Chapter 966: The Unusual Lou Benwei

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

The Sword Burial Mound remained the same as ever.

The unique silence and desolation of the Burial Ground enveloped the entire Sword Burial Mound.

Even the golden glow of dusk could not warm this desolate place.

Instead, as night approached, it felt like the final burst of light before darkness, making the scene even more sorrowful and poignant.

At the entrance of the Sword Burial Mound stood a towering archway with green pillars. On either side of the archway, wind chimes hanging from the eaves jingled crisply in the evening breeze, their ethereal tones echoing softly in the fading sunlight.

In the center of the eaves was a crimson plaque with flowing, dragon-like characters that read: "Sword Burial Mound."

Beneath the plaque stood a figure cloaked in black.

In his faintly visible hand, he held a wine jug.

At this moment, the black-cloaked figure raised his head, his hollow eye sockets gazing at the characters.

The afterglow of the sunset spread behind him, stretching down tens of thousands of steps, resembling a warm yellow cloak draped over his shoulders.

The light of the afterglow even tinged his somber black robe with warmth.

"Sword Burial Mound," he murmured softly, his voice carrying an unprecedented sense of solitude.

"It's been... a hundred thousand years, hasn't it?"

On either side of the green pillars stood the guardians of the burial ground, descendants of the Piao family. They watched as the black-cloaked figure suddenly appeared, accompanied by a dog, a spirit, a bear, and a centipede. Before they could react, the figure had already stepped past them.

With each step covering several meters, he moved lightly and swiftly.

In an instant, the guardians were left standing at the entrance, their eyes blank, as if they had forgotten something.

What had just happened?

It seemed as though nothing had occurred.

The guardians also forgot what they had seen.

So they turned back and continued standing guard over this silent, desolate place.

Meanwhile, the black-cloaked Lou Benwei had already entered the Sword Burial Mound.

What greeted his eyes were the swords embedded around the mound.

For each descendant of the Piao family, there was one bone and one sword.

The swords glowed faintly in the twilight, their surfaces slightly yellowed. Each one resembled a golden, upright stalk of wheat in autumn.

Lou Benwei paused in his steps.

His gaze swept across the scene.

Before him stretched an endless field of wheat.

Vast, desolate, and majestic.

Generation after generation, descendants upon descendants.

Lou Benwei's skeletal fingers, holding the wine jug, swayed gently.

Then, with a swift movement, he took several steps forward, moving lightly as if afraid to disturb the spirits.

Soon, he stood on the altar at the deepest part of the Sword Burial Mound.

On the altar lay a solitary skeleton.

Beside it was a rusted sword.

The sword was covered in patina, like an elderly man on the verge of death.

It swayed precariously, yet stood firm.

On the mottled blade, one could faintly see traces of blood from long ago.

Next to it stood a stone tablet, inscribed with the words: "Piao Family Ancestor, Piao Yun Chu."

In the lower left corner were two smaller lines of text:

"When water comes, we wait in the water."

"When fire comes, we wait in the ashes."

Lou Benwei stood before the tablet, silent, his expression seemingly lost in memories.

The afterglow of the sunset bathed the tombstone in a warm, fiery glow. For a moment, it reminded him of the great fire from a hundred thousand years ago.

The fire that had consumed everything.

Behind him, the dog, seeing its master so unlike his usual self, dared not even breathe loudly. It obediently followed Lou Benwei, its eyes filled with curiosity as it gazed at the skeleton.

Wondering who this person was.

Under the curious gazes of the dog and the others, Lou Benwei raised his skeletal hand from within his black robe.

In his fingers, he held a wine jug.

With a flick of his finger, the jug made a soft clinking sound.

"This is your favorite, General's Return," he said softly.

He pulled out the stopper, and the rich aroma of wine immediately filled the air.

Even the dog and the others behind him grew excited at the scent.

He raised the jug with his skeletal hand, and with a flip, clear wine spilled onto the ground before the skeleton.

The strong, mellow aroma of the wine instantly spread through the air.

A wind rose within the mound, lifting the hem of Lou Benwei's wide black robe.

It also carried the scent of the wine.

The wine-scented breeze brushed against the old sword, causing it to sway slightly. It swept over the grave, stirring up small clouds of dust.

Then it blew across the vast expanse of the Sword Burial Mound.

Whether it was the strength of the wind or the allure of the wine, the swords in the mound began to tremble as the wind passed.

Their sounds were mournful, like lamentations and longing, like weeping and sorrow.

Seeing the spilled wine, the dog and the others could no longer contain their curiosity.

It looked at the skeleton, then at the wine spilled on the ground.

Finally, it cautiously spoke up.

"Boss, who is this?"

Pulled back from his thoughts by the dog, Lou Benwei paused.

Then he continued to pour out the remaining wine.

Once finished, he released the jug.

A crisp shattering sound echoed as the jug broke into countless pieces, scattering before the tablet.

It was wine offered to a long-lost friend.

And a jug offered to a long-lost friend.

In the next moment, Lou Benwei raised his hand.

The scene around the dog and the others rapidly shifted. The tombstone and skeleton were suddenly pulled far away, and then everything spun dizzyingly, with faint sparks flickering before their eyes.

Soon, a wave of heat washed over them.

Then, before their eyes appeared a vast, cracked land—the Forbidden Land of Karmic Fire.

The ground was crisscrossed with deep, jagged fissures.

Then an icy wind cut through them, making the dog and the others shiver violently.

It turned out that next to the Forbidden Land of Karmic Fire was the Endless Frozen Expanse, a place of eternal ice.

In the blink of an eye, the dog and the others found themselves standing with Lou Benwei above the Frozen Expanse, looking down at the icy world below.

On the glacier was the divine army, composed of billions of loyal soldiers and millions of gods and demons as generals.