Chapter 1302

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Protagonist:

Xu Zhangqing

Xu Zhangqing looked at those amber-colored dragon pupils, the surging emotions in his heart nearly overwhelming his reason; he stepped back, gazing up at the dragon head that covered the sky and blotted out the sun, and said in a determined tone: "Crossing the tribulation, I can do it anywhere.

The River of Time works, Tian Shu Xing works too.

Even if I return to Yu Heng Xing and am trapped again.

But making you sacrifice — this I cannot do."

At this moment, he could neither accept nor understand.

The Azure Dragon did not speak, merely watching him quietly.

Dragon whiskers drifted slowly in the wind, each sweep bringing a tide of Wood Spirit Qi.

Seeing it stay silent, Xu Zhangqing's voice grew urgent: "Senior, when we first met, I was merely a Spirit Severing cultivator who had just entered the Four Directions Star Domain.

You bestowed upon me the Heaven and Earth Furnace, the Azure Dragon Bloodline; this kindness I have always remembered.

Now to take your life — this is something I, Xu Zhangqing, cannot do, and will never do."

The Azure Dragon gazed at this white-haired cultivator, silent for a very long time.

It had to admit that the person before it indeed bore a trace of the Creation Dao Lord's shadow.

The same stubbornness, the same refusal to accept fate.

But a shadow is ultimately only a shadow.

The Creation Dao Lord, back then, also tried to refuse the Dao Venerable's arrangement; what was the result?

His true body was erased, his remnant consciousness suppressed in the depths of the Eternal Night Ruins for who knows how many ten thousand years!

"This matter, you need not worry about either."

The Azure Dragon's voice pressed down from above, its tone calm to the point of near indifference: "Back then the Four Divine Beasts and the Dao Venerable made a pact; the rule is thus.

No refusal allowed, no regret allowed.

Since I have agreed, I will not retreat."

It raised its dragon head slightly, amber pupils glancing toward the direction of the Beidou Star Domain for an instant.

That glance was extremely brief, so brief Xu Zhangqing almost thought he had seen wrong.

But the Azure Dragon's next words made him understand everything in an instant: "Moreover, if I refuse, the Dao Venerable will not let it go.

He will personally act; at that time it will not be merely death, but erasure from the River of Time.

Death, at least bones remain on this star land.

Some future day, perhaps one could reincarnate.

Erasure — then there is nothing at all!"

Hearing this, Xu Zhangqing's pupils contracted sharply.

Erased from the River of Time?

What a familiar method!

He had witnessed it with his own eyes.

Jun Wu Huo, that Great Wilderness Realm heaven's pride who once suppressed his peers, the moment he escaped from the Chaos Sea, was wiped clean from the timeline by my Master.

Even the Creation Dao Lord's remnant consciousness could only linger on in the Eternal Night Ruins.

The Azure Dragon spoke correctly; before my Master, there is no "refusal" option.

After all, the Dao Venerable represents the authority of Time.

And Time allows no one to refuse, and cannot be refused.

But Xu Zhangqing was still unwilling; he raised his head and said seriously: "Senior, to be honest, with my current foundation, crossing the tribulation anywhere would be effortless.

There would be no risk, and no pressure.

I don't need anyone to sacrifice, and I certainly don't need you to die."

Hearing this, the Azure Dragon's voice carried a trace of barely perceptible gentleness: "From Void Refining to Body Integration, it is not as simple as you think.

This is not a matter of how much magic power, not a matter of law strength, and certainly not a matter of whether your foundation is solid."

Its dragon head drew slightly closer, amber pupils staring straight at Xu Zhangqing: "Body Integration is fusing flesh body, divine soul, laws, dao rhyme, and even origin power all together, completing the final transformation.

Refining into one, returning to simplicity and truth.

Becoming a completely independent, self-sufficient 'Origin'."

Xu Zhangqing's heart shook.

Origin?

Isn't this the Yuan Dao I created?

The ultimate of Yuan Dao is to become an independent eternal existence outside all laws, karma, life and death, and systems.

Yuan means beginning.

All things begin from this, and all things also end from this.

The Azure Dragon reminded: "You are indeed very strong; the Wood Great Dao and Creation Dao have both reached an extremely high tier.

But to speak the truth, in the end you still lack a little.

And that little bit lacking is precisely the critical point."

Xu Zhangqing asked in puzzlement: "Where is the lack?"

Laws, foundation, dao rhyme, and even the flesh body aspect — I have raised them all to the limit.

Already perfected, unable to rise further, how could it still be lacking a bit.

The Azure Dragon gave the answer: "The Wood Origin is the foundation of all things' growth."

The Wood Origin within your body is actually not complete origin power."

As for the Creation Origin, the situation is exactly the same."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhangqing showed an unbelievable expression: "How could that be!"

The Azure Dragon's dragon tail lightly swung, the ten-thousand-year spirit plants on its tail swaying with the motion, scattering countless fine green light spots: "Not only me, even if it were the other three divine beasts, the White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, it would be the same."

The White Tiger belongs to Metal Origin, the Vermilion Bird belongs to Fire Origin, the Black Tortoise belongs to Water Origin, each an indispensable link in their respective systems."

You chose Qinglong Star, so it fell to me."

If you had chosen Baihu West Land, then the one standing before you today would be the White Tiger!"

The Four Divine Beasts were originally origin power raised by the Great Dao Venerable."

They are not ordinary spirit beasts, strange beasts, or demons."

But rather the embodiment of a wisp of origin power."

The difference is, a wisp of Creation Power remains within the Azure Dragon's body."

That is to say, regardless of whether Xu Zhangqing chooses to walk the Wood Great Dao or the Creation Dao, the Azure Dragon must ultimately sacrifice itself, and this will never change."

After hearing this, Xu Zhangqing fell silent at once."

It turned out that from the very beginning, the outcome had been decided."

The three options were actually just a joke."

He doesn't choose now, but he will have to choose later."

Even so, the Great Dao Venerable will force him to choose."

Choosing to come to Qinglong Star to undergo tribulation means the divine beast Azure Dragon must sacrifice itself, and this will never change because of regret, resistance, or avoidance."

"Is there really no way to have the best of both worlds?"

Xu Zhangqing raised his head, his tone carrying a hint of unwillingness: "If it truly won't work, I'll return to the Northern Dipper Xianfu right now and ask my master face to face."

If my master refuses to change it, I'll go somewhere else to undergo tribulation."

That's better than... letting a senior use his life to fulfill a junior."

"That you can think this way, I am very gratified."

Hearing this, the Azure Dragon couldn't help but smile: "Then have you considered what happens after merging?"

After the Unity tribulation comes the Great Vehicle tribulation, after the Great Vehicle tribulation comes Transcendence!"

You bypassed me at the Unity tribulation, but at Transcendence you still can't bypass me."

This is your path, and also my ending."

"But..."

Xu Zhangqing opened his mouth, still unable to accept it."

"No buts."

The Azure Dragon actively interrupted him: "If you are determined, wait until you become a ruler of a region in the future, then come resurrect me."

Of course, you'll definitely have to wait a very long time."

Ten thousand years?"

Fifty thousand years?"

Even a hundred thousand years!"

Xu Zhangqing couldn't help but take a deep breath, his gaze becoming especially complex."

The Azure Dragon saw it in his eyes and said meaningfully: "Time won't give you the right to refuse, nor does it allow you to refuse!"