Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 613 - 45 The Age of Transformation
Li Yan followed closely and witnessed a segment of abstract light and shadows, known as "As Is Heard". ππ«πππ¨ππ―ππ πππ.ππΌπ
Unlike texts filled with a lot of subjective conjecture and judgments, these "As Is Heard" recordings, made by Earth Endurance, had to be things seen by Yan Fu Esteemed Walker themselves. The lengthy text narratives prior had to be based on these "As Is Heard" recordings. And together with the text narratives, they were to be placed in Mother Crown, for future generations to study.
By the way, what Li Yan saw in Abyssal Mouth, such as the Wingless Emperor, remnants of the Rβlyeh scholars, and even the nest made of Soul-forgiving Water, was also recorded and placed in the first layer of Mother Crown. Named "Featherγ»Bing-Zi One Hundred and Twenty-Eight, The Wingless Emperorβs Nest Sole Witness, Author: Li Yan."
As for the "As Is Heard" segment Li Yan was currently seeing, the recorder was Cao Yuanchao, and the name was "As Is Heard: Featherγ»Jia-Zi Oneβs Record of Exploration Results".
Within Cao Yuanchaoβs "As Is Heard", Li Yan experienced a completely different perspective.
Hard to describe it, Li Yan felt like an immense bird, overlooking a golden egg beneath its feet, capable of enveloping one-third of the "egg" with outstretched wings. On the other hand, this perspective was also minutely observant, with everything inside the egg appearing to him as crude black lines.
Inside the egg, these disorderly lines formed highly technological steel buildings, the complex and intricate space highways, the orderly and flowing airships; Li Yan could even see on the highest buildingβs rooftop of the entire city, an elderly man in a formal, sharp suit, of a stern demeanor, suddenly pass away, his tight lines bursting apart, a burst of overflowing colors leaking from his body, drifting toward the sky...
This scene felt vaguely familiar to Li Yan.
When Yang Sanjing died, it was the same type of colors drifting and ascending!
Li Yan suddenly realized what these lines were, they were expertise, or rather, the "all advanced skills that have meaning only in a real context" mentioned previously in the discussions on the legitimacy of Yan Fu Esteemed Walker.
Li Yan fixed his gaze on where the colors were drifting, only to see them floating out of the egg and making contact with the meaningless dead white, and then, at the point of their contact, turning black.
The same black as inside the trunk of the Yan Fu tree.
Although it was an empty space of sheer darkness with nothing at all, it was no longer a meaningless void, but was real.
This was what they called the legitimacy of Yan Fuβs exploration, the reason Yan Fu needs to be explored.
To stimulate the creation of more overflowing colors, to counter the traces of Sifan.
"..."
Li Yan slowly digested this information, watching as a new bubble reappeared in the same spot, waiting for the next person to burst it.
Li Yan walked over, gently took the bubble in his hands, and tucked it into his personal space, planning to take it back to Lady Dan.
Only then, when he looked left and right, did he notice his personal Earth Endurance, the golden cotton candy, drifting in from outside, also with a bubble in tow.
"You might find this useful, Esteemed Walker."
Li Yan immediately burst the bubble brought by Earth Endurance, and then, two "As Is Heard" recordings along with textual materials surged into his mind.
One was "Featherγ»Bing-Zi One Hundred and Twenty-Eight, A Biological Examination at Abyssal Mouth".
Another was the "Catalogue of Nine Variations of Calamity Killing Array by Wu Zhiqi".
"Thank you."
Li Yan smiled, these Earth Endurances were indeed reliable and thoughtful.
He asked, "Who is Sifan Master? And those Esteemed Walkers before me, who have perished, is there any news of them?"
The cotton candy spun around on the spot before answering Li Yan, "There are no answers to these questions on the first to fourth layers, Iβm sorry, Esteemed Walker."
"Understood."
Li Yan walked out of the cave, looking back for a moment. If possible, he would have liked to stay there a few more days.
"Have you found what you were looking for?"
Yang Zheng asked.
"How do I enter the trunk of the Yan Fu tree in the future?"
"Enter through those black pillars in the branch spaces and then look for the Albatrosses. But I caution you, many places in Mother Crown might not be much for other seconds, but for you it might not be the case. Be cautious and careful."
Li Yan nodded, "Alright, letβs go."
ββββββββββββββββ
Half a day had passed. The venue was mostly empty; the majority of the Yan Fu walkers did not like this place hidden from the sun.
The grand Yan Zhao Club had concluded. Vajra TripiαΉaka, Bu Yang, and other divine leaders of first-tier skies, as well as many of the second and third-tier core members, had left after the meeting ended. In contrast, the representatives from the fourth and fifth tiers who had just reported at the Yan Zhao Club were wandering around the trunk of the Yan Fu tree like curious babies. Yet, there were scarcely any left in the venue itself.
"Hey, Yang Zheng!"
Bai Xiao shouted at the Albatross.
"Been waiting for you for ages, time to head back."
There were quite a few people standing on the grass, one group consisting of Jiao Chong, Bai Xiao, Lv Jian, and other Human Master field agents, and then there were Lady Dan and Cha Xiaodao, who seemed to have been waiting for quite a while.
"Got it, got it," Yang Zheng replied nonchalantly, turning to Li Yan, "See you at the next retrieval event."
"See you around."
The two nodded to each other, then went their separate ways.
Li Yan approached Lady Dan and asked softly, "Shall we leave now?"
Lady Dan still looked somewhat tired.
"Itβs up to you."
"Okay."
Li Yan exchanged a look with Cha Xiaodao, both smiling happily.
"Miss Mei isnβt coming this time, you must be disappointed," Li Yan said.
Cha Xiaodao shrugged, "If itβs meant for me, Iβll have it; if not, itβs fate. Weβll talk about other matters back home."
As they were speaking, Yang Zheng and the others had left, leaving the dimly lit and already desolate venue looking even more desolate. Li Yan was about to say something when he suddenly caught something from the corner of his eye.
On a nearby lawn, Zhu Jiuyin had set up a stool, tilting his face up to the sky filled with dark clouds and lightning, gazing at the Albatrosses flying back and forth, lost in a daze.
He didnβt seem to plan on returning to the real world, nor did he have any plans to meet with his Scale of True Martial.
"...Wait for me for a moment, Iβll be right back," said Li Yan before heading toward Zhu Jiuyin on the lawn.
"Something the matter?" asked Zhu Jiuyin.
"Oh, no." Li Yan paused, then spoke, "Iβve heard Mr. Zhuo hasnβt been back to the real world for over a decade. Donβt you want to have a look?"
"Nothing to see there, Iβve met all the old friends this time. Next thing you know, itβll be coffin boards," replied Zhu Jiuyin.
Li Yan said, "Even if not to meet old friends, being reminded of affection by seeing familiar things is also something. Itβs your homeland, after all."
Zhu Jiuyin turned and glared at Li Yan, his eyebrows twisted, "Do you think I... without family or friends, am pitiable?"
Li Yan didnβt expect Zhu Jiuyin to be so blunt and could only shake his head, "Of course not."
"I have many women, and sons too, all over the place."
Zhu Jiuyin paused, then looked toward the deep darkness beyond the lawn, "But indeed, thereβs nothing there for me to yearn for anymore."
He took a deep breath, "When I was young, it was the Cold War. Everyone in the alley carved wooden rifles; we believed the Third World War could break out at any moment, and when it did, weβd charge into battle and become heroes. I always dreamt of going to Moscow, to Lenin Square. I finally made it there in the summer of 1992."
"I saw people searching through trash for food, lots of scantily clad Ukrainian women on the streets, American fast food everywhere, and protesters marching and rioting. Ordinary folks sold their worthless government bonds to capitalists to have bread for the evening. Veterans in military coats peddled their battle medals on street stalls in Red Square..."
Zhu Jiuyin twisted his neck slightly, his aged face showing no emotion, "The times have changed, but this old man has not."
