It's Fine if Today Wasn't Good

Beneath the sky of the Desolate Realm, the fierce battle had just concluded. Humans and shamans sat on the ground in scattered groups, drinking wine against a backdrop of flame demon corpses piled high as mountains. Xu Wenwu spread his hands into the empty air, drawing over countless flame demon corpses to heap them into a small hill. Tianyu walked over carrying a slab of desolate iron. He tossed the hundred-thousand-jin iron plate squarely atop the heap of corpses, laid down soft cushions, arranged a table and chairs, brought out fine wine, and beckoned Xu Wenwu to take a seat. Both human and shaman were covered in wounds. Facing the distant Heavenly Pillars, they sat atop the mountain of flame demon corpses, drinking and boasting without paying the slightest mind to their injuries. "Old Xu! I really didn't expect a little runt like you to fight so well! Even though we've fought together through so many battles, I still end up shocked every single time. That dharma idol of yours looks mighty fine. It's a shame I met you so late—if only I'd known you back when I was at the Dao Foundation, I would've gotten myself one just like it no matter what. One flash of that dharma idol, and wouldn't a whole swarm of Little Pretty Shamans swoon over me?" Xu Wenwu clinked cups with Tianyu and downed his drink in one gulp before asking, "Don't you fight just as well without relying on a dharma idol? But why did you choose such a mushy, delicate one? What was that cluster of things again—a Flame God Flower?" Tianyu said, "You don't understand—I am a deeply romantic shaman! Besides, this Flame God Flower will bloom when my mindscape world reaches perfection. That means the moment I become a Desolate Shaman, I'll have an immortal plant in my mindscape world! Jealous, aren't you?!" Xu Wenwu asked, puzzled, "Is having an immortal plant in your mindscape world really that amazing?" Tianyu rolled his eyes hard and scoffed, "What else?" The immortal wine the two were currently drinking had been specially supplied by Wei Yuan for Jiumu. Thick with spiritual energy, a single cup would knock an ordinary Dharma Idol cultivator out cold. Xu Wenwu had already downed several cups by now; his head was swimming, and his thoughts lagged several beats behind. He hazily recalled that having immortal plants in one's mindscape world seemed like something completely ordinary, nothing impressive at all. Who was it again... someone who had a whole bunch of immortal plants in their mindscape world while still at the Dao Foundation? Wait, how could a Dao Foundation cultivator have a mindscape world? Xu Wenwu wracked his brains trying to figure it out so he could refute Tianyu. Tianyu's condescending, trust-fund-brat tone was something he naturally found obnoxious. Though over the past few years human and shaman had forged an interracial bond through countless bloody battles, when it came to hating rich second-generation brats, Xu Wenwu felt he could never compromise. Just as Xu Wenwu was straining to remember who that fellow born with a heap of immortal plants was, Tianyu clapped him on the shoulder again and asked, "Old Xu, do you have any girls you like?" The question instantly stirred countless memories within Xu Wenwu. Just thinking about them made his heart ache. He let out a long sigh and said, "Of course I do. Her name was Yushi, exceptionally sweet-looking... And then there was Xinran. Back then, after getting to school every day, the thing I wanted to see most was her smile... But if we're talking about pure innocence, Weimeng was the best. Oh, and Qingyan—" Tianyu listened to them one by one. Behind every name lay a story filled with warm sunshine, gentle breezes, golden fallen leaves, and drifting snowflakes, alongside the ignorance and awkward innocence of youth. Each story was poignantly beautiful, and Tianyu listened with rapt attention. With every story Xu Wenwu told, Tianyu would knock back a large cup of wine. After downing a dozen or so cups in this fashion, Tianyu was moved to tears, but then he suddenly realized something. "Wait, Old Xu, something sounds off. You were never actually with any of them?" "Unrequited crushes," Xu Wenwu sighed deeply. That otherworldly realm, so beautiful, pure, and innocent, was a place he could never return to. Tianyu had never imagined that Xu Wenwu hadn't gotten together with a single one. This was simply inconceivable. In Tianyu's eyes, letting a single pretty shaman he liked slip away was a sin—it meant he hadn't tried hard enough, that he had failed her. Tianyu could never tolerate becoming such scum among shamans, which was why he had always worked so hard. On this matter, the two were utterly incapable of empathizing with each other; not even their battlefield camaraderie could bridge the gap. Tianyu wanted to console Xu Wenwu, but for a moment, he didn't know what to say. After hemming and hawing for a long time, he finally said with earnest gravitas, "Old Xu, don't be sad. It's fine if today wasn't good—it's not like tomorrow will be any better anyway." Hearing Tianyu's sincere tone, Xu Wenwu nodded vigorously, yet somehow felt that something wasn't quite right. Tianyu sighed again. "Even though you never got them, you possess the most beautiful memories. I've had every single one of mine, yet I constantly feel empty. Can a shaman's life really be about nothing more than Little Pretty Shamans? How is living like this any different from waiting around to die? That's why your human sages have a saying: 'Excess is as bad as deficiency.' I think that makes total sense. I've gone to excess, while you fell short of the mark. We're both troubled by the exact same thing!" Stirred by mutual sorrow, human and shaman clinked cups forcefully and drained their drinks. After downing the cup, Tianyu turned his head, pointed toward the sky in the distance, and said, "See that guy over there? That fellow named Wei Yuan." "Of course." Tianyu sighed. "I've known him for a long time too, but I've realized I never truly understood him. Every time I think I get him, I discover that what I understood was only the outermost layer. Back when he drifted into the Desolate Realm and we went to Fengmang together, he carefully hid his identity. Later, when flame demons attacked and a shaman we both knew died, he suddenly went mad. Paying no heed to exposing his identity, he plunged into a bloodbath with the flame demons until the sky turned dark, killing with such savagery that even we Power Shamans felt terror! After that battle, every Power Shaman in the fortress forgot that he was human. Only from that day did I realize that 'Power Shaman' is a faith, not a race." *There was something like that? How come I've never heard him mention it?* Xu Wenwu thought hazily. Tianyu continued, "Every time you people come to the Desolate Realm, he will always stand up there, watching over the surrounding heavens and earth. In the eyes of us Power Shamans, that fellow is like a mother eagle watching over a brood of eaglets, letting you train while refusing to let you face any real danger. Honestly, in our view, that's completely unnecessary. Without passing through life and death, how can one ever break through their limits?" Xu Wenwu instinctively felt there was truth to those words, but out of his visceral distaste for rich second-generation brats, he began arguing with Tianyu once more. Beneath the sky of the Desolate Realm, Wei Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, gazing toward the three Heavenly Pillars at the edge of the distant horizon. Just then, the Sixth Princess flew over with some difficulty. Landing beside Wei Yuan, she asked softly, "What are you looking at?" Wei Yuan pointed into the distance. "In that direction, far beyond what you can see, stand three Heavenly Pillars. That is the lair of the flame demons. Originally there was a fourth, but later, a friend of mine sacrificed his life to snap that pillar, securing temporary peace for this realm." Wei Yuan spoke with complete calm. The Sixth Princess asked curiously, "Was that friend of yours a Dharma Idol cultivator as well?" "No, he was a Heavenly Shaman." The Sixth Princess gasped softly. Wasn't a Heavenly Shaman an Immortal? Why would an Immortal willingly march to their death? She couldn't quite fathom it. Wei Yuan let out a silent sigh. Back then, he hadn't truly grasped Ronglong's state of mind, but now that he had taken another step toward the position Ronglong once held, he understood a bit more. Standing in Ronglong's place, what one shouldered was not merely a people, but heaven and earth itself. Three scorching suns hung high in the sky. Baked beneath the heat, the Sixth Princess felt dizzy and swayed slightly, nearly tumbling to the ground. Wei Yuan said gently, "Go back and rest for a bit." The Sixth Princess was naturally gentle and obedient; showing none of the usual royal stubbornness, she nodded and flew away. Large patches of bloodstains still clung to the sleeves of her robes. In the battle that had just concluded, she too had slain several Dharma Idol flame demons. Her ruthlessness in battle and her formidable prowess were completely at odds with her delicate, sweet appearance. Yaolan appeared silently. Watching the Sixth Princess depart, she remarked, "The little one might seem soft, but she's quite tenacious. Still, protecting them like this so they face no mortal danger at all will seriously undermine the value of their tempering." Wei Yuan smiled faintly. "If the effect is slightly diminished, so be it. It doesn't matter; at worst, they can just come a few more times. As long as our generation fights this battle of life and death to the end, they won't need to risk their lives like we do." Yaolan's expression turned solemn. "You and Ronglong—both of you are true Power Shamans!" At the mention of Ronglong, Wei Yuan's gaze deepened. Staring toward the distant Heavenly Pillars, he said slowly, "However, the battle of life and death belonging to our generation is still far from over." Yaolan also looked toward the Heavenly Pillars, her tone chilling. "Sooner or later, I will tear them all down!" Wei Yuan's heart stirred. "Do you want to become a Heavenly Shaman?" The seat of Heavenly Shaman in the Desolate Realm seemed tailor-made for Yaolan—at the very least, it suited her far better than Wei Yuan, a human. To his surprise, Yaolan shook her head. "Don't worry about me. I've begun to sense it recently—as long as I kill enough flame demons and make a sufficient contribution to heaven and earth, the Desolate Realm will naturally have a seat of Heavenly Shaman for me. As for yours, it was left to you by Ronglong. No one can take it away." Hearing those words, Wei Yuan was stunned. *No one can take it away?* Did he really have to become this Heavenly Shaman? In that moment, Wei Yuan wanted to remain human again.