The First Immortal of Destiny-Chapter 485: Dramatic Changes in Heaven and Earth (VI)_1
Such anomalies were not limited to the Red Flame Zone; they were happening simultaneously in various parts of this world—far too many to count!
Evil Spirits, alien tribes, powerful creatures, and strange cosmic phenomena suddenly manifested in this world over a short period, their consequences unpredictable...
In comparison, the invasion of Foreign Realm Demons seemed somewhat trivial.
Of the two largest demonic caves currently existing in the Red Flame Zone, the Near Sea Demon Cave and the Black Mountain Demon Suppression Cave, the former was largely trampled and destroyed by the giant. The latter, under the influence of the Ghost Country’s strange transformation, had gathered all major and minor Heavenly Demons, forcing them to shrink back into their lairs, too afraid to venture out!
「...」
These drastic changes in heaven and earth were not, as the Riverside Sect’s upper echelons speculated, merely the disappearance of the barriers between domains.
Originally, in everyone’s perception, the previous upheaval was caused by the mysterious disintegration of the "eggshell" enveloping the Red Flame Zone, leading to a series of earth-shattering events!
In reality, the dissolution of the domain barrier was but one facet of myriad anomalies.
This world is immeasurably vast. Yet, if one were to expand their perspective to infinity, they would discover this world is like a single leaf among millions, adorning the branches of the Universe Tree.
Though interconnected, each can still be considered an independent entity!
Every leaf possesses unique veins; some are barren as the void, while others nurture billions of creatures.
Influenced by various factors, the life forms on two such nurturing leaves might be largely similar, highly alike, or they might be vastly different.
Occasionally, a wind would stir... and as the branches swayed, two leaves might touch!
At that moment, the barriers between the two worlds would shatter at their point of contact, creating countless spatial passages.
In such an event, like when the Heavenly Demon Realm connected with this world, the creatures of the two realms might coexist peacefully, or war might erupt due to some underlying reasons.
Only when the branches swayed apart, and the two leaves separated, would they revert to their previous state.
However, most of the time, the leaves on the branches do not touch;
They simply absorb nutrients from the great tree during spring and summer, and then grow vigorously!
Upon maturing, they can also absorb unknown forces from the void, akin to sunlight and moisture, and in turn, nourish the great tree that is the universe.
Yet, once autumn and winter arrive, the leaves wither and fall, drifting to the ground to decompose into mulch, continuing to provide sustenance for the great tree, enabling it to sprout new buds in the coming year...
A cycle of flourishing and withering, repeating endlessly, eternally!
The difference is that one "year" for the Universe Tree and its world leaves is so long it’s measured in hundreds of millions of years.
Moreover, each leaf has its own cycle of flourishing and decay; they do not all sprout, grow, and wither in unison.
The world leaf where the Red Flame Zone resides has reached its turning point: to fall from its branch and rot into mud on the ground!
In the past, when this leaf still hung on its branch, it would, at most, touch other leaves. At its very limit, it might become entangled with ten or so, perhaps even dozens, of other leaves, forming close connections with those worlds.
But as it falls to the ground, it is instantly enveloped by countless fallen leaves!
Some of these leaves, like this world, have only recently fallen;
Others have lain fallen for tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions of years, exhibiting various stages of decay and breeding all kinds of worms.
The decay of a world leaf itself is not something to be overly concerned about...
For the weak, the vast expanse of hundreds of millions, or even over a billion years, means they would have long since perished.
If fortunate, their skeletal remains might persist as fossils, but for the vast majority, even their ashes would have long vanished into the river of history!
For those with great Skills, if their strength is sufficient and their Lifespan long enough, they can simply travel to other falling world leaves. Thus, they would not rot into mud along with their native world.
With a high enough cultivation level, it’s not impossible for them to transform into formidable existences that feed on decaying leaves, siphoning sustenance meant for the Universe Tree!
But there is one thing that all creatures within the world leaves cannot avoid.
Even if they gain access to a broader, more vast Space-Time, they must thereafter contend not only with the survivors of the world leaves that are doomed to complete decay but also with the decaying leaves themselves and the various vermin they breed!
The various changes occurring in the world where the Red Flame Zone is located are an external manifestation of this.
「...」
Shen Mo currently did not know all of this.
At the bottom of the sea, within a nascent volcano, a grievously injured Shen Mo lay quietly in the lava.
The cold seawater pouring in met the dark red, viscous lava, instantly boiling and sending up a continuous stream of scalding bubbles...
Yet here, lava hot enough to melt iron and incinerate gold could not burn Shen Mo’s mutilated body.
It only incinerated his torn robe armor, which offered no defense, turning it to ash. When the lava flowed over his body, it couldn’t even scorch his skin!
Shen Mo had now awakened from the quiescence of his soul and found himself severely injured.
The right half of his body—including his three right arms, right head, chest, back, various organs, and thigh—had vanished. A small part of his central head was also missing.
His left side, though seemingly intact, was also grievously injured.
Most of the bones in his body had been shattered into powder, mixed with his Flesh and Blood, which resembled a puddle of mire.
His meridians and Chakra were severed and twisted into knots. His remaining organs were also ravaged, most of their functions had ceased, with only a few still faintly struggling to persist!
Since Shen Mo began his cultivation, he had never suffered such severe injuries.
And this was merely the result of that towering giant ’accidentally’ bumping into him as it advanced!
Fortunately, Shen Mo had practiced tirelessly for many years, cultivating his two external magics to their utmost limit. He had refined a powerful vitality surpassing that of a peak Class III Big Demon.
It was precisely because of this that he hadn’t perished instantly from such injuries.
However, injuries like these were exceptionally troublesome to heal... It would almost be more convenient if my Dao Body were utterly destroyed, leaving only a finger-sized remnant of Flesh and Blood.
After all, I’ve mastered the [Rebirth from the Residual Body] Skill. If it came to that, the vanished flesh would regenerate on its own.
I wouldn’t have to expend so much mental energy to meticulously realign my Chakra, and painstakingly repair my bones, Flesh and Blood, and internal organs piece by piece!
Of course, if I truly had to activate this Skill, I probably wouldn’t be able to save most of the spiritual items on my person, including magic treasures, my Universe Bag, and the like.
Although his current losses were significant, he had managed to timely store the damaged Green Cloud Umbrella, the Big Dipper Dao Sword, the Mountain Pearl bracelet, and other items into his Universe Bag. He had protected the Universe Bag exceptionally well; coupled with its own impressive materials and Prohibitions, it had not suffered any damage.
As for the Demon Slaying Sword, it had long since birthed a Sword Spirit. Even if left unattended, it would seek out its master on its own and could not be lost.
Therefore, regarding the loss of external items...
His outer robe and Auspicious Snow inner armor were completely destroyed.
The Green Cloud Umbrella, damaged multiple times before, had its canopy utterly ruined, leaving only its frame.
More than half of his Nine-Extreme Crystal Sand Energy had also been depleted, with only a small core remaining, contracted within his mangled Chakra.
