Chapter 281 : The Cause
Chapter 281: The Cause
The man in white robes stood freely and unrestrained, his hair flowing naturally, suspended in mid-air, unaffected by any laws, as if he were the master of this world.
And he was the master of this world—the artifact spirit of the Nine Nether Tower, and one of the most supreme figures in existence—the Nine Nether Demon Venerable!
His gaze turned more intrigued. “You actually know who I am. Seems like you’ve got quite a few secrets on you, boy.”
Chen Ming replied respectfully, “It was merely by chance that I came into possession of your sect’s secret art.”
The man in white clasped his hands behind his back, casually glancing down at the Four Symbols Army Formation preparing to besiege the city, and asked offhandedly, “Who was that uninvited guest just now?”
“That was an old Daoist. He claimed to be practicing the Method of Immortality and said he’s lived for three hundred years. As for his cultivation, I’m not sure.”
Chen Ming didn’t hesitate at all—he directly sold out the old Daoist.
He believed that with the Daoist’s divine abilities, he wouldn’t be caught by this Demon Venerable anyway.
“Method of Immortality?”
A mocking smile tugged at the corners of the white-robed man’s mouth. “Tell me then, what kind of immortality method is that old Daoist cultivating?”
“To follow Heaven’s will and fate, avoid calamities and disasters, and preserve the self.”
That was the principle the old Daoist had once explained to him.
“Interesting.”
The man in white chewed over the words, and his eyes lit up. “Didn’t expect that such a sect still exists in this world. A pity I won’t get to meet him.”
Chen Ming thought to himself, You’re the very source of all calamities. That old Daoist would run far away just to avoid you—why on earth would he let you meet him?
The man in white waved his hand, and a doorway appeared out of thin air.
“This isn’t the place to talk. Come sit with me at my home.”
“Yes, sir.”
Under his gaze, Chen Ming mustered up his courage and stepped through the portal.
Beyond the gate was a courtyard, filled with many flowers and plants in bloom, attracting multicolored butterflies fluttering about.
The scene was so picturesque it could’ve been used as a wallpaper.
There was a large tree in the courtyard, and beneath it sat a stone table and benches, with steaming tea and an array of pastries already set out.
The man in white smiled and said, “You’re the second person to ever visit me here.”
Chen Ming asked, “And the first?”
“Ji Wanzhou.”
He hadn’t heard the name before, but he could guess—it was most likely the name of Great Jin’s founding emperor.
Sure enough, the man in white said, “He was your Great Jin Dynasty’s Taizu. A cunning little rat.”
Chen Ming gave a dry laugh and didn’t respond to that comment. Instead, he asked, “Has Senior been living here all these years?”
“Why do I detect a trace of pity in your tone?”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
Chen Ming was startled—he’d only unintentionally let a trace of emotion slip, and the man had caught it. Is this guy a micro-expression expert?!
The man in white burst out laughing. “You really are interesting. Just like that Ji Wanzhou, bold beyond measure. When you activated the《Controlling Artifact Art》earlier, were you trying to make the Nine Nether Tower yours?”
Chen Ming quickly said, “I had no such intention, Senior. I merely acted in a moment of desperation to save myself.”
“That’s the truth.”
The white-robed man looked at him and teased, “Indeed, with your aptitude and background, your future is limitless. Why would you stoop to associate with those from the Cult of Eternal Life, right?”
Chen Ming forced another dry laugh. “Senior jests.”
“All right, I’ll stop teasing you. Since it’s rare to have a guest, let me give you a tour,” the man said cheerfully, and waved his hand again.
Chen Ming suddenly found the scenery around him shifting. They were now floating in midair above a bustling city filled with people.
In different courtyards, some practiced martial arts, others read books, some wove fabric, and a few… were having affairs.
A vivid picture of worldly life.
He even spotted the courtyard they had just been in.
Puzzled, he asked, “What is this place?”
The man in white seemed to know what he was about to ask. “To them, this place is paradise. Here, they won’t age or die. They can live carefree forever, do whatever they wish.”
Chen Ming’s lips parted slightly—he wanted to ask “Are you trying to be God?”
But he held back and instead said, “So Senior intends to become the Creator.”
“Exactly, the Creator!”
The man in white clapped his hands, looking at him with admiration, as if saying, You get me!
He excitedly painted a grand vision. “As long as enough life fills this place and evolution continues, one day it will become a true world. A world without suffering, without illness, without death. Only peace and joy…”
“Such a grand vision… Junior is in awe.”
“You don’t mean that. You clearly look down on this so-called Nine Nether World of mine.”
Chen Ming’s face twitched slightly.
Seriously? Can you read minds?
The white-robed man said, “With nothing better to do, I often observe the love and hatred among mortals. After a while, I can see into their hearts.”
“……”
Chen Ming said, “I just think that creating such a world… is probably not so easy.”
“Of course it isn’t. But I have time.”
Fair point—this guy had lived for who knows how many years.
According to Six Doors records, the first Nine Nether Demon Venerable wreaked havoc over fifteen hundred years ago, so he must be at least a millennium old.
Later, that Demon Venerable vanished. Rumor was he had been sealed away by a great expert.
Two other Demon Venerables of the Nine Nether Sect rose afterward, but that was a different story.
Seeing that this Demon Venerable was in a good mood, Chen Ming took the chance to ask, “Senior, why did the Nine Nether Tower suddenly undergo such a change?”
“You want to know?”
“Naturally.”
“Then come with me. Let me show you a good show.”
The white-robed man waved his hand, and both vanished from the spot.
——
They reappeared in a dark space, colored in shades of dark purple.
As soon as Chen Ming arrived, he felt as if he were in a vacuum—there wasn’t a trace of heaven and earth essence energy. Even the Gang Yuan within his body was leaking out uncontrollably.
He instinctively closed all his pores to prevent any further energy loss.
In the center sat a middle-aged Daoist, surrounded by golden lightning bolts, which burned a black hole into the dark purple void.
This is the current Celestial Master?
The moment Chen Ming saw the Daoist, he guessed his identity.
Celestial Masters—a lineage that had persisted since ancient times. Even in the declining era of cultivation, they had carried the banner of practitioners.
However, the Celestial Master Residence had also suffered breaks in its lineage. The most recent resurgence was during the rise of the Great Jin’s founding emperor.
“You’ve finally come.”
The Daoist opened his eyes, golden lightning flashing within. They looked rather eerie.
The man in white stood with his hands behind his back and said flatly, “You’re quite capable. I never realized that for twenty years you had secretly left such a trick here. Impressive. Now speak—why wait until today to spring it? You’ve trapped all these noble scions in the tower. What’s your aim?”
The middle-aged Daoist said, “I only want one person from you.”
“Oh? Who?”
“Forty years ago, someone from the Celestial Master Residence betrayed us. In order to exchange for the《Nine Nether Grand Art》, he delivered a hundred boys and girls into this tower. Among them was my younger sister.”
“I see.”
The man in white recalled the event. “So you spent all these years painstakingly preparing, hoping to threaten me into releasing her?”
“As long as you release my sister, I’ll let you deal with me however you like.”
“How touching.”
A playful smile appeared on the white-robed man’s face. “Unfortunately, I refuse.”
The middle-aged Daoist stared at him. “Have you considered the consequences? If all these noble heirs die in this Tower of Merits, they won’t let this go. They’ll surely seal you and this tower once again…”
The white-robed man said proudly, “So what? I’ll be honest with you—that girl is worthless to me. And I despise being threatened.”
Standing nearby, Chen Ming finally realized the root cause of the Tower of Merits’ disturbance.
As he watched the two on the verge of a breakdown, he grew anxious.
Seriously? You’re over a thousand years old and still this dramatic?!
He raised his voice. “Seniors, please hear me out!”
Both the Nine Nether Demon Venerable and the current Celestial Master turned to look at him.
The Demon Venerable said coldly, “Boy, you’ve got guts. Do you really think I won’t kill you?”
“Please don’t be angry, Senior.”
Chen Ming broke into a cold sweat and said, “Since you’ve dealt with those despicable folks before, why not strike a deal with the Celestial Master too? There’s no need to go down a path of mutual destruction. You still have grand plans to fulfill—why delay over something so trivial?”
The Demon Venerable’s expression eased. “So you’re saying I should let myself be threatened?”
“How is this a threat? The Celestial Master only took this risk because of his sister. Such devotion moves even me, a mere bystander. Why not fulfill his wish, and make it a good deed?”
The Demon Venerable smirked at him. “You’re spouting all this just to save yourself. You’re afraid that if he destroys the core here, you’ll never be able to leave the tower, right?”
“Senior sees clearly. But this matter benefits all three of us. Why not do it? If we can all win, why insist on losing together?”
The Demon Venerable chuckled. “You make a good point. If we can all win, why lose together?”
Chen Ming looked at him hopefully. “So Senior agrees?”
“Too bad it’s useless. That girl is already dead.”
“What?!”
Chen Ming and the Daoist’s expressions changed drastically.
The Demon Venerable clearly enjoyed the despair on their faces. With a look of delight, he said, “You could’ve lived without knowing this cruel truth… Well? How do you feel now?”