138: Chapter 138 Finding the Willow God, the Complete Willow God

Even a Quasi-Immortal Emperor must proceed with caution when stepping into this place.

In the depths of the Realm Sea, darkness shrouded everything. That darkness was no ordinary darkness, but the absence of Laws, the annihilation of Dao principles, and the void of all existence. One could not see what lay within; one could only feel a heart-palpitating aura emanating from the deepest parts.

Chu Tianjiao stood on the Dam, remaining silent for a long time.

Then, he took a step forward.

He crossed the Dam.

The moment he stepped into the Realm Sea, Chu Tianjiao felt the true meaning of "chaos."

Surrounding him were countless Remnant Worlds, densely packed and layered upon each other, extending in all directions without end. They varied in size; some were only as large as a mountain, while others were comparable to a Star Domain.

They were of various shapes; some had already shattered into countless fragments, while others barely maintained the outline of a world.

He landed on a Remnant World.

It was a shattered land where the sky was cracked, revealing streaks of pitch-black fissures. Ruins were everywhere on the ground—broken palaces, collapsed statues, and dried-up riverbeds. The air was filled with a decaying scent, the final trace left behind after the death of this world.

In the distance, another Remnant World was slowly drifting over. It was a world in flames, with fires burning everywhere. Those flames were still burning but had no temperature—they were the Fires of Law, the burning of that world's final Dao principles.

As the two Remnant Worlds brushed past each other, a terrifying shockwave erupted. It was the collision of two worlds, the confrontation between the Great Dao Laws of two different eras. The Immortal King Laws circulated around Chu Tianjiao's body, allowing him to forcibly withstand the impact.

But this was only the beginning.

He continued forward.

Jumping from one Remnant World to another, he passed through fragmented heavens and earths, crossing one dead world after another.

In some Remnant Worlds, the living beings of those worlds still remained. Those beings had long since died, leaving behind only desiccated corpses that maintained their poses from before death—some were roaring at the sky, some were kneeling in prayer, and some were desperately fleeing. They were frozen at the moment of death, becoming eternal decorations of these Remnant Worlds.

In some Remnant Worlds, the Great Dao Laws were still operating. Those Laws were already incomplete, yet they stubbornly continued to execute, playing out the final order of those worlds over and over again. Stepping into such a Remnant World meant enduring the suppression of that world's Laws and contending with the Great Dao of that era.

In some Remnant Worlds, the flow of time differed from the outside world. In some places, time was extremely fast, with tens of millions of years passing in a single breath; in others, time was extremely slow, and taking a single step could cost endless ages. Chu Tianjiao had to be careful at all times, or he would get lost in the temporal distortion.

He did not know how long he had been walking.

In this sea of Remnant Worlds, time lost its meaning.

He only knew that he had to find the Willow Deity.

The Remnant Worlds became increasingly dense, and the collisions grew more violent.

Chu Tianjiao's expression became more and more solemn.

He could feel that he was approaching the depths of the Realm Sea. The power contained within those Remnant Worlds was already enough to injure him. Several times, the Remnant World he stepped into suddenly collapsed; the force of that collapse was equivalent to the self-detonation of a world, causing his Immortal King Laws to vibrate violently and leaving deep wounds on his body.

But he persisted.

Suddenly—

A familiar aura drifted from the distance.

Chu Tianjiao's entire body jolted.

That was the Willow Deity's aura!

He used all his strength to rush in that direction.

Passing through patches of Remnant Worlds and crossing over shattered worlds.

Closer.

Even closer.

He finally saw that figure.

Deep within the piled-up Remnant Worlds, a massive willow tree was rooted in the void.

It was too large.

Indescribably large.

The willow branches drooped down, each one like a pillar supporting the heavens, hung with stars. Those stars slowly rotated among the branches—some were still shining, some had been extinguished, and some were being born. Countless worlds were being born, evolving, and being destroyed among the willow branches, like fruits hanging from a tree.

And its roots were deeply embedded into the surrounding Remnant Worlds. The remaining vitality, Laws, and Dao principles within those Remnant Worlds were being slowly absorbed by the roots, turning into nutrients to nourish it.

The Willow Deity's true body.

The real, complete form of the Willow Deity.

An Immortal King Titan.

Chu Tianjiao stood in the distance, looking at the massive willow tree, his eyes filled with shock.

Was that the Willow Deity's true form?

It was much larger and much stronger than he had imagined.

But he also saw that the willow tree was covered in scars.

Those scars were too deep—some extended from the crown all the way to the roots, some pierced through the entire trunk, and some were still oozing golden sap—that was the blood of an Immortal King. Every scar was a mark left by a life-and-death battle, a trauma caused by the collision and squeezing of countless Remnant Worlds.

The willow tree seemed to sense something.

The drooping willow branches trembled slightly, and a gentle Divine Thought came through.

"Tianjiao?"

That voice carried surprise, confusion, and an imperceptible trace of relief.

Chu Tianjiao took a deep breath and flew toward the giant tree.

He landed on a willow branch that was as thick as a continent. He stood there, looking up at the crown that blotted out the sky.

"Willow Deity."

His voice was somewhat raspy.

The willow tree swayed gently, and a green light fell from the crown, condensing into a figure.

That figure wore a green dress, possessed exquisite beauty, and had a cold, elegant temperament.

It was indeed the Willow Deity.

Her face was somewhat pale, and her aura was a bit weak, but her eyes remained clear and gentle.

She looked at Chu Tianjiao, a faint smile appearing at the corners of her mouth.

"Why have you come?"

Chu Tianjiao looked at her, silent for a moment, before speaking.

"To find you."

The Willow Deity was stunned for a moment.

Chu Tianjiao continued, "The Desolate Tower brought the three of us back to this era, but after landing, I was the only one left. You were gone, and the Azure Emperor was gone too. I guessed you might have come to the Realm Sea, so I came to find you."

As the Willow Deity listened, the gentleness in her eyes deepened.

"Nonsense."

She spoke softly, but there was no blame in her tone, only an indescribable emotion.

"Do you not know what kind of place the Realm Sea is? This is a sea piled up from shattered worlds; a single spray of water is a Remnant World. Even Immortal Kings face the risk of falling here. And you just barged in alone?"

Chu Tianjiao looked at her and did not speak.

The Willow Deity looked at him as well.

The two of them gazed at each other like this.

After a long while, the Willow Deity sighed.

"Forget it."

She withdrew her gaze and looked toward the depths of the Realm Sea.

"Since you're here, come with me."

Chu Tianjiao was taken aback.

"Where to?"

The Willow Deity did not answer, but simply raised her hand and pointed toward the deepest part of the Realm Sea.

There, darkness shrouded everything.

But within this endless darkness, a faint speck of light could be seen.

The light was very weak, yet it persisted stubbornly, as if waiting for something.

"There,"

The Willow Deity said softly.

"There is a tower."

"The tower you brought."