Chapter 363: The Path of No Return (4K)

The ancient immortal eye of the state altar was strange, and at the same time, there was a hint of realization.

He had previously sent down divine sense, so naturally he had also noticed Zhang Jian, as well as the existence of the righteous fire within Zhang Jian's body.

After Qingxu Dao Jun assumed office, he had also offered a kind of righteous fire.

Such a treasure is extremely rare, and not something ordinary sages can possess.

Even if one possesses righteous qi, to condense righteous fire requires becoming a sage, and only a sage cultivator who has progressed some distance along the sage's path can possess it.

He originally thought it was merely a coincidence.

But if the other party is the 'descendant' of that Qingxu Dao Jun, then it might not be just a coincidence.

"I never expected that behind this Zhang clan is actually a Dao Jun? No wonder their rise has been so swift?"

The State Altar Great Immortal muttered inwardly.

His eyes flickered, and in an instant he had an idea, and at present he merely followed convention in accepting that surge of incense.

The State Altar Great Immortal noticed that this incense was unusually intense, extremely pure, and magnificent.

Over thousands of years, he has observed many dynasties rise and fall, their sacrifices, but such magnificent scale of incense power is still rare.

And among them, the incense offered by Zhang Jian, the Emperor of the Great Xia, has the highest purity.

Only regrettable is that the quantity is somewhat lacking!

This thought flashed through the State Altar Great Immortal's mind, but he did not dwell on it; he left behind a portion of divine will to retake control of the Great Xia divine path, while he himself transformed into a stream of light that entered the void and vanished.

Within the ancestral temple, sensing that strand of magnificent imperial aura departing from the void, Zhang Jian's eyes flickered slightly.

"State Altar Divine Path, State Altar Emperor!"

To some extent, the authority of this State Altar Emperor overlaps with his somewhat.

However, this State Altar Ancient Immortal walks the pure path of the divine path emperor, while he walks both paths.

Zhang Jian's eyes flickered, and then he prepared to return to the sleeping palace, awaiting the changes in feedback.

And outside the ancestral temple, many Zhang clan members were discussing animatedly, not a few with smiling faces, delighted, among whom the naturally happiest were the princes of the other three branches of the Zhang family.

This time, the Son of Heaven of the Great Xia enfeoffed the princes of the imperial clan; they were all the top picks, each receiving a princely title, fief, and treasure scroll, shaking off their former status to become princes, or dukes, commandery princesses, or county princesses.

At this moment, the burly Zhang Kui in the crowd had a face so joyful he could not stop grinning; from a commandery commandant to now the Prince of Qing Commandery, this step he crossed was something many senior officials could only hope for but never attain.

From now on, even if it is those officials in the court wearing red robes and purple robes, upon seeing him they also need to address him as "Your Highness."

Beside, Zhang Duan and Zhang Yun exchanged a glance, both with equally delighted expressions; they were respectively enfeoffed as Prince of Huai Shan Commandery and Prince of Ping Commandery.

However, in this second batch of princely title enfeoffments, the biggest winner is undoubtedly Zhang Min.

This person was directly enfeoffed with the title of prince.

The Great Xia Emperor rarely enfeoffs with the title of prince; aside from the eldest son Zhang Yi, even the third son Zhang Xian was only enfeoffed as Prince of Xing Commandery.

There are those who are pleased, and naturally there are those who are disappointed; many paternal uncles and cousins are individually wearing expressions of disappointment, and in this second batch of enfeoffed princely titles, they still have not received any.

How could this not make them anxious?

Yet they also dare not easily cause a commotion.

Not seeing that the Great Xia Emperor did not even enfeoff the Second Prince Zhang Zhao.

……

In the vast and magnificent celestial immortal realm, as Zhang Jian led the Great Xia imperial clan in a grand and mighty ancestral sacrifice ceremony, deep within this celestial immortal realm, there emerged a magnificent and vast omen.

Boom—boom—boom!

As if there were the sound of muffled thunder flowing out from the auspicious and tranquil immortal realm.

Countless golden lights surged and boiled within the Two Worlds Pool, the entire Two Worlds Pool was bursting forth with magnificent golden divine light.

Within the golden divine light, a special heavenly dao rhythm burst forth from within, drawing resonance from the laws of heaven and earth.

Beside the Two Worlds Pool, the 'Qingxu Dao Jun' had long since noticed such an omen, her expression unusually solemn, with a hint of shock still in the depths of her beautiful eyes.

Such an omen is greater than the formation of heavenly and earthly treasures nurtured by heaven and earth.

'Qingxu Dao Jun' felt in her heart: "Oh no!"

The scale of the ancestral sacrifice below will surely exceed imagination.

"My main body fears it will be miscalculated!"

At this moment, 'Qingxu Dao Jun's heart had become extremely agitated.

The assets left to her by her main body are quite limited; last time she had already used up a six-thousand-year-old flat peach.

At this moment she has a strong urge of impulsive feeling, feeling that this time she will suffer.

Boom—boom—boom!

The next moment she seemed to hear the roaring of the heavenly flood, the entire Two Worlds Pool seemed like a dam about to burst, unable to resist the flood within.

Boom—boom—boom!

In an instant, countless golden lights condensed into form, countless heavenly and earthly incense golden lights overflowed, the entire Two Worlds Pool seemed as if it were about to burst.

'Qingxu Dao Jun's expression showed slight surprise; a strand of magical power condensed in her hand into form, transformed into a stream of light that struck into the Two Worlds Pool, but she saw strands of nine-colored light radiating from around the Two Worlds Pool, thus stabilizing the situation.

It transformed as if into a great cauldron, continuously refining the flawless incense within the Two Worlds Pool.

Shortly thereafter, a golden light magnificent, with dignified and solemn bearing, a female golden body stepped out from within, her entire body surrounded by countless strands of intense incense golden light.

The incense behind her head gathered into an incense treasure wheel.

That is a golden incense body.

After being refined by the special function of the Two Worlds Pool, it condensed into form.

One golden incense body is approximately equivalent to one million units of incense.

'Qingxu Dao Jun' with a gesture summoned that incense palace lamp, yet saw the golden incense body transform into a stream of golden light that entered it; in an instant, the ring of firelight around the incense palace lamp burst forth with ten or so rings of golden radiance.

But this was merely the beginning; immediately afterward, another golden incense body, its light flickering, appeared within the Two Worlds Pool.

The second, the third, the fourth…… in 'Qingxu Dao Jun's shocked eyes, within a short time as many as twelve golden incense bodies were born for her incense palace lamp to swallow.

After the twelve incense-burning golden bodies were devoured, a small remnant remained, transforming into flowing light that merged into the incense palace lamp.

"Twelve million flawless incense!"

Gazing upon the one hundred and twenty-odd strands of incense-gold light halos appearing within the incense palace lamp.

'Qingxia Daoist''s eyes trembled.

This is the single largest amount of flawless incense 'Qingxia Daoist' has obtained since attaining the Dao.

In her eyes, this flawless incense is no longer a surprise, but has turned into alarm, even a heavy debt.

"Where is this opportunity? This is an enemy!"

'Qingxia Daoist''s heart already lamented.

Yet her heart also held joy, for she could be certain that such a vast amount of merit-incense would be fully refined, even forged into incense-gold bricks for sale—this would surely be a great fortune.

But the problem is, selling it now to exchange for treasures likely cannot solve her immediate thirst.

Moreover, refining such a vast amount of incense into gold bricks for sale—she cannot do that.

To produce such a vast fortune out of nowhere would surely attract the attention of those with ill intent; if those great beings noticed the traces, it would be disaster.

At the same time, she noticed that deep in the Two Realms Pool, countless heavenly sounds of the Great Dao had not vanished, still brewing, as if the laws of heaven and earth were resonating with them, a kind of vast primordial divine light seeming to accelerate into form.

"It's over, it's over—this must be a primordial merit treasure!"

'Qingxia Daoist''s face was wooden, yet her heart felt bitter; she felt the task entrusted to her by the 'original body' was certain to be shattered.

Yet she saw that after a period of fermentation and brewing in the Two Realms Pool, moments later, a vast, surging heavenly sound arose above the pool.

Between heaven and earth, multiple heavenly-earthly Great Dao rules flowed forth and resonated with it, and furthermore, a dense primordial divine radiance coalesced into substance within that stream of five-colored light flowing through the colorful radiance!

That was a golden halberd!

Five-element light flowed upon the golden halberd.

As if five-colored divine light intertwined to form five dragon patterns!

It appeared spontaneously, resonating with the five-element Great Dao laws deep in the mysterious void.

'Qingxia Daoist' saw it, her beautiful eyes flickered, and with a raise of her hand she took it into her grasp.

Her hand shone with five-colored light!

The treasure's power was vast, its authority capable of shaking the boundless heavenly-earthly Great Dao rules!

Once unleashed, it must possess extraordinary abilities!

"Five-Dragon Halberd!"

Her divine sense merely swept over it slightly, and immediately her expression became complex and hard to describe.

She unfortunately guessed correctly—this treasure contained a primordial divine prohibition, indeed a primordial merit treasure.

Moreover, it was an exceptionally versatile five-element attribute primordial merit treasure.

Such a great treasure in hand would surely make even the ancient immortals of heaven and earth leap with joy.

But for 'Qingxia Daoist', it felt like debts piled like mountains.

"When did this treasure also start feeling like a hot potato!?"

'Qingxia Daoist' could not help but feel helpless.

The value of a 'primordial merit treasure' needs no doubt; the few heavenly-earthly divine objects she began preparing could not possibly match it in worth.

According to the world-existence rules given by her original body, one clause states that trade with the lower realm sacrifices must be absolutely 'equal', allowing a certain range of value fluctuation, but not permitting too great a disparity, otherwise it would violate the 'world-existence' agreement between original body and incarnation, leading to 'incarnation' collapse.

"No, I must think of a way?"

Her eyes flickered; as an 'incarnation', she also possessed her own wisdom and survival instinct, naturally unwilling to collapse.

"Looks like I can only think of a way!"

After thinking, her expression suddenly moved, her form flashed and vanished within the immortal realm, but moments later her form reappeared.

Upon reappearing, she held an additional jade box; at this moment, the jade box opened, and thread after thread of formless great Dao immortal light seeped out from within.

She had just used a portion of the authority of the original body Qingxia Daoist to visit Qingxia Daoist's 'public treasury', where there were indeed many good things.

For example, the treasure in her hand is a heavenly-earthly divine object of extremely high value.

Named Wind-Radiant Immortal Apricot.

It is a heavenly-earthly divine object obtained by a certain ancient immortal of the heavenly realm in an ancient forbidden land, of considerable value.

Qingxia Daoist also obtained it last time by assisting at the Queen Mother of the West's birthday celebration trading fair, acquiring it at a high price.

This object is naturally precious beyond compare, even for immortals.

Any cultivator, immortal who consumes it, after a certain period of cultivation, can master the wind-and-thunder law power contained within the Wind-Radiant Immortal Apricot, possessing a certain probability of growing wind-and-thunder double wings, or a certain probability of comprehending the great Dao imprint contained within the heavenly-earthly divine object, mastering a kind of primordial wind-and-thunder power.

This treasure being left in the 'public treasury' is naturally for use.

After a period of time, it will welcome a special encounter; Qingxia Daoist prepares to use this as an opportunity to pit Taiyin Immortal Monarch against each other.

The Wind-Radiant Immortal Apricot is precisely a key heavenly-earthly divine object, sufficient to draw several heavenly-realm great beings into action!

'Qingxia Daoist''s face was helpless; she knew this act was called 'misappropriation of public funds', and if discovered, the original body Qingxia Daoist would face considerable trouble, but this was also 'no way out'.

At worst, after the original body discovers it, she will find a way to make up the deficit.

Moreover, even if she bestowed this heavenly-earthly divine object upon others, it would likely not compare to the value of this primordial merit treasure in her hand plus those twelve million flawless incense combined.

'Qingxia Daoist' made a somewhat pessimistic discovery—she might be walking onto a path of no return.

……

Within Hao Jing City, in the Ancestral Temple.

Zhang Jian's vast blessed land law-domain enveloped this place; he has still not established the Sacrificial Officer, or perhaps the Ancestral Temple Lingering oversees this place.

The previous Sacrificial Officer He Yun was early on found an opportunity by him, dispatched to some remote place to 'retire to old age'.

The Sacrificial Officer Zhang Jian intended was actually Zhang Yi.

However, Zhang Yi's qualifications in the new dynasty are insufficient; he prepared to first let Zhang Yi go to Hao Jing City, still return to his old trade, starting from the Ancestral Temple Lingering, then await an opportunity to substitute as one of the Nine Ministers, the Sacrificial Officer.

Zhang Jian did not wait long in the Ancestral Temple.

After nightfall, he sensed a subtle spatial fluctuation deep within the Ancestral Temple.

On the majestic golden statue of the "Ancestor," an invisible divine light reflected and cast a shadow, forming a special nine-colored spatial passage; then a surge of intense electric light came rushing toward him and instantly landed in his hand.

The azure "treasure pearl" fell into his hand, and Zhang Jian clearly felt a tremor deep in his palm.

"Such overwhelming thunderous power."

At the same time, a message appeared like flowing light in his primordial spirit.

"Heaven-Earth Spiritual Root Wind-Radiant Immortal Apricot!"

Merely receiving this message, Zhang Jian's expression involuntarily changed.

Then came a series of detailed messages about the Wind-Radiant Immortal Apricot.

Wind-Radiant Immortal Apricot: a heaven-earth spiritual object, the heaven-earth spiritual fruit born from an ancient heaven-earth spiritual root, the Wind-Radiant Immortal Apricot of primordial times, containing the imprint of the primordial Dao; consumption carries a high probability of bodily mutation, awakening a Dao body attuned to the wind-thunder origin, with a certain probability of growing dual wings matching the Dao body.

After consumption, there is a hundred percent chance to master an innate power derived from the wind-walking, thunder-walking heaven-earth Dao principles.

Innate power!

A glint of brightness appeared in the depths of Zhang Jian's eyes.

Innate power is nearly equivalent to the Dao; so-called innate refers to a quality of extreme excellence, nearly akin to the operation of the heaven-earth great Dao—a formidable power similar to his Golden Lotus Hidden Breath Technique.

Once mastered, cultivating with a body near the Dao will inevitably result in extremely rapid progress.

It is as if, like ancient gods and demons, one is born with mastery over the heaven-earth great Dao laws.

In other words, a single Wind-Radiant Immortal Apricot can almost forge a powerful god-demon who commands wind and thunder.

Of course, this assumes smooth growth.

Zhang Jian's eyes flickered, with a faint joy in his gaze.

But it quickly subsided.

After a brief thought, he dismissed the idea of consuming it directly!

At this moment, Zhang Jian did not intend to enjoy this Wind-Radiant Immortal Apricot himself.

This Wind-Radiant Immortal Apricot—if he ate it, its effect would be limited.

His Dao path is already fully determined; even if he consumed this object, he could not allow it to nurture a wind-thunder Dao body, at most increasing some mana and comprehending some wind-thunder mysteries, fundamentally unable to unleash its greatest benefit.

He is no longer like when he first began cultivation, when his Dao foundation was undetermined and he could indulge without restraint.

But if given to another, there is hope to once again cultivate a being comparable to a heavenly god—the "Thunder God"!

A candidate flashed in Zhang Jian's mind.

An extremely suitable candidate.

Zhang Yi!

His eldest son, bearing the dragon clan bloodline, is also studying secrets related to the wind-thunder attribute.

The dragon clan is renowned for controlling wind, thunder, rain, and electricity.

If he could obtain this Wind-Radiant Immortal Apricot, he could surely achieve the foundation of the great Dao!

The great Dao is within reach.

As parents, one must plan deeply for one's children.

Zhang Jian naturally will plan for Zhang Yi!