Chapter 480: 5 Emperors Established, Jade Emperor Enshrined, Great Tribulation Dispersed, Realm's Affairs Concluded

The Divine Light was gone. The sea of lightning was gone. The young man in white was gone, as was the resplendent Divine Court.

The scroll that had blanketed the sky was gone, as was the terrifying, heart-stopping pressure.

It was as if none of it had ever happened.

‘He’s dead!?’

Atop the battlements of the Netherworld Giant City, Bai You stood frozen.

Even he could no longer sense the faintest trace of the scroll.

But he had a nagging feeling that this was only the beginning.

The dust had not yet settled.

But regardless, the world-ending catastrophe would no longer come to pass.

For a moment, his heart felt empty.

For thousands of years, the only thing he had cared about was this catastrophe. He had even been prepared to perish in it.

Now, the world-ending catastrophe seemed to have been entirely banished by that scroll.

He didn’t know why, but he felt an emptiness in his heart.

He even felt a little lost.

He didn’t know where to go from here.

“Second Brother…”

Venerable Hei Ming took a deep breath. Suppressing the thoughts swirling in his mind, he spoke slowly.

“The Venerable Lord… did not misjudge him.”

At this moment, even he had to admit that Su Bai was indeed stronger than them.

They, at least, had no confidence whatsoever that they could have survived this catastrophe.

To say nothing of how he, a mortal, had outwitted the heavens!

He sealed the gods and the heavens, and ruthlessly expelled the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mechanism!

He restored clarity to the world!

“It’s true… We are no match for him.”

Bai You nodded slightly. His face was expressionless as he looked toward the Silver-White Dog Demon by the Exchange Altar, who seemed to have been struck dumb.

“Did your master leave any final words?”

Ever since Su Bai had shattered his own body, the Silver-White Dog Demon had been in a daze, utterly silent.

It was as if it had suffered a tremendous blow, its spirit utterly broken.

“Master…”

Hearing Bai You’s question, the Silver-White Dog Demon felt its consciousness drifting back from some faraway place.

It blinked rapidly, a flicker of Vitality returning to its eyes.

“Master… Master said… he wants you to ascend…”

it said in a hoarse voice, its gaze dimming once more.

‘Ascend?’

Venerable Hei Ming’s eyes flashed.

“What were Fellow Daoist Su’s exact words?”

Even Hei Ming himself didn’t realize how much weight Su Bai’s potential final words now carried in his heart.

“Ascend.”

The Silver-White Dog Demon lowered its head, teardrops soaking its fur and dripping to the ground, unable to conceal its heart-wrenching grief.

“Master said that after you ascend, you might find… what you are looking for.”

‘What we’re looking for?’

Venerable Bai You’s face remained impassive, but his eyes flickered as he mulled over the words.

‘What did he want?’

‘He wanted his brothers, and even the Venerable Lord, to be resurrected from death!’

‘Ascend…’

‘After ascending, we’ll find what we’re looking for?’

‘Is he telling the truth? Or is he trying to trick us into ascending to avoid a conflict with that old apprentice of his?’

The thought flashed through Venerable Hei Ming’s mind.

He never shied away from assuming the worst of everyone and everything.

Even though the power Su Bai had unleashed in his final moments had surpassed Celestial Mandate, and perhaps even the former Venerable Lord…

…he didn’t believe Su Bai was truly omniscient.

Throughout all of history, no one knew what awaited them after ascension.

‘How could he possibly know?’

‘Tricking them into ascending to protect that gray-haired old apprentice of his seemed far more likely.’

But now, there was no chance to ask Su Bai himself.

He dismissed the stray thoughts and looked at the Silver-White Dog Demon with a hint of pity.

“Your master is gone. From now on, you can stay here in the Netherworld.”

“But Su Bai… he might not be dead!”

The Silver-White Dog Demon suddenly looked up, its tear-filled eyes burning with a fiery light.

“That’s right!”

“Master… Master wouldn’t die!”

As it spoke, the Silver-White Dog Demon opened its paw, revealing a long strand of hair clutched tightly within.

‘A strand of hair…’

“Master… Master once told me on our journey that he would definitely come back.”

The Silver-White Dog Demon stared at the hair in its paw with reddened eyes and added:

“He said he would definitely come back.”

The Silver-White Dog Demon muttered to itself, the conviction in its heart growing stronger.

“Life and death… who can say for sure?”

Venerable Hei Ming watched this unfold and shook his head.

The words he had just spoken were merely to comfort the Dog Demon.

In truth, for all his power, he could no longer sense a single trace of Su Bai’s aura in the world.

It seemed that Su Bai had truly died the moment his body shattered.

「…」

「In a tavern within the Great Xia Imperial City.」

The Divine Thought Incarnation that Su Bai had intentionally left behind in the Great Xia Imperial City began to turn transparent after losing its connection to the main body.

“It seems the main body has succeeded.”

A moment later, the Divine Thought Incarnation raised its wine cup, watching the ripples spread across the surface of the liquid.

it remarked, a smile in its eyes.