Chapter 580

Above the sky, clouds drifted swiftly, each bearing a Daoist priest of transcendent bearing.

Occasionally, sword light flashed across the void, within which stood figures of extraordinary demeanor.

As Fahai completed his sacrifice to Heaven and Earth, the leaders of all factions could no longer sit still.

"Master Fahai is the first person in five hundred years to sacrifice to Heaven and Earth without suffering backlash—he must have gained something!"

Thus, all sect leaders set out for Jin Shansi.

And at this moment.

Jin Shansi.

Fahai had anticipated this; he gave an order, and the young monks were already preparing vegetarian dishes to welcome the arriving guests.

"The old Daoist arrives!"

A streak of teleportation light descended, revealing a thin, elderly Daoist before the Shanmen of Jin Shansi.

"Greetings, Master Tian Shi, please come inside!"

The old Tian Shi nodded and was about to step forward when a white cloud descended, and a Daoist priest in a yellow robe stepped down.

"If it isn't Brother Lin—couldn't you sit still either?"

Lin Yu bowed slightly and sighed, "With such a monumental event unfolding, how could I remain seated? I had to come in person to ask for the truth."

"I had the same thought," the Tian Shi chuckled. "Let's go inside first. I suspect the other brethren will arrive soon."

"Excellent!"

The two strode forward and entered the temple.

Moments later, numerous teleportation lights and sword lights descended.

"The Shushan Sect Master arrives!"

"The Quanzhen Sect Master arrives!"

"…"

Soon, the Great Hero Hall of Jin Shansi was packed with experts from all corners.

"Little monk, hasn't your Master Fahai arrived yet?"

Someone asked anxiously.

The little monk hurriedly bowed and replied, "Please wait a moment—Master Fahai is bathing and observing fasting; he will arrive shortly."

The old Tian Shi smiled: "That fellow Fahai is always so meticulous. Very well—we'll wait a while longer."

After a while, everyone suddenly smelled a faint, fragrant sandalwood incense, followed by the sound of tinkling bells.

Looking outside, they saw a monk in white robes, leaning on a metal staff, striding forward.

The monk's countenance was solemn, faintly glowing with divine radiance—an unmistakable image of a great virtuous Gao Seng.

"Fahai is different from before. Today he bears the semblance of a Buddha—has his cultivation advanced so greatly?"

The old Tian Shi widened his eyes in disbelief.

Others stared, dumbfounded.

No one expected that after merely a few months, Fahai's cultivation base had advanced to this level.

"Amitabha. Fahai greets all you virtuous ones!"

Fahai stepped forward and performed a Buddhist bow. "I already know why you've come. This is precisely what I intend to speak of!"

"I ask you all—have you ever considered why the Divine Killings of five hundred years ago occurred?"

The old Tian Shi pondered: "Could it be that the immortals interfered in mortal affairs, thus entangling karma and summoning calamity?"

Lin Yu shook his head: "No, no—how many immortals and Buddhas actually interfered? Now, neither Heaven's Court nor Lingshan has a single immortal or Buddha left. This explanation is clearly wrong."

The Shaolin Abbot stepped forward: "It must be the End Dharma calamity. The World-Honored One once said in the sutras that the world would face an End Dharma calamity."

Others also voiced their opinions.

When they finished speaking, all turned to Fahai.

Fahai gently shook his head: "None are correct. Five hundred years ago, spiritual energy in the world reached its peak—that was a sign of the world's impending ascension to a greater realm. But that ascension failed, causing the Dao to reject the cultivation methods of that era, and immortals and Buddhas were swept away in the reckoning."

"This…"

Everyone widened their eyes.

Ordinary cultivators were unfamiliar with the concept of world tiers and world ascension.

Only those with great sect lineages had even a vague understanding.

The old Tian Shi trembled: "Because the world's ascension failed… the immortals and Buddhas simply vanished?"

Lin Yu: "But immortals and Buddhas once rendered great service to the world. Did the Dao not grant them mercy?"

"Heaven and Earth have no mercy—they treat all things as straw dogs," Fahai sighed. "To the Dao, if the cultivation methods of immortals and Buddhas are useless, then they themselves are useless. As for their merits? Subduing demons, protecting mortals, blessing the world? To humanity, these may be merits—but to the Dao, they may mean nothing at all! After all, Heaven and Earth treat all beings equally: demons kill humans, humans kill demons—all are ordinary events."

The old Tian Shi felt his Dao heart waver; he murmured "Wuliang Tianzun" to steady his spirit.

Others were the same—each turned pale, their minds shaken to the core.

"If cultivating spiritual energy is forbidden, then what of the demon races?" Lin Yu frowned. "Don't they refine demonic cores? Isn't that also a form of spiritual energy cultivation?"

Fahai sighed: "The demon races can cultivate only because of humanity."

The old Tian Shi was puzzled: "Because of humanity?"

"Humanity itself can no longer cultivate spiritual energy—how could the demon races cultivate demonic cores because of humanity? I must hear Master Fahai's explanation," Lin Yu frowned.

Fahai remained calm and spoke slowly: "It is because humanity's ingenuity is too extraordinary. The Dao had just purged the immortals and Gao Jie cultivators—and humanity immediately invented the path of incense worship cultivation. Isn't that defiance of the Dao?"

"Now, humanity remains the world's central race; human cultivators are bound to humanity's destiny. The Dao cannot act directly—so the demon race's elite emerged naturally."

"Think—hasn't it been true that as our cultivation base grows, so too has the strength of the demon races?"

The old Tian Shi was stunned: "I thought it was merely the Dao's cycle of yin-yang balance. But it's the Dao trying to eliminate us."

"This…"

No one could have imagined this.

He had spent his entire life suppressing the demon race, exhausting himself for Jiuzhou—yet the very cause of the demon race's emergence was due to cultivators.

This outcome was truly hard to accept.

"There is one more point to corroborate it," Fǎ Hǎi sighed. "In the past five hundred years, have all those who offered sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, besides me, been eliminated?"

Upon hearing this, even those who had doubted the most could only accept the truth.

(Li Hao's) Those who offered sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, cultivators exposed before Heaven and Earth, had no protection from the destiny of the human race.

And so, all perished.

This was strong corroboration—they could not refuse to believe it.

"Then why, Master Fǎ Hǎi, have you not been tormented by Heaven and Earth in your recent sacrifices? Has the great calamity passed? Can we now cultivate the ancient techniques again?"

Someone asked, voice trembling with delight.

Fǎ Hǎi shook his head: "It is not because the heavenly calamity has passed, but because I have found a solution."

He then explained the reason Heaven and Earth purged Gao Jie cultivators.

He also revealed the origin of the Celestial Immortal Path.

Everyone was profoundly shaken.

"Other worlds?"

"A Celestial Immortal Path with no spiritual energy?"

"Has the Dao itself approved this?"

"This… Master Fǎ Hǎi, you're speaking too fast. Let us think—our minds can't keep up." Mài