“You’ve arrived.”

Hearing this, Chen Changsheng nodded. “I have.”

Wuwu slowly descended from the high platform, the numerous monks bowing respectfully. Soon, Wuwu entered a private room and closed the door.

A moment later, Chen Changsheng’s presence filled the room, though no sound marked his arrival.

Wuwu’s nostrils flared almost imperceptibly. “You carry her scent,” he said, his voice flat.

Chen Changsheng offered a faint smile. Liu Ruyan’s aura, indeed. He explained, “This time, in Cloudrise Holy Land, Liu Ruyan’s avatar descended. My Master, however, killed it.”

Wuwu murmured, “Liu Ruyan…” Just three words, yet they carried the weight of ages, a profound sense of vicissitude.

“What realm is she in now?” Wuwu asked.

“Her true body has already reached the Myriad Phase Realm,” Chen Changsheng replied. “Supreme, Star Venerate, Myriad Phase, Ancient Ancestor. That’s the hierarchy.”

Wuwu’s face remained impassive, but a shadow of dimness crossed his heart. The gap between him and Liu Ruyan had grown impossibly wide.

“However, Liu Ruyan also left behind a wisp of obsession in the Southern Wilds back then,” Chen Changsheng continued. “She’s now the Saintess of the Supreme Profound Sect, Nangong Baixue. She’s inherited Liu Ruyan’s power and is currently a One-rotation Quasi-Dao Supreme!”

Wuwu remained silent.

Chen Changsheng chuckled. “But she’s not your fated enemy. My Second Senior Brother, Ye Chen, will be the one to kill her.”

Wuwu’s brow furrowed slightly. “I sensed a wisp of Dao Yi’s obsession reawaken.”

Chen Changsheng nodded. “Qin Wang. Even I didn’t expect a wisp of Dao Yi’s obsession to become him. That boy is inherently weak, with only Nangong Baixue in his heart. For Dao Yi’s main soul to ultimately create him is truly astonishing.”

“You’ve traveled the Starry Sky,” Wuwu said. “What is it like out there?”

Chen Changsheng pondered for a moment. “It’s brutal. Infinitely more brutal than the Tai Chu Realm. The Four Star Rings weigh down on countless living beings. Now, to rise against the heavens… it’s almost impossible.”

“The hegemonic status of the major powers is firmly established. In the Fourth Star Ring, there’s Cloudrise Holy Land, a single Holy Land that suppresses countless small realms, leaving them no room to breathe.”

“Perhaps there’s only one way to rise… unless one is a disciple of Lu Xuan.”

Wuwu paused, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. “Lu Xuan? Is that why you became his disciple?”

Chen Changsheng shook his head. “No. I was drawn by Lu Xuan’s brilliance. The first time I met him, we clashed, and I was utterly defeated.”

“I originally thought he, like me, was merely a practitioner of the ‘Gou Dao’—the path of caution and low profile. But in truth, he comprehends all Daos.”

“He is the longest river, the highest mountain? ‘At the peak of the mountain, I am the peak; at the end of the sea, the sky is the shore!’ Mountains and rivers have ends, but Lu Xuan has no end. He is the past, the future, and the present.”

At these words, Wuwu displayed a rare look of shock. It was the first time he had heard such an exalted evaluation from Chen Changsheng! So, Lu Xuan was an invincible being? Eternally invincible!

“Then why is he in the Tai Chu Realm?” Wuwu asked.

Chen Changsheng’s expression turned mysterious. “During the Creation Era of the Fallen Star Sea, the Tai Chu Realm was the most prosperous place in this Star Sea, perhaps even its origin. I suspect Master is a being from that time.”

“But what happened in that era… it’s impossible to investigate now.”

Wuwu exclaimed in surprise, “There are still things in this world that you don’t know?”

Chen Changsheng fell silent. After a brief pause, he said, “Who stands at the peak of the Grand Dao? It is Lu Xuan. I am nothing. Merely a wisp of obsession from that person.”

Wuwu mused, “I feel that Dao Yi is not so simple. What is his true identity?”

Chen Changsheng asked, “If he were an Ancient Ancestor, would you still be willing to sever all traces of Dao Yi?”

Wuwu frowned. “Sever! Why wouldn’t I? I am myself. I am not Dao Yi, I am not Chen Changsheng, I am not anyone else.”

Chen Changsheng fell silent. A moment later, he spoke again. “But your current situation is perilous. Not to mention whether you can cross the lands teeming with powerful demon beasts to reach Ling Mountain Temple. Even if you arrive, you might not be a match for Minghui Master.”

Wuwu’s expression grew solemn. Chen Changsheng was right! He was to embark alone, traveling from the Eastern Lands to Ling Mountain Temple in the Western Desert, a journey fraught with peril. His cultivation was only One-rotation Quasi-Dao Supreme! Moreover, Minghui Master and the others had received guidance from Outer World experts; their Buddhist attainments were arguably no less than his own.

Chen Changsheng’s gaze deepened as he looked at Wuwu. “Perhaps there’s only one way?”

“What is it?” Wuwu asked.

Chen Changsheng stated calmly, “Become Lu Xuan’s disciple.”

Wuwu was utterly stunned. Become Lu Xuan’s disciple? He had no connection, no prior relationship with Lu Xuan whatsoever. His understanding of Lu Xuan came solely from Chen Changsheng’s words.

“Is Lu Xuan also a Buddhist cultivator?” Wuwu inquired.

Chen Changsheng replied casually, “Master comprehends all laws, all Daos. The path of Buddhist cultivation, like all others, ultimately leads to the same destination; it’s no different from any other Grand Dao. Master naturally understands it, or perhaps he has already ascended to the absolute peak of Buddhist cultivation.”

Wuwu was petrified on the spot. The absolute peak of Buddhist cultivation? What kind of realm was that? He couldn’t even imagine it!

Just then, Chen Changsheng continued, “But I don’t know if Master will accept you. He is aware of your existence.”

“Consider Master’s other disciples,” Chen Changsheng said. “His Oldest Disciple, Ji Fuyao, founded the Fuyao Dynasty. She’s now a Three-rotation Quasi-Dao Supreme, on the verge of Attaining Supreme.”

“Second Disciple, Ye Chen, is currently single-handedly contending against all Supreme-level forces in the Southern Wilds, cultivating both alchemy and martial arts!”

“Third Disciple… ahem, never mind him.”

“Fourth Disciple, Xuanji Holy Lord, is peerlessly elegant. She cultivates with Eerie Power and will ultimately Attain Supreme as an Eerie Ancestor!”

Chen Changsheng then looked at Wuwu. “Master takes disciples entirely by mood. I don’t know if he’ll want to take you.”

“Do you wish for Lu Xuan to take me as his disciple?” Wuwu asked.

Chen Changsheng didn’t hide his thoughts. “Naturally.”

Though Wuwu was now an independent being, he was ultimately inseparable from Chen Changsheng. If Wuwu were to be killed, it might ultimately affect Chen Changsheng. Therefore, he wished for Wuwu to live. And under the heavens, there was no safer place than to be Lu Xuan’s disciple! So, Chen Changsheng also hoped Wuwu would become Lu Xuan’s disciple. It was strange, perhaps, but beneficial for both of them.

Wuwu looked at Chen Changsheng. He wanted to refuse, but he couldn’t find a single reason to.

“Wait for my news,” Chen Changsheng said. “I’ll go back and speak with Master.”

Wuwu nodded. A flicker of anticipation rose in his heart. Chen Changsheng had told him some things about Lu Xuan. This man, Lu Xuan, could only be described with one word: Invincible. Invincible, and still invincible! If it were possible, he would gladly become Lu Xuan’s disciple!

Wuwu felt a subtle, unseen force at play. He stood at a crossroads of destiny, the Power of Karma pushing him forward like a relentless wind. He awaited his fate.

Chen Changsheng’s gaze was profound. “Man proposes, Heaven disposes. I don’t know if Master will agree.”