Chapter 346: Rebirth: The Ring Grandpa and the System

He was a tall, imposing Daoist, a gourd hanging at his waist and an iron sword strapped to his back.

He moved through the forest as if treading upon branches and leaves.

But upon closer inspection, one could see he did not rely on any object for support, instead advancing nearly straight toward the imperial road.

Hu~!

In an instant, he arrived upon the imperial road.

Air surged violently, like a giant roc descending from the sky with wings spread wide.

The head overseer, who had been beating the young overseer, felt darkness descend over his head; before he could look up, an unstoppable, colossal force slammed down upon it.

Pu!

A horrifying scene.

Amid a spray of dark red blood, the head overseer's entire head was crushed into his body by a single palm strike.

The few overseers who had not approached were seized by terror, their legs trembling; once they recovered, they were so terrified by the sight that they collapsed to the ground.

The laborers under escort fared no better, each turned pale with fear.

"I am Jiang Cheng, disciple of the Master of Tai Ping Dao."

The tall Daoist was Jiang Lin's disciple; after slaying the head overseer with one blow, he spoke in a deep voice.

His voice carried an unusual force, spreading out and instantly calming the panic in all hearts.

Tai Ping Dao?

But isn't the Master of Tai Ping Dao none other than the current Emperor?

For a moment, neither the overseers nor the laborers could fathom what had happened.

"Now the imperial court is corrupt; the foolish monarch has stolen the achievements of Tai Ping Dao yet fails to understand its teachings..."

The laborers remained bewildered.

But several overseers grew increasingly frightened.

This is a rebel!

Someone is rebelling!

Damn it, why did we have to run into this?

"Sowing heresy! Cough—cough!" The young overseer, who had been beaten, struggled to his feet.

"Who dares steal the name of Tai Ping Dao? It is the Emperor's virtue that moved Heaven, causing the divine miracle of Tai Ping Dan to descend and relieve the suffering of mortals!"

The Da Tong Dynasty had endured for many years; loyalists still existed.

"Hmph!" Jiang Cheng snorted, removing the gourd from his waist. "Let me ask you—can that foolish monarch brew Tai Ping Dan?"

As he spoke, he poured out a snow-white Tai Ping Dan and tossed it aside.

The pill struck the ground and took root; instantly, a strange white plant sprouted, bearing one hundred and eight snow-white Dan fruits hanging down.

This was Jiang Lin's earlier harvest of "Winter Snow," for the world knew best that Tai Ping Dan was brewed from "Winter Snow."

Seeing the dense cluster of Dan fruits, this divine spectacle left everyone stunned.

Jiang Cheng tucked away the gourd and brushed his sleeve, feeling the embossed divine tablet within.

The Divine Inspector oversees Heaven and Earth, its laws strict; it would never permit a cultivator with cultivation to strike ordinary people without cause.

If this scene were discovered by a Divine Inspector, he would be punished!

Fortunately, the divine tablet given by his master could obscure his presence for a time—even within the Inspector's domain.

Of course, prolonged exposure would eventually reveal him!

So...

Finish this quickly!

Meanwhile, atop a distant cliff.

He Yunqi gazed at the Tai Ping Dan fruit tree Jiang Cheng had grown, unable to suppress his awe:

"Elder, is this man truly a disciple of the Master of Tai Ping Dao?"

Beside him stood a Daoist clad in black-and-white robes, his hair streaked with both black and white.

Yes—it was Hong Zun.

Since he sought amusement, Hong Zun had simply sought out He Yunqi, whom he had met before and who possessed this world's Dao Yan Da Qian's miraculous creations.

As for the "Fa Yan" of Dao Yan Da Qian...

Just tweak it a little, like before when he scared him.

"Correct."

"So... the Tai Ping Dan fruit earlier... was not a divine miracle sent by a deity?"

"Of course not. That Tai Ping Dan was brewed by a supreme cultivator."

He Yunqi gasped: "That must have taken a long time."

"Use primordial Qi as fire, refine wind and snow, aided by the meaning of withering and flourishing—this is called refining Dan, but what is truly refined is this world's 'Yuan Qi' path."

Hong Zun withdrew his gaze from afar.

"The Tai Ping Dan fruits blanketing the winter lands? Merely a casual refinement—quick and effortless."

He Yunqi was confused, unable to grasp it.

At his current realm and understanding, these concepts were far beyond him.

【It sounds like an incredibly formidable cultivator—I wonder how he compares to the earlier "??" who caused the Dao Yan Da Qian's Fa Yan to malfunction.】

That "??" was the first being to ever cause his Dao Yan Da Qian's Fa Yan to fail.

emm……

Speaking of it, should I use the search for the truth behind the Tai Ping Dan as an opportunity to perform a Dao Yan?

After a winter's accumulation, there are now quite a few extra Dao Yan attempts available.

Hong Zun glanced at him without a trace of expression:

"Enough, don't probe further—that Supreme Cultivator is not something you can pry into now."

Hearing this, He Yunqi's already faint thought vanished entirely.

"Yes, Senior."

Hmm, indeed.

There's no need to waste attempts inexplicably probing a terrifying being far beyond your reach.

What if the situation in Fuming County happens again…

Safe and sound!

For now, just wait quietly for that moment to arrive.

This kid.

Should I call him cautious, or reckless?

If he's cautious, why would he even think of using Dao Yan Da Qian to probe Brother Dao?

But if he's reckless, he spends every day thinking only of caution.

Hong Zun continued to gaze at Jiang Cai, who was preaching the teachings of the Pingdaode Sect along the official road.

After a winter's preparation, Jiang Lin's junior disciple had finally compiled the teachings of the Pingdaode Sect. After revealing the divine miracle of the Tai Ping Dan, and given that going to build the garden would almost certainly mean death…

So, without wasting much time, Jiang Cai took away that group of refugees.

As for the guards, not only could they not escape death by returning empty-handed, but whether Jiang Cai would even let them go to report was uncertain, so they had no choice but to compromise.

The young guard was quite stubborn, but Jiang Cai knocked him out and took him away.

Of course, Jiang Cai's situation was not unique—many other places were the same.

Among them were Jiang Lin's disciples, some Immortal Dao initiates, and others were aristocratic families who had long sensed something was amiss…

But more interestingly, more than one group claimed to be the true master of the Pingdaode Sect.

Although Brother Dao merely crafted it casually, the accumulated renown was something everyone desired.

"Let's go." Hong Zun cast one final glance at the sky, then turned and walked down the mountain.

He Yunqi hurried to follow.

Please… collect 6…9…books…!

Although this Senior was only at the Nascent Soul realm, his knowledge was extremely profound.

Whether it was the Nine Heavens Palaces of the Divine Dao, the Heavenly Sovereigns and various Emperor Lords, or all manner of things concerning the 【Qilin Dao】 and 【Steal-Spirit Dao】, every question he asked was one this Senior could answer.

"Senior, have you heard of Cangyun Yaojun?"

The voice echoed through the cliffside.

……

……

Who else is waiting for the "Zixuan Zhenjun's descent to the mortal realm" besides He Yunqi and Cangyun Yaojun?

Inside a black-canopied boat drifting on the lake's surface.

A bright woman dressed in coarse hemp lay on her back, her head resting on a dull, dusty longsword.

Her posture was casual, yet her clear, sharply contrasting eyes gazed dreamily at the star-strewn sky.

"The Divine Dao collapsed; last life, I failed to seize the opportunity, and one step behind led to being left behind at every turn…"

This time, reborn, she would seize the opportunity!

……

……

Among the jagged, rocky forest.

A figure was fleeing desperately, pursued by several divine beings wielding various magical artifacts.

The fleeing man seethed with fury.

"Damn it! Why was this 'Fa Shen' technique recognized? At this point in time, the 'Fa Shen' technique shouldn't have appeared yet!"

……

……

In a cave where spiritual veins converged.

Thick spiritual energy condensed into mist.

A ragged figure sat within the spiritual spring, several white qi currents coiling around him like dragons.

Slowly opening his eyes, a flash of spiritual light passed through them.

Opening his palm, on his index finger rested an ancient ring; as spiritual energy gathered, a flickering pure white flame formed in his palm.

"Heh! Kid, the first great transformation of the Divine Dao is coming."

An ancient voice emerged from the flame.

……

……

In a hidden grotto, torches were stuck into the surrounding stone walls.

Flickering firelight illuminated the entire space.

At the head of the grotto, two large characters were carved—Tai Ping.

A mysterious figure cloaked in black robes sat solemnly before the giant characters.

Below them sat rows of devotees, also dressed in black robes, their expressions filled with fervor and reverence.

The scene was solemn, yet profoundly eerie.

【Achievement: Converted a Thousand Followers!】

【Reward: Foundation Establishment Early Stage (Already Distributed)】

【Hint: The 'Hunt the Divine' Event Is About to Begin!】

…………

"Rebirth, miraculous encounters, a grandpa in a ring, even a system…"

Xuantai Qingming Heaven.

Xu Xing stood before the Divine Court, gazing upon the mortal world, his heart stirred with emotion.

"The fortunes granted to these Immortal Path initiates are remarkably varied."

These mass-produced power-ups now reminded those Immortal Path initiates of the impending descent of the Divine Path's Zixuan Zhenjun.

"All of this is a chain reaction triggered by that Heavenly Sovereign's desire to prolong the Divine Age," said a blind, ethereally beautiful woman beside Xu Xing.

It was Xiang Yuanjun.

During this time, she had assisted Ning Ruo in completing the most critical step in establishing the Ascension Platform's communication channel, and thus had come along.

"These various gimmicks are quite interesting; perhaps we can draw inspiration from them when designing trials for our disciples," said Xu Xing.

A brawl of power-ups… just thinking about it was amusing.

"Master! Lord Jianzu! Lady Xiang Yuanjun!"

Yue Ling had transformed into her human form upon arriving and now led the way ahead, her small face brimming with unrestrained excitement.

"Hurry, hurry! Follow me—I know this place well!"

"Aren't you only here once before?" Xiang Yuanjun asked with a light laugh.

"Hehe! I've got a great memory!" She raised an eyebrow.

But seeing her master watching her, she shuddered and immediately fell silent, turning away.

Bie Xuening: "..."

Sigh~

The three followed Yue Ling toward the Divine Court of Xuantai Qingming Heaven. (End of Chapter)