Chapter 1146 - A Lotus Blooms with Every Step
The Grotto of Abstruse Force.
When they saw Su Yi lead Jing Xing and the old glutton back, Su Yi’s disciples were delighted and excited, but more than that, they all sighed in relief.
Su Yi arranged a banquet later that day to welcome Jing Xing and the old glutton home.
During the feast, Su Yi took out two Dark and Gold Treasures and gave them to the old glutton. Furthermore, he shared news of the Wilds’ recent developments and what he knew of the Path of Heaven’s Ascension without the slightest selfishness.
The old glutton was extremely emotional; there was no getting around it.
Jing Xing was moved too. He’d accompanied the old glutton for a long time now, wandering the stars. They’d had no idea about everything that had happened in the Wilds of late.
When they learned the details of what had happened at Martial Heaven Peak and outside the Grotto of Abstruse Force, how could they not be rueful?
“Pi Mo was deserving of death and unworthy of pity. Little Apprentice Sister had troubles she couldn’t speak of, and her actions were understandable,” Jing Xing sighed.
After the banquet ended, the old glutton bade farewell. He’d decided to return to Profound Sky Academy.
Su Yi made no attempt to keep him. He did, however, warn the old glutton to be on guard, as a storm from the stars beyond was headed toward the Wilds, and it might befall them at any time.
...
In the time that followed, nothing unexpected happened, and Su Yi lived peacefully and contentedly.
When he wasn’t cultivating, he was guiding his disciples’ cultivation.
Seven days later.
Ancestor Peng and the Border Mountain Yao Ancestor led a group of old-timers to their door. They’d brought their ancient treasures for Su Yi to appraise.
In the end, Su Yi identified the Dark and Gold Treasures and undid their seals before returning them to their owners.
As an expression of gratitude, each of the old-timers offered Su Yi a Dark and Gold Treasure, and he acquired thirteen of them all at once.
Before his guests left, Su Yi told them that the most forbidden zone in all the Wilds, the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals, was once seen as the “Ancestral Ground of the Dao, the Origins of the Dark and Gold.”
In other words, that forbidden zone most likely hid the origins of the Dark and Gold Star Realm!
This caused uproar amongst the old-timers’ ranks. They were beside themselves with astonishment.
And Su Yi urged them to spread this secret far and wide.
“What for, Fellow Daoist?” Ancestor Peng didn’t quite understand.
Su Yi said casually, “The peak factions of the stars beyond have already set their sights on the Dark and Gold Star Realm, and they might return at any time. If they find out that the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals hides the chaos source of the Dark and Gold Star Realm, how could they possibly remain unmoved?”
The old-timers instantly understood Su Yi’s intentions, and a chill coursed down their spines.
Su Xuanjun was going fishing! He wanted to use the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals to trick and kill his enemies!
“But what if they really manage to find the chaos source of the Dark and Gold Star Realm?” the Border Mountain Yao Ancestor couldn’t help but ask.
“No need to worry. It’ll be practically impossible for them to succeed,” Su Yi said with assurance.
He’d learned some of the secrets of the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals from that beast skin map.
He still vividly recalled the warning written there: “If you’re not a World King, do not enter. This place is home to grave peril. Here, even a Cosmic Enlightenment Realm World King risks instant annihilation!”
The Path of Heaven’s Ascension was divided into three stages. Cosmic Enlightenment was the highest of the three.
Even existences of that level risked “instant annihilation”, let alone everyone else!
Thus, Su Yi wasn’t at all worried that the experts of the stars beyond would make it to the chaos source of the Dark and Gold Star Realm alive.
After the old-timers left, they ordered their respective factions to spread the word immediately.
The Wilds were instantly in uproar, and countless discussions broke out.
However, none of that had anything to do with Su Yi.
......
Half a month later, Su Yi’s cultivation reached the peak of the Profound Serenity Realm!
That very day, Su Yi called his disciples to his side.
“Jin Kui, you, Ye Luo, Xuan Ning, and Bai Yi are to proceed to the Netherworld and visit Cui Longxiang and the Cui Family of the Bureau of Adjudication, as well as Ye Yu of the Ghost Serpents. Give them these jade slips.”
As Su Yi spoke, he took out two jade slips and passed them to Jin Kui. “Once they’ve seen them, they’ll understand what to do.”
They contained his messages for Cui Longxiang and Ye Yu.
“Yes, Master.” Jin Kui and the others nodded their assent.
Su Yi then ordered, “Remember this: you are not to return until I order you to do so.”
Next, he turned to Jing Xing and Wang Que. “You two have already stepped into the Profound Unity Realm and refined a portion of Dark and Gold Essence. Stay in the Grotto of Abstruse Force to look over it.”
“Yes, Master!” Both of them solemnly nodded their assent.
“I plan to visit the Azure Continent personally. If all goes as planned, I’ll be back within a month. If you encounter unresolvable danger during that time, you can flee to the Demons’ Elysium and look for the Heavensdeath Demon Empress,” said Su Yi.
He thought for a moment, then took out A’Cai’s Undying Talisman. “This can protect you, but save it for a life-or-death situation. Don’t use it lightly.”
Jing Xing hurriedly accepted it with both hands.
“Master, do you foresee some kind of disaster?” Jin Kui couldn’t help but ask. It seemed like her master was planning ahead for a rainy day.
“I’m just forestalling some future concerns, that’s all. When the storm arrives from the stars beyond, nothing will hold me back,” Su Yi said casually.
The Tailor excelled at plotting and scheming. Su Yi naturally dared not get complacent against such a terrifying opponent.
Thus, he made advance preparations to ensure the safety of everyone he cared about.
That way, he’d have nothing to fear.
He and his apprentices got to work that very day.
......
A day later.
Su Yi left the Wilds and arrived in the Profound Sky Realm.
Two days later, Su Yi took the Thousand Whirlpools Star Road and left the Wilds.
With his current cultivation, traversing the stars between the Wilds and the Azure Continent was far quicker than before. Furthermore, this time, he didn’t delay at all. Thus, just three days later, Su Yi saw the Azure Continent floating off in the distance.
If I do the math, it’s been less than a year since I returned to the Wilds, but the power of the Azure Continent’s Laws is obviously even more chaotic than ever...
The Azure Continent had welcomed its Radiant Era, and it was doomed to wither and wane.
But Su Yi didn’t need to worry about that any longer.
He soon suppressed his cultivation base down to the Spiritual Revolution Realm, smoothly bypassing the Laws and entering the Azure Continent.
......
The bottom of Meteor Abyss.
Here stood palaces as numerous as trees in the forest. It was like a small-scale hidden realm.
A thoroughly lamplit palace.
A’Cang, Ning Sihua, Wen Xinzhao, Wen Lingxue, Cha Jin, and the others gathered around Qing Wan, deep concern on their faces.
Qing Wan lay on a soft couch, her beautiful face deathly pale. Her face was racked with irrepressible agony. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her delicate figure trembled beneath the quilt covering her. She was obviously in torment.
“Agh, what’s going on with Wan’er?” Ning Sihua let out a deep sigh, her face filled with deep concern.
Two months prior, Qing Wan had come down with a strange illness. She’d been comatose ever since.
Sometimes, she would cry out in terror and alarm, struggling like mad, as if she’d gone hysterical.
The torment left her vitality increasingly weak. Her friends were worried; just looking at her made their hearts ache.
Ning Sihua and the others had done everything in their power, trying all sorts of secret arts and medicines, but none of them were of any use. None could alleviate her symptoms at all.
Even A’Cang, the spirit born of the Azure Continent’s source, was helpless.
“It definitely has something to do with that strange illusory blood moon!” Wen Xinzhao calmly analyzed. “Two months ago, that strange blood moon appeared in the skies over Meteor Abyss. Although it disappeared just moments later, Qing Wan’s been sick with this strange disease ever since.”
She paused, then continued, “Over the past two months, that strange illusory moon has appeared three times. All three times, QIng Wan shrieked in terror, as if something horrifying were happening. It seems to me that if we can figure out that illusory blood moon’s origins, we might be able to save her.”
The others’ expressions shifted.
They’d seen that strange, illusory blood moon too. It hung beneath the night sky, shrouded in mist, illusory and indistinct as it emanated faint blood-red light.
From a distance, it looked like the vertical eye of a demon. It was strange and unsettling.
“I heard Master say that when Miss Qing Wan undergoes tribulation, it’s incomparably strange, as if the tribulation is intent on eradicating her. However, every time, a strange eye emerged from her body, destroying the tribulation clouds filling the sky in one fell swoop! Do you think that strange eye inside her body and the illusory blood moon are connected?” Yuan Heng said gravely, his expression grim. “Unfortunately, Master isn’t here. Otherwise...”
He trailed off, but everyone knew what he wanted to say, and all of them sank into silence.
If Su Yi were here, he could surely have resolved Qing Wan’s predicament.
But he’d been gone for almost a year; there was no point pinning their hopes on him.
“Ah——!”
Qing Wan suddenly shrieked in terror, her entire body convulsing and struggling as if fighting something off. Her face was racked with agony.
The group’s hearts clenched, and they hurriedly held her down to stop her from flailing.
At the same time, Yuan Heng charged outside and looked up into the night sky. His expression was instantly unsightly.
Deep within the dome of the night sky, an illusory blood moon flickered in and out of view, like a long, thin eye. It was as strange as could be.
“That damn blood moon has appeared again!” Yuan Heng cursed.
Bang!
Something was happening inside the palace. Ning Sihua and the others were sent flying, and they lay sprawled out all over the ground.
Meanwhile, Qing Wan abruptly got up. Her long hair hung loose, and her beautiful face was pale and translucent. Her eyes had been tightly shut for the past two months, but now, they silently opened.
However, her gaze was wooden and hollow, and her eyes shone with a faint, strange glow.
Her expression no longer showed signs of pain, and she no longer convulsed. She now seemed cold and indifferent.
She disregarded the others completely. Her blood-red dress billowed around her as her snowy bare feet carried her outside of the palace.
“This is bad! Something’s wrong with Qing Wan! Quick, stop her!” A’Cang cried out in panic and immediately intervened.
Bang!
But when she was still three feet away from Qing Wan, a strange, invisible power sent her staggering back.
Ning Sihua, Wen Xinzhao, Yuan Heng, and the others all took action, but all of them ended up just like A’Cang!
Qing Wan now seemed like a soulless puppet, yet she walked with composed elegance, leaving the palace and soaring out of Meteor Abyss.
With every step her bare, snowy feet took through the air, the image of a blood-red lotus bloomed.
With every step she took, a lotus bloomed!
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