“That’s right. Hometown.” Astro Sovereign said slowly. “Although it is already destroyed, it still worth a shot to have a look at that place.”
“But you have to be careful. There are so many people trying to look for fellow Daoist Shao over these years. Even more have tried to find fellow Daoist Suo.”
“Thanks for the instructions, your majesty.” Yan Zhaoge said that while bowing to Astro Sovereign.
It was true that all the people in the World beyond Worlds and Gao Han, the Exalted Solar Luminary who wandered in the outer space, had paid close attention to the Exalted Fire Luminary’s whereabouts.
Even the people in the immortal court was looking for him.
After he had remembered the direction and path which Astro Sovereign had told him, Yan Zhaoge stared at Astro Sovereign who was in the ice pillar while pondering for a moment before he said, “Your majesty, I have gone to the Roving Jade Heavens before and met Senior Chu there. It was thanks to her that I knew about where you are.”
Since Female Emperor was not here, Yan Zhaoge then felt free to say that.
After all, Female Emperor was not able to pry about what was happening here.
“Lili?” Astro Sovereign smiled while saying, “Is she all right?”
“So far as I have seen, Senior Chu is perfectly fine.” Yan Zhaoge said that while keeping an eye on the expression on the Astro Sovereign’s face.
Yan Zhaoge had already learned from his mother that Chu Lili might have something to do with the Nine Underworlds.
However, the situation he was witnessing now was that Astro Sovereign had been forced to be frozen here due to the stalemate with the big demon.
Then Yan Zhaoge was guessing if there was any secrets underneath.
Astro Sovereign asked, “Is she in a stable condition?”
“She looks great.” Yan Zhaoge answered, “Well, I don’t know if it’s so rude to say this, but Senior Chu seems pretty…alive.”
With a wry smile, he added, “Or so to speak, she has a young state of mind.”
“But I could see that she has been missing you, your majesty.”
“That’s who Lili is.” Astro Sovereign shook his head and smiled, saying, “She’s like a child who refuses to grow up. But she is way more mature than before when she was a teenager.”
Yan Zhaoge seized the chance and said, “She has a letter that she wanted me to deliver to the World beyond Worlds. I know nothing about what’s in the letter.”
“She told me that I could deliver it to either senior apprentice-uncle Yue or Concealed Sovereign. However, I guess she only wanted them to pass on the letter to you, your majesty.”
Astro Sovereign nodded, “Then I’ll take a look.”
Having taken out of the jade talisman, Yan Zhaoge used his true essence to hold it up and transported it toward the place near the ice pillar.
Then an invincible force coming from the ice pillar sucked the jade talisman into the ice pillar.
Astro Sovereign raised his hand to grab the jade talisman.
After a short while, he smiled, “Lili is so thoughtful.”
“Do you need to send a letter in reply, your majesty? I can send it back to her.” Yan Zhaoge asked that. Then Astro Sovereign shook his head, saying, “A message would be enough. Tell Lili not to worry about me and feel ease to cultivate in the Roving Jade Heavens.”
Yan Zhaoge nodded, saying, “I see. I’ll send her the message.”
Then he asked, “Your majesty, I don’t know so much about the details so I have to mention this in case of any misunderstandings. Senior Chu has told me to deliver the letter to senior apprentice-uncle Yue or Concealed Sovereign, however she never said anything about Earthly Sovereign or Female Emperor…”
“Lili has always been afraid of fellow Daoist Jiang.” Astro Sovereign smiled slightly. Then with a thoughtful expression in his eyes, he said, “As for Mingkong, it’s about something else. I understand Lili’s scruple.”
Hearing his words, Yan Zhaoge stopped asking, “I understand.”
Although he was still not clear about the specific reason, he already got what he wanted to know.
It was better not to mention Chu Lili in front of Female Emperor.
Vice versa, mentioning Female Emperor in front of Chu Lili was also not a wise choice.
After thinking for a while, Yan Zhaoge talked about the thing that had been on his mind, which was about Shi Jun and his mother.
“Really?” Hearing what Yan Zhaoge had said, Astro Sovereign was lost in thought and then said, “Though I haven’t seen it for myself and couldn’t make a precise conclusion, I believe the judgement of you and Mingkong. The big demon who wanted to use your peer as an incarnation should not be an easy one to deal with. But I can’t tell its specific origin nor cultivation realm unless I see it with my own eyes.”
“What a pity…”
Yan Zhaoge nodded with an understanding look.
Yan Zhaoge knew that Astro Sovereign felt pity for not being able to help because of the fight against the return of the Gui Shui Demon.
If Shi Jun and his mother were sent back, that big demon might return. Even worse, if the big demons united with each other and fought together, even Astro Sovereign was not able to suppress all of them.
By then the rebirth of the Gui Shui Demon would already be a catastrophe to the world, not to mention the possibility that all the big demons would be reborn.
“Senior Chu gave me some Devil Sealing Godly Water. And I have been investigating the water over the years.” Yan Zhaoge said, “Now I have made some progress and am hoping to make some old mechanisms before the Great Calamity reappear, which might be helpful to suppress the big demon.”
Astro Sovereign was a bit surprised, “Really?”
He could only have a limited knowledge about Yan Zhaoge during their short conversation. But he already detected that Yan Zhaoge was a person who lived up to his words when it came to the serious matters. So if Yan Zhaoge had said that there was a hope to reappear those mechanisms, then that was not a groundless thing.
What’s more, although he knew nothing about the Heavenly Mysteries Pavilion, Astro Sovereign could still sense that Yan Zhaoge’s insight was way more acute than normal cultivators.
“I have wished to solve the problem of my junior apprentice-niece and his mother so I kept researching for all these years. Finally, I have made some achievements. However, it’s not enough.” Yan Zhaoge cupped his hands, saying, “Your majesty, I wonder if you could tell me some of your experiences of preventing the return of the Gui Shui Demon for thousands of years and I could learn something from you.”
“Of course.” Astro Sovereign agreed instantly and started to tell him.
After they had finished their conversation, Yan Zhaoge looked at Astro Sovereign who was in the ice pillar with pity.
Although he already got some clues here, it would still be a long time for Astro Sovereign could leave this place.
At last, having bowed to Astro Sovereign, he said farewell and left.
Meanwhile, Astro Sovereign watched him leaving with a thoughtful look.
The back view which was heading far away turned to another figure in his eyes.
That pride but calm figure with a long sword hanging on his waist.
That was the Exalted Gold Luminary, Yan Xingtang.
At that time, Astro Sovereign had also witnessed Yan Xingtang leave. Little did he know that they would part forever.
Then another person appeared in his mind because of the memory with Yan Xingtang.
The very person that made him feel more grieved.
Astro Sovereign didn’t have so many friends in his life. And they had all died one after another. Now he was totally alone.
Yan Xingtang’s death was miserable to him. But his other friend, the person in his mind right now, was actually killed by him.
Chen Xuanzong, the Exalted Water Luminary, closed his eyes. Everything that had happened before was still vivid in his mind.
“Xuanzong! Come with me. The appearance of the Nine Underworlds was the fate of this world. Let all those ignorant cultivators and the dying Three Purities Daoism fall into the Nine Underworlds.” The middle-aged man laughed, “The Buddha won’t save all lives, neither the Daoism. Only the demon could save all of them. You’ll only see who you really are after entering the Nine Underworlds. You’ll know what freedom is!”
He pointed his forehead where there was an ice blue demon pattern, with a twisted smile, “My position should have been yours!”