Volume One: The Calamity of the Lich Chapter 118: Disaster Befalls the Purple Star, Bai Ze Journeys to Buzhou

At this moment, Wu Yun, having returned to the Azure Lotus Dao Institute on Mount Buzhou, suddenly gazed toward the ancient starry sky.

“The Ziwei Star grows dim. So, even the Emperor of Ziwei cannot escape this tribulation in the end? Or is it that fate, once ordained, is truly unchangeable?”

In Wu Yun’s eyes, the once brilliant and radiant Ziwei Star was now fading into darkness.

By rights, the current Emperor of Ziwei should never have been born. It was Qingxuan, scheming for dominion over the stars, who arranged the Great Zhou Tian Formation. By combining the Emperor Star of Ziwei with the Sacred Tree of Stars, he enabled the Emperor’s birth.

Thus, the Great Zhou Tian Star Formation was completed ahead of time, improving the environment of the ancient starry sky. It even directly removed the ancient starry sky from the great primordial catastrophe, so long as the Star Gods did not voluntarily enter the calamity, nothing would threaten the ancient heavens.

Yet, Qingxuan still underestimated the power of Heaven’s Way, and equally misjudged human desire.

Ziwei was born to imperial destiny, commanding all the Star Gods. With boundless fortune, he quickly cultivated to the consummation of the Hunyuan Golden Immortal realm. However, due to his destined early demise, even with Qingxuan supplementing his essence, his luck remained incomplete.

Reaching the peak of the Hunyuan Golden Immortal was simple enough, but to achieve true enlightenment in the Hunyuan Dao required not only great determination, but also a mind clear as crystal. Yet, after his path to enlightenment was blocked, and with the natural devotion the Star Gods bore toward Qingxuan, his already imperfect state of mind grew ever more turbulent.

Now, the symptoms were worsening—there were signs of inner demons invading his body.

For the Emperor of Ziwei, this was both a trial and an opportunity. If he could seize it, the vast seas would be his to swim; if he failed, he might become nothing more than history.

“May he find that sliver of hope—no one can help him through this tribulation.”

In the end, Wu Yun could only sigh softly, then vanished from the Azure Lotus Dao Institute.

An eternal lotus under the blue sky.

At this time, Wu Yun stood beneath his true form, the Fortune Green Lotus, placing a verdant willow beneath its shade.

Now, the spiritual aura of the willow was faint, but as it was laid under the Fortune Green Lotus, the lotus surged with boundless Dao rhythms, enveloping the willow.

Innumerable streams of innate spiritual energy gathered, mingled with elusive flows of ashen light.

With every influx of this spiritual energy, the chaos-born soil beneath the willow was gradually refined and disappeared.

Countless ages seemed to pass as the willow’s aura flourished, Dao rhythms weaving densely around it.

Then, a young man with silver hair and green robes, looking quite the worse for wear, stepped forth.

“If something like this happens again, don’t come to me, all right? That was truly terrifying!”

“If you don’t want to be called upon, that’s easy enough—just advance a step further in cultivation. Soon you’ll be able to act on your own. Who else’s Dao of Space is so perfectly suited? You know full well what the situation was. If not for the necessity, why would I have sacrificed you?”

Wu Yun, hearing Qingkong’s complaint, rolled his eyes.

“Do you have any idea how difficult that step is? And since when did your strength surge like this?”

Qingkong’s curiosity was met with Wu Yun’s casual reply.

“What can I say? Good fortune favors me. It’s not something you can envy.”

That tone made Qingkong want to hit him, though he restrained himself.

“All right, since you’ve recovered, I’ll leave you to it. Oh, and by the way, something seems amiss with the Emperor of Ziwei. If you can, keep an eye on him.”

“Hey, you’re just going to leave and dump this on me?”

As soon as Wu Yun finished speaking, he vanished, leaving Qingkong frustrated.

Just then, Qingkong sensed someone searching for him from outside.

He had no choice but to reveal himself in the Azure Lotus Dao Institute.

“Master, Baize the Demon Sage of the Celestial Court has come to visit!”

“So, the Celestial Court has finally fallen into their hands? Did he say why he’s come?”

Qingkong asked directly.

“Master, Baize said he would only state his purpose in person. I had to inform him that you were currently unavailable, but he’s been waiting atop Mount Buzhou, saying he’ll stay until you come out of seclusion.”

“Well, since he’s so insistent, bring him in to see me.”

Rubbing his brow in annoyance, Qingkong instructed Ao Qing, curious what the demon race was really after to come calling at such a time.

Soon, Ao Qing led in a middle-aged man dressed in white, whose gaze shone as brightly as the starry sea.

“Baize of the Celestial Court greets the Lord of Mount Buzhou.”

“Oh, Baize, what brings you to Mount Buzhou?”

Qingkong regarded Baize with a casual, indifferent air.

“Lord of Mount Buzhou, I come to discuss two matters.”

“And what business could you possibly have with me? If my memory serves, didn’t your Eastern Emperor cause trouble here once before? If not for Hongjun reviving him, there would be no Eastern Emperor left today!”

Baize, however, showed no surprise, maintaining his composure as he replied.

“Respected Lord of Mount Buzhou, I have come first to seek reconciliation for the Eastern Emperor’s previous rashness.”

“I am Qingkong. Please call me by name; your formal titles are rather uncomfortable to hear.

They say Baize the Demon Sage is the mastermind of the demon race, wise in all matters, knowing past and future alike! If you can divine the fate of Mount Buzhou, then whatever you ask, I will agree to.”

As Qingkong finished, he looked Baize up and down with a teasing smile, causing the latter to break out in a cold sweat.

“Surely you jest, Senior. I possess nothing like such abilities—others only flatter me. With my meager cultivation, how dare I speak of Mount Buzhou’s fate? Please, don’t tease a junior like me.”

Baize, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow, replied with trepidation.

“Oh? In that case, why not sever your ties with the demon race and the Celestial Court? My Dao Institute is short of hands—you seem suitable.”

“Please, Senior, don’t make sport of me. Since I am of the demon race, I have no intention of serving another master in this life.”

Qingkong thought to himself, “A pity—an opportunity offered, yet you refuse to grasp it.”

“Are you truly sincere? This won’t do, that won’t do; it’s hard to see any sign of reconciliation from the Celestial Court.”

Feigning displeasure, Qingkong’s aura pressed down hard upon Baize, who nearly stumbled under the weight. Only by sheer will did he remain standing, meeting Qingkong’s gaze.

“Forgive me, Senior. Please don’t hold it against a junior. I have come in all sincerity.

I’ve heard that you love to collect spiritual roots and herbs. The Celestial Emperor sent me here to present you with all the spiritual roots he has gathered over the years, hoping to make peace. The Celestial Court is in ruins, the Emperor cannot leave, so he entrusted me with these roots to negotiate with you.”

With that, Baize produced a trove of innate and acquired spiritual roots, placing them before Qingkong.

Among them were even several supreme innate spiritual roots.