Master of Strange Dao

Yu Ziqing was very polite, letting Queue No.1 choose for himself.

Queue No.1 said.

"I don't know what I want, and I also don't know what my new True Form might be. Can I wait for a bit?"

"Of course you can."

Yu Ziqing didn't release Queue No.1 but kept him with him, allowing him to sense the outside world.

After sensing for a few months, Queue No.1 finally couldn't help it.

"Has the world become so barren?"

Yu Ziqing surveyed the surroundings; in these few months, Jinlan Mountain was still a world of ice and snow, the entire world clad in silver, appearing indeed cold, indeed lifeless.

Actually, the coldest time had already passed. Normally, by this season, winter's chill should have been left behind.

Unfortunately, the changes in the Wilderness had, instead of improving, become colder compared to decades ago.

Winter lengthened, and even in summer it wasn't warm at all.

The area around Jinlan Mountain was considered decent; the Wilderness's northern parts, North Zhen, and the west were the truly freezing areas where some places were snow-covered all year long.

"Once, this place was lush with green grass, vibrant with life; it's just that now winters are longer. Perhaps in a month, spring will arrive."

"Perhaps?"

"Yes, perhaps, because as winters grow longer, it's sometimes uncertain. I can take you to other places to see."

"No need, I'd like to come out, may I?"

"You may."

Yu Ziqing didn't expel him; Queue No.1 exited on his own, ending the state of summoning a God.

He lacked a True Form, drifting like a hard-to-detect mist, feeling the cold wind as if he could no longer suppress his inner feelings.

The mist continuously condensed, and Queue No.1's True Form began to self-gather.

Yu Ziqing did not obstruct him; he was somewhat curious, for it was his first time seeing someone pulled out of the Mud Sea of the Muddied World capable of self-forming a True Form.

The red veil had been out for so long without a sign.

Che Lun was defined by a True Name to establish a True Form, and the Matchstick Man was forcibly beaten into forming a True Form.

"My friend, he taught me many things, but many I have forgotten.

After so long outside, I vaguely recall a little: he once told me,

In the cold solitude of the snow-covered land, there is life.

Life hibernates beneath the snow, nurturing and growing stronger, waiting for an outburst.

When the thunder of spring roars, within the snow-covered deathly stillness, the most stubborn yellow wildflowers will bloom recklessly.

I remember now, I also remember his name."

"What do you call this senior?"

"He was called Zhen. That year, he once took me to sit silently for months in the snowy plains, finally catching sight of those yellow wildflowers he spoke of blooming, and I felt the resilient Life Force he spoke of."

With Queue No.1's muttering, a gentle yet miraculous power continued to assemble.

Gradually, Queue No.1 began to conjure a True Form.

He transformed into a round, drum-shaped object, with a purplish-red body covered by a layer of an unknown material's drum skin.

In the instant the True Form coalesced, an ancient human inscription suddenly appeared on the drum skin.

"Zhen."

In the next moment, a deep yet unstoppable drumbeat burst forth like thunder.

In the sky, cloudless for thousands of miles, an invisible, exceedingly gentle ripple spread rapidly in all directions.

Yu Ziqing's spirit trembled, as if waking from a dream, eyes wide open.

His consciousness was unprecedentedly clear, feeling like his inner strength, long slumbering, had awakened, with the fatigue of his body seeming to dissipate, everything now coming to life.

In his line of sight, between Jinlan Mountain and the locust forest, thick vitality erupted from beneath the snow-covered ground.

One tender seedling after another broke through the snow, emerging from the ground, then slowly unfurled, blooming into small yellow wildflowers.

The vibrant yellow life, like a cascade sweeping across the world, swiftly spread from underfoot in all directions.

Even in the yin qi-filled locust forest, under the dense yin qi, intense life also began to erupt.

On the branches of the locust trees, instead of the formerly dull gray flowers filled with deathly stillness and yin qi, there were now rustling whitish flowers, filling the branches; once the flowers blossomed, a heady fragrance gathered into an intoxicating scent.

Yu Ziqing stood quietly in place, watching the entire transformation of Jinlan Mountain.

In an instant, it seemed as if it turned from a land of cold death stillness into a place full of vibrant life despite the cold wind.

As Yu Ziqing gazed inward toward Jinlan Mountain, he even felt that the Jade Tomb seemed affected too, awoken with life, and its recovery sped up qualitatively.

And at the southwestern corner of Jinlan Mountain, the Magic Plants were rejoicing, seemingly celebrating the passing of the cold winter, and the Juice too stretched its form.

While winter had not completely passed, the earth's vitality had begun to awaken.

Yu Ziqing floated into midair, his vision reaching its peak, as he looked in all directions, then he stepped forth and disappeared.

He utilized Kui Step, traversing tens of miles with one stride, heading southward, and he could clearly see that the impacts weren't confined to Jinlan Mountain. From Jinlan Mountain all the way southward, the desolate Wilderness seemed to have its life force roused.

With his eyes closed, sensing, the life force was like stars gradually illuminating in a dark world, increasingly abundant.

Yu Ziqing felt that indomitable Life Force, the great beauty of life itself.