Chapter 264
Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang was puzzled. It turned out that the Emperor had been secretly watching her all along.
Although she had never seen the Emperor in person, nor had she ever had any interaction with him, Ancestor Su's words were enough to reveal this.
After all, the Emperor is the most powerful being in the Eastern Pole of the Central Heaven. He does not easily express his will, but once it is revealed, it is an unquestionable decision.
"Alright, it's time to get down to business."
Ancestor Su sighed, a complex look flashing in his eyes. "After you entered Dongling, you went to Duohu City to try to treat a member of the Su clan Su Miaomiao, didn't you?"
"Exactly."
Xiao Minghuang nodded. Within the territory of Dongling, there should be nothing that could be hidden from this Su Clan's First Ancestor.
"That's it, I came here for her."
Ancestor Su sighed softly, his gaze seemingly traversing through the years, revealing a hint of regret.
"That was fifteen years ago, on a certain day, when an extremely rare genius was born in the clan, possessing the Innate Earth Saint Body."
"Innate Earth Saint Body?"
Lin Wanqiu was suddenly startled and couldn't help but say, "It is said that this physique is known as having the best defense, capable of withstanding all the Dao techniques in the world, and is invincible from birth!"
"Exactly." Ancestor Su glanced at her and nodded with a smile.
"This innate Innate Earth Saint Body is Su Miaomiao. When I sensed her birth, I rushed here immediately, intending to nurture her carefully so that she could inherit my unique skills and continue the Su family line."
Ancestor Su's expression darkened, and he said in a low voice, "But at that moment, I made a mistake, just like the Lin Clan Progenitor back then."
Upon hearing him mention the Lin Clan Progenitor, Lin Wanqiu's expression suddenly changed, as if she realized what was about to happen.
"I must have been out of my mind at the time, thinking that the Earth Saint Body alone couldn't guarantee her future. So I sealed a treasure that had been kept for many epochs within her Dantian, hoping that the Innate Earth Saint Body's ability to bear the weight would allow her to gradually merge with the treasure and create an even more powerful and unparalleled prodigy!"
"I had kept that treasure in my cave for far too long, and it had become almost intertwined with my Daoist practices. Taking it out caused me considerable injury."
"This was within my expectations; with proper rest and recuperation, it would heal completely within a few decades. But I never imagined..."
His tone grew increasingly somber, and his eyes reddened slightly. "I never imagined that a moment's lapse in judgment would lead to such a catastrophe!"
"At that moment, a beam of demonic light crossed over and injured me, forcing me to go into seclusion to heal."
Upon hearing this, Ye Ruoshui couldn't help but ask, "Senior, you are an Immortal Supreme, who could possibly injure you?"
"That evil light pierced through the void, it must have come from the Southern Wilderness. I speculate that it might be the Demon Emperor of the Southern Wilderness who made the move."
Ancestor Su took a deep breath, his eyes grave. "The Demon Emperor is too powerful. Even though his attack crossed the boundary, it still managed to injure me. If I had been hit head-on by him, I would probably have been seriously injured!"
"Although I was injured by the Evil Emperor, the Emperor's power deterred him from personally crossing the boundary. Therefore, I placed a restriction on Su Miaomiao to prevent her from being taken away from Dongling."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang thought for a moment and asked, "Senior, since the Southern Wilderness Demon Emperor has already made a move, why don't you ask the Emperor to take action?"
Ancestor Su shook his head and said bitterly, "This is all due to my selfishness. If I report this to the Emperor, Su Miaomiao will definitely be taken away by him, and the treasure I sealed inside her will be wasted."
Xiao Minghuang understood that if Su Miaomiao were taken away by the Emperor and personally nurtured, she would only be grateful to the Emperor and identify with the Holy Academy after she grew up, and her feelings for the Su family would be weak.
"You all know what happened next, so I won't go into details."
Xiao Minghuang nodded. After that, the demon colluded with Su Miaomiao's uncle, killed Su Miaomiao's parents, seized control of Duohu City, and planted an evil spell in Su Miaomiao's body, slowly plotting against her.
Once the furnace is ready, it will break through the restrictions and can be taken away from the Eastern Pole.
"The other day, the Emperor suddenly summoned me and explained the whole story to me in detail. Only then did I realize how foolish I had been, so I have come here to make amends."
334. Great Sun Radiance Pearl
Ancestor Su spoke slowly, a look of guilt on his face.
Because of his selfishness and negligence, he almost killed a peerless genius in his clan.
Especially after he was injured, he only prevented Su Miaomiao from being taken away, without leaving any other backup plans.
After all, he was suddenly struck by the Demon Emperor and was terrified. He only wanted to hide and heal his wounds, and he didn't care about anything else.
This period of seclusion lasted for fifteen years.
If the Emperor hadn't given him a warning, he would have surely made a grave mistake.
After listening to Ancestor Su's account, Xiao Minghuang remained silent and then released Su Miaomiao from the cave.
She lay quietly on the stone bed, her delicate body slender and exquisite, her skin as white as jade, like a sleeping beauty, which made people feel pity for her.
"Child..."
Ancestor Su sighed deeply, his eyes filled with guilt as he looked at her.
"It's been so many years, you've grown so much..."
He reached out, his fingertips swirling with dense magical power, and enveloped Su Miaomiao.
"Let me make up for my past mistakes!"
As the resounding celestial music echoed through the sky, a strange wave spread out and landed on Su Miaomiao.
In an instant, Su Miaomiao's delicate body trembled, and a dazzling golden light flashed from her Dantian, with a hazy radiance slowly emerging.
Immediately afterwards, the misty aura emanated from the body, transforming into a golden bead that floated in the void, radiating dazzling Rosy Clouds, as if cast from gold, dazzling to behold.
Even more terrifying, the moment this egg-sized bead appeared, an incredibly intense heat and light suddenly burst forth, sweeping across the heavens and earth, illuminating the entire cave.
This intense light contained a destructive power, as if it could burn the sky to ashes.
"Hiss..."
Under the light, Xiao Minghuang felt a stinging pain in her pupils and had to close her eyes.
The light was so intense, hotter and brighter than any Innate Fire she had ever seen.
Ancestor Su, however, remained calm; he had anticipated this scene.
With a flick of his finger, a barrier of light unfolded before Xiao Minghuang and the others, blocking out the terrifying light and heat.
"Town!"
As he finished speaking, a ray of yellow light rushed in, gathering around the bead to form a vortex that spun wildly and enveloped the bead.
Soon, the vortex, like a cage, sealed it off, blocking the terrifying light from leaking out completely.
The golden bead rapidly shrank, the terrifying light and heat dissipated, and the golden light surrounding it faded, revealing its true form.
It was a perfectly round, translucent golden bead, about the size of a longan.
Its entire body is a glassy gold color, crystal clear, and looks like it was cast in gold, dazzling and eye-catching.
Its surface is covered with countless golden lines, interwoven to form the most complex and profound patterns in the world.
On each golden line, countless patterns seem to flow, intertwining to form a dense network that stretches across the surface of the golden bead, like countless threads entwined.
No matter which direction you look from, or whether you perceive it with your Primordial Spirit senses, you cannot discover even a fraction of its mystery.
Xiao Minghuang clearly felt that even though it was suppressed by Ancestor Su, the golden bead still exuded a powerful pressure, like a star that had spanned countless ages appearing here, swallowing the great Dao of heaven and earth, causing the void to tremble incessantly.
"This is..."
Seeing all this, Ye Ruoshui was utterly shocked. Not only was the mystery and complexity of these patterns beyond her imagination, but the intense pressure from the golden bead caused her Innate Fire to surge wildly, making it difficult to breathe and her chest to heave violently.
Ancestor Su flicked his fingers, and countless restrictions flew up, layering upon layer, covering the golden bead until no more energy was leaked out, before he retracted the protective light barrier.
"This bead is the treasure I sealed within Su Miaomiao's body years ago. Even after all these years, it's still so awe-inspiring..."
At this point, he suddenly chuckled, "It's only been a few years..."
Ye Ruoshui's heart fluttered, and she couldn't help but ask, "Senior, what is the origin of this bead?"
Ancestor Su pondered for a moment, as if considering how to explain, before finally saying, "You should know that the so-called rare and precious materials in this world are also divided into different grades. The lowest grade only needs to contain a certain amount of Spiritual Qi to be classified as such."
"Above that lies a realm containing Innate Qi, known as Heaven and Earth Divine Object."
"The divine objects above these are called the Heavenly Divine Object."
"The Heavenly Divine Object are either conceived by chance over long periods of time, or born at the birth and death of eras. They can withstand the calamities of eras without losing their spiritual essence, because they contain the power of the Great Dao's origin, which is at the same level as the origin of most worlds."
"And this bead belongs to the realm of Heavenly Divine Object, and is called: The Great Sun Radiance Pearl!"
"The Great Sun Radiance Pearl..."
Upon hearing this, Ye Ruoshui's eyes lit up, and she became extremely interested in the bead.
Her path in the realm of Innate Fire has reached its limit. If she could corroborate her understanding with the Great Sun Radiance Pearl, she might be able to advance further.
"The Great Sun Radiance Pearl is said to be Heavenly Divine Object formed naturally within the Sun Star over countless ages, possessing boundless power!"
At this point, Ancestor Su sighed, "I obtained this treasure by chance a long time ago. At that time, I was young and arrogant, thinking that I could prove myself and become an emperor through my own strength, unwilling to rely on external things. After becoming a saint, I realized that the path is long and arduous, and I regret my past actions..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang sighed inwardly. The path of cultivation is about fighting against fate. There is no distinction between external things and one's own body. As long as it can help one advance further, then it is one's own!
After speaking, Ancestor Su's gaze shifted and landed on Xiao Minghuang.
"Young friend, you are very young, and your talent and abilities are astonishing throughout the ages, surpassing mine in my prime. Now, a great opportunity lies before you, which can lead you directly to the Supreme Being, and even allow you to contend for the Emperor's throne in the next opportunity..."
What will you choose?
Ancestor Su's voice was ethereal, like the voice of destiny.
Xiao Minghuang was slightly taken aback, not expecting Ancestor Su to suddenly ask such a question.
Her mind raced; what did this mean?
Is he planning to give her the Great Sun Radiance Pearl?
However, Xiao Minghuang hesitated.
She knew very well what this precious Great Sun Radiance Pearl meant.
An opportunity to reach the pinnacle.
As long as she accepts, the path to supreme power will be smooth sailing from now on, without any further obstacles.
Furthermore, the Path of the Sun is extremely domineering, no less powerful than any other path in the world. With the assistance of the Great Sun Radiance Pearl, it is even more powerful, allowing it to remain unparalleled and continue its legendary status.
But does she really want to accept it?
Abandon your uncertain future and choose a broad and open road.
This choice seems easy to make.
335. I said
I've made up my mind.
However, after a moment's thought, Xiao Minghuang made a decision.
"Very good." Ancestor Su's face showed appreciation. "Young people should be down-to-earth and not aim too high. The Way of the Sun is one of the most important paths in the world. Moreover, you are already a disciple of the Sun Hall Mistress, so you can build on this foundation and go even further."
In his view, it was unlikely that Xiao Minghuang would refuse the Great Sun Radiance Pearl, especially with his own example right before her eyes, making it even less likely that she would give up the opportunity to reach the Supreme Realm.
"I refuse!"
Xiao Minghuang said decisively, without hesitation.
Ye Ruoshui was stunned. She opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything.
Although she also hoped that His Highness could obtain the Great Sun Radiance Pearl to help her forge a path forward, she would not interfere if His Highness refused.
Just as Xiao Minghuang respected her choice, she also fully respected the other party's choice.
Xiao Minghuang made this choice after careful consideration.
Before advancing to the King Realm, if this choice were presented to her, she would undoubtedly choose the Path of the Sun.
But as her realm improved and she comprehended more and more of the Great Dao, especially after comprehending the Way of Karma and Effect and the Way of Void, her vision broadened and her path forward began to take shape.
But before that, things remain unclear.
But after seeing the Great Sun Radiance Pearl, she understood.
She knew this wasn't the path for her.
Her path is a sky full of stars.
Her path is the Way of Stars.
If we compare the universe to a painting, then the void is the canvas, cause and effect are the paintbrush, Yin Yang Five Elements are the countless stars, which are also the myriad landscapes she wants to depict.