Chapter 1353: A Lifetime Seeking the Dao

Under Old Devil Ye’s gaze, Bai obediently activated the last barrier of the reception platform, then took a step back and cleared a path for Old Devil Ye.

Old Devil Ye withdrew his gaze and took a step forward. Under everyone’s eyes, Old Devil Ye ascended step by step, walking toward the array diagram at the center of the storm.

Within the storm, Old Devil Ye strolled as if he were taking a leisurely walk. The Yin-Yang Dagger-Axes flew back and forth around him, blocking the storm for him as he climbed, step by step, to the peak of the array diagram.

The process looked effortless, but in reality, it was extremely perilous. The spatial turbulence had already spread here.

The storm’s momentum grew more and more terrifying, tearing everything apart. Chaos filled the scene, and its power exceeded imagination.

The array diagram hung high above, directly facing the reception platform. Azure light blazed dazzlingly, and its outline became increasingly clear.

Old Devil Ye stepped onto it steadily and lowered his head to examine the array diagram beneath his feet.

The array diagram was the same size as the top of the reception platform. Its current form could no longer be considered a diagram. It had become a square azure platform.

The azure platform was filled with tadpole-shaped runes, each of them incredibly profound. Just a single glance gave one the feeling of dizziness and swelling in the head, so Old Devil Ye hurriedly withdrew his gaze.

Standing here, the storm’s power became even fiercer. Old Devil Ye had to constantly activate the Yin-Yang Dagger-Axes to protect himself before he could stand firmly on the azure platform.

The instant he stepped onto the azure platform, Old Devil Ye felt a faint sense of connection. This sensation came from beyond the hollow, from a distant and unknown place, which was also the place the reception platform was meant to take them.

Ascension? Or teleportation? Old Devil Ye did not know.

He was wary of the jade skeleton, and the jade skeleton was also guarding against him going back on his word. An oath had been established. Only after they successfully left this world would the jade skeleton reveal everything to him. Thus, Old Devil Ye did not know much.

However, he was very clear about one thing. No matter what place lay on the other side, and no matter what dangers existed there, he had to leave.

He had walked through every corner of Beichen Realm. He had also once left Beichen Realm and wandered through the three realms of the North Sea, challenging the experts of the three realms.

In the end, he discovered that those places were nothing more than a larger cage.

Around the three realms of the North Sea, there were likewise boundless storms. No matter which direction one tried to leave from, the final result was either exhausting one’s strength and dying, or retreating in disgrace.

It was said that within the storms of the three realms of the North Sea, there was a path that might lead to other realms.

But that was like the Divine Transformation Realm. It existed only in legend, and no one knew whether it was true or false.

No matter how supreme one’s talent was, and no matter how peerless one’s cultivation became, one was still nothing more than a prisoner in a cage.

Old Devil Ye was unwilling to be trapped here for the rest of his life. Breaking through to the late stage of the Spiritual Infant Realm had not brought him much joy, because he knew his chances of reaching the Divine Transformation Realm were slim.

He refused to be a mayfly. He had to seize every opportunity to see and experience the broader scenery of the world. Even if the other side of the reception platform was a deadly place, he would have no regrets!

Ye Qiudao. He had sought the Dao all his life.[1]

He had pressed forward without turning back. Even if he died, he would have no regrets!

Thinking to this point, Old Devil Ye lowered his head and glanced at Bai, his gaze flickering.

It was impossible to pry information out of the jade skeleton’s mouth. Old Devil Ye would rather charge alone into an unknown place and face the danger directly than rescue the jade skeleton and negotiate terms with him.

But Bai seemed to have an unusually close relationship with Qin Sang and Qingjun. His origins were mysterious, and he knew the reception platform like the back of his hand. He seemed to know many things, so cooperation might not be impossible.

The azure platform stood high in the heavens.

Old Devil Ye swept his gaze around and discovered that under the continued influence of the inner palace's phenomenon, the outer palace had also begun to shake violently, collapsing in large swaths.

The Soul Infant Grand Array had been used to unseal the reception platform. Without the influence of the evil array, the surrounding ghostly mist gradually thinned.

Through the ghostly mist, Old Devil Ye could vaguely see the phenomenon in the inner palace of Ziwei Palace.

At this moment, the inner palace was fully worthy of being called a celestial palace. It had completely separated from the outer palace, stood a full hundred zhang higher than it, and was still continuing to fly upward.

The celestial palace had originally been hidden deep within the sea of clouds of Ancient Immortal Battlefield. Its early appearances over the past few times had been the omen of its departure from this world, and today, it had finally broken free of the sea of clouds completely.

Beyond the void, something seemed to be summoning the purple celestial palace. Its speed was slow at first, but it grew faster and faster.

For every zhang the celestial palace rose, the shaking of the outer palace intensified by another degree. The devilish hole had already disappeared completely.

Those mountains and hidden realms collapsed one after another. With Ziwei Palace’s departure, they had also begun to move toward destruction.

As the celestial palace gradually rose, the hollow in the sky became larger and larger. Space collapsed, and compared to the spatial storm, the storms outside Beichen Realm were not worth mentioning at all.

At the same time, the impact Old Devil Ye suffered also grew increasingly fierce, forcing him to activate the Yin-Yang Dagger-Axes at full strength to protect himself.

Inside the inner palace, the celestial realm that had just revived turned into a scene of devastation once more.

The cluster of peaks that contained the hall of the sword path and the ancient teleportation array began breaking apart from the outer perimeter. They shattered one after another and were crushed into stone powder by the spatial turbulence, leaving less than one-tenth intact.

Ancient barriers covered the herb garden in vast stretches, merging together like a piece of precious jade, but cracks could faintly be seen within.

At the summit of the heavenly mountain, the celestial palace flickered in and out of sight. At times, it scattered; at times, it condensed. Everywhere, the light of celestial barriers flashed, and the ancient halls on the mountain collapsed in great swaths.

Hidden realms and ancient barriers vied with one another in splendor everywhere, as though they were also fighting to cross over, struggling to hold on under the impact of the spatial turbulence.

During this process, the celestial palace suffered extremely severe damage. Masses after masses of land cracked apart, spinning as they were swept into the spatial storm, then vanished completely.

The hidden realms and ancient treasures inside naturally turned into nothing as well. Only those extremely mysterious core forbidden grounds of the celestial palace managed to survive.

The herb garden could not escape disaster either.

The ancient barriers could not protect the living beings inside. The radiance emitted by those spiritual herbs went out one after another, and they were crushed by the storm that had eroded its way in. Occasionally, a few streaks of evasion light could still be seen.

Some people’s greed had been too strong, and they still had not left the celestial palace.

Whoosh! Whoosh! They were fleeing for their lives in panic, each of them filled with regret.

Among them, two streaks of evasion light were especially eye-catching.

One belonged to Lu Boyuan. He had just walked out of the herb garden, with the Cold Lizard lying on his shoulder. When they saw the scene outside clearly, the joy on the faces of the man and lizard faded. They drew in a breath of cold air and did not dare hesitate, joining forces as they fled for their lives out of the inner palace.

The other was the Feathered Demon King. He was even slower than Lu Boyuan and was still struggling to maneuver through the herb garden, forced to reveal his original form.

Given the Feathered Demon King’s status, it was impossible for him not to understand when to take and when to abandon. Yet no one knew what celestial herb had drawn him in. Now, even regret came too late.

His head kept lifting from time to time as he looked toward the firmament, his eyes anxious.

A huge hole had split open in the sky. The spatial storm hung in the air like dark clouds, raging in all directions. Ziwei Palace was crashing toward it with unstoppable force!

The spatial storm itself was secondary. Once it collided with the celestial barriers inside the inner palace, it was hard to imagine what kind of terrifying scene would unfold. Those trapped inside the inner palace would have absolutely no chance of surviving the aftermath of the collision.

***

At the blood-colored altar in the outer palace.

Under Qingjun’s activation, the heart devil puppet seals covered the jade skeleton’s entire body. However, the favorable situation did not last long.

The jade skeleton completely abandoned his skin and meridians, hiding inside his bones.

The others’ astras and Dao Techniques bombarded the jade skeleton one after another.

Yet at most, they could only damage his skin. They could not even leave a mark on his bones. Even the secret treasure unleashed by Daoist Master Zhenyi was not much more effective.

This jade skeleton had been refined from the body of an ancient cultivator through countless years of painstaking blood refinement. Its hardness was simply not something Spiritual Infant cultivators could easily destroy.

Qin Sang’s Devilish Flames of Nine Hells might have been somewhat effective. However, he did not dare let the devilish flames approach the jade skeleton at all. If the jade skeleton seized them, would that not amount to aiding the enemy?

Unfortunately, the Divine Sun Tree was still unstable. Otherwise, if he had used the Southern Sun Fire, the jade skeleton would not have been able to act so arrogantly.

The jade skeleton had not resigned himself to capture. He was still contesting Qingjun’s control, and in the process of clashing with the heart devil puppet seals, he saw through a few of their mysteries.

With the jade skeleton’s knowledge, it was only natural that he would have a way to respond.

He immediately changed his strategy. The purple light contracted and became dim and obscure, transforming into sheets of tortoise-shell-like purple crystal that covered the bones across his entire body.

The lightning released by the Devil-Binding Chain struck the Purple Crystal with crackling sounds, shattering it apart. But the purple light flowed endlessly, and new layers soon replenished it.

During this process, the purple light grew less and less, but before it was exhausted, the jade skeleton would likely break free!

The purple crystal clung tightly to his bones. An indescribable fluctuation spread out, penetrating everywhere as it seeped into the heart devil puppet seals.

Only the jade skeleton’s frame remained, and his entire body seemed to convulse as it clacked and rattled.

Soon, one puppet seal was almost pierced through by the purple light and showed signs of imminent collapse. Fortunately, Qingjun reacted quickly enough and immediately restored the puppet seal, preventing the jade skeleton from breaking through.

The jade skeleton let out a burst of wild laughter. As long as he saw through it, mere puppet seals and the Devil-Binding Chain could not possibly trap him. Otherwise, he would have lived to the present age in vain!

A swarm of ants dared dream of taking his life!

Seeing this, Qingjun did not dare divide her attention anymore and activated the puppet seals with all her strength.

Qin Sang was not only controlling the Devil-Binding Chain, but also ordering the Sky-Eyed Butterfly to observe the jade skeleton’s weaknesses and transmit its discoveries to Qingjun.

The effect was obvious. Qingjun saw through the jade skeleton’s plan, responded in time, and temporarily stabilized the situation.

Qingjun’s voice rang beside Qin Sang’s ear. “Go up!”

Qin Sang was stunned, then understood her intent. With a thought, he drew the Devil-Binding Chain and flew toward the storm.

After entering the storm, Bai took over the Devil-Binding Chain. Its power was even stronger than when it had been in Qin Sang’s hands. Working together with Qingjun, he carried the jade skeleton straight toward the azure platform.

Qin Sang finally freed himself. He could not help letting out a long breath.

The clash with the jade skeleton sounded complicated, but in reality, it had only lasted an instant.

Qin Sang examined himself. After experiencing two great battles in succession, more than half of the true essence in his body had already been consumed. If this had continued a little longer, he feared the Devil-Binding Chain would have sucked him dry.

The jade skeleton’s strength left a deep impression on him.

Even with all his astras deployed, and with the Spiritual Infant Talisman Puppet at his side, he had only been able to take blows and flee for his life. If not for the Devil-Binding Chain and the heart devil puppet seals, no one would have been able to restrain the jade skeleton!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh... One figure after another appeared beside Qin Sang, all raising their heads to look up at the azure platform.

The azure platform seemed to possess some kind of magic, drawing everyone’s gaze. The azure platform represented the unknown. It represented a possibility for the Great Dao!

For immortal cultivators, what could be more important than a broader Great Dao? Even if there was only a sliver of possibility, it was enough to drive one mad.

Even their grudges with Old Devil Ye became insignificant. They even put themselves in his place and understood why Old Devil Ye had been willing to scheme against everyone at any cost.

The opportunity could not be missed. They no longer hesitated and charged into the storm without regard for their lives.

Of course, some still hesitated. Some had too many attachments in the mortal world, whether beloved companions or their sects. They could not part with them.

Some had endured countless hardships and finally formed a Spiritual Infant. A bright future awaited them to enjoy, and they did not want to risk their lives now for that faint, insignificant possibility.

The reception platform was right here. There would still be opportunities in the future.

They chose to give up, standing beneath the blood-colored altar and quietly observing. These pioneers would serve perfectly as trailblazers for them.

The Spiritual Infant cultivators who charged into the storm personally felt its power, and their expressions changed one after another.

They had seen Old Devil Ye walk up with ease and had thought the storm’s power was not that strong, something they could endure.

Reality proved that not everyone could ascend the azure platform. Those at the early stage of the Spiritual Infant Realm were the first to reach their limit. They had only made it halfway before they could no longer continue.

They were unwilling to give up and sacrificed their trump cards one after another. After forcing their way up a few more steps, they sighed, shook their heads, gave up on persisting, and retreated helplessly.

Only a scarce few remained. Bai and Qingjun walked at the very front. They brought the jade skeleton forward with them.

Qingjun had the hardest time. She needed to activate the puppet seals and contend with the devilish monster inside the jade skeleton while also resisting the storm. Bai only needed to maintain the Devil-Binding Chain.

Qingjun’s delicate body trembled slightly, but her steps were extremely firm.

Bai glanced at her and secretly nodded. Corpse qi spread from his body, mixed with the glow of the bone curse, and his aura surged. In the ghostly mist, he was even more like a fish in water and actually had strength to spare, helping Qingjun share the pressure.

Old Devil Ye withdrew his gaze and glanced at them indifferently. Bound by his oath, he could not help them deal with the jade skeleton, but he could assist them in ascending the azure platform.

As for the others, most of them had grudges against Old Devil Ye, and he was not so kind-hearted. Moreover, the storm was growing increasingly intense, and even Old Devil Ye did not dare be careless.

Bang! Bang! Qingjun and Bai smoothly ascended the azure platform.

Following closely behind them were Zhenyi, Canghong, and Devil Lord Tongyou. As for the others, they gave up one after another.

After Qin Sang consumed a spiritual pill and recovered a little of his true essence, he also made several attempts. With the aid of the devilish flames, he forced his way through the storm and managed to go farther than cultivators of the same stage. However, even if he could ascend the azure platform, he did not have the ability to stand firmly on it.

Of course he wanted to leave the storm belt, go to a more brilliant and colorful world, and pursue the Great Dao at a higher level. But the timing was wrong. His cultivation was too weak. This opportunity was destined to have nothing to do with him!

He gave up and landed on the ground, watching Bai and Qingjun standing on the azure platform from afar. A trace of worry flashed through his eyes.

Bai’s origins were mysterious, and it was impossible for him to travel with Qin Sang forever. Qin Sang had long prepared himself for their parting. But he had not expected that he would have to say farewell to his senior sister so soon.

What dangers existed on the other side of the reception platform? Could they safely pass through the spatial turbulence? Would he still have a chance to go there in the future? Everything was unknown.

His two close friends were both about to go far away from him. At this moment, the only one standing beside him was the ignorant Spiritual Infant Talisman Puppet. This parting was very likely to be a farewell forever!

Qingjun’s strength was among the very best in the immortal cultivation world. Once the heart devil puppet seals appeared, no one dared look down on her.

And she was still young, had no pressure from heavenly tribulations, and had a limitless future.

Yet after learning the function of the reception platform from Bai, she had not hesitated in the slightest and immediately decided to join forces with Bai to go to a broader world.

Although she was not as vicious as Old Devil Ye, her heart for the Dao was in no way inferior to his.

She was not entangled in worldly karma, and she stood alone. To her, there was simply no question of what could or could not be abandoned.

Jingyu tried charging forward several times before giving up and landing beside Qin Sang. When she noticed Qin Sang’s expression, she knew what he was worried about and secretly shook her head, not knowing how to comfort him.

Everyone understood this clearly.

There were too many variables in the immortal cultivation world, especially with Qingjun and the others charging forward without hesitation in pursuit of the Great Dao, like moths flying into a flame. Their chances of success were very small.

1. Qiudao also translates to seeking the Dao. ☜