Chapter 869: The Box That Cannot Be Opened

Following Ding Huan's departure from Lanxing Sect, even after Ding Huan controlled the Cosmic Pot and broke free from Lanxing Sect, Ge Baihe still could not believe it.

No matter how Ding Huan altered his appearance, she always had an intuition that the person before her was Ding Huan.

"Baihe…" Ding Huan was also moved.

He had assumed Ge Baihe must have been discovered as a Dao Body and then captured by Yan Zhuo.

Now that Ge Baihe had so easily escaped with him, he realized he had truly misunderstood Yan Zhuo.

"Big Brother Ding…" on the Cosmic Pot, Ge Baihe looked at Ding Huan with excitement.

She had thought that after leaving Dunyi Divine Realm, she would never see Ding Huan again in this lifetime.

She never expected that, far beyond Dunyi Divine Realm—beyond countless cosmic dimensions—she would see Ding Huan, and now be with him.

Life's twists of fate are truly unpredictable.

"Wait a moment." Knowing Ge Baihe had countless words to say, Ding Huan could only ask her to wait.

He was certain Ge Baihe bore divine thought seals crafted by Xi Changmei.

Ge Baihe obeyed Ding Huan unconditionally, simply nodding once and falling silent.

Ding Huan's divine thought and domain instantly enveloped Ge Baihe; in the span of a breath, he extracted two divine thought seals and sealed them away, tossing them into his own world.

He was satisfied: though Ge Baihe bore two seals, both were made by Xi Changmei.

Yan Zhuo had placed no seal on Ge Baihe, confirming his suspicion—that Yan Zhuo truly cherished this adopted daughter.

"Tell me how you ended up in the Great Universe." After retrieving the seals, Ding Huan continued his inquiry.

Ge Baihe steadied her emotions, then spoke: "My sister Elder Yi Shang and I used the Eternal Life Talisman's spirit to teleport…"

Here, Ge Baihe seemed to remember something and quickly pulled out a talisman spirit, handing it to Ding Huan: "Big Brother Ding, here's the talisman spirit—take it."

The talisman spirit's aura showed no fluctuation—it was still in the process of recovery.

Ding Huan did not refuse; he accepted the talisman spirit Ge Baihe offered.

Within his world, the talisman spirit would recover faster.

With the Eternal Life Talisman on his person, plus this talisman spirit, the Eternal Life Talisman would be complete.

When he returned to Lanxing Divine Land, he might yet need the Eternal Life Talisman.

Seeing Ding Huan accept her talisman spirit without hesitation, Ge Baihe's spirits lifted further.

It meant Big Brother Ding was still the same Ding Huan—he had not treated her as an outsider.

"My sister Elder Yi Shang and I teleported into a shattered cosmic void, where, beyond broken heavenly and earthly laws, there were no starlands, not even meteorites.

We knew if we stayed there, we would remain in that dazed, aimless state forever; my sister Elder Yi Shang and I decided to find a way to leave that universe.

Elder Yi Shang said that if we used ordinary teleportation methods, we would forever be trapped cycling within that dimension.

This would only worsen the talisman spirit's injuries and benefit us not at all.

Later, my sister Elder Yi Shang and I found a dimensional vortex…"

When Ding Huan heard "dimensional vortex," cold sweat broke out on his back.

The chance of perishing upon entering a dimensional vortex was fifty percent.

Because once inside, one was extremely likely to be shredded into fragments.

Ge Baihe emerging unscathed was sheer luck beyond luck.

"We were fortunate—thanks to the talisman spirit's aid, we were teleported out of that dimensional vortex and deposited into the outer void of the Great Universe.

There, my sister Elder Yi Shang and I became separated. Though the talisman spirit brought us to this dimension, my soul was severely damaged; in near-despair, I was rescued by Lord Yan.

Lord Yan is a man of ancient virtue and warmth; he asked if I wished to take him as my adoptive father. Grateful for his life-saving aid, I agreed."

Ding Huan reached out and grasped Ge Baihe's hand, immediately sensing her Primordial Spirit was not only injured but constantly on the brink of collapse.

Previously, Ge Baihe had concealed it well—he had mistakenly believed her injuries were minor.

Ding Huan reached out and grasped Jia Baili's hand, immediately sensing that Jia Baili's Primordial Spirit was not only injured but was also constantly on the verge of collapse.

Ge Baihe smiled faintly: "If I can see you now, even if my Primordial Spirit dissolves, I am content. At least, I will have no regrets…

I did not tell Lord Yan about my injuries, because I feared he would worry."

Ge Baihe knew Yan Zhuo truly cared for her and Yan Jiuyue.

Yet Yan Jiuyue constantly targeted her; had it not been for Lord Yan's sake, a hundred Yan Jiuyues would already be dead.

Could Yan Jiuyue's brain possibly hope to outmaneuver her?

Ding Huan immediately pulled out a drop of Cosmic Essence: "Open your mouth quickly…"

"Is this Cosmic Essence?"

Ge Baihe had wandered the void for years—she was no Bai Chi.

She recognized Cosmic Essence at once.

Twenty stalks of Seven-Leaf Reincarnation Grass, even if priceless, could not match the value of this single drop of Cosmic Essence.

"This is too precious…"

Before Ge Baihe could refuse further, Ding Huan slipped the drop of Cosmic Essence into her mouth:

"Go into seclusion immediately to heal. I must meet someone. When you recover, we'll talk in detail."

"Mm." Ge Baihe felt warmth in her heart and no longer refused.

From today on, she was no longer alone.

She and Ding Huan had been married; now she was his lawful wife.

Even if Ding Huan had married before, she could stand proudly by his side—she would be nothing more than a concubine, and she did not care.

She and Ding Huan had been married before; now she was Ding Huan's rightful wife.

Even if Ding Huan had been married before, she could still openly stay by his side—at most she would just be a concubine.

She didn't mind this at all.

Seeing Jia Baihe enter to heal, Ding Huan finally let out a breath.

With the Cosmic True Essence, even if Jia Baihe's injuries were worse, she could still recover.

Now, the place he must go is Beixing Tian City, to save Ling Zhuzhen.

Ling Zhuzhen helped him once, and he had promised to save Ling Zhuzhen.

Now he is about to go to the Tianmeng Clan—after saving Ling Zhuzhen, he will go there.

Given Ling Zhuzhen's standing in the Great Universe, she might even give him some information about the Tianmeng Clan.

……

Xi Changmei's face was utterly dark. He had examined the gift Yan Zhuo had returned to him.

It was not what he wanted.

That meant the thing he wanted was now on Jia Baihe, his Dao partner.

A mere third-transformation ant dared to covet Xi Changmei's possessions—she was asking for death.

When Xi Changmei sensed the Dao imprint he had left behind, his expression changed instantly.

The Dao imprint he had left had vanished.

That was impossible.

Ding Xiaotu was at most a third-transformation Saint, and Jia Baihe's cultivation could not surpass Ding Xiaotu's—how could she have stripped away his Dao imprint?

"Husband, shall we go to Guzi Sacred Dao City now?" Yan Jiuyue's mood was not good.

She had always wanted to suppress Jia Baihe, yet everything was overshadowed by Jia Baihe.

Worse still, even her adoptive father had decided to pass the Blue Star Sect's legacy to Jia Baihe.

"Let's go—to Guzi Sacred Dao City, right now." Xi Changmei showed no hesitation.

He would not only go to Guzi Sacred Dao City—he must intercept Ding Xiaotu before she entered the Sacred Dao City and reclaim the item.

At this moment, Ding Huan held a brown box in his hand; he could not tell what material it was forged from.

But the sealing runes on this box—Ding Huan was certain they were not placed by Yan Zhuo.

Even though Yan Zhuo was on the Fifth Step of the Dao, he likely could not carve runes of this level.

Ding Huan's divine sense settled on the sealing runes; he pondered how to open them.

By refining them, or by forcibly tearing them apart?

At that moment, he touched a voice-sealing rune.

As the rune was triggered, Ding Huan immediately heard Yan Zhuo's voice:

"This box was won at the cost of my life. Remember—you must open it only after stepping onto the Seventh Step of the Dao, or you will die without even a grave."

I know I will never reach the Seventh Step of the Dao in this life; keeping this box is like wasting a divine treasure.

I have no blood relatives, no disciples—only two daughters: Jiuyue and Baihe.

Though my two daughters have excellent talent, they will likely never reach the Seventh Step of the Dao…

Ding Huan heard this and thought little of it.

He believed Yan Jiuyue could not reach the Seventh Step.

But Jia Baihe followed him—he would never let her stagnate.

Moreover, Jia Baihe was an Immortal Spirit Dao Body.

"... Therefore, I will pass this box to one of my two daughters, entrusted to a son-in-law. If any descendant ever reaches the Seventh Step, pass the box to them…"

Implicitly, if no descendant ever reached the Seventh Step of the Dao, the box would be passed down forever—no one was to open it.

As for why Yan Zhuo gave the box to a son-in-law rather than his daughters, Ding Huan understood.

Yan Zhuo probably knew neither Yan Jiuyue nor Jia Baihe was cunning.

If he gave the box to his daughter, and she married a good man, fine.

But if she married a ruthless one, she might even lose her life.

Yan Zhuo had likely misjudged.

Ding Huan believed Yan Jiuyue had no scheming nature—but Jia Baihe was no lamb.

How else did she earn the title "First Poison Demon"?

Looking at the box in his hand, Ding Huan fell into thought.

Must one reach the Seventh Step of the Dao to open this box?

Ding Huan did not believe it.

He would never wait until the Seventh Step of the Dao to open it.

But for now, it was best not to open it. When he reached the Creation Realm, he would try.

When he opened it, he would do so within his Chaos Law Sea.

His Chaos Law Sea could lock even the Dao imprint left by an Eternal God Saint—could this box be stronger than an Eternal God Saint?

The Cosmic Cauldron moved at incredible speed.

In only a few days, the Cosmic Cauldron halted outside Beixing Tian City.

Jia Baihe's injuries were fully healed; when she emerged, she was radiant.

"Baihe, your Dao is incomplete. Though you have already attained Daohood, I advise you to sever your Dao and restart. I'll give you a new cultivation method then."

Ding Huan sensed Jia Baihe's Dao resonance was merely average—if she continued as she was, she might truly never reach the Seventh Step of the Dao.

Jia Baihe was an Immortal Spirit Dao Body; after becoming a Saint, she should

have advanced to a Saintly Spirit Dao Body.

Yet Jia Baihe remained a Divine Spirit Dao Body—this meant her Dao had gone wrong.

"Mm, I'll follow your advice." Jia Baihe offered no objection.

She gazed at the northern city ahead: "Big Brother Ding, I think I've been here before."

"I came here today to help someone. Let's go together." Ding Huan led Jia Baihe out of the Cosmic Wok, then raised his hand and sealed it away.