Chapter 604: Again Sacrificing to the Ancestors (4K)

Zhang Nan led many Zhang immortals, including the Taiyin Immortal Maiden, to welcome them at Fengqiao Town.

As the patriarch of the Zhang family's Central Heavenly Realm branch, he had long held a high position, and his prolonged residence had shaped his bearing; every gesture carried the air of a superior, yet upon seeing Zhang Jian, he became unusually reverent.

Zhang Jian noted that, after tens of thousands of years of cultivation, Zhang Nan's progress was not slow, and he was not far from condensing the Taiyi Dao Fruit.

Zhang Jian slightly waved his hand, signaling that the immortals need not be overly formal.

He led the Zhang immortals directly into the main topic.

One was to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth; the other was to sacrifice to the various ancestors.

Many Zhang immortals, both high and low, had long anticipated this scene.

Numerous Zhang immortals had already undergone such rituals many times and were not unfamiliar with them.

It seemed that each time this Zhang family ancestor relocated, he would sacrifice to Heaven and, incidentally, to the ancestors.

In the eyes of many Zhang clansmen, this ancestor was a deity who placed great importance on rules.

Among the ranks of the Zhang immortals, there was also a portion of newly born clansmen, and their number was still considerable.

Seeing this, Zhang Jian felt a slight stir in his heart.

Unbeknownst to him, he also had many descendants and offspring under his command.

However, with so many descendants, he seemed to have resolved his obsessions with ease, and many things he now viewed with detachment.

……

The Zhang family's Heaven Sacrifice ceremony was held grandly, and the Zhang family of Fengqiao Town intended to use this opportunity to gain fame, thus inviting many guests from Qingyi City and even numerous immortal cities in the Dongji Immortal Realm.

Zhang Jian tacitly accepted this.

He also knew that Zhang Nan, as a Heavenly Immortal, supported the Zhang family of the Central Heavenly Realm, and each step was arduous.

Such an opportunity to leverage influence, as today, was rare, so Zhang Jian also tacitly accepted it.

At the very least, it was necessary to give many major powers around Qingyi City clear signals.

Behind the Zhang family of Fengqiao Town stood a powerful backing.

It was not an immortal clan that could be provoked at will.

…………

After the Heaven Sacrifice Grand Ceremony came the Ancestor Sacrifice Grand Ceremony.

In the ancestral hall, after the lively sacrifices, it grew quiet.

Many spirit tablets were arranged within.

However, recently, many new plaques had been added inside the ancestral hall.

Among them were those of Zhang Zhao, as well as Zhang Xian and Zhang Yi.

Zhang Zhao currently serves as a Left Clerk in the Purple Micro Emperor's Mansion; although merely a mid-to-low rank immortal official, his presence within the Six Emperors' Heavenly Emperor's Mansion grants him a status somewhat special compared to other mid-rank immortal officials.

However, the most special remains his title as the Third-Rank Nine Nether Spirits' Imperial Emperor of the Zhang family ancestor.

As for the other two Zhangs, the Zhang family dare not place their plaques in the ancestral hall, lest they attract too much attention……

However, speaking frankly, placing their plaques in the ancestral hall would not be unacceptable!

Setting aside certain peculiar thoughts, Zhang Jian began this sacrifice.

With a wave of his hand, he took out mountain-range-like gold and silver ingots.

The quantity of these gold and silver ingots was roughly the same as last time.

But Zhang Jian felt that this sacrifice's scale might not match that of the previous one.

His previous sacrifice was accompanied by the great merit of elevating the Donghua Realm.

Moreover, it had the influence of spreading the Earth Emperor's primordial qi throughout the heavens and gaining fame at Yaochi.

This time, although he again transferred divine offices and his divine authority grew heavier,

and although he had the merit of repairing the Xuan Tian Treasure Wheel, stabilizing the situation in the Tenth Heavenly Realm, and assisting the Heavenly Court in capturing the returnee, there was still a difference between the two.

"Although the sacrifice scale may not match the previous one, it should not differ too much!"

After all, he had participated to some extent in a Heaven-Mandated great event.

Calculating in his heart, Zhang Jian's fingertip sparked a wisp of flame, which instantly fell into the central bronze cauldron of the ancestral hall, and roaring flames instantly erupted from the cauldron.

With Zhang Jian's cultivation, it was sufficient to ensure that every gold and silver ingot could burn simultaneously, and the burning degree would not differ in the slightest.

Yet, in Zhang Jian's sight, the gold and silver ingot mountain he threw into the sacrificial cauldron's internal space burned away completely in an instant.

Indeed, they were entirely consumed!

Zhang Jian's eyes showed surprise; he had already prepared for a portion to remain!

Seeing this, he immediately slashed his hand again, taking out another portion of gold and silver ingots from the Mountains and Rivers Society Space and throwing them in; only after exceeding nearly fifty percent of the previous sacrifice's scale did the sacrificial fire gradually extinguish, leaving a remainder.

"How could this be?"

Gazing at this, Zhang Jian's heart flashed with ripples.

This indeed surpassed his expectations.

In an instant, Zhang Jian formed a hypothesis.

Could it be because he participated in a Heaven-Mandated great event?

Or perhaps because he previously supported a Winter God heir, or perhaps a new Heavenly Realm goddess?

If that were also acceptable, then in the future, his wool-gathering would have several more directions.

Supporting a few more great divine ability users—would that not increase his opportunities to gather wool in the ancestral hall?

Zhang Jian faintly felt that this was indeed feasible.

For example, the achievements of the Bai family and the Purple Hua Immortal Maiden could indeed increase his influence across the myriad realms.

Moreover, in the future, they could repay him with immense fortune and gains.

At the same time, Zhang Jian did not hesitate; a dry ice-blue divine banner appeared in his hand, the banner's surface seemingly covered with intense permanence, icy snow divine rhythm, as if carrying the taste of sealing heaven and earth in ice.

This is a fourth-grade immortal treasure, the Eternal God Banner, refined by Zhang Jian.

It is also made after he comprehended the divine office of the Eternal Heavenly Lord, using various innate ice-attribute Dao qi, even including a portion of the profound dark ancestral qi, wondrously refined.

It is only half a step away from becoming a fifth-grade immortal treasure.

This also shows that his artifact refining skill is only one step away from catching up to his cultivation realm.

It will not be long before he no longer needs to ask others and can refine it himself, advancing his own natal immortal treasure.

After the ancestral worship ended, Zhang Jian withdrew the Map of Mountains, Rivers, and State.

Next came the segment most beloved by the many members of the Zhang clan.

Zhang Jian would explain cultivation methods to the many Zhang clan disciples in the Central Heavenly Realm, while also passing down a portion of his own perfected and complete powerful immortal arts.

Next, he would resolve doubts and impart the Dao to a portion of the Zhang clan disciples.

Every time Zhang Jian expounded the Dao, the many Zhang clan disciples would benefit greatly.

Especially for a portion of the high-grade immortal arts transmissions; without Zhang Jian passing them down, relying on their status, if they wished to learn such overbearing immortal arts, it would be extremely difficult.

Fellow immortals of the same rank, if they could master multiple high-grade immortal arts, would naturally gain the upper hand in magical duels.

Besides this, there are also various body-refining, spirit-nourishing, and Dao-heart-tempering supreme wondrous methods.

……

In the vast immortal realm of the Eighth Layer of the Heavenly Realm,

Qingxia Daozun dwells exalted in the Lantai Dao Palace, overseeing and managing.

As one of the eyes and ears of the Yaochi Heavenly Realm to the outside world, the Lantai Dao Palace, under her control, has developed rapidly.

Her eyes are spread throughout the myriad heavens and void.

The thirty-three layers of the Heavenly Realm lie right under the eyelids of 'Qingxia Daozun'; Qingxia Daozun naturally sees them more clearly.

Zhang Jian repairing the Xuan Tian Treasure Wheel, transferring his immortal office—even if Zhang Jian secretly ran off to worship ancestors, she knows it all clearly.

Regarding this 'filial' nature of the Zhang clan disciple, 'Qingxia Daozun' knows it all clearly.

After repairing the Xuan Tian Treasure Wheel, the other party will certainly not give up this opportunity.

However, the other party can still endure for a thousand years, waiting until the formal immortal office is issued before performing the sacrifice; this still makes her look at him with new eyes.

Boom—boom—boom!

Accompanied by the rumbling from the Two Realms Pool.

'Qingxia Daozun' opened her eyes, and her figure instantly appeared beside the Two Realms Pool.

She wore a full set of azure immortal robes, wide sleeves and long gown, her features cold and beautiful, her bright, moving eyes holding a clear coldness; as her robe sleeves danced, a vast surge of magical power instantly enveloped the Two Realms Pool, suppressing its turbulence.

At the same time, a vast, formless incense-fire Dao domain unfolded around her, within which seemed to reside a vast divine power capable of reversing Qian and Kun, suppressing the great Dao of myriad heavens and earth.

This vast divine power faintly could turn the impossible into possible, reverse the real and illusory, and overturn Qian and Kun.

Moreover, there was a tremendous mighty power of transforming the mundane into the sacred.

Within the incense-fire Dao domain, performances of vast, boundless incense-fire nations spanning hundreds of millions of kilometers unfolded.

In the Two Realms Pool, the nine-colored pool waters rumbled, and in an instant, one saw vast, flawless incense-fire transforming into golden light shooting straight into the clouds, yet immediately being swallowed and merged by the incense-fire nation within, turning into one after another vast, golden, substance-like incense-fire nations.

That golden divine light possessed a matchless vast wondrous power, as if it could tear apart the heavens.

The incense-fire divine power contained within was vast and immense.

One golden incense-fire nation equaled one hundred million flawless incense.

At this moment, sensing the surging, vast flawless incense-fire golden light in the Two Realms Pool, 'Qingxia Daozun' could not help but reveal a hint of a smile in her expression.

This sacrifice had made her wait for tens of thousands of years.

Having experienced the days of lavish spending, this incense-scarce era made her quite unaccustomed.

Every advancement of an incense-fire deity cannot be separated from a large amount of incense.

Whether it is increasing cultivation, tempering the incense-fire golden body, or cultivating incense-fire immortal arts, even to condensing various incense-fire divine artifacts.

The more incense, the better.

The more incense, the faster the strength increases.

Especially high-quality flawless incense.

With sufficient quantity, she could soon advance further, even catching up to her main body.

And at this moment, in her incense-fire Dao domain, the incense-fire nations filled with incense-fire golden light instantly exceeded a hundred.

That is one hundred billion flawless incense.

Since Zhang Jian achieved the divine sacred body, the incense quantity he provided her has been increasing more and more.

'Qingxia Daozun' can clearly sense that the stronger Zhang Jian becomes, the more benefits she can obtain.

'Qingxia Daozun' actually hopes that Zhang Jian will one day achieve the Daozun body.

To sacrifice with a Daozun body would certainly help her even more.

Soon, the second set of a hundred incense-fire nations in her incense-fire Dao domain was filled.

Immediately followed by the third, fourth, fifth, and even the sixth set of a hundred incense-fire nations taking shape.

Six hundred billion flawless incense—this is an astonishingly large number.

'Qingxia Daozun' never imagined that Zhang Jian's sacrifice scale had reached this level.

However, for 'Qingxia Daozun', she now fears no sacrifice scale being too large.

On the contrary, flawless incense: the more, the better.

Her azure Dao domain, like a vast mouth, gently compressed the six hundred billion flawless incense, part of it transforming into incense-fire gold bricks stored away, another part directly merging into her azure Dao domain, helping her perfect her incense-fire cultivation.

At the same time, 'Qingxia Daozun' fixed her eyes tightly on the depths of the Two Realms Pool.

Next came the main event.

Only seen, in her eyes, the nine-colored pool waters of the Two Realms Pool surged up again, strands of innate Dao patterns appearing in the nine-colored pool waters, stirring the heavens above to manifest various omens.

Auspicious clouds and blessed qi rose from within, and above the firmament, numerous great Dao laws of heaven and earth resonated in response.

Eternity, profound ice, ice soul, ice and snow, and so on.

Countless snowflakes emerged from the depths of the vast immortal realm, carrying a power of icy sealing, capable of freezing all things.

The Daoist Lord of Azure Radiance had already guessed what treasure would appear in the Two Realms Pool.

"An ice-attribute innate merit and virtue spiritual treasure?"

A slight surprise flickered in her eyes; innate merit and virtue spiritual treasures of the profound ice attribute were indeed rare.

Accompanied by countless innate Dao tones, various ice-blue innate divine lights shot forth from within; in an instant, a streak of ice-blue immortal divine light flew out, only to be seized at once by the prepared Daoist Lord of Azure Radiance.

What fell into her hand was a bundle of long banners.

The banner shaft was made of ice-crystal-colored profound ice; the banner surface was entirely ice-blue, and deep within the surface were scattered countless ancient innate Dao patterns formed from condensed ice and snow, faintly trembling, as if capable of letting the power of ice and snow cover all heavens and myriad worlds, sealing heaven and earth.

After slight refinement, the Daoist Lord of Azure Radiance understood the profundity of this ice-attribute innate merit and virtue spiritual treasure.

Eternal Divine Banner: Ice-attribute innate merit and virtue spiritual treasure, containing six innate divine prohibitions within, embodying six layers of innate interdiction laws (middle-grade innate spiritual treasure)!

This middle-grade innate merit and virtue spiritual treasure possesses both offense and defense, with exceptionally balanced attributes, and both its killing and defensive methods are extraordinarily outstanding—truly a rare treasure.

If those Daoist Lords of the profound ice attribute were to know the wondrous use of this treasure, they would surely cast aside all reservations and vie for it with all their might.

Although the Daoist Lord of Azure Radiance had already received several innate merit and virtue spiritual treasures, she still could not bear to part with such a treasure.

After playing with it for a while, she then put it away, preparing to refine it properly.

At the same time, she took out an object from her hand.

After refining the Eternal Divine Banner, she already knew what to use as recompense.

This recompense was even greater than the last; she could only recompense with an ancient sacred object to be considered equivalent in value.

She raised her hand, took out an object, and directly sent it into the depths of the Two Realms Pool.

……

Qingyi City, Fengqiao Town.

After Zhang Jian finished lecturing the many members of the Zhang clan, he began to familiarize himself with the authority of the Nine Nether Nine Abysses' Harsh Spirit Emperor.

About to assume his new post, he naturally wished to make good use of this imperial deity's mandate.

This imperial deity's mandate is entirely different from that of the Eternal Heavenly Lord.

Besides being able to command ice and snow, eternity, and part of time, the Eternal Heavenly Lord also uses it for regional divine duties, capable of wielding part of the natural might of the Eternal Forbidden Zone.

This divine power is immensely mighty and impressive.

But the power of the Nine Nether Nine Abysses' Harsh Spirit Emperor is broader and more majestic.

After refining that divine path talisman decree, Zhang Jian felt his control over the authority of the Nine Abysses greatly increased.

In a single thought, he could communicate with the origin of the netherworld's underworld, mobilize the vast power of the netherworld's underworld origin to resist enemies, and simultaneously manifest the powers of life and death, reincarnation, yin darkness, Yellow Springs, and so on.

Zhang Jian originally already held authority over life and death, reincarnation, souls, and so on.

Meanwhile, yin darkness and Yellow Springs are additional authorities attached to this rank of the Nine Nether Nine Abysses' Harsh Spirit Emperor.

Besides these, there are many other attached authorities.

For example, when needed, he can invoke the authority of the Earth Mother Goddess to conscript part of the netherworld's yin soldiers and ghost generals for battle.

Furthermore, he possesses the authority to oversee not only the netherworld's underworld but also all other nine abysses' underworlds, even the ten great netherworld heavenly sons—these underworld emperors are also within his oversight authority.

Truly, he holds a high position and great authority.

Even against high-ranking third-order and below ghosts and spirits, he holds the power to strike first and report later.

After obtaining this divine post, Zhang Jian could be said to have suddenly become a renowned powerful emperor among all heavens and myriad worlds.

Even in the heavenly court, he has a place.

Feeling the magnitude of this authority, Zhang Jian's lips curled into a faint smile.

In an instant, Zhang Jian's heart stirred; he gazed toward the direction of the ancestral shrine, and with a flash, he entered the ancestral shrine.

At that moment, upon the great golden form of the Daoist Lord of Azure Radiance, a nine-colored passage connecting the two realms took shape; thereafter, a strand of cyan flowing light flew out from within and instantly landed deep in Zhang Jian's palm.

At the same time, a voice flowed forth.

"This object is with you; I hope you make good use of it!"