Chapter 531

The next moment.

It pierced through the Great Dao Will, nailing it to the void.

"Ah--!"

A pitiful scream rang out as the Great Dao Will struggled frantically, trying to break free from the control of that rune.

But Xiao Minghuang completely ignored it, remaining unmoved no matter how hard the Great Dao Will struggled, maintaining an indifferent attitude.

"What... what exactly do you want?!"

The Great Dao Will was filled with shock and rage, and roared madly.

Xiao Minghuang ignored the Great Dao Will, and instead quickly walked to Xiao Xingruo's side, holding her in his arms, with strands of starlight swirling around and enveloping her entire body.

"Xingruo, I'm sorry, Mom is late!"

Xiao Minghuang gently stroked her head, and hot tears rolled down her cheeks, staining Xiao Xingruo.

"Mom..."

Xiao Xingruo wept, collapsing into her arms and sobbing uncontrollably, clinging tightly to Xiao Minghuang's neck, her heart filled with sorrow.

Perhaps she is no longer that innocent child, having already honed her skills independently for forty thousand epochs, but in Xiao Minghuang's eyes, in her mother's eyes, she will always be that child who needs careful protection.

"Don't cry, Mommy's here. No one will be able to bully you anymore."

Xiao Minghuang lovingly wiped away Xiao Xingruo's tears, gently comforting her.

Much later.

Xiao Xingruo stopped crying, but was still very sad, and sobbed softly on Xiao Minghuang's shoulder.

"... Mom... did we really win this time?"

After a moment, Xiao Xingruo regained her composure, looked up at Xiao Minghuang, and asked.

"We won!"

Next, Xiao Minghuang briefly recounted her experiences after her "death," paying no attention to the Great Dao Will that was nailed to the side.

... It turns out that after Xiao Minghuang "died," she was saved by a mysterious will from countless years ago.

In fact, in every era, there have been people who have tried to defy the Great Dao Will; the Heavenly Emperor was neither the first nor the last.

Apart from the Heavenly Emperor, the rebels, except for those who perished completely, lay dormant in that mysterious space.

As time goes by, some of them have long been lost to the past, but after their fall, they will all turn into fleeting stars, wandering in the void.

It was within this space that Xiao Minghuang received help from these departed beings.

Here, she retraced her cultivation path, step by step, entering the Immortal Dao Domain once more, breaking through to become an Immortal Lord... Immortal King... Immortal Venerable... and beyond!

Until...

Xiao Xingruo arrived at that space.

At that time, Xiao Minghuang had indeed not regained her memories.

But as time went by, she gradually remembered the past.

The reason he didn't acknowledge Xiao Xingruo was twofold: firstly, he didn't acknowledge her at the beginning, and later he didn't know how to bring it up; secondly, the timing wasn't right, and once they acknowledged each other, there was no guarantee that Xiao Xingruo do something unpredictable.

However, it wasn't long after she regained her memories that Xiao Xingruo left.

With Xiao Xingruo gone, Xiao Minghuang was completely unable to remain calm. She pleaded with the departed beings to launch a final offensive against the Great Dao Will.

When she arrived, Xiao Xingruo had just finished a great battle with the Great Dao Will, which had worn down its sharpness by about 70-80%. Therefore, she was able to crush the Great Dao Will with an overwhelming force!

"Now, we can talk about this directly."

Xiao Minghuang, accompanied by her daughter Xiao Xingruo, walked before the Great Dao Will.

After a period of adaptation, the Great Dao Will also calmed down.

"Xiao Minghuang, Xiao Xingruo, you mother and daughter are truly remarkable..."

The Great Dao Will took a deep breath, remained silent for a long time, and then slowly spoke.

At this moment, his tone was like that of an elder praising a younger person.

This is not surprising at all.

He knew he was no match for Xiao Minghuang Xiao Xingruo, so he changed his strategy.

"You flatter me!"

Xiao Xingruo snorted coldly and said, "Your tyranny should end. From today onwards, there will be no more Great Dao Will in this world. The world will have its own course of development, and you have no right to interfere!"

This statement is unparalleled in its domineering power.

However, the Great Dao Will seemed oblivious.

He looked at Xiao Minghuang and asked calmly:

"In your eyes, am I truly evil? Is what you insist on necessarily right?"

"Your relatives and friends no longer exist, all for the sake of pursuing a vague and illusory obsession."

"You and your daughter endured billions of years of solitude, and what did you ultimately gain? Utter silence throughout the world!"

"After my death, the new era will immediately begin, and all living beings will be destroyed in an instant. Is it all really worth it?"

Do you really think this is a good idea?

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xingruo's eyes flickered, her mind racing, but she remained silent.

Because she knew that what the Great Dao Will said was true.

"That's just your excuse. No matter how beautiful your words are, everything you do is for your own survival!"

Xiao Minghuang said calmly, unmoved.

"Well..."

The Great Dao Will delivered a cold rebuke, immediately shifting its target.

A beam of divine light shot out from his body and enveloped Xiao Xingruo.

The next moment.

Instantly, Xiao Xingruo's aura vanished.

"Xingruo!"

Xiao Minghuang was immediately startled and shouted sternly, "Where did you take Xingruo?!"

Want to know?

The Great Dao Will exuded a sense of weakness and powerlessness, yet it also seemed to be fearless and undeterred.

"You..."

When Xiao Xingruo opened her eyes again, she found herself in another place.

The area is shrouded in mist, resembling a fairyland.

An ancient tree stands tall against the sky, its branches swaying and casting dappled silver light.

On this ancient tree grow 129,600 golden leaves, and on each leaf are written 129,600 characters.

This is the beginning of all the great principles in the world, the source of all power born from the great principles after the chaos was created.

But now, Xiao Minghuang Xiao Xingruo have long surpassed the Great Dao.

Their power comes from the departed stars and the departed beings, and has nothing to do with the Great Dao. Therefore, the Great Dao cannot take away any of their power.

Beneath the ancient tree stands a giant stele inscribed with the character "Dao".

Xiao Xingruo arrived, she felt her whole body stiffen, and an inexplicable sense of crisis arose, putting her in a state of extreme alertness.

Where is this place?

Xiao Xingruo frowned slightly and looked around.

A glimmer of light appeared, and a slender, exquisitely beautiful figure emerged from the void.

The person who suddenly appeared looked exactly like Xiao Minghuang!

But Xiao Xingruo felt no affection whatsoever. She knew that the person before her was not her mother, but a manifestation of the Great Dao Will!

"What tricks are you trying to pull!"

Xiao Xingruo's gaze was icy cold.

"Don't be nervous, how about we chat for a bit?"

"I have nothing to talk to you about, you can't fool me!"

"Don't get so agitated..."

"You see, upon this ancient tree lies all the great principles of the world..."

"Stop talking nonsense, I'm not interested!"

Xiao Xingruo snorted coldly.

The Great Dao Will calmly said, "But you should know that the rise and fall of a realm is predetermined, and so is the birth and death of the universe. Previously, I have more than once demystified myself and returned to the heavens, which is why the universe has been able to continue."

"Otherwise, the universe would have restarted countless times already. All living beings are unaware of my good intentions because of their limited understanding. You are Child of the Stars; our goals are the same—to ensure the eternity of all beings!"

"If that's the case, why are you keeping me at arm's length?"

Its voice is warm, gentle, and magnetic, making it irresistible to listen to.

Moreover, it even uses some kind of supernatural power to depict a painting.

This is a beautiful scene, with mountains, rivers, lakes, and endless prosperous cities, and the lives that live in them.

Some were running, some were soaring, some were sitting cross-legged, some were dozing, and some were playing and frolicking. They were all different, but every scene contained vitality and was full of hope.

Xiao Xingruo stared for a long time, then finally shook her head. "No matter how beautiful your words are, it's just an excuse for you to prolong your own existence. The so-called 'living beings' you speak of are merely your nourishment. Whether you promote the prosperity of the Daoist tradition or annihilate all living beings, it's all for your own survival."

"Perhaps you are neither good nor evil, perfectly righteous and impartial, but you are also the greatest selfishness in the world. Your sole purpose in existence is to prolong your own existence. Therefore, to all living beings and things, you are the greatest evil in the world!"

Boom!

As soon as Xiao Xingruo finished speaking, the scroll shattered into pieces.

I know you don't want to believe it.

The Great Dao Will sighed and slowly spoke, "The Great Dao is ruthless, perfectly just and righteous. Whether something is good or evil depends entirely on how it is used. Now, an opportunity has presented itself before you."

"Become an agent of the Great Dao, and from now on act on behalf of Heaven. You will have the opportunity to shape the world into the way you desire, and how to govern all living beings will be entirely up to you. What do you say?"

"Acting on behalf of Heaven?"

Xiao Xingruo's gaze suddenly sharpened. "Aren't those who act on behalf of Heaven just like you?"

"I don't need such hypocrisy."

Xiao Xingruo flatly refused. "You don't need to go to all that trouble to persuade me."

Her expression was indifferent, showing no emotion whatsoever.

"I will not act as an agent for anyone's will; I am only myself. I will not make decisions for anyone; anyone makes their own decisions."

The Great Dao Will still refused to give up and continued to persuade:

"If you refuse, there will be no one else in the world to take on this responsibility. Are you going to disregard the well-being of all people?"

"The future of all beings must be grasped by themselves. I believe in the wisdom of future generations. What I need to do is to hand over the opportunity to choose to them."

Xiao Xingruo refused without hesitation.

"Well."

The Great Dao Will sighed, "You are too stubborn; you are destined not to go far on this path."

You're wrong.