Chapter 98

A moment later, the Lord of Red Dust withdrew his gaze, looked at Ye Wuque, shifted his tone, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

Lately, this Boundless Heaven hasn't been peaceful, kid. The commotion you've stirred up in the Central Region has caused quite a stir. The Ye Clan, Heaven‑Suppressing Immortal Dynasty, Jun family… those behemoths that dominate their regions are probably digging three feet deep to find you.

Ye Wuque forced a wry smile and spoke frankly:

I dare not conceal it, senior; this is precisely why I have come to seek you. My current strength is low, and facing these colossal beings, I am indeed insufficient—I still need time to grow.

The Lord of the Red Dust smiled faintly, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable absolute confidence.

Hehe, since Shenzun has spoken, you can rest assured. When necessary, I will naturally act. Moreover……

He paused, looking at Ye Wuque, his eyes growing somewhat deep: 'Even without Shenzun's request, I would not stand by and let you come to harm.'

Ye Wuque heard this, his heart suddenly tightened, and a great doubt arose.

He had never met the Lord of the Red Dust before; why would the other be like this?

He couldn't help but ask: 'Senior, why is this? I and you seem……'

The Lord of the Red Dust did not answer directly, but lightly uttered four words: 'Golden Heavenly Dao.'

These four words struck like thunder, exploding in Ye Wuque's heart!

Golden Heavenly Dao!!

The Lord of the Red Dust actually knows this?

Could it be that he knows the master of the Golden Heavenly Dao?

Ye Wuque's heart instantly surged with countless questions; his face was filled with shock and bewilderment as he looked toward the Lord of the Red Dust, expecting an answer.

However, the Lord of the Red Dust merely gave him a meaningful look, with no intention to elaborate, and said lightly:

'The reasons behind it are not yet the right time to tell you. When the moment is fitting, you will naturally understand.'

His gaze swept over the chessboard on the table again, and he spoke with pointed meaning:

'You are an extremely crucial piece…… even capable of influencing the final outcome—in this ever‑more‑complex game. Before you truly grow, it is natural not to lightly sacrifice you.'

Although his heart was filled with myriad doubts, Ye Wuque also understood that an existence like the Lord of the Red Dust, if unwilling to speak further, naturally has its reasons.

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and ceased to press further.

The Lord of the Red Dust lightly tossed the Red Dust Supreme Token from his hand, and the token flew back into Ye Wuque's grasp.

'Keep this token safe. Inside it lies a power I have sealed; should you face a truly unavoidable peril, you may activate this token. At the same time, you can use it to contact me.'

'Thank you, senior!' Ye Wuque solemnly put away the token—undoubtedly an extremely powerful life‑saving trump card.

'What are your plans next? Will you stay in the valley to cultivate in seclusion, or…?' the Lord of the Red Dust asked casually.

Ye Wuque pondered for a moment, a sharp light flashing in his eyes, and he cupped his fists, saying:

'Senior, I have recently felt that my cultivation has hit a bottleneck; I urgently need to seek breakthroughs in real combat to temper myself. While secluded cultivation is good, what I truly need is… an exhilarating, thrilling battle!'

The Lord of the Red Dust heard this, a hint of appreciation appearing in his eyes as he nodded: 'To sublimate oneself in battle, to break through between life and death, is indeed the proper path. Since you have this intention, there is indeed a place to go right now.'

He pondered briefly, then said:

'The region we are currently in is the southern domain of Boundless Heaven. At the extreme south of that domain, bordering the edge of the Primordial Chaos Sea, there exists a massive spacetime rift formed by the ancient war. Inside, the rules are chaotic, the environment extremely harsh, yet it also nurtures countless opportunities and dangers hard to find elsewhere.'

'That place is called the Extreme Abyss.'

'Within the Extreme Abyss, there are countless spatial fractures, abnormal time flow, and it is teeming with terrifying void beasts, lost ancient spirits, and fugitives hunted by all major powers—even some strange beings that have fallen from spacetime rifts, originating from other mysterious universes or epochs.'

'There is no order to speak of there; the weak are prey to the strong, killing is everywhere—it is truly a place of chaos and wickedness.'

'Yet precisely because of this, it has become a favored training ground for many young Heavenly Prides who crave strength, excitement, and opportunity.'

'Every day, the naked law of the jungle is enacted there. Throughout Boundless Heaven, the notoriety and reputation of the Extreme Abyss are widely known.'

'For you, that place might be a good spot.'

As Ye Wuque listened, his eyes grew brighter, and his battle‑blood seemed to begin warming faintly within.

Extreme Abyss!

Chaos!

Carnage!

Strong foes!

Opportunity!

This simply perfectly matches his current needs!

'Extreme Abyss… thank you for the guidance, senior! I am willing to go!' Ye Wuque said without hesitation.

'Wow! Extreme Abyss! I want to go too!!

Beside him, Xiao Jie had already heard and his eyes lit up; he jumped up excitedly, grabbed the Lord of the Red Dust's sleeve, and pleaded pleadingly:

'Valley Master Grandfather! Let me go with Brother Ye! I promise to obey! I'll cause no trouble! I've been cooped up in the valley for over a hundred years, my bones are almost rusting! Please!'

The Lord of the Red Dust looked at Xiao Jie's impatient appearance, couldn't help but chuckle, yet did not immediately agree, instead turning his gaze to the nearby Cang Bo.

Cang Bo's face showed a hint of helplessness and indulgence; he bowed slightly to the Lord of the Red Dust, then looked at Ye Wuque and gently instructed:

'Ye Xiaoyou, this lad is stubborn, simple‑minded; though he has some strength, he rarely goes out for training and does not understand the treachery of the outside world. If it is convenient for you, could you bring him along? On the road it would be good to have someone to look after him, and… help watch over him a bit, so he doesn't cause too much trouble. I, the old man, thank you in advance.'

Ye Wuque held a very good impression of the young Xiao Jie; the latter was strong‑willed and pure‑hearted, a worthy companion. He therefore nodded and agreed: 'Cang Bo, you are too kind. Brother Xiao Jie is strong; traveling together, I will surely do my best to look after each other.'

'Yay! Great! Thanks, Cang Bo! Thanks, Valley Master Grandfather! Thanks, Brother Ye!' Xiao Jie was so happy he almost jumped up, his little face flushed with excitement.

The Lord of the Red Dust looked at the two youths before him, smiled faintly, waved his hand: 'Go. Be careful. Xiao Jie, remember to heed Ye Xiaoyou's words; don't show off.'

'Got it, Valley Master Grandfather!' Xiao Jie shouted in agreement, already unable to wait as he grabbed Ye Wuque's arm: 'Brother Ye, let's hurry! I know there's a shortcut in the valley that can quickly get us to the southern domain's frontier!'

Ye Wuque again bowed respectfully to the Lord of the Red Dust and Cang Bo in farewell: 'I take my leave, senior!'

Thereafter, he was pulled by the eager Xiao Jie, turning into two streaks of light, speeding away along the route they came, and soon vanished at the end of the purple bamboo grove.

In the pavilion, tranquility was restored again.

The Lord of the Red Dust's gaze fell back onto the chessboard again; his fingers pinched up a chess piece, and it remained unmoved for a long time.

The Azure Elder stood quietly to the side, like a most loyal servant.

After a long while, the Lord of the Red Dust gently placed the chess piece back into the chess box, gazing toward the direction Ye Wuque had gone, his deep eyes as if billions of stars were being born and dying.

「Golden Heavenly Dao……」

「That unfathomable, shocking causality……」

「This deadlock…… perhaps truly needs a variable like you to pry open a sliver of life……」

His low words drifted away with the wind by the lakeside; only that unfinished chess game remained, still lying quietly on the stone table, as if it contained all the secrets and future of the universe.