Honourable Dao Gu

Bai Ming looked at the rotten meat paste in front of Si Niang, wondering if this was Mu Bai.

If so, then what had happened?

What had he missed in that short moment?

Bai Ming did not know that what appeared to be a moment for him was much more than that to the rest of the group.

A sigh rang out inside his mind. He once again turned around to survey his surroundings but did not find the source of this sigh. He was now increasingly sure that what had happened in that moment was no dream or illusion.

As if to answer him, a young man's voice echoed in his mind.

"Indeed, this was no dream or illusion."

Thinking back now, the moment he made contact with the door's entrance he felt as if a pair of eyes were staring at him and when he completely passed through the entrance the feeling vanished completely but then an unknown voice echoed in his mind.

In that moment, he lost all contact with reality. Whilst everyone was passing through the strange door, he was immersed in another world. He appeared inside a blank space.

When he looked around, he could not see anything. All that appeared in his sight was endless white, but he felt those pair of eyes had returned and clearer than before. For a moment there, he almost thought this was the inside of the strange castle until that voice appeared.

"Interesting, you can actually sense this senior's gaze,"

Bai Ming showed a confused expression to these words.

Senior???

This voice did not seem like that of a grown man. It appeared to be more like a child's. Bai Ming was perplexed and terrified of the unknown. Even in his dreams, he had never encountered anything like this. He could only shout out to the unknown, thinking someone was trying to pull a not so funny joke on him.

"Who are you?"

His voice echoed in this strange space as if there were countless Bai Mings shouting the same thing. What followed was a brief period of silence before the voice appeared again.

"Hmph, you intrude in someone else's residence but still dare to ask who I am."

Bai Ming remained silent. Although the voice appeared to be from a child that did not match the tone, he did not dare to underestimate its owner just because of this little detail.

At the same time, he was also quite fearful of this being. He had never heard of people who could do such things.

In life, some unexplainable things could be accredited to beliefs and deities. In the world they lived in, there was one commonly revered being.

The heavenly immortal!

At the same time, these thoughts surfaced a chuckle reverberated in this space.

Bai Ming no longer dared to be disrespectful lest he angers this deity. Seemingly remembering their current predicament, he did not want to become the reason for everyone's demise.

He immediately adjusted his posture and knelt down with his two hands crossed on his chest.

"How may I address this senior?"

Another chuckle rang out again, but Bai Ming kept his head down without showing any signs of doubt.

"What a sly little brat, it seems this conversation won't go anywhere without this seat's name being revealed."

Hearing this, Bai Ming immediately panicked. He felt stupid. He had tried to be respectful, but the question he had asked was not that much different from before. It was just that his approach this time was polite. 

In fact, the owner of the childish voice was already pleased by Bai Ming's ability to adapt to the situation. He did not outright ask who he was or what state of being he was. Instead, his question allowed the honourable being to choose whether to disclose their real identity or not.

Before Bai Ming could correct himself, the voice sounded once more.

"I am the spirit of the True Everlasting Immortal Palace. You may call me, Dao Gu"

Hearing this, Bai Ming was struck in awe. The only words that kept reverberating in his mind were everlasting and immortal.

He was glad he had taken this approach and appeared hopeful that with this senior's help, he and his group would be able to escape this place alive. With this in mind, he became even more subservient.

"Senior Dao Gu, if there is anything worth entrusting, this little one is at your service."

The childish voice let out another chuckle. In fact, it had been waiting for this very opportunity, without wasting the moment it struck the iron.

"Karma binds all sentient entities; Venerate destiny has long been ordained…"

Bai Ming could not help but feel ecstatic.

Destiny???

Did that mean his coming here was bound to happen? And what arrangements had fate made for him?

He was completely full of curiosity. At this point, he felt like he understood Wu Zhengyi a bit.

"However, young one, before the fulfilment of the prophecy a test must be carried out…"

Bai Ming heard this and perked his ears. Well, not that in this space, ears were useful, but it had become a natural reflex to Bai Ming. In this space, all sorts of information could be passed directly to one's mind.

"Is the fate's chosen willing to accept the last trial?"

Without any hesitation, Bai Ming agreed.

He did not even realize that deep inside him, an oath had slowly condensed, binding his spirit. At the same time, he was deeply shocked.

Last trial???

This meant that he had unknowingly taken on parts of the trial. 

"Good, bear in mind that the fate's chosen is allowed to use any methods necessary during the course of the test."

Bai Ming nodded, and with a few more pleasantries, the childish voice ended the exchange.

As Bai Ming recalled all this, he looked at the rotten meat paste and asked inside his mind. In the last exchange with that strange voice, he had already been informed on how to communicate with it and seek guidance through the test.

He did not understand what had happened but in his mind, he believed that since destiny had weaved all these strange events then surely this included Mu Bai and everyone present so he should be able to get more information about this puzzling poison.