Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

Chapter 610 - 372: Shocking (1st Update)

"..."

"..."

Seeing the enemy retreating back to the mountain, Subduing Dragon said nothing, Subduing Tiger did not speak, and the Eighteen Arhats left in silence, with a bit of panic, not daring to stay a moment longer.

There was no other way, the person’s strength completely surpassed their estimations. Although he did not use a heavy hand against them in the name of righteousness, or make things difficult for them, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t change his mind and cause more troubles.

After all, with the precedent of Wuqu, a hundred thousand Celestial Soldiers set out, and only one returned; now it was their turn, who knew if there would be a play of "None of the Eighteen Arhats return" to be sung about in the world?

Go, go, go!

The Eighteen Arhats hurried away and in an instant, disappeared without trace.

Thousands of miles away, on Qingfeng Mountain, the cultivators saw the hurry in the Buddha’s light and knew the outcome of the battle.

"The Eighteen Arhats..."

"Actually defeated?"

"This..."

"How is that possible!"

Such an outcome was unexpected, and more shocking than joyous.

It wasn’t that the people did not wish to see Wuzhuang victorious; it was that this victory was too astonishing.

Previously, defeating Wuqu Star Lord, everyone could still come up with various reasons and explanations, but now, having decisively defeated the Eighteen Arhats, which included Subduing Dragon and Subduing Tiger, the six great Calamity Immortals!

How can that be?

It made no sense at all!

No matter how hard they racked their brains, no one could come up with an explanation that made this situation seem logical.

A Mahayana of a thousand years, overcoming the tribulation of Wuqu, could be called an act against heaven, a prodigy of the era.

But against the Eighteen Arhats, the six great Calamity Immortals...

No matter how against heaven, it couldn’t possibly be to this extent!

What in the world is going on?

The cultivators did not know and only felt caught in a vortex, as if an invisible hand was promoting from behind, scheming and strategizing, setting up today’s situation, drawing them in, even involving the entire State of South Observation into it.

Who is he after all?

And what does he intend to do?

The cultivators looked into the distance towards Mount Longevity Wuzhuang, their expressions complex, at a loss for words.

...

Looking again towards East Victorious Divine Continent, above in the Lingxiao Hall, the atmosphere was heavy, silent, and wordless.

This time, although the Heavenly Court was not injured to the core, it also suffered a heavy loss.

From the Jade Emperor on high to the assembled ministers below, everyone’s expression was as dark as water, causing trepidation.

At this point, it was neither fitting to disperse the grand assembly, nor to continue it, and even the Great Mercy Bodhisattva felt a bit embarrassed.

It was at this moment...

"Report!!!"

Thousand-mile Eye and Along-wind Ear hurried back into the hall, urgently reporting, "Your Majesty, the Eighteen Honored Ones have been defeated by Zhen Yuanzi, returning in a crushing defeat from Wuzhuang!"

"What!?"

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor was astounded, and the assembled ministers even more so.

Even Great Mercy Bodhisattva’s color changed, and she lost her composure, "How is that possible!"

Before she could finish, a group hurried in—it was the Eighteen Arhats who had been thoroughly defeated and were now back.

"Bodhisattva!"

"Heavenly Venerable!"

Subduing Dragon and Subduing Tiger, leading the group, bowed to the two revered figures, "We have failed our heavy trust, please punish us, Bodhisattva!"

The Jade Emperor, upon hearing this, said nothing, only waiting to see how Great Mercy would react.

The Great Mercy Bodhisattva was deeply furrowed in her brows, witnessing the shock and confusion, even more puzzled, "What exactly happened?"

Subduing Dragon sighed heavily and said in a deep voice, "That Zhen Yuanzi is no ordinary person, his cultivation is profound, his foundation robust, surpassing us by who knows how much. Moreover, he has mastered Great Divine Power, the supreme Thunder Series. My brothers and I formed the Arhat Great Array, yet still could not withstand him; his Thunder Series broke through our array.

Such capability...definitely does not belong to mere Mahayana!"

"..."

Hearing this, Great Mercy fell silent, even more uncertain.

Just as mentioned before, all of this made no sense, no matter how it was spun.

A mere Mahayana, no matter that he had only a short thousand years of cultivation, even if he were immortal and had accumulated hundreds of thousands of years of Taoist cultivation, could not possibly defeat the six great Calamity Immortals and the Eighteen Arhats.

Unless... he was not a Mahayana in the first place, from the very beginning, he was not a Mahayana!

All of this was his arrangement, a plot that had been brewing for a long time, his plan vast and ambitious.

From a thousand years ago, entering the Kylin, slaying the Golden Behemoth, to later on, founding the doctrine on Mount Longevity, opening Wuzhuang.

Passing the Heavenly Tribulation, advancing to Mahayana!

Forming Pill Origin, bonding with the multitude of cultivators!

Creating alliances, slaughtering demons!

Disturbing the Dragon Palace, causing chaos in the Netherworld!

All these and more were in his plans, all promoted by his solitary efforts.

This...!

Having untangled such a cause and effect, even a Bodhisattva of high standing, a great power capable of the Eightfold Buddha Tribulation, showed a bead of sweat on her forehead.

Who exactly is this person, and what does he plot?

Great Mercy was too shocked to speak, and the Jade Emperor was even more grave.

He never imagined that after being in seclusion for three hundred years, so many problems would have arisen outside.

A Zhen Yuanzi, causing trouble in the Dragon Palace, chaos in the Netherworld, defeating two contingents of Celestial Soldiers.

A mysterious person, stirring up the Heavenly Court, battling a host of immortals, and stealing countless treasures.

What was going on?

Was the Earth Immortal Realm about to change?

Why was everyone stepping on the face of his Heavenly Court one after the other?

The Jade Emperor’s face was as dark as water, the assembled ministers dared not speak a word, and even the South Sea Dragon Monarch and the Underworld Dark Lord who came to report shrank back in the lineup.

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They could never have imagined that things would turn out this way.

Even the Eighteen Arhats were defeated?

If you were so capable, why didn’t you say so earlier? Yin Heavenly Lord Mo Yunzi, Refined Gold Iron Book of Life and Death, kill if you want, rob if you want, who would dare to challenge you?

Playing the pig to eat the tiger, even performing a play in the Dragon Palace and Netherworld about being defeated by Calamity Immortal, and fleeing in defeat.

You’re not a fool; you’re duping people!

Now what? How will this end?

Would Heavenly Court fight to the death with someone who is at least Seventh Tribulation, or even nearly a True Immortal, for their two families’ sake?

Wait a minute!

Nearly a True Immortal?

Nearly a True Immortal!!!

A thought flashed, like lightning, blasting away obstructions.

The Southern Sea Dragon Monarch and the Underworld Dark Lord’s gazes tightened, about to speak.

But before they could, they saw someone step out.

"Your Majesty, your servant has a report!"

"Hmm?"

The Jade Emperor frowned, fixed his gaze, and found it was a Mahayana Star Lord from the Western Auxiliary Court.

Mahayana cultivators, even in the Heavenly Court, have a not inconsiderable status, and can be the masters of a Star Palace. This person is the master of Taibai Star Palace in the Western Extreme Auxiliary Court.

Although the Jade Emperor was irritable, it was not appropriate to rebuke him and only asked, "What is your report?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty!"

The Taibai Star Lord stepped forward, speaking in a deep voice, "In this humble servant’s foolish opinion, all these signs and events - South Observation, Wuzhuang, Dragon Palace, Underworld, even within the Heavenly Court itself, may all be related to one man."

"Oh!"

The Jade Emperor’s expression sharpened, and surprised, he promptly asked, "Who?"

The Taibai Star Lord’s words grew heavy, "Palace Master of Ten Thousand Dao—Li Liuxian!"

"Palace Master of Ten Thousand Dao?"

"Li Liuxian?"

Upon hearing this, everyone furrowed their brows, some with surprise, some puzzled.

The Jade Emperor belonged to the latter, looking towards the attendants on either side, then toward the officials below: "Who is this person?"

As the ruler of the Heavenly Court, the Jade Emperor, he had not heard of this person.

The Great Mercy Bodhisattva beside him was also curious.

The Taibai Star Lord declared firmly, "This is a cultivator from the Lower Realm!"

"The Lower Realm?"

"Could it be...?"

"Earth Immortal ranks as the highest, and all other realms are beneath!"

As the crowd murmured with speculation and uncertainty, the Taibai Star Lord revealed the answer, "The Wandao School is indeed a great power from the ancients of the world below, and a thousand years ago, many cultivators ascended from there."

"According to the statements of those ascended cultivators, that Lower Realm is considered the Ancient Realm, with Ancient Immortal Gods carrying the Taoist Lineage to ascend to the Earth Immortal Realm, suspected to share the same origin with the Ancient Immortal Gods recorded in our Earth Immortal Realm."

"And the Wandao School is currently the ruler of that Ancient Realm!"

"..."

Without forming a connection yet, this speech caused the Jade Emperor’s brows to furrow tightly, "What does that have to do with this matter?"

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The Taibai Star Lord shook his head, "The Wandao School unified the Lower Realm with extraordinary methods and the art of creation, which is very mystical. Therefore, a thousand years ago, the Western Extreme Auxiliary Court sent someone to the Lower Realm, wishing to recruit its master to heaven as an official."

"But unexpectedly, he vanished without a trace, and only more than ten years later, someone finally returned, the Star Lord De from the Taibai Palace."

"The return of Star Lord De is clearly recorded at the Ascension Platform, but after leaving the Ascension Platform, there were no traces to be seen, he didn’t return to Heavenly Court, nor did he communicate with the Taibai Palace."

"After learning of this, your servant went to search but found no trace!"

The Taibai Star Lord’s face grew solemn, "Clearly, this Star Lord De has met with an accident, or perhaps has been impersonated, tricking the Ascension Platform’s guards and sneaking into the Earth Immortal Realm."

"This…"

The Jade Emperor’s brow furrowed, and the officials exchanged glances, until one ventured to ask, "Was it the doing of the Palace Master of Ten Thousand Dao?"

"Not so!"

The words had barely been uttered when another objected, "I am also familiar with that Star Lord De from the Taibai Palace, he has reached Return to Void Cultivation, nearing Integration, and the cultivators from the Lower Realm are mostly Deity Transformation due to the lack of Yuan Spirit, with few Return to Void and even fewer reaching Integration.

It is unlikely they could take advantage of him."

"The Ascendant Dragon Palace Master is unaware."

The Taibai Star Lord shook his head, "The Wandao School is extraordinary, its master Li Liuxian is an exceptional person, heralded for slaying demons and saving the world, having died and returned to life, integrated the Taoist Lineage of that Ancient Realm, founded Wandao School, with Nascent Soul Cultivation Level, living for over twenty thousand years, neither aging nor dying, and possessing exceptional methods.

In that Five Calamities Turbid Age, where the Yuan Spirit is dormant in the Lower Realm, he managed—like creating something out of nothing—to produce plenty of resources for all, providing for cultivators everywhere, allowing a great number of cultivators to ascend..."

"This...?"

Surprised by the declaration, the crowd echoed.

Nascent Soul Cultivation, eternally living and undying?

Spirit Plant Beast Mastering, crafting from the void?

"No ordinary person could do this!"

Amid the audience’s astonishment, the Taibai Star Lord added even more, "This person must possess a great treasure, or some Heaven Reaching means, otherwise this strangeness would be impossible."

The Jade Emperor knit his brows and asked coldly, "And what of it?"

The Taibai Star Lord, unflustered, continued, "The Wandao School, beyond its many mystical techniques, also introduced a profound Mana Point called Heavenly Mechanics Methods, which could combine the power of many and assemble thousands of Magic Artifacts into Battle Armor, vastly enhancing the battle power of cultivators, enabling Nascent Soul cultivators from that Ancient Realm to battle across realms and even defeat those in Deity Transformation and Return to Void."

"Heavenly Mechanics Methods!?"

The crowd’s gaze intensified, and brows tightened.

The Taibai Star Lord further stated, "This technique is mystical, creation extraordinary but not easy to achieve, requiring integration of many techniques, from Alchemy Cauldron, Talisman, Great Array, Dao of Tools, rituals, and even Yin and Yang, Ghost Gods, and other arts, to deceitfully craft what seems divine, obtaining the power to cross boundaries."

Having said this, he then summarized for the Jade Emperor.

"This Li Liuxian is no ordinary man!"

"The Heavenly Mechanics Methods, an art of creation!"

"Such a character, if he ascends to the Immortal Realm, will be like a Jiao Dragon entering the sea, uncontrollable once unleashed!"

"And having searched through the archives, examining all records, over the past thousand years, among the Four States and Two Regions of the Earth Immortal Realm, there has been only one person of unknown origin who has made a sudden rise!"

The Taibai Star Lord’s eyes sharpened, "That is Zhen Yuanzi of Wuzhuang, Mount Longevity, State of South Observation!"

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