Chapter 1468: Boundary Communication

Author: Sanjiu Yinyu

Word Count: 1300

A gurgling sound––

Fragrant wine, like clear spring water, gently flowed over the stone slab.

A figure in a plain, monk-like outer robe sat cross-legged before the tombstone. A gentle breeze ruffled his black curly hair and brushed his flushed, drunken cheeks. His gaze was as deep and slightly bitter as aged wine.

“Old Lu, you really should taste this wine…”

“Before our dormancy, we buried this wine together under the temple. Now, in the blink of an eye, over three hundred years have passed… Three hundred years of aging, it's a treasure. Most people truly don't get to drink this.”

The wine continuously poured down, seeping through the cracks in the stone slab and into the soil, as if gradually permeating the cenotaph below.

On the tombstone, a few grand characters, written in a flowing and vigorous style, were deeply carved:

The Tomb of Lu Xun, Heavenly Pivot Monarch, Chief of the Nine Monarchs.

“When we buried this wine back then, we agreed that once our dormancy ended, we'd finish this jar together… But deep down, you knew even then that we'd never see each other again, didn't you?”

“You said you had a way to deal with the Red Star… but you didn't say that the price would be your own sacrifice.”

“Oh, Old Lu…”

“Did you really trust me that much?”

Wu Tongyuan lifted the wine jar, which still contained some wine, and took a big swig. The liquid trickled down the corner of his mouth, and his gaze was incredibly complex.

As drunkenness crept onto his face, he sighed deeply and couldn't help but speak again:

“You too, and that guy Chu Changqing too, just close your eyes and don't care about anything. Then, damn it, every single one of you just dumps the burden on me. Do you really believe I can lead them to find a way out?”

“I'm just a mathematician; I'm not an omnipotent god!”

“If you keep doing this…”

“I'm going to be under immense pressure, alright?!”

Woosh––

A gentle breeze swept through the empty graveyard.

Facing Wu Tongyuan's bitter lament, Lu Xun's tombstone stood silently. His only answer was the wind, mixed with the scent of blood.

Wu Tongyuan closed his eyes, silently processing the pressure and bitterness in his heart. He was no longer the devil-may-care mascot Wu Tongyuan who could freely express his dissatisfaction. With the successive fall of the Nine Monarchs, all the pressure had converged upon him.

Only before Lu Xun's tomb, and only when drunk, could he vent his frustrations and childish grievances.

Once he left the graveyard, he would once again become the most powerful of the Nine Monarchs, the Spirit Void Monarch, on whom everyone placed their hopes.

After an unknown period, Wu Tongyuan slowly opened his eyes.

He looked towards the distance beyond the tombstone.

In the center of the Spirit Void Domain, a towering structure was slowly "growing" upwards, thanks to the efforts of countless figures. Its appearance was obscured by various construction materials on the outside, but its scale suggested it would even surpass the former Tower of Babel in the Heavenly Pivot Domain.

Gazing at the towering structure under construction, Wu Tongyuan silently took another sip of wine. His wandering gaze gradually deepened and became resolute.

“I am not a god… but give me more time, and perhaps I too can become omnipotent…”

“I don't know where humanity's future lies…”

“But…”

“I have found the path to the correct answer.”

As Wu Tongyuan mumbled to himself, a figure hurried over from a distance!

“Lord Spirit Void Monarch! A call from the Heavenly Pivot Domain!!”

Wu Tongyuan didn't turn around. With his back to the person, he waved his hand to indicate he understood.

Still somewhat tipsy, he stumbled to his feet, wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth, and then poured the remaining wine from the jar entirely over the tombstone.

“I know I've made many mistakes and disappointed you many times.”

“But this time…”

“I will make you look at me differently.”

Beneath the base.

Machines transmitting radio signals operated silently.

As a signal light representing the Spirit Void Domain lit up, a slightly casual voice spoke a moment later:

“…This is Wu Tongyuan.”

“This is Su Zhiwei.”

The signal light representing the Heavenly Pivot Domain lit up the next second, and Su Zhiwei's serious voice came through.

“Oh, Dr. Su, long time no see.” The Spirit Void Domain's signal light flashed enthusiastically. “How have you been? I heard you repelled the Calamity of Filth all by yourself? After all this time, Dr. Su's understanding of string theory must have improved significantly!”

“Let's save the pleasantries for another time, when we have the chance. Don't hog the base's resources.”

“…Alright, alright, go ahead… *hiccup*!”

As a hiccup came through the Spirit Void Domain's signal light, the atmosphere suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

After a moment, Su Zhiwei asked in a deep voice:

“Did you drink alcohol?”

“Haha… just a little.”

“Wu Tongyuan, you know that humanity's fate is not a game, right?”

“I know, of course I know! I just… never mind. Let's get to the point.”

“Send back some of the personnel you conscripted from us a few days ago.” Su Zhiwei's voice was full of reason. “The Heavenly Pivot Domain suffered very few casualties, but its buildings were completely destroyed. We urgently need manpower to rebuild the domain.”

“That… might be a bit difficult.”

“Difficult?”

“You know, the 'Akasha Tower' is a massive project, and every detail needs to be hand-carved… Even with the personnel we've conscripted from both the Heavenly Pivot Domain and the Hidden Cloud Domain, it's still not enough. I was even planning to talk to you two in the next couple of days about conscripting another batch of people…”

“Wu Tongyuan, you're insane.” The Heavenly Pivot Domain's signal light flashed furiously. “The Heavenly Pivot Domain only has the elderly, weak, women, and children left now. And you still want to conscript more?”

“I know the Heavenly Pivot Domain is facing some difficulties, but…”

“No, Wu Tongyuan, you don't understand the situation in the Heavenly Pivot Domain at all.” The Heavenly Pivot Domain's signal light blinked frantically. “Casualties were minimal in this war, but far too many buildings were destroyed. Do you know how many hundreds of thousands of people are now homeless, forced to live out in the open?

Housing, medical care, and even food supply for hundreds of thousands of people are now critical issues! If we can't quickly rebuild homes, repair hospitals, and construct granaries, once the cold air arrives next month, coupled with a concurrent plague, countless lives will be lost!”

The Spirit Void Domain's signal light fell silent.

Meanwhile,

The Hidden Cloud Domain's signal light flickered.

“Qi Muyun, I see you're here.” The Heavenly Pivot Domain's signal light lit up again. “Speak!”

“…*Cough cough*, the Hidden Cloud Domain is in a similar situation. There's virtually no able-bodied young adult population left… However, more of our buildings were preserved, so it's not as dire as the Heavenly Pivot Domain.” Qi Muyun's helpless voice came through.

A moment later, the Spirit Void Domain's signal light lit up:

“Dr. Su, I know the Heavenly Pivot Domain's situation is critical right now, but the 'Akasha Tower' must be completed within a month… Therefore, I cannot return the personnel to you.”