"Flames of karma rise, sin surges to the heavens—this is an ominous sign. In the past, such signs would herald the descent of calamity, bringing chaos to the world."
"Now, the Demon Court's offensive shows no signs of stopping. Their killing intent fills the heavens, and the boundless realms are being engulfed. I fear this will affect the celebration of the nation's ruler's birthday."
On a high tower in the Immortal Chu Dynasty, an elderly man with white eyebrows, clad in a starry Daoist robe, held a compass in his hand as he observed the celestial phenomena at night, his eyes filled with sorrow.
Below him, many figures stood in formation, their positions aligned with some heavenly pattern. Faint light flowed between them, converging into a river of illusory fate.
"What has the Star Lord seen?"
Hearing the white-browed elder's words, the figures below couldn't help but ask.
The white-browed elder was none other than the White-Browed Star Lord of the Immortal Chu Dynasty, a highly respected figure.
Many years ago, he had already reached the Dao Realms, and his strength was unfathomable. Even Chu Gucheng treated him with great respect.
"It seems my tribulation has come," the White-Browed Star Lord sighed repeatedly.
Then, he looked at the figures below and asked, "Have you found any news about that mysterious man in white?"
"Reporting to the Star Lord, there is no news. After he appeared in the Southern Wilderness Ancient Domain, he vanished. It seems an ancient cultivator at the Ancestral Dao level intervened, obscuring all heavenly secrets related to him," one of the figures below replied respectfully.
The White-Browed Star Lord was not surprised. Even he, after exhausting all means, had been unable to deduce anything about the man.
However, the attitude of Purple Dew Mountain and Divine Ascension Cavern toward the mysterious man in white was highly suspicious.
There were many rumors and speculations about his identity. Some said he came from the Forbidden and Mysterious Lands, but there was no evidence or trace of why he would appear in the mortal world.
The death of Chu Gucheng's descendant also seemed to be entangled with him in some way.
There were simply too many coincidences.
During this time, the White-Browed Star Lord had been trying to investigate and deduce the man's movements to understand his origins.
If he truly was connected to the Forbidden and Mysterious Lands, then the matter would be easier to handle.
But the White-Browed Star Lord feared that things were not as simple as he thought. Deep down, he sensed that his own tribulation was approaching, and his fate was nearing its end—likely in the near future.
Moreover, he vaguely felt that his impending tribulation might be connected to the death of Chu Lu.
Beings like him often had premonitions of fragments of their own fate, understanding the will of heaven and knowing their own destiny.
The calamity facing the Immortal Chu Dynasty was, in a way, also the calamity he had to face.
"Is Wu Dao here?"
Sighing softly, the White-Browed Star Lord looked at the figures below and asked.
Hearing this, a man with a wooden expression and a square face, dressed in coarse clothing, stepped forward and asked respectfully, "Master, what are your instructions?"
The White-Browed Star Lord looked at this, his most accomplished disciple, and nodded slightly. "You stay behind. I have something to tell you. The rest of you may leave."
Although he served Chu Gucheng, he had his own Daoist sanctuary. His disciples numbered in the tens of thousands, spread across various realms. Among them, the most trusted was this wooden-faced man.
Soon, only the master and disciple remained in the tower.
The White-Browed Star Lord looked at the wooden-faced man, took out a slightly yellowed letter from his robe, and handed it to him. "Among all my disciples, you are the one I trust the most. You are also the one I am most at ease with when it comes to handling matters."
"Take this letter. After leaving the Prime-Origin Civilization, go to a place called Yinxu Cave in the Vast Expanse and deliver it to the master of Yinxu Cave."
"Yinxu Cave?" The wooden-faced man was stunned, his expression filled with confusion.
This was the first time he had heard of this name.
However, the White-Browed Star Lord did not explain further. He simply said, "After leaving the Prime-Origin Civilization, head toward the darkest place in the world. Once you arrive, you will understand. My fate is destined for a tribulation, and my only hope lies in this letter."
"Yes, Master."
The wooden-faced man's expression immediately turned solemn. He took the letter and then left the tower.
The White-Browed Star Lord watched him leave and let out a long sigh.
"Chu Gucheng carries the fate of heaven and bears the fortune of the Prime-Origin Civilization. Back then, I owed him a debt of gratitude and have served him for nearly a hundred epochs. Unfortunately, the signs of the Human Emperor have yet to manifest in him."
"Could it be that my master's words were all wrong?"
Chu Gucheng is protected by the fate of heaven, having overcome countless obstacles to reach this point.
Although he has encountered many trials and tribulations along the way, he has always managed to resolve them.
Apart from his astonishing fortune, the White-Browed Star Lord also suspected that this might be related to Chu Gucheng's hidden destiny.
The sect behind him studied the verification of the heavenly Dao, pursuing the natural laws of the Dao and following the will of the heart.
The reason he followed Chu Gucheng and served him was largely to verify the signs of the Human Emperor.
If Chu Gucheng were to condense the Human Emperor's Dao Fruit, then the White-Browed Star Lord's cultivation would naturally be verified. His cultivation would advance further, bringing him closer to the End of the Path.