Chapter 604

“Senior, rest assured.” Jiang Lin raised his hand and lightly pressed his brow.

As his fingertip brushed across, a deep red sword scar appeared, wreathed in flame-light resembling burning embers.

The Xuan Ling Daoist’s eyes reflected the ember-like flame, and he felt his spirit surging with sudden insights.

In a daze, a thread of crimson light seemed to cleave the azure heavens, as if slicing all creation in two.

Then, as he blinked again, all those strange visions vanished from his perception.

“The sword scar bestowed by the Sword Ancestor.”

As he spoke, another ancient bronze mirror appeared in his palm.

“And the treasure mirror granted by the Hong Zun.”

Jiang Lin looked at the Xuan Ling Daoist.

“If those reclusive transcendents truly act recklessly and plunge the mortal realm into chaos, then slay one to warn the rest.”

At these words, the entire hall seemed to grow colder.

During the transition between immortals and gods, Jiang Lin had stolen the spotlight—none of the Heaven-appointed “Immortal Catalysts” could match even a fraction of his renown.

Later, before the eyes of all beings in the cosmos, he received the sword scar directly from the Sword Ancestor.

Even now, with many reclusive sects emerging into the world, the Tai Ping Dao still reigns supreme.

This transition of celestial power is unlike any before!

As the very catalyst, recognized by all transcendents, that triggered these changes.

Jiang Lin himself, and his origin—the Cheng Ming Mountain—naturally drew intense attention from countless transcendents.

How could anything that happened within the Yunhai Shrine escape the watchful eyes of those transcendents who constantly observed this place?

“...” The Xuan Ling Daoist paused.

But seeing the plain, unremarkable ancient bronze mirror in his hand, he said nothing more.

When Jiang Lin first revealed the mirror’s existence, he had already shown it to him.

Yet no matter how he examined it, it was merely an ordinary, even somewhat aged, bronze mirror.

Yet in Jiang Lin’s hands, it wielded power sufficient to erase a transcendental Golden Immortal from the very root of existence.

Even if one seized the mirror, it would be useless.

Wherever the mirror might be, Jiang Lin needed only a thought to activate it—and bypass all defenses to erase any target he designated.

The ways of the world are unpredictable...

Before this, who could have imagined a cultivator with only a Nascent Soul mid-stage realm possessing the power to annihilate transcendents?

“As long as you have discretion, that’s enough.”

With a soft sigh, the Xuan Ling Daoist rose.

He would not waste words on trivial advice like “focus on your cultivation.”

Though he had been managing affairs across all domains these past few years, his cultivation had never slipped.

He trained far more diligently than most.

But cultivation has never been something achieved overnight—even with countless marvelous techniques, one must still take each step with care.

“Then we shall meet again on the day of ascension.”

As the words faded, his entire body transformed into a streak of light that shot out of the hall, vanishing instantly.

Inside the hall, only Jiang Lin remained seated where he was.

After a while, he clasped his hands and sealed away the ancient bronze mirror; the deep red sword scar on his brow also vanished.

He gazed toward the dome of the heavens, watching the rolling black spiritual energy surge across the sky.

As it neared Cheng Ming Mountain, the vast waves of black energy that swept away demons and punished evil all condensed into a majestic figure—a man wearing a crown of nine morning jade orbs and a robe of blue feathered wings, descending into the hall.

A golden mark glowed on his brow; in his hand, a strange scroll depicted stars arranged in precise order.

“I pay my respects, Dao Master.”

Yang Ming Tan Lang Star Lord.

Once he had relinquished his divine position and descended to the mortal realm, attempting to force Jiang Lin to make the Tai Ping Dao gather resources for him—only to be subdued by the “Thirty-Three Heavenly Spirits of Tai Ping.”

Then Jiang Lin refined him into a “Spirit within the Elixir,” using the Tai Ping Elixir method, aided by the “Divine Subjugation Scripture.”

Now, as one of the Tai Ping Dao’s guardian spirits, he is specifically tasked with purging demons and eradicating evil.

This journey was to exterminate a den of demonic spirits.

“Mm.” Jiang Lin gave a slight nod.

As a “Spirit within the Elixir” forged by Jiang Lin himself, Yang Ming Tan Lang Star Lord had no need to report details verbally.

The moment he returned to Yunhai Shrine, Jiang Lin already knew everything of his experience.

He raised his hand.

Flames erupted around Yang Ming Tan Lang Star Lord; his form rapidly shrank into a pill of interwoven gold and white, landing in Jiang Lin’s palm.

After securing the “Spirit within the Elixir,” he rose and stepped outside the hall.

Gazing toward the clouds, his eyes held a flicker of complexity.

Several days later.

The former capital of the Da Tong Dynasty.

Amidst the high clouds, a magnificent hall stood.

Its ceiling was the starry cosmos, guarded by auspicious clouds; its pillars stood in orderly rows.

Starlight flowed like streams, each thread descending into the auspicious clouds, casting colorful rays of blessing; the pillars were entwined with golden-scaled True Dragons that glowed with the sun, their crimson beards like fire, swallowing qi and exhaling auroras, illuminating the heavens.

At the very top of the hall stood a dais woven from cosmic principles and stacked with countless minor realms.

The Huang Ji Ling Xiao Hall!

The grand hall where the gods of the Divine Era convened in assembly during the height of the Divine Path.

Donated by the Divine Path’s former Heavenly Sovereign as a gift for the ascenders of this era.

At this moment, inside a tea house.

By the window.

A young man with a bamboo cap, dressed in a black-and-white Daoist robe, gazed at the Huang Ji Ling Xiao Hall among the high clouds; steam curled from the tea cup before him.

“Ascension...”

In his hand, he toyed with a crystal-clear gemstone, shimmering with myriad radiant auspicious patterns.

“Xuan Ling Daoist.”

He withdrew his gaze, lifted the tea cup, and took a sip.

Then he looked again at the crystal-clear gem, and through its depths, the entire world seemed to grow noticeably clearer.

Ming Xin Stone: reveals the past deeds, good and evil, of a cultivator’s spirit.

He could not help but recall the day his senior had given him this stone—and felt a pang of melancholy.

This man was He Yunqi, one of the most promising “Immortal Catalysts” during the transition between immortals and gods, holder of the wondrous artifact born of the Tai Ping Realm’s “Yan” Dao—the Dao Yan Da Qian Lu.

He had once traveled alongside Hong Zun.

He was also the “Thousand Yan Dao Master” remembered in the memories of many “reborn” Immortal Catalysts.

These years, he had followed Hong Zun’s instructions, protecting virtuous gods who were hunted down by other Immortal Catalysts.

Though he had never joined the Tai Ping Dao, among its eighty thousand guardian spirits, thousands had crossed paths with him; many had even been rescued by him from “God Hunters.”

As he recalled past events, a voice suddenly sounded beside him.

“Young friend, what do you think of this ascension?”

The voice was gentle and calm, like a spring breeze.

He Yunqi’s heart jolted.

He looked up—and found an imposing man, wearing a jade crown and purple brocade robe, smiling yet with eyes utterly cold, already seated across from him!

With just one glance, He Yunqi sensed this man was different.

As if the entire cosmos were governed by his will, and the fortune or misfortune of all beings rested within his palm.

Unutterably noble, supremely exalted!

He Yunqi’s eyelid twitched—he knew he had encountered a true grandmaster.

Why did I keep running into grandmasters like this?!

He groaned inwardly, dared not move, and after carefully choosing his words...

“This humble disciple’s realm is lowly; regarding ascension...” He Yunqi shook his head, “I truly cannot see anything.”

The man in brocade gazed out the window—more precisely, at the Huang Ji Ling Xiao Hall—his eyes still cold.

“Even the Dao Yan Da Qian Lu cannot see it?”

It was a casual question—but He Yunqi’s mind exploded, his body turning icy.

A single phrase repeated endlessly in his mind.