Shangqing Sect.
Above.
A blood moon still slowly rotated in the night sky, while rolling dark clouds continued to gather. Under the blood moon's shroud, they resembled a boiling sea of blood, sending chills down everyone's spine.
Within the Crimson Beam of Light, Xiao Jinr's petite figure grew increasingly indistinct, as if she were gradually fusing with the crimson radiance drop by drop. She appeared to have long since fallen unconscious, yet even so, her consciousness seemed to persist. Her small body trembled incessantly, struggling, resisting, refusing to merge with the Crimson Beam of Light.
She was weak, as fragile as the last flicker of a candle flame in a blizzard, seemingly on the verge of extinguishing at any moment.
High in the sky, Shangguan Yu stood with his hands clasped behind his back upon a seven-colored auspicious cloud, his expression calm and composed. A faint radiance shimmered around him, as if dragons and phoenixes were manifesting.
Shi Tian stood with his arms crossed atop the head of a massive lion-tiger beast, his demeanor arrogant and his gaze cold and stern, as if looking down upon the entire world.
The Heir Apparent Disciple, the Third Prince, and the Purple Dawn King had remained standing there quietly from beginning to end, merely watching Xiao Jinr within the Crimson Beam of Light without uttering a single word.
In the eastern horizon.
The Light of Dawn had already risen to its zenith. Unlike the great sun, it cast no brilliant sunlight, nor did it burn with fierce flames. It was more like a cluster of pure light meant to cleanse the world.
The immortals of Cloud End stood in the air, their expressions varied as they gazed at Xiao Jinr within the Crimson Beam of Light, then glanced at the Light of Dawn in the sky, as if waiting for something.
At their forefront stood Lie Shan, the Arbiter of the Immortal Dao and also the World Enforcer. In his left hand, he held the Immortal Dao Command Token; in his right, the World Command Banner. His expression was solemn. He, too, looked once at Xiao Jinr within the Crimson Beam of Light, then at the Light of Dawn in the sky. Finally, he swept his gaze across the world. Only after confirming that Su Hua had truly vanished did he slowly let out a breath, the stone weighing on his heart finally settling.
He was profoundly relieved that Su Hua had been taken away like that.
As for who had taken her.
He did not know, nor did he wish to know.
As long as Su Hua was gone, that was enough for him.
If Su Hua had continued stubbornly guarding the Calamity Star, Lie Shan truly wouldn't have known what to do.
After all, Su Hua's existence was that of the Bearer of True Mandate destined to respond to tribulation in the Present-Ancient Era. She was connected to the future of all living beings, the rise and fall of the Three Thousand Great Daos, even the very survival of Heaven and Earth. Faced with such an existence, Lie Shan naturally dared not act rashly, much less dare to eliminate a Bearer of True Mandate just to erase a single Calamity Star.
He lacked the courage.
Even if he had it, the Three Thousand Great Daos silently observing this matter from behind would absolutely not permit him to do so.
Taking it a step further, even if the Three Thousand Great Daos permitted it, the Heavens themselves would not allow it.
Fortunately.
Su Hua had left.
Within the scene.
The crowd murmured amongst themselves, for everyone could see that the bloody night moon was growing increasingly powerful. The Calamity Star Xiao Jinr was slowly rising within the Crimson Beam of Light. It wouldn't be long before she fused with the bloody night moon.
Earlier, with Immortal Su Hua preventing action, they couldn't act—that was one thing. But why, now that Immortal Su Hua had already departed, had Cloud End not yet employed the World's Laws to erase the Calamity Star?
Cloud End offered no explanation, merely standing there.
And no one dared to ask, waiting anxiously and puzzled.
Finally.
Someone could no longer restrain themselves and stepped forward to ask, "World Enforcer, why have you not yet moved to pass judgment upon the Calamity Star descended in this Present-Ancient Era?"
The one who stepped forward was none other than Shangguan Yu, hailed as the World Leader and the Bearer of True Mandate, the outstanding talent of the Tai Chi.
"No hurry," Lie Shan replied indifferently with two words.
"No hurry?"
Although Shangguan Yu inwardly held no regard for Lie Shan, because Lie Shan was the World Enforcer, he dared not be too presumptuous. He said, "I believe everyone present can see that the Calamity Star appears to be on the verge of fusing with the blood moon...
Once fusion occurs, the consequences would be unthinkable."
At this moment, Shi Tian stepped forward, arrogantly shouting, "If you people of Cloud End won't act, shall I, Shi Tian, do it for you!"
"How dare you!" Lie Shan rebuked. "Cloud End is the master of this world, naturally bearing the duty and responsibility to protect it. We require no one to act on our behalf."
"If that is so, why have you still not acted?"
"The time is not yet ripe."
"The time is not yet ripe?" Shi Tian snorted coldly. "Then when will the time be ripe?"
"Audacious!"
Lie Shan erupted in anger, pointing the World Command Banner at Shi Tian and shouting, "Shi Tian!
Are you questioning Cloud End?"
The arrogant and domineering Shi Tian initially wanted to retort fiercely, but upon seeing the World Command Banner in Lie Shan's hand, even with all his unwillingness and unconvinced in his heart, he dared not say anything more. He could only let out a cold snort and fall silent.
Not far away.
Female Sect Leader Ye Tianlan glanced at the puzzled Shangguan Yu, then at the unconvinced Shi Tian. She shook her head inwardly, sighing. Although these two possessed unparalleled destinies—one bearing the True Mandate, the other bearing the Heavenly Mandate—they were, after all, still too young, with too little experience. They simply could not comprehend or see through the current situation.
Others might not know, but Ye Tianlan was aware: if Shangguan Yu, Shi Tian, or anyone else in this world could erase Xiao Jinr, Cloud End would never have shown themselves. Precisely because Cloud End knew the Calamity Star's power, if others acted and failed to eliminate her, it would only invite unnecessary trouble. Hence, Cloud End had no choice but to appear at the final moment.
As for why Cloud End was delaying action, Female Sect Leader Ye Tianlan could roughly guess. It wasn't that Cloud End didn't want to act, but that the decree from the Immortal Dao had not yet arrived.
The reason the Immortal Dao's decree was delayed was also simple: the Immortal Dao was afraid. Afraid that killing the Calamity Star would provoke Gu Qingfeng.
Therefore, the Immortal Dao had been waiting, waiting for Xiao Jinr within the Crimson Beam of Light to perish on her own.
The Immortal Dao should have long since discerned that Xiao Jinr did not wish to fuse with the blood moon and had been struggling desperately against it, persisting even now.
Whether Xiao Jinr would ultimately fuse with the blood moon, no one could say for certain.
If Xiao Jinr would rather die than yield, that would be for the best. That way, the Calamity Star would be eradicated without provoking Gu Qingfeng—killing two birds with one stone.
If Xiao Jinr's desperate struggle proved futile, then the Immortal Dao would undoubtedly order Cloud End to employ the World's Laws to eliminate her.
Doing so might anger Gu Qingfeng, but the Immortal Dao would have no other choice.
After all, Xiao Jinr's existence was that of the Calamity Star of the Daoless Age. Her threat surpassed even that of Gu Qingfeng, the surviving Original Sin of that era. Gu Qingfeng alone already gave the Immortal Dao a headache. Adding a Calamity Star from the Daoless Age would make the consequences even more terrifying, the future even more unpredictable, and the Immortal Dao would only grow increasingly passive.
Therefore, for now, the Immortal Dao could only wait.
Wait for Xiao Jinr to bring about her own destruction.
If Xiao Jinr could not withstand the blood moon, the Immortal Dao would have no choice but to grit its teeth and erase her. No matter how severe the consequences of provoking Gu Qingfeng might be, the Immortal Dao would have to bear them.