Chapter 488 - Two Mutts Ascending the Heavens!

In the Nine Hells, near the Immortal Asylum, there stood a dim, yellow lake.

What had been clear waters was now muddied and darkened under the eerie light of the fused sun and moon, turning into a stagnant pool of death. Fish, shrimp, insects, and plants could not endure the Heavenly Decay, and soon floated up to the surface, bellies white and lifeless.

Every creature, every blade of grass, perished in this catastrophe.

Life, fleeting as a mayfly's day-long existence, naturally expired even quicker.

This lake was but a microcosm!

From the Nine Hells, the catastrophe of extinction spread like a primordial beast, devouring world after world.

Wherever it went, it left creatures in misery.

This disaster, more dreadful than the legendary calamities wrought by the Nian, was ironically orchestrated by the revered True Immortals of the Celestial Court, a bitter irony indeed.

"Pomelo..."

Beside this lake, on a block of bluestone, sat a girl in a white dress, her gaze hollow as she stared at the carcasses of fish and shrimp on the water's surface.

"He won’t come back, will he?" Lian Xi murmured.

In her arms, a small white tiger the size of a palm looked worldly and wise as it sneered, "Considering how he fled in panic, it's clear he's a coward. Don't expect much!"

"He really did seem scared," Lian Xi said, lifting her eyes to the sky. "Do you think he's afraid of that woman's power, or her status?"

"If it's just status, that's manageable. We don't need to worry about the power plays of the Celestial Court. But if it's power, then we're in trouble." The little tiger sighed.

"This isn't the worst of it," Lian Xi said through clenched teeth.

"What could be worse?"

"Our enemy possesses both status and power," Lian Xi's face hardened with frost.

"It’s mainly a matter of time. The lives of the common folk and the ecosystems of myriad worlds can’t hold out much longer; otherwise, we wouldn’t fear her!" the little tiger said angrily.

Both fell silent for a moment.

"See this lake?" the little tiger suddenly said solemnly.

"I see it..."

"The disaster is going to cause irreparable damage to the entire mortal realm. The Arbiter Immortal can't be relied on, and the suffering of the people is immense; there's only one solution!" the small white tiger said, its eyes blazing as it looked at the girl in the white dress. "Lil Xi, I really can't understand your hesitation!"

"The only way you're talking about is..."

"Of course, it's through seizing Yun Xiao's Primordial Martial Furnace! That way, you can break through to become a True Immortal and directly confront the scourge afflicting the myriad worlds! You've made significant progress recently, reaching the Perfect Yang Immortal Realm—only a step or two left!" the small white tiger said earnestly.

"No! My master told me Yun Xiao defeated the Sky Source Immortal alone. If it comes to a fight, he'd be more useful than me." Lian Xi shook her head.

"Shut up!" The tiger's whiskers bristled with anger. "Understand this, you were born a savior. Don't put too much faith in him; he's trying to steal your destiny."

"Does it matter who plays the hero, as long as everyone is saved?" Lian Xi replied, shaking her head again.

"Listen, Lian Xi!" The tiger stared at her. "His limit might be the Sky Source Immortal, but if you ascend, you can truly activate the divine powers of the Primordial Pagoda. Your potential far exceeds his by leagues! Only a True Immortal like you can face an enemy that that Arbiter Immortal fears."

"I understand," Lian Xi inhaled sharply. "I'll discuss it with him; at least he has the right to know."

"Heh," The small white tiger rolled its eyes. "As if he'd agree! He's far more selfish than you, don't expect him to sacrifice himself."

"He's not as you describe; he has a compassionate soul," Lian Xi declared, her gaze resolute.

"Please, he's nothing but a brutal, reckless rogue!" the small white tiger spat.

Lian Xi ignored the small white tiger's further comments.

Just then, a streak of azure light descended from the sky, slowly landing beside Lian Xi. It was Yun Xiao.

Upon landing, his eyes fell on the murky lake, and he softly said, "Lil Xi, the flowers, the birdsongs, and the beauty of competing life forms are what make our fondest memories. Life is like a dream because of these splendors, making existence meaningful."

"But now, the Immortals stand high above, proud and aloof, draining the lifeblood of the mortal world," Lian Xi clenched her fists, her eyes filled with boundless anger.

Their eyes met.

Yun Xiao's gaze was cold and stern.

Lian Xi's was filled with fury and dedication.

"Arbiter Lu represents a hope. But we cannot wait idly," Yun Xiao said.

"What do you plan to do?" Lian Xi asked softly.

"I've hit a barrier in the Five Decays Realm and haven't broken through. I suspect my Life Sigil is the culprit, suppressing and preventing the next decay. So, I want to approach the corrupted Celestial Sourcecore and absorb a significant amount of its Heavenly Decay to see," Yun Xiao's eyes burned fiercely.

"Isn't that dangerous? The Heavenly Decay is a withering disaster," Lian Xi said, concerned.

"Without destruction, there can be no creation. With the world in such a state, what do I care for danger?" Yun Xiao reached out, touching her cheek, "I've made up my mind. I'm going now."

"Alright," Lian Xi resigned herself, knowing she could not stop him.

"By the way." Yun Xiao blinked, "I'm giving you two sticks, made of gold."

"Huh, two sticks? You're one person. How do you have two sticks?" the small white tiger poked its head out, somewhat surprised.

"Huh?" Yun Xiao pulled out the two Gilded Dragon Maces from his Bag of Holding and handed the Immortal weapons to Lian Xi. "I meant these two sticks."

"Tsk...!" The small white tiger felt bored and withdrew.

"Such big sticks..." Despite Lian Xi's delicate appearance, she possessed extraordinary strength. The pair of Gilded Dragon Maces weighed far more than her usual axe and warhammer. Yet, she lifted them with ease, swinging them casually.

"They suit you well, don't they?" Yun Xiao chuckled.

A girl in a white dress, swinging two golden maces taller than herself—the scene was absurd yet imposing.

"Immortal weapons!" Lian Xi jumped with joy, her eyes shining as she looked at Yun Xiao. "Thank you for the gift of the sticks! I will treasure them for a lifetime."

She was overjoyed.

But Yun Xiao, thinking that her lifetime might not be very long, felt a pang of melancholy.

"I'm off," Yun Xiao said.

Lian Xi quickly stowed away the maces and tugged at the hem of Yun Xiao's robe. "Wait, I'll go with you."

"It's dangerous there," Yun Xiao said seriously.

"That's exactly why I must protect you," Lian Xi declared with a steadfast look.

Yun Xiao gazed at her for a moment, then stepped back on his Sovereign Sword, making room for her, and smiled. "Get on the sword!"

"Alright!" Lian Xi's smile bloomed, simple and pure, so pristine it seemed sacrilege to mar it even slightly.

Yun Xiao then embraced her and soared on the Sovereign Sword toward the Primordial Ruins.

That divine ark had once been a place of dreams for all the people of the myriad worlds; now, it was a source of sin and disaster.

On the Sovereign Sword, Yun Xiao held her close. He understood well; her ethereal grace was unlike that of Zhao Xuanran.

"How do you manage to move between two women seamlessly without any guilt?" Blue Star asked in astonishment.

"Girls, how wonderful they are. Do not fuss over choices, nor burden yourself too much. Just follow your heart and appreciate in silence," Yun Xiao advised.

"That's too profound, I didn't catch it. Bluey, did you get that?" Red Moon inquired.

"I translated it. What he means is, he wants them all, and he’s quite open about it," Blue Star remarked with a click of the tongue.

"Darn. If the old Creator had realized this, his descendants would have filled the heavens with Immortals instead of needing to create more people," Red Moon said, stunned.

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In the Primordial Ruins, upon arriving, Yun Xiao slowed his Sovereign Sword and gazed towards the conjunction of the sun and moon, threading through the thick gold and black mist, drawing closer in silence.

The closer he got, the more violent and pervasive the force of decay became, seeping into everything!

He looked into the distance and saw that the Peach Sea Formation was still there, shining like a pearl in this land of sin.

On the streets, tens of millions of people continued to smile as they burned their lives away...

This disaster had now touched Azure Spirit! Yun Xiao could tolerate no more!

"Yun Xiao!" Just as they neared the Celestial Sourcecore and the surrounding temperature began to rise, Lian Xi suddenly called out to him softly, then said, "There's someone ahead!"

"Who..."

Following her gaze, Yun Xiao saw a figure near the fiercely burning Celestial Sourcecore.

The figure was small, not seeming to be an adult.

"Anyone here at this time, not practicing the Ascension Technique but instead appearing in this place, can only be an Immortal from the Celestial Court!"

Yun Xiao stared intently at the figure, moving even closer.

Soon, they both saw clearly!

It was a girl, about 12 or 13 years old, her hair done up in a bun, dressed in a short robe embroidered with peach blossoms.

Though just a child, her eyes were ice-cold and mature, devoid of youthful naivety.

And so, Yun Xiao was unsure of her actual age.

"She might be similar to that boy, Mu Shuo, from last time—a True immortal, likely a follower, not the leader," Yun Xiao surmised.

As long as it wasn't the leader, they weren’t overly concerned.

"Right," Lian Xi nodded, anger building in her eyes.

They observed the girl holding a jade bottle, tilting it to pour a pink liquid into the Celestial Sourcecore!

"Are you seeing that? The force of Heavenly Decay from the Celestial Sourcecore is growing stronger?" Yun Xiao frowned.

"It must be due to the substance in that bottle." Lian Xi bit her lip. "The leader isn’t here. If we destroy this bottle now, we might slow the disaster's spread, making things easier for everyone."

"But that girl is a True Immortal. Though she seems weaker than the Sky Source Immortal, she's not easy to deal with," Yun Xiao said gravely.

"Are you suggesting we pass up this opportunity?" Lian Xi gripped his hand earnestly. "The enemy is accelerating the demise of the myriad worlds with this thing. If we shatter it, we might gain ten days, maybe even half a month!"

"I know..." Yun Xiao nodded.

"Is it because you temporarily can't replicate the fighting power you used against the Mystic Earth Immortal and Sky Source Immortal? No matter, let me try," Lian Xi's gaze filled with determination.

Just as she spoke, a mocking laugh sounded before them.

"Really?" The girl had noticed them and now stood before their eyes!

"Hilarious, you two mortal mutts, don’t you know a True Immortal can project their spirit and see in all directions? Sneaking around trying to trick me, eh?" The girl's eyes brimmed with scorn.