Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)
chapter-998

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Jin Yulu was still wearing that silk robe decorated with patterns of copper coins, looking like a wealthy landlord. But his appearance was somewhat more ragged now, as he was covered in dirt and bits of stone. Xiaode looked even worse, his clothes caked in yellow mud of an even darker shade than the tawny and ruthless light in his eyes. They looked more like some sort of filthy object.

Jin Yulu was stunned to see Chen Changsheng standing in front of the cliff, but his expression quickly turned into one of relief, as he knew without even thinking that Chen Changsheng's presence had to do with Luoluo.

Xiaode viewed Chen Changsheng with a somewhat complex expression. In the last few years, he had often unwittingly conducted himself according to Chen Changsheng's style and demeanor.

In other words, he was learning from his once-most-hated foe. For them to suddenly meet today inevitably made things rather awkward for someone as proud as him.

Jin Yulu asked, "Your Holiness the Pope has come to see His Majesty?"

Chen Changsheng nodded. "Did the two of you see him?"

Jin Yulu shook his head, appearing particularly tired. "His Majesty is clearly inside, but it's impossible to get in."

Chen Changsheng was quiet for a while, then asked, "Is the Saint well?"

Jin Yulu answered, "I have not seen him, so I do not know."

A wary expression appeared on Xiaode's face.

Chen Changsheng said to him, "The Shi clan leader told me of this place."

Xiaode understood the meaning hidden in these words and said, "Then we will have to depend on you."

The Shi clan leader was renowned for his foresight and caution. If he were not sure that Xiaode could not succeed, he would never have told Chen Changsheng where the White Emperor was spending his secluded cultivation.

Chen Changsheng gazed at the black cliff, feeling the might of the sealing array, his eyebrows perking upward.

In order to resolve all the problems facing him, he had to confirm the situation within the black cliff.

This was a view shared by both Chen Changsheng and the Shi clan leader.

Xiaode also felt the same, so after withdrawing from the Heavenly Selection ceremony that he had planned and prepared for many years, he had come to this black cliff and started digging.

Jin Yulu also felt the same, and he had come earlier than Xiaode and dug faster.

At present, Xiaode had been digging for two days and nights without rest while Jin Yulu had been digging for four days and nights.

Just now, Chen Changsheng had also been planning on using force to overcome this seal. This method relying purely on strength seemed crude, even idiotic, but it was often the best choice.

Experts like Xiaode and Jin Yulu naturally understood this reasoning as well.

Regrettably, they had still failed.

There was no need for Chen Changsheng to try again, but he wanted to go in and take a look.

……

……

The cave was on the surface of the cliff, but it was not straight. Rather, it inclined upward, then went very deep, and then went upward again.

Chen Changsheng followed Jin Yulu and Xiaode for an extremely long time before finally reaching the end.

Seeing the deep claw marks in the walls around him and sensing the traces of violent Qi, he felt like he could really see what had been happening in the last few days.

Jin Yulu and Xiaode had entered berserk metamorphosis, their giant bodies crazily attacking the hard rock of the cliff, the massive image of a lion or panther occasionally appearing in the dark cave.

He quickly noticed the peculiar aspect of the cave. The wall in the very front was extremely smooth, as if constructed of jade. There was no blemish on its surface, not even a speck of dust.

Jin Yulu explained, "We tried changing directions, but we've never been able to get past this stone wall. This means that this place is the living pivot of the array."

Chen Changsheng asked, "What is the stone wall itself made of?"

Jin Yulu said, "It should be the legendary Starstone. It has a weight many times greater than one would think from its volume. Even an expert of the Divine Domain would find it very hard to move."

The name 'Starstone' made Chen Changsheng think of the Orthodoxy treasure that Daoist Baishi had once been entrusted with. After thinking for a few moments, he stepped forward and gave the wall a fierce slash with the Stainless Sword.

Clang! The Stainless Sword was bright and sharp as ever, not harmed in the slightest, but it had only been able to leave a very faint scratch on the wall.

If he wanted to use the Stainless Sword to break this wall, he would need many days.

Chen Changsheng was somewhat disappointed, but he had no idea of the shock in Jin Yulu's and Xiaode's eyes.

Besides its unimaginable density and weight, Starstone was most famous for its incredible hardness.

Jin Yulu and Xiaode had attempted many times, but neither the claws of their true bodies in berserk metamorphosis or the high-level magical artifacts on their persons had been capable of leaving a single mark on the Starstone.

A casual slash of Chen Changsheng's sword had made a small scratch on the wall. Just how sharp was this sword?

Xiaode had fought against Chen Changsheng's sword in the alley of the Northern Military Department, but he had not found it so terrifying back then. He soon understood that this was probably a result of Chen Changsheng's massive advancement in the path of the sword over the last few years.

Chen Changsheng asked, "Since this is a sealing array, someone should have set it up, so who could have placed such a heavy stone wall over the living pivot of this array?"

Jin Yulu replied, "It was most likely the Empress using the power of the seas to move the Starstone here and seal this place."

Xiaode suddenly said, "Starstone can absorb star radiance."

Chen Changsheng was somewhat confused at this sudden comment, but he quickly understood, his expression turning grim.

Star radiance was not starlight, but an invisible energy gathered by the invisible line swaying between the cultivator and their distant star.

The true essence within a cultivator's body was also star radiance. Not even a Saint could escape this fact.

If this stone wall was continuously absorbing star radiance, that also meant that it was absorbing the White Emperor's true essence.

Even if the White Emperor had an unfathomable cultivation level and did not care about the effects and disturbance of the Starstone, he was residing in the black cliff to recuperate and cultivate. Why trouble himself so?

All these clues pointed at one possibility.

"Whether it's the Heavenly Selection ceremony or the alliance with the demons, they actually had nothing to do with my Demi-human race, only the ambition of the Great Western Continent. Of course, this only applies if His Majesty has already returned to the sea of stars."

In a very short time, Jin Yulu seemed to have grown much older, his voice becoming much more shaky.

This possibility was not too great. A Divine Domain expert returning to the sea of stars would be sensed by the entire continent through omens in the heavens.

It was for this reason that when the blue-clothed visitor died, Madam Mu almost immediately learned of it, even though she was eighty thousand li away. It was also for this reason that Madam Mu had first activated the seal of the Red River before attempting to kill Bie Yanghong and Wuqiong Bi.

And the White Emperor was one of the Saints. If he really did return to the sea of stars, not even the most powerful of seals could prevent this news from getting out. The heavens and earth would assuredly tremble at this event.

Xiaode sternly said, "Even if His Majesty is still okay, the circumstances might still be very dangerous. His Majesty took severe injuries in the battle with the Demon Lord. With the Empress using such methods, not only might His Majesty's injuries have not improved, they might be getting worse by the day. If a few more days are allowed to pass, perhaps the worst scenario really might happen."

This possibility made Jin Yulu's and Xiaode's expressions very gloomy, but Chen Changsheng was even calmer than before.

Based on his thoughts before entering the black cliff, both the White Emperor's death and his living well counted as extremely bad news for the Human race. In the former, it meant that no one within the Demi-human race was left to suppress Madam Mu's ambitions. In the latter, it meant that the White Emperor truly was of one mind with Madam Mu and wanted to ally with the demons. In the shadow of such a Saint, what could Chen Changsheng do?

Now, the speculation was that the White Emperor was heavily injured and imprisoned by Madam Mu, where he was weakening by the day. This was actually the best situation.

This meant that the Xiang clan leader had faked the White Emperor's decree on that night, that the White Emperor truthfully still supported the humans.

Then as long as he was rescued, everything could be easily resolved.

At this moment, an extremely bright and clear cry of a crane came from outside the cave.

Chen Changsheng exited the cave and took the paper strip from the crane. His expression turned extremely grave.

The White Crane brought two pieces of news.

One good, one bad.

Xuanyuan Po had woken up. Bie Yanghong had fallen unconscious.