69: Chapter 69 The Sigh of the Willow Goddess

As Xiao Nannan stepped into the inner room, her gaze instinctively swept over the furnishings, and her footsteps involuntarily paused.

The interior was simply yet familiarly arranged—the wooden table by the window was polished to a shine, a smoothly worn inkstone sat upon it, the old wooden chair stood in the corner, and even the half-withered succulent on the windowsill was identical to the scene from fifty thousand years ago.

Her heart felt as if gently bumped by something, a sour ache tinged with warmth.

She knew this must have been deliberately restored by her teacher, down to the subtle dust that seemed meticulously placed.

Suppressing the surging emotions in her heart, Xiao Nannan filled four cups with clear tea one by one. Misty steam rose, carrying the unique fragrance of the ancient tea tree of enlightenment.

Just then, Chu Tianjiao led Willow Deity inside, with Xiao Shitou following closely behind, his eyes still stealing glances at the legendary Immortal King Titan, his face full of awkwardness and curiosity.

"Senior Willow Deity, please have a seat." Chu Tianjiao stepped aside to guide her, offering the main seat to Willow Deity.

Willow Deity nodded in thanks. Her slender, pale fingers lightly touched the wooden chair, and as soon as her fingertips made contact, her brows slightly furrowed.

She raised her eyes to look out the window, her gaze seeming to pierce through the barrier of Undying Mountain and settle upon the entire expanse of the Emperor Burial Star's heaven and earth. With a soft sigh, she said, "The Great Dao Laws of this world are even more incomplete than I imagined."

"Although the Chaotic Ancient Era endured the Dark Turmoil, with the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths shattered, the Foundation of the Great Dao remained, and the substance of longevity was not yet exhausted."

"But now, after the passage of an era, the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth is pitifully thin. The patterns of the Laws are broken and intermittent, like threads on the verge of snapping. Even with each breath, one can sense that decaying aura."

"This is also unavoidable." Chu Tianjiao handed a cup of clear tea to Willow Deity, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness.

"The Dark Turmoil of the Chaotic Ancient Era not only shattered the territories of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths but also broke the very Foundation of the Great Dao. If not for the Secret Realm Cultivation system left behind by Senior Shi Hao, later generations would have found it difficult even to embark on the path of Cultivation."

He paused before adding:

"Even so, the Cultivators of our era can only reach the Peak of the human path at most. The path to becoming a True Immortal has long been severed, and the Immortal Realm is even more incomplete. Only once every few million years does a guiding passageway open, and only the reigning Great Emperor of the time is qualified to step into it."

"This world has long been devoid of the substance of longevity. Even if one Cultivates to the Emperor Realm, their Lifespan is merely ten thousand years, ultimately unable to escape the tribulation of returning to the Dao."

Willow Deity picked up the teacup and drank it all in one go. As the tea entered her throat, it transformed into a gentle Dao charm that nourished her recently revived Origin, yet it failed to dispel the worry between her brows:

"I can clearly sense that this heaven and earth are no longer suitable for Cultivation. The Peak of the human path in your era, if placed in the Chaotic Ancient Era, would have held future achievements no lower than that of a True Immortal. What a pity... this world has no hope left."

As an Immortal King Titan, her perception of the Great Dao of heaven and earth far surpassed that of ordinary people.

This world was like a withered old tree, its remaining vitality barely enough to keep the leaves from falling. To sprout new buds again was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

"Therefore, we can only seek another path."

A flicker of determination flashed in Chu Tianjiao's eyes. "To live nine lives in reverse within this Mortal World, achieving the state of a Red Dust Immortal, just like the path Senior Shi Hao walked in his time. I have now lived through my fourth life and will continue to transform, striving to achieve the Red Dust Immortal state as soon as possible. Then, I will break into the Immortal Realm and strive for the Immortal King Realm within it!"

He looked at Willow Deity, his tone sincere:

"If Senior Willow Deity wishes to recover your strength, I'm afraid you can only go to the Immortal Realm. However, entering the Immortal Realm is difficult. One needs the strength of a Red Dust Immortal, which is the Peak True Immortal Realm, to have the qualifications to force one's way in."

"Of course, there are other methods. One must be at the right time, in the right place, and meet the right person to receive the guidance."

"With my current strength, along with Nannan and Xiao Shitou, forcibly opening a passage to the Immortal Realm is not a difficult task."

Chu Tianjiao's tone shifted, a playful smile appearing on his face. "But doing so would inevitably alert those rats in the Forbidden Zones. They've been lurking for many years, waiting for the opportunity of the Immortal Realm's opening. I have no desire to do their work for them."

Willow Deity listened quietly, her brows gradually smoothing, eventually transforming into a long, drawn-out sigh: "Longevity..."

Having lived through endless years, she understood the temptation of longevity best.

Those Supremes were all figures who had suppressed an era, reaching the Peak of the human path, yet they were trapped by the shackles of a mere ten-thousand-year Lifespan. That unwillingness and despair, she could comprehend.

But understanding did not mean approval—to prolong one's own life by devouring the life essence of billions of living beings, such actions disgusted her more than the dark forces of the foreign Realms.

"Since you know these Supremes will initiate a Dark Turmoil, why not completely eliminate them?"

Willow Deity raised her eyes to look at Chu Tianjiao, her gaze sharp as a blade. "With your True Immortal Realm strength, Supremes in the human Domain are nothing more than ants to you. Even if they are numerous, they cannot escape being crushed. Allowing them to exist is no different from nurturing a tiger to become a threat."

"Ahem..." A trace of embarrassment flashed across Chu Tianjiao's face. He scratched his head and explained:

"I haven't been a True Immortal for long, and shortly after my Breakthrough, I was drawn into the Ancient Chaotic Battlefield upon touching the Desolate Tower, witnessing firsthand the battle between you, Senior, and Senior Shi Hao against the Dark Quasi-Immortal Emperor."

"What happened afterwards, Senior, you also know. Senior Shi Hao entrusted you to me, and I brought you and the remains of Senior Little Tower back to this era. I haven't had time yet to deal with the matters of the Forbidden Zones."

His tone shifted again, his expression turning serious. "Moreover, even if I had the ability to round up all the Supremes, I wouldn't do it."

"Without external pressure, there is no motivation for growth."

Chu Tianjiao's gaze swept past the window, as if seeing the countless Prodigies struggling for survival throughout the Universe.

"If I were to completely clean out the Forbidden Zone Supremes, this world would fall into a peace without external enemies. But prolonged peace leads to complacency among living beings. Conflict would shift from external to internal, eventually descending into an era of Chaos and self-harm. That is not my wish."

"Those Supremes are like a sharp sword hanging over the heads of all living beings."

His tone grew heavy. "With this sword present, all living beings remain vigilant at all times. Countless Prodigies Cultivate desperately, eager to become stronger for self-preservation. This pressure can drive an era to progress continuously, giving birth to more figures who astonish through the ages."

A flicker of surprise passed through Willow Deity's eyes; she clearly hadn't expected Chu Tianjiao to have such far-reaching considerations.

She had originally thought this True Immortal would, like ordinary powerhouses, use slaughter to sweep away threats. She hadn't expected him to place greater importance on the long-term development of the entire era.

"Furthermore, with me keeping a watchful eye in secret, those Supremes cannot stir up too much trouble."

The corner of Chu Tianjiao's mouth lifted in a confident smile.

"If they dare to initiate a Dark Turmoil, I will intervene at the appropriate time. Moreover, the current reigning Great Emperor is Nannan. With her presiding, those Supremes hiding in the Forbidden Zones probably don't even feel safe staying there. How would they dare to step out lightly?"

Willow Deity's gaze fell upon Xiao Nannan, carefully sensing the surging Chaos Qi within her body.

Although she hadn't stepped into the True Immortal Realm, that nearly perfected Chaos Body Origin, coupled with the empowerment of two Quasi-Immortal Artifacts, meant her strength had already half-stepped into the immortal path Domain. She indeed had the confidence to suppress the Forbidden Zones.

"Since you already have a comprehensive plan, I won't offer any more unsolicited advice."

Willow Deity slowly rose to her feet. Having just revived, her understanding of this era was still based on hearsay, and she was eager to see for herself what this world looked like.

"I have just awakened into this world and am quite unfamiliar with it. I wish to go out for a walk and see the current Nine Heavens and Ten Earths with my own eyes."

"Naturally, you may." Chu Tianjiao bowed respectfully, his tone reverent yet without worry. "Senior Willow Deity, please feel free to do as you wish. There's no need to be concerned about safety."

He understood clearly in his heart that although Willow Deity's strength was less than one-tenth of what it once was, a starved camel was still bigger than a horse.

Her Immortal King-level comprehension of Dao Laws and combat experience remained. Even if she encountered a siege by several Supremes, she could still withdraw with ease.

Moreover, with his True Immortal Divine Thought, as long as Willow Deity was within the range of the Big Dipper Astral Region, he could instantly rush to her aid at the slightest sign of trouble.

What he truly worried about was those blind Supremes provoking Willow Deity.

If they were to learn that this seemingly delicate woman in plain clothes was an Immortal King Titan who had survived from the Chaotic Ancient Era, they would probably be scared into immediately rolling back to hide in their Forbidden Zones.

"Thank you." Willow Deity revealed a faint smile. Her gaze lingered on Xiao Nannan's face for a moment, a hint of playfulness in her eyes. "Your wife here is quite an interesting person."

As her words fell, Willow Deity's figure transformed into a faint green light, disappearing soundlessly from the room, leaving behind only a wisp of fresh vegetation scent.

The room instantly fell quiet, leaving only Chu Tianjiao, Xiao Nannan, and Xiao Shitou.

Chu Tianjiao instinctively looked at Xiao Nannan. He saw her holding a teacup, a faint smile playing on her lips, but her eyes held an indescribable, ambiguous meaning. That smile, landing in Chu Tianjiao's eyes, inexplicably made him feel a pang of guilt, and cold sweat quietly broke out on his back.

"Um... I just remembered I have some trivial matters to attend to. Xiao Shitou, you and Nannan haven't seen each other for a long time; have a good reunion. I'll take my leave first!"

Before his words even finished, Chu Tianjiao turned to flee, pushing his True Immortal movement technique to the limit. His figure almost turned into a blur as he shot towards the door.