Chapter 1235: Using Reason to Subdue Ruomu

"Heaven and Earth have Ruomu, consuming life day and night.""Life and death have no cycle, only eternal life remains..."Li Ping was not startled by the sudden appearance of Ruomu; instead, he slowly and deliberately recited these lines. At the same time, he turned around and looked directly at the oldest tree in the Xuanhuang Heaven and Earth.Ruomu, for its part, scrutinized the Faceless Holy Emperor, a hint of doubt flickering in its ancient eyes.However, Li Ping's next words caused the patterns on Ruomu's face to wrinkle deeply.

"Everything you are was a gift from Heaven and Earth. Had it not been for the favor of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, the so-called Geng Huan Heng Yuan would be nothing more than an ordinary large tree.""When the Heavenly Dao faced peril, you did not rise up to fight, but clung to survival in the world...""You were the one who first betrayed the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, not Heaven and Earth abandoning you first," Li Ping said mockingly, without a shred of sympathy.The expression on the Ruomu elder's face froze, rigid and unmoving.Not far away, the ancient tree's main body subtly swayed its branches and leaves. The countless cultivator fruits hanging on it also swayed continuously.

"Rise up and fight? The Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao itself was suppressed; what could I do? On the contrary, you, a cultivator, practice by devouring the Heavenly Dao. Don't you find it laughable to say such things?" Ruomu gazed at Li Ping for a long time, unable to discern his true nature.However, all cultivators in the world are more or less the same.Coupled with the faint, almost imperceptible aura on Li Ping that originally belonged to the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, Ruomu still made its judgment and spoke out in rebuttal.It merely engaged in verbal taunts, without directly attacking.It wasn't that Ruomu had suddenly changed its nature or improved its temper; rather, it simply couldn't win the fight.Although it didn't show it, Ruomu's spiritual intuition was frantically warning it. As the oldest spiritual entity in Heaven and Earth, Ruomu's intuition had reached a miraculous level where it could almost glimpse future events.Ruomu was absolutely certain that if it were to fight this uninvited guest, the one who would fall would certainly be itself.The formidable pressure emanating from the opponent, even stronger than that of the Longevity Realm cultivators it had encountered before, further confirmed Ruomu's judgment.Indeed. Ruomu was now stricken with a fatal illness and utterly decayed. But it was still alive, after all. Naturally, it wouldn't seek its own demise.

"What error is there in me taking back what belongs to me?" Li Ping no longer suppressed it and released the aura of the Xuanhuang malevolence he had devoured."This is...?!" Ruomu's mind was instantly shaken.It could naturally discern the difference between the fragmented laws devoured and absorbed by cultivators, and the complete Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao.But how could this be?"The Xuanhuang Great Heavenly Venerate?" That thought suddenly flashed through Ruomu's mind, but it quickly dismissed it.Even though most of its power had been lost, its deep connection with the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao still remained. If a new Great Heavenly Venerate had ascended, it would be impossible for it to be unaware."Taking back what belongs to me... could it be the Heavenly Dao itself?" Ruomu thought, finding it difficult to believe.This conjecture was indeed unbelievable, but it was the most consistent with the current situation.It couldn't be confirmed yet, but it did not prevent Ruomu's attitude from suddenly changing."Why have you come here?"

Li Ping then naturally stated his intention to reclaim Ruomu's power.Before Ruomu could react, Li Ping changed his tone: "When the Heavenly Dao was in peril, you, the ancient entities of Xuanhuang, stood by and did nothing, witnessing its struggles with indifference. Therefore, the Heavenly Dao instinctively reclaimed your power.""Although there were external forces that helped the Heavenly Dao recover, this reclamation process did not stop. Everything is predetermined. You have no need to resent it.""I am here to bring it to a complete end."Li Ping's gaze once again fell upon the towering, decaying ancient tree, and the countless Golden Core cultivators entangled within it."However, it now appears that you did not do absolutely nothing. Even if it was just a drop in the ocean, you did indeed contribute something."A magnificent golden power suddenly erupted from Li Ping.A giant golden palm instantly appeared near Ruomu's main body, gently plucking one of the cultivator fruits from the treetop.With a gentle squeeze, the cultivator's body instantly turned to dust, leaving only an incomplete Golden Core suspended in the air.Li Ping's act of plucking the fruit did not cause the slightest ripple in Ruomu's emotions.Only a flash of vengeful satisfaction instinctively flickered in its eyes.

"Do you think the cultivators of the Xuanhuang World are wrong?" Li Ping suddenly asked after a moment of quiet in the Jianren Shou Space."Wrong? It's more than just wrong! I wish I could turn every single one of those ungrateful wretches into fruits and torment them for eternity," Ruomu finally responded, gritting its teeth."While cultivators in Heaven and Earth certainly have their faults, the true essence lies in the origin of their conflict with Heaven and Earth," Li Ping said with remarkable calmness."Why do cultivators devour Heaven and Earth? It's merely because that is the only path available to them. The root of everything comes from the Law-Imparting Heavenly Venerate."Li Ping's voice echoed continuously, and Ruomu couldn't help but fall silent.Everyone understood this truth.But what could be done?The Law-Imparting Venerate, who went against the natural order of Heaven and Earth, was too powerful; even the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao itself could not resist, let alone the beings within the Xuanhuang World."I intend to set things right, slay the Law-Imparting Venerate, and return the Dao to Heaven.""Will you help me?"Li Ping's indifferent voice reached Ruomu's ears.If anyone else had said such a thing to Ruomu, it would have surely laughed, then turned them into a fruit and hung them at the very top of the treetop, to be mocked day and night.However, the one uttering such bold words now was the subtly possible incarnation of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao...This left Ruomu momentarily at a loss for how to respond.Ruomu knew that if it chose to refuse, an inevitable great battle would ensue between them.Setting aside who was stronger, if a battle were to unfold here, at the location of its main body, even if it could win, it would certainly suffer severe damage again, and total ruin would not be far off.Yet, to be subjugated by a mere statement filled Ruomu with myriad indignations.

"Your decline, apart from your own injuries, is also related to the severance of the Heavenly Dao's flow.""If you pledge allegiance to me..."Li Ping took a step forward, his figure shattering with a roar. Under the golden light enveloping his body, his three-zhang and three-chi tall form instantly expanded tens of thousands of times, becoming almost as large as Ruomu's main body.He placed one hand on Ruomu's trunk.*Boom!*In the Ruomu space, a whirlpool suddenly appeared in the dim, desolate sky.A reflection of the Xuanhuang World emerged within the vortex.A greenish aura was drawn from the vortex, slowly drifting towards the rapidly aging Ruomu."This..."Ruomu straightened its previously hunched back in excitement, its eyes filled with surprise and disbelief.It felt that the Heavenly Dao's favor, which had slowly faded over thousands of years, had returned to it for the first time!Li Ping was right; everything Ruomu was came from the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao's benevolence.Without the Heavenly Dao's nourishment, it was like a tree without roots or water without a source, slowly withering and falling into a state of chronic death.But at this moment, the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, for the first time ever, infused it with a hint of power again.Even if it wasn't the life-and-death power it was familiar with, it still thrilled it and brought back vitality.Ruomu's withered main body, its branches and leaves from top to bottom, all trembled violently.Many cultivator fruits consequently fell from above, shattering into pieces and leaving only broken Golden Cores, shimmering with different lights, lying quietly on the ground.Streaks of green appeared on Ruomu's body.Tender green shoots distinctly sprouted from its branches, and the aura of the entire ancient tree transformed.Just as Ruomu was rapturously enjoying the vigorous vitality it hadn't felt in a long time...The golden giant, into which Li Ping had transformed, suddenly removed its hand from the tree trunk.The whirlpool above Ruomu abruptly vanished.The verdant glow from the heavens also simultaneously dispersed like foam, turning into scattered green points of light, drifting everywhere with the wind—except onto Ruomu."No!"Amidst Ruomu's wailing, the newly born tender shoots instantly withered and faded, slowly drifting down from the treetop."I want more!""Give it to me, quickly!"The Ruomu elder's avatar erupted with astonishing malevolence, glaring fiercely at Li Ping.However, upon seeing the opponent's empty face and an extremely cold aura, Ruomu instantly calmed down.Its fierce expression froze on its face, not daring to make any further moves.Li Ping merely gazed silently at the other party.The scene became eerily quiet for a moment.It remained so until a withered yellow leaf fell directly above Li Ping and he gently reached out to take it.Only then did Li Ping break the silence.He then continued what he had left unsaid: "Just as you've seen and personally experienced."

"If you turn back from your misguided path and side with me again, you might just be able to return to your ancient peak."Ruomu's expression clearly wavered.It had struggled on the brink of death and endured torment for thousands of years; now, it had finally savored a moment of renewed youth. How could it possibly give that up?"I know that you suffered severe damage in ancient times, and most of your core power was taken by cultivators.""But the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao today is no longer what it once was.""If you can regain full authority, you will certainly be stronger, not weaker, than you were back then," Li Ping continued."I will give you one month to consider.""At that time, I will return."Li Ping did not excessively pressure Ruomu, making an instant decision.After leaving only these words, he gracefully disappeared.This was Ruomu's domain, yet Ruomu could not even sense how the other party had left.Without the outsider, the place reverted to the same deathly silence it had held for thousands of years.Ruomu narrowed its eyes, continually savoring the taste of vitality it had just experienced.Comparing it to its current condition, a sense of wistful loss welled up in its heart.

At the dawn of the Holy Dynasty. In the Holy Emperor's throne room.Upon his return, Li Ping immediately issued a holy decree.He would reallocate some You Clan members to focus on the functions of the Sea of Darkness, to pacify the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao."In its current state, forcing the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao to infuse power into Ruomu still has some adverse effects," he mused."Even if it's just a tiny bit...""Besides the disruption caused by devouring the Xuanhuang malevolence earlier, it also has something to do with Ruomu's identity.""After all, in the eyes of the Heavenly Dao, these ancient entities of Xuanhuang are no different from traitors."Li Ping pondered slowly.This action was not entirely in vain.Having tasted the sweetness, Ruomu would certainly not refuse Li Ping's request.It just needed some time to make a decision.As for why he didn't choose to forcefully act and directly devour it, like he did with the Xuanhuang malevolence...Li Ping had his own concerns."Unlike the Xuanhuang malevolence, which was separately divided and sealed for a long time, Ruomu, though decaying, has existed since the beginning of Xuanhuang.""The Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao created it, and it also became an integral part of the Xuanhuang World. If its favor was naturally withdrawn by the Heavenly Dao, leading to its decay and death, perhaps it could avoid major upheaval.""But if I rashly devour it, firstly, it would alert other Longevity Realm powerhouses in this world.""Secondly, any abnormality in the Xuanhuang World might alert the Law-Imparting Heavenly Venerate, who is far away on the other side of the star sea."Li Ping was not concerned about the five Heavenly Venerates of the Five Elders Council.But he had to consider the existence of the Law-Imparting Venerate and the Heavenly Physician."Now is not yet the time to truly confront them.""Just wait a little longer."Li Ping's patience was more than sufficient.He believed that in less than a month, Ruomu would proactively contact him.Before that, he still needed to try to reverse some of the relationships with the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao.In Li Ping's eyes, some entities abhorred by the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao surfaced again.

Jiushan Province. At the border between the Myriad Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Council.Sun Erlang easily passed through the defenses of the Myriad Immortals Alliance's boundary line and entered the territory of the Five Elders Council."As expected, the treasure bestowed by Master is truly mysterious; the Myriad Immortals Alliance's formations can be broken almost instantly."Sun Erlang carefully surveyed his surroundings."It seemed no different from the Myriad Immortals Alliance.""However, Master said that the power of a Heavenly Venerate's inverse principles covers the entire territory here, so it would be better to keep a low profile."A rough map appeared in his mind, and after briefly discerning his direction, Sun Erlang concealed his figure and sped away.Following the instructions of the Faceless Holy Emperor, he headed straight for the Kingdom of Truth."I wonder how I can possibly meet this Heavenly Venerate of Truth?" Sun Erlang pondered as he flew.With the formation and secret techniques taught by Li Ping to conceal his aura, no one on the way was able to detect him.Just as he was very close to the Kingdom of Truth, a strange phenomenon nearby caught Sun Erlang's attention, causing him to slow down involuntarily.A colossal flying ship, with an almost unreal sensation, abruptly appeared in the sky.From the flying ship, over a dozen cultivators, encased in armor, flew out in unison.They held strange magical artifacts and were shouting loudly."This is it, hurry! We can't let other teams get ahead!"They flew above a patch of jungle on the ground, and the magical artifacts in their hands simultaneously burst forth with beams of different colors.As the beams locked onto it, a large, snow-white ape suddenly appeared in the jungle, letting out an earth-shattering roar.Sun Erlang's pupils contracted.This monstrous beast was so cleverly hidden that he hadn't detected the slightest trace of its aura before.And even now, as the great ape was fiercely battling that team of cultivators, Sun Erlang still couldn't sense any vital signs from the monstrous beast.