was Honored Seal, revered by tens of thousands of Cultivators, but at this moment, he was merely a wanderer returning to his hometown, an old man who wanted to see traces of the past… Below him, in the State of Zhao, four Cultivators—one old and three young—also arrived.

"This place is where Honored Seal grew up in his youth…" The aged voice slowly echoed.

These are the last few days of the month; the decisive battle is imminent. It took us half a month to catch up, and half a month to create a lead, but now it's an emergency, a critical moment, how can we give up!

In April, we fought for first place. In May, how can we admit defeat? Fight, fight, fight, fight! I want to fight! Fellow Daoists, no matter where you come from, do you have the passion to fight alongside Er Gen? We cannot lose!!