Chapter 502: Merit and Virtue Perfected (4K)

Zhang Jian calculated with his hands, but the information he held about higher realms was too scarce to make an accurate judgment.

He could only vaguely sense that this celestial anomaly might be related to those Dao Lords.

This judgment arose because Zhang Jian felt that the concepts of "Taiyin" and "Bright Moon" had experienced a momentary rupture.

It seemed that concepts related to "Taiyin" were erased in an instant, forming an absolute void.

But this void was quickly repaired by the myriad heavens' void.

Zhang Jian's eyes were solemn, and he secretly speculated, but this matter had nothing to do with him for now, and his thoughts quickly turned to his own cultivation.

His Dao fruit gradually evolved from an embryonic form to complete formation.

Once the Taiyi Dao fruit is fully formed, it means he has truly stepped into the Taiyi True Number realm.

From the Taiyi realm to the Taiyi True Number is a tremendous leap.

The difference between them is greater than that between an infant and an adult.

Thereafter comes Taiyi Celestial Immortal, Taiyi Great Perfection.

Taiyi Great Perfection is the last major realm before the Dao Lords; reaching it allows one to gaze upon the Dao Lord realm and assault the Great Calamity of Destruction.

If immortals are myth to mortals,

then Dao Lords are myth to immortals.

A flicker of longing passed through Zhang Jian's mind, but he quickly suppressed it.

He has never been one to overreach.

Mastering the power he currently holds is what matters most to him.

Being able to touch the threshold of Taiyi True Number after thousands of years of cultivation, Zhang Jian also believes he will one day achieve the Dao Lord form and become the supreme ruler of the Great Dao in the myriad heavens.

……

At this moment, deep in the heavenly realm, magnificent omens swept in all directions; deep in the myriad heavens' void, many immortals faintly sensed something, their gazes instantly turning toward the direction of the Taiyin Star.

Just now, a Taiyin Dao fruit fell in an instant.

Although it was later filled in by the heavenly dao laws themselves, this still indicates something.

An ancient immortal who held the Taiyin Dao fruit, or perhaps an ancient god, has fallen, and the Taiyin Dao laws were affected in an instant, causing this anomaly.

Immortals and gods who condensed Dao fruits related to the Taiyin Dao laws are not many in the myriad heavens, but not few either.

Yet only one or two such immortals and gods could cause the Taiyin Star to give birth to this Taiyin weeping blood, heavenly dog devouring the moon omen.

"It is the Taiyin Star Lord!"

Shortly after, news came from deep within the heavenly court.

The Taiyin Immortal Maiden was ambushed by several unknown great divine beings shortly after leaving the Three Emperors' Heavenly Realm; her Dao fruit fell into reincarnation and was lost.

This immediately caused a great uproar in the Central Heavenly Realm and the surrounding heavenly realms.

The Taiyin Immortal Maiden is no ordinary ancient immortal; she is a renowned female immortal in the myriad heavens and even deep in the heavenly court!

She is famed as the Number One Beauty of the Myriad Heavens' Void.

Not only is her beauty unparalleled, but her methods are also formidable, and her cultivation is extremely strong.

Someone actually dared to pluck her flower with ruthless hands and killed her!

Many immortals were secretly shaken.

Thereafter, the immortals of the Central Heavenly Court and Heavenly Realm sprang into action; various immortals and gods from all sides rushed to the vicinity of the Three Emperors' Heavenly Realm to search for clues, and the heavenly court even offered a heavenly price to gather clues about the Taiyin Immortal Maiden's fall.

The Holy Mother of the Yaochi Sacred Land even personally dispatched several ancient gods and ancient immortals who had long been unseen to descend and investigate, extensively searching for the killer's traces.

Moreover, in the Yaochi Sacred Land, ancient immortals declared they would never let the killer go.

The people of the Yaochi Sacred Land would never allow the Taiyin Immortal Maiden to fall so obscurely!

They must drag out the true culprit and execute him openly and lawfully.

Lan Tai Palace, before the Immortal Realm.

The true body of Qingxuan Dao Lord walked out from the depths of the void and instantly landed before the cloud bed, sitting opposite the 'Qingxuan Dao Lord' incarnation.

Facing the 'Qingxuan Dao Lord' incarnation, whose eyes were complex, he couldn't help but sigh.

"True body, you've caused quite a commotion; the Lady Mother has offered a heavenly price bounty, and even I am moved!"

Qingxuan Dao Lord glanced at this incarnation that gloated over misfortune, and in the depths of his phoenix eyes was only calm.

Since they dared to act against the Taiyin Immortal Maiden, she naturally anticipated all movements after killing her opponent.

They joined forces and, in the shortest time, shattered the Taiyin Immortal Maiden's Dao body, leaving no hidden dangers; as for using special deduction secret arts, or even using the heavenly court's supreme treasure, the Haotian Mirror, for deduction, it would yield no results, because she this time used the innate merit and virtue spiritual treasure.

The innate merit and virtue spiritual treasure is best in this regard.

After slaying a powerful being, it directly severs the causal laws, leaving no trace.

She said lightly.

"After slaying this lowly maid, I have finally avenged them! Unfortunately, this lowly maid left a backup, and in the end she escaped with her Dao fruit!"

"Would even the Heavenly Reincarnation Diagram be useless?"

The 'Qingxuan Dao Lord' incarnation's brows immediately furrowed.

The power of the medium-grade innate merit and virtue spiritual treasure, the Heavenly Reincarnation Diagram, she knows clearly; combined with the time spirit treasure, the Flowing Light Qin, it is entirely sufficient to enhance the true body Qingxuan Dao Lord's power to an extremely terrifying level.

Qingxuan Dao Lord shook his head and said.

"That lowly maid has her own fortuitous encounter; her fate is not to die!"

"If she were to return, wouldn't that be very troublesome?"

The 'Qingxuan Dao Lord' incarnation slightly furrowed his willow brows.

Qingxuan Dao Lord's phoenix eyes were calm as he coldly laughed.

"Even if she returns, so what? The Lady Mother trusts me most, not her!"

After a brief pause, she added.

Moreover, when she returns, I fear my cultivation will have reached a realm she must look up to—she cannot possibly shake it. If she behaves, well and good; if not, I do not mind striking her down again.

The Qingxua Daoist glanced at the main body.

With the main body's fortune and talent, it indeed has this confidence.

Moreover, now that powerful beings from the lower realms are constantly offering sacrifices, the growth speed will be even faster.

Qingxua Daoist gazed at the incarnation Dao.

"Taiyin is merely a skin disease; for now, the plan is to find a way to recall the lower realm's Hundred Flowers, Hundred Herbs, and several other demoted sisters back here—this task is entrusted to you!"

"Entrusted to me?"

Qingxua Daoist immediately became displeased; she has also been preparing to break through to the Daoist realm lately—where would she find time for such matters?

She immediately began to complain.

"Main body, my time is also insufficient!"

Qingxua Daoist spoke calmly.

"This immortal must find a way to deal with the questioning of one or two groups of immortals; if my guess is correct, His Majesty and the Empress will surely suspect this immortal, even possibly confirm it is this immortal!"

Upon hearing this, Qingxua Daoist's expression changed.

"You are not infallible..."

"That applies to others; the Emperor and Empress are no ordinary beings. However, given my relationship with the Emperor and Empress, you need not worry—worst case, a few reprimands!"

"Moreover, this seat has not completely eradicated Taiyin—just a 'minor punishment, major warning'! The Emperor and Empress will not blame this immortal!"

Qingxua Daoist remained composed, so she only needs to deal with some other immortals who are close to the Taiyin immortal maiden from now on.

"There is another matter!"

Upon hearing this, the incarnation's eyes darted back and forth.

Qingxua Daoist smiled.

"The one about to ascend in Zhou Shan Realm—though it seems there are still some setbacks, as if a Demon Lord has taken notice of him!"

"Which Demon Lord?"

Qingxua Daoist's expression changed.

Qingxua Daoist's eyes flickered with a hint of cold indifference as she sneered.

"Xuanji Demon Lord!"

"That rising star from the Blood Sea Demon Realm?"

Qingxua Daoist shook her head.

"What nonsense 'rising star'—he is merely leeks in the eyes of those demon ancestors of the Blood Sea Demon Realm; not harvested yet only because the time has not come. When the time arrives, no matter how great his talent, he cannot surpass the demon ancestors—he will inevitably become mere side dish!"

Compared to demon lords, the treatment of Daoists is far better.

Those Dao ancestors, Heavenly Emperors, and Yaochi Holy Mothers have no tradition of harvesting leeks.

On the contrary, they strive to give protection and support.

Thus, in the depths of the myriad heavens' void, a strange phenomenon often occurs: after some demon lords have been active for a time, they later transform into Daoists.

Whereas Daoists turning into demon lords are rare.

After all, everyone knows the ways of the demon ancestors.

Their reputation has long been ruined!

"Then, main body, will you personally take action?"

Qingxua Daoist's eyes held a hint of inquiry.

Qingxua Daoist's phoenix eyes flickered with a smile as she glanced at this incarnation.

"Your information is outdated—now he is not only ours; if Xuanji Demon Lord does not act, fine, but if he acts, he will surely suffer a great loss!"

Her expression was resolute.

Qingxua Daoist's pupils flickered slightly.

……

Dongxuan Divine Province, Haojing City.

After Zhang Jian made his decision beneath the imperial camphor tree, he directly ignored numerous invitations, merely letting a thread of his qi mechanism fall into two of the invitation letters—Instantly, the two invitation letters turned into green smoke and shot deep into the azure heavens.

Those two invitation letters were respectively the invitation from the Three Sovereigns and Five Elders Assembly to enter the Fire Cloud Cave Heaven.

Next was the invitation letter presented and sent to him by the Ancestral Teacher of King Yu of the Central Heavenly Realm, which is also the Heavenly Emperor's intention to bestow upon him the title of Spirit Source Emperor via imperial decree.

He directly accepted the first letter; the second letter indicated his attitude—first go to the Fire Cloud Cave to cultivate in seclusion, pay respects to the various human sages and emperors, then enter the Central Heavenly Realm and ask King Yu's Ancestral Teacher to help mediate, etc.

This counts as a clear attitude.

……

Three hundred years later, the sky above Haojing City suddenly filled with endless lightning, vast lightning like dense nets, and deep in the azure heavens, boundless power condensed, heavenly laws manifesting like mountains and seas.

Deep in the heavenly great Dao laws, heavenly Dao qi and ancestral qi condensed into form, forming a magnificent light wheel pressing forward, seeking to devour it completely—an ominous sign.

Yet, a purple-yellow divine light burst forth from beneath the azure heavens, a magnificent Dao qi flowed out, carrying the taste of the root of the heavenly great Dao, the origin of all Dao—Instantly, the light wheels formed by billions of heavenly great Dao laws stagnated, then slowly dissipated.

"Taiyi True Numbers, self-formed as a fundamental Dao!"

Far away, on the Heaven-Observing Platform of Haojing City, Zi Dian Lao Zu gazed at this scene, his eyes holding undisguised envy.

Taiyi True Numbers, the Dao fruit truly formed.

This differs from the Taiyi realm.

The Taiyi realm is merely the initial formation of the Dao fruit; although internally a Dao qi belonging to oneself is condensed, this Dao qi still carries the taste of the heavenly great Dao origin, not yet transcended from the heavenly Dao root.

Whereas Taiyi True Numbers is the complete formal condensation of the Dao fruit.

It is the root of the great Dao, calling itself one.

It can also be said that this is a completely brand-new Dao qi power, distinct from other heavenly great Dao qi, transcending heaven and earth, existing as an individual entity.

This is also the subtlety of the Great Ultimate True Numbers.

The corresponding condensed fourth-rank immortal law contains the unique and profound source of the Great Dao, and is also called the Source Immortal Law, with vast and mighty power.

Of course, this is the path of cultivation in the immortal Dao throughout history.

In ancient times, most immortals and gods simply followed the gourd, as long as they had a pure primordial spirit and completely mastered an existing Dao qi source, they could likewise step into the realm of the Great Ultimate True Numbers.

However, since the profundity of Dao qi was penetrated by some ancient immortals and gods, the immortals and gods still tended more toward calling themselves one Dao.

Because what is known often represents one's own understanding and can thus be targeted.

Once the opponent calculates one's death, locks onto the source, and lays out a targeted formation, it is extremely dangerous for any powerhouse!

In the depths of the void, Zhang Jian could clearly sense that, with the primordial spirit's inner Dao fruit fully formed, the dangerous heavenly Dao's 'favor'—a corrosive force forcibly dragging him into the depths of the heavenly Dao—was receding.

A vast Dao fruit power surged from within, and new immortal light poured into his hundreds of apertures, even into the structure of his techniques, causing them to burst forth with greater might.

That Dao fruit was formed by condensing the Dao root, using the Map of Mountains, Rivers, and State as its mother tree.

Inside it lies a power distinct from the myriad Dao qi of heaven and earth.

It is a new power, unique to Zhang Jian's Dao qi.

Zhang Jian may call it the State and Altar Dao qi, or alternatively, the State and Altar Dao fruit.

However, considering that this State and Altar Dao qi has long existed in the depths of the myriad voids, Zhang Jian calls it the Earth Emperor Dao qi.

It is also the Earth Emperor Dao fruit.

In the future, it will possess the power source of the two great earth goddesses from mythology, and indeed is heading in that direction.

"The Earth Emperor Dao qi has taken form; next, naturally, is to perfect the State and Altar Thearch's primordial spirit, transforming it into the Earth Emperor primordial spirit!"

Zhang Jian secretly mused in his heart.

But for external affairs henceforth, he will still only call himself by the name of the State and Altar, unless one day the Earth Emperor Dao qi can penetrate all heavens and spacetime, reaching the indestructible state of myriad calamities.

With a wave of Zhang Jian's hand, a purple-yellow divine light split the heavens, and in an instant, boundless auspicious clouds and propitious qi replaced the sky-filling calamitous evils.

At the same time, a vast and mighty divine power burst forth from his entire body.

This is the omen of the full attainment of the State and Altar Thearch's authority.

Boundless divine power flowed and circulated, through the authority of the State and Altar Thearch, Zhang Jian felt as if his very being had merged with the earthly source of the Zhou Mountain Realm.

The Earth Emperor Dao qi surged mightily, occupying the center, ruling over all, while other Dao qi lay beneath it.

At this moment, inside and outside Haojing City, and even the many deities deep in the Gui Xu Divine Province, felt the vastness of this majestic divine power; under this majestic divine power, they seemed as insignificant as ants.

Even the newly stationed Divine Province Thearch felt his spirit stirred!

"Truly bitter!"

Gui Xu Divine Province, atop the Five Elements Divine Mountain, a majestic Divine Province Thearch secretly shook his head.

As a local Thearch, what he fears most is encountering such a situation.

The Divine Province Thearch appointed by the Heavenly Court could not even straighten his back, and facing this Holy King, he must bow low and act humbly, lest he be suppressed.

But soon, the Divine Province Thearch's mood lifted.

Not long after, news spread from the royal palace of Haojing City in Dongxuan Divine Province: the Great Xia Thearch's merit is complete, and he is about to hold the Ascension Grand Ceremony, inviting immortals and gods from the Five Continents and Four Seas, cultivators to jointly celebrate the grand event, together to witness the rites.

The Great Xia Imperial Mausoleum, on this day, the sky was clear and cloudless.

Before the mausoleum, the scene was extraordinarily lively; the Great Xia Thearch finally decided to awaken the several old ancestors sealed in ice deep within the mausoleum.

Before the mausoleum, many royal descendants wore solemn expressions.

Even Zhang Yi and Zhang Xian, who were outside the realm, hurried back.