As twilight gently descended and all became peaceful, a goddess quietly left the palace in the Moon Palace.
She wore a flowing, colorful long dress, the hem swaying gently with her steps, sparkling like a flowing river of stars in the Galaxy, leaving a faint glow with each step that illuminated her path ahead.
"Where is she off to?"
A figure blocked Chang Xi's way.
"Ah? Sister!" Chang Xi stopped in her tracks, staring blankly at the newcomer.
Wang Shu's hair was as dark as ink, flowing with the wind, each strand seemingly capturing the faintest starlight of the night sky.
Chang Xi cursed silently under her breath, bracing herself she asked, "Aren't you in seclusion, sister?"
Her tall figure, her cool and clear countenance, and a pair of slightly majestic, stunning eyes, now scrutinized her younger sister: "Taking advantage of my seclusion to sneak out of the Moon Palace again?"
"I didn't..." Chang Xi fiddled with the hem of her dress.
She dared not meet Wang Shu's eyes, her gaze drifting away.
"I just saw that sister was in seclusion and felt a bit bored, so I thought I'd just go out for a stroll."
"Is that so?"
The silk sashes fluttered, and Wang Shu stood in the night, her tone alone bringing a chill to the entire world.
"Of course!" This reply was crisp and decisive.
Chang Xi glanced at the moon hanging in the heavenly vault, her eyes bright and sparkling.
The moon is so round today, why hadn't I noticed it before?
"Look at me when you talk."
"Oh!"
Chang Xi obediently turned her head.
Facing Wang Shu's cool gaze, a faint smile appeared on her face.
Trying to bluff her way past her sister.
Wang Shu said indifferently, "I'm bored too, why not walk with me?"
"Ah?" Chang Xi was startled again.
"You don't want to?"
"I do, I do!" Chang Xi nodded eagerly, "I love going out with you!"
"But..."
"But what?" Wang Shu saw her sister hesitate and struggle, the corners of her mouth curving into a smile.
"Could we change the day?" Chang Xi lowered her head, whispering softly: "Tomorrow is fine, or the day after? Just not today…"
"What's wrong with today?" Wang Shu pressed on.
"Today... Today..." Chang Xi couldn't think of a proper excuse and stomped her foot half in embarrassment, half in annoyance.
"Oh sister~~" She stepped forward, taking Wang Shu's hand, pleading pitifully, "Can we change the day?"
"Change the day?"
"Mm-hm!"
Chang Xi blinked rapidly: "Change the day!"
She looked up at the sky, pointing at the moon: "I promise!"
"Alright."
Wang Shu nodded slightly.
"Really?"
Chang Xi's eyes curved into crescents: "Sister is the best!"
"Sister, goodbye!"
In a flash, Chang Xi had disappeared.
She left without dragging her feet.
As if she was afraid Wang Shu would change her mind.
Wang Shu shook her head, amused.
"Now I want to see who is the divine being that has whisked my sister away."
Since you won't stay with your sister.
Don't blame sister for following you.
~~~~~
Kunlun Mountain.
A vein of primordial heritage, divided into East and West, each with their cosmic balance.
A gentle moonbeam spilled over this boundless darkness, adding a vivid splash of color to the quiet night sky.
"Sister didn't follow?"
Chang Xi, like the purest silver light, clutched her dress and peeked out cautiously from the moonlight.
Once she confirmed it was safe, Chang Xi let out a sigh of relief, a victorious smile appearing on her delicate face.
"Hehe, good thing I ran fast!"
Silver light darted through Kunlun Mountain as Chang Xi gleefully wandered through the mountains.
Where her fingertips touched, fireflies gathered and danced.
Their light, bright and dim, adorned the quiet night, like the most dazzling stars in the night sky.
The colossal beast guarding Kunlun spotted her from afar.
"Jade Cloud Goddess." Lu Wu bowed his head in respect.
"It's Lu Wu." Chang Xi looked up at the giant beast hidden in the void.
Lu Wu, the Mountain God of Kunlun, in charge of guarding the nine Heavenly Gates of the mountain.
"Has everyone arrived?"
"Everyone is here."
Lu Wu opened the barrier: "Please!"
Chang Xi entered West Kunlun.
She went straight to a well, its barrier made of jade, leading directly to one of West Kunlun's nine Heavenly Gates.
Under Lu Wu's watchful eyes, Chang Xi jumped into the well.
"Jade Cloud Sister is here!"
"Hello, Jade Cloud Sister!"
"Hello!"
Chang Xi spoke to each being with the gentlest voice, her sound like a mountain spring, purifying every soul.
Suddenly, she saw a dreamlike figure emerging from another gate.
"Sister Wuyou!" Hastily, Chang Xi caught up and grabbed the other's sleeve.
Meng Wuyou turned around, a smile in her eyes: "Eh? Little Jade Cloud!"
"Sneaking out again behind your sister's back?"
Faced with Meng Wuyou's teasing, Chang Xi's ears turned red instantly: "Not at all!"
"I ran out right in front of her!"
Hearing this, Meng Wuyou was greatly surprised: "Incredible, truly incredible!"
Chang Xi was embarrassed.
"Alright, I'll stop teasing you."
Meng Wuyou laughed: "Actually, we don't have a rule against disclosing what happens here, you can tell your sister."
"I don't want to tell her."
Chang Xi pouted, huffing softly: "She never tells me when she goes out."
"You."
Meng Wuyou shook her head, not pressing further.
She said: "Here you can't call me Wuyou, you have to call me Lady Zi Xiao!"
"Yes, Lady Zi Xiao!" Chang Xi giggled.
She linked arms with Meng Wuyou, "Let's go quickly, Lady Zi Xiao, everyone is here."
"Ah, what's the hurry? We Jiuxiao folks aren't that strict about rules..."
Outside Kunlun Mountain.
Wang Shu stood in the void.
She looked in the direction where her sister had disappeared, feeling hesitant.
Should she move in?
At the moment her thought stirred, all nine heads of Lu Wu turned over.
With intense focus, its eighteen eyes stared at the piece of void where Wang Shu was.
Lu Wu couldn't see her.
But that didn't prevent Lu Wu from greeting her.
Big shot, let's talk this over.
~~~~
Blood Sea.
Right at the moment when the little Moon God sneaked away, the lotus in the Blood Pool bloomed.
It seemed like an incarnation of the purest, most magnificent beauty of the Dao.
An extraordinary creation born from the heart and soul of heaven and earth.
A supreme treasure belonging to Primordial.
Xuanqing and Ming River both stared closely at the Blood Pool.
Although the lotus took root deep within the Blood Sea, it profoundly exemplified the meaning of remaining unstained by the mire.
The boundless Karmic Fire illuminated the void, its divine might to burn all things shocking to behold.
Heaven and earth trembled, thousands of Daos roared.
In the flames, numerous Laws materialized, one after another.
The manifested power of the Dao transformed into mysterious and incomprehensible runes.
Every trace seemed capable of channeling immortal Dao power, as if it could burn down All Heavens and incinerate eternity!
This was a flame that could directly burn upon the soul, with extraordinary lethality.
Xuanqing was certain, ordinary divinities here, if unguarded, their immortal spirits could be ignited!
One could even perish here!
This was not a conjecture.
A top-tier Innate Spiritual Treasure, its power was no less than any Innate Divine Beings.
Or perhaps it was itself a different kind of Innate Great God.
If the Karma Fire Red Lotus fully erupted, regular entities might not be able to defeat it.
"Have you realized anything?" Ming River looked at Xuanqing beside him.
Xuanqing's eyes suddenly shone bright, "Divine Skills, Taoist Skills, many many!"
"Really?" Ming River looked at the sky full of Laws, how come he only felt an increase in Cultivation?
In just that moment, Ming River's Mana surged upwards.
Xuanqing nodded, "Look at this!"
He snapped his fingers, a ghostly blue flame sparking from his fingertips.
"What's this?"
Ming River was startled.
No need for materials, no need for Spiritual Energy, no need for Mana, time and space were all burning!
In the moment the flame appeared, Ming River's soul shivered.
It was as if his own soul had become firewood!
"Karmic Fire!"
Xuanqing flashed a brilliant smile, "The Karmic Fire that burns the soul."
"This is Karmic Fire?"
Ming River looked at the blood-red Karmic Fire filling the sky, then at the ghostly blue flame in Xuanqing's hand.
Are these two the same thing?
Seeing the flame in Xuanqing's hand growing hotter, Ming River backed towards the edge of the Blood Pool.
At least the Karmic Fire felt familiar.
However, just as Ming River approached the Karma Fire Red Lotus, a sudden change occurred!
Boom!!!
With a violent booming sound, the heavens quaked, a scroll hanging in the air, then rapidly expanding.
A Tao Domain evolved, covering heaven and earth.
"Who?" Ming River's face suddenly changed.
"Harvester!"
Fragments of time encircled and danced, the fog of Chaos hazily obscuring a blurred figure.
It looked at the mature Karma Fire Red Lotus, laughing, "Unexpectedly, a random fish I noticed would bring me such a surprise!"
The figure held the scroll, casually shaking it, a moment later a tidal wave-like pulse surged, capable of traversing the Primordial Universe and destroying all living beings.
As if, intermittently, whole worlds were being born and annihilated.
Ebb and flow of the endless space-time, All Heavens turned silent, the world returning to its origin.
"Daoist, our destined encounter ends today!"
Facing such magnitude of power, the Karma Fire Red Lotus swayed, igniting flames across the sky, tracing the most mysterious trajectories, seemingly able to influence the entire Blood Sea.
From all directions, blood-colored radiance converged endlessly, amplifying its might, almost to the extent of burning down All Heavens!
"Where did this jerk come from!"
Ming River flung his sleeves, as a Killing Sword ferociously slashed.
"This Spiritual Treasure, I'll gladly take!"
A huge hand slapped out, stirring up a great tide of Chaos, terrifying Light of Law surged, illuminating the Universe.
Another Divine being appeared.
It hid in the void, evading Ming River's sword, heading straight for the Karma Fire Red Lotus.
Ming River's eyes chilled, another Killing Sword whirled and flew, cutting through all directions.
Endless killing intent destroying heaven and earth, even space and time trembled.
"Who the hell are you?!"
"Me? You forgot about this?"
The second Divine being smiled, "Makes sense, we haven't met face to face, but you've fallen into many pits I've dug!"
"Otherwise I couldn't have come here today."
Hearing this, Ming River's face darkened.
He realized it now.
The treasures of his home were coveted.
And the ones coveting them were all "old acquaintances"!
Ming River snorted coldly, holding his Killing Sword, looking around:
"Who else?!"
"All those who seek ties, come out."
The newly born Spiritual Treasure was now to be stained with enemy blood, following me has turned you bitter.
Ming River summoned the Innate Karma Fire Red Lotus to his side.
The red flames spread wide, the Red Lotus transmitted joyful emotions.
It was not saddened!
On the contrary, it was very excited.
Born from the Blood Sea, how could it refuse the baptism of fresh blood!