Within the chaos, Imperial Passes rose one after another. Each Imperial Pass teemed with immortal gods traveling to and fro, including gods of the Great Desolation and gods from the Outer Realm. Beyond the passes were twisted spacetime vortex passages linking the major worlds.
Inside a towering tavern, an Outer Realm bard was telling a story.
The bard had a pale face and green hair, yet wore a Daoist robe. A harp rested beside him, while a wooden clapper sat conspicuously on the table before him, making for an utterly mismatched sight.
The bard slapped the wooden clapper in his hand and said, "Today, I'll tell everyone the origin of these thirty-three Imperial Passes.
Legend had it that long, long ago, the great Great Desolation World faced an immeasurable calamity. The myriad races of the heavens broke through chaos and descended, seeking to conquer the Great Desolation World. But how could our Great Desolation World be something they could covet?"
An old Daoist below laughed heartily. "Judging by your appearance, you don't look like a Great Desolation being either, do you? Since when did the Great Desolation World become yours?"
The other customers also burst into laughter. There were quite a few people in chaos pretending to be Great Desolation beings these days. Not long ago, someone had impersonated a disciple of Great Immortal Zhenyuan of the Great Desolation and scammed an entire divine pantheon.
A trace of pride appeared on the bard's face. He reached out and took out a card traced with golden patterns, saying smugly, "Take a look at this. I've obtained a Great Desolation ID Card. I'm a Great Desolation god now."
The old Daoist's expression changed. He immediately cupped his hands and bowed. "So you truly are a fellow Daoist of the Great Desolation. My words just now were improper. Please forgive me!"
Ever since the Great Desolation had suppressed the invading Outer Realm enemies, it had emerged from the chaos domain. The Dao Ancestor had instituted the Great Desolation ID Card, but it was exceedingly difficult for Outer Realm gods to obtain one. Every Outer Realm god who received a Great Desolation ID Card had made special contributions to the Great Desolation and had to be treated with respect.
Some of the other Outer Realm gods in the tavern stared with envy, their eyes practically glowing green. Who did not know that the Great Desolation was the most perfect and powerful world in the primordial cosmos? With such an ID card, one could travel unhindered through most chaos domains.
The green-haired bard put away his ID card and said smugly, "I didn't mean to show off. This poor Daoist has always been very low-key. Now, let's continue the story...
At that time, several hundred Holy Gods from the Outer Realm descended, intending to suppress our Great Desolation World in one stroke.
But our Great Desolation World only sent out eight Saints: Sect Master Taishang, Primordial Lord of Heaven, Sect Master Tongtian, Empress Nuwa, Empress Pingxin, Sect Master Jieyin, Sect Master Zhunti, and Demon Ancestor Luohu.
Even now, statues of those eight great sect masters still stood within the Imperial Passes for us to admire.
If you went to visit, you could also see statues of other great gods, such as the supreme and most exalted Supreme Emperor of Heaven, the compassionate Buddha Tathagata who delivered the world, and Sect Master Styx whose Blood Sea towered to the heavens. Back then, they too had slaughtered the gods of the myriad Outer Realm worlds until they collapsed in utter defeat.
The eight great Saints of the Great Desolation merely sneered in disdain at the hundreds and thousands of Outer Realm Saints. Like chopping melons and vegetables, they cut down every last Outer Realm Saint. Blood flowed into rivers, while the Outer Realm Saints wailed like ghosts and howled like wolves..."
At a window seat, Bai Jin choked and coughed repeatedly.
Shi Ji, seated opposite him, said with a smile, "Senior Brother, the story is becoming more and more outrageous. In a few more years, they might claim that tens of thousands of Saints besieged the Great Desolation."
Gu Liang said with a giggle, "I wonder how Master and the Martial Uncles would feel about that!"
Bai Jin gazed outside and sighed. "They should feel quite saddened. Grandmaster fought for this victory with his life."
"...That great war lasted several thousand Great Desolation years and was later recorded as the Chaotic Ancient Era.
Later, just as the Outer Realm evil gods planned to summon the Heavenly Dao to suppress the Great Desolation, the great Dao Ancestor descended. With one wave of his hand, he drove away all the Heavenly Daos; with one raised hand, he suppressed all the Outer Realm Saints. He even forced them to sign the Imperial Pass Treaty, bringing the Chaotic Ancient Era to an end.
According to the Imperial Pass Treaty, the Great Desolation would open thirty-three Imperial Passes as gateways for external communication, while every world of the primordial cosmos would open its gates to the Great Desolation. Thus, the Great Desolation established its absolute position of control.
Now, the thirty-three Imperial Passes had become the center of communication and trade for the myriad worlds of the heavens..."
At the window seat, Bai Jin shook his head and sighed. "How could it have been so simple? Back then, I had given everything I had to drive away the Outer Realm Heavenly Daos."
Gu Liang asked curiously, "What about now?"
Bai Jin said with a smile, "Now, perhaps I could drive away the Heavenly Dao with a single wave."
Gu Liang's eyes sparkled with stars as she cried out worshipfully, "Senior Brother, you're amazing!"
Bai Jin shook his head slightly. "The amazing one isn't me, but Grandmaster. The road I've walked was paved with Grandmaster's life."
Shi Ji and Gu Liang both fell silent.
Bai Jin's expression suddenly changed. "Junior Sisters, I'll be leaving first." With that, his figure faded and vanished.
Within the chaos, Sect Master Taishang, Sect Master Jieyin, Empress Pingxin, and many other Saints had all arrived.
Bai Jin flashed into existence and immediately cupped his hands in salute. "Greetings, Master, Martial Uncles, and Godfather." All the Saints hurriedly stepped aside, not daring to accept his bow.
Sect Master Taishang said with a smile, "Bai Jin, you are the Dao Ancestor. We should be the ones saluting you."
All the Saints bowed and said, "Greetings, Dao Ancestor."
Bai Jin hurriedly moved aside. "I dare not accept that. How could elders bow to a junior?"
All the Saints rose, looking at Bai Jin with considerable satisfaction. Even after becoming the Dao Ancestor, he remained so principled and courteous. That truly was rare.
"Master, Martial Uncles, and Godfather, why did you summon me here?"
Sect Master Taishang said with a cheerful smile, "Bai Jin, we came to bid you farewell."
Bai Jin's expression shifted as he said sorrowfully, "Martial Uncle, you're leaving too?"
Sect Master Taishang nodded slightly. "We should have left long ago. We merely could not stop worrying about you or the Great Desolation.
That was why we delayed until now. But everything in the Great Desolation is on the right track now, and with you here, its safety is assured. We plan to travel through chaos for a while."
Primordial Lord of Heaven nodded. "Bai Jin, if the Great Desolation ever faces danger, contact us. We will return immediately."
"Martial Uncles, but I can't bear to part with you."
Sect Master Tongtian stepped forward, patted Bai Jin's shoulder, and laughed heartily. "Bai Jin, you are this master's proudest disciple. This master is proud of you. Don't act like a little girl. This master will come back to see you."
Sect Master Zhunti said with a smile, "We are going to follow in Teacher's footsteps. I hope that one day, you will catch up as well."
Bai Jin's brow twitched. He asked tentatively, "Teacher? You mean Grandmaster? Didn't Grandmaster merge with Dao?"
Zhunti said in astonishment, "Merge with Dao? No! Teacher left the Great Desolation after the war."
Bai Jin looked utterly incredulous as he slowly turned to Sect Master Taishang.
Taishang smiled and nodded. "Master bid farewell to us."
"Ah, my emotions! My tears! Grandmaster actually deceived me. He said he couldn't hold on any longer and asked me to merge with Dao and take his place."
In chaos, an old man leaning on a wooden staff slowly wandered atop a ferocious chaos beast.
"Achoo! Achoo!" The old man sneezed several times in succession, rubbed his nose, and muttered, "Who is thinking about me?"
Smiling, he murmured to himself, "Having become the Dao Ancestor, Bai Jin should be doing quite well, shouldn't he? This is much more comfortable. With nothing to do, one feels light and free!"
Within the chaos, Sect Master Taishang said with a laugh, "Master seemed to have said something similar to me, but I didn't believe him."
Primordial Lord of Heaven nodded. "Master said the same thing to me. I didn't believe him either."
Sect Master Tongtian frowned and said unhappily, "That's not right. That old man told both of you, so why didn't he ask me? Who was he looking down on?"
The corners of Bai Jin's mouth twitched. Good heavens, so Grandmaster had wanted to dump this burden long ago. Give me back my emotions! As for why he didn't ask Master, did that even need asking? If my Master became the Dao Ancestor, wouldn't he turn the entire Great Desolation upside down? From that perspective, Grandmaster still had a little sense of responsibility.
Bai Jin looked eagerly at Sect Master Taishang and asked, "First Martial Uncle, does becoming this Dao Ancestor mean I can never leave the Great Desolation?"
Sect Master Taishang said with a smile, "More precisely, you cannot leave this chaos domain."
"What if this disciple also wishes to travel through chaos?"
Sect Master Taishang chuckled. "Bai Jin, you are still young. Endure it for a few more years. Once you raise a suitable successor, trick him into merging with Dao. Then you will naturally be free as well."
"Trick..." The corners of Bai Jin's mouth twitched. So Grandmaster really did trick me! Those old immortals are all too crafty. I'm still too pure. I truly can't outplay them!
Empress Nuwa said with a smile, "Little Bai, I'll come back to see you often in the future." Suddenly recalling something, she blinked and smiled mysteriously. "Before I leave, I plan to give you a surprise."
Empress Pingxin covered her mouth and laughed softly. "What a coincidence. I've prepared a surprise for Little Bai too."
Empress Nuwa said with a smile, "Little Bai gave me a gift before, but I never had the chance to show it off. Now that I'm leaving, I shouldn't disappoint Little Bai's good intentions."
Empress Pingxin said with a soft laugh, "What a coincidence. I also have a gift from Little Bai. I intend to wear the gift Little Bai gave me when I leave."
The two Empresses met each other's eyes. Sparks flew, like the point of a needle against the tip of an awl.
Bai Jin's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a sense of foreboding. Even as the Dao Ancestor, he sensed a sudden chill of danger. He had given many gifts, but every gift had been prepared in pairs. Surely, perhaps, maybe, the gifts they intended to bring out could not possibly be the same?
Bai Jin hurriedly said with a placating smile, "Empresses, I have received your goodwill. The gifts I gave can be appreciated in private. There's no need to take them out."
Empress Nuwa and Empress Pingxin both turned to Bai Jin and said, "Little Bai, this has nothing to do with you. Go stand aside."
"Uh..." Bai Jin immediately fell silent, his little eyes darting rapidly.
Empress Nuwa said with a smile, "Sister, shall we do it together?"
Empress Pingxin nodded with a smile. "All right!"
The two waved their hands simultaneously. A divine light flashed, and they had completely changed outfits.
Empress Nuwa wore a pure white gown and a crown. An icy divine pearl atop the crown shone brightly. She held a scepter, around which beautiful vines twined, its tip crowned with a jewel like the sun. The Bright Sun Queen had appeared.
On the other side, Empress Pingxin wore a black gown and a crown adorned with four glittering pearls. She held a crystalline black-jade scepter, around which blood-red flowering vines coiled, its tip crowned with a jewel like the moon. She was every bit the Dark Moon Queen.
Sect Master Taishang's brow twitched twice as he could not help looking at Bai Jin. Are you stupid? Why would you give them identical gifts?
Primordial Lord of Heaven nodded slightly and said approvingly, "Not bad. It suits both Empresses' temperaments very well. Bai Jin's aesthetic sense has not gone astray."
Bai Jin's expression stiffened as he quietly edged backward.
Empress Pingxin and Empress Nuwa looked at each other, examined each other's outfits, then turned toward Bai Jin with cold smiles and cried out in feigned anger, "Bai Jin!"
Sect Master Taishang hurriedly said, "Bai Jin, the Great Desolation is in your hands. We'll be leaving first."
Taishang grabbed Primordial Lord of Heaven with one hand and Sect Master Tongtian with the other, immediately fleeing into chaos.
Sect Master Tongtian still struggled and shouted, "Don't pull me! I haven't properly said goodbye to Little Bai yet! I still want to keep watching!"
Seeing that the situation was bad, Sect Master Jieyin and Sect Master Zhunti said nothing and immediately ran away.
As Sect Master Zhunti fled, he did not forget to give Bai Jin a thumbs-up. As expected of Teacher's chosen successor. He truly admired him.
Bai Jin could no longer spare any attention for his Master and Martial Uncles. He retreated again and again, forcing a smile as he said, "Empresses, listen to my explanation."
"Explain? How do you intend to explain this? Didn't you say the gift you gave me was one of a kind in chaos?"
"That's right! Little Bai, didn't you say mine was unique in the Three Realms?"
The two Empresses wore gentle, amiable smiles as they slowly approached Bai Jin.
Cold sweat broke out across Bai Jin's forehead. Sensing increasing danger, he turned and ran.
"Little Bai, don't run!"
"Little Bai, stop right there!"
The two Queens chased relentlessly after him.
The End!!
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