Chapter 83: The Dark Tide, Arrival of the Morning Star

Only now did everyone truly understand that what the dark tide brought was not death, but a fate worse than death itself. The thought of the Corpse Emperor, slain by Pangu in ancient times, and his decayed body made them shudder involuntarily.

By this point, even those whose cultivation was somewhat weaker had already seen, through their released spiritual senses, the black tide that blotted out the sky and sun. It was now less than ten million miles from their location, advancing with alarming speed.

“Alas! It seems we have no choice but to use that item,” the Willow Deity sighed softly, an ethereal figure flickering in her mind.

The Desolate, who was deep in thought about how to face this catastrophe, was taken aback by her words and blurted out, “Which item?” His face was full of confusion after he spoke.

“A treasure your master left behind long ago. It can be used only once; after that, it will turn to dust,” the Willow Deity explained calmly. With a turn of her palm, a small tower, no bigger than her hand, appeared in her grasp.

It turned out that before departing from the world, Morningstar had entrusted the Willow Deity with many matters. Fearing that the Little One might face unknown dangers, he forged a small tower from various supreme materials gathered during his travels through the myriad realms. The tower had no other function but to serve as a refuge; it contained a small internal space. If one entered, they could avoid countless calamities—within a hundred years, not even a Great Dao Saint could breach it.

Unfortunately, Morningstar was only at the quasi-saint stage at that time, and the treasure he forged with all his strength could be used only once.

When the Corpse Immortal Emperor once tried to seize Shi Hao’s techniques and treasures, Shi Hao and the Willow Deity fought desperately with the Creation Green Lotus. The Willow Deity nearly used the tower several times, but thanks to Pangu’s timely arrival, the treasure was not wasted.

Hearing the Willow Deity calmly recount these past events, the Desolate fell silent, his heart aching. How many years had it been? Since his master left, he had never seen him again. Yet his master had gone to such lengths for his safety, making him miss him all the more.

Fortunately, he remembered that he had already reestablished contact with his master, and Morningstar’s arrival was likely not far off. His mood brightened, and he began to look forward to their reunion.

Now that the Desolate no longer worried about everyone’s safety, he found himself curious about the origins of the dark tide. He declared to the Willow Deity, “I have a feeling that if the two of us join forces to wield the Creation Green Lotus, we can withstand this tide. Willow Deity, would you dare explore this mystery with me?”

The Willow Deity gazed deeply at the Desolate and replied blandly, “Why wouldn’t I dare?” Inwardly, she marveled at the firmness of his Dao heart.

Fire Linger and the others, hearing their conversation, grew anxious at once.

“I am willing to accompany you and the Willow Deity to uncover this mystery!” Qin Hao stepped forward without hesitation.

“And I am willing!”

“So am I!”

“Desolate! Take me with you!”

One after another, everyone came forward, eager to follow the Desolate into battle once more in this world.

The Desolate shook his head and explained, “The two of us are not going into battle, but to seek the source of this misfortune. Your cultivation is not sufficient, and we cannot protect you. Wait until we have investigated, and then we will bring you out.” Before they could react, he exchanged a glance with the Willow Deity. The small tower in her hand soared into the air, expanding to a thousand feet in size, and spun around, collecting everyone else inside. It then shrank back to palm-size and landed in the Desolate’s hand.

The Desolate looked at the Willow Deity in confusion, not understanding why the tower had come to him.

The Willow Deity, unperturbed, explained, “This treasure was always meant for you. Your master worried that giving it to you directly would make you complacent on your path of cultivation. But now, it returns to its rightful owner.”

Hearing this, the Desolate nodded and stowed the treasure away. With a wave of his hand, the Creation Green Lotus hovering in the void flew into his grasp.

Standing side by side, the two gazed solemnly at the rapidly approaching dark tide. Channeling their boundless magical power, they poured it into the Green Lotus, which erupted with the most brilliant radiance since its birth.

As the lotus unleashed an endless azure barrier, enveloping the Desolate and the Willow Deity, the dark tide surged over them, drowning them within its depths.

Within the overwhelming darkness, an inverted bowl-shaped barrier of green light shielded the two, utterly unshaken by the raging black tide. No matter how the tide surged, it could not breach the lotus’s protective glow.

Relieved to see the lotus’s shield holding, the two let out a sigh.

Yet, though their bodies were protected, they could still sense the ominous aura within the tide. It was filled with emotions of slaughter and corruption, a desire to devour all things, as if even time and ages themselves could be eroded. Even someone as powerful as the Desolate felt a chill of fear.

But amidst all this malice, the Desolate detected a faint trace of divine consciousness, pulsing with endless unwillingness. This astonished him. Could there really still be life in this world? What kind of being could survive in such a cruel environment?

“Willow Deity, did you sense anything?” he asked, wanting to confirm if she too had felt the strand of divine consciousness.

“This dark tide seems to have the power to erode eras and corrupt eternity. It’s truly terrifying,” the Willow Deity replied coldly, sharing her impression.

“You didn’t sense a fluctuation of divine consciousness within it?” the Desolate pressed after a moment.

“Divine consciousness?” The Willow Deity was startled. Was it possible that life still existed in this world?

Seeing the questioning look from the Willow Deity, the Desolate forced a bitter smile. “Yes, I sensed it. At my current level, I can’t be mistaken.”

The Willow Deity was shocked, staring at the tide that obscured heaven and earth. “In such a brutal environment, it’s impossible for any life form to survive. Even if corrupted by darkness, they would be annihilated! Divine consciousness? That shouldn’t be possible!”

Just as their confusion mounted, they suddenly perceived through their spiritual senses two beams—one gold, one silver—shining across the heavens, as if divinity itself had descended to confront the dreadful black clouds, challenging the dark tide. In a flash, the two forces collided, shredding endless space.

The shattering of space produced countless fragments. Some vanished instantly, while others seemed caught by some mysterious power, suspended in place, never to disappear.

Staring blankly at the sight, the Desolate murmured, “Now I finally understand how the rifts leading to the Sea of Realms were formed.”

The Willow Deity could only nod and smile bitterly, her usual calmness gone.

They had once believed that, with their cultivation, no challenge could truly threaten them—not even the Corpse Immortal Emperor, should he rise again, could hope to survive against them. Yet, faced with this scene, waves of dread surged in their hearts.

They had thought, relying on the Creation Green Lotus, they could block the tide’s invasion. But they did not realize this was merely its calm state. When it encountered resistance, it could tear apart everything before it—even time and space.

Feeling their own insignificance, the two lost all composure, tension showing in their faces as they watched the three-colored currents clash, threatening to annihilate the world.

Gazing at the earth beneath their feet, they exchanged a wry smile. The Desolate spoke, “If this were our own world, it would likely have ceased to exist after just one of these attacks.”

The Willow Deity nodded with a bitter smile. “There’s something strange about this world. We were careless this time. We should have waited for your master to arrive before coming here! I can sense that, powerful as these energies are, they still cannot stop your senior brother Pangu, let alone your master.”

The Desolate nodded in agreement, a glimmer of hope on his face. “My master should be here soon. I hope he’s not too late!” After a pause, his expression turned playful and full of longing. “If he is, he might never see his beloved disciple again.”

The Willow Deity nodded in acknowledgment. Given the current situation, if Morningstar truly arrived late, they might all perish here. Even with the small tower, it would only shield them for a hundred years.

“Now you think of your master? This world, called the ‘Above the Heavens,’ not even the Corpse Emperor dared to set foot here. With your current cultivation, you dared enter so recklessly—and brought a group of little ones with you! After all these years, it seems you’ve grown arrogant!” A faint voice sounded in their ears.

“Master!” “Fellow Daoist Morningstar!” the Desolate and the Willow Deity exclaimed in delight.