Chapter 174 Soaring to the Heavens in the Bright Sun, Eastern Lord, I need you to go now! Stop…
Mingguang recalled that he and Xiaotaozhi had just finished killing the elders and were escorting the people back to the mortal realm when Xu Li appeared.
At that time, everyone was only focused on Xu Li, but Ming Guang noticed that the spiritual fires released by Dong Jun to burn down the palaces of the various elders were not extinguished by any of the immortals of Jiuxiao Palace. Instead, they were extinguished wherever Xu Li left Jiuxiao Palace on his spirit boat.
But at that time, Xu Li had no spiritual energy fluctuations around him.
At the time, everyone felt that Xu Li was indeed worthy of being the Palace Master of Jiuxiao Palace, and that he possessed extraordinary abilities.
Mingguang found it strange at that time. No matter how strong Xu Li's abilities were, it was impossible for him to activate spiritual energy silently.
Later, when Xu Li fought Dong Jun, he didn't use any spiritual energy to resist. His ability to dodge was enough to fight Dong Jun's innate skill of shifting and changing his footwork to a draw. Although he looked disheveled and struggled to defend himself, he was actually in complete control.
Everyone said that the master of the Nine Heavens Palace was unfathomable, but the immortal positions in this world were all controlled by Mingguang. He felt that something was wrong with Xu Li as soon as he met him.
The power he displayed was inconsistent with this star realm; only now do we realize that he had been invoking the laws of heaven and earth all along.
Mingguang had naturally witnessed high-ranking immortals invoking the laws of heaven and earth.
In the Celestial Realm, only those of the rank of Tai Xian or higher can invoke the laws of Heaven and Earth. And those of higher ranks, aside from the Heavenly Dao and the Kunyi of the Myriad Realms, generally reside in various departments of the Nine Heavens year-round.
If a Grand Immortal were to descend to the mortal realm, it would only be when the entire celestial sphere collapsed, the earthly landscape was shattered, and the lower-ranking immortals on earth were truly unable to handle the situation. Only then would an immortal of a rank higher than Grand Immortal be requested to descend to the mortal realm to mend the heavens, restore the sun, and save all living beings.
Mingguang had a complete memory of all the immortals above the Taixian level throughout history, including their birth dates, clan affiliations, aspirations, ascension dates, current positions, spiritual attributes, unique skills, and life achievements. He knew even those above the Taizhen level in the Shangqing realm like the back of his hand.
There is no such person as Xu Li.
He had even imagined that Xu Li's innate skill was the ability to manipulate spirits silently, but he never thought that Xu Li was a high-ranking immortal who could invoke the laws of heaven and earth.
It's like you wouldn't assume an ant is an elephant just because it can carry something bigger than itself.
The idea that a high-ranking immortal capable of manipulating the laws of heaven and earth could remain undiscovered for hundreds of years within a mortal realm is utter nonsense.
Mingguang closed his eyes, and because of the bright light, everything in front of him was bright red.
Tai Chi continued his actions, while Mingguang's thoughts surged like a tide, constantly calculating Xu Li's true identity. He felt no pain whatsoever.
Xu Li is not a high-ranking immortal, so why can he manipulate the laws of heaven and earth?
—Unless he really is a star god.
Apart from high-ranking immortals, only star gods can manipulate the laws of heaven and earth of their respective star realms.
This realm was chosen as the third competition's astral realm, and regardless of which star deity's territory it was, all the immortals of the Nine Heavens were watching the competition.
No star deity on duty would dare to abandon their post under the watchful eyes of all the celestial beings. This would be a blatant violation of the heavenly rules.
Before their third competition, two generations of the White Tiger constellation had suffered annihilation. It was during that time that his father, Qingming, rushed there, which prevented him from personally sending them off to the next competition.
Mingguang also suspected that this arena happened to be the White Tiger Star Realm where problems had arisen, with sinful immortals gathering and stripping mortals of their life force, which was already a catastrophe for the inhabitants of this realm.
However, Mingguang quickly denied the idea that Xu Li might be the White Tiger Star God. Even if this world is under the jurisdiction of the White Tiger Star God, the White Tiger Star God's star realm has such a big problem, and he must be being held accountable now. How could he possibly come down to this world to cause trouble?
Besides the White Tiger Star God, what other star god could deviate from his post under the watchful eyes of the immortals and manipulate the laws of heaven and earth without being monitored and warned by the Yin-Yang sundial of the rotating star system?
Mingguang recalled Xu Li's imposing and dignified demeanor as he walked, and how his gaze towards Xiao Taozhi held a hint of disdain and mockery. Before Dongjun appeared, no matter how eloquent or cunning Xiao Taozhi was, he was never fooled, clearly demonstrating his deep understanding of deceit and intrigue.
Mingguang had been watching Xu Li closely throughout the meal. Suddenly, he remembered that when Xu Li fought with Dongjun, his large movements revealed a corner of his inner garment embroidered with a golden dragon pattern beneath his crimson robe.
Mingguang suddenly opened his eyes—if this were a Xuanxing Realm, it wouldn't be surprising if a cultivator's robe had any patterns or embroidery.
There are countless people who admire the power of the dragon race, and even those who have dragon blood themselves.
But this is a mortal realm, and in a mortal realm, the banished immortals live a life of exhaustion, worse than pigs and dogs, while this Star God Xu's inner robe is embroidered with a golden dragon.
Could he be the Ziwei Star God of this realm?!
That doesn't make sense.
The Ziwei star deity is supported by the celestial beings, and his descendants prosper for generations. Protected by dragon energy, he is connected to the fate of the nation and enjoys all the glory and wealth of the world, but he has no chance to enter the Xuanmen (Taoist sect).
The Ziwei star deity is forbidden from cultivating into an immortal—this is also one of the heavenly rules.
But apart from this possibility, there is no other person who, like the Golden Crow clan who rule all realms, can freely invoke the laws of heaven and earth in the lower realms.
Mingguang's thoughts had once again fallen into a dead end, but the constant cutting on his body brought his attention back.
He looked at the Tai Chi symbol.
Then the blocked thoughts suddenly became clear!
It might not be entirely impossible for the Ziwei star deity to become an immortal.
If he simply replaced his immortal veins with someone else's, wouldn't he be able to step into the Xuanmen (mystical realm) in one step?
What Tai Chi can easily do in this world, others can do as well.
Throughout history, emperors have gone to great lengths and employed countless methods in their quest for immortality and the prosperity of their dynasties.
In the first competition, didn't the human emperor who was led astray by the ancient immortals and caused a tragedy firmly believe that he could fly by following the stone tablet?
Was he truly obsessed with the inscriptions from a thousand years ago, or with the so-called ancient records, which led him astray and made him single-mindedly want to ascend to immortality? Or did he actually see the "Ziwei Star God ascending to immortality" and thus stake his own life, the country, and the people on the cost of becoming an immortal?
If Xu Li is indeed the Ziwei Star God of this place, able to freely invoke the laws of heaven and earth, the matter of "choosing" people to ascend would become effortless.
For the Star God, everything in the world under his jurisdiction is traceable and tangible.
Therefore, Xu Li's ability to extinguish the spiritual fire remotely, his effortless handling of Dong Jun, and even the fact that the ancient immortal clan was still able to learn about his and Xiao Taozhi's actions after they cut the Silver Han Net, all have reasonable explanations.
But there are too many things that don't make sense in this explanation.
Mingguang frowned as he recalled what Xiaotaozhi had told him: when she descended to the mortal realm, she first lost consciousness for a while, and then when she woke up, she was captured by a group of banished immortals who wanted to send her to Xu Li to be used as a furnace.
If Xu Li is working for the ancient immortals who violated the heavenly rule of "helping the Ziwei Star God enter the Xuanmen", then since he can control Xiao Taozhi, why doesn't he just use the laws of heaven and earth to kill her?
The power of the laws of heaven and earth lies in the fact that "no spirit in this world can defy them."
Even if Xiao Taozhi possesses extraordinary abilities, as long as she exists in this realm, she will inevitably be bound by its laws. Xu Li could kill her in the blink of an eye.
In the first two competitions, the Ancient Immortal Clan used all sorts of methods, both overt and covert, to kill Xiao Taozhi, but each time the clever and quick-witted Xiao Taozhi evaded them. Instead, they lost many immortals who clung to their positions and did nothing but occupy them.
Why, when she could have easily killed him, did he tolerate Xiao Taozhi killing eight elders of the Nine Heavens Palace, arrogantly leading people to occupy the Nine Heavens Palace, and even forcing Xu Li, who could use the laws of heaven and earth, to make a vow of Dao heart?
Unless... the person they want to kill isn't Xiao Taozhi.
Mingguang recalled that the Ancient Immortal Clan was the first to find him, directly revealing to him that this place was under their control, and even saying that they could send him directly to heaven.
Ke Mingguang was a celestial being competing in this realm. At the time, he only felt that the ancient celestial clan was trying to win back his heart. They were willing to reveal to Yin Hangu that they had violated the heavenly rules and sacrificed part of their celestial position in order to send him back to heaven to prove his position.
At that time, Mingguang was filled with fear that the ancient immortal clan would harm Xiaotaozhi in this realm. His preconceived notions and cautious defenses clouded his judgment.
It was also because of his innate arrogance as a future ruler, having been protected by the ancient immortals for too long, that he felt it was only natural for them to do whatever they wanted for him.
Mingguang was secretly pleased that he had finally "fished" them out.
In retrospect, he was far too arrogant.
The ancient immortal clan probably didn't want to win back the emperor's favor at all; they wanted to kill this "future emperor" who displeased them.
The formation that allowed the five people to ascend to immortality through sacrificial offerings to the celestial spirits must be flawed!
Xiao Taozhi's attitude changed abruptly after Mingguang told her about the ancient immortal clan approaching him and the ascension formation where five people could be exchanged for one person, leading Taiji to strip him of his immortal veins.
Xu Li has the laws of heaven and earth at his fingertips and can see their actions at any time. Xiao Taozhi couldn't directly say that there was a problem with the formation, so she stripped him of his immortal veins, turning him into a mortal that "even banished immortals dare not touch," in order to protect him!
Mingguang felt a surge of joy. Although it took him some time to understand this, he was overwhelmed by this belated "protection" and his heart was filled with sweet delight.
But after a brief moment of joy, Mingguang's coldness chilled his very soul.
It still doesn't work.
Since even the Ziwei Star God can enter the Xuanmen and control this realm, then whether it's killing Xiaotaozhi or him, there's no need to go through such a big detour.
If the ancient immortals only wanted to kill him, whether they wanted to bring back Dongjun or, like they had deliberately cultivated Yunchuan before, had a new candidate for emperor, wouldn't it have been simpler to have Xu Li use the laws of heaven and earth?
Why go to such great lengths to first expose himself as a violation of the heavenly rules, and then sacrifice so many immortal positions, just to lure him into that formation to ascend?
They are wary.
To kill him—they need to be wary of Yin Han Gu, the Heavenly Dao of Myriad Realms Kun Yi, the Azure Emperor, and the Eastern Lord.
If the Golden Crow clan dies in this realm without explanation, the Nine Heavens will surely be swept up in a frenzy of investigation to find out the truth.
However, if the "future emperor" of the Golden Crow clan dies during his ascension in front of everyone and fails to ascend to heaven himself, then neither his protectors nor his father, mother, and brother can hold others accountable.
Therefore, the formation that sacrificed the immortal spirits of the Five Elements to exchange for one person's ascension was a "shining sun and moon" death method specially prepared for him.
But Mingguang felt that this still couldn't explain everything.
Since Xiao Taozhi knew that the Heavenly Return Formation was flawed, she could simply "snatch" it from him to prevent him from falling for her trick, and then find a way to destroy it.
Why insist on "returning to heaven to assume one's position" during the ascension ceremony?
What exactly does she want to do?
She has always been cunning and resourceful. Although she enjoys taking risks, she would never knowingly walk into a trap to her death...
Tai Chi has begun stitching up the incision on Mingguang's heart meridian, and a fine, persistent pain is emanating from his chest.
Mingguang's eyelids suddenly twitched violently.
Yes! To their deaths!
Xiao Taozhi, knowing full well that she would anger Xu Li by digging out the hearts of all living beings to manipulate Dongjun, and even slaughtering the eight elders and their subordinates, now uses Dongjun to break ties with Xu Li, yet still demands that he swear to send her to ascend into the formation, and instigates Dongjun to "abduct" him and Taiji overnight—
All her actions and her eagerness for quick success are incomprehensible to Mingguang—aren't they all ways she's "courting death"?
She was destined to die within the formation.
Why?
Why!
Mingguang was greatly shocked.
Taiji immediately said, "Don't get agitated. You've already vomited blood from your heart meridian. If you do this, I can't guarantee that you can reconnect your immortal meridians and fully recover your strength."
He can't stand the pain, but he refuses to take the numbing pills. It's so annoying.
After hearing Taiji's words, Mingguang barely managed to suppress his emotions.
But his strength has been fully restored...
Xiao Taozhi deliberately let Dongjun kidnap him and Taiji so that Taiji could continue his immortal lineage.
Xiao Taozhi had previously removed his immortal meridians to turn him into a mortal for "self-preservation." So why did she suddenly rush to send him away to allow him to recover his strength, even before she entered the formation?
Isn't she afraid that Xu Li will go back on his word?
Don't be afraid.
Mingguang bit his lip hard, thinking that Xiao Taozhi was practically "courting death." Besides, Xu Li had been forced by her to make a heavenly oath.
What kind of situation could force the usually clever and almost demonic Xiao Taozhi to have no other choice but to "die"?
Since he can't speak, is it strange to demonstrate the formation to him through "death"? Is it to make him realize that danger lurks all around him?
Is it really necessary to go to such lengths just because of this?
Mingguang urged his thoughts, listing all the anomalies in his mind.
The surveillance of the immortals on the Milky Way, the sudden rebellion of the ancient immortal clan, the Ziwei Star God who entered the Xuanmen, the omnipresent laws of heaven and earth, the suddenly changed and willful Little Peach Branch, the banished immortal realm brought about by the abnormal rotation of the Milky Way and the Yin-Yang sundial, and the White Tiger Star Realm that happened to be robbed and led away the Immortal Emperor before descending to the mortal world...
what else?
what else……
Mingguang gripped his arm tightly, and the stitches that Tai Chi had just stitched up were stretched open because of his excessive force.
"Mingguang, Mingguang, what's wrong with you?" Dongjun was standing in the outer room of the cabin, but Taiji kicked him out because he was an eyesore wandering around there.
But he smelled blood, rushed in and saw his younger brother was practically a bloody mess.
"What happened?! Did you not reconnect your immortal meridians properly?" Dongjun questioned Taiji immediately.
Taiji gave Dongjun a gloomy look, also angered by Mingguang's lack of cooperation.
No matter how much Fairy Bitao loved Immortal Mingguang, Taiji did not.
He held a small knife in his hand and pointed it directly at Mingguang's chest, saying rudely, "The immortal veins have been reconnected, and now all that's left is to stitch them up. But if you move around again, the immortal veins that have just been reconnected and haven't even started flowing with spiritual energy will collapse. Mingguang, if you're looking for death, I can send you on your way."
"What nonsense are you talking about! My brother is just in pain!"
Dongjun quickly walked to Mingguang's side, pulled Taiji aside, and glared at Taiji with a warning look in his eyes.
Dongjun channeled his spiritual energy into Mingguang's body, carefully using the Golden Crow spiritual energy, which originated from the same source, to soothe Mingguang's pain, heal the deep wounds, and mend the immortal veins that were about to collapse.
She comforted Mingguang like a child, saying, "It's alright, it's alright, it's all over now, all that's left is stitching."
Exhausted, Mingguang lay in his own pool of blood.
He stared blankly at Dongjun.
yes.
And Dongjun.
He was the Immortal Master Sui Sai, whom his mother personally invited down from Shangqing Realm. However, he was not the kind of Immortal Master who secretly followed others, but rather the Immortal Master Sui Sai who appeared on the Milky Way at will.
He is also a member of the Golden Crow clan. If the Ancient Immortal Clan wants to replace the future emperor, he would be the best candidate to be taken back to the Taiqing Realm by the Ancient Immortal Clan after Mingguang's death.
Why would brothers who haven't seen each other for centuries reunite in this realm?
Because the Ancient Immortal Clan... no, or rather, those beings even more powerful than the Ancient Immortal Clan, didn't want to kill him, the future emperor, but the Golden Crow Clan!
Because those more powerful beings behind the scenes are wary of the celestial beings of the Nine Heavens on the Milky Way.
The will of Heaven is above all else; if they want to openly and legitimately seize the throne of the Emperor, they must ensure that the Golden Crow clan dies in the "light."
Therefore, they dared not openly kill the Golden Crow under the watchful eyes of hundreds of thousands of immortals on the Milky Way.
They feared that the "emperor" they were protecting had not ascended to the throne righteously.
Mingguang bit his lip so hard that it pierced through.
—Someone wants to overthrow the rule of the Golden Crow clan.
Perhaps his father, the Azure Nether Emperor, who has been guarding the celestial sphere and the yin-yang sundial for many years, has already been taken away by the Shangqing Realm for questioning because he failed to notice the gathering of sinful immortals in this world.
After all, to kill the little golden crow, you first need to cover its big eyes and bind its wings.
To overthrow the rule of the Golden Crow clan, it is impossible to have only been planned for a few hundred years.
Would his father and mother, who have already ascended to the realm of immortals, be completely unaware?
Mingguang looked at Dongjun, at this older brother whom he was originally going to accept, and felt a chill run down his spine.
His father and mother clearly noticed.
They knew how dangerous this world was, yet they still sent him down to compete in the lower realm without his knowledge, all so that he could be used as bait to lure out those people.
Dongjun was not sent by his mother to protect Xiaotaozhi at all.
His mother sent him down to protect him. She feared he was impulsive and overly arrogant, and would die in a "dark" place where there was no silver net to watch over him.
After all, in the demon and beast star realm of Shangqing Realm, it's common for an ancient demon that has been sleeping for tens of thousands of years to suddenly appear. Setting up a trap to kill a bird that hasn't grown its first feathers is much easier than in Taiqing Realm.
Dongjun was indeed his father and mother's most beloved child.
"Mingguang! Mingguang! What's wrong with you?!"
Mingguang suddenly pushed Dongjun away and stood up.
As he poked Dongjun's nose with his finger, countless harsh words welled up in his throat, almost escaping his lips.
Therefore, his little peach branch discovered this enormous "open conspiracy" and knew that he could not resist this terrifying power that was aimed at the Golden Crow clan and had been hidden for thousands of miles.
She could only use the hearts of all living beings that she had the only means to manipulate others through possession and scheming, and she had to die on the altar.
After all, the Xuanmen Patriarch Yu Junlang, who was in the second competition, had been reduced to ashes and dust several times before he finally crawled back to the mortal world. He even used the Soul-Guiding Incense to control the immortals of the entire star realm.
Mingguang stood on the ground, soaked in blood. Many parts of his body were unstitched, yet he couldn't feel his own body at all. Taiji was so angry that he simply ignored him.
cold.
It's too cold.
He was thrown into a freezing pool, suppressed into the earth's veins, as cold as ice.
Mingguang's body was covered in blood, which seemed to have soaked into his bright golden eyes. Water trickled down his face, but the bright light made it appear scarlet—like tears of blood.
In the end, he still only had Xiaotaozhi.
Only his little peach branch would risk her life for him, even going so far as to gouge out her heart and manipulate Dongjun into gambling.
He had to do everything in his power to save Xiao Taozhi.
"Is it Bitao controlling you again?" Dongjun asked in a trembling voice, frightened by Mingguang's appearance.
Mingguang withdrew his trembling finger that was pointing at Dongjun.
Suddenly he laughed again.
Those eyes, like the melting gold of the setting sun, were filled with anger and despair.
He looked at Dongjun and said, "Brother, no, I just suddenly woke up."
The sun was also truly rising outside at that moment.
The true sunlight shone through the cabin, easily overshadowing the strange brightness of the laws of nature.
Mingguang did not avoid Dongjun, who came to wipe away his tears.
She simply stared at him with bloodshot eyes and said, "Brother, I want you to return to the Nine Heavens Palace right now."
He didn't say that Xiao Taozhi was in danger. Xiao Taozhi was afraid that those people would discover her plans. She was going all out alone. How could Mingguang ruin her heart-wrenching plan?
Mingguang only said to Dongjun, "I want you to stop Bitao from ascending to heaven at all costs."
"Huh?" Dongjun looked at Mingguang and was so startled by the sinister look in his eyes that he took a half step back.
Mingguang replied, "Brother, didn't you want me to be sober? I am completely sober now."
"In order to reach the highest heavens, Bitao trampled on me, used me... and ruined me into this pathetic state. How can I allow her to continue to ascend by stepping on me? To attain the position of Taixian?"
Dongjun exclaimed "Ah!" again.
Overjoyed, he exclaimed, "It's good that you're sober! It's good that you're so
"Oh dear, we don't really need to worry about that Bitao. She can't ascend anyway. What kind of ability does that Xu Xing Shen have to help people ascend? Besides, becoming a Tai Xian isn't that easy..."
Mingguang, his voice sharp and stern, interrupted Dongjun, even forcibly activating his newly restored meridians, uttering a judgment that brooked no dissent: "Dongjun, I need you to go now! Stop her from ascending!"
Dongjun's ears were sore from being yelled at that he wasn't affected by Mingguang's voice, but seeing how excited Mingguang was, even stopping calling him "brother," he immediately agreed: "I'll go! I'll go, I'll go, I'll go!"
"I'll just grab her and bring her here to apologize to you, okay?"
"Ancestor, you'd better go back to bed right now!"
"Tai Chi, Tai Chi,"
Dongjun put his arm around Taiji, unusually not calling him "little blind man," and pulled out a golden spirit orb from his pocket: "This is a golden spirit orb, which is better than those spirit beads. I just released and accumulated it. After you've fixed my brother's spirit meridians, use this to guide it into his body, and he will recover very quickly!"
Taiji glared at Dongjun with hatred, then at Mingguang Xuanxian. Hearing that the two of them were going to interfere with Bitao Fairy's ascension, he held a knife in his hand and wished he could chop them both up.
However, Dongjun's words soon forced Taiji to endure the humiliation and continue treating Mingguang.
"If my younger brother is safe and sound, Bitao will also be safe and sound, even though she cannot ascend to heaven."
"If anything happens to my brother, your Fairy Bitao will surely be injured ten times more severely in the same place!"
When Dongjun becomes stern, he can be quite frightening.
Tai Chi, fearing the consequences, dared not continue its provocation.
He glared fiercely at Mingguang Xuanxian like a vicious wolf.
Taiji cursed inwardly—this heartless, depraved, and treacherous beast in human clothing!
Dongjun flashed and, as Mingguang had instructed, went to stop Bitao.
Mingguang lay down and began to try to circulate the immortal meridians that had just returned to his body, absorbing the immortal spirit that Dongjun had prepared for him.
As the Tai Chi sutured together, and the immortal spirits of the same origin entered his body, Mingguang's terrible condition and wounds were instantly healed, and flesh grew back from his bones.
But because he was too eager for quick success, he soon coughed up blood from his mouth and nose.
The blood spurted up to three feet high.
Tai Chi knew that he had poured spiritual energy in too quickly, causing his internal organs to tear.
But he silently cursed in his heart, "Serves him right!"
I hope that Dongjun falls into a ditch halfway!
Dongjun didn't fall into the ditch; he was extremely fast, and in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he had already arrived outside the Nine Heavens Palace.
However, he was late!
As dawn was breaking, outside the Nine Heavens Palace, on the Ascension Platform that had been prepared long in advance, the Five Elements Calamity Transformation Array had already been activated.
Five-colored spiritual light shot straight into the sky. The array's spiritual energy was so abundant that even Dongjun, who had arrived below the high platform, felt his heart tremble. The surrounding floating five-element spiritual energy was incredibly dense.
The master of the Nine Heavens Palace claimed he could select people to ascend to immortality, and it turns out he really could!
Below the stage, all the immortals gathered, looking up at the magnificent sight of the five-colored spiritual light emanating from the peach blossoms in the formation, as they ascended to heaven amidst the rosy clouds.
At the center of the formation, Bitao Ren stood on the five elements of spiritual energy surging forth from the five people who were offering sacrifices to the immortals, rising into the sky in broad daylight.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
