Chapter 394: Ling Xi “Ascending to the Heavens”

After the court officials dispersed, the Fifth Prince finally moved, limping as he left the grand and resplendent hall. Even though he held his head high, he could not conceal the desolation that radiated from him.

Watching his departing figure, Heaven Arbiter Ashen chuckled and said, “Returning to the imperial city ahead of schedule and seizing the initiative didn’t seem to help… But the Third Prince commands a powerful army—anyone with a bit of sense would know whom to side with.”

“Mr. Gu, do you think the Fifth Prince still has a chance?”

“You’re the one who set him up as a piece on the board, and you’re asking me?” Gu Ning’an replied indifferently. With a single step, he vanished from the Golden Hall.

In the next moment, he reappeared in a bamboo grove, gazing at a courtyard before him. His brows furrowed slightly. “Daoist Ling Xi’s Five Decays of Heaven and Man—was that your doing?”

“It was,” Heaven Arbiter Ashen said as he appeared a step behind. “To be precise, this isn’t truly the Five Decays. I merely used some means to weaken her cultivation.”

Gu Ning’an’s eyes narrowed. “You did this to balance the power between the great demons of Northern Huangtian and the true immortals of Great Wu?”

“You’re exactly right,” Heaven Arbiter Ashen admitted without hesitation. “Kui Niu has a knack for hiding and refuses to cooperate with the Flood Dragon.

“That’s why I had to eliminate a true immortal-level cultivator—to give the Flood Dragon a chance to break through Northern Huangtian.”

It seemed that even the Heaven Arbiter could not freely manipulate the fates of all beings. Otherwise, if he wished to clear the Flood Dragon Emperor’s obstacles, he could simply kill them outright—why go through the trouble of eroding their cultivation?

With that thought, Gu Ning’an stepped into the open courtyard.

Beyond the gate, the scene within was bizarre and otherworldly.

The courtyard floor had turned into a shimmering water surface, rippling gently with the breeze, reflecting a delicate glow. Walking across it felt like treading on waves.

The plants and trees that once adorned the garden had come alive. Blossoms sprouted vivid, intelligent eyes, and verdant leaves transformed into jade-colored butterflies, fluttering about.

The once-straight pillars supporting the courtyard had twisted into unnatural shapes. Their midsections had lost all physical form, replaced by ethereal light, seamlessly bridging the gaps.

This surreal transformation was entirely due to Daoist Ling Xi, who had once again fallen into a trance-like illusion.

At the center of the courtyard, Daoist Ling Xi stood motionless, surrounded by shifting, fantastical lights. One moment, sand and stones whirled violently; the next, birds and beasts cried in unison. She remained still, yet it was as if she existed in another world altogether.

Her gaze was clouded with hesitation, like a mist-veiled lake—gone was the clarity of her past self, replaced by a profound, unfathomable confusion.

Standing there, she seemed petrified, like a lone boat adrift and lost in the vast world.

“Daoist Ling Xi has great potential. She might touch upon the Heavenly Dao and become a Heaven Arbiter herself,” Heaven Arbiter Ashen mused, shaking his head slightly. “But her master stands in her way. She is an anomaly—I cannot predict her fate.”

“Will she remain trapped on the path to the heavens like her master, or will she reach the end, push open the Heavenly Gate, and ascend as the next Heaven Arbiter?”

Hearing this, Gu Ning’an asked nonchalantly, “I have walked that staircase before. Have you?”

Heaven Arbiter Ashen responded, “Of course. But what you walked was another’s path to the heavens… Someone like you doesn’t need to take such a path. The Heavenly Gate does not close for you; instead, it opens on its own, inviting you inside to become an immortal.”

“Junior Sister!”

“The Flood Dragon Emperor has gone completely mad!”

“He’s leading his entire army of demon soldiers to break through Northern Huangtian and invade Great Wu!”

Before the person arrived, his voice did. Moments after his words rang out, Daoist Ling Xuan materialized beside Gu Ning’an and Heaven Arbiter Ashen.

However, since the latter two were merely manifesting their true spirits, veiled by the Heavenly Dao of Chess, Daoist Ling Xuan remained oblivious to their presence.

Seeing his junior sister once again trapped in chaos, Daoist Ling Xuan’s expression darkened. With a flick of his whisk, he sent out streams of radiant light, attempting to awaken Daoist Ling Xi.

Yet no matter what technique he used, the lights vanished three inches from her body, dissipating as if swallowed by the void.

“Just like Master back then…”

“Why now, of all times…”

Daoist Ling Xuan’s brows knitted tightly. Just as he prepared to make another attempt—

Daoist Ling Xi, seemingly isolated from the world, suddenly moved.

She lifted her right foot and stepped forward.

It was a step upward, as though ascending an invisible staircase.

As soon as her heel was lifted, her figure and aura completely disappeared before Daoist Ling Xuan.

In the eyes of the latter, his Junior Sister seemed to have stepped into the void, entering another world, and could no longer be found.

However, in the eyes of Gu Ning’an and Heaven Arbiter Ashen, Daoist Ling Xi’s figure didn’t vanish. Instead, after stepping onto the Path to Heaven, she paused again, standing still.

“Sigh…” Daoist Ling Xuan let out a long sigh. Realizing he could not find his Junior Sister, he transformed into a streak of light and hurried toward the Northern Huangtian border.

At this moment, he could only hope that his Junior Sister would return on her own, although that hope seemed incredibly slim… After all, his own master had disappeared and never returned…

Back in the courtyard, after stepping onto the Path to Heaven, Daoist Ling Xi saw a figure she had longed for day and night: “Master!”

The elderly man, standing on the first step, straightened the folds of his green robe and smiled, responding, “Ling Xi… my good disciple, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time…”

“Waiting for me?” Ling Xi was somewhat confused. “Where is this? Why is Master waiting for me?”

The elderly man smiled kindly and said, “This is the Path to Heaven. When you reach the end of the path and open a door, you can become a true immortal!”

“I’ve been waiting for you here, so you can save me from this step.”

“True immortal? Aren’t we already in the true immortal realm?” Daoist Ling Xi’s confusion deepened. “Master, can’t you leave this Path to Heaven?”

The elderly man smiled, “Child, the true immortals of this world are nothing like the transcendent immortals in the heavens. One is merely a powerful cultivator, but still in the mortal realm.”

“The other is an immortal living in the immortal realm!”

“The difference between the two is as vast as the difference between the clouds and the mud!”

“I walked the wrong path and realized I couldn’t escape. That’s why I’ve been waiting for you, waiting for you to come and help me.”

At this point, the elderly man emphasized again, “Remember, we cultivate the Dao of Illusions. Only the Master you see now is real. Anything you see later will be false!”

“Once you push open the Heavenly Gate, come back to the first step and bring me inside. Understood?”

Upon hearing this, Daoist Ling Xi slightly nodded, “Master, I understand!”

“Good child, go quickly!”

“Master, wait for me!” With a response, Daoist Ling Xi moved towards the second step. When she stepped onto the ladder, she looked back.

But she saw that the steps behind her were empty—her master was gone…

“Ling Xi, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time…”

A familiar voice rang out. Daoist Ling Xi turned toward the sound, and there, standing with a kind smile, was another Master, quietly gazing at her…