Chapter 52 The Emperor of the Clouds

“Dan, when I was riding the wind at full speed, it occurred to me that at the center of the ‘Wasteland’ there must exist an immensely powerful and peculiar magnetic field. This field usually lies dormant, but when the ‘Celestial Gate’ opens and releases vast natural energy, the field responds with a surge of magnetism—as if a bed of iron filings suddenly encounters a magnet, instantly drawn together... Thus, all the objects present, their normal fluctuations, are disrupted by this overwhelming magnetism, including the cultivated arts of the practitioners! It must be so—otherwise, the failure of my ‘Blink Technique’ at that moment would be inexplicable.”

“But,” Yan Red Hero could not help but interject, “Master, before you tried to use the ‘Blink Technique,’ all of you managed to perform the ‘Duplication Technique’ successfully!”

“Indeed!” Master Clear Void's eyes glowed with approval as he looked at Yan Red Hero. After pondering briefly, he said, “Perhaps the magnetism generated by that field fluctuates in strength?”

“You make a good point, Master,” Yan Red Hero nodded, “but—”

Before he could finish, Little Bunny Meng waved her hands at him, urging, “Brother Yan, don’t interrupt! The Daoist’s tale is thrilling and so wonderful—I’m completely captivated... Daoist, Brother Yan won’t speak anymore, please continue your story!”

“Very well,” Master Clear Void nodded. “At that time, I was thinking as I flew toward the ‘Celestial Gate.’ Along the way, the snow-bound landscape was spattered with fresh blood, scattered limbs and twisted heads, ruined corpses everywhere... The scene was shocking, tragic beyond words! I knew those devastated remains belonged to fellow practitioners; it was ‘Scorched Thunder’ that destroyed them! That divine beast, ‘Scorched Thunder,’ truly deserves to be the guardian of the ‘Celestial Gate.’ All of us, cultivators at the ‘Tribulation Crossing’ stage, were highly skilled and possessed great powers, yet before it, we were as powerless as clay chickens and straw dogs!

Originally, my journey to the ‘Wasteland’ was fueled by a firm resolve to obtain the ‘Celestial Uranium Crystal.’ But now, with the situation settled, my victory was denied, and I had to return home in defeat! Alas, it is said, ‘The path rises a foot, but the demon rises a yard!’

The fox mourns for the rabbit. Dan, as I was sighing in sorrow, I suddenly discovered atop an icy mound ahead, a man lying there—his body entirely intact. To be precise, he was sprawled face down, his hair disheveled, clothes tattered, motionless. Clearly, he had suffered the same fate as I—stunned by the tremendous blast wave from ‘Scorched Thunder’... Truly, a stroke of luck amid misfortune! Yet I could not tell if he was dead or alive.

Dan, had it been elsewhere, I would never have approached so lightly, for as the saying goes, ‘Never harbor the intent to harm others, but always guard against it.’—A stranger sprawled in your path, who knows if he is laying a trap for you? But in that moment, within the ‘Wasteland,’ the risk of being ambushed was nonexistent.

So, without hesitation, I descended and approached to investigate.

Standing beside him, I sensed no breath from his body, and my heart tightened. I immediately used my true force to manipulate him from a distance, turning him over. His face was smeared with blood, eyes tightly shut. I reached out and felt his wrist—good, a pulse! My spirits lifted, and I quickly seized his right hand, opened his palm, and pressed my own palm against his, aligning our ‘Laogong acupoints,’ and began to transfer true force to him... After about fifteen minutes, his hand trembled, and his closed eyes twitched. Seeing this, I knew he had regained consciousness, and was overjoyed. I took out a ‘Ninefold Golden Pill’ and placed it in his mouth, helping him swallow it...

At once, he exhaled deeply, opened his eyes and saw me, hastily rising to his feet. He was extremely moved, and bowed in greeting: ‘Daoist, greetings! I am Yun Sky Lord, humble master of the ‘Azure Cloud Sect.’ Today, I am in peril and owe you my deepest gratitude for your rescue! Your kindness, Daoist, shall be remembered by Yun Sky Lord for all my days!’

Dan, though I am devoted to the Dao and heed little of worldly affairs, I have heard much of the ‘Azure Cloud Sect.’ I know that among all the Daoist sects today, ‘Azure Cloud’ stands as a distinguished orthodox school, with many disciples, unique in its ways, established atop Azure Cloud Peak. Currently, the sect master is Yun Sky Lord. Upon hearing his words, I hurried to return the courtesy: ‘So, you are the master of the ‘Azure Cloud Sect’—your reputation precedes you! Sect Master Yun, you suffered a momentary affliction, and I lent a hand; it was a small matter, not worth mentioning.’

After exchanging pleasantries, I took my leave and headed straight for the place where the ‘Celestial Gate’ had opened...

Dan, things unfolded exactly as I had suspected:

When I used the ‘Wind Riding Technique’ to rush there, the ‘Celestial Gate’ had already closed. All that remained in the ‘Wasteland’ were the traces of destruction left by ‘Scorched Thunder’; the other practitioners had vanished without a trace. The land had returned to its former silence. Standing alone, I was filled with emotion! I realized the essence of realm—this is realm: When your level surpasses your opponent, you can crush him at will, wielding life and death as you please; when your realm falls short, you are crushed, helpless under others’ control. Alas! The ‘Celestial Uranium Crystal’—a once-in-a-century treasure—has slipped from my grasp!

Dan, after standing there and lamenting for a while, I thought, since things have come to this, there’s no use wasting any more time. I must hurry back to Clear Void Temple to recuperate and fully restore my vitality. Then, I will plan my next phase of cultivation. I refuse to believe that without the ‘Celestial Uranium Crystal,’ nothing can be accomplished! With my resolve set, I invoked my technique and used the ‘Blink Technique’ to return to Clear Void Temple...”

As Master Clear Void reached this point, Little Bunny Meng suddenly asked, “Daoist, with the ‘Celestial Gate’ closed and no special magnetic field interfering, your ‘Blink Technique’ must have worked smoothly this time, right?”

“Heh heh...” Before Master Clear Void could answer, Pinecone laughed heartily, “Little Meng, earlier you wouldn’t let Brother Yan interrupt, so why are you interrupting now?”

“That was then, this is now,” Little Bunny Meng replied confidently. “Before, the Daoist’s story was gripping, so of course interruptions weren’t allowed. Now the tale is finished, it’s fine for me to ask questions. Hehe... Daoist, am I not making perfect sense?”

“Mm,” Master Clear Void nodded, “You’re right. Little Bunny Meng, your reasoning is sound. With the ‘Celestial Gate’ closed, the special magnetic field in the ‘Wasteland’ no longer generates magnetism, so my arts face no interference, and the ‘Blink Technique’ can be used freely. Even so, this time when I used the ‘Blink Technique,’ something still went wrong...”