After respectfully bidding farewell to Mu Tian, Sovereign Han Ji Shen remained silent.
His deep, unfathomable eyes rested on Lan Hai, yet not a single word left his lips.
He simply stood there, as though he could feel the storm raging inside the heartbroken young man.
A moment later, Mu Tian stepped forward and took a few incense sticks from his pocket.
He lit them and gently placed them before the portraits of Lan Xiuan, Mu Chen, and Xia Qinue.
The smoke slowly rose into the air, and a suffocating silence filled the room.
Mu Tian turned to Lan Hai.
His voice carried both the grief of a father and the weight of unwavering resolve.
Mu Tian: “Lan Hai… they did not give you this life so you could lock yourself inside this dark room and waste it away. I know your entire world has been shattered… But stop and think for just a moment. Recently, a single Demon Dragon pushed the entire city of Beijing to the brink of destruction. If ten or twelve of those Demon Dragons were to descend upon this planet… what do you think would happen to the entire mortal world?”
His grip on Lan Hai’s shoulder tightened slightly.
Mu Tian: “So become strong, my boy. Stop torturing yourself like this, and don’t let their sacrifice be in vain. Take care of yourself… Because you are like my own son to me. Now that Mu Chen is gone, you are the only one I have left in this empty world. If you must live… then live for the sake of my Mu Chen.”
After speaking those heavy words, Mu Tian turned around and walked away without looking back.
Every step he took carried an overwhelming sense of loneliness as he slowly disappeared from the ruined building.
Lan Hai looked up at Han Ji Shen with tear-filled eyes as the Sovereign quietly made his way toward the staircase leading to his room.
Before Han Ji Shen could take another step, Lan Hai called out in a dry, hoarse voice,
Lan Hai: “Senior… I need to talk to you about something important.”
Han Ji Shen stopped immediately.
He slowly turned around.
His expression remained calm, yet his powerful presence filled the entire room.
Without saying a word, he walked back, sat down on the worn-out sofa opposite Lan Hai, and looked at him quietly.
Han Ji Shen: “Ask me, Lan Hai. Whatever is on your mind, go ahead.”
Lan Hai clenched his trembling hands into fists.
His voice carried both deep curiosity and unbearable grief.
Lan Hai: “Senior… when I witnessed your power that day, I knew you were not an ordinary mortal. But I want to know the truth. That Demon Dragon… those terrifying demons… where did they come from? And what exactly happened to our world that day?”
Han Ji Shen let out a long, cold sigh.
A faint, bitter smile appeared on his weathered face.
Han Ji Shen: “Lan Hai… this universe is far greater and far more terrifying than you humans can imagine. You mortals believe that life exists only on this small planet called Earth… But that is your greatest misunderstanding. Across this boundless cosmos, millions of galaxies exist, and each one is home to countless forms of life.”
Han Ji Shen slowly raised his hand and pointed toward the sky, where the heavy clouds had begun to clear.
Han Ji Shen: “I was born in a galaxy much like the one your scientists call Andromeda. My home is a planet known as the Primordial Void Cosmos, located within that galaxy. The continent where I was born is called the Grand Azure Continent. There, humans, demons, and immortal cultivators all coexist. Our civilization is not as technologically advanced as your Earth, but we possess divine powers and mystical arts that your science cannot even begin to comprehend.”
Lan Hai was completely stunned by what he had just heard.
His mortal mind could barely comprehend such an enormous cosmic scale.
He quickly asked,
Han Ji Shen: “Lan Hai, during my seven hundred years of life, I have personally traveled through six different galaxies. Every galaxy has its own environment, its own way of life, and its own unique cultivation system. These galaxies are divided into different Tiers, ranging from Tier 1 to Tier 6. Tier 1 represents the most supreme and powerful galaxies, while my galaxy is currently ranked as Tier 6. As the Tier number increases, the galaxies, their planets, and the cultivators living within them become progressively weaker.”
A wave of shock ran through Lan Hai’s mind.
He asked in a trembling voice,
Lan Hai: “Then… where does our Earth rank?”
Han Ji Shen smiled faintly, but there was only harsh reality behind that smile.
Han Ji Shen: “If we are talking about your Earth… it doesn’t even qualify to be placed on the cosmic Tier list, Lan Hai. Your world may be advanced in science and technology, but when it comes to true power… a single Peak Sovereign from my realm could destroy your entire planet with nothing more than a single sword slash.”
Lan Hai was left completely speechless.
The nuclear weapons, fighter jets, and military strength that humanity relied upon for protection suddenly seemed no more than fragile toys before the overwhelming might of true cultivators.
Han Ji Shen looked directly into Lan Hai’s eyes.
Even now, the grief of losing his loved ones was clearly reflected within them.
Han Ji Shen: “Lan Hai… I have also endured the same fire of suffering that you are experiencing now. I lost my wife. I lost my young son. Even millions of innocent people across my continent, who had nothing to do with the war, lost their lives. You are grieving for your mother, your friend, and the woman you loved… but I no longer even have tears left to shed. I am still fighting today because of a promise I made to my dying son.”
Ji Shen’s voice grew heavier, yet the authority within it never wavered.
Han Ji Shen: “In this endless universe, you are not alone, Lan Hai. Countless people on countless worlds are sitting in despair at this very moment after losing their mothers, their wives, and everything they once cherished… simply because they were too weak. Yet even then, they continue to live, hoping that someone will one day save them. On Earth, people call such beings ‘God.’ In my world, they are known as Immortal Gods… or Supreme Cultivators.”
Hearing those words, Lan Hai suddenly realized that, despite the overwhelming pain he carried, there were countless others throughout the universe who were suffering the very same fate simply because they lacked the strength to protect what they loved.
Han Ji Shen: “Heaven is cruel, Lan Hai. If Heaven does not take away what you cherish, then a Demon will. And if a Demon does not, then a corrupt Immortal will steal it instead. The path of cultivation is cruel and unforgiving… but when you stand at its absolute peak, you can challenge Heaven itself. You can cut down those Demons, put those Immortals in their rightful place…”
Han Ji Shen paused for a brief moment.
A faint spark slowly returned to his eyes.
Han Ji Shen: “…And then, you can even bring back the people you believed were lost forever.”
Lan Hai felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck him.
His heart skipped a beat as his widened eyes locked onto Han Ji Shen.
Lan Hai: “Senior… are you telling the truth?! Is it really possible for me to… bring Mu Chen and Qinue back to life?”
Han Ji Shen nodded solemnly.
Han Ji Shen: “Yes, it is possible. But it comes with a terrifying condition. You must stand at the absolute peak of the cultivation world. Only then will you possess the strength to break the natural laws of Heaven and pull their souls back from the cycle of reincarnation.”
The moment those words reached his ears, a ray of hope pierced through the darkness that had consumed Lan Hai’s heart.
If there was even the slightest chance of bringing them back…
He was willing to devote his entire life to walking this path.
After a brief silence, Lan Hai asked,
Lan Hai: “But, Senior… how can I do that? Have you… have you found your wife and son yet?”
Han Ji Shen slowly took a deep breath before answering.
Han Ji Shen: “No. I am still not strong enough to bend Heaven’s absolute laws. But one day… I will find them.”
His gaze sharpened.
Han Ji Shen: “So, if you truly wish to take revenge on those demons, you must abandon your mortal limits and step into the bloody world of cultivation.”
Without the slightest hesitation, Lan Hai looked directly into Han Ji Shen’s eyes.
Lan Hai: “I will go with you, Master. Take me to your realm.”
Han Ji Shen looked Lan Hai up and down.
His expression turned cold, and his voice carried a deadly seriousness.
Han Ji Shen: “Lan Hai, the path you wish to walk is no child’s game. The journey of cultivation is filled with pain, suffering, and death. There is only one law in that world—the Law of the Jungle. The strong rule… and the weak are reduced to dust.”
Lan Hai met Han Ji Shen’s gaze without the slightest hesitation.
Lan Hai: “I don’t care how difficult or bloody that path is. I will walk it, no matter what.”
Han Ji Shen gave a faint nod.
Han Ji Shen: “Very well. Then I have one final question. Your answer will decide whether you are worthy of becoming my disciple.”
Lan Hai: “Ask me, Senior.”
Han Ji Shen: “If you choose this path, your lifespan may stretch across hundreds of thousands of years. Yet you will walk it alone. Everyone who becomes a part of your life will eventually grow old or die while you remain young. Even then… will you continue moving forward, despite that endless loneliness?”
Lan Hai looked directly into Han Ji Shen’s eyes without a trace of fear.
When he spoke, his voice carried the unwavering resolve of a king.
Lan Hai: “Senior… it doesn’t matter how long or lonely that road may be. I will never allow anyone to die before my eyes again! If the future is destined to take away the people I love… then I will rewrite that future with my own hands. I will become someone capable of carrying this entire universe forward!”
Hearing those words, Han Ji Shen smiled from the bottom of his heart.
The old Sovereign was deeply moved by the young man’s unbreakable determination.
Han Ji Shen: “It brings me great joy to hear that you possess the resolve to carry the future of the cosmos upon your shoulders. Never forget the words you have spoken today.”
He paused briefly before continuing.
Han Ji Shen: “I will remember them as your promise.”
Without wasting another moment, Lan Hai immediately dropped to his knees before Han Ji Shen.
He lowered his head and bowed three times, touching his forehead to the ground with absolute respect.
Lan Hai: “Master!”
The moment Han Ji Shen witnessed this scene, tears welled up in his aged eyes.
It reminded him of his late son, Han Lu, who had once made a similar promise before drawing his final breath.
Ji Shen quickly wiped away the tears gathering in his eyes and steadied his emotions.
Han Ji Shen: “Alright, stand up, my disciple. The morning after tomorrow, we will leave Earth and return to my realm—the Grand Azure Continent.”
Lan Hai respectfully lowered his head.
Lan Hai: “Yes, Master.”
Han Ji Shen’s expression suddenly grew solemn.
Han Ji Shen: “You have until tomorrow. Finish whatever unfinished business you still have on Earth. We have very little time. If we fail to leave by the morning after tomorrow, the Demon Race may trace the remnants of my aura and attack this planet. We must leave this place as quickly as possible.”
Lan Hai nodded firmly.
A brand-new, dangerous, and extraordinary chapter of his life was about to begin.