Chapter 1782: Ayu's Bequest

The High Sacrificers were taken aback. Was he treating them as if they were giants?

However, having agreed in advance, the High Sacrificers wryly accepted their role as human conduits. After consuming the Law Wine to replenish their reserves of law power, they continued pouring it into the gourd.

When the nine High Sacrificers had completed another full rotation, the Yellow Gourd section was finally fully illuminated!

Gripping the gourd, Jiang Fan felt an unprecedented sense of security. He finally possessed a formidable weapon capable of directly confronting a Sage! Apart from supreme beings like the Nine-Sun Giant Emperor, few could withstand the Yellow Gourd's power of subjugation. With this gourd, he could move freely throughout the Hell Realm and the Heaven Realm.

"My sincere thanks, High Sacrificers!" Jiang Fan said, cupping his hands.

The nine High Sacrificers, their faces slightly pale, consumed some Law Wine and dared not linger for another second, quickly departing.

The Nine Nether Demon Venerable and Ancient Zen Buddha Venerable were even more hesitant to remain, quickly fleeing right behind them. They feared Jiang Fan might call out, "Seniors, please wait."

Once the Sages had departed, Asura King Ayu, who had been observing from a distance, finally felt it safe to approach. A hint of urgency crossed her face as she spoke: "Jiang Fan, the war between Central Earth and the Hell Realm was deliberately instigated by the Asura Saint Son. He intends to harvest merit from the souls of the deceased in both realms; Central Earth must not fall into his trap..." From afar, she had overheard Jiang Fan's conversation with the Sages of Central Earth and knew that Central Earth was planning to launch an offensive, initiating the war between the two realms.

Jiang Fan's expression softened with a touch of apology. "It no longer matters," he said. "Central Earth has no choice; we must seek peace through war. I hope Senior can understand. The only thing I can do is to try and spare the lives of Asura tribesmen from your lineage if I encounter them, and this vow applies only to me personally."

On the battlefield, showing mercy to an enemy is a grave mistake. Jiang Fan felt obligated to spare them only due to the favor he owed Asura King Ayu's lineage. For other Central Earth warriors, Jiang Fan would simply instruct them to fight with all their might, showing no mercy, lest they endanger themselves.

Asura King Ayu's lips trembled. She lowered her head, her eyes filled with sorrow, and whispered, "Thank you."

She harbored no resentment. This matter could not be blamed on Jiang Fan, nor on Central Earth. Central Earth was forced into this position. If blame was to be assigned, it lay with the Asura Saint Son, who ignited the war between the two realms for his own selfish motives, and with the Hell Realm, which refused to reclaim its Tower World Artifact, its ambition undiminished.

She turned to face Empress Dugu's silver sarcophagus and said, "Since this great war is unavoidable, and to ensure my master's remains are not damaged, I ask you to safeguard it for me."

She paused, then added, "If you ever have the opportunity to travel to Fengdu in the Hell Realm, please deliver the sarcophagus to the Asura clan there. Fengdu is the domain of our Creation Asura lineage. My master was the wife of the North Yin Realm Master, the ruler of Fengdu. Should you return her remains, no one will cause you any trouble."

Jiang Fan was slightly taken aback. "Why don't you go yourself?" he asked. "Now that the Hell Realm passage is open, you could easily take the young master and your master's remains back. Given your years of dedication in guarding your master's body and caring for the young master, the North Yin Realm Master would surely not treat you poorly..."

At that moment, a faint, putrid smell drifted by. It was similar to the 'Heaven-Human Decay' common among humans, but far more repulsive, like the stench of a corpse. He looked at Asura King Ayu, a bewildered question forming on his lips: "You..."

Asura King Ayu smiled faintly. "As you can see," she said, "my time is drawing to a close."

"What...?" An unnameable emotion welled up within Jiang Fan. Asura King Ayu was the first Soul Transformation Realm expert he had encountered, and an elder who had fundamentally altered Xu Youran's destiny. Now, Jiang Fan himself had reached the Soul Transformation Realm, yet she was on the verge of passing away.

Jiang Fan produced a speck of Time-Space Dust. "Senior," he offered, "try this. It can extend your lifespan by fifty years."

Asura King Ayu smiled in surprise, shaking her head. "Time-Space Dust, you say? Your fortuitous encounters are truly remarkable, to possess such an item," she commented. "However, it's no use to me. Due to the karmic influence of my master's creation, my lifespan has already far surpassed its natural limits. Items that extend life cannot break through such a boundary."

Jiang Fan stood in stunned silence, a faint sadness clouding his eyes.

Asura King Ayu offered a gentle smile. "Child, there's no need to be sad," she said. "I've been confined here for a thousand years, and it has been terribly lonely. Perhaps this departure is a form of liberation."

As she spoke, she produced a jade plate inscribed with Hell Realm script and handed it to Jiang Fan. "I couldn't attend your wedding with Youran," she explained. "This is the only thing I have left with me. Please accept it as a belated wedding gift."

Jiang Fan silently accepted the plate, his lips parting as if to speak, but no words came. A thousand years, forever confined to the Tenth Layer, without a single soul to talk to. What an unbearable solitude. If not for the young master, she would likely have succumbed to the endless passage of time long ago.

Asura King Ayu continued, "Incidentally, I must thank the ancient giants. When my end was near and the young master was still too young to be entrusted to anyone, the emergence of the Heaven-Connecting Black Pillar altered the very structure of the underworld. It caused you to fall from the Ninth to the Tenth Layer, and it also allowed the young master to meet Youran. Now, you have become the Star-Fire Venerable, a figure of great renown in Central Earth. With the young master entrusted to your care, I can finally rest completely assured."

She slowly turned to face the suspended silver sarcophagus, bowing deeply. Murky tears welled in her aged eyes. "My old master," she murmured, "Ayu did not disappoint you, did she? A thousand years, a full thousand years. I have guarded you from my youth until my hair turned white. I believe I have proven worthy of your trust. But, if there is a next life, please let me be a carefree maiden. This life... it has been too exhausting."

Leaning on her cane, she slowly made her way toward the abyss.

Jiang Fan reached out a hand. "Senior, where are you going?" he asked.

Asura King Ayu turned her head, her voice raspy. "I wish to see my homeland one last time," she said. "Farewell, child. I wish you and Youran everlasting love." With those words, she leaped into the abyss, stepping into the Eleventh Layer, which had by then merged completely with the Hell Realm.

Jiang Fan's eyes welled up. To return to one's roots was Asura King Ayu's final wish. He bowed deeply. "Senior Ayu," he murmured, "may you rest in peace."

Standing there for a long time, Jiang Fan finally looked at the jade plate left by Asura King Ayu. Activating it with his Soul Transformation power, the plate projected a holographic map into the air. It depicted a majestic and expansive world, complete with mountains, lands, rivers, lakes, seas, treacherous terrains, abysses, and sinister forests. Some regions were even labeled with names such as "Siege of Giant Mountain," "Root of Hell," "Fengdu," and "Prison of Blood Lake." This was unmistakably a world map of the Hell Realm! For Central Earth, which was poised to invade the Hell Realm, this represented an unimaginable strategic advantage. And Asura King Ayu, an Asura, had given this map to Central Earth, her very enemy. She had bestowed upon Jiang Fan a profound blessing that transcended racial and political boundaries.

"Senior Ayu..." Jiang Fan was deeply moved. He carefully put away the invaluable map, then turned to face Empress Dugu's sarcophagus, making a silent vow. If he ever had the chance to go to the Hell Realm, he would certainly fulfill Senior Ayu's last dying wish and return Empress Dugu's remains to Fengdu.

As he stood there, lost in thought, he suddenly detected a faint, fleeting aura of an angelic being within the Tower World. Where could an angel have come from?