Your face darkened, and you cursed that wretched creature in your heart! Afterward, you had Bai Changsheng use a Cleansing Technique to wash you clean.
After sending her away, you sat silently with your knees hugged to your chest. You didn’t say a word, but your mind couldn’t help but recall the debauched and chaotic scenes of the previous night.
As much pleasure and indulgence as you had felt then, you felt an equal amount of regret and anger now. It was just like when you were 16, watching those videos in the middle of the night.
Vaguely, you felt something sprouting deep within your heart…
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, two months had passed.
During this time, Gu Wanqing kept a constant watch over you. Perhaps because of the conversation on New Year’s Eve, the gap between the two of you had narrowed significantly, and you often sought him out for drinks.
Then, one day, Gu Wanqing took you to a specific area in the Eastern Sea.
Inside a massive underwater caldera, searing magma surged like a violent flood dragon. Accompanied by rolling clouds of white steam, it erupted continuously.
Countless mineral essences were thrown into the fire, swallowed by the magma and melting into a glowing liquid. They flowed into the caldera, merging into the five crimson-black sky-propping pillars that extended from the volcano’s mouth, blotting out the sky.
“Is this the Mieyang trump card?” Su Bai stroked his chin, his brow furrowing slightly. Although this wasn’t the first time he had seen this Deity Transformation puppet, however —
—
“No, it’s still too weak. Deity Transformation is not the Nascent Soul stage. This is not a situation that can be changed simply by stacking numbers, let alone the fact that my wretched disciple holds the core of the Heavenly Emperor Spirit-Locking Array. If he wishes, he can mobilize the power of the entire Central Region at any time.”
Gu Wanqing did not answer directly. He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the caldera. It was clear that the Mieyang trump card consisted of more than just this Deity Transformation puppet.
“Heavenly Venerable Qingyang, I am preparing for the final battle.”
“Oh? In such a hurry? Well, it makes sense. Once, the Green Emperor God Palace had two Deity Transformation experts, making it unparalleled in the world. Now that everyone knows the Green Emperor God Palace only has one, and an unconventional one at that, I’m afraid no one can restrain themselves.”
“The Heavenly Emperor Spirit-Locking Array is formidable, but Master Bai also gave you the method to create the Heaven-Deceiving Stone Plate. Although sub-mirrors of the Heavenly Emperor Mirror are rare, you have collected quite a few over the years. You haven’t revealed them yet, likely to catch that wretched disciple off guard.”
“There are also the cultivators of the five regions. They are also people we can win over…”
Su Bai continuously analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the Green Emperor God Palace and Mieyang. With just a few sentences, he dissected the grand trend of the world clearly and thoroughly.
“Heavenly Venerable Qingyang,” Gu Wanqing suddenly spoke, but his tone shifted abruptly as he pointed toward the Deity Transformation puppet. “In your opinion, what should this mechanical puppet be named?”
“A name? If I had built it, I would name it ‘Qing’s Vengeance,’ symbolizing my revenge for being under house arrest for hundreds of years. However, this is the result of the collective efforts of all Mieyang members. Its name should be decided by all of you.”
This was a right they should enjoy, representing freedom and democracy.
“Furthermore, as the leader of a faction, you can ask, listen, and adopt suggestions, but you must never let others make decisions for you. Otherwise, you will be handing the sword hilt to others, and the reversal of master and servant will only be a matter of time.”
Su Bai laughed loudly. Gripping a Water-Repelling Bead, he spun around and walked away gracefully, leaving behind only a fading silhouette.
Gu Wanqing watched that figure silently. Recalling some of the other man’s unusual behavior over the past two months, a hint of complexity flashed in his eyes.
‘Freedom, democracy…’
‘Heavenly Venerable Qingyang, who exactly are you?’
Once the order to prepare for the final battle was issued, the entire Mieyang organization mobilized frantically. Various resources and reserves were converted into Dharma treasures and divine abilities, striving to increase their overall strength in the shortest possible time.
This could not be hidden from the eyes of those with ulterior motives. In a secret underwater cave somewhere in the Eastern Sea, five blurry figures formed a circle once again to discuss their next move.
“Heavenly Venerable Xuantian has responded again. Before the final battle, as long as we bring the Heavenly Venerable Qingyang back to him, all past grievances will be forgiven. Once Mieyang is dealt with, the Eastern Sea will be ours to rule autonomously. It will be hereditary and unchanging for ten thousand generations.”
After a pause, the phantom of Perfected Lord Xuanling added, “He swore it upon his Dao heart!”
Hearing his words, the various Perfected Lords looked at one another. Their gazes met, and they all nodded in agreement.
The Perfected Lords present had not suffered the extermination of their clans or sects. They didn’t have any unresolvable, deep-seated hatred with the Green Emperor God Palace. The only reason they were hostile toward the palace, even going as far as to join Mieyang, was because the palace was a rising power that infringed upon the interests of established factions like theirs.
But now, since the Green Emperor God Palace was willing to offer interests far exceeding what they had before, what were they waiting for?
They would defect immediately!
They didn’t have the ability to truly oppose a Heavenly Venerable, but they had plenty of skill when it came to using the guise of enmity to negotiate for their own benefit!
Perfected Lord Xuanling spoke again, “However, those two by the Heavenly Venerable Qingyang’s side are not easy to deal with. One is Perfected Lord Gu, and the other is Perfected Lord Bai. It won’t be easy to take him away.”
“Leave Gu Wanqing to me. I have a method to lure him away for a short while,” Perfected Lord Xingyao said.
“Then leave Bai Changsheng to me. As far as I know, she has been searching for treasures capable of reversing Yin and Yang,” Perfected Lord Yanhun added.
“As for the Heavenly Venerable Qingyang himself, leave him to me,” Perfected Lord Xuanling stroked his long beard. “I have an array that can traverse the five regions and roam the Eastern Sea freely.”
“There is also no need to worry about that Deity Transformation puppet. Heavenly Venerable Xuantian personally said he would send people to assist us.”
“Good, then it’s settled!”
After the other four Perfected Lords finished their discussion, their phantoms dissipated.
A few days later, Bai Changsheng received information that a treasure capable of reversing Yin and Yang had been discovered in a secret realm, and it was effective for Nascent Soul lords. Her eyes lit up. She bid Su Bai farewell and immediately dragged Wu Ji along with her.
Gu Wanqing also received news of a flaw in the Deity Transformation puppet’s construction array that urgently required his supervision. After temporarily settling Su Bai, he rushed toward that area of the Eastern Sea.
—
Bai Changsheng brought Wu Ji to the secret realm.
The realm was called the Myriad Beast Secret Realm. It was inhabited by countless birds and beasts of average strength, ranging from the Qi Refining stage to the Golden Core stage. Their physical bodies were fierce and powerful, but to two Nascent Soul lords, they were only a minor nuisance.
They fought their way through, killing everything in their path until they had cleared the entire realm. After 15 minutes, they killed a half-step Nascent Soul beast and obtained a Heavenly Void Myriad Transformation Fruit.
Having secured the fruit, Bai Changsheng and Wu Ji exited the realm. As soon as they stepped out, they saw Gu Wanqing standing at the entrance with a grim expression.
“Heavenly Venerable Qingyang is missing.”
*Rumble!*
A bolt of lightning tore through the sky, and a flash of white light erupted!
The brilliance was so intense it forced people to shut their eyes!
*Shatter, shatter, shatter!*
A storm surged suddenly with thunder and lightning. Dark clouds gathered, and a torrential downpour began!
The entire island in the Eastern Sea seemed to be enveloped by the violent gale and rain!
Bai Changsheng’s body swayed, her small face turning deathly pale as she nearly collapsed into Wu Ji’s arms.
At this moment, she didn’t care about anything else. She frantically tried to contact Su Bai, but in her daze, she only received a few words.
“The shores of the Eastern Sea, save… me.”