Chapter 1657: Unyielding
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The older generation powerhouses such as Chen Xinjie were aware that the ecosystem suffered irreversible damage due to the gradual extinction of the soul beasts.
The world was to be populated by the soul beasts first including the plant-type soul beasts as well.
Mankind’s ceaseless slaughter of the soul beasts had aggravated the situation, especially after the Spirit Pagoda came into existence.
The Spirit Pagoda’s initial purpose was to live harmoniously with the soul beasts. However, research on the man-made spirit souls became the agenda some time ago. The research needed a large number of spirit souls as specimens. The Spirit Pagoda used this as the reason to answer the parliment’s queries. Meanwhile, they began to hunt and kill the soul beasts wantonly. They relied on advanced technology and the mechas. As a result, the soul beasts’ habitat became smaller.
The Great Star Dou Forest which was once the life core of the Douluo Continent remained the soul beasts’ last remaining bastion. Even it was taken by the Spirit Pagoda and used as a place of captivity for the soul beasts.
It was not that no one noticed the problem. It was pointless to bring up the issue. The Spirit Pagoda was overly powerful now. It was difficult even for the Federation to exert their influence.
Chen Xinjie heaved a sigh. What could be done to change the current situation?
Chen Xinjie had never stepped foot on the Star Luo Empire nor the Dou Spirit Empire. So, he had no inkling of the situation there. He had waged war against the two continents to channel the life force from them to the Douluo Continent. A number of people were relocated which affected the commercial activities substantially.
The Spirit Pagoda would be restricted for sure.
However, all this would need to be coordinated by a unified political power.
He chose talented people who could lead the Federation in continuous and better development enterprises. Judging from the current situation, it was a rather impressive choice. Although the person was from an opposing party, it would not be an issue to choose her for the sake of the Federation’s future. She needed additional guidance in politics. Perhaps, the young girl had no idea that she would have been assassinated many times over had it not been for the War God Hall’s covert protection.
As he thought about the obstinate look of her face and silhouette when she attacked the Hawk Faction with legitimate arguments in the parliament, Chen Xinjie could not help cracking into a faint smile.
Her determination was similar to her younger self. It was unfortunate she had an adverse encounter when she was young. However, it was too late for him to get involved!
‘The young girl Mo Lan will certainly amount to something great in the future.’
At the thought of this, Chen Xinjie’s mind was nudged awake suddenly. He had a premonition as his gaze turned sharp instantly. In the next moment, the car surged with monstrous waves which rolled toward a certain direction.
However, light and darkness were alternating in that particular direction. The light shadows alternated three consecutive times before a light door was forced open.
Chen Xinjie stopped himself from launching an attack as soon as he sensed the energy alternation. An expression of disbelief was on his face simultaneously.
He had just been thinking about her earlier. Why did she come? Her energy was truly familiar to Chen Xinjie.
Yet, his pupils rapidly constricted involuntarily when he saw the person walking out from the light door. Although he had seen the younger version of her on the soul television when she fought against the Spirit Academy recently, the shock he felt was acutely intense when he looked at her from a close distance.
Her long hair hung down loosely on her shoulders. She looked just like how she was in the past. Her face with fair complexion, slightly unyielding lips, wild and intractable temperament in addition to her exquisite beauty and her slightly incompatible sad gaze.
“You, you…” Chen Xinjie felt as if something was stuck in his throat. He could not speak as he looked at the face which appeared only in his memories.
Long Yeyue was standing in the distance and looked at him quietly. She did not utter a single word.
The train was travelling at high speed. Inside the speeding train, the two people were gazing into each other’s eyes.
After a long while, Chen Xinjie finally took it upon himself to speak, “Yeyue, I finally see what you look like in the past. Are you sure that you’re fine in this condition? Maintaining our youthful state will consume our life force even more.”
Long Yeyue looked at him. Her eyes were misted with tears suddenly.
Chen Xinjie felt confused and was at a loss of what to do upon seeing the tears in her eyes despite being the big brother and the absolute authority of the Hawk Faction, the commander-in-chief of the federal fleet, the regimental commander of the Sea God Army, the War God Hall’s Hall Master, and holding almost every supreme post available on the continent.
“Yeyue, don’t cry. Don’t cry! What’s wrong?” He took a step forward and stood before her. Subconsciously, he reached out to wipe away her falling tears.
Long Yeyue slapped his palm away. The tears in her eyes were soon gone, evaporated by the heat generated from the light element. Yet, she was silent as she looked at him without any emotion.
Chen Xinjie was getting more confused as he looked at her gaze. “What’s going on with you, Yeyue? Please speak to me. Is it because you don’t want me to take part in the war this time? Yet…”
No, that was not the reason. She was incomparably strong-willed and bullheaded. Both he and she had the same personality. From the day he was acquainted with her, he had never seen her in a fragile state. She would never allow herself to be weak either.
Otherwise, they would not be separated until today. Both of them were overly headstrong. Their recalcitrance had resulted in an impasse and a dead end in their relationship.
Long Yeyue looked at him. She watched him closely and was unmoving as such.
Later, Chen Xinjie became slightly bedazzled. He felt all he wanted to do was watch this person before his eyes for a long, long time.
Following the depletion of his life force and having aged over the years, he was no longer incorrigible. Otherwise, he would not have confessed his feelings for Long Yeyue back at the beginning. He attempted to use his remaining time to fulfill his past wishes. Even though it was too late, he was still willing to give it a go.
At the moment, he was glad to see her in her younger self once again. She was so stubborn when she was young, yet she was the one whom he fell in love with!
They could not be together for many reasons. However, the most crucial one was that they were both bound by their own responsibilities.
Afterward, he was heartbroken when he learned that she was married to the Sea God’s Pavilion Master of that generation. From then on, he engaged in closed-door cultivation which he exited ten years later. By then, he had ascended to the rank of a Limit Douluo. He was the youngest Limit Douluo in the history of the War God Hall. Soon after, he became the War God Hall’s Hall Master and was at the pinnacle of his life ever since.
They had not met each other since then. Yet, the person who was inscribed on his bones and embedded in his memories, the person he truly loved had always been her all along.
Today, he saw Long Yeyue cry for the very first time. She was a strong-willed woman, yet she was in tears before him. Why was she behaving so?
All at once, Chen Xinjie felt his heart ache so much he felt suffocated. It felt as if he had returned to his younger days when he found out that she was married to the Sea God’s Pavilion Master.
It felt as if they were both recollecting their past memories. They were both silent for a very long time.
“Chen Xinjie.” Long Yeyue called out his name in a hoarse voice.
“Hmm?” Chen Xinjie recovered from his baffled state and looked at her in bewilderment.
“I’m here because I want to ask you the location of the Eternal Heaven. Are you willing to tell me?” Long Yeyue was in untold pain when she asked the question. At the same time, her gaze was filled with rebellion when she spoke those words, but she seemed to be grieving even more.
‘Is she here to beg me to tell her? No wonder she’s feeling so uncomfortable and grieved. Perhaps, she has never begged anyone before in her life.”
Chen Xinjie suddenly understood. She was here for the Eternal Heaven and not him. Her grievance was only because she had no choice but to let go of her obstinance and submit herself to him.