Shi Tian Supreme realized in an instant that a long time ago, this youth had said the same thing, and he himself had personally declared, "When the flowers bloom, it will be my day of ascension!"
His expression shifted slightly, but he still said, "Please assist me, fellow Daoist."
Qing Xuan Daoist remained silent, but his actions conveyed his stance.
As he stepped down, azure light emanated, and countless vines intertwined, blocking the path of the black-robed Daoist.
"Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment."
The black-robed man's voice lacked any emotion. "Why?"
Qing Xuan Daoist chuckled, "This enemy is an enemy of the Great Dao. This opportunity is a rare one. If I do not seize it, when shall I wait?"
Mu Gong, in the Sea of Death, his face contorted with rage, roared, "Qing Ling, I know it's you! Stop hiding from me. I would recognize you even if you turned to ash!"
Neither the black-robed man nor Qing Xuan Daoist paid any heed to the roaring Mu Gong. Instead, they faced each other in a tense standoff.
On the surface, Qing Xuan Daoist appeared at ease, but his heartstrings were taut. This was the malevolent corpse of a Dao Ancestor!
While in a sense, he was comparable to the three corpses created by Hongjun, he was merely the manifestation of a mighty being. The opponent, however, was not only a supreme being but also Hongjun himself.
The Salamander Ancestor of the Eastern Barrens was Hongjun's good corpse, clad in white robes, possessing profound understanding of the Way of Heaven's Evolution. The malevolent corpse before him, clad in black robes, was exceptionally skilled in the Way of the Void, a stark opposition.
The black-robed man shook his head. "No, I must wait for him to reach Yu Jing."
Qing Xuan Daoist nodded and smiled, "I will not stop you, but I must first wait for my flowers to bloom."
The black-robed man's tone grew cold. "Who are you?"
Qing Xuan Daoist replied with a hint of helplessness, "I am a flower planter. I live by planting flowers. The blooming and falling of flowers are my entirety. To take my flowers is to take my life!"
The black-robed man sneered, "Then we shall see if you have the ability!"
With a single stomp of his foot, the void trembled, and the Sea of Death churned with monstrous waves.
A smile played on Qing Xuan Daoist's lips as he slowly unfurled an azure umbrella. As the canopy opened, azure lotuses scattered across the ground, floating on the Sea of Death like lanterns drifting into the sea, their myriad blossoms radiating azure light.
Tears in the void ripped forth, only to be blocked by the lotuses. The azure lotuses spun lazily, and the azure umbrella ascended, revealing its brilliance.
This ultimate innate spiritual treasure unleashed its extraordinary splendor, envied by countless mighty beings who drooled at the sight.
Although innate spiritual treasures were common in this era, ultimate-grade ones were nearly extinct.
Especially defensive ultimate-grade spiritual treasures. If one possessed this umbrella, with the cultivation of a mighty being, they could roam the Primordial World unchallenged, with even supreme beings unable to subdue them.
The black-robed man also frowned, but his purpose was not to confront this individual but to retrieve Mu Gong from the Sea of Death.
He flickered a void mirror in his hand, unleashing the power of the void. All directions became void, all existence vanished. For miles, the heavens and earth became void, and within the Void Realm, beings were reduced to nothingness.
Qing Xuan Daoist walked slowly, holding the umbrella. Azure light emanated from it, and with every step, a lotus fell. These azure lotuses, traversing the void, rippled infinitely, like raindrops on a still lake, the waves neither arising nor ceasing.
Though the power of the void was immense, it could not break through the astonishing defense of the Azure Jade Umbrella. Thus, Qing Xuan Daoist proceeded as if on a leisurely stroll towards Mu Gong in the Sea of Death. The countless azure lotuses bobbing on the sea also obstructed the black-robed man's path.
This was the first time the Azure Jade Umbrella displayed its might to the world, its name beginning to be known.
The Sea of Death, filled with boundless azure lotuses, was navigated by the robed Daoist holding the azure umbrella. Above the sea, heavenly tribulations roared, and Shi Tian Supreme resisted. Flashes of lightning illuminated the Sea of Death, illuminating the sea of azure lotuses.
Mu Gong, his face filled with terror, watched as, under the dark, thunderous sky, a robed Daoist holding an umbrella and a lantern slowly approached him. Myriad lotuses parted spontaneously, creating a path on the sea. The red glow of the ancient lantern made him tremble with unease.
He sensed death slowly approaching him.
The newcomer cultivated the Way of Wood, which represented life for all things, but for him, it was death.
A flicker of light crossed the black-robed man's eyes. He did not stop the robed figure on the sea of death. Instead, he tossed a void mirror, which rapidly expanded, its black frame falling outside the Sea of Death. The Sea of Death served as its surface, reflecting the scene within.
He stood with his hands behind his back, waiting quietly for the flower planter to take his flower and depart.
His main body had instructed him to rescue the person, but not specified what kind of person. Given his main body's foresight, he would not have overlooked such details. The absence of specification implied tacit consent.
Perhaps bringing back a mighty being who was close to death but not yet dead was the true intention of his main body.
Qing Xuan Daoist's fair face beamed with a smile like spring sunshine, but to Mu Gong, illuminated by the flickering lightning, he appeared terrifying, a blend of black and white.
Qing Xuan Daoist reached the withered ancient tree. A withered vine, an old tree, a disheveled elder, a lonely island in the dark sea, a trapped prisoner, a desperate situation.
"I have come for my flower."
Mu Gong's face was filled with hatred. "Qing Ling, even if I perish, I will return one day. When that day comes, I will avenge this!"
Qing Xuan Daoist chuckled lightly, unconcerned. "If I can defeat you in one lifetime, I can defeat you in a thousand lifetimes!"
He raised his hand, and the Ten Ultimate Heavenly Lamp illuminated Mu Gong's haggard face.
Qing Xuan glanced at it, then suddenly remembered. "Oh, right. My name is not Qing Ling. I am Qing Xuan Daoist, the flower planter Qing Ling, and the flower taker Qing Xuan Daoist."
As he spoke, the Ten Ultimate Heavenly Lamp blazed with ten colors. Mu Gong's luck and destiny were drawn into the lamp from above his head. Simultaneously, Qing Xuan Daoist activated his wood path cultivation between his eyebrows. The Rosan flower, which had grown on Mu Gong's heart, rapidly matured. A terrifying suction drained the last drop of Mu Gong's vital blood and essence, and even his primordial spirit!
A true spirit ascended. Mu Gong watched as the flower that had grown on him for millions of years finally bloomed, exquisitely beautiful, vibrant as blood, and chillingly red.
In the instant the flower bloomed, Qing Xuan Daoist personally grasped this millions-of-years-old Rosan flower.
With the flower in hand, the Ten Ultimate Lamp extinguished, the person died, the lamp extinguished, and the flower bloomed.
Behind Qing Xuan Daoist's departing figure, the colossal withered tree on the island collapsed with a roar, plunging into the Sea of Death, where it was contested and devoured by countless vengeful souls and death energies.
"Boom~"
The last sound of the heavenly tribulation faded.
The first thunderclap of the world's rain sounded. The eastern world was drenched in heavy rain, as if the heavens were weeping. A colossal phantom of a divine tree appeared in the sky, signifying the departure of a mighty being of the Way of Wood.
Silence ensued, steeped in sorrow. The heavens and earth mourned the death of a mighty being they had nurtured.
The black-robed man departed with the true spirit, and the void mirror outside the Sea of Death retracted. The Eye of Heavenly Punishment also withdrew.
Amidst this melancholic atmosphere, Shi Tian Supreme erupted into wild laughter, letting the rain drench his fur and clothes.
This was the sorrow of the world for the departure of an old soul, and the joy for the ascendance of a new one.
Qing Xuan Daoist bowed respectfully to Shi Tian Supreme from afar, then departed, one hand holding the flower, the other the umbrella.
The rain-streaked mist blurred his figure. An umbrella, a figure in azure, a night of rain, returning in the rain-drenched night.