Chapter 250

Chapter 250: Three Promises

“Rescuing Elder Brother Gu is the urgent matter.”

At the critical moment when conflict was about to erupt, it was still the Heavenly Talisman Old Man who made the final decision. He had the deepest seniority and the highest cultivation. With his words, the Six Immortals of Cloud Capital had nothing left to say.

Qin Fei Yan nodded gently.

Everyone headed straight for the center.

Half a day later, the group halted their steps.

Ahead, clouds churned like a sea. A Divine Tree of Light stood towering between heaven and earth. Unlike the inverted giant mountains or the backward-flowing rivers, this tree’s roots extended downward from the sky of the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land. Its branches and leaves flourished luxuriantly, seemingly untouched by the influence of the chaotic Great Dao.

The aura of this Divine Tree was intense, its brilliance dazzling. Its branches were snowy white and crystal-clear. Even within the Chaos Immortal King’s realm, it was impossible to obscure its radiance and might.

“The Divine Tree of Light!”

Su Mu was overjoyed, his expression agitated. The very purpose of his journey was to obtain this Divine Tree, to delay the onset of the Eternal Catastrophe Soul Curse afflicting Shen Yueyi’s soul. He was determined to possess it.

“Is this the Daoist friend’s objective?” the Heavenly Talisman Old Man inquired with a kindly smile.

Su Mu nodded.

The Divine Tree of Light was before his very eyes, yet Su Mu did not act immediately. This tree had been left behind by the White Emperor within the Chaos Immortal King’s realm. Using the innate light Great Dao, it helped the Chaos Immortal King regulate the chaotic power of the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land. It was extraordinary.

Once he took the Divine Tree of Light, it was certain to affect the rules of the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land. Moreover, retrieving the Divine Tree wouldn’t be an easy task.

“Will seizing this tree alert the Chaos Immortal King’s spiritual embryo?” the Chess Enthusiast frowned.

“I don’t know.”

Su Mu shook his head. The Chaos Immortal King’s spiritual embryo was deep in slumber. But no one knew whether a disturbance in the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land would awaken it. Regardless, Su Mu had to obtain the Divine Tree of Light.

“Daoist friend, you are mistaken,” Ye Xu smiled, “Taking the Divine Tree of Light might disturb the Chaos Immortal King, but so would rescuing Gu Daojin. Besides, the master of the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion has already provided us with a plan. We need not hesitate.”

“Fellow Daoist Su, act.”

The Seven Immortals of Cloud Capital all frowned slightly yet found no further words. After all, Su Mu alone bore one-fifth of the payment.

“Alright.” Su Mu’s gaze turned firm. He channeled his magical power, soaring toward the roots of the Divine Tree of Light. The Book of All Mysteries operated within him; his eyes glinted like divine lightning as he observed the connection between the Divine Tree and the Chaos Great Dao.

The Divine Tree of Light regulated the Chaos Great Dao, their entanglement profound. Extracting the tree, even with Ye Xu’s plan, remained a laborious feat. It was slow, careful work that couldn’t be hurried.

Boom!

Su Mu activated the Book of All Mysteries. A celestial gate flew out from his Purple Palace. Upon it were etched complex, esoteric divine patterns, resembling ancient seal scripts and even the language of the innate gods.

In a daze, one seemed to glimpse a shadowy figure seated within the gate, murmuring incessantly. Mystical sounds of the Dao emanated forth from the celestial gate.

This celestial gate was forged by Su Mu in imitation of the Gate of All Mysteries. It was an Immortal King treasure—his most critical hidden trump card. Throughout his many years in the lower realm, he had never deployed it.

This was the first time.

This proved how intense his desire for the Divine Tree was, so strong that he would even reveal his most crucial trump card in front of everyone.

"The power of Immortal Dao…"

The Seven Immortals of Cloud Capital and Great Emperor Ziwei stared at that profound, unfathomable celestial gate, utterly stunned. The aura radiating from that gate was overwhelmingly powerful—vast and enigmatic—far beyond the reach of even the most typical immortal artifacts.

Just what was Su Mu’s origin?

Ye Xu’s expression remained calm. The moment he saw the celestial gate, he immediately understood: Su Mu’s ability to reincarnate and descend to the lower realm must have relied on that celestial gate as his foundation.

“If even an Immortal King could reincarnate and descend, then what about an Immortal Venerable at the end of the Great Dao? Could they have long since descended as well?” A thought suddenly flashed through Ye Xu’s mind.

That mysterious black-robed figure who had appeared that day in the New World of Yuan Realm had been an Immortal King, after all.

Boom!

Su Mu sat in lotus position. From within the celestial gate, ancient characters flew forth one after another. Each archaic character contained a different power. Hundreds, thousands of them—dense and abundant—circled around the Divine Tree.

For a moment, countless silhouettes manifested around the Divine Tree, accompanied by the resounding sound of the Dao.

A torrential surge of immortal power flooded into the Divine Tree.

The very next instant, the void shattered. The sky abruptly darkened as though draped with curtains.

Su Mu’s power was eroding the foundation of the Divine Tree, severing its connection to the Chaos Great Dao. This caused disarray within the Chaos Great Dao itself, disrupting its stability.

Uneasy, the Seven Immortals of Cloud Capital each gathered their immortal powers, ready to flee at any moment.

The awakening of an Innate Divine Being was no small matter.

Su Mu followed the method recorded on the jade slip, proceeding step by step, patiently wearing away like water dripping through stone.

Days passed one after another.

The connection between the Divine Tree and the Chaos Great Dao grew increasingly fragile.

Buzz!

Suddenly, the Divine Tree trembled faintly. Divine patterns of light writhed across its trunk, coalescing into a face that was both strikingly handsome and radiant. It stared expressionlessly at Su Mu.

Su Mu, wholly absorbed in refining the Divine Tree, felt a chill grip his heart.

In all his years of cultivation, aside from the time he faced the Dark Emperor while contending for the Gate of All Mysteries, he had never felt such a palpable sense of danger emanating from anyone else.

“White Emperor?” Su Mu instantly guessed the face’s identity.

“Postnatal beings, how audacious of you to defy me and disrupt my design.” The White Emperor’s voice reached him, lofty and commanding, yet icy cold.

Strangely, however, the Seven Immortals of Cloud Capital, Ye Xu, and Great Emperor Ziwei all seemed oblivious.

They did not see the face on the Divine Tree, nor did they hear the White Emperor’s voice.

“I will have this Divine Tree,” Su Mu stated without a hint of retreat, his voice cold. “I know your cultivation transcends the heavens, Your Excellency, but if you mean to obstruct me, at worst I shall destroy this tree, ensuring mutual destruction.”

“Heh…”

The White Emperor’s expression was one of disdain. “Insignificant insect, what gives you such confidence? Merely because you are the reincarnated form of an Immortal King?”

At first glance, the White Emperor had seen through Su Mu’s true roots.

“I have long since shed the identity of an Immortal King,” Su Mu replied lightly. “Yet I possess ample certainty to ruin your design. Moreover, expending effort on a failure like yourself—does it not seem like a waste of thought?”

The White Emperor’s expression subtly shifted.

"Perhaps I might propose a bargain with Your Excellency," Su Mu solemnly declared.

"Speak."

A flicker of interest appeared in the White Emperor’s eyes.

"Hand the Divine Tree over to me, and in the future, I shall perform one task for Your Excellency," Su Mu stated with unwavering resolve, though a hint of pain lurked deep within his eyes. "Anything not wicked or morally abhorrent shall be within my power."

Having understood the ways of this realm, he viewed all Innate Divine Beings with enmity.

Yet now he found himself forced to compromise with the White Emperor.

All for one person.

"Heh…" The White Emperor’s gaze remained saturated with disdain. "If you could regain the Immortal King realm, then indeed you might provide two crumbs of usefulness to this emperor."

"Regrettably, your current strength merits not a shred of my attention."

"Depart swiftly, and this emperor may spare your life."

"Two tasks."

Su Mu raised three fingers.

"It appears the Divine Tree holds great importance to you." The White Emperor’s lips curved with mocking amusement. "Is it due to the Eternal Catastrophe Soul Curse? Su Mu."

Shua!

Goosebumps erupted across Su Mu’s skin. The White Emperor had discerned everything – all the previous words were merely toying with him.

"This emperor’s innate light Great Dao stands as the natural counter to the Dark Emperor’s dark Great Dao," the White Emperor stated, his gaze penetrating as if stripping Su Mu’s soul bare. "Only this emperor can fully eradicate the Eternal Catastrophe Soul Curse."

"You are the inheritor of the Gate of All Mysteries, distinct from ordinary Immortal Kings."

"Therefore, this emperor grants you an opportunity: become my servant."

"Agree, and I will annihilate the Eternal Catastrophe Soul Curse."

Su Mu’s expression twisted violently. He clenched his fists, inner turmoil raging within him.

A slave? A servant?

No!

He would never submit to servitude.

If the White Emperor refused, he could beseech the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion!

But could the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion achieve it?

In this world, the White Emperor stood at the very peak. Only he, mastering the innate light Great Dao, could counter the Eternal Catastrophe Soul Curse born of the innate dark Great Dao.

Su Mu wrestled with indecision once more.

Shen Yueyi possessed but two or three centuries of lifespan left. For cultivators, this was a mere flicker.

"This emperor dislikes forcing choices."

The White Emperor’s voice turned indifferent. "You have ample time to contemplate."

"The Divine Tree may be yours, but you must fulfill three tasks for this emperor in the future."

"My gratitude, Your Excellency."

A sliver of relief eased Su Mu’s tension. If the White Emperor granted time, there was still room for negotiation.

"The Gate of All Mysteries…"

"Hmph…"

The White Emperor’s visage gradually faded, his final echo dissolving into silence.

The moment he vanished, the Divine Tree, bereft of sustaining power, detached completely from the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land and fell into Su Mu’s grasp.

"Retrieve!"

Su Mu unleashed his power. Instantly, the Divine Tree vanished into the Purple Palace within him.

Boom!

The Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land convulsed. Thunder cracked suddenly. Torrential rain and gales ravaged heaven and earth. Space began rippling and tearing. Stampeding beasts shook the ground; rivers ran dry.

This was the consequence of seizing the Divine Tree.

Without the innate light Great Dao’s harmonizing influence, the already flawed forbidden land buckled under the strain.

Su Mu remained unmoved.

The Divine Tree, his fervent desire, was finally his. Though burdened by three promises, that was a concern for the future. He lacked the standing to ponder what lay ahead now.