Chapter 536: 535. Chapter 530: Haha

535. Chapter 530: Haha

Upon hearing Ding Huan's words, Shi Cai froze.

She had never imagined that someone could recognize her origins from such an ancient event, and from a place countless realms away.

Soon, Shi Cai realized: Ding Huan also came from the Nine Heavens and had heard of her sect's tragedy.

Seeing Shi Cai stunned, Ding Huan exclaimed: "Are you truly the Colorful Cloud Attendant?"

According to what Ding Huan knew and had heard from immortal tales, Shi Ji Niangniang's death in the Fengshen Cataclysm was truly unjust.

Not only was she assassinated by those who preached righteousness, but her killer also mocked her for lacking ability.

Shi Ji Niangniang had two attendants: the Azure Cloud Attendant and the Colorful Cloud Attendant.

The Azure Cloud Attendant was killed without cause by Nezha, shot dead with the Thundering Arrow.

Shi Ji Niangniang merely went to her mountain gate demanding justice—surely you should at least apologize or offer an explanation.

When Nezha saw Shi Ji Niangniang, he attacked her again; enraged, she struck back and seized his treasures.

But Nezha's master, Taiyi Zhenren, shielded him endlessly, even invoking his Saintly patron to mock Shi Ji Niangniang for having no talent.

In their struggle, Taiyi Zhenren ambushed her with the Nine Dragon Divine Fire Veil and killed her.

This is the classic case of having stronger backing—getting killed is your own fault.

It's like a brat randomly kills another child, and the victim's family comes to demand justice.

The brat's parents claim their child is too young to understand and shift blame, even telling the grieving family: "We have powerful connections above us."

Naturally, the grieving family refuses to accept this—so the brat's parents simply kill them too.

Of course, this is merely public gossip, commentary, and the rumors Ding Huan received.

Though Ding Huan sympathized with Shi Ji Niangniang in this matter, he did not believe she was a good person or purely innocent.

Ding Huan did not know Shi Ji Niangniang's past deeds.

But would a good person live in Skull Mountain White Bone Cave?

Just from the name, you know it's a place piled with corpses.

Would a good person share a Dao hall with Ma Yuan, a supreme demonic cultivator? Ma Yuan wasn't even human—he loved to eat human hearts raw, still warm and dripping blood.

Yet, in the mythic tales Ding Huan had read, Skull Mountain White Bone Cave received no detailed description, nor did Shi Ji Niangniang's past.

The most detailed account was precisely her unjust death.

So even if she truly was the Colorful Cloud Attendant, Ding Huan had no intention of interfering.

Shi Cai bowed again: "Elder, I am not the Colorful Cloud Attendant—the Colorful Cloud Attendant was my father."

When Shi Ji Niangniang's attendant, the Azure Cloud Attendant, was shot dead, and Shi Ji Niangniang was ambushed, my father fled to White Bone Cave.

My father knew he must avenge his senior and master, but his talent was utterly insufficient.

So he changed his name, married, and had children, hoping his descendants would remember this hatred and one day avenge his senior and master…

After I was born, my father poured all his efforts into me, hoping I would achieve mastery and avenge our sect.

When I reached the Jin Xian realm, my father could no longer endure the torment—he secretly went to ambush Nezha and was killed.

Shi Cai knew that to gain the recognition of a powerful figure like Ding Huan, she must speak the truth—otherwise, he wouldn't even bother with her.

"Then why are you on Luxing Immortal Continent?" Ding Huan felt slightly awkward—he didn't know if the Colorful Cloud Attendant was male or female.

Shi Cai said: "My father named me Shi Cai to ensure I would never forget my sect's identity and never forget my father's instructions."

After my father's death, I trained hard, longing for the day I could avenge our sect. But the more I cultivated, the farther I drifted from my enemies, and my heart grew sadder.

Eventually, I sought to get close to the Golden Cloud Attendant and became his female servant.

Ding Huan nodded—he knew the Golden Cloud Attendant, one of Taiyi Zhenren's disciples and Nezha's junior.

Shi Cai had followed the Golden Cloud Attendant precisely to ambush Taiyi Zhenren or Nezha.

To be honest, Shi Cai's ability to get close to the Golden Cloud Attendant was already quite impressive.

But to think she could ambush Taiyi Zhenren and Nezha like this was pure fantasy.

"I was too naive. Though I served the Golden Cloud Attendant, I never even saw Taiyi Zhenren's face, let alone Nezha—only a few glimpses at most.

Even when I saw them, I had no chance to get close.

Added to that, I had almost no cultivation resources, leaving me utterly hopeless. Then the Nine Heavens suffered another cataclysm—the Nine Heavens shattered—and I was taken to the Cosmic Platform, escaping the Nine Heavens."

Hearing this, Ding Huan was speechless.

He had heard from Liu Er that reaching the Cosmic Platform was nearly impossible for anyone.

Now hearing Shi Cai say this, it was truly ironic.

Liu Er, a Great Immortal, couldn't reach the Cosmic Platform—but Shi Cai, a servant to an attendant, did.

In the Nine Heavens, a Great Immortal was equivalent to a Celestial Emperor—yet not a ruler of a broken realm, but a true Celestial Emperor.

A true Celestial Emperor was inferior to an ordinary servant.

This shows the importance of status.

Taiyi Zhenren held exalted status, and so did his disciple, the Golden Cloud Attendant—so much so that even the Golden Cloud Attendant's servant reached the Cosmic Platform.

Some are born in Rome; others, even at death's door, still fight to buy a ticket to Rome.

That's simply how it is.

"If you reached the Platform, how did you leave?" Ding Huan asked, puzzled.

Logically, once you reached the Cosmic Platform, you'd follow the Dao Ancestor toward ultimate Dao—why would anyone foolishly leave midway?

"I realized that even by following the Golden Cloud Attendant, I had no chance to avenge them—and I risked exposure. When the Platform halted at the Cosmic World, I seized the chance to leave.

I dared not linger in the Cosmic World—I entered the Void alone, and after many years, I eventually arrived at Luxing Immortal Continent.

Once here, I learned the celestial laws here were severely deficient, so I've been strengthening my foundation, hoping one day to leave."

Shi Cai spoke with sincere tone.

Ding Huan nodded. Since Shi Cai had come down from the Cosmic Position Disc, it was only natural that she knew the rules of heaven and earth here were incomplete compared to the Pangu Grand World.

"You came to find me just to tell me that one cannot advance to Immortal Emperor here?"

"Besides that, this junior hopes to follow senior and leave this place together, to find a Grand Dao universe and pursue a higher level of the Dao."

"In the end, you still want to avenge your sect, don't you."

"Please, senior, consider that we both come from the same place, and grant this junior's wish." By the time Shi Cai said this, she was already kneeling on the ground.

She was well aware that whether in the Luxing Immortal Continent or the Pangu Grand World, raising her own strength to a level capable of taking revenge was pure wishful thinking.

The fact that Ding Huan could so easily annihilate the first and second Immortal Clans of the Luxing Immortal Continent proved he was absolutely no ordinary person.

Such a person might only be encountered once in the Luxing Immortal Continent, which was why she wanted to seize this opportunity.

Once missed, finding such a powerhouse again would be nearly impossible.

Ding Huan was weighing the pros and cons.

To tell the truth, he was neither a savior nor a saintly mother.

He had no desire to meddle in the grievances between Lady Shiji and Taiyi Zhenren.

If Shi Cai merely wanted him to take her away in exchange for telling him something he already knew, that was unlikely to work.

Ding Huan decided not to take Shi Cai along.

He paid no heed to all other factors; the main issue was that Shi Cai's cultivation was too low.

"Senior, this junior can sense the general whereabouts of the Cosmic Position Disc."

Shi Cai had long wandered the void and was worldly-wise. The moment she saw Ding Huan's expression, she knew he had no intention of taking her along.

Gritting her teeth, she revealed her one and only bargaining chip.

"You know the whereabouts of the Cosmic Position Disc?" Ding Huan was somewhat surprised.

Shi Cai was merely a maidservant of Golden Mist Boy; what gave her the right to know the whereabouts of the Cosmic Position Disc?

"Anyone on the Cosmic Position Disc has their own position. Although I secretly left the Cosmic Position Disc, my position is still there, and I can sense it roughly."

Shi Cai answered Ding Huan's question earnestly.

Ding Huan looked at Shi Cai with a smiling face:

"It seems your choice was not wise. In the future, when the Cosmic Position Disc finds the true Grand Dao universe realm, if you are not on it, you will lose the identity and status that originally belonged to you."

Shi Cai's tone was very calm: "Those things obtained by relying on my sect's enemies—I have never cared for them."

"Fine, I agree to your request. However, I need to go handle some matters of my own first; only after they're done can I continue searching for the Cosmic Position Disc." Ding Huan felt Shi Cai's bargaining chip was enough for him to take her along.

"Many thanks, senior. This junior has already waited here for so many years; what's a few more years?"

Ding Huan waved a hand: "You don't need to call me senior, just use my name. I'd like to ask—what exactly was the final Calamity of the Nine Heavens? Why did the Nine Heavens shatter?"

Shi Cai shook her head: "I only know that the Calamity of the Nine Heavens is related not only to the rules of heaven and earth of the Nine Heavens, but also to the Dao Ancestor and the various Saints.

It seemed to be a fight over some fortune of the Nine Heavens; the specifics are beyond my knowledge. But I witnessed the great battle of the Saints—back then the primordial wilderness shattered, the Nine Provinces were torn apart, and blood rained from the sky…"

Ding Huan had also guessed some of it.

From the Hongmeng Calamity, the Opening Heavens Calamity, to the Fierce Beasts Calamity, the Wu-Yao Calamity, the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, the Journey to the West Calamity, and so on.

Which of these calamities was not driven by those lofty, high-and-mighty powerhouses?

Although he had not reached that level and did not know why these Saints drove these calamities, that did not mean he did not despise them.

All the bustle of the world is for profit; all the hustle of the world is for gain.

Wasn't it the same with the calamities of this primordial wilderness?

He, Ding Huan, in pursuing the footsteps of immortals and gods—besides that longing deep in his heart—did he not also hope to be like those immortals and gods, transcending the vastness above and mastering his own destiny?

Heh!