The wilderness stretched endlessly, and the wind became very vast.

The azure-robed man and green-dressed young woman stood facing each other, like different versions of themselves standing inside and outside a mirror.

Zanxing felt the Heavenly Demon power within her body gently boiling, like a traveler who had been away from home for many years returning to their homeland. The different Demon Lord bloodlines within their bodies formed a resonance at this moment, as if a warm current flowed through her limbs and bones, smoothing away the wounds from her earlier battle with Gui Yansheng.

She looked at Gui Diao Tang.

When Gui Yansheng had burned the Xiaoyuan Pearl to form black mist and entangle her in battle, Zanxing had felt a similar aura helping her resist the opponent’s attacks. It seemed the Demon Lord had secretly assisted her.

Today was the first time she and Gui Diao Tang had met, and they had no past emotional connection. The demon clan had always viewed kinship, friendship, and love with detachment. Zanxing thought that when Gui Diao Tang saw her, his heart probably wouldn’t harbor emotions like guilt or affection. When he looked at her, it was perhaps with the appraising gaze of a former Demon Lord examining the next Demon Lord.

The two great Demon Lords of Heishi City stood facing each other. Bujiang moved her lips but ultimately said nothing.

The Demon Lord looked at Zanxing, was silent for a while, then finally spoke, asking: “Do you know what the most important quality is for being the leader of Heishi City?”

Zanxing frowned slightly.

The man’s gaze toward her was distant and detached, as if this moment wasn’t before an urgent great formation, but rather in the misty rain of a Jiangnan water town. He was like a noble young master sitting in a bamboo grove discussing the Way, brewing tea and burning incense, conversing with friends over tea.

After thinking, Zanxing spoke: “Courage, boldness, composure, decisiveness, strength?” She stared at Gui Diao Tang and answered seriously, “Being a Demon Lord isn’t easy – relying on just one quality probably isn’t enough.”

Gui Diao Tang paused slightly, apparently not expecting Zanxing to answer this way. After a moment, he smiled faintly: “Your name is Zanxing?”

Zanxing nodded.

“Zanxing drags the moon beneath the Penglai Isle, once saw white elms planted on the eastern hill…” His long robe was like azure mist emerging from peaks, bright and verdant in color, as it faintly dispersed in the vast sky.

“Very good.”

That mass of azure mist-shadow rode the wind of the wilderness and gradually fell into the formation, merging with the formation’s eye where Gu Caiyu had disappeared earlier to become a ray of brilliant light.

Bujiang’s long lashes trembled slightly.

In an instant, ten thousand bright lights slowly rose, long flames covering the sky. From the depths of the great formation, a sky-covering torrent slowly emerged. This aura was vast and heavy, as if coming from the most distant ends of heaven and earth – infinitely broad yet infinitely brief.

The torrent poured onto the black seed in the giant pit. That dull seed seemed to finally be unable to endure such enormous pressure. The tiny crack suddenly tore open, and from within, a pale azure shadow suddenly emerged. This shadow fell to the ground and rapidly grew, desperately absorbing the surrounding streams of energy. In just a moment, it took root and sprouted, growing branches upward, becoming a giant tree that blocked out the sky and sun.

Zanxing looked at that giant tree reaching straight into the clouds, her heart filled with infinite shock.

This giant tree was remarkably similar to the shadow of the giant tree in the depths of her spiritual roots.

The Ancient Qiankun Formation stopped.

Everyone’s gaze fell on the pale-colored giant tree before them.

This giant tree was rough and solitary, standing perfectly straight. The trunk wasn’t too thick – about the size of a cart wheel. Looking up, the top sprouted fine branches that crossed and intersected, forming a dense canopy like a green cloud umbrella.

“Jianmu,” Rongshuang said gravely.

The “Huainanzi” recorded: “Jianmu stands in Duguang, where all emperors ascend and descend. At noon, there is no shadow, calling out produces no echo – it is the center of heaven and earth.”

When Jianmu grows, the Heavenly Ladder appears.

This straight tree reaching toward the sky was the ladder to enter the Golden Gate Ruins – the Heavenly Ladder connecting the human and immortal realms.

Jianmu’s canopy was hidden in the vast, misty clouds, making it impossible to glimpse the true form within. Before the giant pit, Mimi called out once. Zanxing turned to look and saw the few magical artifacts that had been inserted diagonally into the ground slowly turning to smoke and dust, flowing away with the wind.

That blood-colored war halberd, that beautiful purple flute, and that brilliantly radiant long sword had been like brocade flames in the wilderness, becoming a clear dream in the Huaxu Kingdom. After a moment of brilliance, they left no trace.

The grudges and romantic entanglements of over twenty years ago thus turned to emptiness in an instant.

Gu Baiying walked to the now-empty giant pit. His long lashes concealed the color of his eyes, so Zanxing couldn’t see his expression. She only felt that even his quietly standing figure carried a coldness and bitterness.

He and his parents always met hastily and parted hastily, so rushed that there was no time for proper farewells.

As if fate deliberately played tricks.

Shaoyang Zhenren looked up at the heights of Jianmu and said indifferently: “Let’s go.”

Fu Ronghua was startled: “Just go up like this?”

“Is there any other way out now?” Lingxin Daoren snorted. He harbored much prejudice against the demon clan, but just now, the Ancient Qiankun Formation had only succeeded in reviving the formation’s eye thanks to the Demon Lord’s remnant soul. Even if he wanted to turn hostile, he couldn’t say anything unpleasant.

Bujiang also said, “Let’s go.” She and Gui Diao Tang had met again, yet barely exchanged a few words. Even so, there was no trace of sorrow on Bujiang’s face. Perhaps there was some melancholy, but it had nothing to do with romance. The demon clan had long lifespans, unlike humans, who always regarded love and obsession as particularly important.

Zanxing also stood beneath Jianmu, looking up overhead.

Were the Golden Gate Ruins really at the top of this tree? By following this tree upward, could they glimpse the immortal realm where heaven and earth connected?

She didn’t know what was up there, only feeling a mysterious aura emanating from the depths of the sky at the treetop. This aura was identical to the Xiaoyuan Pearl within her body, even stronger.

At least the Demon Lord’s claim that the Xiaoyuan Pearl had fallen from the sky above wasn’t false. She could feel the aura of something similar, and that aura enveloped her, also covering the Heavenly Demon power within her body, as if she too had become a dark-colored pearl.

“What’s wrong?” A young man’s voice came from beside her. Gu Baiying had somehow walked to her side.

Seeing Zanxing’s unease, he stared at her and said, “You look very nervous.”

Zanxing hesitated: “I’m just a little worried.”

“No need to worry.” Gu Baiying looked toward the treetop above. “No matter what happens, I’ll stay with you.”

Zanxing smiled. This person seemed to have already emerged from his earlier dejection. Gu Baiying was always like this – no matter how sad he was, he never let anyone discover it and never delayed what needed to be done next.

He was always moving forward.

She didn’t answer Gu Baiying’s words, only squeezed his hand: “Let’s go.”

Not all the disciples ascended the Heavenly Ladder – some remained to guard the Ancient Qiankun Formation in case of sudden changes.

This tree was also strange. Cultivators couldn’t use sword flight or wind riding here. To follow Jianmu upward, they could only climb like ordinary people.

Zanxing moved more slowly, but Mimi walked on the tree as if on level ground, leaping and jumping with great ease. It often ran ahead to sit and wait, turning back to urge Zanxing to continue forward.