Chapter 966

Chapter 966 A Warning

 

He Rujü remained silent for a moment, then said, “I left this relic to serve as a warning for those who would come after.”

Fang Yu looked at the semi-transparent figure before him, narrowing his eyes without speaking.

“The era I lived in, even if it wasn’t the peak of human civilization, wasn’t weak either… In short, humans were still the leaders among all races. Other races did exist in the world, but they were extremely rare, and none ever dared to attack humanity,” He Rujü said slowly. “In that era, cultivators were racing toward immortality, while ordinary people… were pursuing wealth. Everything was normal and natural, and no one noticed the approaching horror.”

“Even when the first invasion by other races occurred, no one took it seriously. Because… that invasion was easily repelled. For a long time afterward, no other races appeared, so it was considered an isolated incident.”

“But no one expected that this invasion by other races was just the beginning. In the following ten years… the number of other races suddenly increased, emerging one after another… until humanity could no longer resist.”

“How many years did this process take?” Fang Yu asked with furrowed brows.

“You’re asking… about the time from the first invasion to when humans could no longer resist?” He Rujü asked in return.

“Yes,” Fang Yu nodded.

“I already mentioned it—exactly ten years,” He Rujü answered. “In ten years, other races emerged in large numbers. Powerful sects, major organizations, and even strong independent cultivators among humans… all faced invasions by other races. Some survived, but most were eliminated.”

“You said other races were very rare in that era, so why did so many appear within ten years? Where did they come from?” Fang Yu asked with a frown.

“That question puzzled me as well… but I have no answer,” He Rujü said. “I can only tell you what I personally experienced.”

“Which is that other races went from being rare to overwhelming humans in just ten years.”

“I believe this is precisely what you need to be vigilant about.”

“Are you suggesting that other races have always existed, but were waiting for the right moment to appear together?” Fang Yu asked.

“Yes,” He Rujü answered.

“But what good is vigilance? According to you, cultivators in your time ascended to escape… Can vigilance really help us resist?” Fang Yu raised an eyebrow.

“Your era may not necessarily experience such events,” He Rujü said. “I left this will only to recount the dramatic changes humanity experienced in my time.”

“The fact that you can see me now indicates that humanity has survived that crisis.”

“Furthermore, since humanity has survived, it must be stronger now than it was then… There is more hope in resisting other races.”

“Stronger?” Fang Yu’s expression turned strange.

In He Rujü’s era, there were at least many cultivators who ascended to immortality.

But in the current era, even Integration Stage cultivators were as rare as phoenix feathers or unicorn horns.

In terms of strength, this era… was incomparably weaker than He Rujü’s time.

However, hearing He Rujü’s explanation, Fang Yu had another doubt.

“When you ascended, humanity was already at its most difficult point, right?” Fang Yu asked.

“Yes, at that time, humanity’s numbers… had probably been reduced by more than 80 percent,” He Rujü answered.

“In that case, the situation should have gotten worse… After your era, humanity should have been eliminated, right? How could it possibly survive until today?” Fang Yu frowned.

This doubt had also arisen when Fang Yu first heard that humanity had experienced several catastrophes throughout history.

If humanity had faced so many devastating calamities throughout its long history, why did it still exist?

Combined with what He Rujü said… it was quite contradictory.

“Since humans still exist now, it means they weren’t completely wiped out back then,” He Rujü answered.

“But from the trend you described, humans were getting weaker and weaker… how could they not have been wiped out in the end?” Fang Yu said with tightly knit brows, unable to understand. “Did those other races suddenly become merciful and stop just as humanity was about to be exterminated?”

He Rujü fell silent, clearly unable to answer this question.

Besides this question, Fang Yu had another doubt.

Humanity facing so many insurmountable calamities throughout history was obviously closely related to cultivators ascending!

For cultivators, the ultimate goal of cultivation was to become immortal.

But after becoming immortal, they inevitably had to leave Earth.

This meant that the human cultivators with truly decisive power couldn’t stay on Earth to fight against these so-called calamities.

In this case, humanity’s extinction seemed quite normal.

Because the strongest people… were all gone!

But the concept of ascending to immortality had existed since the beginning of cultivation… Although the origin of this theory was unknown, it had indeed become an established principle.

Throughout history, no one had ever heard of someone remaining on Earth after becoming immortal…

Fang Yu shook his head, no longer thinking about it.

This wasn’t something a Qi Condensation cultivator like him could figure out.

Tracing back further would only raise more questions.

“I have no more questions,” Fang Yu said.

“I cannot answer any more of your questions either,” He Rujü said.

“In that case… I’ll take your Wishful Lotus,” Fang Yu said.

He Rujü didn’t respond.

Fang Yu took this as consent, walked across the water to the center of the spring, and picked up the lotus emitting a faint glow.

Holding the lotus in his hands, he could feel the vast energy contained within.

This energy gave people a sense of mental tranquility.

“Hey, what’s the purpose of this Wishful Lotus?” Fang Yu turned his head and asked.

But by then, he realized that He Rujü’s semi-transparent body formed from spring water had already disappeared.

He left just like that?

Fang Yu looked at the Wishful Lotus in his right hand with a slight frown.

“Rumble…”

At this moment, the surrounding space began to shake.

The spring water below formed ripples and even began to splash.

Fang Yu knew that after receiving the inheritance, this ancient relic would close.

So, he temporarily put the Wishful Lotus in his pocket, flashed back to Ji Rumei’s side.

“We’ll return to the original world soon, don’t panic,” Fang Yu said to the pale-faced Ji Rumei.

“Mm.” With Fang Yu standing beside her, Ji Rumei immediately became calmer.

“Whoosh…”

A strange sound came.

A spatial vortex appeared beneath Fang Yu and Ji Rumei’s feet.

Both were sucked into the vortex.

…

White Stone Beach.

It was now 5 PM in the evening.

A large group of lifeguards stood on the beach, with several rescue boats on the water.

Ji Xiaoqian sat by the beach, her eyes red and swollen from crying, staring blankly at the empty sea before her.

Ji Rumei had been missing at sea for two hours.

Still not found, she was probably…

Ji Xiaoqian hoped she was having a nightmare.

Otherwise, she really didn’t know how to explain to Uncle Ji Dongshan when she returned, nor could she face anyone in the family.

“Sister, please appear, I’m begging you…” Ji Xiaoqian prayed with her hands clasped together, tears in her eyes.

…

“Splash…”

Fang Yu and Ji Rumei shot out from the spatial tunnel, falling directly into the sea.

Ji Rumei swallowed several more mouthfuls of seawater.

Fang Yu grabbed her right arm and pulled her to the surface.

Ji Rumei wiped the seawater from her face and looked at Fang Yu.

“Many people are looking for you,” Fang Yu said, looking at the lights on the beach.

Ji Rumei was stunned for a moment, only now noticing that it had grown dark.

How could… she entered that space and returned to the sea… it had been less than twenty minutes.

“Time flows at different speeds in that space,” Fang Yu explained simply, knowing Ji Rumei’s confusion.

Ji Rumei nodded blankly.

Then, her expression changed as she blurted out: “Xiaoqian!”

Fang Yu brought Ji Rumei ashore, and they quickly found Ji Xiaoqian.

When Ji Xiaoqian saw Ji Rumei, she rubbed her eyes in disbelief, then hugged Ji Rumei and wept bitterly.

“Sister… where did you go? You scared me to death, wuwuwu… I was just thinking that if we couldn’t find you, I wouldn’t want to live either,” Ji Xiaoqian cried loudly.