Chapter 125

“The moment you withdraw the Heavenly Merit on your body, you’ll attract the ire of the Universal Will. Do you understand what that means? Its appearance will force you to ascend.”

Annoyance tightened around Xia Lihua’s heart as she looked at Ji Xian, frustration simmering at his reckless request— one made without the slightest regard for the potentially disastrous consequences.

This idiot, she thought. Does he not realize how many people are depending on him? It’s not just the Mortal Haven World but Mortal Desolate as well. The people of both worlds, Yueyin… and me too. If something goes wrong and he is forced to ascend, where would we go from here? And how would I even return home without knowing how to activate the formation on that island? I know how much he hates having all these responsibilities on his shoulders, but hadn’t he always talked about how he would see it through to the end since he already got himself involved?

His actions always become so incredibly thoughtless whenever something catches his eye.

Divination? What a needless risk!

Xia Lihua’s fingers curled tightly at her sides.

All this talk about wanting his future divined is nothing but an excuse. Ji Xian isn’t even someone who concerns himself with possible eventualities; he cares only for this moment— the moment that he can see and touch. I bet the only reason he’s making this request is just so he can witness the process of divination firsthand.

Xia Lihua inwardly vented her frustration, her breathing subtly quickening. If Ji Xian were to hear the last of her thoughts, he wouldn’t be the least bit surprised by how well she understood him.

As he stood there with Dong Zongying sleeping peacefully in his arms, Ji Xian raised an eyebrow in surprise at Xia Lihua’s words. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and muttered, “Oh, right… the Universal Will…”

The corner of Xia Lihua’s lips twitched upon hearing him.

“You better not tell me you forgot to put the Universal Will in consideration when you made your request,” she said threateningly, her eyes narrowing sharply.

“Haha…” Ji Xian let out an awkward laugh, slightly turning away from her gaze. “Uh, of course not. How could I not have remembered something so important?” He said slyly.

Though, in truth, he had indeed failed to account for the Universal Will. Caught up in his excitement at meeting a seer, he had immediately latched onto an excuse to see their methods of divination. In his eagerness to observe this cryptic and heaven-defying ability, he hadn’t thought too far ahead.

“…”

Xia Lihua naturally saw through the falsity of his words, her expression remaining unamused. She had long grown accustomed to his exhausting and impulsive nature, but that didn’t mean she had to accept it.

“This isn’t the first time you’ve done something so reckless,” she said softly, her voice laced with agitation. “Remember what happened after you met those two Graha brothers? Your so-called pursuit of knowledge is going to get you killed one day.”

Her words carried more than just frustration—there was something else beneath them, something unspoken.

Ji Xian caught it immediately. His gaze lingered on her, quietly studying her expression. Though she had masked it well, he could sense it—fear.

Not fear of recklessness. Fear of loss and separation.

His lips parted slightly as if to say something, but after a moment of hesitation, he simply chuckled. “I’ll be fine as long as you’re by my side to remind me of my mistakes, right?”

Xia Lihua pursed her lips. She knew him too well—he was brushing off her concerns.

But before she could push him further, his demeanor shifted. The warmth in his voice faded, replaced by something distant. Detached.

“But Lihua, even if I die, so what?” Ji Xian murmured, his gaze drifting upwards, “You should know that I’m not seeking immortality. If one day I perish chasing after what I want, then so be it. Death’s embrace is more comforting than you think— so why fear it?”

His voice grew louder as his eyes shined brighter. “In life, there’s fleeting joy, but in death, there is eternal peace. Either way, it makes no difference to me.”

Xia Lihua shivered, a chill creeping up her skin as she felt the unsettling way in which he spoke. It stirred a mix of emotions within her. On one hand, she had always admired how lightly Ji Xian regarded death. Most cultivators, more often than not, began their path with different ambitions— some sought glory, while others craved revenge. She had encountered many such people in her life, and time and time again, once their initial goals were fulfilled, their desires would inevitably converge into a singular pursuit.

Immortality.

It was almost like a calling.

Once a cultivator tasted longevity, letting go became incredibly difficult. The thought of watching their lifetime of effort fade, their cultivation returning to the Heavens, was something many simply could not accept.

Yet, despite how many had lost themselves chasing that elusive goal, Ji Xian had never been one of them. He didn’t seek to live forever- only to make the most of the time he had, to experience the wonders of the universe, and to do so without regret.

But while Xia Lihua appreciated his mindset, his words also greatly angered her,

Her voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable rage lying within it. “You continuously speak so lightly of death, but have you ever once thought about what would happen to me if you were gone?”

“…”

Ji Xian silently lifted his head, his expression unreadable as he met her gaze.

“Well?” Xia Lihua pressed on.

Ji Xian smiled, his handsome face effortlessly dispelling the strange air. “I have thought about it,” he said casually. “When I’m no longer here, you’ll inevitably become the first true immortal and live happily ever after.”

Xia Lihua gazed at him deeply. Then, shaking her head in disappointment, she murmured, “Immortal? That would be nothing but a cruel curse.”

A rare, bitter expression appeared on Ji Xian’s face as he was unable to respond.

After another round of silence between them, Ji Xian spoke, “I still want to go through with the divination.”

“I know,” replied Xia Lihua indifferently. This time, she didn’t try to stop him. There was no point.

Ji Xian nodded. Turning to the Great Ancestor, he asked, “Grandpa, how long will the divination take?”

The old man had been quietly observing their exchange, a knowing smile tugging at his lips. His gaze flickered between them, and as someone unfamiliar with the couple, he recognized the selfishness on both sides.

Though he had his own thoughts about their conversation, he had no intention of interfering. It wasn’t his place, as an outsider, to decide who was right or wrong. Still, from their interaction, he gained a deeper understanding of their characters—a realization that brought him both relief and unease.

While he believed the current situation of Mortal Desolate could be entrusted to them, he couldn’t ignore the unease he sensed— especially from the young man. He recalled the divination he cast not long ago when the young man first arrived. Initially, he was confused by the countless potential futures, but now, it all made sense. This young man was simply too unpredictable.

The Great Ancestor inwardly sighed, unfortunately, he could do nothing now but rely on them.

That young lass… hopefully, she can stop him from going too far if need so in the future,

After a brief moment of hesitation, his gaze shifted from Xia Lihua to Ji Xian, only to return to her once more.

“Young lady, you worry about the Universal Will, but I assure you, there is no need. The divination will take only a few breaths at most—far too little time for the Universal Will to forcibly ascend your… companion here. You can relax.”

Hearing this, Xia Lihua breathed a sigh of relief. She bowed toward the old man and said, “Thank you, senior.”

Meanwhile, it was Ji Xian’s turn to feel annoyed.

“Grandpa, you couldn’t have said that earlier?” He asked with knitted brows.

What the hell? If he had mentioned this sooner, I wouldn’t have had to get into an argument with Lihua…

The old man softly laughed, “I wanted to, my young friend. However, there was very little room for me to interject.”

Ji Xian resisted the urge to roll his eyes. But upon hearing the old man’s laughter, a mischievous smile traced across his lips just before he suddenly withdrew his suit of Heavenly Merit.

Xia Lihua noticed immediately. She frowned, and with a sigh of resignation, she braced herself for what was to come.

In that instant, a brilliant seven-colored light tore across the sky, its radiance swallowing the entire world.

A suffocating pressure descended, crashing down on them all and making them lose control of their Essence.

The Great Ancestor’s laughter was cut off abruptly, his expression shifting to shock in a blink of an eye.

His gaze snapped to Ji Xian.

Ji Xian grinned, “You should hurry up and perform the divination. You don’t want me to be forced to ascend, do you?”

The old man shook his head. “My young friend, is this necessary? You’re playing with fire.”

Ji Xian tilted his head innocently. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The Great Ancestor bitterly smiled and wasted no time. He swiftly did as he was told. Tears of blood rained down from the cloth that covered his eyes, and it seeped from the corners of his lips.

Meanwhile, Ji Xian narrowed his gaze, his expression becoming serious. His eyes gleamed with a shining, clear light as he observed the old man.

The entire moment went by quickly.

When Ji Xian saw the old man move, he quickly cloaked himself in the golden suit of Heavenly Merit, relieving him of the tremendous pressure. Out of everyone, it was he who felt the crushing power of the Universal Will the most. After all, it was he for whom the Universal Will was targeting.

Xia Lihua let out a slow breath, her worries easing when the Universal Will finally dissipated. However, she noticed something that most had not.

Right as the seven-colored light vanished, the skies trembled with what seemed to be whispers. She did not know what was said, but Xia Lihua could sense the anger from it.

The Universal Will had appeared several times now, yet each time, it had failed to take what it was after. With each failure, its reaction only grew stronger.

After he had completed the divination, the Great Ancestor’s body stood on the verge of disintegrating. Cracks spread across his skin, slithering like creeping vines, carving deep fissures into his face. Pain twisted his expression, yet even as his body threatened to shatter, it was nothing compared to what he had just witnessed.

In his short vision, the Great Ancestor didn’t see the young man before him. Instead, he witnessed the collapse of a brilliant star, swallowed by an encroaching darkness. As its light faded, the mournful cries of two colossal beings echoed through the void, their immense shadows stretching endlessly across the infinite universe.

Time and space around them twisted beyond comprehension while countless fragmented worlds lay in ruin. Lifeless bodies of other enormous creatures littered across the vast expanse, mutilated and broken. The old man couldn’t even begin to grasp what he was seeing, yet he felt the overwhelming sorrow radiating from the two beings and saw the tears that fell from their piercing gaze.

As he stared in awe, one of the two colossal beings slowly turned toward him, its presence so imposing and divine that he found himself frozen in place.

He could not make out its true form, only its unfathomable force, as if a single breath from this creature could cut through time itself and erase him from existence.

Then, his vision shattered.

A deafening draconic roar tore through his mind, hurling him back into consciousness. Just before everything faded, he caught sight of something else—a third shadow. Unlike the two mournful beings, its presence was different, yet it, too, grieved.

Unfortunately, before he could take a closer look, the scene vanished.

The Great Ancestor gasped, struggling for breath. His body trembled as his eyes, wide with horror, lifted—not to Ji Xian, but to Xia Lihua.

She and the creature…  seemingly shared the same gaze.