Chapter 212: Walking the Path You Once Walked
Not long ago, the White Emperor had returned to his city.
Then, he returned to his imperial palace.
But Lady Mu was not there.
Gazing at the cold, empty observation platform and the silent stone hall, the White Emperor raised an eyebrow.
Raising an eyebrow did not signify surprise or shock; it could also represent some interesting emotion.
The White Emperor walked to the stone railing, reaching out to touch the cold sensation he hadn't felt in years. He looked down at the Whale Fall Platform, which had a massive chunk broken off—completely different from a few years ago. His expression was calm as he reflected on certain matters and calculated certain things.
There were very few things in the world that could still surprise him.
Everyone assumed he would be anxious to find his wife, to reclaim his imperial city, his city, and his kingdom.
But that was not the case. So he did not rush to search for his wife. Instead, he stood quietly by the railing, waiting.
Waiting for the consequences of the events that had already occurred to manifest.
Waiting for certain things he wanted to see happen.
He silently gazed at the rivers and mountains, at the heavens and the earth, and then his gaze fell upon that courtyard in the western city.
The darkness and light above that courtyard were not conspicuous in the real world, yet how could they escape his notice?
But this was still not enough. Even though the angelic figure within the light orb in the darkness had become clear, it was still not enough.
Then he heard the sound of a zither, the clang of a sword, and saw the stone statue deep within the darkness slowly open its eyes.
The White Emperor raised an eyebrow, intrigued, and a killing intent gradually arose, though he did not know toward whom this killing intent was directed.
The Pope and the Holy Maiden could show him the multitude of beings; naturally, they could also allow the foreign race to appear before the multitude.
Two streaks of fire tore through the darkness, broke through the Grand Formation of the Li Palace, and flew toward the high sky.
Everyone in White Emperor City saw this scene.
The White Emperor also silently watched this scene.
His gaze followed the two streaks of fire as they slowly ascended, finally settling on the layer of clouds at the very top.
He did not look at the place where the two streaks of fire plunged into the clouds, but rather at a spot several dozen miles away.
That position was to the west. Even if it was only a distance of several dozen miles, it was still slightly westward.
The White Emperor felt a sense of emotion.
...
When that cloud mass resembling a tiger appeared in the sky, Lady Mu stopped moving.
The sea of clouds returned to normal. Xu Yourong and Chen Changsheng fell toward the mountains on the opposite bank of the Red River, and the Holy Light Angel turned into a streak of fire and followed them.
Lady Mu paid no attention to that side. She just silently watched that white cloud.
"Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong will still die, but I think you don't really care about that, because it has nothing to do with you."
That cloud mass, no matter how much it resembled a tiger, was ultimately just a cloud and naturally would not reply.
It was unclear to whom her words were directed.
"In this life, you always like to hide behind the scenes, letting others fight on the stage, only appearing when you think you can pick the fruit."
Lady Mu said with a hint of mockery. "As husband and wife, how could I not know your thoughts? So how could I let you take advantage of me?"
That white cloud that looked so much like a tiger was gradually dissipating.
Lady Mu's expression turned indifferent once again.
...
Countless sounds of wind arose in the mountains.
That enormous Heavenly Tree swayed violently in the gale, its high branches constantly breaking and falling like a torrential rain.
From deep within the incredibly thick trunk, cracking sounds occasionally echoed, sounding extremely terrifying.
The priests of the Heavenly Tree Temple and the soldiers responsible for guarding it watched this scene, their faces pale with shock, shouting everywhere.
Two streaks of light traveled between the branches of the Heavenly Tree, bringing with them countless flames and scattering sparks.
If the nourishment of the Heavenly Tree were not the underground Wildfire, it would likely have already caught fire.
As the Heavenly Tree swayed, the scorching aura of the Wildfire emanated from its branches and leaves, rising to the high sky, evaporating the clouds into a massive void.
With a thunderous roar, the two streaks of light finally collided and then separated.
More than a dozen thick branches snapped, and two figures slammed heavily into the trunk of the Heavenly Tree, creating two deep pits before falling to the ground.
Xu Yourong's wings were stained with golden blood and fire marks, and Chen Changsheng's Daoist robe was covered in blood.
He looked around at his surroundings, finding them somewhat familiar, but he didn't have time to think about it.
With a flash of heavenly light, the Holy Light Angel slowly descended to the ground. The light spear in its hand was slightly thinner than before, and the mottled bloodstains on it were very clear.
Chen Changsheng raised his sword and stood in front of Xu Yourong.
The Stainless Sword had clashed with that light spear four times. The sword body was undamaged, but his body could barely withstand it, and his right hand trembled incessantly.
Clearly, Xu Yourong's choice had been a grave mistake.
She had likely intended to use the Wildfire of the Heavenly Tree to aid her Phoenix Fire, while also using the ancestral spirits of the Demon race to suppress the soul of this Holy Light Angel.
However, the ancestral spirits of the Demon race within the Heavenly Tree showed no reaction to the arrival of the Holy Light Angel, as if they had already accepted it. Even more terrifying was that the Wildfire emanating from the branches and leaves was actually absorbed by the Holy Light Angel, making it even stronger. Why was this?
Xu Yourong's condition was slightly better than Chen Changsheng's. Her face was somewhat pale, but her expression was calm.
Chen Changsheng felt a little relieved, a little puzzled. He thought, is the Dao Heart of Clarity truly this powerful? Even in such a dire situation, how could she remain so calm?
He didn't have time to ponder these questions.
The Holy Light Angel had already walked over, its oppressive aura spreading like a vast sea of stars.
...
While Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong were trapped in a desperate situation deep in the mountains, the situation in White Emperor City had also become extremely perilous.
Mao Qiuyu had remained in the capital. The Grand Formation of the Li Palace was ultimately not in its most perfect state. After trapping that orb of light in the darkness for so long, it was finally showing signs of collapse.
A streak of darkness, carrying a cold and ruthless intent, silently drifted out from the courtyard, sweeping toward Tang Thirty-Six's body.
The Divine Staff of the State Religion shone brightly in Tang Thirty-Six's hands, presiding over the entire Grand Formation of the Li Palace. At this moment, he could not afford to be distracted, nor could he retreat.
The Archbishops, including Linghai Zhiwang, had also poured all their true essence and spiritual sense into maintaining the formation, resisting the Holy Light Angel within the orb of light.
That blind zither player had been severely injured and had withdrawn from the courtyard, not yet having recovered.
The sky was once again filled with powder and fragrance. Chains clanked, and the Water-Fire Staff directly shattered the darkness.
The yamen runner and the little girl appeared in front of Tang Thirty-Six, blocking the Demon Lord's sneak attack.
But they could not prevent that deep darkness from interfering with the connection between the Divine Staff and the other several precious artifacts.
It had to be said that the Demon Lord's choice of timing and target was perfect.
Under the terrifying attack of that Holy Light Angel, the incomplete Grand Formation of the Li Palace was already in jeopardy, and now it could no longer hold.
Suddenly, a thunderclap sounded from the extremely high sky, followed by a very crisp cracking sound.
It was like a mischievous little beastman from some Demon tribe hundreds of miles away breaking a porcelain vase that his grandfather had traded for with three hundred jin of beast hides from the human territory.
The vase shattered, and a stream of light flowed out, carrying the darkness of the sky, surrounding, cutting, and severing the light emitted by the Grand Formation of the Li Palace.
...
(It's been a long time since I last rambled on a bit... Well, I miss you all. For me, realizing that longing means nothing more than chatting with everyone like this. This past year has had too many bad things, making me doubt life a lot, and then I've been very tired. Anyway, I hope you are all well, and I need to be well too.)