Chapter 353: Surge

An omen appeared between heaven and earth!

The righteous qi surged skyward, like rivers bursting from Haojing City, sweeping across heaven and earth, countless luminous thoughts bursting forth, cleansing mountains, rivers, heaven, and earth.

Mountains and rivers restored their brilliance, sun and moon yielded to the Dao, above the firmament appeared countless magnificent righteous stars, illuminating heaven and earth.

The light of the human Dao burned bright!

This sight left countless cultivators within and without the Great Qian stunned.

At the same time, not only in Great Qian, but also in Northern Chu, and even in the two realms' regions, even in other vast ancient provinces, within countless sages' temples, the divine shrines of ancient sages emitted divine light, faintly resonating, celebrating that another sage had emerged in accordance with fate.

……

Northern Chu, Guangyuan City

The Three Appearances Elder Ancestor, in seclusion, sensed that omen of magnificent righteous qi filling the firmament, his body startled, and in an instant he appeared atop the city wall.

His gaze fell, instantly locking onto the direction of Haojing City, a flash of shock and anger crossing his eyes.

"He actually became a sage—how could he possibly become a sage?"

This omen of sage-conferment was not something the Three Appearances Elder Ancestor had never experienced.

Over a thousand years ago, when the Jade Sage was conferred sagehood, he had personally witnessed it.

Such an omen, there is no second!

Yet this sage-conferment left the Three Appearances Elder Ancestor continually finding it hard to believe.

Over these past years, news of that Zhang Chancellor in Haojing City has been sent back to Northern Chu through Northern Chu spies, continuously and without cease.

His thoughts, I know them clear as day.

"When did 'treacherous ministers and villainous sons' ever become eligible for sagehood?"

The Three Appearances Elder Ancestor clenched his five fingers, tightening them into a fist.

In truth, he also understood deep down that Zhang Jian, as of now, had not yet revealed his own 'ambition'.

For ordinary commoners, letting them eat their fill, giving them faith and hope—naturally that would be the sages.

And now, Zhang Jian is morally beyond reproach.

If one were to call him a 'treacherous minister and villainous son', he has indeed not yet rebelled!

This matter is judged by conduct, not by heart.

But in an instant his face darkened again—previously, Zhang Jian had already been difficult to deal with, and now he has become a sage.

The Three Appearances Elder Ancestor's face grew grim.

He appeared to be making preparations in advance.

……

Towering divine mountain, suppressing the great marsh.

Majestic Tong Mountain, this ancient sacred site today also has threads of omens arising from the depths of its central main peak.

In the Jade Pool Hall, Daoist Jue Ming at this moment revealed a strange expression, yet in his gaze he saw the lotus pond's fortune rising high.

Layers of faint light rippled and surged, in an instant pulling the entire Jade Pool's fortune to increase by at least two degrees.

This is enough to match what Tong Mountain has gained over a thousand years of operation.

And at this moment, in the center of the Jade Pool, one of the red lotuses, its five flower buds flowing with light and color, seven-colored radiance circulating, like a peerless immortal plant.

This red lotus, after producing its fifth flower bud eight years ago, has now again produced such an anomaly.

Moreover, above the red lotus, countless dragon energy patterns flow and circulate, faintly as if a red dragon coils.

"Truly peerless creation—no wonder the Demon-Slaying Junior Sister snatched it so fiercely; just this one disciple, the Demon-Slaying lineage benefits endlessly, likely for thousands of years to come they need not worry about fortune expenditure!"

Daoist Jue Ming sighed inwardly, secretly admiring the piercing insight of the Demon-Slaying True Lord.

Daoist Jue Ming secretly mused, this fortune—even as the sect master, I find myself a little envious.

……

Deep within the Yellow Court Blessed Land, Zhang Jian's gaze swept over the ceaselessly flowing strands of righteous qi.

Countless strands of righteous qi, taking him as center, merged into his body's hundreds of apertures.

"The omen is indeed exaggerated……"

Zhang Jian faintly sensed this change, secretly letting out a light sigh.

At this moment he simultaneously sensed that within his life palace, beyond the five heavenly son destiny patterns, there had additionally appeared a layer of seven-colored destiny pattern.

Countless righteous qi coiled, condensed into form, transformed into a seven-colored destiny pattern like a nebula in the sea of consciousness, its destiny image faintly manifesting as an illusory seven-colored book.

This is a special destiny pattern, purely condensed from the perfection of the Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart, a special destiny pattern.

As if it could somehow wield some mysterious power beyond compare between heaven and earth, dispel all techniques, golden words and jade speech, ordain heaven and earth.

By means of this, one can directly 'comprehend' part of the essence of the great Dao of heaven and earth.

Zhang Jian slightly comprehended, also somewhat astonished!

This destiny pattern can be called the 'Confucian Sage' destiny pattern!

He actually does not count as actively becoming a sage, but rather 'passively becoming a sage'.

This sage's body is more so the 'Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart' perfected, then naturally accompanied by this anomalous image.

Though taking a shortcut, it is indeed a sage's body.

At this moment, the seven-colored righteous fire emanated from the perfected Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart, the righteous fire flowing into the depths of his primordial spirit, his primordial spirit's awareness becoming crystal clear and translucent, as if a single thought could allow him to dive into the ocean of heaven and earth's great Dao, to contemplate the changes of heaven and earth's great Dao.

The sage draws near the Dao.

"The immortal's closeness to heaven and earth's great Dao—coming to think of it, it is probably nothing more than this!"

Zhang Jian's eyes held a hint of satisfaction.

The perfection of the Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart, for him, was an unexpected delight.

But it can be foreseen that, with the perfection of the Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart, his strength will undergo a surge in the short term.

The Great Accomplishment of the Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart not only enhances comprehension, but also provides tremendous aid in magical combat.

The reaction speed of the primordial spirit, the casting speed, and even the very nature of the primordial spirit will undergo a tremendous qualitative improvement.

Zhang Jian slightly retracted his vast and righteous aura; at this moment, seven-colored divine flames flowed around his body, and his aura was like an abyss, like a prison.

At this time, deep within his further expanded and solidified primordial spirit, numerous domineering primordial spirit immortal law models surrounded him.

These eight years, he has certainly not wasted them.

After successfully cultivating the Nine Dragons True Scripture and the Heaven-Enveloping Silk-Weaving Great Law.

Subsequently, Zhang Jian elevated various immortal primordial spirit laws he had cultivated.

The Golden Crow Transformation Great Law, the Yin Yang Refinement Method, Dream Wander in the Grand Void, the Yellow Court Blessed Land Great Law, the Nine Revolutions Like Intention Time Wheel Scripture, the Chaos Star Sword Method, the Nine Heavens Wind-Riding Thunder-Control Law, the King Cauldron Demon-Subduing Secret Record, the Heaven-Earth Mysterious Yellow Secret Record, the Minor Heavens Reincarnation Law, the Azure Lotus Pure Soul Law Mantra……each was cultivated to the Golden Body level.

Naturally, this also includes the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram, his innate technique, which was fully elevated to the Golden Body realm.

His innate treasure, the Dragon Yin Sword, also advanced to the Golden Body level along with the Holy Virtue Sword-Washing Method, transforming into a pure yang treasure, and is only half a step away from becoming a Golden Body-level spirit treasure.

His strength is rapidly expanding.

Moreover, after eight years of arduous cultivation, his Daoist methods gradually merged and integrated into the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram.

And during these eight years, the body-refining method Zhou Tian Star Symbol Martial Arts was also comprehended by him to the Yin Spirit Great Perfection, with hope of eventually merging it into an immortal martial arts lineage.

Thanks to this, his prestige in the Great Qian Army was suddenly pushed to an unprecedented height.

With his strength surging, Zhang Jian did not relax his efforts in the Great Qian court.

Now, the court politics are clear and upright, and the local populace gradually lives in peace and prosperity; although the fundamental contradictions remain unresolved, their resolution is merely a matter of time.

Zhang Jian now clearly realizes that the opportunity for the Zhang family to rise has finally arrived.

As Zhang Jian focused his thoughts, Zhang Zhao was immediately summoned.

Now, Zhang Jian has entrusted all court affairs, including both major and minor matters in the Divine Cavity Observatory, entirely to Zhang Zhao.

Since action is required, his household needs Zhang Zhao, and even the coordination of civil and military officials in the court is necessary to successfully carry out this grand undertaking.