Chapter 202 The Azure Sundial Awaits the Reincarnation to Begin Again, and Perhaps We Can Reunite.

It's clear that Qingming and Kunyi had no intention of having all the immortals participate in the sundial ceremony.

From the time Kunyi issued the decree to gather immortals to the time Qingming performed the sundial ceremony, there was only about half a day. Immortals who traveled through the myriad realms simply did not have enough time to return. Only immortals who happened to be in the celestial realm were able to witness the sundial ceremony.

Bitao, along with the other immortals who had rushed back anxiously, was above the clouds. Listening to their discussions, which, despite their efforts to lower their voices, still resounded through the heavens, and gazing at the back of the Myriad Realms Heavenly Dao Kunyi standing at the very front of the clouds, she couldn't help but feel a sense of desolation.

Is there really no other way?

"The great battle has just ended. Although the Southeast Heavenly Venerable of Good Life and Salvation is dead, what if he had accomplices? If the Azure Emperor really abandons the cause at this time, what if... what if those rebels make a comeback?"

"Hasn't the ancient rule of appointing generals by immortals been restored? The missing personnel in the six departments can be quickly replenished. Is it really necessary to go to this point..."

"Waaaaah... I'm sorry, I didn't want to cry, but I can't control myself. Ever since I was born, the Azure Emperor has been sitting on the sundial. Although he rarely interacts with the Nine Heavens Immortals, his presence is like the sky that will never fall."

"Immortal Master, is there really no other way? We can work harder, try a little more..."

Someone approached Kunyi and boldly declared that they could work tirelessly and handle even more tasks, hoping she could stop the Azure Emperor from using the sundial.

When one person went by, everyone gathered around him, pleading and begging.

They would never dare to speak privately with the Heavenly Dao of the Myriad Realms under normal circumstances, but at this moment they really couldn't care less.

Qingming appears to sit silently and motionless on the sundial all day, but he is indeed like the celestial canopy at the top of the sky, with all those below looking up at him as believers.

Bitao did not go to persuade Kunyi to retract her decision.

Taiji and Liuding Liujia Shen Luohui rushed back from the Ministry of War. After calling out "Peach Fairy", they stood beside her and said nothing more.

Zhu Ming had just returned from You Tian, ​​bringing with him a group of merit-based immortals led by Cang Ling and others. They stood not far from Bi Tao, their expressions solemn.

Zhan Kui and Xuan Jia, who were in charge of the constellation, could not return. Bi Tao saw Bing Lun and Bing Jing ascend to the clouds, followed by several Thunder Department generals. The two nodded to Bi Tao from afar.

Han Shang, Chong A, and the others have now entered the Thunder Department and are currently traveling through countless worlds; they will never return.

The three officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water silently ascended to the clouds and stood behind Kunyi, while the Queen Mother of the West and the King Father of the East stood to Kunyi's left and right respectively.

Ji Chunjun commands and directs the myriad realms of the galaxy. Bi Tao has not seen her for nearly a month. At this moment, she has also ascended to the clouds and is standing on the edge of the clouds.

Apart from a few weeping little fairies, none of the immortal elders spoke up to persuade Kunyi to stop Qingming.

Because they all knew that Qingming would not sacrifice himself to the sundial unless the mountains and rivers were on the verge of collapse and there was no way to reverse it.

It has been almost two months since the major battle began. If there were any other way, we would not have come to this point.

Kunyi raised her hand to form a hand seal and waved her sleeve to activate the Myriad Realms Mirage.

Above the mirage, mountains and rivers were shattered, the earth cracked and mountains collapsed. In those derailed and chaotic star realms, vegetation withered, flight ceased, and people suffered wailing and lamentation due to the loss of life force. Corpses littered the fields, a scene of utter devastation.

As the little fairies watched the scenes change within the mirage, they eventually stopped even from crying.

They had to retreat, had to accept the fact that they were going to lose the Azure Nether Immortal Emperor.

Qingming had already appeared under the sundial, sitting cross-legged in the place he had guarded for millions of years, and looked up at the clouds.

For less than a breath's time, he looked at Kunyi.

But soon, he looked around at the group of immortals.

His voice, golden and resonant, shook the heavens: "The ancient gods were born for the sake of all living beings, and were ready to die for them at any time."

In this world of chaos and stellar decay, countless lives are facing annihilation. We, who hold high positions in the celestial realms and are sustained by the sacrifices of all living beings, must repay the world with our life force.

"Now that I am the head of all the immortals, I should naturally follow in their footsteps. If my efforts are insufficient to sustain the lives of the stars, you should emulate my actions and continue to replenish the universe with your divine souls. Do not delay or disobey my command because of your greed for life or fear of death."

As Qingming finished speaking, the immortals fell silent. This time, it wasn't that they were frightened by Qingming's words, "If my exhaustion of spiritual energy is insufficient to continue the lives of the stars, you should follow my example," but rather that their reverence and awe for Qingming reached its peak at this moment.

Throughout history, those who hold high positions, over time, inevitably lose their true nature, clinging to power and becoming disdainful of the world.

Not to mention that Qingming has already reached the realm of an immortal who is one with the sundial. He is not only all-powerful, but also holds the power of life and death in his hands.

With a single thought, he could annihilate all living beings in the myriad worlds and control the cycles of fate and reincarnation of countless people.

Yet he was willing to so easily relinquish his extraordinary powers and sacrifice himself to quell the chaos in the four star realms. Such compassion and empathy deeply moved all the immortals.

As soon as Qingming finished speaking, a vast expanse of crimson-gold light suddenly erupted from his body.

Golden rays, like a waterfall of quicksand falling from the heavens, flowed into the Milky Way in the instant the sundial rotated, and the clouds covered the sun, revealing the celestial map once again on the horizon.

The immortals looked up and saw that many of the 36,500 main stars on the celestial map, which would have lit up immediately when the map was activated, were now not lit up.

Not to mention the smaller star realms surrounding the main star, which are mostly dark and difficult to see.

Clearly, no matter how many celestial positions there are in the Nine Heavens, it is difficult to reverse the situation of the stars being dimmed.

Moreover, these stars are interconnected and nurture each other. If a main star in a constellation becomes dim, even if the surrounding smaller star systems are initially bright, they will soon lose their vitality and their light will be difficult to sustain.

As the immortals gazed at these star charts, they realized even more clearly than when they looked directly at Kunyi's mirage array that the Star Realm was in grave danger and could not be delayed.

At this very moment, the adult golden crow, its crimson gold gathered together, flapped its wings across the star map, its feathers exuding a magnificent and powerful aura, and wherever it passed, golden light enveloped everything.

Soon, those dim little star realms suddenly burst forth with a strong light of life, gradually brightening up. When the spiritual light of the little star realms connected in turn and simultaneously supplied the main star—that main star flickered several times, and then—suddenly lit up!

The immortals were overjoyed and in a frenzy.

The golden crow, transformed from the Azure Emperor, then flew to the next place where the stars were obscured...

At the same time, the Heavenly Dao of Myriad Realms waved its sleeve once more, forming a mirage array, which was being released to the myriad realms nourished by the vast immortal spirit of the Azure Nether Emperor.

Mayflies swim in the starry sky, while new life is born on the seabed.

Withered grass and trees have come back to life, and tall shrubs have sprung up from the ground!

Eagles and birds emerge from their eggs, and in the blink of an eye, they take flight into the sky.

The wildfire that was about to erupt was extinguished by a shower of rain that shimmered with golden light.

The tide, which was about to sweep across the land, receded amidst the cries of seagulls.

Wandering in the human world, he was crushed to death by a landslide, leaving his shattered and stagnant soul. However, a gentle breeze touched his soul, restoring it to its original state and allowing him to regain his memories of his previous life.

The swaying, off-orbiting celestial body was restored to its proper order by the impact of the golden crow.

Every golden feather that fell from the star map transformed into a brand new dawn.

Soon, one star after another, and then another, and another, and another, gradually lit up.

The ancient records of the gods' sacrifices to the sundial appear to be earth-shattering in ancient texts. However, as Qingming's divine soul was extracted, the immortals realized that the true sacrifices of the gods to the sundial were not the elaborate rituals of mortals with gongs, drums, and incense, but rather a silent and subtle process, like the transformation of the sea into mulberry fields.

When Qingming's soul was extracted and only a faint phantom remained, sitting on the star dial, the 36,000 main stars on the Zhou Tian star map shone brightly once again!

The immortals finally couldn't hold back any longer, and one of them sobbed as he spoke, "Your Majesty..."

"The Azure Nether Emperor!"

"Your Majesty, sob sob sob..."

Before the sundial completely disappeared from the earth, Qingming opened his eyes again and looked up at the clouds.

Bitao saw Kunyi take a tiny half-step forward, a very, very small half-step, so small that it seemed as if she had only swayed slightly.

For the first time ever, Qingming curled his lips into a smile.

Before his body was completely disintegrated, his voice once again resounded throughout the heavens.

It was a farewell filled with regret and endless tenderness, yet also with anticipation.

"All things in heaven and earth are subject to the cycle of birth and death. When the cycle of reincarnation begins again, we may be able to reunite."

The sundial completely absorbed Qingming's soul. On the Zhou Tian star chart, spiritual light blazed brightly for a moment, and then the golden crow's form suddenly dissipated.

The star map was hidden, the clouds dispersed, and the warm sunlight shone on each immortal, like... like a gentle caress from the palm of an elder.

Sobs rose and fell in chorus, as the immortals shed tears upon the clouds.

Bitao's eyes were red-rimmed.

She clutched a small jar hidden in her sleeve, which gleamed with golden light—it contained a wisp of golden spirit that she had secretly intercepted by setting up a spirit-shifting array on the sundial.

Upon receiving Kunyi's order to gather immortals, Bitao set up a spirit-shifting array on the sundial.

Therefore, compared to the immortals, she was not as heartbroken.

Because they can only wait for Qingming's words, "The beginning and end of fate, the cycle of reincarnation and reunion," and await the arrangement of Heaven.

But Bitao believed that human will could overcome fate.

Death is not the end, but the beginning of the next reunion.

She stole this wisp of golden spirit from Qingming's divine soul, so from then on, no matter which realm Qingming reincarnated in, she could find him through the art of spirit searching.

When Mingguang wakes up, he won't be so sad anymore.

But unseen by anyone, within the stardial at this moment, a wisp of Qingming's spirit refused to "die."

With such a fierce and decisive nature, he didn't even give the immortals a chance to return and see him off when he offered sacrifices to the sundial, yet a wisp of his spirit remained hidden away!

It did not follow the other immortals into the Zhou Tian Xing Tu to nurture all living beings.

Once the ritual of the sundial was completely over, this wisp of spirit, whose whereabouts were unknown, emerged and, against the flow of the celestial spirits, rushed toward the bright light that had been floating in the sundial, healing itself.

Then it entered Mingguang's soul and repaired the severely injured wings of the young Golden Crow, which had been broken and had lost all its feathers due to being forcibly struck by the sundial.

The deity had the well-being of all living beings in his heart and loved all people, but he also truly cherished the "little bird" that he had hatched with his own hands.

Therefore, one must hide a trace of "selfishness" and only when no one is around can one fully indulge in "selfish desires".

The spirit of the adult Golden Crow embraced the spirit of the young Golden Crow, mending his broken bones and torn meridians inch by inch, bit by bit, and finally, the spirit itself merged into his wings.

May he henceforth spread his wings and cover the sky, ride the wind and conquer all, and be invincible wherever he goes.