Just by looking at this comparison, one can tell just how brutal the Four Continents War was back then. Qin Moyu took a deep breath and stepped into the Abyss alongside Shen Yebai.
Despite being mentally prepared, Qin Moyu almost tripped and fell, but fortunately Shen Yebai caught him quickly.
Only when you truly reach the land of the abyss will you discover that this land is soft soil covered with blood foam. Each step feels like walking on a muddy path after a rain. You have to be very careful with every step. But no matter how careful you are, if someone exerts even a little force, blood will seep out from this land and stain their shoes red.
The deeper one goes, the more terrifying the situation in the abyss becomes.
The path in the Abyss was not smooth; it was littered with broken limbs and mounds of earth. Some of these mounds, hastily piled up, even revealed the bodies buried inside because they were not properly constructed. The man who had been carelessly buried by his companions had half his body outside the mound, his face, mostly rotten, was unrecognizable, and his clothes were reduced to strips of cloth. No one knew his name or why he had died there.
But these remains could no longer arouse the pity of those who entered the Abyss, because there were far too many nameless graves like these in the Abyss. Qin Moyu even saw a huge pit not far away, filled with mountains of bones. There were so many that the bones were scattered and intertwined, making it impossible to distinguish one from another.
Enemies who fought each other to the death in life are buried in the same land after death. It's hard to tell whether it's more heartbreaking or ironic.
Most of the flames clung to these white bones, while a small portion drifted in the air, burning with a dark golden flame, as if expressing the resentment and bitterness of the dead.
Before entering the abyss, Qin Moyu conjured more than ten red lotus karmic flames that swirled around the two of them. As long as he didn't touch the flames on the bones, the drifting flames would quickly disappear if they accidentally touched the red lotus karmic flames, so they were still relatively safe.
However, Qin Moyu dared not let his guard down. According to Shen Yebai, those who died on the outskirts were all people of low strength. The further in they went, the stronger the people who died became. No one knew whether they had made any arrangements before they died.
Even without any backup plans, those desperate criminals who ventured into the abyss in search of treasure were not to be trifled with.
Sure enough, as the two walked further in, the land was no longer dark black, but rather endless yellow sand, and the sky grew increasingly gloomy, making it impossible to tell the time of day.
Walking through the sand, Qin Moyu occasionally saw people bending over and digging in the sand dunes in search of treasure. These people were surprised when they saw the red lotus karmic fire on their bodies, casting greedy or wary glances at them. However, after realizing that Qin Moyu and Shen Yebai were just passing by, they became slightly more reserved. It was even more impossible for them to strike up a conversation. Walking in the abyss was like walking in hell on earth.
Perhaps the environment was too oppressive, Qin Moyu wanted to say something to break the suffocating silence of the Abyss.
"With the fighting going on like this, is there really anyone who will win the Four Continents War?" Qin Moyu murmured to himself, looking at the scenery around him.
"No." Shen Yebai was dressed as a guard—this was Qin Moyu's insistence, not wanting to reveal Shen Yebai's identity. He paused for a moment, "The forces of every continent have been greatly impacted, and many have even disappeared directly in the Four Continents War."
"Has no one thought of stopping it?" Qin Moyu asked, puzzled. If there was no benefit in continuing the fight, why continue?
"Because those who could stop them all went to the extreme cold." Shen Yebai used his long sword to clear away the bones blocking his way, and a few clusters of fiery flames flickered and drifted away from the bones, wandering in the air.
"Initially, the Four Continents War didn't involve such a wide range of people. It was just a dispute between a few forces, and it wouldn't have escalated into a major conflict. But somehow, it resulted in the death of Fen Qi's wife, the patriarch of the Fen family. In his rage, Fen Qi massacred those forces, which also involved the beloved son of another Tribulation Transcending stage expert... In short, after going around in circles, the old and new grudges of the Four Continents combined to turn into a chaotic war. In the end, it was the then emperor of the Southern Kingdom—who was also a Tribulation Transcending stage expert—who came forward and gathered all the Tribulation Transcending stage experts to discuss how to resolve these issues, which brought about temporary stability."
"A chaotic battle... I know that, but how did it escalate into a major war? And weren't they all willing to sit down and discuss things properly? Why did they end up in the extreme cold?" Qin Moyu asked, frowning.
"I don't know." Shen Yebai answered decisively, "No one knows why they went to the extreme cold. All we know is that only three of them survived, and all of them were seriously injured and announced that they would go into seclusion. Originally, everyone agreed to wait for their respective powerful figures to return at the intersection of the four continents to discuss the results. When this news came back, everyone was in an uproar. Some were terrified, and some were tempted."
"The situation in the four continents has been stable for too long, it's making people itchy—" Shen Yebai sneered, "As long as one person crosses the line, even if you don't fight back, others will covet you. If no one wants to back down, then you can only fight."
"It's all about profit..."
“But the Four Continents War is not without its doubts.” Shen Yebai said the same thing as Xuanjing Zhenren that day. “Although some people wanted to take advantage of the chaos, they were a minority. The powerful would rather maintain their existing position than fight for insignificant interests. Logically speaking, it shouldn’t have turned into such a brutal war. It’s really strange that the Four Continents War was so brutal.”
"What Ye Bai said is the same as what Senior Xuan said. I have a feeling that the Four Continents War is being manipulated by a mastermind behind the scenes." Qin Moyu sighed.
Shen Yebai couldn't help but think of Shen Mo's enemy—whether they were human was still up for debate, but based on the fragmented memories he obtained from Shen Mo and Shen Mo's attentive attitude, he knew they were incredibly powerful.
But what kind of person could make Shen Mo, who was in the Tribulation Transcending stage, so wary? To the point that he split himself up to avoid alerting the enemy? You must know that beyond the Tribulation Transcending stage, the only way is to ascend to immortality.
"Speaking of which, since only three Tribulation Transcending stage cultivators returned from the extreme cold, why did Senior Xuan tell me that there are currently four Tribulation Transcending stage experts?"
"Because the fourth tribulation stage was broken through after the war of the four continents - the Southern Kingdom Ancestor, Shen Mo."
"The one who temporarily stopped the chaos and went to the extreme cold was his father."
"Although he is called the Ancestor, Shen Mo is actually not that old. It is only because the Southern Kingdom royal family sacrificed too many emperors in the Four Continents War that he is ranked high in terms of seniority and has great strength that he is honored as the Ancestor."
"He is a true genius."
As a fragment of Shen Mo's soul, Shen Yebai was aware of Shen Mo's almost terrifying talent for cultivation. The sword techniques he learned from Shen Mo were enough for him to roam freely across the four continents, so one can only imagine how terrifying Shen Mo's most proficient array formations were.
...
Meanwhile, Shen Mo, whom Shen Yebai was thinking about, received news from Shen Sheng that they were about to send troops to Xizhou.
The former court was deserted. Shen Sheng sat on his high seat, with no officials in sight. Below him was only General Qi, clad in armor.
"Your Majesty, it is time for me to depart." General Qi clasped his hands in a fist salute to Shen Sheng, his posture upright like a pine tree. His face still had a touch of youthfulness, but his brows showed a maturity and fortitude beyond his years.
Shen Sheng gave him a deep look, as if he wanted to remember him, until the servant whispered a reminder before he spoke: "General Qi, I'm entrusting you with this task."
"I will certainly live up to Your Majesty's expectations." A rare smile appeared on Qi He's usually cold face, much like his father and brothers.
But his father and brothers will never come back.
Qi He bowed solemnly to Shen Sheng once more, then turned and strode away.
As he reached the door, a voice suddenly came from behind him—
That was the voice of the young emperor, a voice he knew all too well:
"Qi He, I want you to come back alive."
"Whether you win or lose, come back to me alive."
Qi He turned around and saw Shen Sheng sitting in the high seat, backlit, making it impossible to see his expression. This young emperor, who had consolidated the royal family with an iron fist and secured the throne at a young age, was never a coward, but Qi He knew that he was afraid.
Shen Sheng has been like this since he was a child. No matter how scared or worried he is, he will pretend to be nonchalant. Only Qi He, who grew up with him, can see through the vulnerability hidden beneath his toughness.
The scene before me seemed to overlap with a moment from my memory—
Newly enthroned Shen Sheng, wearing an ill-fitting dragon robe, stood in the desolate palace, his hands trembling involuntarily.
"Qi He, am I going to die?"