Chapter 746 This child is the hope of the righteous path

Purple Thunder Peak stands majestically above the waves of clouds.

This towering main peak resembles a coiled dragon, its head proudly pointing towards the sky. Surrounding it, several slightly lower secondary peaks stand guard, like halberd-wielding sentinels.

The body of Zilei Peak is a deep purplish-black color, with countless strange patterns faintly visible, flowing with a faint yet noble cold light.

The mountain peaks are perpetually shrouded in misty purple clouds, with lightning flashing like purple snakes within them, creating a scene both magnificent and mysterious.

Meng Wuyan, one of the deputy peak masters of Zilei Peak, is currently climbing halfway up the mountain.

Even he, if he wanted to climb the mountain, had to take it one step at a time; he was not qualified to use magic to fly through the clouds.

Arriving at a prominent cliffside pavilion, Meng Wuyan stopped, folded the list in her hand into a letter, and sent it far away.

"Before the Purple Extreme Palace, where Thunder Pool awaits orders, Vice Peak Master Meng Wuyan, filled with trepidation, respectfully reports to our Peak Master:"

"Your Majesty's grace has granted me the honor of holding the position of deputy. I am constantly vigilant and fearful that I may fail the trust placed in me by the Peak Master and the expectations of the sect. Today, the 'Xingyun Trial' has reached its first stage, with a gathering of heroes and a magnificent display of clouds and mist."

"I have personally investigated and carefully observed their actions and abilities, and have found several individuals. Although their backgrounds differ—some from humble origins, others from extraordinary circumstances—they all possess exceptional talents, deeply rooted spiritual roots, and unwavering will. They are truly unpolished gems, future luminaries. I humbly present these key points to the Peak Master:"

"The first is Xiao Caiting. A female cultivator from the mountains, she possesses a keen sense of spirituality. She has never practiced advanced thunder magic, but with only a trace of her inheritance and innate intuition, she was able to predict the trajectory of the seven thunder talismans by slightly moving her fingertips during the 'Drawing Thunder to Discern the Mechanism' test. She drew the purest wisp of dry yang purple energy into her body, and the phantom of a thunder beast appeared around her. She is a natural gem, perfectly suited for the cultivation of thunder."

"The first is Situ Xing. This young man comes from the Situ family, a noble family. He uses the stars as chess pieces and sword light as painting. His swordsmanship is in harmony with the celestial orbit. In the small test of the hundred weapons vying for power, he broke through the 'Nine Luminaries Illusionary Star Array' with a single sword, revealing his sharpness and the proud spirit of the celestial star, standing out from the crowd."

"The first is Huang Dang. A descendant of a famous general from the Diyuan Kingdom, his muscles and bones are like iron, and his will is as firm as a rock. His body, tempered by a thousand hammers and his blood courage are indomitable. In the 'Nine Tribulations Thunder Path' trial, he withstood three lightning strikes. His body was charred black but he did not fall. Instead, under the invasion of the lightning, he drew a trace of the earth's dragon vein energy to nourish himself, turning the tribulation into power. His resilience is rare in the world."

...

"Firstly, Ning Zhuo. He is only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage and is not a Confucian cultivator, yet he won the top prize in both the Confucian cultivator Xingyun trials! Furthermore, he won the top prize again in the Exorcising Evil Hall trial by passing the three questions of the heart! Therefore, he was awarded the merit pagoda, a magic treasure, as a reward!"

"Your subordinate dares to plead: To win the hearts of such extraordinary talents and future stars, one cannot be bound by ordinary standards or swayed by worldly gains. Only Zi Lei Peak stands alone in the world, for its Zi Xiao Divine Thunder Dojo and the unparalleled opportunity of tempering one's body in the Thunder Pool at the summit attracts the elites of the world."

"Such an unprecedented opportunity to personally visit the sacred land and confront the Dao of Heaven far surpasses a thousand spirit stones and ten thousand scrolls of Daoist scriptures! It will surely make them appreciate our peak's sincere thirst for talent and its magnanimous spirit of embracing all rivers. They will know that our Purple Thunder Peak is not only the supreme place of the Dao of Thunder, but also an unparalleled place for cultivating talents and opening up the future! In this way, good birds will choose good trees, phoenixes and unicorns will come to pay homage, the Great Dao will be within reach, and the rise of our peak will be just around the corner!"

"I am well aware that this request may be presumptuous, but for the sake of the sect and for the future, my heart is burning with urgency, and I must speak out! I humbly beseech the Peak Master to consider my foolish loyalty and grant my request. Then the sect and the Great Dao will be blessed!"

"Your subordinate, Meng Wuyan, is filled with trepidation and awaits orders with utmost humility!"

"I bow again!"

The message quickly disappeared from Meng Wuyan's perception.

Meng Wuyan stopped, looked up at the mountain peak, and waited silently.

The Purple Thunder Peak trembled slightly, and the mountain hummed, emitting a long, drawn-out sound that resembled a dragon's roar.

The mountain sounds were vast and resounding, soaring straight into the sky.

The purple clouds trembled, and the next moment, the sky suddenly darkened, neither twilight nor darkness.

A refined imperial purple, of the highest caliber, rapidly spread and permeated the purple clouds. This purple was deep and rich, far surpassing any luxurious silk or gemstone in the world.

The imperial purple clouds churned and surged, growing thick and imposing, layer upon layer like the tassels of an imperial crown, pressing down with a solemn order. At the center of the purple clouds, a bottomless vortex of purple light slowly opened, silently and majestically overlooking this world.

Even though Meng Wuyan had seen this situation many times, he still couldn't help but feel suppressed, awe, longing, and reverence.

Meng Wuyan's purple eyes narrowed further as she watched the lightning snake in the cloud rapidly expand, transforming into streaks of dragon shadows.

The purple light gathering in Meng Wuyan's eyes grew even stronger.

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he murmured, "They're here."

In an instant! A dazzling bolt of heavenly lightning struck down from the core of that vortex!

The brilliance of the thunderous light seemed to condense the will of heaven and earth, its core being an extremely dazzling incandescent sharpness, while its edges flowed with purple flames that melted stars.

Judgment of Yin and Yang, order of Heaven and Earth, reward and punish all things, supreme authority!

Thunderbolts struck the indestructible black iron rock bones of Purple Thunder Peak!

"塡——!!!"

It was a deafening roar, as if the very fabric of heaven and earth were being shaken. The struck peaks instantly transformed into molten purple jade, and then the lightning transformed into surging streams of light, rushing down through the mountain like a torrent.

Wherever the imperial purple light touched, it instantly triggered lightning marks on the mountainside that resembled blood vessels.

Countless lightning bolts lit up, like a multitude of dragons crisscrossing, but in an instant, they dimmed as the light faded. Even this fleeting spectacle was enough to shock Meng Wuyan, bringing tears to the eyes of this powerful Nascent Soul level demon cultivator.

"The secrets of the Thunder Path are all contained within it, all contained within it!" he shouted in his heart, both shocked and moved.

This was a feeling of being deeply moved, which made his whole being tremble.

If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening!

With just one lightning strike, the imperial purple quickly faded, the thunderclouds thinned, and returned to the previous pale purple clouds, drifting lazily.

The Purple Heaven Divine Thunder that had just torn through the sky and shaken the universe, and the overwhelming and unstoppable pressure of the Heavenly Dao, all seemed to be just a fleeting grand illusion.

Meng Wuyan remained standing in the pavilion with his hands clasped behind his back, the dark blue sleeves of his robe fluttering gently in the breeze, no longer making a rustling sound as before.

His emotions gradually calmed down, and then a point of white light flew down from the mountaintop.

The white light fell into Meng Wuyan's hand, transforming into a letter, the very one he had sent earlier.

Meng Wuyan channeled his divine sense into the message, immediately directing it to the blank space at the end.

Empty of words, without a trace of Dharma seal.

His heart skipped a barely perceptible beat, and a deep disappointment welled up in the depths of his eyes. This was followed by worry about the future, which entwined his heart like vines; and an indescribable weariness crept onto his brow.

Meng Wuyan remained silent for a few moments, then slowly put away the letter. When she looked up again, it seemed as if she could see the Purple Thunder Pool on the mountaintop and the Purple Extreme Palace beside it.

The mountain breeze ruffled a few strands of hair at his temples. He finally sighed softly, raised his arms, bowed, and slowly turned around.

Step by step, he walked heavily and silently down the mountain path, his figure quickly swallowed up by the jagged rocks.

The main hall of Zhuxie Hall.

The palace was magnificent, yet devoid of any extravagance. The cold, massive stone bricks, tinged with a deep black, supported the dome, and the walls were covered with enormous, solemn talismans meant to ward off evil and exorcise demons.

Zhong Dao sat upright behind the massive black iron desk at the head of the hall. His broad shoulders and back were ramrod straight, like a solitary peak standing tall. The edges of the desk were sharp, as angular as he was.

After finishing a file in his hand, Zhong Dao's sharp eyes could not hide his cold anger. He looked at the empty hall in front of him, as if he wanted to burn through the invisible air.

"Sneaky and despicable! Holding positions without doing any work!" Recalling how his consciousness had just been summoned into the great formation to discuss matters with the high-ranking members of the main peak, Zhong Dao became even more furious.

He felt depressed, and his experiences in the officialdom of Feiyun Kingdom resurfaced in his mind.

Those hidden desires beneath the veneer of respectability, those open and covert struggles beneath the rules...

Wherever there are people, there is a world of intrigue, and this is true even for the Myriad Manifestations Sect.

A deep sense of disappointment and indescribable resentment transformed into waves of icy coldness that spread from the depths of his heart.

His straight back made him appear even more rigid and unyielding, and the deep vertical lines between his brows revealed the strength of his features, as if carved by a knife and axe.

The atmosphere inside the hall was oppressive and heavy; the guarding cultivators dared not even breathe loudly.

The head guard sighed inwardly, thought for a moment, and quietly stepped out of the ranks. He took out a jade slip from his robes: "Reporting to the hall master, I have something to report. The Xingyun Trial has reached its first stage, and one hall has announced the winner and awarded a magic treasure-level Merit Pagoda as a reward."

Zhong Dao paused slightly, as he was well aware of what the top prize at the magic weapon level meant.

"Has this person passed the three tests of the heart?" His gaze lingered on the head guard, immediately putting immense psychological pressure on the latter.

The head guard lowered his head instinctively, his voice becoming even clearer and louder: "Your Excellency is wise. This man's name is Ning Zhuo. He is a spirited young man who answered the first three questions without flinching, displaying a firm attitude. When asked the last question, he said directly, 'What is there to regret? What is there to fear!'"

"Hmm." Upon hearing this, the deep vertical lines between Zhong Dao's brows relaxed slightly, and the cold anger in his eyes also diminished a bit.

"That's commendable in terms of awareness and character." Zhong Dao thought of himself. "Do you have any intelligence to gather?"

This is only natural.

In the first phase of the Xingyun Trial, if any cultivator achieves first place, the Zhuxie Hall will naturally follow up aggressively, conduct a thorough investigation, and strictly prevent evil cultivators from disguising themselves and infiltrating.

The head guard was quite perceptive of the atmosphere, and seeing that Zhong Dao's anger had subsided somewhat, he was genuinely pleased.

He continued, "We are still investigating. Ning Zhuo doesn't seem to be a citizen of Feiyun Kingdom. However, according to the latest intelligence, he has already obtained the stone tablet."

Zhong Dao: "Oh?"

His brows relaxed slightly again: "It seems this young man has a bright future and his talent is among the best in this year's Flying Cloud Tournament. If that's true, he is somewhat similar to me when I was young."

"It seems that the cultivation world... is not entirely filled with scheming and despicable people. The righteous path is not without successors; there will eventually be new talents to inherit our will and uphold the righteous path. There are those with iron will to uphold righteousness and those with loyal hearts to illuminate history."

Zhong Dao nodded slightly, feeling much more at ease. He immediately ordered his men to thoroughly investigate Ning Zhuo and make sure to find out everything about him.

Seeing that Zhong Dao's anger had subsided, the head guard breathed a sigh of relief. He felt happy that he could share his superior's burdens and silently returned to his post.

Zhong Dao was about to process the next file when he suddenly looked up at the head guard who was halfway there: "Ning Zhuo's first two places, what kind of Xingyun Small Test?"

The head guard immediately stood still, then stepped forward a few paces and respectfully reported, "These are all minor tests by Confucian scholars. Besides, Ning Zhuo is not a Confucian scholar."

"Oh?" Hearing this rather unexpected answer, Zhong Dao developed a new interest in Ning Zhuo.

Zhong Dao was very clear about the style of Confucian scholars.

"The fact that he, as an outsider, achieved first place in the Confucian scholar's preliminary examination shows that he has a righteous character."

“Not bad, not bad,” Zhong Dao nodded, murmuring softly.

He waved to the chief of guards.

The head guard bowed and stepped back to his post. He thought to himself: After this incident, his superior probably has a much better impression of Ning Zhuo.

"If I ever run into Ning Zhuo in the future, I'll have to make him treat me to a meal just for today," the head guard thought to himself. That wasn't his original intention, but that didn't stop him from secretly envying Ning Zhuo.

With Zhong Dao's cultivation level, combat strength, and prestige, being valued by him means a newcomer can avoid many detours.

Zhong Dao buried himself in processing a case file, and his efficiency was noticeably higher than before.

Taking advantage of a spare moment, he recalled the Seven Summit not long ago, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"They want to target Wen Ruanyu, and Qin De is the key."

"We must keep a close watch on this person and contact Duanmu Zhang to warn him of the Seven Peaks' scheme."

Thinking of this, Zhong Dao immediately wrote a letter via Feixin (a type of Chinese instant messaging service).

The letter contained only one line: "What I desire in life, and what I desire in righteousness, cannot be had at the same time. Brother Duanmu, are you willing to sacrifice your life for righteousness?"

He and Duanmu Zhang were already good friends, and this short sentence was enough.

Another cave dwelling.

Ban Ji's face was ashen as he stared intently at the jade pendant in his hand.

The jade tablet was a magical artifact used for communication, but no matter how much Banji urged it, there was no response.

He lost contact with Pan Si Niangzi and couldn't reach her no matter what he did.

"But the spider is still here... I'm afraid the Spider Lady is in grave danger."

"So, how much intelligence has Ning Zhuo obtained? Has he already detected me?"

"Damn it!" Banji clenched his fist, his eyes flashing with resentment.

He already knew that Ning Zhuo had changed his stone tablet, even earlier than him. Currently, Banji has only won two first places, and is still missing the third.

"We can't count on the Spider Woman, but what about the others?"

"Where are Wangyan Monk, Tiehai, and Liu Qingyan? What are they doing? Can they be of any use?!"

at the same time.

Ban Family Ancestral Hall.

Clang, clang...

A mechanical contraption that almost filled the entire hall suddenly emitted a worrying sound.

Normally, the wooden blocks would move slowly, but at this moment they began to fall one after another.

The monks on guard noticed something amiss and took it very seriously, immediately investigating.

"The problem lies with Banji."

"What's wrong with him? Who did he offend? Why is his luck being suppressed so drastically?!"

"Investigate! Examine the matter thoroughly immediately!"

In the rear hall of the ancestral hall, a flurry of activity ensued.

(End of this chapter)