Chapter 1254: Chapter 681: Piercing Through Heaven and Earth
Zhu E quickly walked along the mountain path, ascending.
The towering plants on both sides flew past the edges of her sight, and the leaves on the winding mountain path danced wildly.
Zhu E leaped up, a slight cold sweat appearing on her forehead.
Although everything has been tumultuous lately, it has ultimately gone smoothly, everything has been so beautiful; even on the wedding day, though there were changes, it was all within her expectations—except for the moment Min Ning engaged in battle, when an unknown female Taoist spirit suddenly entered her field of vision.
It was the female Taoist who uttered the ominous prophecy, "The sun in the marital palace transforms into taboo, marriage exists in reality but in name only."
Even though she didn’t know its origin, Zhu E dared not neglect it, and after capturing some clues from her words, Zhu E suddenly understood and did not stop Min Ning, hastening to Gaoliang Mountain.
As she ascended, the once long mountain path started to shrink, Zhu E swiftly sped through the mountain gate archway, glanced at the empty mountain gate plaza, her eyes slightly tightened, then once more leaped straight into the hall’s entrance.
Deep within the great hall, there was an Everlasting Lamp burning.
After seeing it, Zhu E let out a tiny sigh of relief, and she walked forward, her eyes still uneasy, gently pinched the lamp’s wick, fiddling with it.
As if pushing aside a water curtain, the everlasting light rippled outward like waves.
Immediately, the light went out.
Zhu E’s pupils shrank violently.
The Everlasting Lamps in this hall are all divine fires, how could they be extinguished so easily? Anyone within the Divine Sect would know this, unless... that person didn’t know about this, thinking it to be just an ordinary lamp.
"Gong...Gongzi."
Zhu E muttered under her breath.
Yes, indeed... just as the female Taoist said...
Must...must return immediately!
Just as Zhu E was burning with anxiety, about to turn and rush down the mountain to return to the Prince Mansion, the light outside the hall’s entrance slightly dimmed, as a figure silently stood in her path.
The visitor was a man dressed in a plain white ceremonial robe, the patterns on his robe subtly flowed within the hall.
He appeared without warning, as if he were always part of the shadows there, Zhu E’s heart suddenly tightened, she abruptly halted her movement, her internal energy slightly pausing.
She raised her eyes, meeting those deep, unfathomable eyes, though her heart was surging and uncertain, years of sect teachings caused her to instinctively suppress all emotions, promptly lowering her head, respectfully bowing in salute, addressing, "Sect Hierarch."
Gongsun Guan nodded slightly, his demeanor calm, appearing to have something to say, yet not hurrying to speak.
Zhu E’s heart was burning, unable to mind decorum, hurriedly speaking: "Sect Hierarch, for some unknown reason, the entire Dragon Tail City, and even the whole Southern Wei Territory, has fallen into the World of Ignorance; its source may perhaps be..."
"Ming Venerable himself?" Gongsun Guan directly responded.
Zhu E rushed to speak, her speech inevitably carrying urgency, then stopping abruptly, upon hearing his words, she was startled, immediately an uncontrollable joy rose within her, if it truly was due to Ming Venerable, then perhaps Gongzi he... but in an instant, that joy dimmed, transforming into deeper doubts.
She steadily gazed at Gongsun Guan, the Ming’an Divine Sect lacked any art for eternal youth, yet since she had climbed the mountain all these years, the Hierarch’s appearance hadn’t changed a bit, still inscrutable as at first sight.
Even in the eyes of the sect’s core figures, this Hierarch always remained elusive in his actions, like a ship in fog, never revealing his true nature.
She was just about to suppress all her chaotic thoughts, intent on speaking again, when two silhouettes turned at the hall’s entrance.
Only to see two elderly women dressed in old, dark ceremonial garb, walking in slowly, they seemed to be whispering to each other, or perhaps bickering.
Those were two elderly women in dark old ceremonial robes, and Zhu E recognized them at a glance: one was the elusive, widely traveled Wisdom Saintess, whose return to the sect was surprising, but the other was the Great Strength Saintess, who should always guard the No-Life Tripod and the poisonous dead trees!
The Wisdom Saintess raised her gaze to Zhu E, her eyes showing some comfort: "In the blink of an eye, already grown this much... last time I saw you, you were just a little girl."
The Great Strength Saintess beside her snorted coldly, her tone sharp: "Her heart has long since not been within the sect, hanging onto outsiders, drifting outside."
The Wisdom Saintess shook her head with a soft laugh: "Are you muddled from being confined? That person, can he even be considered an outsider?"
Zhu E involuntarily stepped back two steps, murmuring under her breath, her mind filled with heavier doubts: "The two Saintesses have long not returned to the sect... Wisdom Saintess has traveled with no traces, her unexpected return can be understood, but how could Great Strength Saintess leave, needing to guard the poisonous dead tree? Unless..."
"Correctly said." The Great Strength Saintess nodded slowly, her withered face showing complex emotions, "Fortunately in this World of Ignorance... only then did I feel momentarily at peace, coming out to breathe."
Zhu E stood frozen in place, the bewilderment and shock in her eyes could not dissipate for long, "...Three of the Four Great Saintesses are present today, the sect members were all pre-emptively dispersed, even the Hierarch is solemnly prepared.
Her words were yet unfinished, but Gongsun Guan suddenly took a step forward, his fingers moving slightly within his sleeve, as a dim light silently flowed, causing the whole hall to gently tremble,
"Zhu E, you have indeed thought correctly."
Zhu E took a deep breath, emotions rising and falling, uncontrollable.
Gongsun Guan spoke slowly: "Initially, heaven and earth were not separated, the Bright World and World of Ignorance blended as one, now the situation is much the same, his Sword Intent... is like a universe, the World of Ignorance covering the world, not caused by human calamity, but cosmic fate, all signaling Ming Venerable’s arrival."
His voice was deep, yet each word clear, "Zhu E, you need not rush back to the Prince Mansion, returning won’t be of use, since three of the Four Great Saintesses have arrived, the last one should also come."
Zhu E suddenly looked up, her lip color slightly pale.
Gongsun Guan was certainly not referring to the distant Yin Tingxue, but to... the previous generation Purity Saintess.
The Wisdom Saintess sighed: "After so many years, finally got her drawn out, she went astray long ago, hence, she certainly wouldn’t miss such an opportunity."
The Great Strength Saintess joined in, her tone finally lacked its edge, instead showing a hint of desolation: "All is about to be completed, now it is the prelude to Ming Venerable awakening."
Zhu E indeed guessed this, yet dared not dwell on it, unexpectedly, several Saintesses and Sect Hierarch managed to unravel it with just a few sentences.
Gongsun Guan’s gaze returned to Zhu E’s face, for the first time, his deep, unfathomable eyes clearly reflected her image: "Do you still wish to return now? Going back to him, it could be aiding him, or possibly harming him."
Though the Everlasting Lamp within the hall was extinguished, the four walls began to silently display solidifying colors, brightening and dimming like breath, the air stagnating, pressure suddenly increasing.
Zhu E stood rooted in place, her fingertips icy cold.
She looked up at the scene outside the hall, the sky had already changed greatly, turned solid and dim; time seemed to have suddenly become exquisitely still, the air permeated with the scent of death.
And a beam of white light surged up from beyond the horizon, piercing the sky and earth.
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