Chapter 913: This Is True Chaos and Annihilation

Chapter 913: This Is True Chaos and Stillness

On Liu Ke Peak, Zhao Changhe stood atop the mountain, gazing at the mist that lapped at his legs, sensing the density of spiritual energy here—it seemed even richer than Ye Wuming’s Night Palace by a few degrees.

Even the Jade Dew wine he had just drunk greatly benefited his cultivation, solidifying his Other Shore by another three parts.

No wonder this was a top-tier “forbidden land” in the main universe, the cultivation ground of an Other Shore Emperor.

His spiritual sense faintly detected that, though the mountain-protecting grand formation was temporarily destroyed, hidden killing intent lurked everywhere. Many places sent a jolt of alarm when scanned, far from the peaceful appearance they presented.

Emperor Withered Wood was no simple character who had truly been defeated by a single move of his, as it seemed on the surface... His cultivation was different; he simply hadn’t pulled out his treasures at the first moment. If the initiative shifted, the outcome would be uncertain.

“Do you truly believe this Emperor can be an ally?” Ye Jiuyou stood beside him, observing for a long while, then asked softly.

“The foundation for cooperation exists, but trust still needs to be forged,” Zhao Changhe said in a low voice. “Today, I’ve shown force, offered gifts, and reasoned with him—done all I could. Now it depends on what kind of man he truly is.”

Ye Jiuyou said, “If it were me, I wouldn’t choose to cooperate. No matter what kind of man he is, he’s ultimately an emperor who controls a star system, not a hermit living on a fairy mountain. An emperor’s heart is unfathomable, full of hidden schemes—not a good partner. In my view, after the conversation just now, we’ve understood the situation here. We could simply leave; staying overnight is meaningless.”

Zhao Changhe said, “Even if he were a hermit, you wouldn’t choose to cooperate. Your nature, though different from before, hasn’t changed at its root—where’s the trust for outsiders? I think it’s already a great courtesy that you’re willing to sit here and talk over wine.”

Ye Jiuyou smiled charmingly. “Willing to talk and drink? It’s not for his face. One reason is that I also want to understand the situation and layout here; the other is that I enjoy hearing him call us ‘the esteemed couple.’”

Zhao Changhe chuckled and didn’t reply.

Ye Jiuyou said, “You still want to cooperate?”

“The Vientiane Star Domain is someone else’s home ground. Without a local guide, if we rashly engage in a life-or-death battle with an Other Shore-level powerhouse here, there are too many variables—so many that even deducing the situation is difficult,” Zhao Changhe said. “Ye Wuming should have done this long ago, but she has her concerns and is unwilling to easily bring in outsiders. I understand... She doesn’t even trust me, so how could she trust an outsider? But I think I can give it a try.”

On this point, Ye Jiuyou was the same as Ye Wuming—she didn’t want any entanglement with outsiders, fearing it would bring more trouble and covetousness to their own world. But she also knew that Luo Chuan wasn’t born from a crack in a stone; he had roots. Having roots meant that once you stepped out of the well’s sky, outsiders had always existed. Wanting to settle grudges behind closed doors was merely wishful thinking.

To eradicate future troubles permanently, one had to consider the whole picture. Zhao Changhe’s thinking was correct.

“Emperor Withered Wood inviting us to stay overnight is the first observation of the foundation of trust between both sides,” Zhao Changhe said with a smile. “As long as we’re willing to stay and dare to stay, that itself is a beginning.”

Ye Jiuyou understood this reasoning. “This is his observation. But for us, can just staying one night determine whether he might change his mind during the cooperation?”

Zhao Changhe pinched her cheek playfully. “This is just the beginning; why rush? I’m starting to wonder how you managed those countless millennia before.”

“I don’t know how I managed before either,” Ye Jiuyou pouted slightly. “You’ve ruined my Dao heart; you have to compensate me.”

“Alright, alright. How should I compensate?”

Ye Jiuyou’s eyes rolled slyly, then she sighed a little. “Under someone else’s watch, we can’t be intimate. It’s maddening.”

“...” Zhao Changhe was speechless. “Now you’re more lecherous than I am.”

Ye Jiuyou giggled and hooked her arm around his. “My man can’t be worn out—what’s there to fear?”

“Madam, please sit calmly. Let me provide you with some entertainment.” Zhao Changhe lifted her and set her down in a pavilion by the mountain’s edge. Then, with a flip of his palm, an ancient zither appeared on the stone table inside the pavilion.

Soon, the sound of the zither arose.

Ye Jiuyou sat to the side, chin in hand, watching Zhao Changhe play the zither specially to amuse her. Her eyes grew increasingly tender.

For Ye Jiuyou’s temperament, involving outsiders always stirred a bit of wariness and unease within her. Amid the leisurely zither music, that unease gradually faded and smoothed away, and her heart grew calm.

He was using the fresh music to soothe her mood, and also providing her entertainment for this long night when nothing else could be done.

Once, she had wondered: Would he stop cherishing her once he had her? Would he not dote on her as much as when he was trying to win her over? But facts proved that, aside from the difficulty of dividing his time among many, everything else was still beyond reproach—even gentler.

Because the older a man grew, the more he understood how to cherish a woman...

He was no longer a young man... He was now a top-tier powerhouse whose cultivation had even caught up with hers.

Unconsciously, Ye Jiuyou forgot even the environment around her. Her heart and eyes were filled only with her lover.

On a distant peak, Emperor Withered Wood stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance at that mountain. He listened for as long as Zhao Changhe played the zither.

Only when the zither music briefly paused did Emperor Withered Wood sigh softly. “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard anyone play the zither... What do you think of his skill?”

Behind him, a subordinate stood silently the whole time. Hearing the Emperor’s question, he answered in a low voice, “It is mortal zither skill, without Daoist enhancement... But at this level of cultivation, there can be no technical flaw; it is perfect.”

“You know that’s not what I’m asking.”

“As for its intent: his mind is broad and open, yet his bonds are many—he is a man of sentiment and righteousness. There are notes of slaughter within, and his hands are stained with no little blood.”

“Contradictory?”

“Not contradictory. How can a man who loves his children not be a true man?”

“Could it be feigned?”

“This is not a Daoist art. Before you and me, it would be difficult to fake.”

“What of ambition?”

“A little.”

Emperor Withered Wood stared fixedly at that mountain. Zhao Changhe had stopped playing the zither and was now playing chess with Ye Jiuyou to pass the time... And he saw two terrible players.

After watching for a while, Emperor Withered Wood chuckled. “A schemer, with chess skills at a child’s level? Both husband and wife are the same—birds of a feather flock together.”

The subordinate laughed as well.

For beings with their long lives, even if they hadn’t specialized in this Daoist art, as a mere pastime, their skills would have reached the pinnacle—after all, their computational abilities were different. It was rare to see cultivators at this level with such poor skills.

It could only be said that these two were truly just passing the time, not taking it seriously at all.

Emperor Withered Wood turned and left. “Enough. Stop spying on the guests; it’s too rude. Call off those beauties you prepared for testing. I think it’s unnecessary.”

The subordinate followed, still laughing. “I think if we secretly slipped a few to him, he might like them.”

“His wife is not one bit weaker than him—perhaps even deeper in foundation. Don’t provoke a lioness’s roar in the ally’s household; the crime would be grave.”

“Ally?”

“If he didn’t come with schemes, then it’s acceptable. As for what happens later... who knows?”

...

The next day, Emperor Withered Wood rode a cloud to hover beside Zhao Changhe’s pavilion, his expression strange.

Zhao Changhe leaned against a pavilion pillar, leisurely drinking wine. His wife lay languidly with her head on his thigh, covered by his outer robe, sleeping like a spring blossom.

At this level of cultivation, playing chess poorly was one thing, but they still needed to sleep? Emperor Withered Wood found it hard to comment.

This sleep left Emperor Withered Wood unsure whether to speak—would waking her be rude?

But Zhao Changhe made a “shush” gesture at him and sent a thought: “Let’s communicate by thought.”

You’re really afraid of waking your wife... Emperor Withered Wood was full of silent complaints but still used telepathy: “Does your esteemed wife need sleep?”

Zhao Changhe said, “She just likes the feeling of sleeping on me.”

Emperor Withered Wood said meaningfully, “Because with you by her side, she can sleep peacefully, no matter where she is?”

Zhao Changhe smiled. “The Emperor understands well—seems you have stories too... Well, since we’re idle, how about a game of chess?”

Emperor Withered Wood said expressionlessly, “I believe you wouldn’t enjoy competing with a child.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. I even bully my own children.”

Emperor Withered Wood found this fellow truly amusing and chuckled. “Since you don’t care for chess, why do you carry a set with you?”

Zhao Changhe said, “No choice. I have many wives; some of them like it.”

Emperor Withered Wood: “...”

It wasn’t that he carried a chess set—he simply carried a world with him, able to pull out anything he wanted. He could even pull out a daughter and have her call you “uncle.” Would you like that?

To put it bluntly, last night was spent playing the zither and playing chess with Ye Jiuyou, while the other women watched from within his embrace, their lips pouted high enough to hang oil flasks from, especially Wanzhuang, whose face was still dark with displeasure.

The very lifestyle she cherished most had been experienced instead by Ye Jiuyou, who cared nothing for such things, leaving her with the bitter resentment of seeing a flower she had carefully nurtured stuck into a pile of cow dung.

In truth, though they lacked the strength to shatter the boundaries of worlds, they could easily be brought along for the journey if someone guided them. Yet, stranded in a foreign realm where friend and foe were hard to distinguish, Zhao Changhe found it difficult to bring them; bringing Ye Jiuyou along served primarily as a deterrent, for the sheer intimidation of a couple both at the Paramita realm was no laughing matter. Had Ye Wuming not yet been subdued, Zhao Changhe would have preferred to bring the pair of Paramita sisters, which would have been a truly magnificent display...

But now, Tang Wanzhuang strongly suspected that Ye Jiuyou had maliciously forbidden anyone else from coming just to monopolize the man entirely—a crime for which she had a prior record.

Zhao Changhe pondered when he might bring Wanzhuang and the others out for some leisure, even as he spoke aloud, "What thoughts does the Emperor have today?"

Emperor Withered Wood composed himself and smiled, saying, "As I said yesterday, what would you think of us traveling arm-in-arm, Fellow Daoist?"

Zhao Changhe replied, "The Star Domain is said to encompass a myriad of phenomena and must hold many diverse realms... On any ordinary day, I might have some inclination for sightseeing, but my enthusiasm is lacking at present."

Emperor Withered Wood smiled and countered, "What if understanding every corner of the Star Domain is the prerequisite for our cooperation?"

Zhao Changhe was startled momentarily. "How should I interpret those words?"

"Because if Your Excellency does not comprehend the idiosyncrasies of the Star Domain, you may find yourself at a disadvantage when facing Luochuan's home-field advantage."

With words having reached this point, the formation of their alliance was essentially declared.

This time, Zhao Changhe was genuinely perplexed. "The Emperor has reached a decision in a mere single night?"

Emperor Withered Wood smiled faintly. "Sometimes, a single glance is all it takes to judge a person."

Even as he spoke, Ye Jiuyou opened her bleary, sleep-laden eyes, instantly perceiving the presence of an outsider nearby; her gaze turned fiercely sharp in an instant, a terrifying murderous intent flashing through them as the heavens and earth instantly turned profoundly frigid.

She quickly realized she was still resting her head on her husband's lap and that he was conversing with someone. The murderous intent vanished rapidly, and she transformed once more into a lazy little kitten, leaning against his leg, too indolent to rise.

Emperor Withered Wood had the fortune of witnessing how a peerless demon lord morphed into a small kitten; the cold, dark aura from a moment ago left even a cultivator of his caliber with lingering trepidation. Zhao Changhe asked with a touch of helplessness, "How about this glance, for instance?"

Emperor Withered Wood burst into a silent laugh. "At the very least, it confirms that you two indeed possess the confidence to deal with Luochuan."

Zhao Changhe lifted his wife, rubbing her cheeks as if to help her awaken, and laughed, "Get up now. An Emperor of the Paramita level acting as our tour guide is a privilege we don't often enjoy."

Speaking of cosmic travel, Zhao Changhe had previously felt that a single step spanned only tens of thousands of miles and that he would be overtaken at every turn; apart from his raw strength truly being insufficient back then, the primary reason was his lack of familiarity with the cosmic environment. Once he grew accustomed to it, his speed when fleeing planets later on had already far exceeded his initial attempts.

Furthermore, he had been afraid of space being shattered at the time, not daring to recklessly employ spatial folding to traverse the void, relying purely on speed to escape. Had spatial folding been used for traveling, Ye Wuming could have reached Earth long ago... Distance had long since lost its meaning; what was required was the ability to locate coordinates.

By now, Zhao Changhe was well-accustomed to the cosmic environment. Even without relying on spatial abilities, merely through flight, he did not fall behind in the slightest while traveling behind Emperor Withered Wood, keeping pace with absolute ease.

Even more effortless was Ye Jiuyou.

Emperor Withered Wood discovered to his horror that he could not even perceive the trajectory of this woman's flight; it was as if wherever the darkness ahead lay, she would naturally materialize there.

At times, Emperor Withered Wood felt as though the wife of this Fellow Daoist Zhao did not truly exist, struck by the illusion that the entire profound abyss of the cosmos was her very self.

In his heart, he also made some deductions... This couple might have emerged from a secondary plane, for this scent of a world's primordial chaos and dark beginnings was not something that could be acquired in the main world... Just as someone in a mortal kingdom who spends their entire life in the imperial court can hardly gain the experience of rising from the grassroots level, experiencing the birth, death, and metamorphosis of a world is often an essential component of the path toward the Great Dao.

Yet planes capable of forming their own self-contained worlds were hard to find, or else they were too small and possessed too low a status—just as the experience of a town official holds little value for becoming a prime minister, for one must at least have governed a prefecture or commandery... A secondary plane of appropriate status was truly something that could be sought but never guaranteed. Thus, many people desired to search for that lost immortal cave-dwelling, which was said to be a world of extremely high status as well.

Thinking up to this point, Emperor Withered Wood suddenly halted his form, transmitting his thoughts: "Fellow Daoist, please stop. Further ahead lies a perilous land."

Zhao Changhe and Ye Jiuyou stopped simultaneously, extending their divine senses. Far in the distance ahead, there seemed to be a terrifying black hole, with untold light-years around it reduced to nothingness, a realm of utter chaos and deathly silence.

The spot where the three stood was precisely the edge of the black hole's gravitational pull; to take even a step forward would be to touch it. Without careful examination, rashly entering such an environment would likely cause a disastrous accident before anyone even attacked them.

"This is but one of the countless perilous lands within the Star Domain. Although we can resist it, entering blindly without prior knowledge still carries great danger; it is best to be prepared." Emperor Withered Wood glanced at Ye Jiuyou, his words carrying a deeper meaning. "Furthermore, to practitioners of relevant arts, a perilous land is also a great fortune."

Ye Jiuyou stared ahead blankly. Though she had seen similar phenomena within the cosmic scenes simulated by Zhao Changhe, and her own divine abilities were intentionally or unintentionally converging toward this aspect, witnessing and personally experiencing such a power with her own eyes was still a first.

The absolute extinction here was an extinction that encompassed the entire scope of a world plane.

No wonder Zhao Changhe had mocked her in the past, saying her own chaos and extinction were not worth mentioning, and that the turmoil of the Divine Land was merely a child's game.

"How is this place?" Emperor Withered Wood asked with a beaming smile.

Zhao Changhe replied on behalf of his wife, "A truly unique view."

Emperor Withered Wood said, "We are discussing cooperation without having established trust, nor is there anything to bind or guarantee our words. Though this is not my property, if it is to be taken as a small token of my sincerity, does it count?"

Zhao Changhe said, "It counts. What does the Emperor desire?"

Emperor Withered Wood said, "I bring you, Fellow Daoist, to witness this destruction; if you can bring me to witness its creation, our cooperation shall be finalized."

This meaning was already an open request to see the world where this couple originated.

Zhao Changhe smiled faintly. "Perhaps we can switch to another proposal."

"Please speak, Fellow Daoist."

"The Emperor mentioned earlier that there was once a lost immortal cave-dwelling that everyone searched for in vain?"

"Correct."

"If the Emperor can assist us in achieving what we require, then I shall take you to see that cave-dwelling. Would that suffice as witnessing its creation?"

A brilliant light flashed through Emperor Withered Wood's eyes. "Deal."

Zhao Changhe nodded with a smile. "Then please return first, Emperor. I shall seek you out later."

Emperor Withered Wood was stunned. "You are not returning with me?"

Zhao Changhe glanced at the entranced Ye Jiuyou beside him and laughed, "Because we intend to go inside and take a look."

Emperor Withered Wood: "...For cultivation?"

"Yes, for cultivation." Zhao Changhe smiled radiantly. "The Emperor himself said it—a perilous land is also a great fortune."

I meant gaining insights at the periphery, but from your meaning, it seems you intend to charge into the very core... Emperor Withered Wood thought to himself that this was likely a pair of lunatics, yet for the sake of the cave-dwelling he was about to obtain, he still offered a word of advice: "Were it ordinary times, it might be fine... But now that a great war is imminent, the two of you should not lightly venture into a perilous land."

"It cannot be helped; my wife is already utterly entranced." Zhao Changhe smiled slightly. "As long as she wishes to go, I will accompany her even if it means crossing mountains of daggers and seas of flames."