Chapter 171: Temple Messenger, Invitation to Order

The storm of Li Zun's rebirth and the arrival of the two saints raged through the spirit world for months. Far from subsiding, the resulting turmoil intensified with the statements of various factions and the rapid expansion of Youge and Jiuxiao Tiangong. The Xuanyun Sect had become the de facto power center and holy ground of the spirit world. A constant stream of cultivators and factions descended daily to pay homage, surrender, and trade. A bustling temporary immortal city had even formed outside the sect.

On this particular day, at bright daylight, a strange wave suddenly erupted from outside the Xuanyun Sect's protective formation. It wasn't an attack, nor was it a common visit. Instead, it carried an indescribable sense of order and majesty, as if emanating from a higher dimension. Gently yet irresistibly, it penetrated the layers of formations, sounding a warning, and reverberated directly over the core area of ​​the Xuanyun Sect.

All the cultivators who felt this fluctuation, whether they were elders who were preaching or disciples who were practicing in seclusion, were stunned. The circulation of spiritual energy in their bodies seemed to be governed and constrained by some invisible rules, giving rise to an inexplicable sense of solemnity.

Ye Li and Qin Yixuan were in the quiet room behind the Sky-Clearing Hall, deducing their deeper understanding of reincarnation and the Way of the Stars since returning from the Wasted Realm. Sensing this fluctuation, they both opened their eyes at the same time.

"Here I come." Ye Li's tone was calm, but a glint of understanding flashed in her eyes. After she announced her identity and displayed the power of the Holy Land, she anticipated that some ancient beings hidden behind the curtain of history would never remain indifferent.

Qin Yixuan frowned slightly. "This aura... is pure, ancient, and carries a strong sense of order and restraint. It is different from any known force in the spiritual world."

"Let's go out and take a look." Ye Li stood up, his black clothes fluttering in the wind.

In a flash, the two figures appeared on the high platform in the square outside the Qingtian Palace. Key figures such as Muyun Lay Buddhist, Yaoguang Palace Master, and Monkey King Sun had already been alerted and gathered, gazing solemnly at the sky.

Beyond the Xuanyun Sect's protective formation, the void rippled like water. A massive, pure-white ship, ornate and simple in form, seemingly crafted from the purest divine jade of light, slowly emerged. A tangible, holy halo swirled around the ship, its hull inscribed with countless intricate golden divine scripts symbolizing concepts like "law," "contract," "purity," and "eternity." It exuded a tranquil yet subtly oppressive aura.

Before the ship stood more than a dozen figures. They all wore standard platinum robes, embroidered with images of the sun, moon, stars, and a scale. Their faces were handsome or majestic, their eyes clear yet tinged with a kind of indifference that looked down upon all living things. Leading the group was an elderly man, his hair and beard white, his face rosy as a baby's, wielding a massive scepter inlaid with a brilliant crystal. His aura was as profound as the ocean, hinting at the peak of the Supreme Realm! Behind him, none were weak, with at least one being in the late Nirvana Realm.

The lineup of this delegation is luxurious and enough to sweep across most of the top sects in the spiritual world.

"The envoys of the Eternal Temple, under the orders of the Temple Master, have come to pay a visit to the Samsara Holy Land and the Xuannv Holy Land." The old man in the lead spoke, his voice gentle and magnetic, as if carrying some strange magic that could calm all restlessness, but his gaze first fell on Qin Yixuan, with undisguised admiration and... a confirmation that was almost scrutinizing.

"Holy Temple?" Mr. Muyun frowned. He was well-read, but he had never seen a clear record about this force in the ancient books of the spiritual world.

Ye Li raised her hand, signaling to open some of the formation channels. "Please come in and talk."

The white ship transformed into a stream of light, passing through the formation, shrinking to a suitable size, and hovering in front of the square. The messengers descended gracefully, their movements in unison, with an innate elegance and standard.

The old man with a cane in the lead swept his gaze over the crowd, finally fixing his gaze on Qin Yixuan again. He bowed slightly, performing an ancient and peculiar etiquette, his tone filled with almost fanatical reverence:

"Honorable Xuannv Sanctuary, I, the Seventh Cardinal of the Eternal Temple, Aldrich Saint Light Feather, extend my highest regards to you. Flowing within you is the purest and most sacred bloodline and inherited power of His Majesty, the Primordial God of Light! Your return marks the dawn of the reshaping of cosmic order and the hope we have pursued for eternity!"

His words were full of appeal, as if they had some kind of spiritual resonance, causing some of the disciples with lower cultivation levels around him to involuntarily worship Qin Yixuan.

Qin Yixuan's expression remained calm, the starlight flowing naturally from the Mysterious Lady Sanctuary rippled gently around her, negating the invisible spiritual influence. She said calmly, "Your Excellency, the Bishop is too kind. I am Qin Yixuan, the descendant of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady and a spiritual cultivator."

Aldrich seemed unconcerned by her correction, remaining enthusiastic. "No, you are the contemporary manifestation of the will of the God-King of Light! Although His Majesty fell in the War of the Ancients, his great ideal of pursuing absolute order and purifying all chaos and evil has never been extinguished! The Eternal Temple was established in accordance with the God-King's will, dedicated to maintaining purity and balance across all the heavens and worlds."

He opened his arms, as if embracing an ideal, perfect world. "Xuan Nu Sanctuary, the power of purification and life you wield is the indispensable cornerstone for building an eternal order! The entire temple eagerly awaits your return! With a single nod, you will become the temple's supreme saint, the future heir to the 'Power of Light'! The temple's accumulated resources, knowledge, and power throughout the ages will all be at your service, helping you to quickly ascend to the realm of the Divine King and accomplish the great task of purifying the universe!"

These words were filled with temptation. To wield the power of light, inherit the resources of an ancient and powerful faction, and accomplish the great task of purifying the universe… this was an irresistible temptation for any cultivator pursuing power and ideals.

However, Qin Yixuan's eyes remained clear and resolute. She shook her head gently, "Thank you for your kindness. But my way lies in protection and balance, in guidance rather than forced purification. The spiritual world is my root, and here too, there are people and order that I need to protect. I appreciate the Temple's kindness."

The smile on Aldrich's face froze slightly, and a barely perceptible haze flashed in his eyes, but he quickly returned to normal and sighed, "Your Excellency the Saint is compassionate, which is admirable. But chaos and evil will not disappear because of mercy. Only absolute light and order can cleanse all filth. This is the truth of the universe." He seemed to want to persuade again.

At this time, Odrich seemed to have just noticed Ye Li beside Qin Yixuan. He turned his gaze to Ye Li, and the enthusiasm on his face subsided, becoming serious and reserved, even with a hint of alienation and scrutiny.

"This must be His Excellency Li Zun, the current... Sanctuary of Samsara." He nodded slightly as a greeting, his tone calm, "Your Excellency's ability to enter the Sanctuary through the path of Samsara is truly a prodigy, truly astonishing."

Although the words were praise, there was not much sincerity in them.

He changed the subject, his gaze landing on the faint mark of the Samsara Mirror between Ye Li's eyebrows, his eyes becoming sharp. "However, the power of Samsara involves the very foundation of the universe's birth and death. Its nature is unpredictable and its power is dangerous. According to the ancient texts of the Holy Temple, the Samsara Mirror is an original taboo. Its power can easily get out of control, causing great suffering to all living beings and even shaking the foundation of the universe. The tragedy of the ancient divine world may not be unrelated to this object."

He paused, his tone akin to a condescending "admonition," "Your Excellency, it is truly unfortunate to control such a dangerous power. For the sake of all beings in the spiritual world and the order of the universe, the Holy Temple recommends that you hand over the Samsara Mirror to the Holy Temple for safekeeping. The Holy Temple possesses the secret methods and responsibility to purify and seal such forbidden objects, ensuring that their power is not abused and maintaining the stability of the heavens."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the square instantly dropped to freezing point!

Anger immediately washed over the faces of Muyun Jushi, Sun Xiaohou, and the others. Hand over the Samsara Mirror? This so-called Holy Temple, their appetite was truly too large! Furthermore, their words even considered Ye Li's power an unstable factor, filled with accusations and distrust.

Ye Li, however, was not angry. Instead, a smile appeared on her lips. She looked at Aldridge with a deep gaze, as if she could see through his true intentions behind his high-sounding words.

"Oh? Hand it over to the Temple for safekeeping?" Ye Li's voice was a little amused. "But I don't know what standards the Temple uses to determine which powers are dangerous and which are safe? And what qualifications do they have to take on this responsibility of 'safekeeping'?"

Aldrich's expression remained unchanged as he spoke calmly, "The Temple upholds the will of the God-King of Light and pursues absolute order and purity. This is the supreme principle of the universe. All forces that deviate from this principle and could cause chaos and uncertainty are subject to oversight. The Temple's purpose is to uphold this principle, and naturally it has the right and responsibility to deal with entities like the Samsara Mirror."

He swept his gaze across the entire Xuanyun Sect, his tone carrying a hint of threat, his voice slightly raised to ensure everyone around him could hear clearly: "The Spirit Realm now appears to be flourishing due to the arrival of the two saints, but in reality, undercurrents are surging. The rebirth of His Excellency Li Zun is undoubtedly welcome, but it has also brought many 'instability factors', causing the minds of various forces to waver, and old grudges and new hatreds to intertwine. This is not a sign of order. If he continues to wield the forbidden power of the Samsara Mirror, he will probably bring even greater disaster to the Spirit Realm."

"Unstable factors..." Ye Li repeated the word softly, and the warning left by the Star God in the Star God Temple after he exhausted his last strength flashed through his mind - "Beware of the darkness in the light, order can also become a shackle"!

This Temple messenger before me constantly spoke of order, purity, and stability, but wasn't the logic of his words a radical attempt to impose its own standards on all things, eradicating all "others"? Could this so-called "light" conceal within its core the very "darkness" and "shackles" that the Star God warned us against?

A sense of alarm suddenly welled up in her heart. This Eternal Temple was definitely not one to be trifled with. Their goal wasn't just Qin Yixuan's Xuan Nu inheritance; they coveted the complete Samsara Mirror! Perhaps they even viewed the entire spiritual world as something to be "purified" and "regulated" by their "order."

Ye Li's eyes turned completely cold. Although the aura of the Samsara Sanctuary around her didn't burst out, it made the air around her seem to freeze. She looked at Aldridge and said word by word:

"My power is under my control. The ownership of the Samsara Mirror is not something you need to worry about."

"The order of the spiritual world is determined by the beings in the spiritual world themselves, without the need for outsiders to dictate."

"As for the destabilizing factors..." She paused, her gaze like an icy blade, piercing Aldrich. "If someone tries to impose their own order on this world, that would be the greatest instability!"

As soon as he finished speaking, an invisible, overwhelming pressure, imbued with the will of reincarnation, instantly enveloped Aldrich and the Temple messengers behind him like an invisible tide! Aldrich's face changed slightly, and the bright crystal on the scepter in his hand burst into a dazzling light, barely withstanding the pressure. However, the messengers behind him involuntarily took a half step back, their faces showing horror.

They finally felt firsthand how unfathomable and... inviolable the power of this Sanctuary of Reincarnation was!

Aldridge took a deep breath and looked at Ye Li deeply. There was no gentleness in the depths of his eyes, only cold calculation and a hint of fear.

"In that case, we will say no more. We simply hope that Your Excellency, Li Zun, will take care of yourself and not allow your selfishness to lead to irreversible consequences." He finished his words stiffly, then turned to Qin Yixuan and bowed. "The gates of the Xuannv Sanctuary and the temple are always open to you. I hope you will reconsider."

After saying this, he did not stop and led the temple messenger to board the white ship. The ship turned into a white light, tearing through space and disappearing in an instant.

It came suddenly and left abruptly.

But everyone knows that things will never end here.

The Eternal Temple's appearance was like a hostile crocodile thrust beneath the surface of a calm (at least superficially) lake. The "absolute order" they represented clashed fundamentally with the "dynamic balance" and "compassionate protection" pursued by Ye Li and Qin Yixuan.

And Aldrich's last words with implicit threats, and Ye Li's association with the warning from the Star God, both indicate that this conflict caused by ideas will probably be far more cruel and irreconcilable than any simple power struggle.