by <unknown>
They were two love birds who were never meant to be together, like the Shen and Shang constellations. Despite having places in each other’s hearts, fate had other plans.
“I’m leaving.”
Zhong Yue smiled, he said, “It might be very long until I return, or maybe never. So… I’m here to say goodbye. The Ancestral Star is undergoing major changes, some unknown force is shifting the principles of cultivation, it is no place for Qi Practitioners to inhabit anymore. The Ancestral Star will be devoid from cultivators in a thousand years time. Thus, other than saying goodbye, I am also here to…”
“To place the human race under my watch?” Chi Xue tilted her head and mulled, she interrupted, “No, you won’t, you know me well. I am entitled with the greatest honor of the whole Kun Lun Realm, but my faction is yet to be strong enough; so you won’t hand the human race to me. After all, I will have to face with all the other factions once the Western Mother Empress dies; that places the human race in a greater threat, they might even go extinct from the war. Moreover, you won’t allow the humans to bow to anyone else anymore.”
Zhong Yue smiled, “I know your faction is yet to be fully matured, that’s why I will bring the Ancestral Star dragon race and Bai Zhe Clan to your aid. The old Western Mother Empress has at most eighty years to live, her death will open the floodgates for the other gods to come and take your throne. However, with the aid from the Ancestral Star, the pressure on you can be greatly reduced.”
Chi Xue was overjoyed, “You are giving your helpers to me? I really do need them, but what about the human race? After you leave, and when cultivation stops, the human race will be even more inferior than the naturally gifted races. What are you going to do then?”
Zhong Yue smiled, but never replied.
Chi Xue gazed deeply into his eyes; a thought flashed across her mind, and her body abruptly shivered in shock, she shook her head and said, “I don’t believe you are capable of that!”
Zhong Yue remained calm, however, “I do need to warn you on how much I value my people. If, in any case, you dare to infiltrate the Ancestral Star, not only will seal the Ancestral Star races, I will seal all of whole Kun Lun as well.”
A cold chill traveled Chi Xue’s spine, and she chortled abruptly, “You ungrateful lover, I am your lady, how can you threaten me like this?”
Zhong Yue laughed, “To the Western Mother Empress, I am just another man. You don’t belong to me, nor do I belong to you.”
“Darling, why do you have to be so fickle in love?” Chi Xue mourned sorrowfully.
Zhong Yue then lowered his voice as he said, “An empress’s will is unbendable, and the empire is her only concern. I cannot let my people down because of my personal affections.”
Chi Xue chuckled, “Humph, it’s difficult to take advantage of you. Why don’t you stay? Stay in Kun Lun, I am the Western Mother Empress and you can be the Eastern Father Emperor, we can each conquer one end of Kun Lun. You and I have both cultivated the Six Paths Wheels, we have sixty thousand years to spend together, wouldn’t that be nice?”
Zhong Yue shook his head while smiling, “I’d like to be the Eastern Father Emperor as well, but my people needs me more than anything else. I dare not lay back and relax for even a second. Maybe, when one day I have settled everything, I will come back and you can pass your throne away to your successor. Maybe we can enjoy our time together in peace by then.”
Chi Xue knew words wouldn’t have any effect on his decision, so she stopped and smiled, “Let me show you around. There are many gods in Kun Lun, I thought you should know as well what we are going to face against in the future.”
Zhong Yue nodded, and the two started walking through the Kun Lun Realm. The first place they went to was the Kua Fu Celestial Race. There, the Kua Fu experts and Kua Fuding tensed their muscles, and strained their nerves while staring closely at them.
“Zhong Yue, I know you are a walking disaster, go back to your Ancestral Star and leave our Kun Lun alone
Kua Fuding stepped forward, he smirked coldly while saying, “You and I are not done yet, we shall fight again!”
Zhong Yue was startled for a second, he then nodded and left with Chi Xue.
After that, they came to a picturesque paradise hidden in a mountain. Shang Zhen God was hovering above the woods, colding staring at Zhong Yue while saying, “Zhong Yue, why are you here? I will never forgive you for killing my son, Shang Qing!”
Chi Xue continued to show him around while he was bombarded by curses and verbal vitriol from the gods they came across.
Zhong Yue locked his brows deeper as time passed by. It was only when they visited the Tian Wu God that he was able to relieve the tension in his heart.
“Did you glean anything?” The future Western Mother Empress asked.
“Enemies. I have enemies all over Kun Lun.”
Zhong Yue furrowed his brows, “But, how strange, they aren’t doing anything. It feels as if something is holding them back, like a near-eruption volcano that is suppressing itself so that it can deliver a stronger calamity. I heard there was a West Barren god that sought refuge in Kun Lun, he must be the one plotting all of this as revenge against me.”
Chi Xue nodded, “It is true, this Ancestral Star god is called the Yellow Snake, he found out about Kun Lun discontent towards you and gathered those who were interested to launch an assault. So, darling, what else do you see?”
“We share the same enemies. They are all related to those we’ve killed in the Returning Ruins.”
Zhong Yue frowned, “While the Western Mother Empress is still alive, they will not touch a single hair of yours. But once she’s gone, you will have to face wrath, they will first kill you and take the throne, then slaughter the humans in the Ancestral Star because of me.”
Chi Xue clapped her hands happily, “Exactly!”
Zhong Yue pondered deeply, “Furthermore, the Kun Lun gods will not let the sealing ritual happen, they will surely descend upon the Ancestral Star and sabotage the ritual.”
Chi Xue laughed, “Now, do you still want to leave the Ancestral Star?”
Zhong Yue laughed back, “The Ancestral Star is too small for me now, I need a larger stage to grow stronger! Chi Xue, nothing can stop me from leaving. When the time Western Mother Empress passes away, and the calamity arrives, the human race will have more than ten human gods, with countless treasures. We will be strong enough to stand on alongside you as your trusted allies. Furthermore, my two incarnations will be left in the Ancestral Star, they will ascend to deityhood as the same time as me. In addition the Tian Wu God I’ve asked to help us, there is nothing much to worry about anymore!”
Waves of emotions flashed through Chi Xue’s eyes, she sighed and lamented, “That being said, it’s impossible for me to persuade you to stay anymore…”
She only showed Zhong Yue around to show him the strength of their enemies; she didn’t want him to go, but as the next Western Mother Empress, she couldn’t openly plead him to stay, or to fully rely on him.
Her identity and status wouldn’t allow her to that; thus, she could only show Zhong Yue the threats to the human race and hope that Zhong Yue would decide to stay of his own accord.
But now, Zhong Yue had clearly stated that he has fully prepared for the future, there was no other reason she could use to make him stay anymore.
Zhong Yue smiled, “This is not a true farewell. I will come back to visit you, I promise you that.”
The two of them continued their walk around Kun Lun. Suddenly, Zhong Yue stopped when they were treading across a mountain ridge. He looked up and noticed the corner of a well-hidden palace within the woods. He strode toward the palace, and found a few children handling a herb garden beside the palace.
As soon as the children saw the two of them, they scattered away in all directions, running while shouting, “Intruders! Bad guys!”
Zhong Yue stopped one of them and asked warmly, “Is your master home? I am his old friend, please do
inform him I am here to visit.”
The child’s body shuddered as he entered the palace. Moments later, the children walked out of the palace and said, “Master invites the guests into the palace.”
Zhong Yue and Chi Xue walked into the palace. An old man was preparing a cup of tea in the middle of the palace. Although aged, the old man’s hands were steadier than the hunters’.
The old man waved his hand, and the children exited the palace; he invited Zhong Yue and Chi Xue to be seated and said smilingly, “Little friends, we meet again. How may I help?”
Chi Xue was puzzled for a second, but was quick to realize, she exclaimed in shock, “The Six Paths Fruit Tree!”
The old man was none other than the Six Paths Fruit Tree while the children out there were also the cultivated divine herbs. That was why the children were so afraid of Zhong Yue and Chi Xue, feared they would have been captured and consumed.
The Six Paths Fruit Tree poured each of them a cup of tea, and Zhong Yue said while smiling, “It was unexpected to run into you, of course I had to pay you a visit. I will be leaving soon, and so I thought I might as well visit you and say goodbye.”
“I see.” Six Paths Fruit Tree said, “But you really are a disaster. You could’ve visited me on your own, why did you bring her along? It may seem like nothing now, but when she grows strong enough, she will hunt for me one day. Guess I’m going to have to find a new place to live again!”
Chi Xue wasn’t quite happy as she questioned, “And why would I do that?”
The old man smirked coldly, “You are the future Western Mother Empress. Although you are still weak now, you will one day be stronger than most gods. By then, you will never allow my Six Paths Fruit to fall into the hands of others, you will surely catch me for your own use. You aren’t as benevolent as Zhong Yue. Even if I am not your target, my other divine herb servants will still be taken away from me.”
Zhong Yue quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, I never thought of this. Please do forgive me, senior.”
Whereas Chi Xue never spoke a word, only giving a cold snort.
The Six Paths Fruit Tree smiled, “You are planning to leave? Where to? You’ve ruined my place, I think I have the rights to demand a new one!”
A thought flashed across Zhong Yue’s mind, he smiled in reply, “To a wider, and bigger space. Does senior want to follow?”
Six Paths Fruit Tree’s face changed slightly, but he eventually shook and declined, “The universe is far too big, where should I ever stay in? I refuse.”
Zhong Yue’s new plan was just forming in his head was dashed with the tree’s reply. He waved goodbye to the Six Paths Fruit Tree and left with Chi Xue.
The two returned to Chi Xue’s place and spent some time together. After a few days, Zhong Yue stood up from the soft bed without waking up Chi Xue, and left quietly on his own.
Zhong Yue burnt the incense stick and was ready to return to the Ancestral Star when suddenly, an old and hoarse voice sounded from behind.
“Little Friend Zhong, you’ve ruined my house, it’s time to pay me another one.”
“Senior, you…” Zhong Yue asked puzzlingly.
Six Paths Fruit Tree led a few divine herb servants on the front, he sneered coldly and explained, “I don’t trust the little Western Mother Empress, if I told her I am leaving, she will surely try many ways to stop me. Thus, I decided to quietly follow you from behind.”
Chapter 598: Desert, Sun, Blood |
Zhong Yue was overjoyed, but the Six Paths Fruit Tree immediately crushed his wild thoughts, "Don't be too happy, I'm only following you because I needed to find a new home. I'm not here as your helper, and I have no reason to help at all. Don't ever entertain the thought."
Zhong Yue smiled, "I know, rest assured, senior, I will not force you to do anything. Not only that, but I will find you a good place to stay as well.
Six Paths Fruit Tree nodded, "Then, let's leave now before that little girl finds out!"
Chi Xue woke up and found Zhong Yue missing, she knew he had returned to the Ancestral Star.
Immediately, she summoned her personal guards and rushed toward the hidden palace in the woods only to find it devoid of people. Even the garden in front of the palace was plundered from any spiritual herbs.
"Oh no!" Chi Xue stamped her feet, "That ungrateful lover took them away!"
But even when she found out that the Six Paths Fruit Tree and the other divine herbs were taken away by Zhong Yue, she wasn't furious at all. Instead, she left while thinking to herself, He has always been better than me, the Six Paths Fruit Tree and the divine herbs wouldn't be a waste in his hands...
Zhong Yue led the Six Paths Fruit Tree to the West Barren and headed east. The Six Paths Fruit Tree mulled and said, "From now on, you should call me Old Man Six Paths so my identity will not be exposed."
Zhong Yue nodded. The Six Paths Fruits from the Six Paths Fruit Tree were divine herbs only slightly inferior to the Peaches of Immortality and saint herbs. If the Six Paths Fruit Tree's identity were exposed to the world, the other races and even the gods would have come after it!
All of a sudden, the Six Paths Fruit Tree furrowed his brows. A wave of godly aura burst out in front of them, and the godly rays shot through the firmament; a god could be seen pointing a war pike at them with great killing intent!
Krong—
The god's overbearing will surged through the air, and faint din of war attacked their ears. It felt as though they had fallen into a bloody battlefield—a desert painted with blood, paved with corpses, and scorched by the sun!
"West Barren's god, Wen Changgong," Zhong Yue's heart skipped a beat.
Other than Wei Xue God who he had captured, the neutral Zhu Jiumu, and Huang She God who sought refuge in Kun Lun, the only West Barren gods left was this war god — Wen Changgong.
Wen Changgong came from the Ding Ri Celestial Race, he was in a closed-door training to heal his injuries and had only come out recently. He was one of the two gods that were dissatisfied with Zhong Yue, the other being a demon god from the Asura Saint Race.
Wen Changgong's killing intent was so sharp that it swept the dust and sand away from him. He was startled when he saw the Six Paths Fruit Tree, "A helper? Are you not afraid of death?"
Right away, the intense will and godly aura pressed down on the Six Paths Fruit Tree; Old Man Six Paths's face changed slighty, but he only gave a cold snort and quickly dispersed the pressure.
Wen Changgong's face also changed, the war pike quivered rapidly as he pierced it through the sky. At that instant, a dimensional rift abruptly appeared in front of the old man, and the war pike lunged out for his throat!
But it was as if he had foreseen it to come, Old Man Six Paths raised a hand and stopped the pike by its tip. He then pushed it out back into the dimensional rift while unleashing an even stronger aura than Wen Changgong’s. One could even vaguely perceive the images of the godly corpses within his aura!
Wen Changgong’s expression changed drastically, an overpowering strength came from the tip of the war pike and crushed through his defense, piercing the war pike back into his chest!
Immediately, he turned and morphed into a celestial with wings and a chicken’s head before fleeing without any hesitation.
“Your enemy?” Zhong Yue looked at Old Man Six Paths and asked curiously.
Old Man Six Paths frowned, he shook his head in reply, “No, I don’t even know who he is. This is the first time I have come to the Ancestral Star, how can I have any enemies here? Could he be a Kun Lun god? But that doesn’t make sense either, I never stirred any trouble at all. Could it be your enemy instead?”
Zhong Yue laughed and replied, “How can my enemy attack you before me? Old Man Six Paths, you must have offended someone unintentionally, or maybe even worse, your identity might have been exposed!”
Old Man Six Paths stiffened up his face, “It is possible! Thankfully I have left Kun Lun, or I might have been surrounded by the gods no
w!”
Zhong Yue smiled, “Although you have spared his life, he still won’t appreciate you for that. He will come back for you again, if not you, then it’d be for your divine herb servants.”
Old Man Six Paths nodded, “If there is a second time, I will kill him.”
Just as he spoke, the surroundings flashed with a divine yet demonic aura. Zhong Yue and Old Man Six Paths both locked their brows and looked over to its source.
The demonic aura came from an insect god the size of a mountain, donned in a full-bodied golden armor while wielding a weapon each its six arms.
“There’s two of them!” Old Man Six Paths sensed a barely noticeable aura and he said, “Another one is hiding!”
Zhong Yue tensed his heart. He immediately focused his senses and picked up another faint aura lingering underneath the billowing godly aura. Clearly, it was from the second insect god!
Zhong Yue was the main architect of the insect race’s annihilation, even the insect gods were left with two surviving. Surely enough, the last two insect gods would hunt him to avenge their people!
Old Man Six Paths squinted his eyes in disgust, it was the nature of the divine herbs against the insects. He frowned and asked, “Your enemies or mine?”
“Either works fine!” Zhong Yue’s face turned gloomy, he cast out the Divine Wing Saber and answered frostily, “Whether they are yours or mine, we are on the same team now. If that’s the case, why is there a need to split hairs? Just kill them!”
Old Man Six Paths was quick to agree. He didn’t know if the insect gods followed him here from Kun Lun, or if they were from the Ancestral Star; but whichever it was, he still wouldn’t let them go as they were his natural enemies!
The golden-armored insect god moved like a giant toward Zhong Yue and Old Man Six Paths. He appeared in front of them in just the blink of an eye and brought all six divine weapons down at them!
