Winter had arrived, snowflakes dancing in the air, wrapping the entire city in silver, and once again it was the day of the grand sacrifice to the heavens.
For the nation of divine favor, which based its practices on communion with gods, this was the most significant event of the year. Not only did the emperor perform sacrifices in the outskirts, but the abbot of the State-Protecting Temple also had to attend in person, jointly worshiping the celestial and terrestrial deities and praying for their protection.
With the abbot and several powerful elders absent, the State-Protecting Temple naturally activated its grand formation completely, just in case. After all, the favored ones of Yuanshi Tianzun always attracted envy and covetousness; if they couldn’t be obtained, they would be destroyed. They absolutely could not allow Gan Ruoxu to follow in the footsteps of Hei Di’s favored one, Lin Fengxiao.
Clear light shimmered, talismanic script flowed, and numerous ethereal images of immortals and deities hovered above the temple, making the place resemble a heavenly palace, heavily guarded and immovable as a mountain.
However, no matter how strong the magical barriers were, there were always people coming and going, especially some disciples who wanted to witness the celestial sacrifice, hoping to catch the attention of the heavens and deepen their communion with the protective immortals.
Sure enough, the clear light enveloping the temple gate split open a gap, which quickly expanded into a circular portal, allowing Wu Ju and several other disciples to walk through casually, heading toward the altar outside the city.
The circular portal in the center of the clear light rapidly contracted, like ripples in water about to subside. Just as it was about to disappear, it flickered, shrinking to the size of a thumb, then hesitated for two or three moments before appearing to freeze.
The anomaly appeared and vanished instantly. The formation didn’t react, and the overseers were unaware, but the sunlight by the gate seemed to brighten momentarily.
Near a screen wall within the State-Protecting Temple, light fluctuated like water, quickly condensing into a female figure dressed in a purple robe, her hair elegantly tied, exuding a grand aura.
The woman in purple relaxed her eyebrows, a faint smile on her lips, her hands clasped behind her back as she strolled leisurely through the temple. Strangely, any disciple, young Daoist, or servant she encountered failed to notice her. In areas protected by magical barriers, she merely paused briefly before passing through effortlessly.
The State-Protecting Temple, one of the major powers in the world, appeared almost deserted as she walked through its outer regions.
She continued walking, then suddenly stopped. Ahead, layers of magical barriers bristled with deadly intent, separating the core sanctum—the Three Purity Hall—and the surrounding areas.
“Not bad. No wonder the State-Protecting Temple, with its long heritage and deep foundation, commands such respect,” the woman in purple murmured, nodding with composure before raising her right hand.
Her hand was larger than that of an ordinary woman’s but paler and more delicate, exuding an aura of timeless elegance.
To proceed further, one would either need an inside accomplice or have to force their way through!
The woman in purple quickly assessed the progress of the celestial sacrifice, the power of the magical barriers, and her own intention merely to observe. Without hesitation, she slowly extended her right hand, and the palm emitted rippling light, forming a river.
Her body seemed to momentarily overlap with the ethereal image of a distant emperor!
The Yellow Heaven has descended!
At that moment, the magical barriers ahead suddenly turned dark, like the deepest night sky, then gradually lit up with countless stars, forming a vast stellar map. From it, boundless light descended upon a long sword forged from the starry river, which slashed toward the luminous river.
Puu!
The sword met the river, and the surrounding colors faded—snow turned pale white, the night sky deep black—everything seemed to freeze. Yet the starlight continued to pulse with vitality, slowly but steadily, drawing on an endless stream of power to completely shatter the illusory river.
The world came alive again, the magical barriers extinguished and reignited, endlessly renewing themselves. The woman in purple halted her advance, facing off with a clear-eyed Daoist in midair above the Three Purity Hall.
“Master Xu didn’t attend the celestial sacrifice after all,” the woman in purple said calmly, her right hand reaching to her waist, slowly drawing a long blade forged from concentrated sunlight.
The clear-eyed Daoist was none other than Xu Jingxu, the abbot of the State-Protecting Temple, who had supposedly led many elders to the outskirts to participate in the celestial sacrifice.
Xu Jingxu pointed his sword slightly, smiling faintly. “This old Daoist has been increasingly attuned to the Star Lord of the Southern Dipper, understanding the mysteries of life. I have already cultivated a manifestation. My original body is here especially to welcome Master Yun.”
The woman in purple, whose secular name was unknown, called herself “Yun Gu.” She had sensed the Jade Emperor before the Chart of Immortal Achievements at under sixteen years old. Refusing to submit to the Yellow Turban Sect or the State-Protecting Temple, she fled overseas, establishing the Huangtian Sect and declaring herself its master. Hunted by various states and sects, she always managed to escape great calamities, gradually building her power and becoming a formidable contender among the self-cultivators of the world.
“I’ve long heard of Master Xu’s reputation as a Star Lord. Today, I finally get to see it for myself,” Yun Gu said, her long blade tracing an unusual trajectory as she slashed toward Xu Jingxu in a gesture that seemed to dissect heaven and earth.
Before the blade’s light, her body followed, yet she appeared almost illusory, flashing through the layers of magical barriers and attempting to escape the State-Protecting Temple.
The State-Protecting Temple was a branch of the once-dominant Taiping Sect, with a long heritage and deep foundation. Despite her confidence, Yun Gu knew she couldn’t match Xu Jingxu while within the temple’s magical barriers, especially with other experts present.
If she didn’t leave now, she might never get another chance!
Xu Jingxu hadn’t expected Yun Gu to retreat so decisively and swiftly. Instinctively, he launched his sword technique, cleaving through the blade’s light and pursuing her.
Suddenly, both Xu Jingxu and Yun Gu heard a resonant bell chime.
Dang!
The bell’s sound echoed, shaking heaven and earth. The elders of the State-Protecting Temple, who had been about to act, simultaneously halted, and the formidable formation outside the Three Purity Hall also paused.
“Great Sage Immortal Master!”
“Zhang Bu Zhou!”
Yun Gu and Xu Jingxu both exclaimed instinctively, calling by different titles but referring to the same person—Zhang Bu Zhou, the leader of the Yellow Turban Sect and the favored one of “Dong Huang Taiyi.” For the past forty years, he had been unmatched across the land, expanding the smallest Taiping Kingdom’s territory by double. In the last decade, he had secluded himself in cultivation, seeking to transcend limits and bear the divine descent of Dong Huang Taiyi with a mortal body, aiming to sweep across the world and unify the realm.
In her prime, Yun Gu had often imagined facing off against the Great Sage Immortal Master, confident she wouldn’t necessarily lose but certain she couldn’t win.
Who would have thought this old monster, absent from the martial world for ten years, would suddenly appear at the State-Protecting Temple!
The bell’s sound lingered as an unusually tall figure appeared before the magical barriers of the Three Purity Hall, his forehead wrapped in a wide yellow headscarf that covered his eyes.
His figure flickered, instantly piercing through the halted magical barriers. He extended his right hand and reached out, attempting to push open the doors of the Three Purity Hall.
Inside the hall, Gan Ruoxu, who had been in a strange meditative state, had already sensed the commotion outside. Initially nervous, he relaxed slightly upon realizing the abbot was cautious and well-prepared, successfully blocking Yun Gu. However, the situation suddenly changed—Great Sage Immortal Master Zhang Bu Zhou had arrived unannounced, breaking through the magical barriers and approaching the Three Purity Hall.
What should he do? What should he do? Gan Ruoxu panicked instantly. Zhang Bu Zhou’s name alone could silence crying children in the Divine-Favored Nation, haunting the nightmares of countless people.
He had only recently gained the favor of the Jade Emperor a few months ago—what could he possibly do to survive against such a figure?
Thoughts flooded his mind, and Gan Ruoxu felt as though the bell’s sound had paralyzed him, his legs trembling with fear.
Just then, he felt the Yuanshi Daoist in his mind suddenly open his eyes. His previously bright and clear heart lake turned dark, losing all sense of up and down, past and future blending together.
Could it be that the Jade Emperor is bestowing such immense power upon me?
This was a state only seasoned spirit-communing practitioners with five or more years of cultivation could achieve!
Zha! Zha! Zha!
The doors of the Three Purity Hall offered no resistance to the Great Sage Immortal Master, screeching loudly as they collapsed at an accelerating speed.
Then, Zhang Bu Zhou, Yun Gu, and Xu Jingxu all saw the scene inside the hall. Gan Ruoxu sat cross-legged, facing the door, eyes tightly shut. Behind him, the statue of Yuanshi Tianzun, with its deep and ancient features, seemed to merge with his silhouette, making the hall appear distant and profound.
The Great Sage Immortal Master hesitated slightly, then shook off all emotions, tearing off the yellow headscarf, revealing a pair of white, pupil-less eyes, as clear as crystal, reflecting the image of an ancient and noble emperor.
The emperor’s figure was blurred, indistinct, but as soon as it appeared, countless dark waves surged throughout the Three Purity Hall. Time flowed inconsistently, forming chaotic currents that tore at everything, threatening to kill Gan Ruoxu without reason!
Yun Gu’s eyes gleamed as she focused intently on the Great Sage Immortal Master’s techniques. Xu Jingxu, attempting to rush to Gan Ruoxu’s rescue, was blocked by the bell’s sound and affected by the chaotic currents. Though near, he felt as distant as the heavens, his heart filled with anxiety but powerless to act, seemingly doomed to watch Gan Ruoxu perish under Zhang Bu Zhou’s gaze.
Suddenly, Gan Ruoxu slightly lifted his head, eyes still closed, as if listening to the teachings of Yuanshi Tianzun behind him. A figure in a green robe appeared around him, handsome with streaks of gray at the temples, identical to the statue of Yuanshi Tianzun.
The green-robed figure spread his arms wide, embracing the space before him, and Gan Ruoxu mimicked the gesture.
The two figures seemed to merge, indistinguishable from each other. Their faces tilted upward, arms outstretched, and instantly, the surroundings plunged into the deepest darkness, filled with chaos, devoid of even the faintest light, where even the subtlest fluctuations were swallowed by the time chaos like ripples vanishing into a void!
Infinite Embrace, encompassing heaven and earth!
All anomalies and disturbances vanished completely!
Xu Jingxu seized the opportunity, rushing to the front of the Three Purity Hall. The Great Sage Immortal Master Zhang Bu Zhou turned and fled without hesitation.
Gan Ruoxu, who had only recently attuned to Yuanshi Tianzun a few months ago, had displayed such a miraculous ability, completely defying the principles of spirit communion, as if no cultivation was needed!
Could this be the boundless power of Yuanshi Tianzun, the supreme of the Three Purity Patriarchs?
Yun Gu inhaled deeply, stepping back and retreating from the State-Protecting Temple.
Dang!
The bell’s sound faded into the distance. Zhang Bu Zhou vanished mysteriously, while Gan Ruoxu remained seated inside the Three Purity Hall, the illusory figure gone, and the statue of Yuanshi Tianzun standing eternally unchanged.
…
Outside the capital of the Divine-Favored Nation, in a hidden location, the Great Sage Immortal Master Zhang Bu Zhou stood with his hands behind his back, his mind filled only with the magnificent and mysterious scene of the green-robed figure “embracing heaven and earth.”
“The favored one of Yuanshi Tianzun indeed cannot be judged by ordinary standards. This opportunity is lost, and finding another will be as difficult as ascending to heaven,” Zhang Bu Zhou understood clearly. “I have no choice but to resort to the last method.”
The last method involved setting up an altar and directly invoking the descent of Dong Huang, whose mere trace of power would be too much for this world to bear. Within a radius of ten thousand miles, everything would turn to ashes, and the universe itself would tremble, possibly never stabilizing again.
More importantly, the one conducting the ritual would certainly perish, as would Gan Ruoxu within the nearby city.
“Since Dong Huang has declared that no cost is too great, then so be it,” the Great Sage Immortal Master said resolutely, a determined expression on his face.
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