Chapter 443 - 384: Dao Ancestor’s Arrangement?

"The handiwork of Dao Ancestor?"

Lin Zixuan felt puzzled for a moment at her master’s words and couldn’t help but speak.

To her, the Dao Ancestor was an exceedingly distant existence.

He was a figure from a thousand years ago.

She had no connection to him whatsoever.

Lin Zixuan was not like Chu Huaixu; she neither possessed Dao Ancestor’s sword scabbard nor mastered the Dao Scripture.

Yet, as the most legendary person in the history of the Profound Yellow Realm, Lin Zixuan immediately perked up when hearing her master mention Dao Ancestor.

The Old State Preceptor raised his hand and gently patted his disciple’s head, saying:

"I always thought myself to be the most adept in divination in the world, probably second to none in this field save for Dao Ancestor."

"I can see the future."

"Moreover, I always subconsciously believed that myself and the Dao Ancestor, who left the prophecies, saw the same future."

At this point, he paused for a moment.

It was evident he was blind, with utterly hollow eyes, yet Lin Zixuan felt she saw a touch of sadness in her master’s gaze.

But soon, his face showed a hint of self-deprecating smile as he continued:

"Until I encountered that boy, Chu Huaixu, until I encountered this astonishing variable!"

"Gradually, I came to realize, perhaps, I misunderstood?"

"Maybe, Chu Huaixu is not a variable at all?"

"Maybe, the future the old blind man sees, while thinking it’s the same as what Dao Ancestor saw, is actually... merely what Dao Ancestor wanted me to see!!!"

At this point, a flush of red appeared on his face, his tone involuntarily lifted several degrees, filled with excitement.

Lin Zixuan looked up at her standing master and felt the sorrow had vanished from his face.

On the contrary, she had never seen her master so excited!

In her eyes, her master was skilled in divination, often not sparing effort to consume lifespan just to probe the Celestial Secrets, which was his lifelong pursuit.

Yet even in the face of frequent glimpses of the future, Ming Xuanji used to always wear an indifferent and calm expression.

But today’s demeanor was so unusual.

As if he finally understood it all, as if he knew a secret that only he himself knew in the world!

"It is, isn’t it, what the old man sees is what Dao Ancestor wanted the old man to see!"

"I am but a piece on Dao Ancestor’s chessboard!"

"Perhaps, I am even an incredibly crucial piece!"

"Yet, when the piece knows it is a piece, is it still a piece... is it still a piece..."

Lin Zixuan opened her mouth, seeing her master start to monologue incessantly as if in a state of madness again.

"Master..." The delicate young girl with fruitful branches couldn’t help but speak up.

Ming Xuanji heard his disciple’s voice, the mania on his face gradually subsiding.

He again gently patted Lin Zixuan’s shoulder, saying: "Indeed, I need not say these things to you."

"Back to the topic, Zixuan, you just need to know that Chu Huaixu should be fine."

"This matter seems to have layers of hidden elements."

"The cat demon having entered the Ninth Realm naturally carries the Power of Origin."

"Under normal circumstances, as long as the gap in cultivation is not too big, those with the Power of Origin can sense each other’s position unless the distance is too far."

"This is the latent pull between Heaven and Earth Origin!"

"But now?"

"So many Ninth Realm powers are frantically searching for this cat demon across the East Continent and the Western Continent."

"And yet, they find nothing."

"Only the Cicada Chasing Man on Spring and Autumn Mountain stumbled upon it once by chance, but he was not the cat demon’s match."

"I even suspect that Pei Songji only encountered the cat demon because it was intentional."

"It merely wanted to toy with him."

"Clearly it can still unilaterally sense other Ninth Realm Great Cultivators using the Power of Origin."

"That’s why it can perfectly evade them."

"But no matter what, this is, after all, the Power of Heaven and Earth Origin, how can its rules be altered?"

"Other than Dao Ancestor, I can think of no other reason."

"Therefore... Chu Huaixu should not be waking now!"

"He should remain in an unending slumber!"

Lin Zixuan was astonished by what she heard.

In her heart, she quietly murmured:

"So everyone’s been running around in circles for half a year in vain?"

Regarding her master’s words, she was somewhat skeptical.

But considering that Chu Huaixu was theoretically a nemesis of hers, by rounding up, it counted as a ’husband-killing feud,’ the girl thought inwardly:

"Hmph, I don’t care if he wakes or not."

"That’s Sister Han’s concern!"

...

...

Profound Yellow Realm, at the border between the Western and Eastern Continents.

On the Evil Cultivation Altar, a man shrouded in a cloak sat cross-legged at the center of the massive altar.

Bones were scattered everywhere around him.

The Ten Thousand Souls Banner floated behind him, occasionally emitting black gas from the bones, which then surged into the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

The black streams circulated inside the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and then flowed toward his body.

Moreover, the powerful souls within the Ten Thousand Souls Banner accompanied these black streams and surged into the Black Moon Sect Leader’s body.

Immediately, frightening black runes appeared on his skin.

All his blood vessels bulged outwards, with the blood inside seemingly deep black.

His expression was incredibly pained, as though enduring immense torment.

"Hold on." His mouth uttered the sound, the voice so indifferent and aged.

This is the Primordial Spirit of the Divinity Transformation Stage of Kunlun Cave Heaven, engaging in conversation using his body.

"Endure this, and what awaits you is the path to a grand future!" he continued.

Seeing the body of the Black Moon Sect Leader start to tremble uncontrollably, he hurriedly added:

"You must hold on! There isn’t much left of your lifespan."

"If you fail this step, you know the consequences!"

Upon hearing these two sentences, the Black Moon Sect Leader’s trembling body steadied.

He began to grit his teeth and persevere.

The Divinity Transformation Stage Primordial Spirit observed his changes, uncertain if he could overcome this hurdle.

"Unless absolutely necessary, I wouldn’t want to waste the souls within the Ten Thousand Souls Banner." he thought.

"But time is running out."

"Chu Huaixu is growing too quickly, and he actually integrated the Night Venerable Fruit Position."

"Now, there’s no time to proceed slowly."

"The whereabouts of my Snow Venerable Fruit Position remain unknown."

"Chu Huaixu is the only opportunity!" Snow Venerable’s Primordial Spirit thought.

I’ve run out of time to find someone more suitable.

This Black Moon Sect Leader must break through within these few days.

For this, he’s truly gone to great lengths.

"Previously, I tried everything to grant him temporary cultivation of the Nascent Soul Stage [Pseudo Realm]."

"And already spent a significant amount of resources."

"Now, to forcibly break the Ninth Realm bottleneck, resources invested are twice as much!"

"Indeed, as I predicted, he cultivates both Immortal and Martial, and is repelled by the Heavenly Dao Laws of the Profound Yellow Realm."

"Even with a wisp of Power of Origin forcibly fused within, he cannot achieve the Ninth Realm through conventional cultivation methods!"

"Alas—." Snow Venerable’s Primordial Spirit let out a deep sigh internally.

"Could it be that Cultivation and Martial cannot truly integrate?" he wondered.

For this, he has been painstakingly researching for over a thousand years.

Yet, until now, there’s no perfect solution.

"Time left for me is scarce." Snow Venerable thought.

"Kunlun Cave Heaven is likely to descend in large scale upon the Profound Yellow Realm soon."

"When that time comes, the Immortal Venerables will undoubtedly not spare me!" he coldly snorted at heart.

Typically, the Celestial Beings of Kunlun Cave Heaven are—harmonious with one another.

Because none can truly harm the others, besides, they’ve all reached the top, their lives as eternal as the heavens, with no competition remaining.

Yet Snow Venerable is no longer seated at that table!

With the Fruit Position lost, he’s no longer at the table!

"At that time, let alone asking them to help me find the Fruit Position."

"After their arrival, the first person they might target is me!" Snow Venerable said internally.

Once, time was the least valuable thing to someone with a lifespan as long as the heavens.

Now, he feels an overdue urgency to race against time.

"Chu Huaixu is my only chance."

"Fortunately, I have him!"

"Otherwise, I may have no path left to tread."

"Haha, hahahaha!" he laughed maniacally inside.

Time flowed; roughly more than an hour passed.

The Black Moon Sect Leader seemed on the verge of collapse.

If Chu Huaixu were present, he might mockingly call him a waste.

Non-body refiners are just inferior!

"Hold on, only one last step left!"

The final soul surged from the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, blending into the body of the Black Moon Sect Leader.

After approximately the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he suddenly opened his eyes.

The strange part was, there was no white in these eyes.

His two eyes were completely pitch black!

It took a good while before the darkness receded like a tide, restoring his eyes to normal.

"This... is the power of the Ninth Realm!" he exclaimed, his tone filled with elation.

"Finally! Finally, I’ve entered this realm!"

"Hahaha! Hahahahahaha!"

The Black Moon Sect Leader sat on the altar, laughing wildly, though his laughter was somewhat hoarse.

"Don’t be too happy too soon, your Ninth Realm was forcibly broken into, just like your Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Stage, both are Pseudo Realms." Snow Venerable’s Primordial Spirit declared.

"You won’t be able to maintain this realm for long; within a year you will fall from it."

The Black Moon Sect Leader’s gaze slightly sharpened, asking:

"Tell me, what do you want me to do next."

Negotiating with a tiger, where is the logic of reaping benefits without cost?

"Do you know how long we’ve stayed here?" Snow Venerable asked.

"How long?"

"Over seven months!"

"Hmm? Then the third layer of the Origin Spirit Realm is about to open!" The Black Moon Sect Leader said.

"Indeed, Chu Huaixu will descend the mountain in roughly three days, setting out for the Origin Spirit Realm." Snow Venerable’s Primordial Spirit said.

"Then, I will merge part of my power into your body, forcibly granting you power comparable to Ninth Realm Great Perfection."

"And what you need to do is simple, that is to ambush and kill Chu Huaixu!"

....