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Seeing Douding's mysterious demeanor, Yunxi followed closely behind. Douding cautiously pulled out a carved figure of a Clam Pearl from his pocket and handed it to Yunxi. As Yunxi received the figure, she looked at the person radiating Spirit Energy and glowing with light, breaking into a joyful smile.
"Sister Yunxi, this figure represents me. You must carry it with you at all times," Douding said earnestly.
Noticing Douding's flushed face, Yunxi gently patted his head and replied, "Of course, I will keep it with me."
Douding chuckled happily, bounding away like a cheerful deer toward the fields of rapeseed flowers.
Yang Xuanzong was immobilized, unable to move or channel his Dao Qi, trapped in a dilapidated cow shed behind the house.
Now everyone had gathered: Guo Daozhen, Guo Huaiyi, Sword Elder, Dongfang Yuqing, Huzi, Douding, Taihe Zhenren, Iron Bull, Zhou Manman, Yunxi, and me. Except for Douding, Huzi, and Guo Huaiyi who were still in the Dao Fruit Realm, the rest had already entered the Mahayana Realm.
In chaotic times, heroes emerge; throughout history, war and disaster have always been the greatest trials for people.
"By the way, Yang Hao, your parents still haven't returned or contacted you?" Guo Daozhen asked.
I shook my head. "No, they both carry a Jade Talisman. I sensed they went far away before; now I can no longer feel their presence."
The Jade Talisman stored my Dao Qi, allowing me to sense them within a thousand miles as long as they were in the Central Plains. I could generally know their location, but now there was no news at all; they must have gone to a very distant place.
Yunxi reassured me, "Uncle and Auntie will be fine."
Wudao added, "Brother Yang knows them best. He is much smarter than he appears. You think the title of Divine Hero is just for show? He will definitely be okay; there's no need to worry about them!"
I replied, "Right now, the most important thing is to deal with Old Scholar and Song Qianqiu. Old Scholar is cunning and has passed his powers to Eastern Senior with ulterior motives. If what Yang Xuanzong said is true, combined with what we observed from Eastern Senior regarding the impending crisis, he will likely take action soon. However, the Yang Family members are skilled in Void Technique; if they want to escape, it will be nearly impossible to hold them back."
"Wudao: 'I have now reached the Mahayana Realm. The Linglong Tower can lock onto the void. As long as I can trap the Old Scholar, I can refine him within half an hour.'
'You forget that he possesses the Great Zhou Compass, the first Sacred Artifact of the Daoist Sect. Even if you have the Linglong Tower, you won't be able to keep him here. To kill him, you must use other means. However, the Old Scholar is stubborn and arrogant, believing himself invincible. If we can catch him off guard and trap him for a moment, the Old Man could use the One Sword Technique to slay him,' Sword Elder said.
'Have you mastered the One Sword Technique, Senior?' I asked.
Sword Elder shook his head and replied, 'You may not know this, but before he passed away, Sword Saint Elder taught me a thing or two. He feared that the One Sword Technique would have no successors, so he passed it on to me. Who would have thought that from the age of sixty to over one hundred thirty, I could only practice it to Three Swords? However, this Three Swords is enough to severely injure the Old Scholar. At that time, combined with Dongfang Yuqing's Five Elements Sword Formation, we should be able to hold him down.'
Taihe Zhenren said, 'So Brother Dongfang has met Sword Saint Elder.'
Sword Elder replied, 'I was considered a registered disciple. Sword Saint Elder's achievements are unparalleled. His swordsmanship is divine. When I saw him, he was already over one hundred twenty years old but still looked youthful with white hair. He had reached the peak of the Tribulation Realm, but later I don't know where he went. He only allowed me to occasionally send my descendants to Longhu Mountain to pay respects to someone named Li Xiangyu.'
Countless experts emerged during the Dark Turmoil Period; many young lives were cut short while trying to save their companions. Sword Saint Miao Zhong was still young at the beginning of the Dark Turmoil. The chaos lasted for many years, and by the later stages, as demons danced wildly, he wielded his sword alone and instilled fear in everyone below. Even the military had to retreat behind the scenes and dared not cause further chaos.
Dongfang Yuqing said, 'Fortunately, when I went to Longhu Mountain to pay my respects, I happened to rescue Zhang Dao'an. Otherwise, he too would have become a soul under Song Qianqiu's command.'
I remarked, 'Zhang Dao'an may have average talent, but he is wise beyond his years; his comprehension might even surpass mine. I wonder where he is now?'
Dongfang Yuqing replied, 'He left before you went to Peach Blossom Stream; he was following the notes of Dragon Tiger Mountain Patriarch on his travels.'
Wudao said, 'Zhang Dao'an traveling during such chaotic times—how many Yin Soldier Corpse Ghosts and Narrow Escapes will he encounter?'
Taihe Zhenren commented, 'Everyone has their fate. Longhu Mountain is the most authentic lineage of Orthodox Daoism. If Zhang Daoling's spirit protects him, it should ensure his descendants remain safe and sound.'"
I said, "Five, what specific situation did you discover after going to the Underworld? How many Yin Soldiers are there exactly?"
Thus, Five recounted everything he had found along the way, and during this time, everyone discussed the matter, with Taihe Zhenren and Guo Daozhen also detailing their encounters with Song Qianqiu.
Once everyone finished speaking, I said, "Currently, it seems that the source of the Yin Soldiers is Qilian Mountain. Both Five and I have been inside before, but the area is simply too vast to explore completely. There are thousands of years' worth of soldiers' corpses from various dynasties inside; it is not endless. As far as I know, there is not just one location in the Underworld. Song Qianqiu should still be unaware of this. If we cannot eliminate Song Qianqiu, the Cholera Source, we must find a way to seal or destroy the Underworld Entrance."
The Sword Elder said, "The Sun Refining Cauldron of the Serpent Cult possesses the Sun Crow's Power. If we can unleash the Golden Crow Fire to burn the Yin Soldiers, we can certainly wipe them out. With the might of the Sun Refining Cauldron, burning down an Underworld beneath Qilian Mountain should not be a problem."
Everyone nodded in agreement; with so many of us and only one Nangong left from the Serpent Cult, even if they had the Sun Refining Cauldron, they would not be our match.
"As for Song Qianqiu," I continued, "based on the clues provided by everyone and what I saw with the Zhou Compass when Song Qianqiu confronted Taihe Zhenren that day, he possesses a Ghost Seal to control the Yin Soldiers. The Demon King's Scripture can resurrect corpses, and then there's the Great Wilderness Scripture. Once invoked, it can halt time within a certain range; everyone except for the caster will be immobilized. The question is whether Supreme will also be affected?"
Taihe Zhenren replied, "That night when I fought Song Qianqiu, although my power was greater than his, I was still immobilized. When I sensed something was wrong, my mind was alert but my body could not move. If I had reacted a bit faster then, my Dao Body could have escaped."
I said, "Taihe Zhenren's Dao Body is already approaching Supreme Realm status, while Eastern Senior is at Supreme Realm as well. Old Guo's Dao Body is also at Supreme Realm. If you encounter Song Qianqiu, you should be able to fight him. Once he uses the Great Wilderness Scripture, retreat immediately; your Dao Bodies should escape from its Time Barrier and then rescue your physical forms."
Yunxi said, "Tai Xu Ling is not restricted by Void Technique; I wonder if it can traverse through the Time Barrier of Great Wilderness Scripture. If I am outside supporting during your confrontation with Song Qianqiu and someone gets immobilized, I can use Tai Xu Ling to pull that person out of the barrier."
"That's a brilliant idea!" Taihe Zhenren exclaimed upon hearing Yunxi's suggestion. "Thinking back to that day still gives me chills. After nearly eighty years of hard training, a single Great Wilderness Scripture almost took me down; if my heart hadn't been on my right side, I would have met Yama!"
Dongfang Yuqing added, "However, Song Qianqiu seems to be very patient. He is not like ordinary experts; when he strikes, it’s always astonishing."
I remarked, "Back then when Azure Cloud Mountain was destroyed by Serpent Cult, he was secretly fanning the flames. Later on, tons of explosives flattened Azure Cloud Mountain; that was all part of his long-term plan. My Golden Dan was taken by Yang Long and later somehow ended up in his possession again. This person's intelligence and patience are far beyond what ordinary people can compare to; if you encounter Song Qianqiu, do not engage him alone. Just one Great Wilderness Scripture has already placed him in an invincible position against Supremes. And there’s one more thing."
I looked at Zhou Manman, who said, "Don't worry, my master is already dead. If I see him again, I won't hold back."
I nodded and said, "Everyone, listen carefully. If anyone unfortunately dies in battle, we will immediately burn their body with Dao Fire. Otherwise, if they become our enemies after death, the casualties will be even greater. Song Qianqiu's subordinates, Youmiao Guanyin and the White-Robed Old Scholar, if we want to kill Song Qianqiu, we will have to get past them first."
The Sword Elder sighed and said, "Among the Five Great Supremes, if Miao Guanyin and the Old Scholar join forces, the other three won't stand a chance either. What should we do?"
Guo Daozhen replied, "Revived corpses will definitely have their combat power greatly diminished; they won't be at their peak. We won't know the specifics until we fight Song Qianqiu."
Everyone nodded. I continued, "Right now, Nangong is practicing at Mount Tai Fengshan Platform with the Sun Refining Cauldron. We don't need to worry about him. Old Guo, calculate the positions of the Old Scholar and Song Qianqiu. Let's prepare our deployment to deal with them."
Guo Daozhen said, "It's not a problem to deduce Song Qianqiu's position, but I can't use Divination Technique to predict the Old Scholar's location. To find out where he is, we'll need a Daoist Sacred Artifact. However, the Great Zhou Compass is in his hands. With your Zhou Compass, I'm not sure if it can yield any results."
"Just do your best. The Great Zhou Compass was damaged by an Evil Weapon when it was struck; it should have some effect," I said as I took out the Zhou Compass and handed it to Guo Daozhen.
Guo Daozhen took the Zhou Compass and began chanting an incantation. Suddenly, a massive surge of mysterious energy erupted from him; his Daoist Robe fluttered without wind. The Zhou Compass before him spun rapidly through the Light Shadow, cycling through the Earthly Branches and the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams.
Guo Daozhen continued his incantation as his Daoist Robe swirled around him until the Light Shadow calmed down. However, the needle on the compass kept trembling and did not settle anywhere. Guo Daozhen looked puzzled and somewhat pale.
"What's wrong with you, Old Guo? If you can't determine where the Old Scholar is, you can at least calculate Song Qianqiu," I suggested.
Guo Daozhen replied, "I was trying to deduce Song Qianqiu's position. The needle is oscillating erratically and cannot pinpoint his exact location for two reasons: one is that there are mysterious symbols on him; I believe that about the Old Scholar, but what about this Song Qianqiu?"
"You mentioned two reasons; what's the other one?" Huzi asked.
"Another reason is that we are too close. We're right next to each other!" Guo Daozhen said.
"What?" Guo Daozhen's words startled everyone. The Red Maple Valley had a barrier, and anyone entering would cause a certain disturbance. His statement sent chills down their spines.
Just as Guo Daozhen finished speaking, laughter echoed from a distance. Following the sound, they saw a long-haired man standing on a distant hilltop—it was Song Qianqiu.
"You lot are truly something," Song Qianqiu said. "I just heard you discussing how to kill me, and it nearly scared me to death!"
Song Qianqiu laughed heartily. Behind him stood Miao Guanyin, the White-Robed Old Scholar, Miao Shengnan, Meng Xuanjian, Haikong from Leiyin Temple, and Dead Tree and Withered Heart from the Three Divine Monks, along with a row of White-Clad Elders exuding an air of immortality.
"How could the head of Leiyin Temple and the Holy Monk fall victim to such treachery?" Huzi asked.
"You scoundrel! What have you done to my master?" Douding shouted, pointing at Song Qianqiu.
Song Qianqiu glanced at Douding and replied, "You're that bald donkey Haideng, right? I've already turned him to ashes."
Douding gritted his teeth, fists clenched, his eyes filled with hatred.
"Don't believe his nonsense. Master Hai Deng has the Taoist Sacred Artifact, the Eternal Lamp; even a Supreme being can't kill him," Yunxi said.
Douding nodded. He looked at the expressionless Haikong and the two Holy Monks behind Song Qianqiu. Although they desired Douding's Zen Bodhisattva, they never intended to take his life.
Wudao remarked, "Bringing a bunch of dead men into your own trap, Song Qianqiu, you've grown bolder!"
Song Qianqiu raised his eyebrows and said, "Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to fight. I just saw the White-Robed Old Scholar discover the Old Scholar's trail. When I saw him slip inside, we followed to take a look. It's been quite a while, and you all still haven't started fighting. I couldn't hold back any longer and came out to greet everyone."
Both the White-Robed Old Scholar and the Old Scholar were masters of the Great Void Technique, so it was easy for them to enter the Shuttle barrier without being detected.
"Old Scholar came in too?" Everyone was puzzled. "How did he know where we were?"
Song Qianqiu replied, "It seems a Crane brought him here. Look over there!"
He pointed to the house behind us, where we could see the Old Scholar lifting Yang Xuanzong from the cow shed, releasing the restraints on him before flying off into the distance.
Yang Xuanzong regained his freedom, trembling all over as he shouted, "You shameless scoundrels! The Old Man will kill you one by one!"
Iron Bull retorted, "A defeated foe like you? One punch from me will make you explode!"
"You cowardly sneak attackers!" Yang Xuanzong cursed.
The Old Scholar interrupted Yang Xuanzong's tirade, saying, "I didn't expect Song Qianqiu to come here as well. Thanks to him distracting your attention, now that everyone is gathered, I'll show you an extraordinary spectacle that hasn't been seen in hundreds of years!"
As he spoke, the Old Scholar summoned the Great Zhou Compass. The compass trembled as runes flowed across its surface, and a beam of light shot through the Dueling Palace, piercing into the sky.
In the heavens above, a ray of light descended rapidly.
"Grandfather!" Dongfang Yuqing called out to Sword Elder.
Sword Elder looked at the beam of light shooting towards him, wanting to escape, but found that the light was unavoidable, enveloping the entire Red Maple Valley and its Countryside.
The ground trembled around him as a sudden gust of wind surged forth. Sword Elder was surrounded by an immense Dao Qi, with the essence of grass and trees continuously pouring into his body. His Dao Body swayed, radiating an incredibly intense white light.
From a distance on the mountain, Song Qianqiu looked on in confusion and said, “Old Scholar, have you lost your mind? At this rate, you’re going to get Sword Elder killed with a single strike!”
In the arena, Sword Elder’s power kept climbing, quickly reaching perfection. Within the light lay an extremely powerful Way of Power. I exclaimed, “This energy is wrong! Senior, quickly abandon your cultivation! Old Scholar wants you to Transcend Tribulation!”
In the Jiangnan Suburbs, clouds gathered ominously; within Red Maple Valley, a Thundercloud loomed!
In the vast sky above, countless lightning elements coalesced over Red Maple Valley, swirling within the Thundercloud. The cloud grew larger, intermittently flashing with lightning.
“Abandon my cultivation?” My words shocked everyone.
Dongfang Yuqing said, “Grandfather is a generation of Supreme. You want him to abandon his cultivation?”
I replied, “Old Scholar is willing to transfer his power to Eastern Senior, and has activated a certain spell from the Great Zhou Compass to unleash the potential within Senior, allowing him to smoothly reach the peak of the Tribulation Realm, all to make him face the Nine Thunder Tribulation without restraint!”
Throughout history, those in Taoism who cultivated to the Tribulation Realm became exceedingly cautious. Aside from historical Dao Sovereigns, who at a hundred years old with many descendants chose to Transcend Tribulation, those holding a Daoist Command Token could receive divine protection. Yet even so, there has never been a recorded successful case of anyone achieving Transcending Tribulation!
Whether it was Laozi Li Er, Zhang Daoling, founder of Longhu Mountain, or the Martial Sage Zhang Sanfeng, or even the literary Saint Wang Shouren, none had clear records of successfully transcending tribulations. The literary Saint passed away peacefully in old age without choosing to transcend. Even the legendary Old Sword Saint Miao Zhong from Emei Mountain had no known accounts of his success in transcending tribulations. It is likely he died alone in some remote wilderness.
Facing at least hundreds of millions of volts from the Nine Thunder Tribulation, even if one were not conductive, a human body would be instantly reduced to dust!
Every year, there are people struck by lightning at Thundercloud Energy, and often some are even rendered Immortal by it. In reality, the intensity of such lightning strikes is merely a fine current that disperses when lightning travels through the air and rain, typically ranging from dozens to hundreds of volts, which may not necessarily be lethal. However, the Nine Thunder Tribulation directs the thunderous calamity onto cultivators, forcing them to endure the full brunt of the lightning strikes—this is punishment!
In Creation, all things must adhere to their rules, whether they are ancient emperors or timeless teachers, whether they are immortal healers or the most revered among mortals. With life comes death; those who defy fate in pursuit of Transcending Tribulation to ascend alongside the longevity of the earth are violating destiny and must bear the corresponding punishment.
Only those who can withstand this punishment can achieve eternal life.
The Old Scholar dedicated his life to uncovering the secrets of becoming an Immortal. He longed for longevity but dared not touch the Dao.
The Might of the Dao has caused countless talents throughout history to lament. No one knows that decades ago, on a rainy night deep within Kunlun Mountain, he witnessed an old man wielding a massive sword questioning the heavens about why one should seek immortality.
A bolt of lightning struck down, only to be severed by that old man's sword. That moment shook his very soul; he realized that there were indeed individuals capable of mastering swordsmanship to such an extent that they could challenge the heavens.
However, what followed was a gathering of Thunderclouds above Kunlun, filled with wrath. As Nine Stars Aligned, that bolt of lightning obliterated mountains and rivers for a hundred thousand miles. Had he not been outside the center of the Nine Thunder Tribulation at that moment and had he not already cultivated the Great Void Technique to perfection, he too would have been reduced to ashes in that calamity.
In the end, he saw a sword charred to cinders in the massive crater left by the lightning strike.
The figure of the old man had vanished without a trace.
It was then that he discovered the Great Zhou Compass manifesting during the Nine Thunder Tribulation.
Thus, all these years, with his unparalleled talent, the Old Scholar could have already Transcended Tribulation. Yet he continuously suppressed his own cultivation, preventing himself from achieving a complete Transcending Tribulation.
Among the Five Great Supremes, he alone chose to suppress his cultivation after reaching the Tribulation Realm. He had once infiltrated Guanyin Monastery in an attempt to steal its scriptures and sought to hunt down Miao Guanyin to study how to create elixirs for immortality, but ultimately he was unsuccessful.
The Old Scholar established the Ghost Gate and began researching the path to immortality of the Underworld Yin Soldiers. If he could unravel the mystery of the Immortal corpses, he would find the answer to eternal life. The Book of Life and Death was also one of his focal points in this research. He even studied the Ascension to Dragonhood method of the White Snake Transformation into Dragon.
Now, three of the Five Great Supremes were dead, leaving only him and the Sword Elder. The Sword Elder had abandoned his cultivation decades ago, with no predecessors to guide him. How could he dare to touch the Dao Thunder Punishment?
Guo Daozhen said, "The Nine Thunder Tribulation is descending, and everything will be destroyed. We are utterly unprepared; with our flesh and blood, we cannot resist it. Brother Dongfang has already reached the pinnacle of his cultivation, but he is a Supreme..."
Guo Daozhen's words left everyone in silence. For a Supreme to abandon their cultivation was the most disgraceful thing; it was akin to an emperor falling to become a beggar. Many would rather choose death!
Supremes were proud beings. Throughout history, there had indeed been one Supreme who abandoned his cultivation to survive, only to be found and beaten to death by a few enemies with farming tools in the countryside. The bitter irony became a laughingstock for the world.
The Sword Elder had long seen through worldly matters and was unafraid of life and death. Would he really be willing to abandon his entire cultivation just to survive? In a chaotic world, a once-glorious Supreme now needed protection from others—was he willing?
The light grew brighter as thunderclouds gathered, and fierce winds whipped through the mountains!
Dongfang Yuqing's face turned pale. Everyone wished to transcend tribulation and become immortal, but that was merely a thought. Who could resist the Nine Thunder Tribulation? Immortals were ultimately ethereal; no one had ever seen one!
Dongfang Yuqing said, "Grandfather, there’s no time left! I haven’t even fulfilled my filial duty. You must listen to Yang Hao and disperse your Qi Sea; we still have time."
The Sword Elder sighed but did not feel sorrowful. He said, "In my life within the Eastern Divine Universe, my greatest wish has been to experience the Nine Thunder Tribulation like the ancient Saints and Dao Sovereigns. To confront its wrath without any desires—this is my end. Old Man thanks you, Brother Yang!"
The Old Scholar chuckled softly and said, "I remember your wish from our days of drinking together. Now I can help fulfill it. If you achieve immortality and ascend to the immortal realm, you must protect me so that I can arrive safely."
"That is natural. A Supreme in the Tribulation Realm who does not transcend tribulation is ultimately incomplete," replied the Sword Elder.
Thunder rumbled as dark clouds gathered into a mass, coalescing into an enormous pillar of lightning. High above, it resembled a colossal sword, instilling fear in the hearts of those who beheld it.
The people of the Central Plains, including the Divine Hero Couple in the Eastern Wasteland, looked up at the distant sky with puzzled expressions. On the Mount Tai Fengshan Platform, Nangong gazed at the Thundercloud and asked, "Transcending Tribulation?"
"Grandfather, the Five Elements Sword Formation can block one or two strikes of the lightning tribulation. In ancient times, during the Supreme Transcending Tribulation, no one helped, but we can!" Dongfang Yuqing said.
Iron Bull added, "I possess the strongest defensive Daoist Arts and Righteous Qi in the world; I can assist you as well!"
Wudao chimed in, "My Linglong Tower can also help."
Yunxi remarked, "Tai Xu Ling can withstand one or two strikes of the lightning tribulation too."
The Sword Elder responded, "Transcending Tribulation has always been a personal endeavor. Your assistance will not only ruin the artifact but also attract more powerful lightning tribulations. There’s no need for such futile efforts. There are only a few moments left; let Old Man face the Nine Thunder Tribulation seriously. Perhaps he can fight back."
The Sword Elder looked up at the sky, watching as the nine bolts of thunder descended. He pushed Dongfang Yuqing aside with one hand and transmitted his voice to me, saying, "Injury of the Dao can only be healed by punishment from the Dao. If I cannot endure this, I will pass on my understanding of Transcending Tribulation to you before turning to ash. Please take good care of Dongfang Yuqing."
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