In the Eastern Desolation, three elders stepped into Duguang, their brows furrowing instantly.
They felt a pressure, and with every ten feet they advanced into the roots of the Jianmu tree in Duguang, the pressure from the heavens on their bodies increased by ten thousand jin.
The three immortal elders exchanged glances, seeing the solemnity in each other's eyes.
They took a step forward together, covering ten thousand miles.
In the next moment, when the three elders reappeared, a weight of billions of jin instantly doubled and pressed down upon them.
The three immortal elders cried out in unison.
"Ouch~"
All three fell to the ground, their bodies bent by the gravity, and their old backs twinged.
Elder Shou, clutching his back, wailed, "It pains me so!"
Elder Lu, struggling to rise, brought down his golden seal, which transformed into a golden boat of the elements. He stepped onto it, and the pressure on his body lessened by more than half.
With a flick of his staff, Elder Shou, a staff that had once moved mountains and seas, propped up the billions of jin of weight.
Around Elder Fu, three auspicious clouds manifested. The clouds sank and then rose again. Though it was difficult, they held up the immense weight.
"This Duguang is truly strange."
"We should hurry with our task."
The three continued to advance. The million-mile Duguang, a distance they could normally cover in an instant, was now traversed with great difficulty.
When the three, constantly wiping sweat from their brows, finally saw the Jianmu tree, they smiled. They had finally arrived.
But beneath the Jianmu tree, four figures appeared.
"Who goes there? How dare you trespass into my Duguang sacred land?"
A cold, clear female voice rang out.
The three immortal elders shook their heads and chuckled. Elder Fu said with a smile, "Young friends, all three of you Da Luo, it's best to retreat quickly. You cannot stop us."
Bai Fu smiled and pointed at him, "How do you know if you don't try whether you can stop us or not?"
Elder Lu reached out, and the golden boat of the elements under his feet instantly transformed into a colossal mountain. One mountain after another, one layer after another, descended towards the Jianmu tree.
However, these colossal mountains lacked the aura and power that a Quasi-Saint expert should possess.
Bai Fu sneered and likewise extended a hand. A hundred bats flew into the sky, transforming into a strange white light that pounced on the golden mountain, devouring it in an instant.
Elder Fu's expression changed, and he exclaimed, "How is this possible?"
Elder Shou's face turned grim, and he mused, "It seems this place is deeply mysterious. Not only does it suppress our physical bodies, but it also suppresses our cultivation."
Elder Lu shouted, "Then let us three attack together and destroy the roots of the Jianmu tree!"
All three agreed.
Elder Shou slammed his staff heavily onto the ground. A rain of flowers fell, covering Bai Fu and the other three.
Elder Lu spread his hand, revealing a golden scroll, which he tossed into the air. As the pages turned, a golden spiritual mountain grew higher and higher, pressing down on the four.
Behind Bei Xu, a vast sea of pure white flowers surged. Ten thousand spiritual bats flew from Bai Fu's body. Ten killing intents erupted from the black panther, its dark eyes flashing with spiritual light.
Six divine abilities unfolded in the sky, shattering the nine heavens, and an imposing aura swept across millions of miles.
Meanwhile, Elder Fu took out a black jade bottle from his sleeve and inverted it.
Drops of blood-colored divine water dripped from the bottle's mouth, tearing through the void on their descent towards the earth, intending to burrow into it.
But at this moment, a jade umbrella opened, catching all the crimson water. Then, the umbrella spun, and all the crimson spiritual water was gathered into a ball, floating in Qing Ling's palm.
Qing Ling smiled and said, "Three immortal elders, since you've come uninvited, then stay well."
Elder Shou heard this and immediately shouted, "Retreat quickly!"
The three immortal elders had no desire to fight and turned back, rushing out of Duguang.
Qing Ling's smile deepened in his eyes. He pointed, "Collect!"
The void in all four directions rippled inexplicably, the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter rotated, and the Four Seasons Time Diagram rose, trapping the three immortal elders in a realm of spring and autumn.
Qing Ling beckoned, and the Four Seasons Time Diagram ascended to the top of the Jianmu tree. The temporal space of the four seasons transformed into a grotto-heaven, trapping the three within the diagram.
Bai Fu saw this and said with a smile, "Dao Master, your divine powers are truly vast, capturing three Quasi-Saint experts so easily."
Qing Ling smiled and said, "If they hadn't entered the Jianmu Duguang, it would have taken me considerable effort to capture them.
After all, these three are genuine Quasi-Saint experts.
It's just a pity that they entered Duguang, and their strength was suppressed by my Wood Dao by more than half. Even ordinary Da Luo would only be evenly matched."
Bei Xu asked, "Then what do you plan to do with them?"
"I still intend to release them."
The black panther heard this and asked doubtfully, "Then releasing them from Duguang, isn't that letting the tiger return to the mountains?"
Qing Ling laughed heartily. He would release them, but only after they had shed some blood.
Qing Ling pointed, and the Four Seasons Time Diagram rotated. Time was grafted, and the Ten Absolute Sky Lanterns hung high, illuminating the luck and destiny of the three within the diagram!
Looking at the descending fortune, longevity, and prosperity within the Four Seasons Time Diagram, the ethereal and invisible power of destiny flowed into the exotic beast carved with sun, moon, stars, birds, beasts, insects, and fish. Qing Ling sighed, "Bai Ze, this is a great opportunity!"
Bai Fu glanced at Bai Ze, who was slumbering at the top of the Jianmu tree, and said with a hint of jealousy, "I wonder what great fortune this kid has stumbled upon, that even our Dao Master is personally overseeing this for him."
The black panther patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "That is the Dao Master's business, not something we can decide."
Bai Fu shuddered at this and quickly closed his mouth.
Qing Ling looked at the four of them and said, "Don't be envious.
Those with great fortune will face great storms.
Do you know how many Dao practitioners yearn for a lifetime of stable years like you four?"
Hearing this, the four were enlightened and respectfully agreed, no longer harboring any dissatisfaction.
Qing Ling waved his hand, "You should all return. From now on, the entrance to Duguang will be guarded by the four of you, each taking turns for one Yuan Hui. Not long from now, this world will undergo great changes. I hope the peace of the Eastern Desolation will continue."
The four respectfully agreed and returned to their respective regions.
Qing Ling walked to the top of the Jianmu tree and looked at the slumbering Bai Ze. The patterns of the sun, moon, and stars on his body gradually became clearer, and the birds, beasts, insects, and fish were exceptionally vivid.
He pondered for a moment, then pointed. Time rotated, drawing down the Tai Yin Moon essence, and then reflecting the stars of all heavens onto Bai Ze's body.
The path of the stars was profound and unfathomable. Although difficult, it was not without a way forward.
In the future, what changes would the Star Dou formation of the Demon Clan undergo with the addition of a Daoist of destiny?
Qing Ling slowly closed his eyes and let his spirit wander the Great Dao.
Everything he needed to do, he had done.
All that remained was for the timeline to advance and trigger all his meticulously laid plans.
Time passed swiftly, and years were merciless. Since the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity, it had now been the forty-ninth Yuan Hui.
Atop the Jianmu tree, Bai Ze, who had accumulated strength for dozens of Yuan Hui, finally awoke!
Black clouds gathered across the heavens and earth, covering millions of miles. Purple Heavenly Thunder rumbled within the sea of clouds, brewing terrifying lightning.
Bai Ze opened his hazy eyes. The world appeared blurry at first, then gradually cleared. The currents of all living beings, the principles of heaven and earth, and the destinies of all spirits unfolded before him.
"Rumble~"
Purple Heavenly Thunder struck the nine heavens, illuminating the world with a flash of purple.
Bai Ze faced the lightning, his snow-white beast body bathed in its power.
Threads of destiny, woven from pure white light, extended through the divine thunder and touched the Heavenly Dao.
Faced with the strange threads of destiny, the divine thunder instantly retreated, leaving only a divine beam of purple light in the heavens and earth.
Tears of blood streamed from Bai Ze's eyes. From then on, he lost the light of heaven and earth.
This was because he possessed a pair of eyes that even heaven feared and deemed impermissible, eyes that could see through all eras and perceive the destiny of the Great Dao.
Bai Ze's beast form receded, transforming into human form.
The youth of the past had now become a middle-aged man with white hair.
Dozens of Yuan Hui of slumber, while accumulating power, had also depleted his essence and spirit, making it difficult for him to maintain his youthful appearance.
Bai Ze knelt respectfully, his head touching the ground, and bowed, "The grace of the Dao Master's enlightenment, Bai Ze will never forget!"
Qing Ling sighed, helped him up, and took two drops of Forgetfulness River water from the Three Lives Stone, placing them into his eyes.
"Since the Heavenly Dao does not permit it and destroyed your eyes, then the Earthly Dao shall bestow upon you a new pair!"