The scene before them was a desolate, scorched earth, utterly devoid of life. Not even the most resilient weeds could survive on this land, let alone any other form of existence.
Yet, something familiar to Ye Tiancheng permeated this barren landscape – a dark energy.
It was this same energy again. Hadn't he seen it in the Pure Land?
Having lost the Fuxi Qin, the Pure Land had completely fallen, transforming into a scene akin to purgatory. Although it hadn't reached the state of the land he stood on when Ye Tiancheng left, he knew it was only a matter of time.
As time passed, if Ye Tiancheng didn't gather the Fuxi Qin fragments and re-seal it in the Pure Land, it would never return to normal, and the consequences would only worsen.
The anomalies in the Pure Land could even spread. When Ye Tiancheng met Nie Chongyang, his ability to persuade them had something to do with the Pure Land. Such a grave matter couldn't have escaped the attention of those in power, but the situation was indeed tricky; without the Fuxi Qin, no one could resolve it.
But what was this place before him? And what was its connection to the Pure Land?
At the very least, Ye Tiancheng had never known of such a place, let alone what it originally looked like or its purpose.
In the long silence, Helian Sheng suddenly spoke.
"Do you know why the main branch of my Helian family was established in this place?"
Ye Tiancheng looked at Helian Sheng, offering no reply.
Helian Sheng didn't seem to mind and continued, "Ever since I can remember, I knew of this place within the family. My destiny, from birth, was to guard this location."
"This place is very important, as important as... the Pure Land."
The words "Pure Land" escaped his lips, and Ye Tiancheng's heart tightened.
There was indeed a connection between the two. He just didn't know the nature of that relationship or why this place had become like this.
The Pure Land had fallen because of the loss of the Fuxi Qin, but why had this place suffered the same fate?
Ye Tiancheng couldn't help but ask, "How did this place become like this?"
Helian Sheng shook his head. "Actually, I don't know."
"All along, this place was perfectly normal. Every day was the same as the last, with no changes. I have always guarded this place and never left."
"However, about a year ago, it began to deteriorate rapidly for no apparent reason. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't find the cause. I knew this place was crucial and had to be restored to normal as soon as possible."
"Therefore, I spent a great deal of effort researching the family's ancient texts and discovered information about the Pure Land. But when I found the place, it was already a living hell, just like this land."
Hearing this, Ye Tiancheng couldn't help but speculate.
Perhaps this place and the Pure Land were interconnected and influenced each other. That's why, after the Pure Land fell, this place also rapidly deteriorated without any warning.
Helian Sheng thought the same.
"Later, I traced the matter, even using many of my connections to gather information. I specifically contacted those in power to keep an eye out. It was only recently that I learned of your existence and finally sought you out."
This made things clear.
Ye Tiancheng had previously shown himself to those in power and had voluntarily linked himself to the Pure Land. If Helian Sheng had the ability to obtain this information, it wasn't strange that he found him.
If this were the case, the timeline would align, and it would make sense.
Ye Tiancheng lowered his gaze, lost in thought. He said, "Even if I have a way to restore this place, it will take time. And to restore it to its former state is clearly impossible. The beings who perished in this catastrophe can likely not be brought back to life."
"If this is what you wanted to discuss, even if you hadn't found me, I would still be doing this."
Helian Sheng looked at Ye Tiancheng. "Mr. Ye is truly benevolent."
Ye Tiancheng didn't consider himself a good person. To ask him to save all living beings, to save the world? Ye Tiancheng didn't think he was that great; he was a person with selfish motives.
If he had to explain why he was willing to do this, it could only be said that his wife, children, and brothers were all part of the common people. Because of this, his loved ones were already in the midst of it, so how could Ye Tiancheng remain aloof?
Moreover, since Ye Tiancheng had encountered this matter, he couldn't simply ignore it.
It wasn't out of any noble qualities like self-sacrifice, altruism, or helpfulness. Ye Tiancheng believed that his willingness to act stemmed from a desire for a clear conscience.
Since he had the ability and had encountered this situation, why wouldn't he contribute if he could?
However, to say that he did this deliberately, Ye Tiancheng would never admit to it. That would be overestimating him; his original intention was not like that at all.
Ye Tiancheng said to Helian Sheng, "I don't consider myself a great benevolent person. I merely seek a clear conscience, and I am only doing what is within my power."
Helian Sheng, however, said, "As long as one is doing good, does it matter what the original intention was? If we must put it that way, then why should many wealthy people engage in charity?"
"Ultimately, many things are judged by their results, not their intentions."
Ye Tiancheng asked, "So, was your original purpose truly this?"
Helian Sheng pondered for a moment and replied to Ye Tiancheng, "Originally, I had only traced you. However, I was still unaware of more detailed information or the reason for this place's downfall. But you seemed to know some of the inside story."
"That is why I sought you out, wanting to know if there was any method to restore this place to normal."
It seemed that Helian Sheng was unaware of the Fuxi Qin. If he had known, Ye Tiancheng knew he wouldn't have failed to mention it.
Since there was no malice in the original intention, Helian Sheng's urgency was understandable.
The situation here worsened daily, and the scope of the disaster continued to expand. This place was within the territory of the Helian family's main branch. Once the scope expanded, the Helian family would be the first to suffer, leading to their utter destruction.
And Helian Sheng needed to remain stationed here, unable to leave freely. Therefore, he instructed others in the family to invite Ye Tiancheng to the Helian family. This was originally not a problem.
However, it was inevitable that every major family would have its share of scoundrels and foolish individuals. Instead, they almost caused the Helian family to incur Ye Tiancheng's wrath, which was truly baffling.
Even now, knowing the truth, Ye Tiancheng couldn't simply forgive them.
Ye Qingcheng still hadn't woken up. The reason for the sudden surge of energy within her body remained unresolved. Until this matter was clarified, Ye Tiancheng couldn't rest easy.
Ye Tiancheng could only say, "I do know some methods, and I have indeed been working towards it during this time, wanting to resolve this matter as soon as possible. Consequently, I have been traveling everywhere, even exhausting Mingzhu Qingcheng and my good brothers, who have also been unable to rest."
"You don't need to bring this up; I have been doing it all along."
Upon hearing this, Helian Sheng sighed. "If I had known this, I might as well have done nothing. Instead, I offended you. I apologize again here."
"How about this: I will also find ways to compensate you in various aspects. And regarding the restoration of this place, please do not hesitate to ask for any help you may need. Our Helian family will do our utmost to provide any assistance we can."
"Oh, and I heard from my subordinates about your esteemed daughter's continuous coma. I have a general understanding of the situation. May I inquire about the problem she is facing? Is there anything our Helian family can help with? Please mention it, and we can provide assistance."
It couldn't be said that Ye Qingcheng hadn't woken up. Ye Tiancheng had treated her before. However, after the treatment, Ye Qingcheng remained in a daze, resembling her state when Ye Tiancheng was first brought to see her by Hou Mingzhu, and he treated her for the first time.
Ye Tiancheng thought for a moment and felt there was nothing he couldn't say. Helian Sheng was willing to help, and Ye Tiancheng had no objections. He wasn't afraid of being schemed against in this matter.
Therefore, Ye Tiancheng roughly explained Ye Qingcheng's situation to Helian Sheng, hoping to hear if Helian Sheng had any insights or knew any inside information.
After listening to Ye Tiancheng's account, Helian Sheng fell into deep thought. Ye Tiancheng waited for his answer, so he didn't disturb him, allowing Helian Sheng to think in silence.
After a long while, Helian Sheng suddenly spoke, "This sounds a bit like... it seems to be the effect of some kind of medicine, or perhaps certain special items can cause such an effect. In short, it's due to external forces."
"Otherwise, the energy within your esteemed daughter should have been released gradually, bit by bit over the years, slowly transforming her body. It wouldn't have all erupted at once, almost harming her core. This is clearly abnormal. Someone likely tampered with it."
Ye Tiancheng said, "I had the same thought."
He had considered this possibility before but hadn't found the root cause. Now that Helian Sheng also said so, Ye Tiancheng felt even more certain.
Helian Sheng considered that Ye Qingcheng's abnormality occurred after being kidnapped by members of the Helian family. The Helian family couldn't clear their name, and it was impossible to say whether they were innocent or not.
Regardless of whether the Helian family was responsible, after this incident, Helian Sheng couldn't simply ignore it.
Therefore, after careful consideration, Helian Sheng proactively proposed to Ye Tiancheng, "How about this? Merely based on the description, it's impossible to be completely certain what problem your esteemed daughter's body is facing."
"When we return later, I will go and examine your esteemed daughter's condition. Perhaps I can discern a clue or two, who knows."
Upon hearing this, Ye Tiancheng had no objections and nodded. "Then thank you."
Helian Sheng waved his hand. "It is also due to the foolish actions of some members of my Helian family that your esteemed daughter suffered an accident during the journey. Regardless of who is responsible, I cannot completely disregard it. This is something I should do."
"In this way, it can be considered one of my apologies."
Helian Sheng had no desire to offend Ye Tiancheng, and thus, he was very sincere.
After meeting Ye Tiancheng, Helian Sheng no longer put on airs of seniority. The hierarchy in the cultivation world was not like that of the secular world; it leaned more towards the law of the jungle, where stronger individuals held higher status. If they were to truly follow this, Helian Sheng should have been the one to address Ye Tiancheng as senior.
Before meeting Ye Tiancheng, Helian Sheng might not have placed Ye Tiancheng in such a position. However, after seeing him in person, Helian Sheng had no doubts. To continue acting high and mighty would be to doubly offend him, and Helian Sheng was not a fool.