Chapter 558 - 334: Ancient Dynasty Ruins

Even Lu Mingyuan was taken aback by the deal Bai Ze proposed.

But he quickly composed himself and questioned, "The Ascension Platform is in my hands. Why would I need you to bestow it upon me?"

Facing the world’s foremost Great Demon.

He showed not the slightest bit of fear.

An ordinary Cultivator probably wouldn’t even have the courage to look Bai Ze in the eye.

As the first of the Twelve Thrones, Bai Ze’s imposing presence was no less than the Yuqing Ancestor Master’s. Both were terrifying beings with one foot in the Fifteenth Realm.

Hearing Lu Mingyuan’s response, a faint smile appeared on Bai Ze’s handsome human face. "Do you think the Ascension Platform can truly end up in your hands?"

"If you can’t master the method for its Refinement, it will remain a dead object. It will never truly belong to you and will ultimately fall into the hands of the Taoist Sect."

Lu Mingyuan frowned slightly. "Refinement of the Ascension Platform?"

"Correct. The Ascension Platform is an Ancient Divine Artifact, so of course it can be refined."

"However, as the years have passed, very few know the method of its Refinement. And I happen to be one of them," Bai Ze said, his gaze profound and a smile playing on his lips.

"Tell me how to perform the Refinement first, and then I’ll consider whether your deal is feasible," Lu Mingyuan said in a low voice.

’He’s finally showing his true colors.’

The Rain Master was a woman of exquisite features, fulfilling all of Lu Mingyuan’s fantasies about Miss Ding Xiang.

Holding her Oil Paper Umbrella, she spoke with calm eyes, "We are sincere in our offer. We hope you can show some sincerity as well."

But Lu Mingyuan felt they were plotting something. He snorted coldly. "Are you kidding me? The Human and Demon Races have been mortal enemies since ancient times. The Demon Race has killed countless brilliant talents of my Human Race. How could I treat you as great benefactors just because of one deal?"

After hearing this, Bai Ze wasn’t angered. Instead, he was unusually calm as he said faintly, "The reason you think that way is simply that you haven’t lived long enough."

"So-called hatred is, in truth, just the result of an unequal distribution of benefits."

"It was true for the War of Ascension one hundred thousand years ago."

"It was true for the Human-Demon War thirty thousand years ago."

"And it’s even truer for the origin of this Dragon Peak Cave Heaven."

A weariness that had seen oceans turn to mulberry fields filled Bai Ze’s eyes. "If one is willing to cede enough benefits, hatred ceases to exist."

"Lu Mingyuan, you are a clever man. You’ve accomplished things that no Emperor in history could, and I admire you for it."

"Do you really want to see the Divine Beings return to the Mortal World?"

Faced with this question and sensing Bai Ze’s composure, Lu Mingyuan couldn’t help but feel his resolve waver.

’Bai Ze could have easily taken me by force.’

’So why hasn’t he?’

’What is his real goal?’

Lu Mingyuan decided to pry for more information before making a decision.

"What do you mean, ’the Divine Beings return to the Mortal World’?" Lu Mingyuan asked gravely.

Bai Ze explained patiently, "The Ascension Platform is an artifact of the ancient Divine Beings. You should be well aware of this."

"Its true purpose is to open the Celestial Gate and connect to the Upper Realm."

"Once the Celestial Gate is opened, the Divine Beings that your Human Race rejects will make a comeback."

Lu Mingyuan was silent for a moment before saying, "You mean, the Taoist Sect wants to use the Ascension Platform to open the Celestial Gate and connect to the Upper Realm?"

Bai Ze nodded. "How many in your Human Race are stuck in a single Realm their entire lives? It’s not their own fault. It’s because they lack the blessing of Destiny. The Destiny of this world is constantly gathered around that same group of people."

"This world is a circle."

"Right now, even if you combine the Destiny of every person, it’s not enough to complete that circle. The only way to break the stalemate is to borrow power from beyond the Celestial Gate."

This enormous amount of information plunged Lu Mingyuan into a long silence.

He thought of his master, Zhao Xuanwu, and also of Sui Yuqing.

’Their talents were among the best in the world, yet they could never reach the Upper Three Grades. Was it really their fault?’

"Doesn’t the Demon Race face the same situation?" Lu Mingyuan asked.

Bai Ze smiled. "Otherwise, why has it always been the same Twelve Thrones for thousands of years? It’s because a new Throne can only rise after an old one dies."

"Is there no other way besides opening the Celestial Gate?"

Unconsciously, Lu Mingyuan felt himself being drawn into the rhythm of Bai Ze’s words.

But the truth was, much of what Bai Ze said was fact.

Take himself for example: if he hadn’t absorbed the Destiny of the other Princes, he might not have reached his current Realm.

Bai Ze looked up at the dim sky and said, "I believe you can become the ’One’ who ends this chaos."

Lu Mingyuan frowned. "You are Bai Ze, the first of the Demon Race’s Twelve Thrones. You mean to say even you can’t do it?"

"No. I am not pure enough."

Bai Ze shook his head.

The Rain Master explained, "Neither Bai Ze nor I truly belong to this era. We cannot receive the recognition of the Celestial Dao."

"But you are different."

BOOM!

As she spoke, a tremendous noise echoed through the space.

A colossal Jade Ruyi appeared in the sky above, suppressing the area. The space itself shattered, exploding into countless fragments.

With his silver hair spilling across the void, the Yuqing Ancestor Master manipulated the Panwu Banner, breaking the seal on this place.

"Bai Ze, do you remember the pact from over ten thousand years ago?"

An ethereal voice resounded between heaven and earth. In the vast void, a massive Dharma Aspect of an old man in a Daoist Robe, thirty thousand meters tall, materialized behind him.

A pressure surpassing that of a Saint swept across the world.

"Of course I remember."

Bai Ze stood in the void, his hands clasped behind his back. The overwhelming pressure turned into a gentle breeze that brushed past the tips of his hair without causing the slightest stir. Instead, a smile touched his lips.

"If that’s the case, then why have you left Eternal Mist Mountain?"

The Yuqing Ancestor Master’s palm came crashing down.

This palm strike was world-destroying.

All Cultivators within a thousand-li radius could only feel a terrifying astral wind blasting toward them as the Ancestor Master’s Dharma Aspect towered between heaven and earth.

With a single, gentle press, a thousand-li stretch of land was flattened.

Countless members of the Demon Race, unable to dodge in time, were slapped to death by the single palm.

Beneath the palm, the entire land collapsed, revealing vast swathes of earth veins.

The ground beneath their feet trembled violently.

It revealed an ancient, dilapidated subterranean world, filled with crumbling walls and broken ramparts.

Deep underground, the ruins lay in silent desolation. On the mottled stone walls, the marks of time spread like a fine spiderweb, suffused with the vicissitudes of history.

In the center of the ruins, a towering stone platform stood, incomplete and damaged, yet still majestic, a testament to its former glory and nobility.

"It’s the ruins of an Ancient Dynasty!"

Many Cultivators were utterly shocked to see the subterranean world that had appeared.

They never could have imagined that the ruins of an Empire were hidden beneath the Ascension Platform. And from the looks of it, this Empire was of a very high rank—undoubtedly a magnificent Dynasty from the Middle Ages.

Seeing this, Lu Mingyuan couldn’t help but guess aloud, "Could it be... the ruins of the Eternal Immortal Dynasty."

...