The Secret of the Supreme One

"Achoo!"

Tathagata rubbed his nose. At this moment, the vital essence of his life was draining away at an alarming rate. His face could no longer retain its former fullness and was now covered in wrinkles, each one carved like a blade mark, like a ravine.

Yet beneath him, the Thirty-Six Petal Golden Lotus carried him forward in a golden-red streak, shooting billions of miles away in the blink of an eye.

The equally aged Jade Emperor still held his back straight. Flying alongside Tathagata, he stood atop a jade ruyi.

At this moment, both of them exuded an exceedingly decayed aura. Clearly, they were nearing the end of their lives.

Hearing Tathagata sneeze for no apparent reason, the Jade Emperor could not help turning to glance at him.

"It's rare to see you sneeze."

Tathagata laughed at himself. "Someone must be thinking of me."

"Who?"

"Who else could it be? It must be that little brat Lu Ren." Tathagata sighed and touched the layers of folds on his face.

"We have not even covered half the journey. I fear it is already too late!" Regret filled his voice. "If we had not taken that unknown path back then, perhaps our lifespan would still be abundant now, and we would have had enough time to prepare for the Path to Ascension. One wrong step led to another. After all these missteps, we have come this far only for everything to amount to nothing."

The Jade Emperor's expression remained calm, without joy or sorrow. He seemed entirely untroubled by his dwindling lifespan. His voice was as steady as ever, his tone utterly placid. "There is fate in this world. Until the very last moment, who can draw a conclusion? Especially on this Path to Ascension, there will always be many