A Will Eternal

Everyone in the River-Defying Sect was completely stunned as the Blood Ancestor launched into the air, radiating an astonishing blood qi that caused all creation to turn the color of blood.

Within his eyes burned madness and vengeance that originated from countless years in the past. He was a bright beam of light that cut through the air and headed directly toward… Heavenspan Island!!

Mountains crumbled because of his passage, and the Heavenspan Sea parted as surely as if it had been cut with a gigantic blade. A huge line appeared, stretching directly from the eastern river all the way to Heavenspan Island!

It was so deep that the seafloor was visible at the bottom, with two cliffs of water on either side!

Even the powerful Celestial was shocked, and instantly ceased any attempt to chase after Bai Hao and Bai Xiaochun!

However, there was something different to this blood qi compared to Bai Xiaochun’s. Although the Blood Ancestor had reached the great circle of the Undying Codex, he currently had no cultivation base to back it up. And yet, because of his bloodline, his fleshly body power was even more shocking…. He was a descendant of the original Arch-Emperor, and therefore, the power he could draw upon from the Undying Codex actually surpassed Bai Xiaochun’s!

After all, the Undying Codex had originally been designed for use by the Arch-Emperor’s descendants!

Furthermore, the Blood Ancestor had been famous for many years. He had built up much more blood qi throughout his extended cultivation of the Undying Codex. And back when he had died, although it seemed like his blood qi vanished, it had actually remained hidden, deep within him. Bai Xiaochun, who had just made his breakthrough, couldn’t possibly compare to that.

Now, all of that power erupted out into the open, and it was far greater than the power of an ordinary demigod. It was very close to the great circle, and created an aura that even Daoist Heavenspan was surprised by!

If that were all there were to it, it might not have been a big deal. However, when the Blood Ancestor awoke, he could sense Bai Xiaochun’s existence, and could tell that he was not a descendant of the Arch-Emperor. Because of that, he immediately had an idea of what the gravekeeper was planning to do. It was a different plan than the gravekeeper had explained to him on the eve of his own death. But the Blood Ancestor didn’t care about that.

“If the gravekeeper picked him… then that’s fine…. I brought shame to the original ancestor. I don’t deserve to lead the people of this world out into the heavens…. I don't deserve to fulfil the founder’s wishes… I just wanted to live an ordinary life with Ling'er….

“The Celestial murdered Ling'er right in front of me. But now I'm awake…. I won’t stay alive for long… but I must see the Celestial dead!!” The Blood Ancestor was laughing and crying at the same time, his eyes shining with madness!

“Maybe I can’t kill him myself… but I can prevent him from ruining the gravekeeper’s plan. I can stop him… from gaining control of the world treasure that Ling'er is fusing with!” Rumbling sounds echoed out as the Blood Ancestor burst into flames. Shockingly… he was burning every aspect of himself to further increase his battle prowess!

“My only regret… is that I can tell that Ling'er’s soulclone is asleep inside the world treasure of the north….” After casting a glance in that direction, the Blood Ancestor pushed forward with greater speed.

He was a burning giant that pulsed with battle prowess that surpassed the great circle of the Demigod Realm. He was very close to being… a quasi-celestial!

Within mere moments, he caught sight of Heavenspan Island, as well as an enormous hand whose bones were made of the souls of the rivers, and whose flesh was seawater. In front of that hand was none other than… the Celestial!

“Celestial!!” the Blood Ancestor howled, accelerating.

The Celestial’s eyes narrowed, but they still pulsed with a murderous aura. The frustration and hatred he felt for the gravekeeper in this moment defied description. Although the gravekeeper’s cultivation base had declined in recent years, the man had not lost any of his ability to scheme. In fact, every twist and turn in which the gravekeeper came out on top caused the Celestial to sink to further depths of failure.

To be deprived of hope over and over again had pushed the Celestial into a state of insanity. Growling, he waved his arm, causing the enormous world hand to shoot toward the Blood Ancestor!

10,000 years ago… these two had fought a battle to the death. And now, 10,000 years later… the same spirit of battle could be seen!

This would be a shocking fight the likes of which the world rarely saw!

As it began, the gravekeeper was in the depths of the precious treasure that was Arch-Emperor City. He had been looking out in the direction of the Heavenspan Sea, but now he retracted his gaze… and looked at Bai Hao and Bai Xiaochun.

There had been nowhere else in the world for Bai Hao to flee to. This was the only place where he felt he could escape the deadly pursuit of the Celestial!

Although the gravekeeper was hovering on the brink of death… he was still the previous Hell-Emperor. And despite his age… he was still the gravekeeper of this entire world!

After the teleportation finished successfully, Bai Hao breathed a sigh of relief. The twenty-two-colored flame being fueled by the burning of his soul was now starting to fade away.

Bai Hao knew that his remaining time… was very, very limited….

He didn't want to leave, but had no choice. He looked at his Master, sitting there cross-legged, his life force as weak as could be, his skin like wrinkled parchment and his hair fallen out, and Bai Hao wept.

“Master….” he murmured. As a soul body, he would normally not be able to truly shed tears. But now, in this final moment of his life, a miracle occurred, and tears began to roll down his face.

As they fell, they turned into fire. And yet, the stabbing pain in Bai Hao’s heart ensured that they only continued to flow.

Eventually, Bai Xiaochun apparently heard his apprentice. Groggy and weak, he barely managed to crack open his eyes. The mere effort caused a fresh wave of exhaustion to sweep through him.

Although he could barely open his eyes, he was still able to see his apprentice standing there in front of him…. Bai Xiaochun was mostly in a daze, almost soulless, and yet, his gaze locked directly onto Bai Hao.

“Master!!” Bai Hao said excitedly, kneeling down in front of Bai Xiaochun. As he did, his soul began to fade away, and yet, a happy smile could be seen on his face.

It was the pure smile of a young one looking at the most important person in his life. It was a smile of respect that originated from deep within his body and soul. And as he smiled, he placed his hands onto the ground and kowtowed.

One kowtow!

“Thank you, Master… for saving my soul….” Even as he murmured the words, his head touched the ground, and he thought back to the moment he had regained consciousness, and seen Bai Xiaochun standing there. I'm your Master, he had said.

It was an eternal memory for Bai Hao.

Bai Xiaochun shivered, sensing that something unusual was happening. He struggled against his confused state, wishing he could think clearly, and wishing he could open his eyes further.

Bai Hao straightened from his kowtow and looked deeply at Bai Xiaochun. His smile was radiant, but at the same time, contained the sorrow of departure. With that, he kowtowed again.

Two kowtows!

“Thank you, master… for keeping me company….” Bai Hao's voice was weak now, and his soul had almost completely faded away. The twenty-two-colored flame was now almost completely gone.

In his mind, he saw the spirit enhancement shop back in Arch-Emperor City. He thought about all the things that he and Bai Xiaochun had done there, memories which would never leave him.

It had been the first time in his life that he had truly experienced familial love. The warmth he had felt then was something that would always be part of him….

Bai Xiaochun shivered. It was as if, deep within him, his consciousness was struggling to free itself. A deep feeling of unease had overtaken him, the type that came when someone realized that something supremely precious was about to disappear. Despite his weakness and the befuddlement that gripped him, Bai Xiaochun was starting to regain his senses!

Bai Hao looked up at Bai Xiaochun for the final time. His gaze was deep, as if he hoped to burn this image into his mind for all eternity. He didn’t want to leave, but now, his time was up. As his soul began to fade away for good, he kowtowed for the last time….

Three kowtows!

“Thank you, Master….” he murmured. He wasn't able to finish speaking the sentence. In the middle of his kowtow, he faded away. It started with his feet… and spread to his legs… and then his torso. Finally, his head disappeared from view….

Three kowtows of gratitude!

The rest of his sentence would only ever exist within his mind.

If I get another life after this one, Master… I hope I can be your apprentice again….

In the moment that Bai Hao faded away, Bai Xiaochun suddenly reached out with his withered hand….