Eternal Huan and Heng Yuan

Chapter 588: Gen Huan Huan Heng Yuan

A breeze swept past, carrying a faint scent of decay through the air.

The withered leaves rustled, a few occasionally drifting down from the treetops, vanishing without a trace before even hitting the ground.

Li Fan clearly saw that flashing across the surface of the leaves were twisted, anguished faces.

Under normal circumstances, anyone encountering such an eerie scene would inevitably feel a tremor of horror in their heart.

Yet in Li Fan's eyes at this moment, this place known as [Searing Life] held an indescribable wonder.

Taking a deep breath, the foul, stench-laden air entered his lungs, yet he found it surprisingly sweet.

And so, he greedily inhaled a few more breaths.

Observing the Cultivators hanging in the trees closely, he noticed their eyes were pitch-black without visible pupils, each wearing an eerie smile.

Their hair had grown intertwined with the branches, serving as hanging ropes.

Some Cultivators still had intact clothes.

Others appeared to have hung from the branches for quite some time; their clothes had long corroded into tattered rags.

Decaying boughs wound tightly along their bodies, covering their exposed flesh while burrowing deeply into it.

"Wonderful, truly wonderful!"

Without needing an introduction from Daoist Rotten Wood, the moment Li Fan entered [Searing Life], he understood how everything here operated.

Confronted with this chilling spectacle, far from being vigilant or terrified, Li Fan actually clapped his hands in praise.

There was even a trace of envy in his tone.

It was as if the Cultivators of the world rightfully belonged hanging from the branches in the first place.

And to have this withered tree burrow into one's flesh was an unimaginable glory!

"How about it, Fellow Daoist Yu? Did I not speak the truth?" Daoist Rotten Wood seemed to have grown even weaker; after coughing violently for a long while, he finally caught his breath and asked.

"Your words ring true, Fellow Daoist!" Li Fan nodded in agreement.

"Truly a magnificent creation! Might I ask how this tree is addressed?" Staring intently at the withered giant tree, Li Fan's eyes shone with obsession.

"It was originally called [Ruo Wood], but now…" Daoist Rotten Wood also looked up, an inscrutable look upon his face.

"It is called [Gen Huan Huan Heng Yuan]."

It was an extremely awkward word to pronounce, but the instant Daoist Rotten Wood uttered it, Li Fan understood the meaning it embodied.

"Existing since time immemorial, continuing to exist for all eternity. Towering above the river of life, propping up the heavens like a wall."

"No, I still prefer its original name," Li Fan shook his head.

Daoist Rotten Wood chuckled darkly, not minding at all: "A name is merely a designation. As time flows, the world's creatures change generation after generation, and the names they have for it constantly shift."

"Yet none of it has the slightest impact on its existence."

For some reason, as Daoist Rotten Wood said this, a shadow seemed to flicker across his eyes.

Li Fan agreed, however: "Be that as it may, today is not what it once was."

Every instant spent here, numerous images spontaneously surged into Li Fan's mind.

Thus, Li Fan naturally learned vast amounts of related information.

With a look of nostalgia on his face, he chanted to himself: "Heaven and Earth gave birth to living beings; Ruo Wood carved away their lifespan. Drawing life to bear Longevity Fruit; consuming it grants longevity."

Upon hearing the verse recited by Li Fan, Daoist Rotten Wood's turbid eyes rolled slightly, flashing with a gleam of light.

After remaining silent for a long while, the two resumed their conversation.

"Fellow Daoist Yu, you truly possess great innate wisdom!" Daoist Rotten Wood suddenly let out a long sigh.

"Tens of thousands of Cultivators have visited this place before, but someone whose perspective shifts as swiftly as Fellow Daoist's is truly rare to behold."

Li Fan narrowed his eyes slightly and said in a deep voice, "It is not that I possess wisdom, but that they are foolish by nature."

"What fundamental difference is there between the Cultivators here and any other living beings?"

"Trees bear fruit, flowers yield nectar. Beasts give birth, and birds lay eggs."

"People harvest and consume them, thinking it the most natural thing in the world. Why, when the ones harvested become themselves, must it be so intolerable?"

"Do they truly think themselves the spirits of Heaven and Earth, the Sovereigns of all things?"

Li Fan scoffed.

Daoist Rotten Wood was rendered momentarily speechless, having had his prepared words spoken first by the other.

"In my view, it merely comes down to the survival of the fittest."

"Devouring others today brings delight. If one is devoured by others tomorrow, one ought not complain. The Heavenly Dao repays in kind; retribution never fails!"

Li Fan swayed his head, speaking with deep immersion.

Daoist Rotten Wood stared at Li Fan for a moment before sudden comprehension dawned upon him.

"So it is not that your mindset changed—you simply thought this way from the start."

"A pity. What a pity!"

Daoist Rotten Wood shook his head slightly.

Yet Li Fan turned a deaf ear, as if he had not heard the old man at all.

He continued to gaze at the withered Ruo Wood before him, as if something within it profoundly captivated him.

"To think such an anomaly would arise among Cultivators…" Daoist Rotten Wood furrowed his brows slightly, lost in thought.

"Cough, cough…"

He suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit; green blood could faintly be seen trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Above them, Ruo Wood stirred without any wind, shedding countless withered leaves.

"Good riddance, well dead!"

Having witnessed who-knows-what scene, a savage look suddenly crossed Daoist Rotten Wood's face.

He then burst into wild laughter: "Truly, the Heavenly Dao repays in kind, and evil will be tormented by even greater evil!"

"Keeping this lad here serves no purpose; better to send him back to wreak havoc!"

"Retribution! It is all retribution!"

…

After a long spell of madness, Daoist Rotten Wood gradually regained his composure.

He returned to the same demeanor he had when meeting Li Fan on the outside.

"Fellow Daoist Yu, having seen it in person, you must now have a clear idea of the quality of our goods."

"Our previous transaction—can we proceed with it now?" he asked with a strange grin.

"Transaction?" Li Fan turned his head, looking dazed.

"Oh, that matter! No rush!" He waved his hand, actually taking the initiative to decline the offer.

"Jie jie…"

Daoist Rotten Wood laughed raspily once more: "Though this place is fine, it is no place for you to linger."

"The Xuanhuang Realm out there is far more fitting for you, I'd say."

Li Fan was just about to object when Daoist Rotten Wood seized him by the shoulder.

Billowing gray mist surged from beneath their feet, poised to envelop him once again.

"Fellow Daoist, why are you in such a hurry to drive me away?" Li Fan asked anxiously.

Rotten Wood chuckled derisively and gave no answer.

"You wanted Golden Cores, right? I might as well see my good deed through to the end and give you a few for free this time!"

As the gray mist completely obscured his vision, Li Fan vaguely heard Daoist Rotten Wood say by his ear.

His vision blurred, and Li Fan stumbled, finding himself back in the detached courtyard of the Dao Discussion Tower in Tianling Province.

Daoist Rotten Wood, [Gen Huan Huan Heng Yuan], and the countless Cultivators hanging from the branches had vanished in an instant.

It was as though everything had been merely an illusion.

Except for a single withered yellow branch resting quietly on the table, bearing witness to what had occurred.

Free from Ruo Wood's influence, Li Fan regained his normal senses.

Recalling what he had just experienced, a bone-chilling dread washed over him.

Yet fearing that Daoist Rotten Wood might still be watching from the shadows, he could only force down the terror in his heart and feign composure.

Had a bit of wine, so only one chapter today.