"In one place lies the Zhongling Palace, the abode of Ghost King Aoge in the realm of the underworld; in another, there is the Dongfu Guiyu Mountain, where the former Heavenly Emperor Muguang once cultivated; and in yet another place, there is the tranquil and secluded Jingyou Lake, the sacred land of the fox demon clan. The last one, however, exists only in legends, and no one has ever truly seen it."

This is what Donghua told Gu Jin about the whereabouts of the Wutong trees scattered throughout the Three Realms. He knew about the Wutong tree in the Zhongling Palace of Ghost King Aoge because he had personally gifted it to him. One could see the Ghost King immediately by paying a sufficient price or offering something that the Ghost King desired. Over the years, the Ghost Realm had only produced two special tokens because, compared to gold, the Supreme Master valued millennium spiritual treasures more. One token was obtained by exchanging ten millennium nine-headed snake inner cores, while the other was acquired by trading a millennium Wutong tree. Both of these items were precious and exceedingly rare.

Donghua exchanged the Wutong tree for the life of his beloved disciple, Xianzhu. "Donghua traded that Wutong tree for the life of his precious disciple." Gu Jin was surprised to hear this answer. Throughout Donghua's life, he only had three direct disciples: Gu Jin, Xianzhu, and Xianshan (who was merely a nominal disciple). Therefore, at that time, Donghua's disciples consisted of Gu Jin and his two senior brothers, Xianzhu and Xianshan.

Gu Jin never expected to learn about this past of his senior brother, Xianzhu. And their life and death experience was due to "love." "Speaking of which, it was a major event back then. Your second senior brother ventured into the mortal realm, fell in love with a mortal woman, and violated the immortal rules by bringing her to the immortal realm. He even attempted to share half of his celestial power with her, hoping she would become an immortal and they could be together forever."

This matter was discovered by the Four Supreme Rulers of the Heavenly Court, and it reached the ears of the Heavenly Emperor Muguang. Enraged, the Heavenly Emperor subjected the two of them to forty-nine heavenly tribulations at the Execution Platform. After the tribulations, the mortal woman's soul was instantly scattered into ashes. Donghua, disregarding his own dignity for sixty thousand years, pleaded to Muguang on Xianzhu's behalf, and he brought Xianzhu's corpse back to the mountain. It was then that he discovered that although Xianzhu's celestial power had dissipated completely and his two souls and seven spirits had entered the Ghost Realm, there was still one soul remaining in his body.

Later, Donghua brought Xianzhu's almost lifeless body to the Ghost Realm and exchanged it for Xianzhu's lost soul, which had been wandering in the six realms of reincarnation. That was how he managed to save Xianzhu's life. So, when he learned that Gu Jin wanted to marry Princess Hua Shu, he genuinely hoped for the happiness of his junior disciple because he wanted at least his junior disciple to be happy.

His regret was also a crucial reason why he later fulfilled the relationship between A Yin and Gu Jin. However, after a thousand years of waiting, it turned out to be in vain. He ultimately didn't receive the soul of that woman in the Yellow Springs. After a thousand years of waiting, he didn't let go or give up; he simply reluctantly accepted this reality. That sense of regret, the life of that woman, and the love they shared but couldn't be together, even after ten thousand years, still left a profound sadness and regret in Xianzhu's heart.

Xianzhu had actually already escaped from this calamity, but he still let Gu Jin go. "I hope that Ah Yin, the little ancestor, will find a way to save her." Hopefully, the regrets of twenty thousand years ago will not be repeated in Ah Jin and Ah Yin, and he hopes they will have a chance to walk together and be happy. The two ancient immortals, who had lived for tens of thousands of years, stood beneath the Ze You Hall, watching the figure receding into the distance, and they couldn't help but think this way.

Many years later, Gu Jin, who had become a mortal, did not know that his two senior brothers had once silently offered sincere prayers and blessings for him and Ah Yin, while gazing at his departing figure. And although Xianzhu knew that if he let Gu Jin stay, Da Ze Mountain might not be destroyed, he still chose to fulfill Gu Jin's ascension becausehe believed in the power of love and the happiness it could bring. He had experienced the pain of lost love himself and didn't want Gu Jin to suffer the same fate.

The legend of the Wutong trees became intertwined with the story of Xianzhu and Gu Jin. It was said that the Wutong trees carried a special power, capable of granting a single wish to those who offered a sincere sacrifice. It was this power that Donghua had tapped into when he exchanged the Wutong tree for Xianzhu's life.

As the tale spread throughout the realms, many sought out the Wutong trees, hoping to find love or save their loved ones. However, the Wutong trees were elusive, appearing only to those who possessed true love and were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. They would test the sincerity of the seeker's love before revealing themselves.

Over time, the legend of the Wutong trees became a symbol of love and sacrifice. It reminded people that true love was worth fighting for, even if it meant giving up everything. It taught them that love was not always about personal happiness but also about selflessness and the well-being of those they cared about.

And so, the legend of the Wutong trees continued to inspire generations, reminding them of the power of love and the sacrifices one could make for it. It served as a beacon of hope for those who were willing to embark on a journey of love, no matter how difficult or uncertain the path might be.

In the end, the legend of the Wutong trees stood as a testament to the enduring nature of love and its ability to transcend time and space. It reminded humanity that love was a force that could move mountains, bridge realms, and create miracles. And as long as there were hearts filled with love and the willingness to sacrifice, the legend of the Wutong trees would continue to shine brightly, guiding lovers on their quest for happiness.

So, from the beginning, he held the determination to save Da Ze Mountain at all costs, but he didn't expect that even with a desperate fight, he couldn't save Da Ze Mountain. Even with the full force of everyone on Da Ze Mountain, they still couldn't help the mountain overcome this calamity.

The ancient divine realm, which had been silent for a long time, witnessed the most chaotic day in tens of thousands of years. Besides Donghua, no one knew that on this day, a place called Da Ze Mountain was destroyed. And even if someone knew, what difference would it make? It was just a small immortal sect in the mortal realm, a mere grain in the vast sea of changes that had occurred over hundreds of thousands of years.

When Gu Jin returned to Da Ze Mountain and saw the scene of its destruction, the grief he felt at that moment triggered the power of chaos within him. On that day, Gu Jin ascended to godhood, but the price was the destruction of Da Ze Mountain.

With such a heavy price, in the end, it didn't bring about the perfect ending that Xianzhu desired for Gu Jin and Ah Yin.

I believe that even if Xianzhu knew the final outcome, he would still choose to let Gu Jin go. Because he had waited for thousands of years and endured millennia of loneliness, he wouldn't want Gu Jin to suffer the same fate as him. What he fulfilled was not only Gu Jin and Ah Yin but also his own self from thousands of years ago.