The lanterns cast their glow, bathing the straw figures in yellow light, lending the entire scene an eerie, otherworldly aura.
As Han Guang entered, the short Daoist priest clad in a bright red robe smiled faintly and said, “Everything is ready. We only await the east wind.”
Han Guang, at ease, replied with a smile, “I appreciate your efforts, Daoist.”
This diminutive figure was none other than Lu Ya, and the arrangement before him was one of his two legendary techniques from ancient times—the **Seven Arrows Book of Nailing**!
From beyond countless calamities, it could curse an enemy to death without a trace!
In the past, Zhao Gongming, the True Lord of the Mystic Altar under the Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning, had perished by this very method.
…
**Boom!**
Dark clouds shrouded Changle, and green lightning formed into trees before violently striking down, instantly charring the trees of the Prince of Jin’s residence and igniting them into roaring flames, triggering the defensive formations.
Hu Dou was startled and was about to investigate when he noticed a radiant golden light bursting forth from the quiet chamber where his prince was in seclusion, spreading outward like waves of an endless ocean.
Correspondingly, the accumulated wishes of the masses in Changle coalesced into golden dragons, swimming through the golden ocean and surging toward the prince’s residence, as if ten thousand dragons were cradling a pearl—a scene both magnificent and grand.
Hu Dou was dumbstruck, his mind filled with only one thought: *The prince… the prince is attempting a breakthrough?*
*Wasn’t he still struggling with unresolved inner conflicts, his path uncertain and stagnant?*
**Boom!**
The chaotic green lightning in the sky merged into a single bolt, striking down directly at Zhao Heng’s secluded chamber like a bridge connecting heaven and earth, illuminating the surrounding ten thousand miles as bright as noon.
At that moment, a fierce gale erupted from the chamber, surging upward with earth-shaking force, splitting the green lightning into fragments.
**Boom! Boom! Boom!**
One bolt of heavenly lightning after another descended—some green, some gold-green, some pure gold, some gold-purple—each dazzling yet carrying the power to annihilate all things. Yet, they were all neutralized by sword beams and palm forces emanating from the chamber, shaking heaven and earth.
Hu Dou could no longer afford to ponder his doubts, his mind consumed by a single thought:
*The prince must succeed!*
*May all the gods and buddhas protect him—no, may the Great Immortal Sovereign Yuanshi of the Jade Void Palace on Mount Kunlun bless the prince to overcome this tribulation and ascend to immortality!*
**Boom!**
The ninth tribulation lightning struck, shifting from gold-purple to pure purple, radiant yet overwhelmingly tyrannical, as if it could reduce the Prince of Jin’s residence to ashes in an instant.
At that very moment, a figure emerged from the chamber, wearing a flat-topped crown with hanging tassels obscuring his face. Golden dragons formed from the wishes of the masses coiled around him, nearly merging with him, while beyond the wishes, the heavens and earth dissolved into the illusory images of the Eight Trigrams, manifesting the cosmos.
“By the Mandate of Heaven, the thunder tribulation shall disperse!” the figure declared with solemn authority, leading the ten thousand golden dragons to meet the dazzling purple lightning.
**Boom!**
A muffled thunderclap echoed in the sky as the purple lightning was enveloped by the golden dragons and shattered unnaturally, the dark clouds dissipating to reveal clear skies.
The figure descended, the golden dragons merging into his body as the crown, tassels, and Eight Trigrams illusions all retracted, revealing Zhao Heng’s face. Compared to before, his eyes now held a faint golden hue tinged with the shadows of the Eight Trigrams.
Gazing at his prince, Hu Dou was overcome with emotion, stammering, “C-congratulations, my prince! With this breakthrough, you shall be listed among the immortals!”
Zhao Heng smiled faintly. “At last, the **Emperor’s Dharma Body** has been forged.”
Hu Dou’s emotions surged, barely calming before a new wave of confusion arose.
*Did simply visiting ancestral graves and wandering old haunts help the prince rediscover and solidify his path?*
*No matter—this is a joyous occasion!*
…
In the Jade Void Palace on Mount Kunlun, Meng Qi, seated in meditation upon a cloud bed, gazed toward Changle with a satisfied nod.
*Zhao Lao Wu has finally broken through!*
*Once past this hurdle, the barriers of Earth Immortal and Heaven Immortal are no longer insurmountable under the current laws of heaven and earth.*
*As for Little Glutton, after mastering the **Sundering Heaven and Earth Tune** and the **Turtle-Back Longevity Score**, merging life and death, she has manifested strange phenomena, as if connected to some bizarre realm. Both these immortal tunes were left behind by the ancient Emperor Fu, who wielded the River Chart and excelled in divination—a figure shrouded in mystery. We must remain vigilant.*
*She must be watched closely…*
…
In the Biyou Heaven, members of the **Immortal Trace** came and went, far more numerous than before.
Ever since the **Lord of the Six Paths of Reincarnation** lifted restrictions on the exchange pillars to compete with the **Myriad World Knowledge Sphere**, the Immortal Trace’s influence had expanded rapidly, even attracting powerful figures from other realms.
However, “Doumu Yuanjun” Ye Yuqi adhered to the principle of quality over quantity, maintaining strict standards to prevent uneven membership. Privately, Meng Qi joked that this was because the number of ancient immortals was limited—if formal members increased, titles would inevitably repeat, leading to awkward situations like “Taiyi Heavenly Venerable No. 1” and “Taiyi Heavenly Venerable No. 2.” Thus, the perfectionist “Frost Fairy” had raised the bar for formal membership.
Now, without a doubt, probationary members of Immortal Trace no longer received titles, only selecting martial techniques and receiving corresponding subsidies.
Standing in the Biyou Palace, Ye Yuqi, wearing the “Doumu Yuanjun” mask, observed the bustling scene outside with mixed emotions. *Who could have imagined such prosperity decades ago?*
“Immortal Trace” had accompanied most of her life, and Chonghe Daoist had been like a father and mentor to her. Defeating “Myth” and strengthening “Immortal Trace” had always been her wish—yet now that it was fulfilled, she felt an inexplicable melancholy.
With “Yuanshi Tianzun” alone capable of suppressing all members of “Myth,” the achievements of Immortal Trace seemed barely her own. Moreover, the gap in cultivation and strength grew ever wider, with newcomers like Zhao Heng—now a Dharma Body cultivator—catching up.
“Yuanjun, what troubles you?” Qu Jiuniang, though masked, had eyes gleaming with avarice, as if she could spot wealth anywhere.
To her, every non-formal member was a walking treasure trove—especially after collaborating with “Yuanshi Tianzun” Su Meng, her name now graced the **Myriad World Marketplace**!
Ye Yuqi glanced at her, infected by her energy, and couldn’t help but remark, “Jiuniang, you shouldn’t have chosen the title ‘Bixia Yuanjun.’ You should have picked **Xuantan Zhenjun**—the Heavenly Court’s God of Wealth. That path suits you best.”
Qu Jiuniang froze, then clapped her hands. “You’re right! Had I chosen Xuantan Zhenjun, with my talents, I’d at least be a grandmaster by now, if not a Dharma Body cultivator!”
She completely forgot her original purpose—inquiring about Ye Yuqi’s thoughts—her mind now fixated on negotiating a title swap with the current Xuantan Zhenjun.
Just then, Ruan Yushu, wearing the “Chang’e Fairy” mask, entered, her mood seemingly somber.
“What’s wrong?” Ye Yuqi asked.
Ruan Yushu’s clear black-and-white eyes lacked their usual luster as she murmured, “Just some personal troubles.”
The reserved Ye Yuqi didn’t pry, respecting privacy. As she was about to leave, Ruan Yushu hesitantly spoke again: “Yuanjun, may I seek your advice?”
Ye Yuqi glanced at the distracted Qu Jiuniang and transmitted her voice: “What is it?”
Ruan Yushu replied telepathically, her tone tinged with sorrow: “I’m troubled by love.”
“Love?” Ye Yuqi was surprised. Ruan Yushu had always seemed detached, devoted to music and food—like a natural-born bodhisattva.
*Has she finally awakened to emotions?*
Considering how she had remained unmarried despite being the pillar of the Ruan family, claiming to focus solely on cultivation and immortality, perhaps there was more to it.
Ruan Yushu whispered, “Yes… I’ve fallen for someone I shouldn’t have.”
“What do you mean by ‘shouldn’t have’?” Ye Yuqi’s heart stirred, sensing a connection, and she asked with rare concern.
“He already loves another. His eyes see no one else. I can only watch from afar, tormented.” Ruan Yushu’s voice was like a lingering melody.
Ye Yuqi was deeply moved, suddenly filled with sympathy for her.
*There’s a kind of empathy called shared suffering.*
Softening her tone unusually, she pondered and said, “If you truly love him, then bless him, protect him. Love isn’t about possession—it doesn’t demand being together. Watching from afar can be beautiful too.”
“Loving him is your own affair, unrelated to him.”
As she spoke, it was as if she poured out the accumulated thoughts of many years.
Then, Ruan Yushu lifted her head, her gaze clear yet profound, and said in a voice like a bell’s toll:
“If Yuanjun understands this, why can’t you let go?”
“Could it be that your love isn’t deep enough—just a desire to possess?”
Caught off guard by this reversal—using her own words against her—Ye Yuqi felt as if struck by a thunderclap, trembling uncontrollably, her heart pounding as she staggered back.
*Yes, if I understand, why can’t I let go?*
*Must love mean possession?*
After what felt like an eternity, Ye Yuqi finally rasped, “Thank you.”
Her voice carried a sense of release before she added, “Were your words just now all lies?”
Ruan Yushu lowered her lashes and replied coolly, “He taught me to say this, hoping it might awaken Yuanjun.”
Ye Yuqi sighed deeply:
“Good… very good, the **Heart Seal of Origin**!”
She bowed solemnly toward the exit leading to the Jade Void Palace on Mount Kunlun, then stepped onto auspicious clouds and departed Biyou Heaven.
Ruan Yushu watched silently before leaving as well, returning to the Ruan family in Langya.
Sitting in her music room for a long while, she suddenly plucked the strings of her zither, producing celestial notes like clear spring water, pure and flawless, ascending to the heavens.
As the melody rose, dark clouds gathered in the sky above.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage