Martial Ascent to Divinity-Chapter 651 - 630: The Girl

Void, not necessarily bad, allows for long-term cultivation...

Zhou Leng was shocked to find that his memory of the Divine Text had disappeared.

Upon further reflection, all Martial Arts memories were gone; he vaguely remembered he could do Martial Arts, but then, what is Martial Arts?

An indescribable fear surged to his heart.

It’s okay, there’s still family, still...

Zhou Leng was shocked to discover that his memory contained no one he recognized.

Wisps of indescribable things seemed to leave his consciousness, stripped from himself, flying into the distance, dissipating.

Yet, having just experienced something unforgettable, the intense contrast made it even more unbearable.

There is still knowledge, I still can...

But, everything that had been experienced, just like the world before, quickly dissolved in memory.

Those people, those events, those tears, that anger, those roars, those battles, those beauties, those...

Nothing was left.

The fear of losing everything grew thicker.

The refusal to accept the void world became stronger.

Then followed a long loneliness.

When all positive feelings disappeared, the negative ones, like snowballs, kept rolling and growing in the coldest consciousness.

The good, all gone.

The bad, all stayed.

In the beginning, Zhou Leng relied on the will of Martial Arts to hold on.

But gradually, the effect of the will of Martial Arts weakened.

Initially, Zhou Leng could still feel the length of time.

Ten years, a hundred years, ten thousand years...

But gradually, time entered an endless state, each moment seemed to extend to the end of time.

An indescribable length.

Eventually, all the fear, loneliness, helplessness, and void, turned into a basic yet ultimate question.

What is the purpose of my existence?

Having lost all memory, having lost all beauty, Zhou Leng didn’t know how to answer.

Finally, consciousness, like a stone falling into water, slowly sank to the bottom of the sea.

Without understanding the meaning of existence, one cannot exist.

The vitality, severed.

The Gate of Purgatory spun and threw out Zhou Leng.

Huang ran over with a smiling face, stopped in shock when he looked down.

Zhou Leng lay quietly on the ground, eyes open, the light within them slowly fading.

"Woof!"

Huang went mad on the spot; this was death!

He had encountered too many battles, seen that expression too often.

Huang extended his paw, continually pawing at Zhou Leng.

Zhou Leng made no movement.

He lifted his two front legs and then gently placed them on his heart...

Huang stopped, tilted his head.

Heartbeat normal, blood flow normal, strong aura still in the body.

But, only consciousness seemed gone.

Huang lifted his head, looked at the Frost Giant Tree.

The Frost Giant Tree remained unchanged.

Huang pursed his lips, muttering some complaints, crossed his two front legs, lay on the ground, quietly watching Zhou Leng.

The light in Zhou Leng’s eyes grew dimmer, but never completely faded.

A day later, the light in his eyes slowly brightened.

Before long, Zhou Leng, like someone saved from drowning, shuddered heavily, gasped for breath, then sat up.

His eyes were full of panic, even a hint of age flashed past.

Clearly out of the void realm, yet his consciousness was still affected, mind chaotic, gasping heavily.

Zhou Leng slowly surveyed around; whether it was the white grass on the ground, Huang’s yellow fur, the rough tree trunk, or his own fingers, everything was fine, fine...

Zhou Leng, like a newborn baby, reconnected with his body, with the world, with memories, with everything.

The perception of everything seemed to have deepened.

The instinct of surviving death made him cherish everything even more.

In his mind, the Divine Text slowly rotated.

"Phew..."

The fear and shadow in Zhou Leng’s heart had not yet dissipated.

Recalling the experience of the void realm, his body trembled lightly, consciousness shook.

"How many years was that feeling..."

He had watched movies before, thinking that the prisoners in solitary confinement in dark rooms weren’t much; he could survive just by letting his thoughts run wild.

But, in the void realm, not even memory exists.

That feeling, truly...

"Monstrous."

Zhou Leng glanced at the Gate of Purgatory.

After a long time, Zhou Leng sighed softly, gently stroked Huang’s dog head.

"I saw Mom in there."

"Woof?" Huang’s ears stood up suddenly, lifted his head abruptly, stared at Zhou Leng.

"She even asked about you, I said you’ve grown up..."

Huang whimpered, paws constantly pawing at the ground, eyes sparkling.

After Zhou Leng finished speaking, Huang snuggled into his arms, whimpered softly.

Zhou Leng patted Huang’s back, slowly lay down, fell asleep.

Waking up later, spirit replenished, but recalling the experience of the void realm, he was still haunted by fear.

Not to mention losing memory, even if he carried memory and cultivated inside for billions of years, with his current Martial Arts will, he would still collapse.

Humans are ultimately humans, not inanimate objects.

That prolonged loneliness and imprisonment will drive a person to death.

But...it’s alright, not revolting, bearable.

Then, let’s talk about it next time.

Zhou Leng currently has no desire to continue entering the Gate of Purgatory; he heads toward Mammoth Lake, preparing to use the Demonization bottle to collect the lake water and nurture Xu Qingjin’s health.

"Huh?"

The Tree of Life, over a hundred meters tall, lush and verdant.

Under the tree, the roots protrude from the ground, forming a pool with a diameter of about ten meters.

With a gust of wind, the pale green pool water glimmers.

"This Water of Life..."

Zhou Leng immediately senses an aura far more potent than ordinary Water of Life.

He quickly approaches, dips his finger in the water, and brings it to his mouth, savoring it carefully. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Huang sneakily glances around, lowers his head, sticks out his tongue, but before reaching the water, is grabbed by the neck and pulled back by Zhou Leng.

Huang whimpers and whines, his face full of grievance.

"Not even a sip!" Zhou Leng says.

Huang pouts and obediently lies down.

Zhou Leng smacks his lips; this Water of Life is quite potent.

This is just a newly grown Tree of Life; the aura of the Water of Life shouldn’t even be one-tenth of that old Tree of Life at the Tree-man Base.

But the actual aura slightly exceeds it.

When it fully matures...

Not only that, but the Water of Life here surprisingly contains a mysterious power.

Turning his head, he sees Mammoth Lake on one side and the Frost Giant Tree forest on the other.

The future of this Tree of Life is unimaginable.

Zhou Leng says, "The Water of Life here is extremely important and might affect my Ascension to Divinity. You must keep a close watch, Xiaoba, Silver Lake Moon, you all must not drink it, understand?"

Huang nods repeatedly.

"Don’t take it lightly! If it gets consumed, I’ll hold you accountable first!"

Huang hastily nods repeatedly, patting his chest with his paw.

Zhou Leng takes out the Demonization bottle, removes more than half of the pool’s water, leaving a small amount behind.

After tidying up a bit, he takes away a large number of Fierce Beast bones, gives Huang a better Magic Spirit Bag, and heads out.

At the entrance of Guhe Research Institute.

Li Yuanhe and others, donned in military attire, stand at the entrance, their faces composed.

Many members of Guhe Research Institute stand behind Li Yuanhe, their eyes flickering and faces showing signs of difficulty.

Across from them, numerous high-ranking individuals in jackets look over.

Leading them is none other than Zhao Cong, the governor of Liangjiang.

This is his second visit with others.

Unlike last time, he brings with him the military orders from the third leader of the Demon City Army and the first leader of the Sea Suppression Army.

Due to its special nature, the Guhe Research Institute still has no clear affiliation.

It is under the influence of the Demon City Army, the Martial Guard General Hospital, the Divine Text General Hospital, and the Supreme Court, among others.

However, the institute director, Li Yuanhe, is affiliated with the Demon City Army.

When Zhao Cong’s assistant presents two military orders with large red seals, Li Yuanhe grits his teeth, stands at attention, and salutes.

"Hello, Officer!"

Zhao Cong says amiably, "As the governor of Liangjiang, safeguarding the country and its citizens is my fundamental duty. Inspecting key facilities and institutions within Liangjiang is also my duty. Last time I came, you fulfilled your duties, and I don’t blame you. But this time, I hope you can cooperate with the entire Liangjiang team’s work."

The people of Guhe Research Institute look at Zhao Cong and everyone behind him, sighing inwardly.

This time, it seems there’s no way around it.

Last time, Li Yuanhe’s refusal created quite a stir among the upper echelons of Dragon Country.

Even a Demigod asked during a meeting whether the Guhe Research Institute was under the jurisdiction of the Martial Mansion; it was deemed utterly irregular and undisciplined.

Only afterward did many realize that Zhao Cong was making a strategic retreat.

Last time, they refused, but now the procedures are all in place; if the governor of Liangjiang is still denied entry, would the Guhe Research Institute not then become an independent kingdom?

These years, the Supreme Court has been cracking down the most on independent kingdoms, even forming a precedent.

Every year, the Supreme Court launches special operations targeting a specific field, vertical system, or region for integrated inspections and cleansing, to avoid the emergence of states within a state.

The Guhe Research Institute can refuse Zhao Cong and even Zhao Hao.

But they cannot refuse the governor of Liangjiang and the entire Liangjiang administrative team.

If they refuse again this time, it would become a significant scandal.

Zhao Cong could mobilize the Supreme Court’s power to launch a thunderous strike and reach into the Guhe Research Institute.

He doesn’t just represent himself; he represents numerous powerful forces wanting to reach into the Ancient River Sect.

Li Yuanhe’s eyes slowly dim, and suddenly, he raises his head and looks forward.

One by one, towering shadows are reflected in his pupils.

Zhao Cong and his people simultaneously turn around.

They see massive figures, over ten meters tall, disembarking from demon spirit carriages.

Like towering mountains, they cast shadows on the ground.

Leading them is a middle-aged figure, entirely covered with blue totems, looking unapproachable.

Mountain River Celestial Peak scans the crowd, his gaze falling on Zhao Cong, snorting lightly.

Descending from behind Mountain River Celestial Peak comes Mountain and River Origin, beside whom stands a little girl much taller than him.

The little girl, with her round face, carries a hint of baby fat, large and bright eyes clear enough to shine, with golden hair braided into a simple but radiant plait down her back.

Plump in build, her chest presents an imposing spectacle.

If she were shrunk to about one and a half meters, she would be a lovable charming girl who would get treated like a doll wherever she went.

She is fifteen meters, five floors tall.

Yet, she remains very adorable.

She smiles joyfully, glancing around, and despite her massive stature, is instinctively perceived as a child due to her pure aura.

"Brother Yuan, Brother Zhou Leng, where are they? Who are these people? Are they going to fight? I feel someone... is really bad."

Golden Li spoke, glancing at Zhao Cong, furrowing her brows slightly.

"What are you doing here?" Mountain River Celestial Peak warily eyed Zhao Cong.

The impending Ten Realms war will soon begin, and the Giant and Giant Dragon races will inevitably enter a prolonged, bloody conflict just as before.

He bears a significant task, determined to ask Zhou Leng to help awaken the ancient call, which could provide an ace for the Giant Race.

The matters between Zhao Cong and Zhou Leng have reached the upper echelons of the Giants, and he learned more from Mountain and River Origin.