My enemies became my companions

Chapter 682 Straight to Heaven and Earth

I wish you a brisk walk along the mountain path and climb up the mountain.

The dense vegetation on both sides rushed past the edge of the field of vision, and the branches and leaves along the mountain road danced wildly.

Zhu E leaped into the air, a few beads of cold sweat already forming on her forehead.

These days, although there have been some twists and turns, everything has been going smoothly in the end. Everything is so wonderful. Even on the wedding day, although there were some changes, it was all within her expectations. However, at the moment of the fight with Min Ning, the remnant soul of the female Taoist priest who came from nowhere disappeared into her sight.

She was the female Taoist who made the prophecy, "The Sun in the Spouse Palace is afflicted, indicating a marriage that is real but not nominal."

Even though she didn't know her origins, Zhu E didn't dare to be negligent. After gleaning some clues from her, Zhu E suddenly realized the truth, stopped stopping Min Ning, and hurriedly headed towards Gaoliang Mountain.

As she ascended the path, the once long mountain road seemed to shrink shorter and shorter. Zhu E swept past the mountain gate archway in an instant, glanced at the empty mountain gate square, her gaze narrowed slightly, and then leaped again, entering the palace gate.

Deep within the main hall, lights burn eternally.

After reading it, Zhu E breathed a slight sigh of relief. She stepped forward, still looking uneasy, and gently pinched the wick and adjusted it.

It was as if a curtain of water had been parted, revealing the ever-burning lights, which rippled outwards.

Immediately, the lights went out.

Zhu E's pupils contracted sharply.

The eternal lamps in this hall are all divine flames that burn forever. How could they be extinguished so easily? Everyone in any religion knows this, unless... that person doesn't know this and thinks they are just ordinary eternal lamps.

"My lord... my lord."

I kept murmuring to myself.

Indeed, indeed... just as that female Taoist priest said...

We absolutely have to get back!
Just as Zhu E was anxiously turning around to rush down the mountain and return to the palace, the light outside the palace gate dimmed, and a figure silently blocked her way.

The visitor was a man dressed in a plain white sacrificial robe, the subtle patterns on his robe flowing faintly within the hall.

He appeared without warning, as if he had always been standing in that shadow. Zhu E's heart skipped a beat, and she stopped abruptly, her surging energy slightly stagnating.

She looked up and met those unfathomable eyes. Though her heart was churning with turmoil and uncertainty, years of religious discipline had made her almost instinctively suppress all her emotions. She quickly bowed her head, gave a respectful curtsy, and addressed him as "Sect Leader."

Gongsun Guan nodded slightly, his expression calm, as if he had something to say, but he did not rush to speak.

Zhu E was extremely anxious and, disregarding etiquette, hurriedly spoke: "Master, for some unknown reason, the entire Dragon Tail City, and even the entire Nanwei region, has fallen into a world of ignorance. The source of this might be..."

"The Mingzun himself?" Gongsun Guan answered directly.

Zhu E spoke first, her words coming out somewhat hurriedly. Then, as if slamming on the brakes, she paused, startled by what she heard. A surge of joy welled up within her, if it were truly because of the Venerable Ming, perhaps her husband… But in an instant, that joy faded, replaced by a deeper doubt.

She stared intently at Gongsun Guan. The Ming and An Divine Sect did not possess any techniques for preserving youth and achieving immortality, yet so many years had passed since she arrived at the mountain, and the sect leader's appearance had not changed in the slightest, remaining as profound and unfathomable as when she first met him.

Even among the core members of the cult, this leader always acted mysteriously, like a boat sailing in the fog, his true nature unseen. She was forcibly suppressing her chaotic thoughts, intending to speak again, when two more figures entered through the temple door.

Two old women dressed in worn, dark sacrificial robes slowly walked in, one after the other. They seemed to be talking in hushed tones, or perhaps they were bickering.

They were two old women dressed in dark, worn sacrificial robes. Zhu E recognized them at a glance. One was the wise saintess who was elusive and had been wandering around for many years. Her return to the church was already surprising. But the other was the powerful saintess who should have been guarding the Cauldron of No Life and protecting the Tree of No Poison all year round!

The wise saintess looked up and saw Zhu E, a hint of relief in her eyes: "In the blink of an eye, you've grown up so much... The last time I saw you, you were just a little girl."

The Holy Maiden of Might snorted coldly, her tone sharp: "Her heart is no longer with the sect; it's attached to outsiders, floating on the outside world."

The wise saintess chuckled and shook her head: "Have you been confused by being locked up? Can that person still be considered an outsider?"

Zhu E took two steps back, muttering to herself, her doubts deepening: "The two saintesses have been absent from the sect for a long time... It's understandable that the Wise Saintess would suddenly return after her disappearance, but the Mighty Saintess needs to guard the Non-Poisonous Dead Tree, how could she leave so easily? Unless..."

“Well said.” The Mighty Saintess nodded slowly, a complex expression appearing on her withered face. “It is thanks to this world of ignorance that I was able to find some peace of mind, to step out and get some fresh air.”

Zhu E stood rooted to the spot, her eyes filled with doubt and astonishment that lingered for a long time. "...Of the four Holy Maidens, three are present today. All the followers have been dispersed in advance, and even the sect leader is on high alert."

Before he could finish speaking, Gongsun Guan suddenly stepped forward. His fingers twitched slightly within his sleeve, and a dark light flowed silently, causing the entire hall to tremble gently.
"I wish you well, you're right."

I took a deep breath, my emotions surging uncontrollably.

Gongsun Guan slowly said, "In the beginning, before heaven and earth were separated, the world of light and the world of darkness were mixed together. How can the current situation not be similar? His sword intent... is just like heaven and earth. The darkness covering the world is not a human disaster, but a heavenly secret, a sign of the arrival of the enlightened one."

His voice was deep, yet each word was clear: "Zhu E, you don't need to rush back to the palace. It's no use if you go back. Since three of the four Holy Maidens have already arrived, the last one should be here soon."

Zhu E suddenly looked up, her lips slightly pale.

The person Gongsun Guan was referring to was not Yin Tingxue, who was far away, but... the previous generation's Pure Saintess.

The Wise Saintess sighed, "After all these years, we've finally lured her out. She's been going astray for so long, and that's why she would never miss such an opportunity."

The Holy Maiden of Mighty Strength spoke up, her tone finally losing its sharpness and instead revealing a trace of desolation: "Everything is about to be accomplished; the current situation is a prelude to the awakening of the Bright Lord."

Zhu E did indeed have this guess, but dared not think too deeply about it. Unexpectedly, the saintesses and the leader revealed it in just a few words.

Gongsun Guan's gaze returned to Zhu E's face, and for the first time, her image was clearly reflected in his unfathomable eyes: "Do you still want to go back now? Going back to his side might help him, or it might harm him."

Although the eternal lamps inside the hall were extinguished, the walls began to silently take on a solidified color, flickering like breathing, the air stagnant, and the pressure increasing sharply.

I stand here, my fingertips icy cold.

She looked up outside and saw that the sky had changed drastically, becoming frozen and dark. Time seemed to have become exquisite, and the air was filled with the smell of death.

A beam of white light surged up from the horizon, reaching straight to heaven and earth.

(End of this chapter)