Skyfire Avenue - Chapter 902

Chapter 902

Chapter 902: Preserving Immortal Essence

Protected by an astrum, the fragment of a soul could persist for much longer than normal .

Once Luo Xianni’s spirit was recovered Lan Jue continued his search . He quickly found the Pauper, Keeper, Bookworm, and the gods of wine . They were also conveyed into the Compliance Rod .

However, when he looked for Hua Li he was surprised and saddened to discover there was no trace that remained of him .

“A-Li!” When he returned to the corpses of Hua Li and Mo Xiao his heart was a tempest of emotion .  

Zhou Qianlin gripped his hand . She said nothing and only hung her head before the scene . To claim there was no animosity within her would have been a lie, but be it Xiuxiu or Hua Li, they gave their lives to try and make it right . They died protecting Lan Jue . Could hate survive in the face of such sacrifice?

A thought came to Lan Jue . He extricated his hand from Qianlin’s and reached forth to search the bodies for any residual parts of Hua Li’s soul . But then a blue light from the distance captured his attention . As it approached, he watched in shock .

The one who came looked a lot like Hua Li, if more mature . He regarded Lan Jue with a calm expression, and was wreathed in pale blue light .  

He nodded once he was close . “We’ll take him . The Poseidon family has its own ways . ” Hua Xu answered Lan Jue’s unspoken question . There was no indication any of this had affected him emotionally .

Lan Jue regarded him with a pained and conflicted expression . “Uncle, I…”

Hua Xu cut him off with a wave of his hand . “Destiny makes fools of us all . I can only hope that you see some way to forgive them . When the light of one’s life goes out, it should extinguish their follies . ”

Lan Jue nodded his head . Hua Li and Mo Xiao were dead, harboring hatred and resentment would serve no one . He didn’t bear any ill-will toward his fallen brother .

Hua Xu extended it right hand, and from it floated a deep blue crystal . It slowly floated through space glittering in the dim light until it came to the bodies of his children . It flickered with a blue light that hung over the bodies, and moments later when it vanished so too did Hua Li and Mo Xiao .

Hua Xu nodded a final time toward Lan Jue, then turned and left .

However, he did not go far before stopping . He turned back and fixed Lan Jue with his eyes . “After this fight, it will take a long time for the Group to recover . Hua Li hoped that you could help look after he and Mo Xiao’s child . It was his desire that their little one could live on Skyfire Avenue . Is there anything that might make this impossible?”

Lan Jue did not immediately reply, so Hua Xu continued . “You might not expect it from looking at our family, but our heirs are not immediately granted the full rights and powers of the bloodline . They employ the benefits of the family to choose their own path, and ultimately undergo the process of accepting the lineage . So it is destined . Of course none of us wish for this burden, neither I nor A-Li wanted to carry this mantle . I failed . Under cover of this conflict, as Hua Li was leaving to join the fight, Mo Xiao sent a ship back toward Skyfire Avenue bearing their child . I ask that you seek his aura, and bring our heir to Skyfire Avenue so that he might grow and prosper . When he comes of age, if he so chooses he can return and take up his rightful place as leader of Poseidon Group . If he does not…” Hua Xu stopped, a smile on his face . He didn’t finish the thought before a flash of blue light conveyed him far away .

Lan Jue heaved a sigh . A piece of A-Li still existed somewhere! A-Li, he thought to himself, I’ll do whatever I can to grant your final wish .  I’ll look after your son .

The battle was finally over, and the Wine Master left to spread the good news across all the human worlds . However when Lan Jue returned to his fellows his face was no less serious and burdened . They looked into the distance where the gold-blanketed legacy of the aliens remained . They silently regarded Europa, immortal realm of their enemy .

“Brother, what are we going to do about this?” Lan Jue asked .

Lan Qing’s deep voice replied . “Under the power of faith the Banishing Strategy is strong . As its guides we can direct its power to smother and destroy Europa . We can erase every last trace of these aliens, once and for all . ”

“No . ” Li Ke answered quickly and firmly . Everyone turned their attention to him .

He explained . “Creating an immortal realm is phenomenally difficult . I wouldn’t be surprised to learn it’d taken ten thousand years of preparation for the aliens to succeed here . It was based off of what Monarch could piece together from the ancient immortal realm of our history, so its existence isn’t actually a threat . Now that the aliens are dead, we can take this realm for ourselves . Think about it, all four of you have reached the Infinite and the moment you leave the protection of the Strategy universal protogenia will leech your vitality . The only way you can continue to grow as Paragons is if you do so under the protection of an immortal realm . ”

Lan Jue bitterly shook his head . “I have absolutely no interest in continuing this journey . It was never my dream to become an immortal, all I ever wanted was a normal life . Besides, so long as he we don’t deliberately seek cultivation Qianlin’s Domain can protect us from universal protogenia . ”

Li Ke paused, then wryly chuckled . “You still can’t destroy this place, even despite your personal desires . The immortal realm is the only way in which you can bring the others back . You have your selfish motives and so do I .  I want my body back, to live a normal life where I can be with my family . Small as that chance might be, I have to pursue it no matter how remote . ”

Lan Qing blinked in surprise . “You’re saying we can use their primordial spirits in the immortal realm to bring our friends back?”

Li Ke answered . “Theoretically yes . An immortal realm is replete with immortal qi that circulates through it as ubiquitous as the wind . Its basis is in faith, and I could sense that Monarch’s intention was not to kill the humans once he’d succeeded in his desire to bring about the immortal realm . What he really wanted was for humans to submit and accept him as their god . Then he could feed off of our faith . Right now Europa is sustained by the faith of all those Monarch consumed . However, this had made the realm unstable . Immortal qi will continue to be consumed but not replenished . For you four, it would be different . You’re heroes, and if you claim the immortal realm as your own you can inject it with the faith of the masses . You are the only ones that can stabilize this place and replenish its power . ”

“Not only will immortal qi protect you from universal protogenia, it will also nourish and restore the fragments of primordial spirit you’ve gathered . I dare say that with the help of immortal qi you could bring Jua Di back to life quickly . The others may take more time but are likely to walk the worlds of man once more . ”

Nearby, Chu Cheng extended the golden skeleton he carried, the remnants of the Terminator . “Is there a chance his Majesty the Terminator…”

Li Ke sighed and shook his head . “Too much time has passed, his primordial spirit has already dissolved . A Paragon’s spirit can only survive about an hour before it returns to the universe . ”

Chu Cheng’s disappointment was visible . He could say that the Terminator had given him new life . Without the Northern leader’s help Chu Cheng’s rise would never have been so quick . With the Terminator gone, the responsibilities of being the North’s sole Paragon fell to him .

Lan Qing pressed the spirit . “So what do you suggest we do now, comrade?”

Li Ke’s response came without hesitation . “First we should go to Europa and see if anything remains of the three home worlds . If it does that poison must be removed . Using the Banishing Strategy to surround Europa was not wrong, for if we find that there is no saving this immortal realm it can quickly be destroyed . That responsibility will be left up to the four of you . In addition, if in the future anyone wants to enter the immortal realm they could only do so with your blessing and guidance . Until one or more of you achieve Da Luo status as immortals the Banishing Strategy will persist . In the meanwhile, you simply need to control it . ”

Lan Qing looked at Lan Jue, who nodded back . “It sounds like the best course of action . Let’s go to Europa, and see if we can’t solve any problems we come across . ”

With Monarch dead, in principle there should be nothing remaining of the three alien planets . However, they couldn’t be sure until they went to Europa and searched it themselves . With the backing of the Banishing Strategy they would make sure everything was in order .

Were it not for the possibility of saving his friends and family from permanent death, Lan Jue would much have preferred destroying this immortal realm . He’d have liked to see it pass into history and erase any possibility of future trouble .

The four sword bearers didn’t rush into the immortal realm . First they guided the Banishing Strategy’s power so that it settled over Europa, and only then began their trek to the gold-wreathed planet .

“Let’s go . ” Lan Qing ordered .

The four of them entered into the newly remoulded planet’s atmosphere together . Immediately they were embraced by the multifaceted aura of the Strategy and the effects it provided . The golden light of Europa caused them no trouble, and they entered without issue .

All they felt was their bodies becoming lighter, and suddenly they were in what seemed to be a whole new reality .

Space was a vacuum, and while it didn’t threaten a Paragon’s life it could not be called comfortable . They left the distressing sensation behind as they slipped into Europa’s atmosphere .

They took their first breaths of Europaen air, filling them with delight . It seemed like just being here was increasing their cultivation by the moment .

Li Ke and the other Paragons didn’t come with them . It was dangerous until Lan Jue and the others discovered otherwise, so they were told to remain behind . Only Lan Jue, Lan Qing, Zhou Qianlin and the Pharmacist stepped foot in this immortal plane .

They looked at each other, nearly speechless .

“So this is the immortal realm?” Qianlin managed to say .