The Saint King Taiyi made his move, and with a tremendous force, he drove all the strong fighters within the life array out.
The domineering presence of the Saint King Taiyi, an unparalleled master in the Ancient Celestial Realm, made even the strongest of warriors seem insignificant before him. But this display of power only heightened the mystery surrounding Magu in everyone's hearts. Why would an ancient celestial being obey her? This was a saint king, after all.
The reason Taiyi obeyed Magu was twofold. Firstly, Magu knew Taiyi's lifeline, and having one's lifeline known was like being held by a deadly grip. More importantly, Taiyi suddenly thought of someone—someone who filled him with deep fear.
Remembering this person, the thoughts Taiyi had while hiding in the shadows vanished. The relic of Nuwa seemed more like a death warrant, prompting Taiyi to stay far away.
At this moment, Taiyi's greatest desire was to guard noon with Magu and then leave her presence as soon as possible.
In the blink of an eye, Cheng Baiyi was the only one left in the life array.
"Saint King Taiyi, who is she? Who is she?" Cheng Baiyi asked urgently.
Taiyi looked at Cheng Baiyi, squinting his eyes slightly but not answering.
"Is she the one from hundreds of thousands of years ago, the nation-toppling beauty...?" Cheng Baiyi persisted.
"Shut up!" Taiyi roared.
This roar shook the hearts of all the forces around, making everyone look at Taiyi in confusion.
"Cheng Baiyi, for the sake of the Zixiao Sect, I won't make things difficult for you, but you need to watch every word you say, every guess you make. Don't speak recklessly. Once spoken, it's not that I won't spare you, but the whole world won't tolerate you," Taiyi said in a deep voice.
The whole world won't tolerate you? People looked at Magu deeply. Was it really that serious? Just wanting to know her identity, and the world wouldn't tolerate it?
"I... I just want to..." Cheng Baiyi suddenly panicked.
At this moment, Cheng Baiyi seemed to realize the significance of this woman's identity. Magu? A woman who absolutely couldn't be provoked?
"Remember, forget everything you saw today. Otherwise, you know the consequences. The Zixiao Dojo will be reduced to ashes, and you will be hunted by saints. You should know what that means," Taiyi said solemnly.
Hunted by saints?
Upon hearing Taiyi's words, everyone was stunned. Could it be true?
Who exactly was Magu?
Taking a deep look at Taiyi, Cheng Baiyi took a deep breath and said, "Thank you, Saint King Taiyi, for your guidance."
"Mm!" Taiyi nodded.
"People of the Zixiao Dojo, follow me back!" Cheng Baiyi commanded.
Although Cheng Baiyi hadn't uncovered Magu's identity, it seemed he had an answer in his heart. At this moment, Cheng Baiyi no longer wanted to meddle in this matter. He quickly left, taking the people of the Zixiao Dojo with him.
Even the relics of Nuwa were no longer desired.
Watching Cheng Baiyi lead the Zixiao Dojo members away, the other forces frowned deeply.
It was as if a shroud of mystery enveloped them, leaving everyone feeling extremely oppressed.
Zhong Shan was certain that Magu must have had an immense reputation in the past, a fame so great it could rival that of a saint.
Who was she really?
"You two, there's no need to hide any longer. Though you are also ancient celestials, I sensed your presence when I arrived. With me here, no one can take another step forward!" Taiyi said, taking out the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Cover.
From beginning to end, the Saint King Taiyi never looked at Magu again. He regretted coming to this sea region. Given another chance, he would never come here. Now, he could only hope to get through noon and then stay far away from Magu.
Upon Taiyi's shout, two spaces flashed slightly, and two men appeared.
The two were unfamiliar to Zhong Shan, but he didn't recognize them.
"Saint King Taiyi, who is this Magu?" one of them asked.
"It's not your place to ask, nor is it your right to know!" Taiyi said sternly.
The scene reached a stalemate. Although many forces were present, there were only a few top-tier experts. With the Saint King Taiyi blocking the way, no one dared to make a move, especially with Magu sitting there calmly.
After giving orders to Taiyi, Magu stood there with a serene demeanor.
"Zhong Shan, what do we do now? Even the Saint King Taiyi has come out!" Princess Jiuwei said, frowning.
Zhong Shan furrowed his brow and asked, "Did Senior Su Daji say that only you could enter the place set up by Nuwa? Communicate this to me."
Princess Jiuwei thought for a moment and said, "Yes, only the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox can open the 'Star Hall.' And I am the last Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox in this world!"
"The last Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox?" Zhong Shan asked in puzzlement.
"Yes, the Fox Clan hasn't had a Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox leader for hundreds of thousands of years. I can roam freely in Taichu because of my status. In the entire Qingqiu, aside from the Saint King, I hold the highest position!" Princess Jiuwei confirmed.
"Is it that difficult for a Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox to appear?"
"It's not difficult. It's just that at some point, the lineage was suddenly broken. Before that, every generation had a successor!" Princess Jiuwei explained.
"Who was the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox in that broken generation?" Zhong Shan asked.
"In that generation, the Fox Clan was at its most glorious. The supreme leader of the Fox Clan at that time was the most beautiful woman in the world, Bao Si, the queen of King You of Zhou! But after the collapse of the Zhou Dynasty and Bao Si's fall, the Fox Clan declined. The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox lineage was also broken," Princess Jiuwei said.
"Su Daji and Bao Si, the Fox Clan has certainly produced many famous figures!" Zhong Shan sighed. These names were well-known even on Earth.
"It's almost noon!" Princess Jiuwei said worriedly.
"You said the Star Hall left by Nuwa, can saints enter it?" Zhong Shan asked again.
"Saints? They probably can, but Senior Su Daji said that saints dare not step inside," Princess Jiuwei replied.
"Dare not? Is there a place in this world that saints dare not go?" Zhong Shan was astonished.
"That's why I said the Star Hall is a must-visit!" Princess Jiuwei said anxiously.
Zhong Shan looked at Princess Jiuwei and then at Magu in the distance. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Maybe, just maybe, Magu will let us go there soon!"
"How is that possible?" Princess Jiuwei didn't believe it.
At that moment, Magu suddenly looked up.
"The tree wishes to be still, but the wind does not cease. There are always schemers who want to throw the world into chaos. Even if chaos ensues, I won't let you be the protagonists!" Magu said calmly.
The Saint King Taiyi frowned slightly. Although puzzled, he did not dare to ask.
Magu lowered her head, looking around at everyone, and finally, her dark hood turned towards Zhong Shan.
"The Nine-Tails of Qingqiu?" Magu asked calmly.
"Swish!" All eyes turned to them.
Princess Jiuwei was taken aback. Could Zhong Shan also predict the future?
"Yes, greetings, Senior!" Princess Jiuwei said respectfully.
"Choose two people to protect you and go to the Star Hall!" Magu said.
There was an uproar all around. Was this real? People couldn't wrap their heads around it. Princess Jiuwei? The Nine-Tailed Princess of the Taichu Sacred Court? How did she get so lucky?
At this moment, Princess Jiuwei seemed overwhelmed with joy, her face stiff with excitement.
"Whoosh!" A figure suddenly flew in from the distance.
"Congratulations, Princess Jiuwei!" Mr. Li said as he arrived.
It was clear Mr. Li wanted to join Princess Jiuwei on her journey. Princess Jiuwei quickly regained her composure, but the joy on her face was unmistakable.
"Zhong Shan, Afo, come with me!" Princess Jiuwei said excitedly.
Mr. Li smiled wryly. It seemed Princess Jiuwei truly trusted Zhong Shan completely, though it was unclear what the Saint King thought.
Under the envious gazes of many, the three of them flew towards the life array.
"Stand in this position," Magu said, making room for them.
"Yes, Senior!"
The three stood on the surface of the sea.
"Fly upwards!" Magu instructed.
Though slightly puzzled, the three followed her command and flew upwards.
"Whoosh!" They disappeared from everyone's sight in an instant.
Their sudden and mysterious disappearance left everyone bewildered. Only a few ancient celestials vaguely saw a streak of light shooting upwards.
As they flew, the three noticed a large number of streaming lights surrounding them. It felt as if they were in a passageway, rapidly ascending towards the heavens.
It was so fast that they couldn't even gauge the speed.
"This is the work of a saint! It must be a law created by Nuwa to quickly transport us to a specific location in the sky—the Star Hall left by Nuwa," Princess Jiuwei explained.
"Indeed," Zhong Shan and Su Afo nodded.
"By the way, Zhong Shan, how did you know Magu would let us go to the Star Hall?" Princess Jiuwei asked, puzzled.
"Magu sensed a major change today, which is why she came to guard this entrance. If something was destined to open today and only you could open it, you naturally had the right to go. Moreover, didn't you notice that the forces just now were too sparse?" Zhong Shan said with a smile.
"Sparse?"
"Yes, there were too few ancient celestials!" Zhong Shan confirmed.
"That's true. Cheng Baiyi came, but why didn't the leader of the Zixiao Sect come? And Mr. Li was there, but the Saint King wasn't?" Su Afo nodded.
"Because these people must have received some information and went directly to the destination! They didn't use this passage but flew to the stars with their physical bodies over the past few months," Zhong Shan said confidently.
"How do you know?" Princess Jiuwei asked.
"Magu mentioned it earlier," Zhong Shan replied.
"Right, Magu did say something about schemers wanting to throw the world into chaos. Now it makes sense," Princess Jiuwei nodded.
"There's one more thing," Zhong Shan took a deep breath.
"What is it?"
"Magu might be from the Fox Clan," Zhong Shan said.
"Fox Clan? Why? Just because she used a Fox Clan technique earlier? Other people can mimic that too!" Princess Jiuwei asked, puzzled.
Zhong Shan shook his head and didn't continue. Some things can be mimicked, but 'instinct' cannot be. An unconscious action is the result of countless years of accumulation. Besides, in Magu's situation, there was no need for her to imitate anyone.