Chapter 476
She asked with a slightly respectful tone.
"That's why I've come. If you want to find your companion, then come with me."
The voice of the Great Void Bright Immortal Venerable was ethereal and distant, balanced and peaceful, yet it was impossible to discern whether it was male or female.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang hesitated. Right now, she was facing a Primordial Immortal Venerable alone. The enemy was strong and she was weak, and the enemy was in the dark while she was in the light. The wisest choice was actually to take the opportunity to escape and then return to the Heavenly Realm to ask the Longevity Heavenly Venerable for help.
569. Changli Sister
However.
Xiao Minghuang understood, of course.
Facing a primordial immortal, she likely had no hope of escape.
"If you do not wish to, you may leave."
That ethereal and grand voice rang out once more.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang knew that the other party was trying to provoke her.
After pondering for a long time, Xiao Minghuang finally nodded.
"This junior is willing to go."
However, Xiao Minghuang was not entirely disregarding the consequences. She knew that if the Great Void Bright Immortal Venerable, a dignified innate immortal, truly intended to harm her, he could take her life without even needing to flick his little finger.
After all, the gap is just too huge!
Therefore, Xiao Minghuang knew that the Great Void Bright Immortal Venerable must have other schemes against her, so she was safe for the time being.
The next moment, Xiao Minghuang moved and rushed towards the golden archway, entering it.
Behind the Golden Arches lies a vast and boundless world, with a clear blue sky and utter silence, broken only by the occasional chirping of birds and insects.
This world is vast, with a boundless sky and a majestic earth. Everywhere is permeated with a rich sense of laws and immortal order. Even a speck of dust is tainted with fragments of Immortal Dao Law, containing traces of immortal charm, mysterious and unfathomable.
There were even laws that intertwined into a river, stretching across the heavens and earth, colliding and bursting forth with dazzling divine brilliance.
Such a scene is truly magnificent and spectacular.
In particular, when she set foot here, she felt as if her entire soul had been cleansed, and she was refreshed and full of energy, as if she had eaten a top-grade elixir!
Xiao Minghuang had been to the most prosperous world, the main world of the Li Yan Immortal Kingdom, but compared to it, it was like a remote and desolate countryside, incomparable at all!
Even the Longevity Heavenly Palace, where she briefly stayed, paled in comparison!
Where is this?
Xiao Minghuang exclaimed in a low voice.
She looked up and gazed around, mesmerized.
This place is like a legendary sacred land of immortals.
How beautiful this is!
"This is the New Shanhai Realm."
Just then, a clear, cold voice suddenly rang out, causing Xiao Minghuang to turn around abruptly. She saw a person standing behind her.
Her clothes fluttered in the wind, her black hair cascaded over her shoulders, her skin was radiant, and her appearance was stunning. Her beautiful eyes were deep and cold like a pool, ancient and weathered, as if they contained the boundless universe, making people dare not look directly at them, and like a deep abyss, making people feel awe and fear, as if they weighed a thousand pounds.
Xiao Minghuang's pupils suddenly contracted. She could sense that although the woman in front of her had a different, grand, ethereal voice, the aura she exuded was exactly the same.
Therefore, the woman before him must be the Lord of the Four Seas, the Great Void Bright Immortal Venerable himself.
She took a deep breath, suppressed her emotions, and bowed solemnly. "Greetings, Senior."
The Lord of the Four Seas nodded, offering no further explanation. He merely glanced at her, as if he could see right through her.
"There's another person inside you. Aren't you going to let her out too?" she said calmly.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang's heart skipped a beat.
How did the Great Void Bright Immortal Venerable know that there was another person inside her?
It should be noted that Ye Ruoshui entered her inner world shortly after she set off, and she had been acting alone the entire way.
The Great Void Bright Immortal Venerable should not know about this matter.
Immediately, Xiao Minghuang's mind raced, and she quickly came to a conclusion.
Someone had infiltrated the pioneering team; they were an informant of the Great Void Bright Immortal Venerable, who revealed that she had brought Ye Ruoshui out.
Xiao Minghuang suppressed her emotions for the time being. She knew that since she had already been seen through, there was no need to hide it anymore.
As long as Ye Ruoshui is not allowed to leave her side, they will eventually be able to share life and death.
"Senior has discerning eyes; junior obeys."
Xiao Minghuang cupped his hands in greeting and released Ye Ruoshui from his inner world.
Swish--
As the light rained down, Ye Ruoshui's delicate body floated in mid-air. She opened her eyes, looked around, and a hint of surprise flashed in her large, dark, and lively eyes.
Clearly, she hadn't expected to meet a stranger, and one who seemed to be more than just a stranger.
"Your Highness?"
She called out tentatively, staring warily at the Great Void Bright Immortal Venerable before her.
"Hmm," Xiao Minghuang responded, "This is the Great Void Bright Immortal Venerable..."
Upon hearing this, Ye Ruoshui quickly bowed and said:
"Junior Ye Ruoshui greets Senior Great Void Bright Immortal Venerable!"
When she spoke, her eyes crinkled into crescents, and she smiled warmly, appearing quite well-behaved and sensible.
The Great Void Bright Immortal Venerable scrutinized her, his face as calm and undisturbed as ever.
"No need for formalities, please follow me."
The words had barely left his mouth.
She reached out and flicked her sleeve.
Splash~
Suddenly, a ray of Immortal Light descended.
Xiao Minghuang gripped Ye Ruoshui's hand tightly. The next moment, the two felt their bodies lighten, and they were already riding the clouds and flying into the air, disappearing without a trace.
Heading north for hundreds of millions of miles, Xiao Minghuang witnessed a series of wondrous sights.
Unlike the myriad realms or cosmic star fields, this world is not like the other worlds, where each immortal kingdom has its own main world and a central city. All living beings, regardless of race, mortal, or cultivator, live and thrive around this central city.
Along the way, Xiao Minghuang observed that the creatures within this New Shanhai Realm not only lacked a central city, but also lacked even ordinary or large-scale cities...
All she saw were endless, desolate mountain ranges, boundless desert plains, rushing rivers, and even snow-covered, frozen landscapes, without any form of city whatsoever.
All she saw was that, in all sorts of environments, the creatures of the New Shanhai Realm lived alone and went about their own business. Even if they lived on the same mountain peak, even if they looked at each other from the opposite side, they would only exchange glances without saying a word.
Ye Ruoshui said with slight surprise, "There isn't even a typical settlement here!"
The Great Void Bright Immortal Venerable slowed his pace, glanced at her sideways, and said, "The creatures of the New Mountains and Seas all live and survive in their own way, rarely interacting with each other."
"But how can people survive if they don't communicate with each other?"
Ye Ruoshui couldn't help but say that she couldn't imagine how she would survive if she left His Highness and her sisters.
"Throughout the heavens and the star fields of the universe, there are also some ascetics who, from the moment they embark on the path of cultivation, sever all ties with others, including parents, siblings, relatives, and friends. They either choose a secluded realm to cultivate in seclusion or travel the world. However, such people are extremely rare..."
Xiao Minghuang frowned and said, "It seems like everyone in the New Shanhai Realm is like this..."
Having said that, she realized something was amiss and added, "Of course, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with this way of life; it's just that everyone has their own ideas. I completely respect the lifestyle of the creatures of the New Shanhai Realm and have no opinions or suggestions about it!"
Xiao Minghuang looked serious.
The Great Void Bright Immortal Venerable glanced at her indifferently and said softly, "The Heavenly Court people certainly know how to use their words..."
Xiao Minghuang smiled slightly awkwardly and remained silent.
"Things will indeed change if you're away for too long." Great Void Bright Immortal Venerable shook his head and said, "Come with me. You will have plenty of time to observe the situation within the New Shanhai Realm. There's no need to rush."
After saying that, she took another step and walked away into the distance.
Xiao Minghuang and Ye Ruoshui exchanged a glance and immediately followed.
"Your Highness, she's talking strangely. What does 'away for too long' mean? It feels like there's something more to it..."
Ye Ruoshui quietly tugged at Xiao Minghuang's sleeve; the words of the Great Void Bright Immortal Venerable sounded very strange.
"Having been away for too long..." This sentence clearly indicates that she had been here before; otherwise, she wouldn't have used such a phrase, but rather something like "first time here" or "making a fuss over nothing."
"I must have never been here before, otherwise how could I have forgotten?"
Xiao Minghuang frowned and shook her head secretly.
She tried to recall carefully, searching her memory, but she couldn't remember when she had ever set foot in this world.
"Your Highness, I'm a little worried..."
Although the Great Void Bright Immortal Venerable did not show any hostility, she still felt an inexplicable pressure that made her dare not relax in the slightest and only hoped to get rid of this oppressive feeling as soon as possible.
Ye Ruoshui gripped Xiao Minghuang's arm, her face contorted with worry, and asked, "Will she hurt us?"
"Don't be afraid, since you're here, make the best of it, I've got you covered!"
Xiao Minghuang patted Ye Ruoshui's hand gently, smiled tenderly, and gestured for her to relax, but at the same time, his heart was in his throat.
New Shanhai Realm, the far north, glacial canyons.
Here, snow covers the land year-round, and the cold wind howls. A towering ice and snow peak, hundreds of feet high, stands majestically, like a pillar supporting the sky.
At the summit of the giant peak stands a majestic white palace, like a silver river fallen from the heavens, hanging deep in the sky.
Inside this white jade palace, two people were sitting cross-legged.
"Wu Chang, do you think she really is the person predicted?"
Inside the quiet and spacious hall, a woman draped in a snow-white fox fur coat, a hint of doubt on her exquisitely beautiful face, asked the middle-aged man beside her.
Her appearance was breathtaking. Her pure white fur was like a layer of holy frost covering her body. She had a slender figure, curvaceous and shapely, with a slim waist and a full, pert bottom.
Compared to her, the middle-aged man standing beside her paled in comparison. Although he wore a gleaming gold robe, his appearance was unremarkable. However, his eyes held a sense of vicissitude, revealing the profound wisdom and experience he had gained over the years.
Wu Chang said, "If it weren't for her, how could the seal on the Immortal Sealing Scroll have been broken?"
"This happened so long ago, no one can say for sure. But she feels very familiar to me."
"Oh? Zhiming, what's your opinion?"
Zhiming said earnestly, "The prophecy says, 'When the stars are in their proper positions, all things and spirits will be eternal.' The cycle of the universe has a beginning and an end, and the restart of an era is predetermined. Even if you and I are Innate Taiji Immortal, we are merely living within the cycle of reincarnation and cannot achieve true eternity. To survive the calamity of the restart of the cosmic era, we must possess a transcendent divine object, but even a single divine object can only withstand one calamity. Now, the great calamity is approaching, and the restart of the era is imminent. If the prophesied Child of the Stars does not descend soon, then this era will end, and how can we speak of the eternity of all things and spirits?"
Wu Chang said, "So, she is the 'Child of the Stars' in the prophecy, destined to grant eternity to all beings?"
Zhi Ming said, "That's hard to say, but if she is, then we should help her... Moreover, even if she isn't, if we intend to return to the universe and rebuild the Eight Mountains and Nine Seas, then we need her help."
Wu Chang said, "Indeed, even if she is not the 'Child of the Stars' as prophesied, she is at least the 'protagonist' of this era. If she joins us, destroying the Heavenly Court will be effortless!"
Zhi Ming asked, "... By the way, do you have any news about the others?"
Wu Chang said, "No, this time, the only immortals who escaped from the Heavenly Court were myself, you, and Xu Ming, along with Jin Chang, Jin Xiang, and a few others. There's been absolutely no news about the others."
Zhi Ming said, "Speaking of Jin Chang... sigh, this guy has really caused us a lot of trouble. How did we manage to offend her so soon after escaping?"
"We can't blame Jin Chang for this. He was doing it all for us, wanting to establish a foothold for us in the cosmos."
"... Of course I understand that, but how are we supposed to explain if she blames Jin Chang?"
Wu Chang frowned and said, "Just keep it from her, what's there to be so conflicted about?"
"This isn't a good idea. If she finds out about this later, she might turn against us."
Zhi Ming looked worried.
"Then let's keep it a secret forever!" Wu Chang snorted coldly, saying, "After we return to the universe and restore our former glory, we'll tell her then, and she won't have a chance to turn against us!"