"This is the Pure Land. It looks no different from the outside world."
"Look over there, there are so many children, and they're even wearing armor! How strange!"
You excitedly pointed to the river and villages in the distance.
Just then, Yan conjured a pair of glasses from nowhere, transforming into a little encyclopedia.
"Ahem, ahem, that's not quite right. Although this place is the same as the outside, it is actually another dimension."
"Here, humans will continue to live as souls until the end of their lives."
"As for those children, the war has become more and more frequent recently, you must have encountered them when you came here."
At this point, his tone unconsciously became somewhat heavy.
"Human beings are always fighting like this. Even when their homes are broken, their lives are lost, and their dreams are withered, they are still driven by hatred and desire to destroy everything. Isn't this a kind of tragedy?"
"Fortunately, there is still the Pure Land, where they can complete the rest of their lives. When time washes away their pain, they can be reincarnated and reborn as humans."
"Sometimes I really admire Shinigami; he manages all of this all by himself."
As they spoke, the group had already arrived near the Village.
"I heard everything you just said. Also, Lady Shinigami would like to invite you."
"The true Pure Land requires a token to enter; what you are seeing is just a projection."
As he spoke, the boy waved the white Jade Tablet in his hand and then touched the barrier in front of him, which indeed created ripples.
The Jade Tablet transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the barrier, whereupon a large, antique-looking bronze door was slowly opened.
"Heng-ge, you're back! And who are these people?"
A boy of about seven or eight years old was rushing towards them from not far away. He was wearing armor and had a knife at his waist. He only lowered his guard after seeing the boy.
"These are Lord Shinigami's guests. I'll take them over."
"Also, Little Tiger, it's very safe here. You don't have to be like before. Go and play with your friends without worry."
"Okay, I'm off then. Heng, you be careful too."
He walked away reluctantly, the worry in his eyes almost tangible.
"Alright, go find your uncle and have them teach you martial arts." Heng waved his hand and said.
"I'll go right now!"
The child excitedly ran into the Village.
Heng sighed, glanced at Xiao Wu and the others, but ultimately said nothing.
You felt a soft light envelop her, and when she opened her eyes again, the group was in a valley.
Before me lay an ancient city long abandoned, its gray stone walls covered with green vines, its roads overgrown with weeds from neglect, and its waterways dried up. Only the area in front of the gates was somewhat tidy.
"Let's go, don't keep Lord Shinigami waiting too long."
Nitaru sensed the spiritual energy fluctuations here. It felt like she'd seen it somewhere before; it was so strange.
Xiao Wu tightened his grip on You's hand even more.
Yan looked around, finding everything novel and fascinating.
"You've finally arrived."
The person known as Shinigami has a hoarse voice, disheveled hair, and wears a mask.
Just standing there, he exudes a strong sense of oppression.
"Heng, you can go down now."
"yes!"
...
Shinigami stared at them for a moment, then spoke.
"You all carry the scent of that great man."
"So be it." He touched the mask with his withered hands and slowly took it off, his disheveled hair disappearing with it.
His face was covered in cracks, and his breath carried a faint sigh. At this moment, he did not seem like a god who held the power of life and death, but merely an old man on his deathbed, bidding his final farewell to the world.
His gaze fell on Xiao Wu's face.
"Long ago, I followed that great man to this place to develop the Pure Land and establish a connection between this place and the upper realm. We selected the souls of cultivators from this realm and assigned them their own destinies. The souls were rewarded or punished according to their karma and merits, and the place was thriving."
"But after the adults left, I made mistakes repeatedly because of selfishness, which eventually led to a disaster."
He suddenly spread the map out on the table.
"As you can see, karma has already eroded most of this space, and the passage has been destroyed, so..."
Xiao Wu barely suppressed his anger and roared at him, "Are you really planning to sacrifice yourself and take those ghostly things to hell with you?"
"Have you thought about what to do next? Are you just going to pass the buck to us like this?"
"I...sigh! I have no other choice."
"As you can see now, my body is completely exhausted, and I can no longer even maintain this space."
"The outside affairs were handed over to Heng decades ago."
The door was pushed open, and Heng walked in. "This is what you meant by wanting..."
He forced himself not to shed tears, but when he looked at Shinigami's face, he couldn't even utter a single question.
Shinigami patted Heng's head. "Don't cry. You're a grown man now. At least for now, I'm still here, aren't I?"
"As for what happens in the future, if it were you guys, you might actually be able to make it happen."
He placed the mask symbolizing Shinigami's identity into Heng's hands, saying, "The road ahead is long, and the future is in your hands."
"Ahem, now we have bad news and even worse news. Which do you want to hear?"
Yan looked at Xiao Wu, her big eyes filled with doubt.
Xiao Wu ignored him and continued, " Shinigami, a big problem is coming. Now you can make amends. Are you willing?"
"good!"
Xiao Wu took out a brocade box and handed it to Shinigami. "Eat this, and it will keep your mind clear and keep you alive. I will use an array to transfer all your karma to you."
"Yan, you will be suppressed by their power, and this world is your home ground. It needs you here, so stay here and protect this world with Heng, okay?"
Although Yan was very unhappy about being assigned to only do logistics, she still nodded.
"What about You? That kid is even weaker than me." Yan pointed at You.
"He can help me set up formations. If you also have talent in this area, you can switch with him."
"Never mind, never mind."
Xiao Wu looked at Nitaru, "The Qiankun Locking Spirit Array, your master should have taught you about it, right?"
"I understand, I will cooperate with you."
"Oh, there's one more thing. I secretly took your Spirit Gathering Pearl and lollipop."
Xiao Wu's eyes darted away. "I'll make it up to you later."
"Spirit Gathering Pearls? It's alright, it's alright. My master made a lot for me. I also brought a lot of lollipops. If you like them, I'll give you some more."
"Wait, that's not right. I remember it being here, but it's all gone."
Xiao Wu, feeling guilty, didn't look at him, and the atmosphere instantly fell silent.
It looked like a few crows flew by in the sky, leaving a trail of ellipses.
Yan looked at Xiao Wu with a hint of schadenfreude, as if to say: You're doomed. The candy is already in my pocket, and there's no way you can get it back.
"It's alright, it's alright. Here are a few milk candies, one for each of us, that's just right."
Yu said with a smile, "After eating the candy, you all need to cheer up, okay?"
"Okay!" everyone said in unison.