Chapter 232: Always One Step Too Late

Facing your question, the Three Ancestors Hong, Chi, and Xi showed a look of worry.

"The Empress, sister-in-law, has never been able to reach the Immortal Ascension Realm; she has already entered the Closed Death Pass."

"Alas."

You sigh at it.

Reaching the Closed Death Pass essentially means failure.

The Empress's hope of reaching the Immortal Ascension Realm is already very slim.

You once were at odds with the Empress; she used the Human Race–Fox Clan alliance to make a marriage pact with Chuan, and you have harbored resentment over that for a long time.

Now you and the Empress have long thawed past grievances.

You hope she will successfully ascend and join you on the quest to find Chuan.

While the Empress is in seclusion, you, the Three Ancestors Hong, Chi, and Xi, and the Sword Spirit Maiden begin gathering every trace Chuan left in the world.

As the Clan Chief of the Human Race, Chuan has left far too much for the Human Race and this world.

His figure appears in many things.

After collecting everything, you bring Chuan's traces to the ancient ruins of the Spirit Monster Blessed Land where the Chaos Flower Stamen was once buried.

The Chaos Flower Stamen was originally the Great World's final means to counter the Black Mist.

Because the Human Ancestor and Chuan, along with the ancient era's Ancient Gods, diverted the Black Mist, the Great World did not proceed to the "Living Beings Blood Sacrifice" stage.

To the delight of the world's living beings, the Chaos Flower Stamen truly still has a chance to reopen.

But this process is extremely slow.

It may require tens of millions of years, perhaps even longer.

You clearly cannot wait that long.

Your plan is to use the revived spirit of the Chaos Flower Stamen to construct a Grand Array that can probe the mysteries of Shikong in the Chaos Universe.

The mysteries of Shikong, karma and destiny, there are still many things in the Chaos Universe you have never understood.

Those in the Immortal Ascension Realm stand upon the River of Time, live as long as Heaven and Earth, yet cannot comprehend the profound Dao of Shikong.

The Chaos Flower is born of Chaos and can evolve into a Great World.

It is a wondrous artifact from the depths of the Chaos Universe, once contended with the Bizarre Black Mist, and is undoubtedly the most supreme such artifact.

This is the greatest opportunity for you to find Chuan!

"Let's begin."

You hand the initiative to Xi, one of the Human Race's First Generation True Ancestors.

Xi ascends to the Immortal Realm through the Formation Dao and the Art of Refining Instruments, and the Human Race's Clan-Protecting Grand Array is also guided and established by Xi.

You trust that Xi can handle all of this.

Under Xi's arrangement, you begin constructing the Grand Array.

It is named — the Fate Realm Array.

The Fate Realm Array uses the Chaos Flower Stamen as its core, and its foundation incorporates numerous heavenly and earthly treasures concerning fate, souls, and Shikong.

The treasures you have collected over the years are essentially all employed within the array.

Time flies.

One day, you see nine rainbow beams soaring into the sky atop the First Mountain of the Human Race.

"The Empress has emerged from seclusion!"

"Her life is about to reach its end; she must now strike for the Immortal Ascension Realm."

"The Empress, sister-in-law, will surely succeed."

You, the Three Ancestors, and the Sword Spirit watch this scene.

Your path diverges completely from the Empress's; you can help her little, and the Empress, wishing to ascend to the Immortal Realm, can only rely on herself!

Heaven, Earth, and all beings are also drawn to the Empress's phenomenon of striking for the Immortal Ascension Realm.

Now the heavens and earth belong to the Human Race.

The only four Immortals in the world all hail from the Human Race, which undoubtedly makes all the myriad races yearn for an Immortal born beyond the Human Race.

The Fox Clan Empress is placed with great expectations by all the races.

Even though the Empress has an excellent relationship with the Human Race, she is ultimately of the Fox Clan, and her becoming an Immortal holds a completely different significance for the world's living beings.

You can hear countless cheers throughout Heaven and Earth.

Too many people anticipate the Empress's ascension.

You, however, furrow your brow; the nearer your lifespan approaches its limit, the smaller the hope of ascending the Immortal Realm becomes, nearing nothing.

The Empress's chance of success is slim.

Phenomena continually arise in Heaven and Earth, yet they are signs of decline.

This makes you even more worried.

You see, atop the Heavenly Dome, a phantom Immortal Gate standing.

This is the ascension phenomenon formed by the Chaos Law.

The Immortal Gate is tightly sealed; only by breaking through it and entering can one obtain the Immortal Divine Power Blessing of the Chaos Universe and achieve ascension.

Aside from Ascendants like Chuan who uphold the Collective Will of All Beings, or the ancient era's Ancient Gods who were born as Immortals.

Other beings wishing to ascend must undergo the step of striking the Immortal Gate.

The Empress manifested the form of a Nine-Tailed Fox.

At the moment she approaches the Immortal Gate, white mist billows out from within the gate.

Each being's trial for ascension differs, and you do not know what the Empress must face.

When you first ascended, the white mist transformed into the Ten Great Ancient Gods of the old era, becoming the Chuan who had already reached the Immortal Ascension Realm.

You defeat them one by one, and finally are able to open the Immortal Gate.

Only you know the hardships, and with the arrogant bearing you once had, you almost failed the trial.

You almost fell under Chuan's sword.

So… what exactly does the Empress have to face?

The living beings of the world cannot see clearly through the white mist; you bring together your index and middle fingers, and divine light blooms on the two fingers, sweeping across your eyes.

Only an Ascendant can see the shape of the Immortal Gate!

You see the opponents the Empress faces, there are three in total.

You are one of them.

The other two: one is the long‑gone Yun Baobao, and the other is the Sword Spirit Maiden.

"This… "

A bitterness rises in your heart; it seems Chuan's emotional entanglements have greatly affected the Empress.

The Empress appears calm and untroubled, indifferent on the surface, yet deep inside she cannot forget, buried in the deepest part of her heart, only awakened now.

……

Nine-phase World.

Tian Yuan Zhou, Tushan.

Tu Shan Jiao Jiao is deeply trapped in the struggle of a dream.

At the brink of death, you helplessly choose to strike the Immortal Realm, seeking to open the closed Immortal Gate phenomenon.

The Immortal Gate transforms into the forms of Sangyu, Yun Baobao, and the Sword Spirit Maiden.

You envy them greatly.

You and Chuan have never had a thrilling experience, nor a deeply memorable story.

You can feel Chuan's affection, yet you always feel there is a certain blandness between you; will Chuan forget you?

You know you shouldn't think that way, but standing before the Immortal Gate, you can't help but think.

When you first met Chuan in the past, you fell in love at first sight with his Perfection Form, deciding that Chuan is the partner for your whole life.

You gave all the fox woman's infatuation to Chuan.

During the Human Race Tribulation Transcendence Battle, Yun Baobao shielded Chuan from the tribulation, and you were a step slower than her.

When the living beings were in dire straits, Sangyu took the Proof of Dao Treasure to the Chaos Void, and you could only watch.

During the Ancient God War, the Sword Spirit Maiden accompanied Chuan through his final moments, and you waited bitterly.

You are always a step behind them; your heart toward Chuan is steadfast enough, yet there is always a slight gap between you.

In the end, your engagement never came to fruition.

Now you set out to find Chuan's destiny, but you are blocked before the Immortal Gate.

You ask yourself, "Will I be a step slower this time?"

"No! It won't happen!"

"This time! You will witness Chuan's destiny reborn!!"