285: Chapter 285 Power Surpassing the Dao Palace

Bai Die led Chu Sheng through the backyard of the residence and pushed open a heavy stone door.

Behind the door was a downward-sloping passage with narrow stone steps.

Night-luminescent pearls were embedded in the walls on both sides, emitting a soft glow that illuminated the path ahead.

Bai Hua followed at the very back; her footsteps were light, but her breathing was somewhat hurried.

Chu Sheng walked in the middle, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his Divine Sense spread out, remaining vigilant of his surroundings.

The passage was very long, extending downwards for several hundred zhang.

As they went deeper, the Devilish Qi in the air grew thicker, mixed with a faint floral fragrance and a hint of an aura that stirred one's heart and mind.

Chu Sheng's Heavenly Demon Body activated automatically, absorbing and converting that aura, causing his cultivation to slowly increase.

He thought to himself: "There are good things down here."

At the end of the passage was an open space.

The vaulted ceiling was very high, resembling a natural karst cave.

In the center of the cave was a pool of spring water.

No, it was not a spring; it was a lake.

The surface of the lake was several tens of zhang in circumference, and the lake water was a clear yellow, like clouds dyed red by the setting sun.

A faint mist drifted over the lake's surface, carrying a floral fragrance.

Chu Sheng stood by the lake and took a deep breath, feeling his Heavenly Demon Body rejoicing within him, like a parched fish encountering water.

"This is..." His voice was somewhat hoarse.

Bai Die stood beside him, looking at the lake with gentle eyes.

"The Lake of lust. Left behind by the Celestial Venerable."

Her voice was very soft. "The Celestial Venerable once Cultivated here for hundreds of years, fusing his life's Path of Desire into this lake water. Every drop of water here contains the Celestial Venerable's insights into the heavens and earth."

Chu Sheng's pupils contracted slightly.

That was something only a Cultivator in the Divine Ability Realm could touch upon.

And before him, there was an entire lake of it.

As for the Celestial Venerable that Bai Die spoke of, it was likely the Heavenly Demon Ancestor.

He squatted down, cupped a handful of the lake water with his hands, and drank it.

The lake water was warm as it entered his throat, carrying a hint of sweetness, like the tea Bai Hua brewed.

But that power was a thousand, ten thousand times stronger than tea.

His Dao Palace was vibrating, his Heavenly Demon Body was operating frantically, and the lust Qi surged within him like a beast being awakened.

His cultivation was increasing, and the Bottleneck of the Early Stage of Dao Completion began to loosen.

Chu Sheng stood up, took a deep breath, and exhaled that mouthful of turbid Qi.

"Good stuff," he said.

Bai Hua stood behind him, tugging at his sleeve, her voice somewhat nervous.

"Husband, be careful. The lake water sometimes surges; it is very dangerous. Previously, a few outsiders were swept away by the lake water and never returned."

Chu Sheng nodded and stepped back a few paces.

He glanced at the lake surface; the water was very calm, like an orange mirror.

But he could feel that something was sleeping at the bottom of the lake.

That aura was very ancient and very powerful, making even his Heavenly Demon Body tremble.

He did not provoke it and followed Bai Die along the path by the lake, heading deeper into the cave.

At the end of the cave was a small wooden hut.

The wooden hut was very crude, built from logs, with moss growing on the roof.

The door of the wooden hut was slightly ajar, with a faint candlelight shining from within.

Chu Sheng stopped, his hand pressing onto the hilt of his sword.

He sensed an aura coming from the wooden hut.

It was very weak, like a lamp about to burn out.

But the quality of that aura made his heart tremble.

Peak of Dao Completion? No, more than that.

But that aura had weakened to the extreme, like a taut string that could snap at any moment.

Chu Sheng took a step forward.

Bai Die reached out to stop him.

"Don't move. He is my husband."

Her voice was calm, but Chu Sheng could hear the trembling in her tone.

Chu Sheng was stunned for a moment.

Husband? Bai Die's husband?

He glanced at Bai Die, then looked at the small wooden hut again.

The door of the wooden hut was pushed open, and a figure walked out from inside.

It was an old man.

No, not just an old man, but a creature that was "old" to the extreme.

His hair was completely white, not gray, but that kind of white like snow, without a single speck of other color.

His face was covered in wrinkles, each one like a knife carving, deep enough to see bone.

His back was hunched severely, like a mountain that had been pressed down and bent.

He wore a tattered robe, covered in patches, its color long since indistinguishable.

He held a wooden staff in his hand, which was very rough, like a branch snapped off a tree at random.

His eyes were closed, as if he were sleeping.

But Chu Sheng knew he was not asleep.

His Divine Sense had been locked onto Chu Sheng, like an aging beast; although its teeth had fallen out, its claws were still there.

Bai Die walked over and held the old man's hand.

Her hand was very white and tender, like the white of a spring onion.

The old man's hand was withered and rough, like tree bark in winter.

The two hands held together looked like an extremely discordant painting.

The old man's eyelids moved, then slowly opened.

He glanced at Bai Die, his voice as hoarse as wind blowing through withered branches.

"Die'er... why have you come here?"

Bai Die said, "He is the successor of the Heavenly Demon's Path of Desire. I brought him to see you."

The old man's gaze shifted from Bai Die and landed on Chu Sheng.

Chu Sheng stood there, his hand pressing on the hilt of his sword, his expression unchanged.

His heart was beating fast, but his breathing was steady.

The old man's gaze lingered on him for a breath.

Then, from those turbid eyes, which looked as if they were covered in fog, a ray of light burst forth.

It was an extreme, pure radiance that made one's Soul tremble.

That was power beyond the Dao Palace.

A layer of cold sweat broke out on Chu Sheng's back.

But he did not retreat.

He stood there, meeting those eyes.

The lake water surged for a moment, then returned to calm.

Bai Hua hid behind Chu Sheng and clutched the corner of his clothing.

Bai Die held the old man's hand and did not let go.

But she did not speak.

He just looked at Chu Sheng, the light in his eyes growing brighter and brighter, like two ignited lamps.

Chu Sheng's heart sank.

He did not know what the old man was going to do.

But he knew that this person's power was not something he could contend with.

He took a step forward and bowed deeply to the old man.

"Junior Chu Sheng greets Senior."

The corners of the old man's mouth moved slightly.

"You..."

Bai Die squeezed his hand tightly, her eyes reddening.

"Husband..."

"You... have finally come..."

Chu Sheng stood there, stunned.

Bai Die was also stunned.

The old man reached out and beckoned to Chu Sheng.

"Come here..." His voice was very soft.

Chu Sheng hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and walked over.

He walked up to the old man and stopped.

The old man reached out, his withered, bony finger trembling as he pointed towards the center of Chu Sheng's brow.

Chu Sheng did not dodge.

His intuition told him that this old man would not harm him.

The old man's fingertip touched the center of his brow.

A cool force surged in from the center of his brow, like a small stream flowing into his Dao Palace, into his Dantian, and into his entire body.