Chapter 167

Chapter 167: Life and Death (Part Four)

At a quarter past noon.

Execution on schedule.

The blazing sun hung high in the sky, and Jiang Die, dressed in a luxurious black gown, sat majestically on her throne. Countless powerful figures, both visible and hidden, lay in ambush.

They were just waiting for Lu Ye to arrive.

And Lu Ye didn’t disappoint.

He showed up right on time.

The executioner glanced at Jiang Die.

Jiang Die’s expression was extremely serious.

What the heck? Where is he?

Lu Ye really didn’t come?

Jiang Die nodded at the executioner, suggesting they might as well kill someone to test the waters. Lu Ye had told her there are people who always appear at the last moment when a crisis erupts.

Named—extreme rescue?

Lu Ye wasn’t a fan of that. When he saved people, he usually liked it when the enemy hadn’t even lifted their sword before their heads were already smashed.

But then again, maybe in this lifetime, Lu Ye had developed a taste for extreme rescues?

“Pfft!”

Chu Ling’s head was chopped off.

It rolled onto the ground, blood gushing.

Jiang Die…

Silence.

The heavens and earth felt extraordinarily quiet.

Jiang Die stood up, her breathtaking features twisting into an ugly grimace.

He really didn’t come.

He actually didn’t show up!

In that moment, Jiang Die finally truly felt Lu Ye’s heart of stone.

Chills coursed through her as waves of dread washed over her heart.

Lu Ye was too strong; his only weakness was his attachments.

Those eight women were Lu Ye’s greatest vulnerability.

But if Lu Ye became a cold-blooded person, with his unmatched genius, what kind of being would he transform into?

“He really doesn’t care anymore.”

Jiang Die muttered to herself.

What can I do to force Lu Ye to appear?

Did Lu Ye see through the whole scheme, or did he just not care at all?

Jiang Die waved her hand.

Chu Ling’s “body” was taken away.

She was deep in thought.

If Lu Ye truly didn’t care, then there was no reason for the four women to be alive and well, especially since Shangguan Huanling was doing just fine.

He met five people in the First Heaven…

Five people?

Now four made it up here, so what about the Vermilion Bird?

A jolt ran through Jiang Die’s heart.

Her figure vanished.

When she reappeared, Chu Ling lay pale in the heavenly prison, her severed head already reattached.

Of course, Jiang Die wouldn’t kill them directly; they were her trump cards against Lu Ye. There was no way she’d let them die so easily.

“Sister Bai, he didn’t come.” Jiang Die spoke.

Bai Qiulan had a bad feeling creeping inside her but couldn’t shake off the discomfort.

Lu Ye really didn’t show up?

That was Chu Ling, his favorite maidservant. She had reincarnated for quite a while; didn’t her grudge and anger fade at all?

“Sister Bai, what about the Vermilion Bird? Why didn’t she ascend with you?” Jiang Die caught the blind spot perfectly.

“I don’t know. The Vermilion Bird only appeared twice—once during the ancient genius battlefield when she was chasing Lu Ye, and once during the alien invasion when she gave a warning to the Grand Dao Sect. Since then, we haven’t seen her at all,” Bai Qiulan replied.

“Could she be dead?” Jiang Die asked.

“Impossible. The Vermilion Bird is one of the Four Spirits of Heaven, blessed with great fortune. Who would dare to kill her? Plus, she has many means after her reincarnation; who could take her down?” Bai Qiulan was the first to reject the idea of the Vermilion Bird being dead.

The Vermilion Bird had the ability to rise from the ashes.

If she died in one place, she could be reborn elsewhere.

How could she die?

Even if the four of them perished, the Vermilion Bird wouldn’t.

“Then where is she?” Jiang Die pressed.

Bai Qiulan fell silent.

The Vermilion Bird…

“I’ll investigate myself. I hope she’s still alive. If the Vermilion Bird is dead, then I can abandon any delusions and prepare for battle.”

True battles often begin with bloodshed and death.

“Pass on my orders: all forces in the First Heaven and Second Heaven, in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, spare no effort—search for any trace of the Vermilion Bird! Find out if she’s alive or dead!” Jiang Die commanded.

“Yes, Family Head!”

…

“Ding, simulation successful!”

The system’s notification sounded in Lu Ye’s mind.

At this moment, Lu Ye’s aura plummeted, the Great Dao teetering on the brink of collapse.

If the Great Dao fell apart, he could easily be cast into the Refining Void or worse—turned to ashes.

“Ding, the Path of Annihilation is a grand path that the Annihilation Celestial Lord attempted to achieve sainthood through. At that time, the entire Annihilation Cult marched to their deaths, including one Celestial Lord and four Great Emperors, with countless strong individuals. Naturally, the Seed of Annihilation possesses the power to annihilate everything.”

Even an elderly Saint had nearly been annihilated back then.

“Ding, three methods have been derived to resolve the Path of Annihilation.”

“Ding, first, return to the Refining Void Realm. Without the Great Dao, the Seed of Annihilation will naturally lose its power. Since it’s already in the world, it can be expelled.”

“Ding, second, achieve the Saint realm. A Saint’s Great Dao cannot be extinguished, everlasting through the ages, rendering the Seed of Annihilation ineffective.”

“Hurry up with the third!”

“Ding, third, utilize one’s own Great Dao to accelerate the nurturing of the Tree of Enlightenment. The Tree of Enlightenment and the Seed of Annihilation represent life and death, two opposing yet harmonious forces that can create with the Yin-Yang transformation technique, merging life and death as the extremities of the Great Dao.”

At that moment, countless thoughts flooded Lu Ye’s mind.

He hadn’t expected that his moment of kindness in bringing the Tree of Enlightenment back from the Genius Ancient Battlefield would result in such tremendous significance later on.

Back then, Lu Ye brought the Tree of Enlightenment out, intending to enter a state of sudden enlightenment, but given its lack of age, the Great Dao was sparse, making it almost impossible.

So he thought the Tree of Enlightenment was useless to him.

But now, it had become valuable.

Is it fate that one sip and one bite are preordained?

No!

If it weren’t for that moment of tolerance, even if the Tree of Enlightenment had perched upon his head, he would have ruthlessly yanked it down.

“Ding, opening enlightenment!”

The Tree of Enlightenment emitted a gentle green light, not strong in its Dao yet brimming with vibrant life and endless possibilities.

The glow of the Tree of Enlightenment occupied Lu Ye’s right side.

The Seed of Annihilation, on the other hand, radiated grayish light, its mist swirling ominously, appearing on his left.

The two clashed, the green shattering at the slightest touch.

But that was fine; it was because the Tree of Enlightenment’s Dao wasn’t strong enough.

He simply needed to inject a powerful Dao into the Tree of Enlightenment for it to stand firm.

Which Dao could he inject?

He had many: Sword Dao, Saber Dao, Fist Dao, Talisman Dao, Formation Dao…

Any of them would be exceptional.

But could they compete with the Path of Annihilation?

The Annihilation Celestial Lord was also a fierce character who dared to drag Saints down in the Celestial Lord Realm.

Got it!

Out of all the Great Daos, there was one that suited perfectly.

Because he didn’t need it anymore, and it was strong enough.

That was the Guarding Dao!

It was Lu Ye’s strongest Dao from his previous life, with myriad paths serving as support—one unified supreme path.

The Tree of Enlightenment sensed Lu Ye’s injection of the Dao, and it nearly leapt for joy.

Oh my gosh!

What kind of Dao is this?

Can its petite body truly bear such an overwhelming infusion of Dao?

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