“Time I had a chat with the Heavenly Dao,” Lu Xuan declared, his tone utterly unconcerned.
Chen Changsheng nodded, a flick of his sleeve sending a Wooden Puppet Clone soaring out to follow Lu Xuan.
With a casual rip, Lu Xuan tore through the fabric of space, pursuing the Heavenly Dao’s aura.
Before long, Lu Xuan stood in the depths of the void, his gaze falling upon a little girl in a green dress, currently surrounded by three Nine-star Great Emperors. The Heavenly Dao’s aura emanated from this very child! Lu Xuan paused, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. This was the Heavenly Dao Avatar? A mere little girl?
She was exquisite, like a figure carved from pink jade, clutching a peculiar, fist-sized stone. Yet, from that stone, Lu Xuan sensed a faint trace of the Lower Origin Star Core’s presence—an immeasurably vast and surging power, like an entire ocean sealed within, far surpassing even the Nine-star Great Emperor realm. To think it had appeared in the Emperor Realm Area.
At that moment, the three Nine-star Great Emperors glared at the little girl, their killing intent palpable. “Hand over that Heaven and Earth Wonder, or face death!”
The little girl in green merely clapped her tiny hands. The stone, now shimmering with Radiant Divine Light, was promptly popped into her small mouth and swallowed whole!
Witnessing this, the three Nine-star Great Emperors’ faces turned utterly frigid. That peculiar stone contained power far surpassing the Emperor Realm; if they had obtained it, they could have used it to break through to the Half-step Supreme realm. Now, it had been devoured by this mere child.
“You’re asking for death!” they roared, attacking simultaneously. Terrifying, abyssal power surged forth, shaking the void as if an ocean had overturned and stars were plummeting from the sky.
At that moment, the little girl in green suddenly squatted down, drawing a circle on the ground with her tiny hand. “You want to kill me? I’ll draw a circle to curse you!”
As the circle was completed, the heavens and earth underwent a sudden, cataclysmic change!
Boom! Space tore open! Reality twisted! The very rules of this corner of the world seemed to halt instantaneously, giving rise to a myriad of phenomena: primordial chaos, an eternal starry sky, and celestial waters hanging suspended.
In an instant, the terrifying killing intent of the three Nine-star Great Emperors was utterly annihilated, like grass swept away by a gale, crushed by an overwhelming Heaven and Earth Momentum, rendered utterly insignificant. They tried to channel their power, but it wouldn’t manifest. Their Great Emperor Dao Patterns dimmed, their Meridians ceased the flow of even Emperor blood, their bones seemed to freeze, and their Dao Foundations became incredibly dim.
The three Nine-star Great Emperors were frozen in place. What kind of power was this? Their very Dao seemed to be receding from them! But how could that be? They had attained their Dao under the Southern Wilds’ heavens, receiving its affirmation, walking the path of an Emperor to its absolute pinnacle. How could their Dao be annihilated?
As this thought flashed through their minds, their faces turned ashen. This little girl in green was definitely not an Emperor! She was above the Emperor Realm! What terrifying existence had they provoked?
“Senior, spare us...”
“This was our mistake...”
The three Nine-star Great Emperors tried to speak, but no sound emerged. An unsettling sensation washed over them, as if they were no longer tolerated by this world. In that instant, they looked down at their own bodies, every hair standing on end, their hearts seized with terror. Their forms were dissolving into countless ‘micro-particles,’ like dust scattering in the wind—a power that utterly transcended the Emperor Realm.
Moments later, a gentle breeze swept through, and the three Nine-star Great Emperors vanished from existence.
Lu Xuan blinked. So this was the power of the Heavenly Dao? Giving life and taking death, deciding life and death with a single thought.
Soon, the little girl in green turned her gaze to Lu Xuan. Beside him, Chen Changsheng’s Wooden Puppet Clone murmured, “A bit terrifying!”
Lu Xuan, however, remained perfectly at ease, a picture of calm indifference.
Boom! In the space of a breath, the little girl vanished from her spot, reappearing directly beside Lu Xuan.
Lu Xuan studied her. Her face was like carved pink jade, her features delicate yet flawlessly perfect. Beneath the green dress, her petite frame hinted at subtle curves. Her arms, like jade-carved snow, were crossed over her chest, and her slender, fair legs shimmered, flowing with Dao and Rhyme.
She, too, was scrutinizing Lu Xuan, her tiny fangs grinding audibly.
“Hey, hey, hey, seen enough?” the little girl in green suddenly demanded, stomping her foot in annoyance.
Lu Xuan merely smiled faintly. The Southern Wilds Heavenly Dao seemed harmless, even a little cute.
Then, she extended her delicate hand towards Lu Xuan, as if asking for something, remaining silent.
After a moment of quiet, Lu Xuan asked, “What do you want?”
The little girl blinked her large, intelligent eyes, glaring at Lu Xuan. “I want the Star Core in your hand.”
Lu Xuan’s face twitched. A bit too direct, isn’t it? Is that how you ask for something? He simply said, “No.”
The atmosphere froze. Chen Changsheng cleared his throat awkwardly. “Cough, cough... Master, perhaps we should eat first?”
Lu Xuan nodded, looking at the little girl. “Care to join?”
He was about to step into the air. The little girl remained silent, blinking her clever eyes, and followed behind Lu Xuan.
Soon, the three arrived at the Dao Profound Iron Pot. Chen Changsheng placed the steaming hot dishes onto the stone table, which was adorned with naturally formed Dao Patterns. There was Spirit Meat in Sauce, Giant Boar Ribs, Giant Mutton Skewers...
The little girl in green also sat down.
“What’s your name?” Lu Xuan asked.
Her eyes sparkling with intelligence, the little girl took a bite of food. “I don’t have a name.”
Lu Xuan said nothing more, concentrating on his meal. Chen Changsheng wanted to speak, but found himself at a loss for words. The world itself seemed to hold its breath.
After a moment of silence, the little girl spoke, “Pretty tasty, actually.” Then she added, “Though, with so many Heaven and Earth Wonders thrown in, even a rock would taste good.”
Chen Changsheng was speechless.
Before long, Lu Xuan finished his meal, settled back into his lounge chair, and casually dumped the little girl on Chen Changsheng. Chen Changsheng glanced at Lu Xuan, a good-natured man not known for his eloquence.
A moment later, the little girl in green finished eating. She marched over to Lu Xuan’s lounge chair, wrinkled her delicate nose, and declared loudly, “You’re too bold!”
Lu Xuan looked utterly innocent. “What did I do?”
The little girl ground her shiny little fangs. “You really are invincible.” With that, she extended her tiny hands and began frantically patting him down. In an instant, she had rifled through all the Storage Rings on Lu Xuan’s person.
“Where did you hide the Star Core?” she demanded.
Lu Xuan countered, “What do you want it for?”
The little girl wrinkled her nose. “This world is called Tai Chu, and it’s sick, just like a cultivator. It needs to replenish its power. The Five Domains have undergone eight openings of the Supreme Path, and this world has consumed too much power. It’s reached its limit.”
Lu Xuan frowned slightly. “I see.” But he still didn’t retrieve the Star Core from his system space.
Suddenly, the little girl hugged Lu Xuan’s arm, biting his hand with her tiny fangs. Her big eyes welled up, looking incredibly innocent. “Fine, if you won’t give it. I’m leaving.”
With that, she turned to walk away, but her steps were slow. One step, two steps... She was waiting. Waiting for Lu Xuan to call her back. But it was useless! Lu Xuan didn’t call her back at all.
The next instant, the little girl let out a soft hmph, the sound of her teeth grinding again. “I’ll go find some Heaven and Earth Wonders myself!”
This time, she truly left, vanishing without a trace in an instant.
Lu Xuan was speechless.
Chen Changsheng’s gaze grew distant. “The Heavenly Dao speaks true; this world is indeed withering. This opening of the Supreme Path might very well be the last.”
Lu Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly. “Third Disciple, you’ve dealt with the Heavenly Dao before?”
Chen Changsheng sighed. “There was an agreement, once.”
Lu Xuan’s eyes narrowed. Just how many more secrets was this third disciple of his hiding?
Chen Changsheng sighed again. “Master, I swore a Heavenly Dao Oath regarding that agreement. I cannot speak of it. You’ll understand when the time comes.”
Lu Xuan merely smiled, not pressing the issue further.
...
In the Emperor Realm Area, far in the distance, the Xuanji Holy Lord moved with graceful steps, Radiant Divine Light flowing around her as she traversed the void. Around her body, the Eerie Power and other forbidden energies grew thicker and thicker. She moved with extreme speed, searching for traces of ancient great medicines. Within her inner world, the two forbidden powers were rapidly pushing her to her limit.
The Xuanji Holy Lord had inscribed Dao Patterns across multiple regions; whenever a surge of Vitality appeared, these Dao Patterns would sense it.
Days later, the Xuanji Holy Lord’s beautiful eyes, like white jade, suddenly narrowed as she looked in a certain direction. She murmured to herself, “The Dao Patterns there have been activated.”