Otherworldly Desert Dust

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The crisp night rain tapped on the eaves, producing a melody reminiscent of an ancient zither.

Wu Hen and Ruan Muhuan sat opposite each other on a pavilion, the wind mingled with the fragrance of grass, tousling Ruan Muhuan’s hair.

She let her hair dance in front of her cheeks, and though she drank strong liquor, it was no different from drinking well water; her skin remained as white as ice jade, showing none of the warm hues that alcohol usually brings.

"Miss Ruan, you handle your liquor well, care for another pot?" Wu Hen asked.

Having investigated all day, it was time to fill their stomachs.

Wu Hen intentionally inquired with his compatriots, and the neighborhood’s five-star restaurant where they currently sat was indeed a good choice. The taste was indeed impressive, offering a foreign charm unlike those run by fellow countrymen.

Ruan Muhuan wasn’t as anxious about the outcome of their investigation as Wu Hen had imagined.

Seeing Wu Hen shift the conversation away from the Demon Clan and Ancestor Bone, she spoke less, focusing instead on her drink and food.

Ruan Muhuan, originally from a humble background and a woman of the Jianghu, did not afford much sophistication in food and drink even after becoming the Northern Guardian Lady...

Indeed, Wu Hen saw a glimpse of her past self; not engaging in grand talks, not minding trivial matters, just calmly emptying herself, thinking of nothing, her eyes reflecting the continuous rain, melancholic like the storm.

"I once visited a land of seven-colored peace where very simple people lived. They had none of the strife or power plays of the Jianghu here. They farmed, hunted, feasted... Sometimes I really miss that place," Wu Hen reminisced when she fell silent.

He didn’t find it awkward.

Sometimes, when talking to someone, one can speak one’s mind without needing a passionate response from the other.

You are sharing your own stories; the other might just want some quiet but doesn’t mind someone slowly unfolding their tale. Quiet people enjoy stories too.

"I also met Du Wushen there, when he boasted of being a prodigy, wanting the people of the Scroll Realm to worship him. Then he got himself tied up like a rice dumpling and hung out to dry in the village center until he lost his haughtiness and joined everyone in hunting, starting from the basics like skinning and cutting meat," Wu Hen continued.

Ruan Muhuan didn’t know much about Du Wushen.

In the murals, this Martial God was depicted as majestic, exuding a holy and inviolable aura, yet from the man’s descriptions before her, Du Wushen seemed somewhat naive.

"What do you mean by Rotating Martial God? Du Wushen mentioned that quite often when I was in Duan Ling," Wu Hen inquired.

"Nineteen Martial Gods established the Wuting, and every two years, one of them would preside over the human world, take charge of the Main Continent, oversee the Wuting, enjoying the offerings of all the cities and sub-continents on the Main Continent," Ruan Muhuan explained.

"There are four True Monarchs in the Wuting, and above you are the Rotating Martial Gods?" Wu Hen asked.

"Yes, pretty much," Ruan Muhuan nodded.

"What Cultivation Realm have you reached now?" Wu Hen grew curious.

"Ninth Level Martial Monarch," Ruan Muhuan answered.

After becoming a Martial Saint, progressing through each level of the Martial Monarch Realm was as challenging as ascending to heaven, yet Ruan Muhuan still showed signs of improvement...

It wasn’t that Ruan Muhuan was now unbeatable, except by a Martial God, but her astonishing rate of breakthrough led many to believe she had the potential to become a Martial God.

"So, you are just a step away from becoming a Martial God," Wu Hen remarked.

"Uh-huh," Ruan Muhuan nodded, her confidence palpable.

In this world, countless Martial Cultivators, while still on the ground, would look up at the stars, hoping to become a dazzling star on the Super Continent, to shine so brightly that all beings in the Otherworldly Dust could see their divine light. This is the highest glory in the cosmic world; the more they struggle in the mud, the more they yearn.

But many Martial Cultivators experience a change of mindset as they ascend the Martial Artist Heavenly Rank.

From the initial rise to the mid-stage consolidation, and later to the final burst of power, bravely stepping onto the pinnacle of Martial Arts, they all inevitably feel lost, weary, or doubt the lofty, elusive nature of the Martial Artist Heavenly Rank.

They would inevitably question, can they really become a Heavenly Vault Martial God?

Along this path, Ruan Muhuan climbed from a First Level Martial Saint to a Ninth Level Martial Monarch.

After reaching Martial Saint, each increase in level became extraordinarily tough, equivalent to jumping an entire major realm, making each of her breakthroughs profoundly shocking to those around her. This shock even persisted through becoming a Ninth Level Martial Monarch, the strongest realm just below a Martial God.

However...

She felt different from the masses.

She had no confusion.

And not a trace of doubt.

The Martial Gods in her eyes were not unattainable stars.

She could clearly see the ladder leading upwards; all she needed to do was to follow the steps toward Heaven, without breaks, without limits, and without the metaphorical Heavenly Gate mentioned by other Ninth Level Martial Monarchs...

"Why are you so certain, that no one can stop you from reaching the realm of a Martial God?" Wu Hen asked.

The major difference between the present Northern Guardian Lady before him and the Ruan Muhuan he knew was her confidence.

The past Ruan Muhuan struggled in the dirt, marveling at each small increase in her Cultivation, at times even fearing the mere thought of reaching the Wu Family’s realm seemed like a pipedream.

But the current Ruan Muhuan saw attaining the seemingly unreachable realm of Martial God as just another normal event. Yet, within the True Martial Continent, becoming a Martial God was limited to a handful.HeadersHeightSizeMode

The night sky over the True Martial Continent still held a faint visible light, as the starlight of the nineteen Martial Gods filtered through the rain clouds and cast their glow upon Wudou. Wudou resembled the dusky purple of deep night transitioning into early morning, not utterly pitch-black.

"Many people harbor doubts within themselves because of their desire for the Martial Gods."

"I lack that desire, and so I also lack those doubts."

Ruan Muhuan gave a light response to Wu Hen’s question before downing the drink in front of her. Your next chapter is on NovelBin.Côm

Everyone yearns for the position of Martial God.

Except her, she disdained it.

But Heaven seems to enjoy playing with mortals.

The less one cares, the more focused they are, and to reach the ultimate state of a martial artist, what is most needed is this purity!

Across the entire True Martial Continent, countless martial artists had reached the level of Martial Saint or Martial Monarch because of their persistent dedication. Those without this dedicated heart were eliminated at the rank of martial master or the Wu Family realm.

However, after reaching the realms of Martial Saint and Martial Monarch, the obsession to become the strongest became a burden, dragging down their cultivation progress. They could become negligent due to ensuing fame, power, and wealth and could also become confused and lost due to their attachment to emotions and desires, all of which served as obstacles that kept each cultivation genius stalled within the realms of Martial Saint and Martial Monarch, no longer able to advance.

Both their bodies and souls bore the weight, and the path of martial cultivation was high and long, which naturally led to feelings of powerlessness, and with powerlessness came doubts about oneself.

Once doubts emerged, all the progress one had accumulated would collapse.

Like a tall building, if the builders realize there’s a problem with the foundation, they wouldn’t dare build higher, afraid of collapsing, afraid of the weight, afraid the wind and rain might be too harsh...

However, Ruan Muhuan’s mindset was different.

She did not care about the foundation, nor the wind and rain, and even less about whether the martial arts skyscraper she painstakingly erected would suddenly collapse. She didn’t even know why she had attained such a high level in martial arts, high enough to look down upon everyone she had ever met; she merely followed her own habits.

"Do you have anything you fear?" Wu Hen suddenly asked this question.

"Yes," Ruan Muhuan nodded, "I fear that becoming a Martial God is the highest realm in this world."

"Do you hope that martial arts are boundless?" Wu Hen asked, somewhat surprised.

"Indeed, if martial arts are boundless, then there is still something to be done," Ruan Muhuan candidly stated her mindset.

Martial God?

She was somewhat fearful now.

Afraid that after becoming a Martial God, when she looked up again, she would see nothing but pitch-black darkness, and then both her body and soul would sink irretrievably into the lightless Sky Domain...

"A friend once told me that life in this world never ceases to exist; it just persists in another form, so you don’t need to be so pessimistic..." Wu Hen said.

"I never said I was reminiscing about the deceased," Ruan Muhuan suddenly looked intently at Wu Hen, as if trying to see the essence of his soul through his physical shell, her sharp gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny.

Wu Hen was stunned!

Could it be that the emotions Ruan Muhuan had just expressed were an attempt to fish for his personal feelings?

She had noticed!

She must have noticed, even though they had only spent a brief day together, the familiar gestures he had unconsciously revealed had already been captured by her.

"I went to the Lu Yun Commerce recently, and the people there told me about you, you had a close person named Lu Yun, right?" Wu Hen also quickly found an excuse and explained with a smile.

"Gu Luoshui also mentioned that you are very interested in my affairs, why is that?" Ruan Muhuan asked.

"Do you believe in past lives?" Wu Hen blinked, already sorting through the rationale that Liu Mengying had previously discussed.

To be honest, who knew if it truly represented the essence of life, but it certainly proved useful in comforting girls by offering emotional value!

"I believe," Ruan Muhuan nodded.

That affirmation made Wu Hen swallow back his words.

Why wasn’t she following his lead?

If she had said she didn’t believe, he would have had a good opportunity to slowly explain.

If she believed, Wu Hen did not know how to further direct her thoughts.

"So... just believe, we can talk about this topic later; it’s late now, let’s go back to sleep," Wu Hen said.

"Alright."

She’s listening that easily?

Wu Hen was somewhat at a loss.

He had planned to proceed gradually, first probing Ruan Muhuan’s views on ’evil possession,’ then unwinding some theories about past and present lives tied to the Underworld Priest, and later slowly explaining the concept of otherworld online love...

But Wu Hen felt as though even in another guise, she was gradually seeing through him.

Should he just be upfront about it?

Or should he wait longer?

He would observe a little more; perhaps she was just drunk, hazily finding the feeling of familiarity in him...

...