Chapter 321: Invitation
A flash of lightning crossed Lin Wan's mind, and she suddenly recalled that half-baked Immortal Venerable who possessed only Immortal Venerable-level power but lacked the strength of rules—Mingxin.
Her gaze sharpened like an arrow as it pierced straight toward Ji Wuque, as if she wanted to bore through his body and see the true thoughts hidden deep within his heart.
"So your purpose for descending to the lower realm was… to break through to the Immortal Venerable Realm?" Her voice was cold and sharp.
Ji Wuque nodded calmly. The dark, dragon-patterned brocade robe he wore remained as immovable as a mountain amid the entangling threads of emotion.
"That is correct," he replied succinctly. "For certain reasons, I lacked sufficient confidence when undergoing tribulation in the upper realm, so I chose to come to the lower realm instead."
A glint of sharp light flashed in Lin Wan's eyes, and her speech quickened, as though she wanted to lay everything bare in one breath.
"Then you founded the Great Zhou, promoted the coexistence of immortals and mortals, and over tens of thousands of years continuously amassed an enormous amount of merit. In the end, you forcibly pushed yourself into the Immortal Venerable Realm using the power of that merit!"
Her words struck Ji Wuque like a rapid barrage of cannon fire. As her voice fell, all the clues were suddenly linked together by an invisible thread, becoming perfectly clear.
"No wonder you could produce so much merit power at the Heavenly Stele Grand Assembly—it was merely what you had left over! And back then, when you faked your death to escape…" Lin Wan's voice abruptly cut off as realization dawned on her.
"Because after breaking through to the Immortal Venerable Realm, the Great Zhou no longer held any meaning for me," Ji Wuque said calmly as he picked up her unfinished thought, a faint, elusive smile even appearing at the corner of his lips. "Moreover, the rules of the lower realm had already begun to reject me. I truly needed a reasonable excuse to withdraw."
Lin Wan narrowed her eyes. Although the explanation was reasonable, she keenly sensed a flaw within it.
"But even so, that still does not explain the matter of Mount Buzhou."
She stared directly at Ji Wuque.
"Reconnecting the Heavenly Pillar is not something that can be accomplished by merit alone."
"You truly see things clearly."
He spoke meaningfully, yet did not answer her question directly.
Lin Wan asked again.
"Then why did you take those people with you? All those who followed you—you brought them all to the upper realm?"
"That's right!"
Ji Wuque admitted openly.
"Because I intend to do something major!"
"What major thing?!"
Lin Wan fixed her gaze on him.
Ji Wuque threw back his head and laughed loudly, his laughter carrying the vicissitudes and resolve of tens of thousands of years.
Then he spread his arms wide, as if to embrace the entire heaven and earth.
"This seat intends to—
Fuse the two realms! Reestablish the Heavenly Court!"
Each word exploded like a thunderclap, causing the earth to tremble faintly. Blazing golden light burst forth from his eyes, and his voice grew ever more resounding.
"Look at this upper realm—tribulation force runs rampant like a festering curse; look at the lower realm—cultivators are trapped in a cage, unable to transcend! This seat will use supreme power to pierce through the barrier between the two realms, then use boundless merit to dissolve the remaining tribulation force of the world, and return to heaven and earth a—"
At this point, he suddenly clenched his fist, shattering the surrounding emotional threads in an instant.
"Bright! Upright! Universe!"
…
Lin Wan was genuinely shaken.
She did not accuse Ji Wuque of spouting madness, because in those eyes burning with ambition, she saw a resolve powerful enough to burn the heavens and destroy the earth.
Yet after a moment of silence, she could not help but ask,
"You have proven the Dao through merit. You should know the inherent flaws of a Merit Immortal Venerable, shouldn't you?"
"Of course."
Golden light flowed through Ji Wuque's eyes as his voice remained steady and resolute.
"Merit power is strong, but in the end, it is borrowed strength. Therefore—"
He suddenly restrained his aura, the surging golden light receding back into his body like a withdrawing tide.
"Although I have made my resolve, I also understand that this matter must be advanced gradually."
He raised his hand and traced patterns through the void, and a star map of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands appeared out of thin air.
"There are seven Immortal Venerables in the upper realm. Wherever an Immortal Venerable is stationed, that realm is inevitably under their control."
His fingertip pointed toward the location of the Cloud-Mist Land, which flickered with a distinctive pink radiance.
"There is no Immortal Venerable here. It is perfectly suited to serve as my foundation."
Lin Wan looked at the flowing brilliance within the star map and suddenly understood.
"So you intend to rebuild the Great Zhou here?"
"Exactly!"
Blazing light ignited once more in Ji Wuque's eyes.
"First, establish an Immortal Dynasty with the Cloud-Mist Land as the foundation, gather merit, and then gradually expand into other realms."
He suddenly turned toward Lin Wan, his gaze burning like fire.
"So—join me."
Before Lin Wan could respond, he suddenly stepped forward.
"When I become the Heavenly Emperor in the future, the position of Heavenly Empress will certainly be yours."
…
Lin Wan looked at his fervent gaze and forcibly suppressed the urge to slash him again with her sword.
Is this really something you are never going to let go of?
After calming herself, she suddenly let out a soft laugh.
"Your ambition is admirable, but I refuse."
"Reestablishing the Heavenly Court is far too troublesome. I am living quite comfortably in the lower realm—why should I come to the upper realm to torment myself?"
As she spoke, she cast a meaningful glance at the emotional threads drifting around them.
"Besides, if you insist on forcibly linking the upper and lower realms and turn the lower realm into this… strange state, I will step in to stop you."
The golden light in Ji Wuque's eyes dimmed slightly as he let out a long sigh.
"That is truly a pity."
"There is nothing to pity. Everyone has their own aspirations."
Lin Wan turned to leave, her robes gently swaying within the pink radiance.
"Now that I know what you intend to do, I shall take my leave."
"Heh heh…"
Ji Wuque suddenly sneered, his aura turning razor-sharp in an instant.
"Do you think you can still return?"
"Although I do not know how you deceived the Heavenly Dao of the lower realm, once you are tainted with the aura of the upper realm, it is absolutely impossible for you to remain smoothly in the lower realm again!"
Lin Wan paused, but did not turn back. Instead, a mysterious curve appeared at the corner of her lips.
"Is that so?"
Before the words had fully fallen, her figure suddenly began to turn transparent.
The emotional threads wrapped around her trembled violently, yet could not halt the process.
"What?!"
Ji Wuque's pupils shrank abruptly as golden light surged wildly in his hand.
"Impossible! I clearly just sealed the passage—"
"Farewell…"
Lin Wan's voice had already grown ethereal, yet carried undisguised mockery.
Under Ji Wuque's incredulous gaze, her figure completely dissipated, leaving behind only her final words echoing within the pink radiance.
"If we ever meet again, and you bring up that matter once more, I will kill you!"
"I mean it."
…
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