Cao Yusheng fought with all his might. Even facing the calamity of death, he was determined to speak. His body radiated light, immortal energy surging like a tide, and in that fleeting moment, his brilliance illuminated the heavens and earth.
The sun and moon dimmed before him, flickering like fireflies, and the starry rivers extinguished. With a deep breath, he inhaled the most primal essence of the world, and as he exhaled, his power shattered boundaries.
He was preparing—preparing to stake his life. Then, he opened his mouth and roared. But the moment he did, countless true dragons descended, coiling around him, binding him in chains.
Upon closer inspection, they were not real dragons but lightning given draconic form, each wreathed in immortal radiance, carrying world-shaking force.
This spectacle stunned the female Burial Knight. This Daoist was too powerful—and he knew Huang, knew the youth before her. There was a profound karmic bond between them.
Such a man, standing on the opposite shore of the River of Time, was actually attempting to act—was he trying to cross over?!
Cao Yusheng opened his mouth, trying to roar, but failed. He attempted to transmit his thoughts, only to be severed by thunder.
Thus, he truly sought to traverse the river, to charge forth. His essence surged, the very essence of his being igniting into a blazing light, boiling over.
For a moment, the River of Time trembled, on the verge of being severed. He wanted to cross.
**”Boom!”**
Alas, monstrous waves crashed, hurling him back. Some actions were destined to incur divine wrath, to be harshly intervened—lest they disrupt the balance.
Some secrets could shake past and present, never to be revealed. He faced the heavens’ wrath, struck down by celestial might.
Bolt after bolt of lightning descended, blindingly brilliant. The draconic lightning coiled around him, madly constricting, seeking to crush him alive. Countless flashes drowned the space.
**”Stop! Get out of here!”** Shi Hao bellowed.
Cao Yusheng refused to yield, his eyes red with desperation. He resisted with everything he had, roaring again and again, but his voice could not pierce through, forcibly blocked.
Without a doubt, if this continued, he would die—reduced to ashes by the tribulation.
**”Stop! Don’t say anything! I fear nothing in the future!”** Shi Hao shouted, urging Cao Yusheng to leave. He could not bear to watch him throw his life away.
Yet Cao Yusheng was frantic, staking his life to send that divine thought, to warn Shi Hao of something. But the thunder was too terrifying, specifically targeting beings of his level, striking relentlessly, engulfing him.
In the end, the draconic lightning became too dense, surging like a nest of ten thousand dragons, a sight that horrified all mortal beings.
What a spectacle—one rarely seen in ordinary times!
This was beyond comprehension—how could lightning be so overwhelmingly powerful?
Cao Yusheng fought desperately, his voice cutting through the thunder, scattering some of the blinding radiance. Faintly, a whisper reached Shi Hao.
**”Beware…”**
Shi Hao heard those two words, barely audible.
In truth, the rotund Daoist was on the verge of annihilation, his body nearly torn apart. But he had once created supreme techniques, capable of taming lightning, and thus did not perish instantly.
Yet if this continued, death was inevitable.
**”Stop! Get out of here!”** Shi Hao roared in fury.
The scene before him filled him with dread and sorrow. He feared the Daoist would die—even if he yearned to know the truth, he could not bear the cost.
With a deafening crash, the Daoist’s body was severed by the lightning dragons, his immortal energy scattered. He nearly exploded but quickly reformed.
**”Hall!”**
At the last moment, the Daoist spat out this single word, expending all his cultivation, truly giving his all to transmit this warning to Shi Hao.
But at this critical juncture, the most crucial words—those that could have far-reaching consequences—failed to reach him.
The Daoist had truly done his utmost. After that one word, his body was shattered by lightning, reduced to a mist of blood, vanishing from sight.
**”No!”**
Shi Hao’s eyes nearly burst with rage as he howled.
If the Daoist died like this, how could he accept it? How could he bear it?
A long time later, the thunder on the opposite shore subsided. The mist of blood dispersed, leaving only silence.
Shi Hao clenched his fists, unable to suppress a roar of anguish.
**”How could this happen?!”** His eyes burned red.
**”Cough…”** The blood mist coalesced, rapidly reforming. The Daoist reappeared, coughing—he had not died.
Yet his injuries were severe, teetering on the brink of death. Even he shuddered at how close he had come.
Shi Hao exhaled heavily, unclenching his fists. At least the Daoist had survived—otherwise, the guilt would have haunted him forever.
**”There was truly no other way,”** the Daoist sighed from across the river. Even staking his life, he had only managed to convey one crucial word.
**”It’s enough. Don’t say more!”** Shi Hao feared he would try again.
The Daoist nodded. He had no other options. If he forced it, he would die instantly, and his message would still be blocked.
This world was balanced. One could not simply defy fate—to alter even a sliver of time would bring calamity, ensuring one’s own destruction.
The Daoist did not know the latter half of that ancient history. In truth, no one did—the truth had been buried, impossible to uncover.
But he had heard rumors, whispers of things that could profoundly affect Huang. Thus, he had risked everything to warn him.
Alas, his knowledge was incomplete. He had been investigating, hoping one day to uncover the truth and find a way to convey it.
**”I must find allies to uncover those secrets!”** the Daoist vowed silently.
Shi Hao dared not let him speak further, fearing another disaster. The two gazed at each other across the ancient river.
There was so much to say, yet words failed them—any mention would invite celestial thunder.
**”Sigh…”** The Daoist exhaled heavily.
Looking at the youthful figure before him, he reminisced, recalling the past, the people and events long gone.
Even this young man before him was but an illusion—too distant, separated by countless years, a bygone era already buried.
He truly wished Huang could return!
**”Our side faces a great calamity… Signs have only just begun to show, yet they are already terrifying…”** the Daoist murmured.
But he could say no more. He was still new to immortality, still exploring the mysteries of the world.
Time was running short. The River of Time grew unstable. They knew they would soon be separated.
Yet so much remained unsaid. Helpless, they could only sigh.
**”After this parting, it may be for eternity. Take care—may you one day return to this world!”** The Daoist spoke with deep emotion, solemn despite Shi Hao’s youth.
Shi Hao nodded. No matter what, he would live to see that era!
**”Ah, that…”** Cao Yusheng hesitated, then sighed softly.
Seeing the young Shi Hao, he naturally thought of others, memories flooding back. Even as an immortal, some emotions remained indelible.
**”What is it?”**
**”The Lunar Grace…”** Cao Yusheng trailed off. Who did not have youthful days? Even as an immortal, some sentiments lingered.
**”Protect her well,”** the Daoist finally said, unwilling to elaborate.
Back then, it had been pure innocence, a beautiful memory. What was there left to cling to?
He wondered—why, even as an immortal, did the memories of his most innocent days remain the sharpest? For a moment, he was lost in thought.
Perhaps because they represented beauty, hope, a time worth cherishing.
Shi Hao gave him a strange look. Was the Daoist still hung up on the little rabbit?!
**”You’re overthinking it. I’m just lamenting that we can no longer feast on meat and drink together—those days are gone,”** the Daoist said, shaking his head.
Then he added, **”An epoch from now, I won’t know where you are, or where she is, or what became of the others.”**
Cao Yusheng reminisced further. **”In later ages, there was a rabbit—unrivaled, dominating an era, unmatched under heaven. Some called him the Demon Emperor. I suspect… he may have been her descendant.”**
Shi Hao declared, **”I will protect everyone to the best of my ability!”**
Just then, a voice rang out from the opposite shore:
**”Master, you actually had a woman you fancied?!”**
The voice was excited, as if it had caught the Daoist in some scandal.
**”You little brat! Eavesdropping, are you? Get over here!”** The Daoist yanked the speaker forward.
**”Master, you’re talking to Huang? You’ve encountered the legendary ‘Gate’? Heavens, let me see! So Huang really exists?!”** The disciple was practically bouncing with excitement.
Cao Yusheng’s arm glowed as he pulled someone into view.
A bald youth appeared, his large eyes darting about curiously.
Now, not only could Shi Hao see him—he could see Shi Hao, all thanks to the Daoist’s power manifesting him before the “Gate.”
**”This… is Huang?”** He gasped, staring in awe at the youth across the river.
**”Don’t speak carelessly!”** the Daoist barked, fearing his disciple might trigger another heavenly tribulation.
Shi Hao was speechless. Cao Yusheng was a Daoist—how did his disciple end up a bald monk with incense scars on his head?!
**”You took in a disciple from the Ancient Monastic Order? Doesn’t that clash with your Daoist identity?”** Shi Hao asked, puzzled.
**”Borrowed him from someone else. What better way to spread my teachings than to convert a monk into my disciple?”** The Daoist grinned mischievously.
**”I originally had a master…”** the bald youth began, only to be smacked on the back of the head by the Daoist, silencing him.
The Daoist’s earlier melancholy had vanished, replaced by awkward chuckles.
Shi Hao laughed too. Perhaps it was better for the Daoist to let go of the past.
**”Farewell!”** Shi Hao waved first.
The Daoist’s smile faded as he gazed at him. This parting might truly be eternal.
A heavy sigh, carrying fragments of time, echoed in the air.
The River of Time vanished, and the master and disciple on the opposite shore disappeared without a trace.
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