World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 666: Willing to Unite with You, Hoping to Understand Your Heart
When they left Fengmo, Wang Sheng believed that the greatest difficulty of this journey would be finding the divine tree and allowing his senior sister to cultivate using its power.
Fortunately, with Zhuge Lin's help, his senior sister entered the divine tree without any issues. Wang Sheng then thought the trouble ahead would come from the arrangements that Qinghua had made. The Great Dao of Life had drawn too many powerful figures and major factions, which begged the question of how he and his senior sister could escape safely.
Twists and turns happened again and again. Wang Sheng never imagined that the greatest problem before him would come from the Heavenly Court—from Qinghua himself, the Great Emperor of the Eastern Pole and one of the Four Heavenly Ministers.
Qinghua's divine soul appeared without warning. He spoke calmly and amiably, then suddenly proposed taking both Wang Sheng and his senior sister away from this place. He even intended to nurture Wang Sheng into the leader of the Heavenly Court's restoration.
His arrangement made even Wang Sheng, who had seen many grand situations, feel as though his mind had been thrown into disorder.
Wang Sheng understood that if he left with Qinghua, they would be gone for at least tens of thousands of years. Such duration meant little to the emperor, yet it was hardly acceptable to Wang Sheng, who had lived less than a thousand years. After all, he still had to help Earth's cultivators.
He had always hoped that once Earth's cultivators had left the Realm of Exiled Immortals and the thirteen qi planets had completely stabilized, he could return home with his senior sister and serve their parents and master together.
But now, Wang Sheng closed his eyes and weighed everything again and again, forcing himself to find a way to balance gain and loss as quickly as possible.
It would be an enormous blessing for Senior Sister to inherit the Great Dao of Life and join the ranks of those with powerful divine abilities. With only tens of thousands of years of cultivation, she could become a truly influential and important figure in the endless space. That would be an incredible fated opportunity for her... Wait, the two Nine-Essence Dao-Condensing Pills are nothing compared to this!
Senior Sister now has the complete Great Dao of Emperor Qinghua. Through various fated opportunities, she can directly take over this Dao. Am I really going to let my little desire delay such an amazing future for her?
Yet the thought of them soon separating, with an unknowable distance between them, felt like a sword slowly cutting through his chest.
A man had to be responsible.
The image of Qing Yanzi's back appeared in his mind. Having made his decision, he slowly opened his eyes.
"Your Imperial Majesty, should we not consult my senior sister's opinion on this matter? If she wishes to follow you to cultivate, I will have no objections."
"Oh?"
Qinghua, who had been observing Wang Sheng the entire time, smiled faintly once more.
Wang Sheng had just shown that he respected Mu Wanxuan and wanted her input before deciding. In Qinghua's eyes, that was a rare quality. After all, to him, Haotian's only flaw in the past was that he often ignored many wise suggestions from the Queen Mother, and the real authority of the Heavenly Court had largely remained in the hands of male cultivators.
"If Little Qing wishes to leave with you instead, what will you do?"
Wang Sheng raised his right hand slightly to the side. For the first time, he unleashed his will proactively. Yaoyun couldn't even refuse as she transformed into Spiritless.
He then looked at Qinghua. Though he lowered his voice, his resolve was unmistakable.
"Then I'd willingly give up everything and sacrifice myself to take my senior sister away from here."
Qinghua's smile remained. "Take the bronze mirror that the Apricot-Yellow Banner gave you and look at Little Qing."
Frowning slightly, Wang Sheng quickly took out the bronze mirror from his robes and looked for Mu Wanxuan.
The scene within the mirror shifted. Mu Wanxuan stood beside the pool inside the palace, staring faintly at the pale-green water. Beside her stood Qinghua, who was in a long green dress.
The one with Wang Sheng smiled. "That is a strand of my divine sense. While speaking with you, I explained everything to her."
Wang Sheng suddenly felt tense. "My senior sister—"
"She has agreed to follow me and inherit the Dao of Life I left behind."
In that instant, Wang Sheng felt his strength drain away. Fatigue filled his face, yet he just sighed quietly.
Qinghua gently admitted, "She initially chose to abandon the Dao of Life and go with you without hesitation. However, I resorted to a somewhat shameless method. I told her that if she refused to cultivate with me, I would follow you to your homeland and refine my Dao of Death."
So Senior Sister made her decision begrudgingly?
Wang Sheng regained some spirit at once. He then smiled bitterly at the emperor.
"Emperor, you—"
In a serious tone, Qinghua interjected, "I have never coerced others before, especially not Little Qing, but times are different now. I have to use whatever means necessary to restore the Heavenly Court and seek justice for my immortal friends who suffered tragic deaths.
"Rest assured, I will never place Little Qing in danger. With the Apricot-Yellow Banner as witness, you have my word." Seeing Wang Sheng's gloomy expression, he added thoughtfully, "As compensation, I will ensure she has no contact with other male cultivators."
"That is not the issue. I do not doubt my senior sister."
Noticing Qinghua's half-smiling expression, Wang Sheng swallowed the rest of his words.
Qinghua slowly stood. "I will give you ten more days to be with Little Qing. After that, I will completely refine the divine tree and revive my divine corpse. I will take Little Qing away from here, and I will give you a ride along the way. Now, go."
He gradually faded into a streak of flowing light that drifted toward the palace, inside of which an identical stream of light flared to life. The two streaks met and merged, leaving behind a doorway within the grand array outside the palace. They then vanished into the trunk of the divine tree.
Yaoyun urged Wang Sheng, "In the long run, this is Hua Qing's greatest fated opportunity. She should not miss it. Go to her quickly. Ten days aren't that long."
"I know," Wang Sheng replied as he rubbed his temples.
In the end, this was happening simply because he was too weak and his cultivation was too shallow. If he had the power to negotiate with Qinghua, he wouldn't have had to endure the pain of parting from his senior sister.
To think he had even told her at the Xinghai Sect that they would never be separated again.
Wang Sheng raised his hand and slapped himself.
Smack!
He shook his head, steadied his spirit, and adjusted his expression. At the very least, he could look happier. That way, when his senior sister cultivated, she would worry a little less.
***
Wang Sheng had never entered the palace before. Whenever he looked through the bronze mirror, he only saw the pool at its center.
Wang Sheng stepped into the narrow gap that Qinghua had left in the palace array. The array then immediately closed behind him, preventing anyone outside from spying on them. Qinghua would not stoop low enough to peek either.
At that moment, Wang Sheng swiftly realized that the interior was far broader than it appeared from outside, and it had over a dozen white-jade pillars all over it. Its floor was paved with green stone bricks that resembled glazed crystal. They seemed almost alive, brimming with dense vitality. Moreover, streams of liquefied primal qi flowed through them like clear brooks, producing a soft and pleasing sound.
Pale curtains hung along the four sides of the palace. Between the pillars were drapes of green, softening the vastness of the palace.
Looking up, he discovered that the ceiling was completely transparent. Beyond it rose the canopy of the divine tree, though a layer of protection still separated the interior from the outside.
Mu Wanxuan stood with her back to the entrance, gazing quietly at the pool.
Softly, Wang Sheng called, "Senior Sister?"
Her shoulders trembled faintly as she raised a hand and wiped her face. When she turned around, her usual gentle smile had returned.
Softly, she answered, "Mm."
Their gazes met as Wang Sheng walked toward her. Neither could bear to blink.
They were both smiling, and their eyes were clear. Nevertheless, they both knew how reluctant the other felt.
"Have you heard of Emperor Qinghua's plan?" Wang Sheng asked.
Mu Wanxuan nodded lightly. "Cultivate."
"It truly is a good opportunity."
Wang Sheng cleared his throat. With a light step, he appeared less than half a chi away before her. Mu Wanxuan lowered her head and stepped forward. He drew her into his arms, and much of the heaviness in his heart dispersed.
"Do not worry. I will explain everything clearly to our master. Earth's cultivators also need a true expert to stand guard, and I will just think of this as you going away to study. Our martial juniors will be fine. As their second martial brother, I will make sure to take care of them."
His voice gradually softened as he saw the deep attachment in her eyes.
There was no need for more words. A thousand sentences could not compare to simply being together.
One rose on their toes; one lowered their head.
They said nothing for a long while. It felt as though, within this endless space, only the couple and the palace remained.
My only wish is to stay by your side until our hair turns white, never to part. I want to unite with you, to rest close in tender intimacy.
Wang Sheng's mind blanked out. Mu Wanxuan no longer suppressed the feelings in her heart. The two moved and, before long, tumbled into the pool.
However, just as Wang Sheng found it impossible to hold back, Mu Wanxuan seemingly regained her clarity. Her gaze cleared.
As softly as a mosquito's hum, she murmured, "Marriage."
Wang Sheng blinked. "Mm?"
Mu Wanxuan bit her lip and repeated in a whisper, "Marriage."
The meaning of the words from Mu Wanxuan shifted depending on the moment. Back then, she meant that certain things should wait until after they were married. Now, she meant that she wished to marry him right at that instant.
How could Wang Sheng misunderstand her feelings?
Firmly, he answered, "Alright. Let's bow to heaven and earth."
Mu Wanxuan closed her eyes in contentment.
"Mm," she softly replied as her lashes trembled lightly, yet she did not let go of him.
