A Will Eternal

Although it might not have seemed possible, the commotion outside grew even more chaotic. This second time in which Bai Xiaochun challenged the Starry Sky Dao Polarity Superstars trials had involved him pulling off one miracle after another!!

First was the incredible speed with which he made it through the early trials, then was his victory over a late Core Formation expert while he himself was only in the mid stage, and finally was his cultivation base breakthrough!

Because of all those things, everyone outside was left reeling. After all, of the group that made up the nine cultivators who were already in the violet portion of the rainbow, eight were in the great circle, with Gongsun Wan’er being the only one in late Core Formation. And yet now, someone else had joined, someone who had entered the group in the mid stage and then immediately risen to the late stage!

As everyone discussed the matter, Bai Xiaochun shivered, and the frigid qi inside of him settled down, placing him firmly in late Core Formation. However, there was no time for him to probe his cultivation base; instead, he shot toward the light of teleportation. Even as he did, numerous motes of light in the area swirled together to form another statue.

It was a statue of Bai Xiaochun!

When he stopped for a moment to look back at it, he saw that it resembled him perfectly, and its aura was very similar to his. However, the statue’s expression was cold and blank as it stood there, completely unmoving.

Bai Xiaochun took a deep breath. He knew that from now on, anyone who tried to get into the violet portion of the rainbow would have to fight his statue as the last part of their trial!

After a moment, he looked away, headed into the teleportation light, and then vanished!

Of course, the discussion among the audience didn’t die down at all. The events which had unfolded on this day were things rarely ever seen, especially considering that there were now ten extremely famous cultivators in the sect. It was a momentous, joyous occasion.

Because Bai Xiaochun had made his breakthrough after the battle, that meant that anyone who tried to challenge that trial in the future would fight the mid Core Formation version of him, not the late stage Bai Xiaochun from after the victory.

That statue represented a certain status in the sect. As long as it remained undefeated, no one would be able to enter the violet trial, and as of this moment, more people were staring at the statue than there had been people watching Bai Xiaochun himself.

As for Bai Xiaochun, when he stepped into the teleportation light, he vanished, disappearing from the blue trial by fire and reappearing within the violet trial!

Meanwhile, on the violet portion of the rainbow, a tenth star had appeared, and all the eyes that had been focusing on the statue shifted over to look at it.

Although no one could see what was happening with Bai Xiaochun now, everyone was wondering.

The mere fact that no one knew what was going on in the violet trial made the entire scenario more mysterious. That added level of mystery made everyone want more than ever to know what would happen next. In a short few months, two people had reached the violet portion of the rainbow, and the mere thought of what happened inside that violet trial was a motivating force for many other cultivators.

As such thoughts filled the minds of all present, Bai Xiaochun appeared within the very violet trial that no one else could see, to find himself in a dimension that was different from all of the other trials by fire.

Stretching out in front of him was a river, upon whose bank he stood.

A blank look could be seen in his eyes, as though he had forgotten something. Furthermore, as he looked around, he got the sensation that nothing around him was real.

“What did I forget?” he thought in surprise, sitting down on the riverbank to think. However, even after some time passed, the only thing he could remember was his name. All of his other memories seemed to have disappeared.

The confusion in his eyes grew deeper.

His original plan upon entering the light of teleportation had been to abandon the Starry Sky Dao Polarity Superstars trial as soon as he entered the next stage. After all, by that point, his goal would have been met, and he could request the power of a deva to save Big Fatty Zhang.

Time was of the essence.

However, as soon as he entered the mysterious violet trial by fire, he couldn’t remember any of that.

“No,” he murmured, “I remember that there was something important I needed to do.” Frowning, he tried harder to think back to whatever it was that he’d forgotten, and it was in that moment that he suddenly heard someone singing.

The voice rose and fell, making the lyrics of the song impossible to make out. However, the person singing seemed old, ancient even. A moment later, a lonely boat appeared on the river.

An old man sat in the boat, wearing a wide bamboo hat, and pushing the boat along with a long bamboo pole. Upon nearing the bank, he looked up, revealing a face wrinkled with age. Smiling, he said, “Is your heart unsettled?”

Bai Xiaochun looked up at the old man and the boat. Feeling confused, he replied, “I feel like I’ve forgotten something.”

“Everyone forgets things sometimes,” the old man said with a smile. “Why don’t you come aboard and listen to my ballad? Perhaps that will help you remember whatever it is you’ve forgotten.”

Bai Xiaochun sat there quietly for a moment, then rose to his feet and hopped into the boat. With that, the old man pushed on the bamboo pole, and the boat once again began to move down the river.

As Bai Xiaochun sat there in the lonely boat, the old man began to sing. Strangely, no matter how closely Bai Xiaochun paid attention, he was unable to make out any of the words the old man sang.

After a moment, he couldn’t hold back from asking, “What are you singing?”

“A folk song,” the old man replied.

Bai Xiaochun listened for a bit longer, then asked, “Does it have a name?”

“It doesn’t.” Smiling, the old man continued, “It’s a ballad, the end of which no one will ever hear. Nine other people came before you, and none of them listened to the entire song. The first person listened to it for the longest, but gave up eventually.” With that, he continued singing.

Bai Xiaochun sat there silently, both listening and also trying to recall what it was that he had forgotten. The water in the river was by no means still; waves rolled back and forth, and after a bit of time, a rather large one hit the side of the boat. As Bai Xiaochun swayed back and forth with the rocking of the boat, his mind stirred, and suddenly, he remembered something.

He was in a room with his father, who was gripping his hand tightly as he said, “Xiaochun, you have to keep on living....”

A tremor ran through Bai Xiaochun as that memory sparked a fire which raged through his mind, causing his memories to flood back into him with mountain-toppling, sea-draining power.

“I have to save Eldest Brother!!” he thought, shivering as he remembered everything from before. He suddenly stood up, whereupon the boat vanished, along with the river. The entire room around him was now completely empty.

In front of him was the old man, though, who turned and looked at Bai Xiaochun, eyes sparkling with bizarre, mysterious light.

“Do you see clearly now?” the old man asked.

“Huh?” Bai Xiaochun said. “Oh. I don’t want to participate in this trial by fire. I need to save someone!!” Now that he had regained his memories, this trial seemed even stranger than before.

The old man looked at him for a long moment, and then repeated, “Do you see clearly now?”

Bai Xiaochun was starting to get a bit angry. “I--” action

However, he only got one word out of his mouth before the old man shook his head and interrupted with a sigh. “Fine, I know what you’re thinking. Get into the violet trial, and you can ask for a boon from the sect. As long as it’s not too excessive, your wish will be granted. For example, your hostage status can be removed.”

“I want the power of a deva!” Bai Xiaochun said immediately.

The old man nodded. “After you leave, someone will deliver it to you.”

With that, he waved his hand, causing a vortex to spring up in the void, which began to tug Bai Xiaochun toward it.

Just before going through the exit, Bai Xiaochun stopped and looked back at the old man, who was walking away from him into the void.

“Just now,” Bai Xiaochun said, “you asked if I could see something clearly. What were you talking about?”

The old man didn’t look back. Voice cool, he replied, “Your Dao!”

Bai Xiaochun was confused. The old man continued to walk away, and as Bai Xiaochun sank into the exit, he called out, “I’m not sure what my Dao is, but I do have a wish, and that’s to live forever!”

The old man stopped walking, looked back, and smiled. “That’s your Dao!”

Rumbling sounds echoed out, and Bai Xiaochun vanished, to appear moments later outside of the Starry Sky Dao Polarity Superstars trials!

The first thing that met him was the sound of numerous discussions, shortly after which, his vision grew clear. Almost immediately, he caught sight of countless cultivators looking at him with envy and respect.

At the same time, a solemn voice spoke out from the sect leader’s portion of Myriad Star Rainbow.

“Hostage Bai Xiaochun of the River-Defying Sect, your request has been granted. You will be bestowed with the power of a deva!”

A bright beam of light shot down from the sky to appear in front of Bai Xiaochun in the shape of a crystalline leaf that pulsed with incredible power!

Everyone in the area felt incredible pressure weighing down onto them, making it hard to even breathe, almost as if their cultivation bases were being suppressed. Shockingly, that leaf contained wood-type deva power!

Furthermore, it was a full portion of power, not just a tiny scrap!