Chapter 614

Chapter 614: The Past Revisited

“Has Luoanyan arrived?”

Beneath layers of red-tinged tree shade, another girl had been standing there early. She wore an azure silk gown of heavenly water, her figure and features delicate, exuding an ethereal aura.

The black-robed girl called Luoanyan stepped forward as if to greet this girl, but after a few steps, she paused, finally standing aside quietly with the others, all watching the woman in the center wearing a seven-colored feather robe.

Seeing that the three girls had arrived, the splendid woman in the center spoke.

“Today, like in previous years, many people have come to pray at the foot of the mountain. This time, you will respond to everyone’s wishes.”

“You were born with abilities beyond those of ordinary people; these are gifts from Heaven and Earth, so you must also shoulder the corresponding destinies and responsibilities.”

“But since you are still young, many things cannot be achieved overnight. So now, slowly adapt and learn.”

After saying this, the witch, who was a phoenix, waved her hand gently. Like a red veil, she swept past the three girls, and they appeared atop a mountain peak.

This seemed to be the summit of some towering mountain, surrounded by misty clouds, with a few lower peaks also enveloped in mist, resembling islands in the sea.

When Lolan Hill arrived here, she heard a long, resonant bell sound from halfway up the mountain, followed by indistinct chanting. The voices came from all directions, sounding like incantations or prayers.

She followed the two girls ahead down the mountain, entering the white mist-covered path.

Winding through the narrow mountain trail, among green stones and grass, the surrounding space became hazy. As she approached the middle of the mountain, it felt like stepping from an isolated world into a vast mundane realm, filled with noise, smoke, human voices, livestock, and various sounds.

Finally, the three of them stood at the end of the rugged mountain path, looking down.

Below the towering mountain, thousands of meters high, lay endless rivers and mountains. Countless pedestrians dotted the earth, dressed in various clothes, men and women, young and old, scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, converging onto nine main roads from countless tributary paths, like rivers flowing into the sea.

These people continued forward, climbing up each step, ascending into the first temple in the mountain path. The temple had white walls and green tiles, housing some unknown deity, where the sounds of bells and the scent of incense frequently emanated.

Continuing upward along the winding mountain path, they then reached the second temple with red walls and black tiles, followed by the third temple with red walls and green tiles, the fourth temple with wooden walls and golden tiles, and finally the fifth temple with black walls and black tiles. Between each temple lay winding mountain paths kilometers long, with large incense burners placed every few hundred meters along the way, emitting puffs of smoke.

In front of each temple, people knelt and prayed, while the priests in matching wall-colored robes led the ceremonies.

They held jade plaques inscribed with their prayers for the year, ranging from requests for favorable weather, suppressing demons, longevity, peace, and calm seas.

Lolan Hill stood quietly under the shade of the trees, looking down at the bustling world below, filled with incense smoke and incessant prayer sounds.

“From the Kingdom of Mozhao, Wudu, I humbly request the immortal of Hidden Mountain to heal my son’s injuries and restore his health.”

“At the edge of the sea, Nanan. I hope the Crimson Tower Sword Duel will bring me Zisu, the invitation to the Burned Tail Dragon Banquet.”

“From You City, Huiqing. I wish to serve the Lady of True Flame in the south of Hundred Yue, clearing the land and making amends for the wrongful killings.”

Countless people, countless voices, countless prayers, carried on the mountain breeze, clear copper plates chiming softly in the wind, like waves, ceaselessly repeating.

Among the multitude of prayers, the most resounding voice belonged to a man leading hundreds of people. He wore black clothes with purple sashes, long sleeves fluttering, his face sincere, his voice fervent.

“I am Wuyi, the chief of the Spring Officials of Xin Country. On behalf of the ruler of Xin Country, I ascend the Yellow Sea Mountains to worship the Five Virtues Temple, praying to the Seven Phoenixes True Flame Lady to cleanse the toxic swamps of the seven continents and transform them into clear lakes and rivers. Within Xin Country, millions of citizens wish to follow Lady of True Flame, offering jade words and gold advice, cutting down mountains and destroying temples, establishing the Linked Mountains Society.”

As he finished speaking, a golden hammer struck, echoing a long, resonant sound that reverberated through the mountains, lingering for a long time.

And the sincere intentions and wills of the hundreds of people seemed to materialize in the drumbeat, spreading upward along the mountain path, reaching Lolan Hill.

When Lolan Hill arrived here, she felt her entire body and consciousness become clear.

Facing such a spectacle, Lolan Hill did not yet know how to respond, while the black-robed young lady beside her had already leaped high into the air.

That figure moved through the sky like a true dragon, ethereal and elusive. With a clear cry, a giant black-feathered phoenix appeared atop the mountain peak.

Its feathers were pitch-black, slightly reflecting the sunlight. It had a beautiful deep purple crown on its head. As it spread its wings, deep purple flames covered its body, burning fiercely.

As it flew through the air, the sunlight between the mountains was briefly obscured, and countless people below knelt, bowing their heads in prayer.

“I am the phoenix, Yuèzhuó, sent to mete out divine punishment, answering your prayers!”

Although this black phoenix did not speak, tens of thousands below heard this earth-shaking voice in their minds. Instantly, incense burned fiercely, and people gathered like a sea.

—

When Lolan Hill woke up again, it seemed as if many years had passed.

She still stood under that fiery red giant tree, but unlike before, this tree was gradually withering. Its branches and leaves were falling, and the trees in the mountains were also much more barren.

Besides her, there was another unfamiliar white-haired young lady. This young lady held an umbrella, standing under the tree, gently stroking the trunk, as if reminiscing about something.

“Little Yuán comes back to see Mother every year.”

After a long time, this young lady turned around. Her face was as soft and beautiful as jade, and between her eyebrows was a light blue dot.

“As for me? Don’t worry. Although I was severely injured in the great calamity, I’m not dead,” her voice was as distant as floating smoke.

“But you, live well with Su Qin on the other side of the sea. That place is originally your homeland, and it seems to have settled down now.”

“What a pity that only three of us remain out of the five, and Mother has perished in the sweeping abyssal sea.”

“Have you changed your name, or is this your real name, Dorothy?”

“An interesting name, reminding me of the peaches that Luán once planted on the mountain. The crisp taste I’ve always liked.”

“Then, let’s meet again in the next century, Yuán.”

After saying this, the white-haired young lady gently waved her paper umbrella, her figure dissipating like fine rain beneath the giant tree.

“Goodbye, Hú,” Lolan Hill seemed to hear herself reply.

—

Like waking from a long dream, Lolan Hill saw herself in a familiar yet strange observatory.

She looked out the window, and the familiar campus and facilities of Emanas were almost the same as those in the future.

She walked to a mirror and examined herself. Dorothy’s attire was basically the same as described in the future, wearing a black dress and a large hat on her head.

Recalling these fragmented memories, Lolan Hill now understood Dorothy’s growth process.

After the fall of the Crimson Empire, she was taken to the Eastern Continent by Selene, raised by the wise phoenix witch. Along with her, four other children were also raised by that witch.

In the ancient legends of the Eastern Continent, these five children became the origin of the Five Phoenix Kingdoms.

Among them, Dorothy was the yellow-feathered phoenix, Yuán; Su Qin was the red-feathered phoenix.

There was also the black-feathered phoenix, Yuèzhuó, the green-feathered phoenix, Luán, and the white-feathered phoenix, Hú, seen in the last scene.

Through the final conversation and historical context, it can be deduced that the phoenix witch probably perished in the Chaos Disaster at the beginning of the Third Era. Yuèzhuó and Luán died one after another, leaving only Dorothy (Yuán), Su Qin (Fèng), and the white-haired young lady (Hú) alive.

Now, Dorothy is no longer here, perhaps only Fèng and Hú are still alive.

Lolan Hill wrote and drew on the desk in the observatory, organizing the scenes she saw from Dorothy’s memories. At this moment, she noticed other things on the table.

[Rejected: Request for the restoration of dusk era secret arts]

This seemed to be some internal decision made by the Sage Council. Lolan Hill curiously picked it up and read it.

—

Despite the support of four witches and sages, after careful consideration by other members of the Sage Council, the request was rejected. Indeed, there are valuable parts to learn from the techniques of the Dusk Era, but various signs indicate that ancient wise races destroyed themselves due to their secret arts.

In the current weak state of intelligent life,

Previously, we were not able to discern the danger involved, and rashly spreading this information would only invite the next chaos disaster.

—

Gazing at the bottom of the page, it seemed to be filled with words like foolish, conservative, outdated, ignorant, and intolerably restrictive. It appeared that Dorothy had written these words with a displeased mood at the time.

Loran Hill could only shake her head. At that moment, the door to the observatory suddenly opened.

Four women walked in; they seemed familiar yet strange to each other, as if they were good friends. Among them was Tides, whom Loran Hill knew well.

“Is Dorothy still sulking here? I think it would be better to go eat something delicious. I recently cultivated a delicious scallop; you should like it,” said a woman wearing glasses, holding a book, seemingly just after teaching a class.

“I’m not a starfish; I don’t like eating shellfish,” Dorothy replied.

“Haha, that’s true. But weren’t you a dragon before? Didn’t you ever play in the sea?” asked another woman.

“Edwina, how many times do I have to say it? Although I studied the Dragon Sequence, my transformation wasn’t into a dragon, but into a phoenix, a bird of immortality soaring through the heavens,” Dorothy’s confident voice made Loran Hill feel a peculiar and awkward sensation.

“Hehe, I said Nana would make a joke about this, and Dorothy would definitely refute it,” another woman dressed in white with gold edges laughed, covering her mouth with a bell-like sound.

“Dorothy, should we take out our frustrations on Su Qin? I’ll help catch her for you,” Tides chimed in, creating two identical versions of herself, grabbing the arms of the woman in white with gold edges.

“Mmm, I’m wrong, Phoenix Sister,” Su Qin pleaded, while Dorothy pinched her cheeks, pulling them to the sides.

Beside them, a woman in a purple dress watched quietly, a faint smile on her face. This quiet girl was Agatha.

The five witches played in the observatory, far from the mysterious and powerful image depicted outside. For a time, laughter filled the observatory, and then they walked down the tower together, ready to have dinner.

—

The surroundings changed again, this time seeming to be in some spacious underground area.

Industrial structures surrounded them, with light beams shining down from the domed ceiling, illuminating the battleship lying quietly in the shipyard below.

On the ship under construction, floating instruments moved back and forth under the control of the mages, precisely placing and welding components onto the hull, then repeatedly checking and polishing to ensure every module was flawless.

Despite the ship still being under construction, its smooth and matte materials gave it a formidable appearance. Numerous intricate patterns faintly glowed, showcasing its superior and advanced craftsmanship.

At this moment, a young mage approached, wearing a badge with gears on his chest.

First, he bowed, then the excellent youth asked.

“Your Highness Dorothy, I humbly request to ask a few questions.”

“Although the current aerial battleship is almost complete, I still don’t understand why we don’t produce more ordinary battleships for mass production. This way, when facing the Verdant Kingdom in the north, we can form a larger force and facilitate wider adoption.”

“Are you saying these battleships are not meant to deal with the Verdant Kingdom in the north? Then who else could be such a formidable enemy?”

“Ahh, does this mean we will eventually have to fight such beings in the starry river?”

“Such a terrifying number of chaotic phantoms are swirling around everywhere in the starry river? Is it hellish seas beyond our solar system?”

“Why don’t you reveal this secret? This way, we can gain more understanding.”

“Do you not believe or do not want to believe?”

“I understand, Your Highness. I will surely realize this great dream of revival. Even if I cannot achieve it, I will pass it on, so that generation after generation can continually approach it.”

“Until we open a path to the former courtyard amidst the darkness, until the end of the world, until human glory once again shines upon this murky starry river.”

His expression was resolute, his voice firm and powerful.

(The End)