Yu Mu's guess was correct; indeed, it was the spirit of the Heavenly Dao using its last strength to reverse time before its destruction, and it brought him back with the purpose of stopping Ye Tian from sacrificing the world to save itself.
However, Yu Mu couldn't help but sneer coldly.
Wasn't the Child of Fortune chosen by the spirit of the Heavenly Dao itself? Did it still want him to continue being a tool to clean up its mess?
Did it really think that planting half a seed of the Heavenly Dao deep within his soul could control him?
Fortunately, this emperor still considered himself a person; otherwise, he would have wanted to destroy this world before Ye Tian could, making that bastard cry without a place to go.
However, this cold smile was quickly suppressed by Yu Mu, as Elder Yun Buqi would soon begin meditating, and he needed to clean the cultivation room again.
...
At this moment, above the sky, terrifying winds of power surged. These winds now lacked some of their usual vitality, as if they had lost their direction.
Just as Yu Mu thought, the consciousness that originally belonged to the spirit of the Heavenly Dao had transformed into an illusory, enormous face that seemed ready to dissipate at any moment, subservient to a massive consciousness.
The spirit of the Heavenly Dao was originally supposed to be a lifeless entity; it could reverse time but not itself. Now, this world was under the control of a fragment of consciousness from the Great Dao.
It was like a candle flame in the wind, appearing as if it could extinguish at any moment.
If this time, Yu Mu ignored Ye Tian's actions, then before Ye Tian could destroy the world, he would be scattered by the fortune of the Child of Fortune he had already become!
This was its last chance...
But Yu Mu? The spirit of the Heavenly Dao sighed, its illusory face showing more traces of ferocity; the Demon Emperor was unreliable! Its level of existence was different, so it did not understand the emotions of the Demon Emperor.
But it knew it had to save itself!
"Little Mu, these things do not need you to do."
In the Xinyun Hall, in the cultivation room.
Elder Yun Buqi looked at the spotless cultivation room cleaned by Yu Mu, a hint of heartache surfacing in his old eyes.
Did he have to do these chores when he was in the Ziyun Hall? He was the chief genius, the designated young master! How could the Zhiyun Hall treat him like this?
"Master, I have been unable to cultivate recently; I need to have something to do." Yu Mu smiled gently and lit the incense used for calming the mind.
"You... you make me..."
Elder Yun Buqi was a great cultivator from the northwest who had lived for nearly a thousand years. He thought he was old enough to be calm and unperturbed, but today...
"Master, should I accompany you?"
"Come on." Elder Yun Buqi took out a brand-new cushion and placed it beside him.
He had other disciples, many in fact, but no one had ever made him care as much as Yu Mu did.
A child of heaven! Who wouldn't cherish that? Only the Zhiyun Hall's inaction allowed him to take advantage of the situation. Thinking this, Elder Yun Buqi glanced at Yu Mu, who was sitting cross-legged with closed eyes beside him, and a hint of pride unexpectedly rose in his heart.
Then he entered a state of cultivation. He appeared old, but his lifespan was still long. With diligent cultivation and opportunities for insight, he still had a chance to break through to the Transformation Realm.
But Yu Mu was different! His cultivation was sealed, and he could only perform simple breathing exercises. However, when one has something to protect, their heart will come alive. Moreover, Yu Mu never considered himself defeated; after all, he was the Demon Emperor who towered above the skies!
"The 'Heavenly River Profound Art'? I guess in Fairy Fairy Zi Li's heart, I am only worthy of the 'Heavenly River Profound Art'; how foolish I was to once rejoice."
Yu Mu felt his current situation; the 'Heavenly River Profound Art' was merely a mysterious-level technique. Even though it was considered precious in the northwest, its upper limit was low. He had done so much for the Zhiyun Hall, yet they only granted him this technique.
In contrast, Ye Tian, who had only been in the sect for three years, could obtain the most precious earth-level technique from her. What a joke.
"Now Master should bestow another technique, but his techniques... actually do not suit my cultivation."
"The most suitable would be the 'Nine Devil Heart Sutra'; it is quite handy to practice. I need to become strong quickly and then take Master away from here."
Murmuring in his heart, in his previous life, the sect he thought was worth his lifelong dedication had now turned into a place of conflict in his heart.
The ancient spirit cat granted nine lives, and with the blessing of the Heavenly Dao's fortune, almost everyone would believe in Ye Tian. He was not afraid; what was there to fear?
However, the Zhiyun Hall's focus was clearly already aimed at Master. Master was upright and rigid, even a bit old-fashioned; he would rather break than bend, making him no match for those people.
What he feared was that Ye Tian would scheme against Master to please Fairy Fairy Zi Li, just like in his previous life! He currently did not have the strength to protect Master.
Go to the Demon Domain? Su Qiyuan should also be in the Demon Domain at this time; he still needed to find a way to persuade Master and look for an opportunity to trick that grandson Lu Xinghe away.
Aside from these three... Yu Mu had little else to care about.
Even though the Demon Domain was harsh, and those demon cultivators were brutal, in Yu Mu's heart, it was far better than the seemingly peaceful and harmonious Yunhe Sect, which was actually filled with endless filth.
Suddenly, Yu Mu's brow furrowed.
The half seed of the Heavenly Dao in his sea of consciousness had sprouted?! This thing could be considered a mark of the Heavenly Dao; could it be... that the spirit of the Heavenly Dao, in its illusory state, could still cause trouble?
However, this seed of the Heavenly Dao did not affect him; rather, its presence was accelerating the dissipation of the sealing power within him.
"I don't care what scheme you are plotting. Since you are the Heavenly Dao, you know what I experienced in my past life and understand my abilities. Now, I just want to tell you, don't come near me."
The sound was filled with indifference; that day, the seed of the Heavenly Path visibly trembled slightly but continued to sprout slowly, releasing an aura of goodwill. Yu Mu was too lazy to care and simply sat cross-legged beside Elder Yun Buqi, continuing to regulate his breathing.
In the deep night, there was silence and tranquility. Only the sound of insects chirping in the fields outside the Xingyun Hall could be heard, combined with the deep and rhythmic aura of Elder Yun Buqi nearby, which gradually calmed Yu Mu's heart.
However, Fairy Zi Li's heart was not at peace.
Since returning from the Xingyun Hall, she had been tossing and turning in the training room, unable to enter a state of cultivation, her mind filled with images of Yu Mu from childhood to adulthood.
The scent of the calming incense seemed to have become a hindrance.
"He's just a disciple; I don't even care about him, ungrateful wretch!" She grits her silver teeth hard, activating the spirit gathering formation, and under the terrifying surge of spiritual energy, she forcibly entered a state of cultivation.
But soon, those thoughts, akin to inner demon, reappeared.
She... she seemed to see a lonely figure at the mountain peak, standing alone with a spear, facing an entire scarlet world as his enemy.
He turned back, and his silhouette and face gradually became clear.
His features were peerlessly handsome, his figure as straight as a pine tree. His dark cloak was stained with blood, and there was not a trace of life in his eyes.
"Mu'er!"
Fairy Zi Li wanted to speak but couldn't make a sound. She could only watch that figure, only to realize... she was also facing him, one of his enemies!
"Master... are you going to kill me too?"