On the plaza of Dahe Academy’s back mountain.
The Wu-surnamed cultivator stared with bloodshot eyes at the incense in his hand, nearly burnt out, his gaze filled with unwillingness.
“How could this be…”
“The dean clearly said that lighting this incense could summon a true immortal from the upper realm, could call a celestial being to descend… It was used once a thousand years ago… So why isn’t it working now?!”
“Could it be that Dahe Academy truly cannot escape this calamity?”
The Wu cultivator’s expression grew uglier. Suddenly, his spirit jolted as countless golden specks of light appeared in the heavens and earth.
These golden specks, dense as raindrops, gathered above his head, forming a vast golden sea.
The next moment, the golden sea trembled but held firm.
The Wu cultivator understood that the White Tiger demon was attacking, trying to erase him, the last remaining cultivator of Dahe Academy.
But the demon had failed.
“Hahahaha… It’s the righteous aura… The righteous aura from the hearts of all the scholars in the southern frontier has gathered here. Even that demon can’t touch me! The heavens haven’t abandoned Dahe Academy!”
The Wu cultivator laughed wildly, blood streaming from his seven orifices in a ghastly sight. As he laughed, a trace of fear appeared on his face. The Immortal-Seeking Incense in his hand had burned out and was showing signs of extinguishing!
“No!!”
“Why is this happening!!”
“Damned heavens, are you toying with me?!”
The Wu cultivator roared at the sky, his aura overwhelming, his crown flying off, his long black hair flowing freely, moving without wind, as if he had gone mad.
As the Immortal-Seeking Incense went out, the last shred of hope in his heart shattered completely.
But at that moment, he noticed that the golden sea formed by the righteous aura above his head didn’t dissipate. Instead, it grew even more refined.
“Roar—”
After an unknown time, a deafening dragon’s cry resounded from the golden sea, as if life had been born within it.
At the same time, from the distant horizon, a wisp of green smoke drifted over!
“This is… Immortal-Seeking Smoke?!”
The Wu cultivator’s eyes widened, instantly recognising the drifting smoke as identical to that released by the incense he had just burned!
“This is…”
The Wu cultivator’s emotions surged like a rollercoaster, from great joy to great sorrow, and back to great joy again.
He looked toward the direction from which the smoke came, the sea region, and suddenly understood something.
“Wu Yong of Dahe Academy thanks the seniors for their aid!”
As soon as Wu Yong spoke, he gathered all the golden sea of righteous aura above his head, transforming it into a golden divine dragon. With a roar, it devoured the endless green smoke, then split into two beams of golden light, shooting off in two directions.
One beam of golden light soared into the sky, manifesting again as a golden divine dragon, ascending through the heavens before vanishing into the void.
The other beam of golden light plunged into Wu Yong’s forehead.
“Ah…!!”
Wu Yong let out a scream, blinding golden light bursting from his pupils and mouth.
At that moment, his body seemed filled with golden light, appearing both mysterious and terrifying.
Buzz—
A trembling sound rang through the void. Ripples appeared where the golden divine dragon had vanished, and a black figure gradually emerged from them.
As the figure appeared, the entire void seemed to tremble, the ripples growing more intense, like a calm water surface disturbed by a falling stone, now churning wildly!
At the same time, across the Nine Continents, powerful figures looked up at the sky.
At Inverted Mountain.
Several figures stood before an unnamed Taoist temple. Nearby, a cauldron held a distinctive incense stick, burning with green smoke drifting steadily toward the southern sea.
In the Divine Realm.
Atop a majestic mountain, a gallant young man in a white Confucian robe, with a black cloak tied behind him, seemed to sense something. He turned, looking toward the unusual phenomenon on the distant horizon.
“Teacher, what is that?” the young man asked, frowning slightly.
“Your Highness, that is the Celestial Pattern.”
An old man cloaked in black robes behind him spoke, his voice hoarse.
“The Celestial Pattern… I think I read about it in the library. It’s said to be a phenomenon triggered when a celestial being descends from the upper realm.
So this is the Celestial Pattern…
Does this mean a celestial being is descending?!”
The young man’s eyes narrowed, his tone calm despite the revelation.
“Your Highness’s knowledge is vast, surpassing even this old man. Truly a blessing for Great Qin!”
The black-robed elder’s tone carried a hint of relief, but he sighed, “Indeed, a celestial being is descending, but the cost is great. After today, the Hundred Thousand Mountains will likely become a forbidden zone for our human experts.
And two more of the mountains guarding humanity will likely fall!”
“The Hundred Thousand Mountains belong to the demon clan. It was our human race that overstepped. This outcome is karmic retribution. Who can say what’s right or wrong? It’s just a matter of differing stances!”
The young man sneered, then added, “I’ve yet to see a celestial being. Are they really as powerful as the legends say?”
The black-robed elder didn’t answer immediately. After a moment, he said, “Hard to say!”
The young man’s eyes lit up, and he smiled, “If that’s the case, let me ask you, if Great Qin were to hunt a celestial being, what are our odds?”
“Your Highness’s ambition is boundless, truly putting this old man in a difficult spot…”
The black-robed elder gave a wry smile, shaking his head without answering directly, “With those mountains standing in the way, Great Qin likely won’t need to hunt immortals.”
“Are they that trustworthy?” the young man frowned slightly.
“It’s not that they’re trustworthy. It’s that we must trust them!”
“With them there, even a celestial being would struggle to truly descend!”
Hearing his teacher’s words, the young man shrugged, withdrawing his gaze. He turned, waving a hand, “If that’s the case, the Celestial Pattern isn’t worth watching!”
“Chen Long, prepare the carriage!”
“This young master is tired. Back to the palace!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
As the young man’s voice rang out, a guard clad in strange metallic armour nodded, then turned to the hundred or so guards behind him, saying sternly, “Prepare the carriage. Escort His Highness back to the palace!”
In the Western Desert.
Amid endless yellow sand, a barefoot ascetic monk sat cross-legged atop a massive golden lion, unperturbed by the terrifying sandstorm around him. His gaze was fixed solemnly on the anomaly in the sky.
“The Celestial Pattern appears, a celestial being descends…”
“Who is it?”
“Such audacity!”
The usually calm monk suddenly snorted coldly, a trace of anger on his face. He slapped the lion’s head beneath him, saying sternly, “Lion Protector, let’s go to the Hundred Thousand Mountains!”
In the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
Several figures appeared at the peaks of their respective sacred mountains, gazing into the distance with varied expressions.
Some were joyful, others sorrowful, and some wore faces full of worry…
“Demon clan, Bai Xiaosu has arrived!!”
Suddenly, a hearty laugh echoed through the entire Hundred Thousand Mountains!
“Brother Su…”
Atop one mountain, Tu Shan Jingya’s face was full of worry, her fists clenched tightly.
In the sky, as the spatial ripples grew more intense, the blurry figure within them gradually became clearer.
Mo Fan looked up and saw an old man in a blood-red robe, surveying the world with an icy gaze!
“Hahahaha… So this is the lower realm?!”
“This trip to the Righteous Academy wasn’t in vain. It’s given this venerable one a chance to descend… If I can refine the beings of this realm, my cultivation could advance even further!”
The blood-robed old man laughed, his eyes devoid of the humility and kindness expected of a scholar.
All Mo Fan saw was bloodthirsty savagery, making his scalp tingle!
This so-called celestial being, was he really an ancestor of Dahe Academy?
The more he looked, the more something felt off…
“Mortal ants, this venerable one is the Crimson Blood Ancestor from the upper realm. Moved by your grand vow, I’ve taken pity and come to grant you liberation!”
“So… are you ready?!”
The sinister voice echoed across the skies of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, causing many demon clan leaders’ expressions to change.
Just as the Crimson Blood Ancestor was about to step out of the Celestial Pattern, a calm voice rang out from Inverted Mountain in the Storm Sea.
“That’s enough. Extinguish the incense!”
