In the vast wilderness, the wind felt very empty.
The man and the girl in green stood facing each other, like different reflections of the same person in a mirror.
Zanxing felt the power of the Heavenly Demon within her subtly boiling, as if a traveler who had been away from home for many years had returned to their homeland. The Demon King’s blood within her resonated at this moment, and a warm current seemed to flow through her limbs and bones, healing the wounds she had sustained during the battle with Gui Yansheng.
She looked at Gui Diaotang.
When Gui Yansheng, burning the Xiao Yuan Pearl to form black mist, had fought her, Zanxing had sensed a similar aura helping her resist his attacks. It was likely the Demon King secretly assisting her.
Today was their first meeting, and they had no past emotions. The Demon Race had always been indifferent to familial bonds, friendship, or love. Zanxing thought that Gui Diaotang would probably not feel any guilt or affection upon seeing her. He might view her with the scrutiny of one Demon King assessing another.
The two great Demon Kings of Heishi City stood facing each other. Bu Jiang moved her lips slightly but ultimately said nothing.
The Demon King looked at Zanxing and, after a moment of silence, finally spoke. He asked, “Do you know what the most important qualification is for being the leader of Heishi City?”
Zanxing frowned slightly.
The man’s gaze was distant, as if this moment was not at the critical juncture of a grand formation but rather in the misty water town of Jiangnan. He seemed like a distinguished young man chatting in a bamboo grove, brewing tea and discussing it with friends.
After a moment of thought, Zanxing answered, “Courage, boldness, composure, decisiveness, strength?” She stared at Gui Diaotang and answered earnestly, “Being a Demon King is not easy. One alone is probably not enough.”
Gui Diaotang paused slightly, seemingly surprised by Zanxing’s answer. After a moment, he smiled faintly and said, “Your name is Zanxing?”
Zanxing nodded.
“Having adorned her hair with stars and trailed beneath the moon of Penglai, she once saw white elm trees planted on the eastern slope.” His long robe, like a green mist rising from a mountain peak, was a vibrant green, fading gradually into the vast sky.
“Very good.”
The green mist gradually fell into the formation with the wind in the wilderness, merging into the spot where Gu Caiyu had disappeared and becoming a brilliant light.
Bu Jiang’s long lashes trembled slightly.
In an instant, a myriad of bright lights rose slowly, and long flames covered the sky. From deep within the formation, a vast torrent of energy emerged slowly, its aura boundless and heavy, as if coming from the farthest ends of the heavens, infinitely vast and fleetingly brief.
The torrential flow poured over the black seed in the giant pit. The heavy seed seemed to finally be unable to withstand the immense pressure, and tiny cracks suddenly tore open. From within, a long, blue shadow suddenly emerged. This shadow fell to the ground, rapidly growing and desperately absorbing the surrounding energy. In an instant, it took root, sprouted, and grew into a gigantic tree that obscured the sky and blocked out the sun.
Zanxing looked at the towering tree reaching into the clouds with boundless shock.
This giant tree bore a striking resemblance to the shadow of the giant tree deep within her spiritual roots.
The Ancient Qiankun Formation came to a halt.
Everyone’s gaze fell upon the blue giant tree before them.
The tree was rugged, standing straight and alone. Its trunk was not particularly thick, about the size of a wheel. Looking up, the top was covered with intricate, intertwining branches, forming a dense canopy like a green cloud umbrella.
“Jianmu,” Rong Shuang said solemnly.
The Huainanzi records stated: Jianmu stands in the capital, where the emperors ascend and descend. There is no shadow at noon, and it neither echoes nor responds, for it is in the midst of heaven and earth.
As the Jianmu grows, the heavenly ladder appears.
This straight, towering tree reaching into the sky was the heavenly ladder leading to the ruins of the Golden Gate—the connection between the human realm and the immortal realm.
The canopy of Jianmu was hidden within the thick, misty clouds, making it difficult to discern its true form. In front of the giant pit, Mimi cried out, and Zanxing turned to see several of the magic weapons, which had been slanted into the ground, slowly turning into smoke and drifting away with the wind.
The blood-colored halberd, the beautiful purple flute, and the brilliantly shining long sword—all became fleeting moments of brilliance in the wilderness, turning into a fleeting dream of the Huaxu Kingdom, vanishing without a trace after a dazzling moment.
The grievances and affections of over twenty years instantly turned into emptiness.
Gu Baiying approached the empty giant pit. His long lashes concealed his gaze, and Zanxing could not see his expression clearly, only feeling that his quietly standing back carried a hint of coldness.
He and his parents always had fleeting encounters, rushing to meet and part without time for a proper farewell.
As if fate were playing tricks on them.
Shaoyang Zhenren looked up at the high branches of Jianmu and said calmly, “Let’s go.”
Fu Ronghua was startled. “Are we going up like this?”
“Is there another way now?” Daoist Lingxin snorted. Though he had many prejudices against the demon race, just moments ago, the Ancient Qiankun Formation was revived thanks to the Demon King’s lingering soul. Even if he wanted to argue, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything harsh.
Bu Jiang also said, “Let’s go.” Gui Diaotang had barely exchanged a few words with her, and yet, Bu Jiang showed no sign of sorrow. Perhaps there was some lingering melancholy, but it had nothing to do with romance. The demon race’s long lifespan made them view affection and obsession more deeply compared to humans.
Zanxing also stood beneath Jianmu, looking up at the top.
Was the Golden Gate Ruins really at the top of this tree? By climbing this tree, could she truly glimpse the immortal realm connected with the human world?
She did not know what lay above, but she felt a mysterious aura emanating from the depths of the canopy, the same as her Xiao Yuan Pearl, even more intense.
At least the Demon King said that the Xiao Yuan Pearl had fallen from the sky above this tree, and there was no falsehood in that. Zanxing could sense a similar aura, enveloping her and covering the Celestial Demon power within her, as if she had also become a dark-colored pearl.
“What’s wrong?” A voice came from beside her. Gu Baiying had somehow arrived next to her.
Noticing Zanxing’s unease, he looked at her and said, “You seem very anxious.”
Zanxing hesitated for a moment. “I’m just a bit worried.”
“There’s no need to worry,” Gu Baiying said, looking up at the top of the tree. “No matter what happens, I will be with you.”
Zanxing smiled. It seemed he had already moved past the earlier gloom. Gu Baiying was always like this—no matter how troubled he was, he never let others see it, and it never affected what needed to be done next.
He always kept moving forward.
She didn’t reply to Gu Baiying’s words but simply grasped his hand. “Let’s go.”
The disciples did not all ascend the celestial ladder, leaving some behind to guard the Ancient Qiankun Formation, in case of any sudden changes.
The tree was peculiar, the cultivators could not use their swords or ride the wind here. If they wanted to climb Jianmu, they had to ascend like ordinary people.
Zanxing moved slowly, while Mimi walked on the tree as if it were level ground, effortlessly leaping and jumping. It often ran ahead to sit down, turning to urge Zanxing to keep moving forward.