Chapter 452: World Origin

On this particular day, as Lu Sangjiu was searching through the mountain forest, she simply leaned against a nearby tree for a moment. The next thing she knew, she was in a strange place.

Lu Sangjiu: "..."

For a moment, she was speechless at her own luck, but she quickly sensed that the Spiritual Energy in this small world was much richer than outside.

’Could there be some sort of treasure here?’

Just as Lu Sangjiu was about to look around, she heard a familiar voice.

"Lu Sangjiu? How did you end up here?"

Lu Sangjiu froze. That voice...

"Gu Jue?"

Lu Sangjiu couldn’t see him yet, but the voice was unmistakably Gu Jue’s.

A moment of silence followed from Gu Jue, as if he were thinking something over. After a short pause, he said, "Come to me."

In the next instant, a path of flowers bloomed on the grassy ground before Lu Sangjiu, indicating the way forward.

After following the path of flowers for a while, she did indeed see Gu Jue.

He was sitting cross-legged before a stone pedestal. A dazzling Crystal Stone floated silently above it, emitting a mysterious radiance.

Lu Sangjiu could sense that the seemingly ordinary Crystal Stone was emitting immense power and vitality, and that it was the source of this place’s rich Spiritual Energy.

Connecting this with the fact that Gu Jue was also here, Lu Sangjiu instantly guessed, "This is... the World Origin?"

Gu Jue wasn’t surprised she had figured it out. He gave a slight nod and said, "Ever since I parted ways with you all, I have been here trying to break the seal on the World Origin."

"Unfortunately, I must also devote a portion of my energy to contending with Ji Li for Heavenly Dao Authority. As a result, several years have passed, and its seal has yet to be fully broken."

"A place like this isn’t somewhere a Cultivator should be able to enter freely, but... since you stumbled upon it by accident, I suppose it must be a fortuitous encounter."

Lu Sangjiu: "..."

’It’s probably not a fortuitous encounter. My luck is just absurdly potent.’

Of course, Lu Sangjiu understood how important the World Origin was to a world. Never mind Cultivators entering as they please—ordinarily, they shouldn’t even be allowed to know of its existence.

Otherwise, if anyone grew greedy and tried to claim it for themselves, every living being in this world would be in grave danger.

Although Lu Sangjiu certainly harbored no such dangerous ideas, she still felt a little awkward for having stumbled into this place.

She quickly cupped her hands in a salute to Gu Jue and said, "My apologies. Because of the fortune Ji Li forced upon me, I’ve been running into some truly bizarre situations lately."

"This time, I just leaned on a tree by the path. I honestly didn’t expect to blunder in here. Rest assured, I’ll leave right now!"

But Gu Jue said, "Hold on. As I just said, your arrival here might be a fortuitous encounter."

He looked at Lu Sangjiu, his expression serious. "I have an idea. Would you like to hear it?"

Seeing how serious he was, Lu Sangjiu naturally nodded. "Mr. Gu, please speak."

Gu Jue began, his tone deliberative. "Daoist Lu, have you ever considered... ascending to the Upper Realm before Xie Ningyuan?"

Gu Jue’s opening words startled Lu Sangjiu. However, she had been mulling over her and Xie Ningyuan’s Ascension for a long time, so she had naturally considered various scenarios.

Though she didn’t know what Gu Jue was getting at, she shared her thoughts anyway.

"I have considered it. I was thinking that Ji Li tends to underestimate me. With any luck, I might be able to escape his grasp."

"Afterward, I could make preparations in the Immortal Spirit Realm ahead of time. Then, when Xie Ningyuan ascends, I might be able to buy him a few crucial moments."

"As long as he has enough time to summon the Heavenly Tribulation and ascend to the rank of Immortal King, Ji Li will no longer be his match."

After hearing her out, Gu Jue was silent for a moment before asking, "And what about you?"

Once Xie Ningyuan summoned the Heavenly Tribulation, he would be safe. But no matter how capable Lu Sangjiu was, she couldn’t hold out against Ji Li for long. She certainly wouldn’t be able to wait for Xie Ningyuan to successfully pass his Tribulation Crossing and come save her.

Lu Sangjiu knew this, of course. She just smiled and said, "As for me... I’ll escape if I can. If I can’t, well, that’s just fate."

"But I can’t just do nothing and wait to die, right? Even if I do die, Xie Ningyuan will definitely avenge me. Having him drag that bastard down to hell with me would make it all worth it."

’That’s better than both me and Xie Ningyuan dying for nothing, right?’

Gu Jue glanced at Lu Sangjiu, a hint of a smile gracing his usually cold, expressionless face.

"You certainly have a philosophical temperament."

Lu Sangjiu shrugged. "Unfortunately, that’s just the best-case scenario. In reality, I’d probably die at Ji Li’s hands the moment I ascend, with no chance to take him down with me."

But Gu Jue said, "I wouldn’t have brought it up if I didn’t have a solution."

Lu Sangjiu’s face lit up. "What is it?" she asked eagerly.

Gu Jue explained in a measured tone, "I wasn’t originally going to mention this to you. Because, just as you said, if you ascend first, the chances of you dying are far too high."

"I... although I have been stripped of my emotions and desires, I still remember the past. I think... the man I used to be would not want you to die."

"On the other hand, if Xie Ningyuan ascends first... the chances are slim, but if he somehow manages to survive his encounter with Ji Li, then your own safety would be guaranteed."

"But your arrival here is a fortuitous event, and I think it may also be a form of guidance from destiny itself."

"And after hearing your words just now, spoken with such a philosophical attitude, I believe you yourself would want to know."

Lu Sangjiu was growing impatient. Hearing this, she nodded quickly. "I want to know. Whatever I choose, at least it’s one more option, isn’t it?"

"Please, Mr. Gu, tell me the truth!"

This time, Gu Jue didn’t waste any more words and looked directly at the World Origin.

"It is a unique existence. If you undergo your Tribulation Crossing next to it, it might be able to shield you from Ji Li’s perception."

Lu Sangjiu was taken aback. "Undergo my Tribulation Crossing next to it? You mean, I should perform my Ascension here? But can a Heavenly Tribulation even be summoned to this place?"

Gu Jue pointed to himself. "I am the Heavenly Dao now. Since I am here, I can naturally help you summon the Heavenly Tribulation."

"This way, Ji Li will only perceive you at the very instant of your Ascension. He won’t have time to properly prepare an ambush. And you have the Thousand Faces of Life—a treasure from the Upper Realm that will regain its original power upon your return."

"Once you put on the Thousand Faces of Life, you can evade Ji Li’s perception, giving you plenty of time to make your preparations."

Lu Sangjiu’s heart pounded with excitement as Gu Jue finished. "This is perfect! Just give me time, and I’ll definitely be able to find a way to help Xie Ningyuan!"

But after saying this, she had a sudden realization. "Wait a minute. If that’s the case, can’t Xie Ningyuan use this method?"

Gu Jue shook his head. "He is an Upper Realm Cultivator. He doesn’t belong to this world to begin with. Even if I wanted to bring him here, he wouldn’t be able to enter."

"He was the master of the previous Heavenly Dao. Does that not make a difference?"