"Lao Ai?"
I couldn't react in time, so I called out in a daze.
When he realized what had happened, he panicked and tried to hug her with all his might. However, he realized that his hands had directly passed through her body …
Lao Ai had turned into an illusion!
"Lao Ai!
Lao Ai! "
This time, my voice was heart-wrenching. I didn't know what had happened and I didn't dare to believe what was happening in front of me.
At that moment, Lao Ai's body had turned illusory. Her face was sad and she reached out her hands like she wanted to grab me, but her body seemed to be pulled from behind and she couldn't help but retreat.
I sat up like I was electrocuted and chased after her with all my might. I wanted to grab her but she kept retreating and was always just a little faster than me!
"Lao Ai, don't go!"
I was just one step away from Sky Master. Although I couldn't fly, my speed was still shocking. Even so, I couldn't catch up to her.
Lao Ai's face was filled with sadness and her expression was even more pained than mine. She opened her mouth and it was obvious that she wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Even her illusory body was fading!
What was going on?!
I definitely wasn't dreaming. My cheeks were hurting because I was moving so fast. However, I couldn't do anything about it. I could only watch as my wife's silhouette moved further and further away, becoming blurry and indistinct.
I couldn't help but roar in rage. All the meridians in my body were activated and the Shaman Qi Source Stone and Dao Energy Source Stone in my body provided me with energy.
I was a dual cultivator and my strength was no weaker than some Sky Masters. However, it was useless. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't catch up to her!
I grabbed the jade bracelet and crazily absorbed the power of the True Dragon Vein and the shaman energy that I had gotten from swallowing the Tai Sui. However, I could never catch up to Lao Ai. I could only see the bone-deep helplessness on Lao Ai's face.
My mind was blank but I gritted my teeth and used all the power in my body. I had to save Lao Ai, I had to save my wife!
If a man couldn't even protect the woman he loved, what else could he do?
I definitely didn't believe that Lao Ai would leave me. The sadness on her face was even thicker than mine. Someone had definitely taken her hostage!
No matter who it is, as long as they hurt Lao Ai, I will never let them off!
Silently activating the power in my body, I clenched my teeth and took the eighth step of the Nine Star Heavenly Dipper.
Apart from being used in battle, the [Astral Steps] was also useful in chasing an enemy. The moment I used the [Astral Steps], my body's functions would be amplified several times. I gathered all of my cultivation under my feet and fiercely stomped on the ground. In a split second, my body shot forward like lightning.
At this moment, the Dao Qi and Shaman Qi in my body had both reached Glorious Knowledge Great Completion, and I was just a thin layer away from Heaven Master. Along with the support of Nine Star Heavenly Dipper, when I stepped out, my body was like lightning, and my speed increased by more than a level. Not to mention a normal Heaven Master, even a Yang God Heaven Master could only do so!
But even so, Tao Wu was still slightly faster than me!
I rushed out of the cave in vain. In front of me was still that sorrowful face and the figure that was fading away.
The eighth step of Nine Star Heavenly Dipper was called [Bright Insight]. After mastering it, not only would one's power increase, it would also allow one to see through everything. One's eyesight would also improve greatly, and even a sesame seed that was a hundred meters away wouldn't be able to escape my vision.
But even so, Tao Wu's figure was still fading, so faint that I couldn't recognize it.
I trembled as I took a deep breath, and furiously activated the energy in my body. The seven Dao Qi Source Stones and Shaman Qi Source Stone continuously released energy, and the dragon power of the True Dragon Vein in the jade bracelet was also transferred.
I took another step, and my body exploded once more.
The more powerful the technique, the more energy it consumed.
Continuously using the [Astral Steps] had already exhausted my Dao Qi and Shaman Qi, but the final result was still the same!
It seemed that Tao Wu and I didn't move, and she still maintained the same distance from me.
If I carefully measured this short distance, it was probably less than ten feet, but this distance was like a moat!
I was completely panicking, I couldn't lose Tao Wu!
Panting heavily, I gathered my energy again, clenched my teeth, and stared at Tao Wu's painful and blurry expression. I tried my best to activate all the shaman and Dao Qi in my body!
I forced myself to take the ninth step!
I had already memorized the incantation of the [Nine Star Astral Dipper], but because my realm wasn't high enough, I could only touch the doorstep of the ninth step. I didn't dare to take it, because if I forced myself to take it, I would only hurt myself, and the loss would outweigh the gain.
But at this moment, I didn't care so much, and I didn't care if he would hurt himself, or if the loss would outweigh the gain.
I only knew that I needed to be faster, and I needed to take this step to catch up to my Tao Wu!
According to the Death Scripture, the power of the ninth step of the [Astral Dipper] was equivalent to the total power of the previous eight steps of the [Astral Dipper]!
The eighth step, [Profound Insight], already had the power of a Heavenly Master, so the power of the ninth step could be imagined. Even if I had to face it head-on, I was confident that I could easily deal with those ordinary Heavenly Masters!
After taking this step, my speed reached a terrifying level.
With a heavy stomp, even the hard ground of the Fire God Temple was cracked.
After my body shot out, the friction between my feet and the air seemed to be rubbing against each other, and golden light shone in all directions.
The golden light was like a pillar of light that spread in all directions, and even illuminated the deep and quiet Fire God Temple!
My speed almost broke through the sound barrier, and it was comparable to flying on a sword!
But Tao Wu was still less than ten feet in front of me, and the distance didn't change!
I could still see two lines of tears and an even more blurry figure …
The huge consumption caused beads of sweat to drip down my forehead. Tao Wu looked as if her heart ached, and she desperately wanted to say something, but no matter how she opened her mouth, no sound came out.
Perhaps emotions could make people explode, but they couldn't really give people power … Under the continuous consumption, even though I was unwilling, even though I was on the verge of going crazy, in the end, as my strength was exhausted, my speed gradually slowed down.
I thought that when I was fast, Tao Wu would be faster, and when I was slow, she would naturally be slower. I didn't expect that Tao Wu's figure didn't slow down, but became even faster.
Tao Wu's figure floated towards the main hall, and became more and more illusory, until it finally disappeared into the endless darkness …
"Tao Wu!"
I let out another mournful scream. Vaguely, I seemed to hear Lao Ai saying, "Take care of yourself, husband."
I panted heavily, and didn't care about the exhaustion on my body. I crazily searched the main hall, but I couldn't even feel a trace of Tao Wu's aura!
Where did she go?
I didn't give up, and looked around again, but I still couldn't find anything.
Endless fear surged in my heart.
What people were most afraid of wasn't strong power, or cruel killing, but the unknown.
Even now, I was still at a loss. Why did Tao Wu disappear?
What kind of power was controlling everything?
After searching every corner of the main hall, I slumped on the ground. Thinking back to the situation just now, I felt more and more helpless.
Even if I were to face the sacrificial evil spirit, I would only feel that he was very powerful, and wouldn't feel as helpless as when Tao Wu was always one zhang away from me.
It was as if it was the will of heaven and earth that didn't allow me to resist.
"Father."
Suddenly, a dignified voice sounded from behind me. I didn't know when, but the silver-eyed person had suddenly appeared behind me.
A bit of hope surged in my heart, and I hurriedly got up from the ground. I asked him anxiously, "Where's Tao Wu?
Did you see my wife? "
The silver-eyed person bowed. "Father, there's no need to look for her. It's easy to see her. You just have to come back to Fire God Temple half a year later."
"Half a year?"
I suddenly let out a breath of relief, not because it wasn't a long time, but because the silver-eyed person's words proved that he knew what had happened.
However, anger surged in my heart. I just had the thought of staying with Tao Wu for a long time, so why did someone have to play tricks on me?
I clenched my teeth, and continued to ask coldly, "Who took my wife?"
"It's not a person."
The silver-eyed person's attitude became even more respectful. He bowed and said, "Father, the one who took her was heaven, heaven's will."
"Heaven's will?" I was stunned, and couldn't react in time.
The silver-eyed person continued, "Father is currently dual cultivating in witchcraft, and you're only one step away from becoming a Heaven Master. Heaven's will has restrictions. Witchcraft aura Heaven Master requires the power of Tai Sui, which is the same source and body. On the other hand, Taoist aura requires the power of the stars, and draws the power of the stars to the source!
Now that father is already a Heaven Master, and your witchcraft aura has broken through the sky barrier, it's already going against heaven's will. How can heaven allow you to get together with the Yin God? "
I seemed to have heard Nangong mention that witchcraft aura Heaven Master needed to establish a connection with Tai Sui. Nangong had done it back then, and it was exactly the same as what the silver-eyed person said.
However, there weren't any living Tai Sui in the current world, so how could my witchcraft aura reach the Heaven Master level?
After absorbing the enormous witchcraft aura from Corpse Sect's Tai Sui, my realm could have broken through to the Heaven Master level. I could even faintly see my body breaking through the barrier, but there was no movement. I was originally worried that I would turn into the Kirin Gu after breaking through to the Heaven Master level, but from what the silver-eyed person said, it seemed to be going against heaven's will. Could it be that I had no hope of breaking through in this lifetime?
But if that was the case, the sacrificial evil spirit still said that I had to break through the barrier by myself?
The heaven's will didn't want me to reach the Heaven Master level, so it set up layers and layers of barriers for me. Now, it wanted to take Tao Wu away from me?
I couldn't help but feel sad. "If that's the case, then tell me, what is this heaven's will?
What does it want? "
I clenched my teeth and said fiercely. My heart was firm to the extreme. No one could separate me and Tao Wu!
I thought of when I was still a child, she would quietly watch me from my bedside and help me rub my legs. I thought of how she would quietly wait for me in the Tomb of the Living Dead every day. I thought of all the things that had happened between us. Was it possible that I would have to say goodbye to her forever?
Just because of this damned heaven's will?
"Father, don't be too agitated. It's not like you can't meet that woman."
"Oh?
What method do you have? Tell me quickly. "
"The method is simple. From now on, you and that woman can meet once every half a year for one day each time. This is the rule of the heaven's will.
Originally, breaking through the barrier is already going against the heaven's will. However, everything in the world has a natural counter. Even if the heaven's will is the judge, it won't be so heartless. From this, you will still have a chance to meet that Yin spirit woman, unless … "
"Unless what?"
"Unless you can ascend to become an immortal, then you can change the heaven's will!"
Ascend to become an immortal!
Change the heaven's will!
Both the Daoist and Xuan sects had the saying of ascending to become an immortal. I naturally understood what it meant. What shocked me was the phrase 'change the heaven's will'.
I vaguely recalled the 'change the heaven' that the evil spirit and Tai Sui had mentioned. Could it be that they were talking about changing the heaven's will?
But what was the heaven's will?
I had always thought that the heaven's will was just a concept, a rule of heaven and earth. However, from the words of the silver-eyed man, even from the evil spirit and Tai Sui, the heaven's will seemed to be a person!
I was silent for a while before I asked the silver-eyed man, "What is the heaven's will?
Is it a person? "
The silver-eyed man became silent too. After a while, he grinned.
"The heaven's will is the heaven's will … It's not wrong to call it a person. However, a person who can control the will of heaven and earth can't be called a person. Perhaps, the word 'God' is more suitable to describe him."
"God!"
I was shocked again.
Even with my current cultivation as a Celestial Master, in the eyes of a normal person, I could already be called a 'God'. I even knew how strong cultivators with higher realms were.
However, in the eyes of a normal person, those powerful and magical techniques might be the methods of a celestial. However, in the eyes of a cultivator, it was just a stronger power.
Why did the silver-eyed man use the word 'God'?
Was there really a God in this world?
If there was, was it a cultivator with extremely high cultivation, or was it another existence that had surpassed human life?
I didn't understand, so I opened my mouth to ask again.
The silver-eyed man seemed to know what I was thinking. Without waiting for me to speak, he shook his head and said, "Father, the Gods are indescribable. Even I don't know what the heaven's will is. You only need to know that the existence that stands at the top of the world is the heaven's will. He overlooks all living beings and sets all rules.
If people want to break free from the rules, they must first see him. The prerequisite for seeing him is to surpass human life and ascend to the heavens! "
Ascend to become a Celestial?
I laughed bitterly in my heart. Breaking through to become a Celestial Master was close at hand, yet far beyond my reach. How could it be easy to ascend to become a Celestial?
It wasn't just me. Wasn't the ultimate goal of all cultivators in the human world to ascend to the heavens?
However, from ancient times until now, other than the unofficial history that was passed down through rumors, how many people had actually ascended to the heavens?
Moreover, this was only the prerequisite for seeing the heaven's will!
I clenched my teeth. "Is there no other way?"
"There isn't. Everything in the world has its own rules. This is the heaven's will," the silver-eyed man said slowly.
Originally, I had wanted to stay with Tao Wu for a long time. However, halfway through, the heaven's will appeared.
I looked up helplessly. There was naturally no sky in the hall, only a dome.
I didn't know if the vast sky that I usually looked up at was the same concept as the so-called 'heaven's will'. I could only see that the mural on the dome seemed to be mocking me.
A man couldn't even protect his own woman. He could only watch helplessly as she was taken away helplessly, yet he couldn't do anything about it!
Back then, when I saw my parents die in front of me, I was filled with despair and self-blame. I felt that I was the most useless good-for-nothing.
Only now, when I saw the light of revenge, did I break free from the deep self-blame. However, I didn't expect that this would happen immediately.
Back then, I was only facing the Lu family. I wanted to take revenge and I knew that I had a target. But now, what was in front of me was an empty heaven's will …
The current me was even more lost than before. However, at the same time, I was even more determined than before.
Just like what the silver-eyed man had said, what was in front of me was the heaven's will. I could only change the heaven's will!
Even though I didn't know what the heaven's will was, it didn't affect my determination. One day, I would change the heaven's will!
Not for anything else, but to be able to stay with my wife for a long time!
As for what to do, I would naturally get an answer when the evil spirit comes back from the sacrificial ceremony.
As I walked out of the Fire God Temple, I turned back to look and muttered in my heart, "Tao Wu, see you in half a year."
Then, I raised my head to look at the sky that was filled with stars.