Time flowed like water.
ăTwo days later.ă
The Thunderbolt Divine Boat smoothly arrived at the location of the Spirit Realm. Luo Xiu stood on the deck, his gaze piercing through the ship's protective barrier as he stared at the desolate cluster of meteorites shrouded in gray dust in the starry sky ahead.
That was the Spirit Realm. The shattered Spirit Realm.
From a distance, it resembled a broken skull floating in the cold, dark cosmos, radiating an aura of absolute death.
Zuo Qianhuang walked up to Luo Xiu's side and lamented, "Such a fine world, destroyed just like that. Truly a pity." He continued, "It is said that many years ago, the Spirit Realm was a mysterious world, peacefully tucked away in a corner of Tianhe, with little contact with the outside. Then one day, catastrophe struck from the heavens, and it was shattered by a single palm strike from the Pink Emperor."
Luo Xiu: "..."
"Fortunately, the teleportation array up there is still operational," Zuo Qianhuang added.
Luo Xiu asked, "Why did Pink want to destroy the Spirit Realm?"
Zuo Qianhuang shook his head and chuckled. "The specific reason is probably known only to the Pink Emperor himself."
At that moment, Master Ping walked up to Luo Xiu. "Kid, what do you think?"
Lao Ba suddenly thrust his bald, bird-like head forward. "He's looking while standing, of course."
Master Ping snapped, "Are you being a fucking contrarian?"
Luo Xiu mused, "In any case, the Spirit Realm is masterless now... I wonder if it can be restored. If so, I'd have another territory."
Hearing this, Zuo Qianhuang's eyes widened. This young master really dares to say anything! he thought in astonishment. Many in the Three Thousand Worlds had thought of restoring the Spirit Realm, but all eventually failed to achieve their wish. The project was simply too massiveâunimaginably so. Moreover, the Spirit Realm had lost its Star Core after its destruction. Even if the fragments were gathered and pieced together, it would only be a giant, dead star, incapable of supporting life.
"What a coincidence! I was thinking the same thing," Master Ping said, pinching his chubby double chin. "After all, we need a territory to build our power." He then added, "But restoring a shattered planet... that's a damn nightmare. So difficult!"
At this time, Luo Xiu glanced at An Ran, who was meditating cross-legged on Lao Ba's back. She's a Heavenly Emperor, after all.
An Ran slowly opened her eyes, but before she could speak, Luo Xiu spoke first. "High Priest, name your price."
An Ran considered for a moment before replying indifferently, "Regardless of whether that Dou Dou is Her Highness the Princess, you must return with me to Everlasting City afterward."
Luo Xiu looked puzzled. "To do what?"
"To restore the Ancient Elf Tree."
"I can restore that Divine Tree?" Luo Xiu asked in surprise.
"Only you can," An Ran replied. "Because you are the Divine Eye youth from Her Majesty the Queen's prophecy."
"Deal!" Luo Xiu declared.
An Ran said no more. With a simple extension of her small hand, the Magic Wand appeared out of thin air. As she waved it, everyone witnessed a colossal green light array materialize above the shattered Spirit Realm. From it, countless thick vines erupted. Each vine was like a massive python or dragon, teeming with infinite life force and imbued with the profound power of the Great Dao. They coiled around the innumerable planetary fragments, pulling them together and reassembling them into their original shape. Finally, the vines plunged deep into the ground, like needles and thread, stitching the countless fragments together seamlessly.
Aboard the Thunderbolt Divine Boat, everyone stared at the soul-shaking spectacle, too stunned to speak.
The Pink Emperor's casual destruction of the Spirit Realm back then was a world-shattering event that few had witnessed firsthand. Now, the Ageless Celestial Emperor's casual restoration of the Spirit Realm was a miracle that would surely be told for millennia!
"A... a miracle! This is a miracle!" Zuo Qianhuang suddenly shouted, his eyes nearly bulging from their sockets. He stole a glance at An Ran on Lao Ba's back, his heart filled with nothing but awe. Initially, he had merely thought of her as a little girl following Luo Xiu and paid her no mind. Only now did he realize she was a truly supreme expert!
...
A moment later, An Ran withdrew her Magic Wand. "No matter how tightly it's stitched, it's not as solid as it once was," she said to Luo Xiu. "The rest is up to you."
"What do I need to do?" Luo Xiu asked.
"Go up there and use your Primordial Divine Power," An Ran instructed.
Luo Xiu immediately understood her meaning, his face lighting up with realization.
An Ran said flatly, "First, turn the land into molten lava. Once the lava cools and solidifies, the planet will be truly restored and reborn. Every planet begins as molten lava." She paused, then added, "However, this planet no longer has a Star Core. Even if you repair its body, it has no soul. It will remain a dead land, unable to nurture life."
Upon hearing this, Luo Xiu's gaze snapped to Master Ping.
The fat on Master Ping's face quivered. He suddenly had an intense urge to slap himself. "Sigh, if I'd known, I never would have brought this up!" he groaned.
"Hurry up," Luo Xiu urged. "Take out your Star Core."
Master Ping's face contorted in pain. He glared at Luo Xiu through gritted teeth. "If I get a next life, I think I'll find a new dao companion."
...
Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, Luo Xiu took the Star Core that Master Ping had released from the World Inside the Vase and flew toward the Spirit Realm. The Star Core was immense, like a mountain, containing what seemed to be an endless supply of Spiritual Energy.
A moment later, as Luo Xiu neared the Spirit Realm, he noticed a massive, pitch-black pit at the center of its surface, like a bottomless abyss. That pit was the missing piece of the Spirit Realmâthe very Land of Lawlessness that was now in his left eye. However, Luo Xiu had no intention of putting the Land of Lawlessness back to fill the hole. The entire surface is about to be washed over by the Primordial Yellow Springs Dance anyway. The pit will be filled in then.
With that thought, Luo Xiu hurled the Star Core toward the pit. In a flash, he landed on the surface of the Spirit Realm and immediately unleashed the Primordial Yellow Springs Dance.
...
As time passed, the observers on the Thunderbolt Divine Boat watched the dark planet become rapidly engulfed in lava until it transformed into a dazzling sun.
ăA few hours later.ă
Luo Xiu returned to the Thunderbolt Divine Boat, panting heavily. Pushing the Primordial Yellow Springs Dance to its limit to turn the entire surface of the Spirit Realm into a sea of molten fire had taken a massive toll on him. The side effects of his Nine Yang Constitution were about to flare up again.
Time trickled by. Once the "sun" had dimmed back to a dark sphere and the lava had completely cooled and solidified, Luo Xiu had Zuo Qianhuang pilot the Thunderbolt Divine Boat into the Spirit Realm.
"The planet is repaired and has a Star Core, but it's no good without a sun," Lao Ba suddenly commented.
Everyone turned to look at him.
Lao Ba puffed out his chest proudly. "Let old Lao Ba here make a contribution as well!"
Luo Xiu suddenly remembered. Right, Lao Ba is a Golden Crow.
Master Ping laughed heartily. "That's right! You're a Golden Crow, and Golden Crows are suns! The same kind of silly birds that Hou Yi shot down back in the day."
Lao Ba tilted his head. "Who's Hou Yi? Tell him to come here and try shooting me."
"Alright, alright, hurry up," Luo Xiu urged. "Show us what you've got."
Lao Ba immediately spread his wings and flew off. "Behold, Lao Ba's Golden Crow Divine SkillâFlame of Hope!"
Luo Xiu glanced at Master Ping, an unimpressed look on his face.
Master Ping remained expressionless. "Great name."
...