Chapter 583: Daoist Lord's Title (4K)

Zhang Jian could sense his own state, all timelines collapsing into one, returning to unity.

Countless selves from past spacetime returned in an instant.

Besides his cultivation surging and his power greatly increasing, from now on he would no longer have flaws, and could not be captured by spacetime or fate-type immortal arts targeting weak moments in past or future spacetime.

He could forever maintain his peak state, never regressing.

Zhang Jian's transformation was not yet complete.

Deep between his brows, countless messages surged in like a flood, yet were easily merged by the Earth Emperor's primordial spirit.

After his Dao heart was elevated, the complete Daoist worldview could easily integrate these vast messages.

Within him, multiple heavenly and earthly treasures melted instantly.

Among them, the Heart of Dimension, the Primordial Birth-and-Death Pearl, and the Reincarnation Divine Stone—three heavenly and earthly treasures, innate Yin law Dao seeds following the Stellar Souls—began to be thoroughly refined.

The Heart of Dimension transformed into an invisible flow of light, fully merging into a Nine Revolutions Ruyi Time Wheel Sutra, the Yellow Court Blessed Land Great Law, and the Eight Extremes Spacetime—combined into a single Spacetime Dimensional King Diagram, with its spacetime Dao qi perfectly harmonized, plus Zhang Jian's Daoist worldview and eternal immortal light infused, it nearly directly transformed into a first-rank eternal immortal art.

"Still lacking a bit, lacking a bit of eternal will!"

Zhang Jian slightly sensed it, not surprised.

If he severed the three lives, collapsing the timelines would transform his fruition immortal light into eternal immortal light.

Then the fifth step, returning the heart to the Dao, would be reshaping the Daoist's body.

The Dao path confirmed, evolving into the true Daoist's eternal body.

Eternal will, however, requires the sixth step: Dao accomplished, seeing oneself, to appear.

Zhang Jian could now feel his fruition immortal light transforming into eternal immortal light, that magnificent power.

With each transformation completed, it was as if he underwent one transformation.

Seven steps equaled seven transformations.

Zhang Jian could imagine how powerful he would be after seven transformations.

Now, Zhang Jian felt he could easily suppress his former self who had not severed the three lives.

His cultivation continued to grow, now gradually exceeding five times.

After the Heart of Dimension melted within him, next came the Reincarnation Divine Stone.

It transformed into various Dao qi: reincarnation Dao qi, profound Yin Dao qi, life-and-death Dao qi, and a fragment of Nine Nether ancestral qi merged into the Nine Nether Emperor's Dharma body, causing the Nine Nether fruition condensed deep between his brows to approach perfection, even touching a hint of the profound mystery of Nine Nether ancestral qi, though to fully transform into Nine Nether ancestral qi still required Zhang Jian's own active refinement.

The Primordial Birth-and-Death Pearl was also dissolved at this time, merging into the supreme immortal art of Harmonizing Creation, its birth-and-death power surging, its might vast.

It could turn death into life, alter material structure, or turn creation into destruction, forming boundless destructive power.

Yet if one wished to prematurely step into the eternal level, they would always fall short by a bit.

This was completely unlike Zhang Jian's previous cultivation.

Having smoothly broken through, Zhang Jian glanced again at the side hall.

Deep within the side hall, a dense, terrifying chill grew day by day, the Dark Heaven Profound Darkness ancestral qi unusually active, among which many vast divine offices were gradually activated.

The offices of Winter God, Rain and Snow God, Eternal God, Soul God, and so on.

Bai Li Ying's refinement currently appeared to be proceeding smoothly.

In fact, Bai Li Ying was indeed very suited to the Profound Darkness divine position, as a Profound Darkness dragon species, she naturally commanded rain and snow power, her Dao heart also aligned with eternity, and powers like ice and snow.

Zhang Jian could feel that the rain and snow power in the Eternal Forbidden Zone had been very active recently.

This was a portent of the imminent birth of a new god.

However, it could be certain that Bai Li Ying's fusion and refinement would likely require a long time to complete.

……

Three hundred years later, Zhang Jian completed his cultivation and emerged from seclusion.

In the Eternal Heavenly Lord's mansion, Ji Shi was fully focused on state affairs, with two jade maidens attending on either side, their eyes revealing a hint of admiration.

They were mostly of the Heavenly Human race, and in their eyes, Ji Shi was indeed a heroic woman of the inner chambers.

The tens of thousands of heavenly soldiers and generals within the Eternal Ice Fortress, under the governance of this Ji family goddess, were nonetheless obedient and compliant.

Not a few immortal officials among them had cultivation far surpassing hers.

At this moment, the two of them suddenly shifted their expressions, only to see a figure stride forward before the hall, he wearing purple splendid robes, his coronet like jade, his long hair bound, his eyes stern, like stars.

Ji Shi likewise raised her head, and at a glance saw the incoming figure, her eyes shifting, instantly revealing a hint of joy.

"Your Majesty, you have emerged from seclusion!"

Ji Shi quickly rose, her beautiful eyes full of smiles.

Zhang Jian slightly nodded, he glanced at the mountain of jade tablets piled on the table, and said with a smile.

"These past days, you have worked hard, my lady; fortunately you have shared my burdens, otherwise I could not have peacefully closed my seclusion!"

Ji Shi shook her head.

"Your Majesty merely enjoys idling; Your Majesty's immortal arts are profound, if you wished to handle these trivial matters, there are many methods..."

Zhang Jian laughed heartily, he naturally had many immortal arts to relieve worries.

The Nine Dragons True Classic can split into nine avatars equal in strength to himself.

The Dreaming Traverse the Great Void Great Law can even transform into many Great Void spirit bodies.

He merely gave Ji Shi some tasks to do, to balance the eternal mindset she had comprehended.

After the couple spoke quietly for a while, Ji Shi then said.

"Now that Your Majesty has reopened seclusion, this Eternal Heavenly Lord divine office still needs to return to its original master!"

"No, my lady, you still need to handle state affairs for me for a period of time!"

Zhang Jian shook his head.

Facing Ji Shi's bright gaze, he said.

"Next, I will go to the Nine Nether Underworld with my ancestral master!"

Since he had smoothly passed the fourth step of Taiyi Perfection, Zhang Jian prepared to advance courageously and diligently, beginning to enter the fifth step of cultivation.

The Tiānxīn Guīdào needs to determine its own path.

He takes the Dìhuáng Dàoguǒ as the main path, and the Dìhuáng Dàoguǒ has two main trunks: the authority of the Shèjì Dìjūn and the authority of the Jiǔyōu Dìjūn.

The path of Shèjì actually lies between the natural and the unnatural, and it includes a portion of the authority of the earth.

The authority of the earth is a natural authority, so there is no need to worry about path contamination.

As for the sacrificial rites and governance within it, the greater part of the Imperial Dao lies deep in the Three Emperors' Celestial Realm, making it easier to strive for some of it.

For Zhang Jian, the only trouble is the Jiǔyōu path.

Zhang Jian prepares to first visit the Tiānyī Jiùkǔ Tiānzūn, and then go to the Píngxīn Diàn to pay respects to Chéngtiān Xiàofǎ Hòutǔ Huángdì.

Zhang Jian's path is vaguely known to the Jī clan, and they did not ask further.

At this moment, Zhang Jian noticed the two jade maidens on the hall; he merely glanced past them, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

His pupils flickered; he originally thought that Qīngxiá Xiānzǐ letting him enter the Eternal Ice Fortress was aimed at the Xuánmíng divine position, but now it seems perhaps not.

Seeing Zhang Jian's gaze directed toward them, the two jade maidens felt slightly uneasy and hurried forward to speak.

"This servant Jiǔlíng, Zǐhuá pays respects to the Eternal Heavenly Lord!"

Zhang Jian nodded slightly and asked casually.

"I feel I have not seen you before?"

Jīshì spoke at this time.

"Your Majesty, according to the regulations of the Heavenly Court, as the Eternal Heavenly Lord, you may have eight jade maidens stationed before the hall. Coincidentally, the Heavenly Court recently had a batch of new celestial maidens graduate from the Celestial Maiden Palace, so I took the initiative to apply for them!"

After a slight pause, she smiled and said.

"Of course, they have also undergone my strict scrutiny, so no demonic path spies will sneak in!"

In fact, she subtly indicated that these two would not be spies from other major powers.

Zhang Jian transmitted via sound.

"They seem to have the bloodline of the Tiānrén Wángzú within them!"

Jīshì gave a slight nod and said.

"I know, but they are very suitable to serve as the 'Dao seeds' for my Jílè Xiānlíng Tú!"

Zhang Jian's expression remained unmoved.

Jīshì's Jílè Xiānlíng Tú can directly absorb the dense emotional thoughts between heaven and earth, nurturing the power of the Seven Emotions and Six Desires, thereby refining the soul and aiding in the growth of a unique soul-like Dao qi that Jīshì has condensed.

And within it, there is an outstanding entity that can be cultivated as a 'Dao seed'; the obsessions born from it are extraordinarily dense, and such existences, for Jīshì, are no less than heavenly and earthly divine objects once formed.

Jīshì especially favors those entangled in the red dust or burdened by dense tribulations, yet possessing a resilient fate.

Zhang Jian gave a slight nod, though there was something unusual in the depths of his eyes.

However, the identities of these two jade maidens are quite different; Jīshì has indeed picked up a treasure.

After giving Jīshì a few instructions, Zhang Jian reconnected with Yǔwáng Zǔshī, who is far away in the Three Emperors' Celestial Realm.

During this period, Yǔwáng Zǔshī has been in the Three Emperors' Celestial Realm, trying to find a way to separate the Dōutiān Yǒnghéng Zǔqì from the Yǒnghéng Xiānyù's connection.

Upon receiving the news, he immediately replied.

In the Three Emperors' Celestial Realm, deep within the Tóngshān Dàotǒng, Yǔwáng is currently summoning Shuǐguān Dìjūn Tiānhé Zhēnrén to impart Dao teachings; at this moment, he abruptly stopped lecturing and let him depart.

Gazing at the retreating figure of Shuǐguān Dìjūn, Yǔwáng's expression sank slightly into contemplation.

Zhang Jian's cultivation progress is rapid.

According to this pace, it remains unknown whether he or Shuǐguān Dìjūn will be the first to break through the Great Calamity of Annihilation.

Given his status in the Three Emperors' Celestial Realm, securing a Dàojūn quota is not difficult, but if he seeks to obtain two Dàojūn quotas at once, the difficulty is considerable.

Yǔwáng's eyes were solemn, but he can only secure one and strive for two in this matter.

Whoever reaches that step first will take the lead; as for the second position, it can only be re-contended.

Yǔwáng also feels some difficulty, for one is his own personally taught disciple, more so a lineage inheritor.

The other is also a genuine disciple of the Tóngshān Dàotǒng, though not personally taught by him, yet possessing a divine body, crucial to the overall situation of the Tóngshān Dàotǒng lineage.

To abandon either, Yǔwáng is unwilling.

Yǔwáng's form transformed into a stream of light and departed from the Three Emperors' Celestial Realm.

……

Outside the Zhìdé Palace, Shuǐguān Dìjūn Tiānhé Zhēnrén glanced toward the depths of the Dao Palace.

At this moment, Tiānhé Zhēnrén took a deep breath; he also felt an invisible pressure at this time.

The competition he is about to face, Yǔwáng had already informed him of earlier.

Tiānhé Zhēnrén also did not expect that, after thousands of years of reincarnation, that fellow sect's Tàishī nephew would have reached such a cultivation level, even nearly catching up to him.

Deep in his heart, he harbored many complex feelings.

Originally, he viewed the other with the eyes of an elder, more with appreciation, never considering him a competitor.

But now he is forced to change his own perspective.

Many thoughts flashed through his mind; he slowly stepped forward toward the Zhìdé Dao Palace.

Although the other's unexpected rise gave him pressure, he does not believe he will lose.

As a truly powerful immortal god, he has long prepared for all aspects, whether facing the many Taiyi Perfection immortal gods of the Three Emperors' Celestial Realm or competing with fellow sect members.

……

The Netherworld Underworld.

Two figures passed through the Tiānwéi Zhīmén, their true bodies descending into the vast dimension where the Netherworld Underworld lies; at a glance, it seemed an immeasurable ocean of Xuānyīn Dao qi, with numerous miscellaneous yin-attribute Dao qi forming a vast expanse of the Xuānyīn-attribute heaven and earth dimension.

Even if a powerful immortal god mistakenly entered, it would have its foundation polluted and directly perish.

"This is the Jiǔzhuó Huángquán; you must be careful, for this Huangquan ocean is vast, containing multiple layers of Dao qi-condensed strange forces, very difficult to deal with!"

In the depths of the immortal light, Yu Wang's body was interwoven with strands of invisible immortal light, breaking through layer upon layer of the turbid power of the Yellow Springs.

Zhang Jian's gaze swept over, and there was some astonishment in his eyes.

He had thought that the Yellow Springs merely referred to the River of Yellow Springs beneath the Naihe Bridge.

He did not expect that there was also a Sea of Yellow Springs on the outskirts.

This Nine Turbid Yellow Springs Sea was, as it were, the most turbid place between heaven and earth, somewhat comparable to the Weak Water River, the most turbid in the heavenly realm.

Although it was turbid, it also possessed an irreplaceable wondrous use.

It could absorb all manner of emotions and thoughts from between heaven and earth, returning to the origin and transforming into profound yin, with soul power feeding back into the netherworld, thereby preventing those emotions and thoughts from becoming a breeding ground for the nurturing of demonic heads.

"Ancestor, it is said that in ancient times, a powerful Yellow Springs Monarch was born within the Yellow Springs, stirring up the Nine Turbid World-Destroying Calamity. I do not know whether this is true or false, but this Nine Turbid Yellow Springs Ocean is indeed immensely magnificent!"

Yu Wang smiled faintly and said.

"The Nine Turbid Yellow Springs Sea can give birth to not just one Yellow Springs Monarch, but these Yellow Springs Monarchs lacked the fortune and opportunity of the Demon Ancestor deep in the Blood Sea; most have already perished, yet one remains deep in the netherworld's underworld, that Yellow Springs Monarch possessing an eccentric nature, not favored by the gods; if you should encounter him in the future, be cautious!"

Zhang Jian nodded.

The two proceeded forward, and in a moment they pierced through a layer of magnificent, dark fetal membrane; before them, things became somewhat gloomier, with a bright moon hanging in the azure sky above—this seemed to be a land of eternal night.

But the first thing to catch their eyes was a blood-red small path leading directly to a massive gate.

At the end of the blood-red small path stood a massive dark-red gate.

Its entire body shimmered with a gloomy light, possessing a terrifying power to devour all things.

Yin-Yang Road, Ghost Gate Pass.

At this moment, the guarding ghost-gods sensed the arrival of Zhang Jian and Yu Wang, their protective divine light radiating extraordinarily magnificently.

Whether it was Zhang Jian or the divine light emanating from Yu Wang's entire body, both bore an aura of supreme nobility and exaltation, surpassing that of ordinary heavenly sons by hundreds of millions of times.

The myriad ghost-gods immediately knew that the arrivals were no ordinary beings, and furthermore, a Ghost Emperor came forth to greet them.

Upon learning the identities of Yu Wang and Zhang Jian, this Ghost Emperor hastily opened a spatial passage leading directly to the netherworld.

Zhang Jian glanced at this Ghost Emperor.

This Ghost Emperor's cultivation was not weak; he was the successor of either the Shen Tu or Yu Lei Ghost Emperors among the Five Direction Ghost Emperors of the netherworld.

After Zhang Jian and Yu Wang's figures disappeared, this Shen Tu Ghost Emperor immediately breathed a sigh of relief and promptly went to inform the Ten Palace Netherworld Heavenly Sons.

However, his concern was unnecessary.

Upon entering the netherworld's underworld, Yu Wang directly brought Zhang Jian into the Pure Land of Azure Splendor and Eternal Joy where the Ten Directions Savior of Suffering Heavenly Venerable resided.

Before the Pure Land of Azure Splendor and Eternal Joy, at this moment two child attendants had already been guarding the gate; upon seeing the figures of Yu Wang and Zhang Jian arrive, one of the child attendants could not help but smile and say.

"Two honored guests, the Heavenly Venerable has already commanded us to wait here for a long time; please enter, for the Heavenly Venerable is already in the palace!"