This Human Immortal Is Too Serious-Chapter 403 - 401 Cang Xue Hears the Bell

The process of leaving Heaven Palace went exceptionally smoothly.

Wu Wang circumvented the more than ten layers of Divine Guards outside Heaven Palace and, relying on the Yin and Yang Path to conceal his tracks, made straight for the rendezvous point set with the Four Seas Pavilion.

The Southeastern Region was still relatively calm at the moment, and the masters from the Human Emperor Pavilion had already made preparations for any sudden incidents.

At this time, Ling Xiaolan was surrounded by more than twenty Transcendents and more than thirty Heavenly Immortal Cultivators. Among these Transcendents, there were even a few elders whose names had long been lost to the records of the Human Domain, unheard of by anyone.

As the 'Envoy' personally dispatched by the Human Emperor, and the second Tianyan Saintess in the history of the Human Domain, the importance accorded to her was naturally significant.

However, according to feedback from the Four Seas Pavilion, they had not yet captured the Daoist rhythm of any Divine Spirits from Heaven Palace in the Southeastern Region.

Just how much power that 'Anti-Spring Alliance' actually held was still an unknown.

As soon as he flew out from the heavenly domain above Emperor's City, the necklace resting against Wu Wang's chest began to tremble gently. His mother's voice entered his ears, telling him not to worry too much, for she was also keeping an eye on Ling Xiaolan's location.

Wu Wang said, "It's rather strange when you think about it." Facing his mother, Wu Wang didn't hide the doubt in his heart and couldn't help but ask, "Mother, is there still a remnant force of the Candle Dragon Divine Faction around here? Have these Innate Gods lost their minds, or are they simply foolish? They are usually so fearful of Emperor Shun, and now that Emperor Shun has repeatedly requested that Heaven Palace cease its strife with the Human Domain, aren't those Innate Gods afraid of death, that they still go and provoke the Human Domain? No matter how I think about it, it seems abnormal."

Cang Xue replied, "Perhaps some Innate Gods reshaped themselves due to the great wars with the Human Domain, thereby branding themselves with hatred towards the Human Domain."

"That might be possible."

"Ba'er, sometimes Innate Gods are more impulsive than living beings. Not every Innate God is cunning and shrewd. Many act on their immediate thoughts. Sometimes, they impulsively decide to undertake several major endeavors," Cang Xue said with a smile. "There are also some Innate Gods who genuinely lack their own opinions and are very easily influenced by other Innate Gods."

Wu Wang said, "I feel like Mother is subtly criticizing the Young Master."

"I quite like the Young Master," Cang Xue said softly. "I know her temperament. I just didn't expect her to develop mortal affections, and for those affections to be directed at you."

"That's called charm," Wu Wang said, raising an eyebrow proudly.

Inside the Starry Sky Temple, Cang Xue let out a snort of laughter and chided, "It was clearly those strange and novel ideas of yours that piqued her curiosity, leaving her puzzled and intrigued by you. When do you think the Young Master began to feel fond of you?"

"That..."

Cang Xue said softly, "When you were previously in the Southeastern Region, she met you through Nu Chou's introduction. At that time, I sensed something out of the ordinary."

Wu Wang rubbed his nose and said in a low voice, "Mother, don't worry, I won't let them down... Ah, saying this really is a bit shameless."

Cang Xue said, "Didn't you say you wanted three wives and four concubines, to enjoy what is called 'the blessings of a full house'?"

"When did I ever say that?"

"You shouted it in your dreams when you were three."

"This!"

Wu Wang chuckled. "It was just dream talk, just dream talk. Now I'm actually starting to worry about how awkward it'll be if the Young Master meets with MSG and Xiaolan."

"What are 'the blessings of a full house'?"

"It means having everything complete."

"And what about 'three wives and four concubines'?"

"Just a slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue," Wu Wang said, two drops of cold sweat appearing on his forehead.

He quickly changed the subject and asked about his father's recent situation.

Cang Xue laughed softly, chatted with Wu Wang for a while, and after cautioning him to be careful, she ended the casual conversation with her son.

Inside the Starry Sky Temple, the smile on Cang Xue's pretty face slowly faded.

She crossed her legs, leaning sideways on a throne formed from Ice Crystals, with the Staff that could mobilize the Star God's Dao nestled in her embrace. Her face, untouched by any dust or worldly soot, was as if carved from Ice Crystals.

Beautiful, but devoid of any vitality.

Cang Xue's fingertips flicked in the air. Despite no significant changes in the starlit temple, the coldness radiating from her fingertips congealed into an ice mirror, which reflected Wu Wang's rapidly traversing figure in the night sky.

Sensing the Daoist Essence surrounding Wu Wang, Cang Xue's eyes filled with satisfaction.

In the blink of an eye, Ba'er has already acquired such power.

She didn't understand why Wu Wang, who had always resisted the Star God's Dao, suddenly accepted it and quickly integrated with it.

Although Wu Wang's current power was far from the Star God's peak, because the Star God's Dao was already mature, and Wu Wang could command the Star God's divine body with but a fraction of his mind, the power he could unleash in a short time was somewhat terrifying.

Ba'er's strength leaped forward, and it seemed to have started from that battle against the Gold God.

Cang Xue, who had been watching Wu Wang closely, had already sensed that a force was interfering with Wu Wang.

However, Cang Xue couldn't prove the existence of this force.

She had not told Yun Zhongjun this secret, choosing instead to investigate it meticulously in secret.

The necklace on Wu Wang was a Divine Artifact that had manifested with her physical form; the necklace was not its original form; it was, in fact, a part of the very source of the Dao of Ice.

Just today, under Cang Xue's deliberate observation, she felt an extremely faint Daoist rhythm.

What was rather preposterous was that Cang Xue suddenly discovered that this Daoist rhythm…

She couldn't fathom it at all.

Even affirming its existence had already exhausted a great deal of Cang Xue's spiritual mind strength.

Having followed her father, the Water God, in allegiance to Candle Dragon during the relatively brief Fourth Divine Epoch when Candle Dragon held sway, she had fought alongside Candle Dragon and various gods, experiencing the outburst of Daoist Essence from the most powerful beings countless times.

When she perceived that flickering Daoist rhythm on Wu Wang, Cang Xue even felt… 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

It was more intricate and obscure, more profound and mysterious than the Daoist Essence Candle Dragon had condensed after devouring a large number of Innate Gods.

It seemed to encompass everything, and yet it was also the origin of everything.

Taiyi.

Suddenly, Cang Xue thought of this term, which she herself had proposed at the Heavenly Dao conference as a title for the core seat of the Heavenly Dao, representing the Limitless, the source of everything.

That Great Dao might well be called…

"Taiyi?"

DING—

The sound of a bell, faint as if nonexistent, suddenly resonated throughout the Star God Temple.

Cang Xue abruptly stood up, gripping her Staff tightly, her hair instantly turning ice blue, as six-pointed star-shaped Ice Crystals bloomed around her feet and person!

An icy aura that could freeze the heavens instantly filled the entire temple!

But in Cang Xue's perception, the Star God Temple was empty; the sound of the bell just now seemed to be an illusion.

Cang Xue's eyes narrowed sharply, and she suddenly raised her Staff, ready to bring it smashing down forcefully.

Ice God, my lady.

A cry unexpectedly echoed from the depths of Cang Xue's heart:

I did not mean to intrude. I merely wished to remind you not to probe into the secrets here, lest it causes unnecessary disturbances, adding unnecessary difficulties for my master, your son.

As the voice echoed, Cang Xue saw a wisp of light gray air materialize before her.

She hesitated slightly but then grasped the air between her fingertips.

In an instant, Cang Xue saw the disc cradled in the Star God's hands. It rapidly expanded, pulling a portion of her spiritual mind into a gray, dim, cramped world.

That was a narrow area within the Star God's disc.

A remnant of the Star God's thought?

Cang Xue's wariness peaked, but she remained outwardly calm to deal with any eventuality, ready to unleash her final, devastating blow at any moment.

DING—

Another bell tolled. The fog ahead slowly parted, revealing the upper shoulder of a great bell, most of which was hidden in the clouds, its image imprinting itself upon Cang Xue's spiritual mind.

Simultaneously, beside the great bell, a shadowy figure appeared, only an outline of a human form.

This shadowy figure spoke with a clear and gentle voice, "You once wielded the Star God's Dao, which is why here you can only see the part of the bell shoulder that will be forged from the Star God's disc in the future. My master is very fortunate to have such a great mother as you, to pass on to him a complete Great Dao with the potential to become a being of utmost power. It is also an honor for me to meet you in this way, although this was not my original intention."

"Who are you?"

"I am a treasure, used by my master to deduce the Taiyi Dao."

The shadow continued calmly, "Similarly, I am used by my master to suppress the order of Heaven and Earth. In the future I will reach, I shall become the hub of the Heavenly Dao, representing the will of the Heavenly Dao. You may consider me a substitute for the Dao of Order, although I am more complete than the Heavenly Emperor's current Order incarnation. You may also regard me as the Artifact Spirit of my master's future main Divine Artifact. The master endowed me with spirituality."

Cang Xue fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "Do you know what will happen in the future?"

"I stand at the end of ages, able to look back and observe all events."

"Does Ba'er also know?"

"I have not intervened unnecessarily in the master's affairs."

Zhong explained, "Similarly, I will not divulge to you what might happen in the future, as this could cause a reversal of cause and effect, thereby affecting the projection and operation of Taiyi within Order. The future is constantly changing, with countless possibilities leading to unpredictable outcomes, but all possibilities are destined to converge into one. Ice God, you only need to know that in the end, it is your son who wins. Please do not worry too much."

Cang Xue suddenly said, "Did Ba'er pay a great price to create you, hoping to avert the tragedies that occurred during his path to victory?"

"That is not the case," Zhong replied. "The master has never given me such a command."

Cang Xue's gaze sharpened slightly. "That is to say, you can disregard your master's orders and determine for yourself what can and must be done?"

"This is difficult to explain to you in a short time. I only exist in the past. The 'me' that accompanies the master is the Zhong of the next instant, which cannot communicate with the master. This is determined by the irreversible nature of time; my spirituality can only exist in the past. Even after the master created me, to communicate with me, he must rely on the power of the Dao of time."

Zhong sighed softly and continued, "All conscious entities aware of my existence, including the master, would think that I might betray the master. The spirit of a Divine Artifact, endowed with spirituality and autonomy, backstabbing its master—it's a compelling narrative, satisfying a certain voyeuristic curiosity. But why would I betray the master? I have no personal desires. I can comprehend the master's feelings, and I don't view myself as lacking in any way. I can know all causes and suppress all effects; I am the beginning of everything and also contain the end of everything. I respect and follow the master's commands because the master provided me with the opportunity to emerge from chaos. My entire being revolves around the master's will. I am like a child that the master has carefully nurtured, with boundless attachment and gratitude towards him."

"Then why are you here?" Cang Xue frowned. "And why keep intervening in Ba'er's matters?"

Zhong fell silent for a long while.

Cang Xue spoke indifferently, "You can choose not to tell me the reason, but I will conclude that the situation has slipped out of my control."

"Because the master wants to become stronger," Zhong's voice grew even more solemn. "The master desired to be stronger, but by the time he forged me, achieving that had already become exceedingly difficult. I have not told the master this; I hope you can also keep this secret, or else it would affect the master's state of mind. I do not want the master to feel too much pressure. The master faces challenges more difficult than Emperor Shun and the Candle Dragon. The injuries he has sustained and the setbacks he has encountered have all affected his ultimate limits. You have already felt that with my intervention, the obstacles the master faces become assistance. In truth, this is merely to provide the master with more assistance in his past, to push him towards greater power. Even if these efforts of mine, at the moment of my birth, only help the master increase his Dao Realm by a sliver, it might still enable him to turn the tide. So, I hope you will have a good talk with the master and tell him the secrets in your heart. The master will help you, and will surely be able to assist you.

"Among the one thousand six hundred possibilities that I am aware of, your demise would be an immeasurable blow to the master."

Cang Xue was slightly startled, suddenly feeling a profound Daoist Essence striking at her Divine Soul.

Zhong said, "This is the price that must be paid for peering into the future."

"I will die?"

"My appearance today is to prevent this tragedy, so the master can face challenges with a more composed attitude."

Zhong's words suddenly paused, then continued, "You can reflect carefully; I have covertly interfered four times on your behalf. Even the Daoist Essence of Taiyi that you observed the master capturing was a clue I intentionally left for you. In all the possibilities I have calculated, choosing to intervene at this point to change your perception of the master as merely your child gives about a seventy percent likelihood of avoiding that tragedy.

"Please do not let the master be sad. You have never revealed to the master the truth about your arrival from the Outer Sky to Heaven and Earth. Please do not leave the master with a regret that could be called a trauma. Otherwise, I will take some drastic measures to protect the master's emotions."

The figure with only outlines slowly changed, transforming into the figure of Wu Wang as a young boy.

It made a respectful bow to Cang Xue, clouds swirling around it, and in a blink, it disappeared without a trace.

In the Star God Temple, Cang Xue maintained her closed-eyed posture, unable to open her eyes for a long time.

Four interferences…

A six-pointed star flashed on Cang Xue's forehead as countless memory fragments surged, swirling rapidly in the depths of her mind.

Soon, a few fragments caught Cang Xue's attention.

*In the Starry Sky Temple, she stood silently in the center of the grand hall, unaware at the time that Emperor Shun knew her true identity, so Cang Xue still presented herself in the guise of a Sun Ritual. She was not as brash as she was at this moment. Through the Stars, she observed the boy from the bear-hugging tribe, watching him joyfully interact with an ordinary female Cultivator from the Human Domain. Somewhat inexplicably, the starlight captured an ongoing duel. Cang Xue initially felt she should not engage in affairs beyond her role as a Sun Ritual, to ensure the secrecy of her identity, but at that moment, an inexplicable thought arose, and she directed her gaze towards the location of the spiritual energy fluctuations. Subsequently, she projected what she saw into the depths of Ba'er's heart.*

Thus, that facilitated the first encounter between Wu Wang and Ling Xiaolan.

Cang Xue suddenly came to a realization.

She was not of a nature to pity living beings much, but that time, she inadvertently harbored the desire not to let that woman perish.

Reflecting on it carefully now, coupled with Zhong's reminder…

"Could it be!"

Cang Xue opened her eyes, the ice-blue color in them rapidly receding.

Among the one thousand six hundred possibilities I know, your passing would be an immense blow to the master.

"Ba'er…"

She whispered softly, her eyes filled with light contemplation, falling into a prolonged silence.

「Meanwhile.」

Wu Wang, who had just stepped through the teleportation array and arrived above the East Sea, also heard a bell toll deep in his heart.

Upon leaving Heaven Palace, Zhong became audacious, directly ignoring Emperor Shun, who also served as the god of time, breaching the barriers of space and time to connect with Wu Wang's spiritual mind.

"Master."

"What is it?"

"I wish to report to you that I would like to make contact with Lord Ice God."

Wu Wang hesitated, then asked, "Is this contact necessary?"

"It is not a necessary contact, but it can grant you a more complete life experience."

"Hmm, don't exert any pressure on my mother," Wu Wang said indifferently. "You can tell my mother that in the future, I will assume the position of Heavenly Emperor. That should be sufficient."

Suddenly, Wu Wang felt a bit dizzy, as if his Divine Soul was under some inexplicable pressure.

"Master, as you have made frequent contact with me, I will remain silent for a while, until you need my support."

"Alright then."

"Also, Master, in the flow of time you perceive, I may have already made contact with the Ice God before reporting to you. But at this moment, I am moving against the current of time. Therefore, it is after receiving your permission that I made contact with Lord Ice God in a past moment."

"Er?"

Wu Wang asked, puzzled, "So when you're speaking now, are you also speaking backwards?"

"That's correct. However, the transmission of Divine Thought allows you to understand the meaning. I just need to convey the Divine Thought to you; the words are actually interpreted by you within your heart."

The dizziness grew stronger.

Wu Wang didn't dare to chat with Zhong any further and immediately withdrew his spiritual mind from his heart.

With a final toll of the bell, Zhong's Daoist Essence vanished.

Wu Wang also adjusted his mentality and concealed himself within the fabric of Heaven and Earth in the Southeastern Region.