704: Feeling timid as you approach home

Deep within the Red Dust Immortal Palace, Zhou Liye's figure had already vanished.

Behind layers of curtains,

A faint, glazed treasure light permeated the air, seemingly filled with an ethereal Qi.

Within the immortal light, there was a maiden who appeared to be no older than sixteen.

Her figure was petite.

After Zhou Liye departed,

The maiden, looking no older than sixteen, frowned slightly, gazing at her increasingly youthful body, seemingly anxious.

"I must pass the Ninth Heavenly Tribulation as soon as possible..."

"This Mortal World Tribulation Evasion Method indeed has its flaws..."

"If I delay any longer, I won't reverse into an Infant, will I...?"

The maiden, who appeared to be sixteen, muttered to herself. As she spoke, she subtly shuddered. She, the esteemed Palace Master of the Red Dust Immortal Palace, if she were to transform into an Infant and be seen by others, wouldn't she be laughed to death?

A chill ran through the Palace Master of the Red Dust Immortal Palace's heart.

She would never allow such a thing to happen.

The Mortal World Tribulation Evasion Method was her creation, compiled from various ancient texts.

It obscured heavenly secrets, evaded immortal tribulations, and possessed boundless profoundness.

Not only did it hold unfathomable power,

It could also distribute the Heavenly Tribulation's aura among the Palace's Disciples who cultivated the Mortal World Tribulation Evasion Dao of Salvation.

Thereby infinitely delaying the arrival of the Heavenly Tribulation.

However, this Mortal World Tribulation Evasion Dao of Salvation was derived from the Mortal World Tribulation Evasion Method.

Ordinary Cultivators could not master it; only those with special Physiques like the Tribulation Luck Physique had a chance.

Therefore, she established this Red Dust Immortal Palace.

And transformed into myriad forms, traveling through various Realms.

Searching for individuals possessing the Tribulation Luck Physique.

Zhou Liye was someone she discovered and brought back when she passed through the Xuanyang Realm.

"Heavenly Dao Flower..."

"I hope it can lend me a hand..."

The maiden-like Palace Master of the Red Dust Immortal Palace sighed softly.

Although her foundation was infinitely profound,

She still lacked confidence in facing this ultimate Ninth Heavenly Tribulation.

Even she, who had lived for countless years,

Feared this Ninth Heavenly Tribulation, the Dao Tribulation.

This was the final hurdle to Immortal Ascension.

Once crossed, one could achieve True Immortal status.

Fulfilling the ultimate aspiration of countless Cultivators throughout the ages.

She did not want her efforts of countless years to be reduced to ashes at this final juncture, ending in failure.

Therefore, she was extremely cautious.

However, she did not intend to achieve Immortal Ascension by consuming the Heavenly Dao Flower.

Instead, she sought to obtain something from it that could assist her.

As for achieving Immortal Ascension by consuming the Heavenly Dao Flower,

She had always harbored doubts about it.

True Immortals who took a shortcut to Immortal Ascension without passing the Nine Heavens Heavenly Tribulation might have some inherent flaws.

What she wanted to achieve, she wanted to achieve perfectly.

It was also due to this consideration that when the Heavenly Dao Flower reappeared in the previous epoch,

She did not truly engage in a life-and-death struggle with the Golden Crow Demon Emperor.

The Golden Crow Demon Emperor was an existence at the same Realm as her.

He even passed the Eighth Heavenly Tribulation a little earlier than her.

After which, he unified the Western Region, established the Demon Court, and proclaimed himself the Demon Emperor.

Ultimately, he achieved Ascension with the Heavenly Dao Flower.

"Mo Xuan, after all this time, I still can't see through him..."

"Even the Golden Crow Demon Emperor probably doesn't compare to him..."

The maiden-like Palace Master of the Red Dust Immortal Palace's figure slowly merged into the glazed immortal light.

Ever since she discovered the drawbacks of the Mortal World Tribulation Evasion Method she created,

She had never again revealed her true form to the world.

No one in this world had ever seen her true appearance.

Those who had seen her true face either died by her hand or had turned into withered bones in the long river of time.

"It was merely an unintentional act back then, yet I didn't expect such an unexpected gain..."

The maiden, whose entire body was concealed by the glazed light, thought to herself, secretly affirming her decision... East of the Eastern Wasteland Continent.

The border regions, originally remote and desolate, seemed to have changed in an instant due to the Chaotic Sea.

Because of the existence of this newly established Holy Land,

People from other regions within the Eastern Wasteland Continent, with various similar or different objectives, gathered towards this frontier land.

Now, the border regions had become increasingly lively.

On this day,

At the junction of the Eastern Wasteland Continent and the Chaotic Sea,

A young man appeared, carrying an ordinary longsword on his back, his aura as unremarkable as a Mortal's.

By the seashore,

The young man slowly stopped, his gaze cast towards the vast and boundless sea.

He was slightly dazed.

His originally excited mood, as he was about to step into the Chaotic Sea, transformed into apprehension and unease.

"What right does someone who abandoned everything have to return...?"

"How should I face them...?"

Zhou Liye's mind wavered.

He felt vaguely at a loss.

"Is this the 'homesickness before reaching home' that Uncle Xuan spoke of back then...?"

Only at this moment did he truly comprehend the infinite weight within those four words.

Zhou Liye's eyes held a hint of melancholy.

He stood silently by the sea, not knowing how much time had passed.

"Young hero, the tide is about to come in. If you keep staring, I'm afraid it will be dangerous."

At this moment,

A slightly aged voice sounded in Zhou Liye's ear, bringing Zhou Liye's thoughts back.

"Tide..."

"Thank you, old sir, for the warning."

Zhou Liye turned around and bowed in thanks to the old man who was dragging a fishing net in the distance and had spoken.

"Hehe, this old man observed that young hero was lost in thought, surely pondering something. However, the rising tide is dangerous, so this old man disturbed young hero. I hope young hero does not take offense."

The old man chuckled, speaking in a refined manner, mimicking the Jianghu anecdotes he had heard from his grandson.

"The shore before the tide arrives is like a cliff, liable to be dragged into the abyss by the tide at any moment."

"Young hero, why not return?"

The old man bowed in a seemingly formal manner.

Then, he no longer looked at Zhou Liye, carrying his fish basket and dragging his fishing net, seemingly walking towards a village.

"Why not return...?"

"My cultivation with tribulation Qi is just like this rising tide on the shore, liable to be submerged by tribulation Qi at any moment..."

"I should go back and see, for one last look..."

Zhou Liye trembled slightly.

He seemed to have understood something.

He looked up, in the direction the old man had left, about to express his thanks.

However, the old man's steps were extremely fast, and he had already walked far away.

Zhou Liye thought for a moment, then silently bowed.

Then, his figure flickered and disappeared.

"Caw~"

"I wonder what use it is for the boss to make old Tian Xie act like this and say these few meaningless words..."

After Zhou Liye departed, in the distance, the old man carrying a fish basket and dragging a fishing net, as he walked, revealed his true form.

Bang~ Bang~

"Hehe, I've changed back, so comfortable..."

A Five-Colored Heavenly Scorpion, a thousand zhang in size, excitedly clacked its two massive pincers, chuckling to itself.

As for who the young man was, and why the boss called him over, touched him, and made him appear this way, now that he had recovered his true form, he couldn't be bothered to think about it anymore.

In the blink of an eye, Tian Xie had cast the recent event to the back of his mind.

Tian Xie stretched his body, and below, the fish basket and fishing net, devoid of fish, were simply left on the ground.

"That kid Shixi said he saw someone of my clan in a swamp before..."

"Hmm~ I'll go look for them."

According to that kid Shixi, that clansman was as beautiful as a Tian Xie.

"The boss said, 'as beautiful as a Tian Xie' is a good phrase specifically for praising fairies..."

Tian Xie, who had been single for too many years, felt a mix of excitement and pride in his heart. So he was a synonym for 'immortal'.

Then, he transformed into a five-colored stream of light and vanished from the spot.