78: Chapter 78: If possible, would you choose to stay here or return to your original world?

Nightfall, like a giant black cloth, silently enveloped the Far North ice plains.

The wind and snow, which were barely visible during the day, became increasingly violent at night.

The cold wind whistled across the ice plains, whipping up the snow on the ground to form white vortices, like countless hungry beasts roaring.

The World was pitch black. Only occasionally, through the gaps torn by the wind and snow, could one see a faint glimmer reflected from the distant ice peaks, which only made this land seem more lonely and ferocious.

Lu Jing moved through the snow with unsteady steps, each one feeling like he was stepping on the tip of a knife.

The bitter cold in the core area was beyond human imagination; even though he circulated his Soul Power to protect his whole body, a layer of white frost still condensed on his exposed eyelashes.

He looked up at the sky in the distance; the leaden gray clouds were so low they seemed about to press down, and not even the shadows of the stars or moon could be seen.

"I cannot go any further," Lu Jing said to himself in his heart.

Further ahead, the wind and snow would only get fiercer, and the Far North was even more dangerous at night; no one knew if a deadly Spirit Beast would suddenly dash out from under the ice.

He chose a relatively sheltered ice hollow surrounded by several huge ice rocks, which could slightly block some of the wind and snow.

Lu Jing took a tent out from his spirit tool and set it up with deft movements.

The tent was made of a special cold-resistant material, but even so, under the tearing of the gale, the tent poles still let out "creak, creak" groans, as if they would fall apart at any moment.

After setting up the tent, Lu Jing did not immediately crawl inside but stood in front of it and opened his right hand.

The next moment, a vast and profound power surged from his palm. Ink-black radiance rose like a living thing, instantly condensing into a lotus flower floating in the air.

The petals were layered, their edges shimmering with a faint purple-black halo. On each petal, it seemed as if patterns of destruction were flowing; it was his Spirit—the World-Destroying Black Lotus.

The World-Destroying Black Lotus slowly rotated, and the power of destruction it emitted formed an invisible barrier, enveloping the tent within it.

Those whistling wind and snow, upon touching the barrier, were like encountering a nemesis; they were instantly crushed into dust and drifted down as fine ice crystals.

The tent, which had been teetering on the verge of collapse from the gale, now stood steadily on the ice, without even the slightest tremor.

After doing all this, Lu Jing finally unzipped the tent and crawled inside.

Inside the tent, he lit a small lamp, its soft glow dispelling the darkness and bringing a hint of warmth.

Lu Jing leaned against the tent wall and took off his cold-weather hat, revealing his hair soaked with sweat.

He rubbed his cheeks, which had stiffened from the cold, let out a soft breath, and let his gaze fall on the wildly dancing wind and snow outside the tent, his eyes somewhat unfocused.

"Tian Meng!"

He didn't know how long he had been watching when he suddenly spoke, his voice sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet tent, and asked, "If you could choose, would you choose to stay here, or return to the original era?"

In the spiritual sea, the Tian Meng Ice Silkworm was curled up, dozing off. Hearing this, he was stunned for a moment, his chubby body shivered, and he asked in confusion, "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

Lu Jing's expression was very calm, as if he were just mentioning it casually, "Nothing, just a whim, I just wanted to ask."

Tian Meng shook his head, a glimmer of thought flashing in his white eyes, and then he shook his head, "For me, it's the same everywhere."

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of relief, "In this World, there was never anyone I cared about. Not before, and not now. I have lived for nearly a million years, most of the time sleeping, and when I wake up, I'm just caught by Di Tian to be used as a power bank; come to think of it, it's quite boring."

"The most important thing now is to help you pass the God Position inheritance."

There was a bit more anticipation in Tian Meng's voice as he said, "When you become a god, I will be able to follow you to ascend to the Divine Realm like the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python, and see what the place where Divinities live is really like."

His tone was full of yearning.

Although he had not experienced the baptism of the Heavenly Tribulation like other Fierce Beasts, this did not hinder his longing for eternal life.

Just like Xiao Wu and Ah Yin, didn't they also strive for the goal of becoming gods at the beginning?

It was just that they met Tang San and Tang Hao halfway, which changed their trajectories. But for Tian Meng, becoming a god and seeing the scenery of the Divine Realm was his greatest wish at this moment.

Hearing this, Lu Jing sighed softly and did not say much more.

Tian Meng sensed the depression in his emotions and couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong, do you want to go back?"

Lu Jing shook his head, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the fabric of the tent, "I am the same as you; I have no one to worry about in this World. Whether I go back or not, it actually makes no difference to me."

He paused, his gaze softening a little, "It's just that Donger wants to go back. Her family and friends are all in that era; there are bonds she cannot let go of there."

The image of Wang Donger flashed in his mind; that proud young girl always had a bright light shining in her eyes whenever she saw hope of returning.

He could understand Wang Donger's expectations; after all, she was different from him.

He was a transmigrator to begin with and did not belong to this World, so let alone returning to a past era, even if he arrived in another World, it wouldn't be a big deal.

But Wang Donger was different; she was not even twelve years old before she transmigrated, and she hadn't awakened the memories of Tang Wutong, so she was a true young girl.

Being homesick was understandable.

Tian Meng was silent for a moment and then asked again, "If one day it becomes possible to go back, will you go back with her?"

Lu Jing did not answer immediately.

Outside the tent, the wind and snow were still whistling, as if urging him for an answer.

He leaned against the cold tent wall, watching the flickering light overhead, his eyes complex.

Go back?

There were her Sect, her friends, and that Divinity named Tang San, looking down upon the entire Douluo Continent.

And he, in that World, seemed to be nothing but an insignificant passerby.

But what about staying here? In this era ten thousand years ago, he was equally rootless.

The disputes of Spirit Hall, the power struggle between the two great Empires, and even the schemes of the Asura God, all seemed like a grand drama to him.

He participated in it, but always carried a sense of detachment.

"I don't know."

Lu Jing's voice was very soft, carrying a trace of confusion, as he said, "Maybe I will, or maybe I won't."

Perhaps he would accompany Wang Donger back.

It was also possible that he would stay in this era, helping Qian Renxue and Spirit Hall complete the unification of the continent, thereby ending the divided situation like that of ten thousand years ago.

But who can say for sure about the future?

The tent fell into silence again, with only the tireless roaring of the wind and snow outside.

The World-Destroying Black Lotus remained floating above the tent, silently resisting the cold and danger of the outside World, like a silent guardian.

And the one person and one silkworm inside the tent, each with their own thoughts, waited for the arrival of dawn on this frozen land.