Chapter 739: Trouble Arises, Pacified (4K)

He formed hand seals, and a golden light leapt and appeared from deep between his brows.

A pure divine fire of light burst forth from his Earth Emperor Divine Wheel.

Within the divine light at the back of his head, a divine lamp gradually evolved, condensed from the concepts of 【Light】 and 【Vast Righteousness】.

This was the Nine Revolutions Vast Righteousness Golden Lamp, a top-grade innate spiritual treasure, a treasure for subduing demons.

It was most capable of digesting human demonic thoughts and dispersing evil demons.

Boundless light burst forth from his entire body; these strands of light were even more intense than the omens of the Boundless Great Light Cloud, and even the boundless killing intent accumulated from countless vengeful spirits and lingering souls was gradually suppressed and refined by the firelight.

The boundless great light seemed to arise from the hearts of all the lingering spirits, bringing great joy and great light.

In the depths of the void, the various Dao Lords at this moment turned their gazes toward the depths of the Pure Land, seeing this vast light omen, and they could not help but change color.

They had indeed witnessed such a great backlash from the vengeful spirits before.

If they were to put themselves in his place, they might not be able to withstand such terrifying killing intent and vengeful backlash.

The accumulated vengeful intent and killing intent were too astonishing, almost shrouding the Pure Land world above in haze.

This was the vengeful intent and killing intent born from the birth of sentient beings in a vast heavenly realm.

Upon seeing this scene, Yuan Zhen Dao Lord, who had been temporarily sealed as the Netherworld Emperor, was also secretly shaken.

He had to admit that this Qing Lian Dao Lord's cultivation surpassed his own.

Without the Cang Shen God Emperor stepping forward, he feared he could not move anything at all.

……

After withstanding the boundless vengeful killing intent backlash, Zhang Jian proceeded to refine the reincarnation divine artifact step by step.

This was his specialty.

Six hundred years later, he had refined a post-heaven spiritual treasure-grade Reincarnation Great Grindstone.

Although it was only a low-grade post-heaven spiritual treasure.

But it was sufficient to replace the original Netherworld Reincarnation Passage.

He then sent a portion of the vengeful spirits and lingering souls from the Qing Lian Pure Land into the six paths of reincarnation.

As the Golden Underworld's reincarnation was reopened, strands of vast merit golden light descended from the heavens, falling deep between his brows.

A small portion also split into dozens of strands, falling upon the various Dao Lords deep in the Underworld.

This caused the various Dao Lords to rejoice exceedingly.

In this matter, the Qing Lian Dao Lord ate meat, while they at least got to drink the soup.

Deep in Zhang Jian's Niwan Palace, the merit golden light all fell upon the Nine Underworlds Lord, refining him into pure cultivation, his vital energy rising steadily, and in an instant he approached the level of the Evil Corpse State Lord.

At this moment, boundless Netherworld Divine Wheels appeared around the Nine Underworlds Lord, within which seemed to coalesce the phantom images of several vast Netherworld Underworlds.

These included the Underworld of the Spirit Realm, the Underworld of the Celestial Court, and a portion of the Netherworld dimensions, the authority of the Underworld's central hub, and now also added was the authority of the Golden Underworld; he seemed to have transformed into a terrifying existence that governs the boundless Netherworld dimensions between heaven and earth, and with each breath, the rolling great laws of the Netherworld Dao were born, like one of the sources of the Netherworld itself.

Such mighty power was shocking.

While his cultivation greatly increased, the Nine Underworlds Lord's judgment pen held in his palm shone brightly; within it, the Netherworld, reincarnation, life and death, good and evil, judgment, and other great Dao rules of heaven and earth subtly increased, nurturing within a newly born wondrous divine light, which actually showed signs of advancing through excavation.

This change made the Nine Underworlds Lord overjoyed beyond expectation.

Zhang Jian, however, had no unexpected reaction.

This was indeed the merit and fortune of reestablishing an Underworld.

The Nine Underworlds Lord could not help but sigh.

"My Lord, this time your wager was correct! If not for the Dan Que God Emperor's broad-mindedness, where could we have obtained the source authority of the Golden Underworld!"

The State Lord did not speak, but he also agreed.

How aloof the Phoenix clan is, and the Qing Lian Dao Lord is an 'outsider'; wanting to snatch food from the tiger's mouth and seize the authority of the Netherworld Underworld was nearly impossible.

If not for risking their lives to save the Dan Que God Emperor, the Yuan Huang, Jin Huang, and several other God Emperors would not have given the Lord any opportunity at all.

Zhang Jian shook his head.

"I saved Dan Que, but not for these reasons; I merely did not want the mission to fail!"

Upon hearing this, the State Lord and the Nine Underworlds Lord had differing expressions.

The State Lord's eyes slightly narrowed with solemnity.

"A thousand years of time are about to pass, and I do not know whether the Phoenix clan and the Tai Yi clan are at war or peace."

The Nine Underworlds Lord's face showed compassion, but his eyes held a hint of solemnity.

"The Phoenix clan is arrogant and overbearing, and they will likely not yield easily; the Tai Yi clan are not the type to walk away after suffering a loss; the chance of a great war between the two sides is not small! My Lord, you must also prepare to leave at any moment! Although the Yuan Shi Opening Fortune Diagram is good, it is not as important as our lives!"

"If the mission is not completed, we can only think of a remedy later; if we get drawn into the great war between the Phoenix clan and the Tai Yi clan, we might lose our lives!"

Zhang Jian's expression remained unchanged, his eyes sinking in thought.

Seeing this, the Nine Underworlds Lord then said.

"You must not still be thinking of that Dan Que God Emperor, wanting to take her away, must you..."

Zhang Jian's eyebrows immediately rose, but he was too lazy to bother with this nagging Nine Underworlds Lord.

The State Lord then said at this time.

"Do not forget the preparations being made by the Queen Mother of the West!"

Zhang Jian slightly opened his eyes.

He naturally remembered the Queen Mother of the West's entrusted matter.

What the Queen Mother of the West kept in mind was another ancient immortal mansion that might appear at any time.

She hoped Zhang Jian could find that immortal mansion.

Zhang Jian naturally would not forget.

Such a favor from a supreme existence is not easy to repay; it is better to repay it early.

……

Three hundred years later, under the gaze of the gods, the Sun Fusion Ceremony proceeded as normal.

The Golden Origin Dao Court announced they had captured a soul of an ancient evil god and formally executed it during the Sun Fusion Ceremony.

The gods indeed saw that soul of the ancient evil god.

Zhang Jian dispatched a Taixu spiritual body to investigate, but he could be certain: the executed ancient god soul was absolutely not the Heavenly Empress Xihe.

"It seems a reconciliation has been reached?"

In the Pure Lotus Land, Zhang Jian felt a suspicion stir in his heart.

The most likely possibility is that both sides used combat to prompt peace.

If not for their evenly matched strength and mutual apprehension, how could there be negotiations?

Whether it is the Phoenix clan or the Taiyi lineage, neither are easily dealt with.

Yet previously, the Phoenix clan was clearly in a weakened state.

Zhang Jian silently mused, knowing his guess might be correct—there must have been a supreme existence of the Phoenix clan intervening.

……

Zhang Jian's guess was actually already close to the truth.

Ten thousand years later, deep within the Golden Origin Celestial Realm, a series of changes were unfolding.

Above the Golden Origin Dao Court, several towering figures stood firm in the void.

Leading them was the handsome azure-robed immortal previously glimpsed in a fleeting moment—Yuan Huang, Dan Que Shen Huang, Jin Huang, Ming Huang, Tian Feng Shen Huang—standing to one side, their gaze now falling upon the palm of this azure-robed immortal.

At this moment, two additional phoenix eggs rested upon his palm.

These were the primordial spirits of the Sun God Jin Xi Shen Huang and the Underworld Lord of Purgatory Shen Huang.

The two Shen Huang had fallen into the hands of the Taiyi lineage, but their cultivation had been weakened, reduced back to their original forms.

"Elder brother, there should still be two more!"

Yuan Huang raised her willow-leaf eyebrows at this moment.

She referred to the Chi Ling Shen Huang and the Jing Ling Dao Zun.

Kong Xuan glanced over, shook his head, and said.

"The Taiyi lineage stated they did not act against Chi Ling and Jing Ling!"

"How dare he deny this?"

Tian Feng Shen Huang's face flushed with anger.

Kong Xuan briefly said.

"Given the Taiyi lineage's nature and status, if they had done it, they would not deny it—after all, they already bear the lives of two of our Phoenix clan members on their backs; adding a few more would not matter!"

"There must be a third party secretly profiting!"

Upon hearing this, the faces of several Shen Huang darkened slightly.

Kong Xuan then turned his gaze to the two phoenix eggs in his hand and said.

"Jin Xi and Purgatory have lost all cultivation now; they must begin anew. Yuan Huang, younger sister, this matter requires your own effort!"

With a wave of his hand, he passed the two phoenix eggs to Yuan Huang.

Yuan Huang received them and stored them in her sleeve.

Yet a shadow still lingered in her eyes.

Seeing this, Kong Xuan spoke.

"Although my cultivation slightly surpasses his, it is only because he has not yet recovered to his peak; to slay him would still be difficult!"

He said with a laugh.

"This Taiyi Majesty is far more cautious than in the ancient era!"

Yuan Huang slightly furrowed her brow, for she knew well how formidable her elder brother's cultivation truly was.

As the eldest son of the Ancestral Phoenix, he inherently carried the Ancestral Phoenix inheritance, also possessed the core transmissions of the Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist traditions, having founded his own sect as its patriarch, and still held the innate treasure, the Chaos Bell—yet he could not overcome the Taiyi lineage.

Seeing the strange hue in Yuan Huang's eyes, Kong Xuan spoke.

"Do not underestimate the Taiyi lineage—this divine god sovereign, this demon race sovereign, their foundation far exceeds what you and I can imagine!"

"When the Divine God Sovereign and the Demon Race Sovereign attained the Dao, they once overwhelmed the ancient era, suppressing countless ancient and primordial innate divinities so they could not lift their heads!"

Yuan Huang coldly snorted.

"But his era has ultimately passed!"

Kong Xuan's expression remained unmoved, and he simply said.

"I have already fought him once; this matter may be considered temporarily settled, but if the Taiyi lineage rebirths and seeks to reorganize the demon race, we will inevitably have to deal with them again!"

He warned the gods.

"The Taiyi lineage, a faction of ancient god-demon clans, their strong ones are returning one after another; the myriad demon ancestors stir restlessly; the heavenly void is already turbulent—O gods, you must cultivate in stillness, prepare early, lest you be drawn into it!"

Yuan Huang gave a slight nod.

The return of the Taiyi lineage makes it highly possible they will reorganize the demon race, once again contending with humanity and the ancient demon-god clans seeking to regain dominance over heaven and earth.

To reenact the ancient era's struggle for supremacy among all clans, the Phoenix clan should indeed proceed with caution.

Yet a trace of regret still lingered in her eyes.

These years, though the Phoenix clan's power has somewhat recovered, it remains vastly inferior to the Three Sovereigns' Celestial Realm at its zenith.

Since the Middle Ages, the Middle Ages' philosophers have risen, and who knows how many formidable elites they have cultivated for humanity.

Even if the Phoenix clan produced one like Kong Xuan—someone with the potential to reach Yuanshi—they still cannot match humanity in contention.

The faces of all the Shen Huang were equally solemn.

The disturbances appearing deep within the Golden Origin Celestial Realm this time are profoundly far-reaching, and have once again stirred a great sense of crisis in the hearts of all the Shen Huang.

Who could have imagined that, dwelling deep within the Golden Origin Celestial Realm, protected by the mandate of Heaven, one would still meet their downfall?

After Kong Xuan gave the warning, he turned and left.

He did not wish to linger long in the Golden Origin Celestial Realm.

At this time, Yuan Huang led the various Divine Emperors to the depths of the Ancestral Phoenix Hall, first placing the two phoenix eggs into the Phoenix Transformation Pool to nourish them.

The Divine Emperors watched this scene from afar; the Golden Phoenix Divine Emperor's eyes held a hint of sternness, and then she spoke.

"Jin Xi and the Purgatory have fallen into the hands of the Taiyi Clan, so how exactly did Chi Ling and Jing Ling meet their demise?"

The Divine Emperors' eyes all flashed with a hint of anger at once.

The Taiyi Clan is forgivable, but there are actually other forces secretly stirring up trouble—do they truly regard the Phoenix Clan as nothing?

The Heavenly Phoenix Divine Emperor beside her pondered slightly, then spoke.

"I previously had some doubts about that Qing Lian Dao Master!"

"Him?"

The Divine Emperors exchanged glances, their eyes showing some surprise.

The Heavenly Phoenix Divine Emperor pondered briefly, then voiced the doubts in her heart.

"I previously came into contact with several Dao Masters under the command of the Chi Ling Divine Emperor; hearing their words, the Chi Ling Divine Emperor and the Qing Lian Dao Master had clashed over the Heaven and Earth Rare Treasure, with many disagreements!"

"But the various omens previously investigated by Her Majesty Yuan Huang all indicated this matter was closely related to the Taiyi Clan, so I had not suspected it; now, upon reflection, there are indeed many doubts about him!"

"His origins are mysterious, he walks the path of the supreme powerhouse, and he possesses an innate spiritual treasure—he may very well have the ability to suppress Chi Ling!"

The Cang Ming Divine Emperor's eyes flashed, and he spoke.

"If that is the case, then let us summon him for interrogation—with our methods, one question will reveal the truth!"

Seeing this, the Dan Que Divine Emperor remained expressionless.

Yuan Huang clearly saw the displeasure in the Dan Que Divine Emperor's eyes.

She could tell that this younger sister and the Qing Lian Dao Master had an unusual relationship.

At this moment, the Dan Que Divine Emperor spoke in a cold and indifferent tone.

"To silently suppress a Divine Emperor protected by the origin of the Heavenly Dao with the cultivation of a Three Transformation Great Divine Ability—what level of cultivation is required? Do you all think it possible?"

Her gaze fell upon Yuan Huang, and she spoke in a deep voice.

"Elder Sister, you are the only one among us who has attained the Dao Venerable Realm as a supreme powerhouse—what do you think the likelihood of this is?"

She then slightly shook her head and said.

"Moreover, our palace has inquired throughout the Dan Que Dao Palace—at the time of the incident, the Qing Lian Dao Master was seated in meditation within the Dan Que Dao Palace; how could the assault on the Golden Origin Dao Court possibly be related to him?!"

"Others must not develop ill will toward him merely because he has just obtained the authority of the Netherworld!"

As her words fell, she flicked her sleeve and departed.

"This..."

The Heavenly Phoenix Divine Emperor and the Cang Ming Divine Emperor both changed expression, especially the Heavenly Phoenix Divine Emperor, whose visage grew somewhat unpleasant; she then approached Yuan Huang, clasped her hands, and said.

"Your Majesty, I harbor no such thought!"

Yuan Huang directed her gaze toward her and the Cang Ming Divine Emperor.

The Cang Ming Divine Emperor also hurried forward to defend himself.

Yuan Huang only just shifted her gaze away after a moment, then spoke calmly.

"Very well, this palace believes in you two!"

"You need not doubt Dan Que either—the matters spoken by Dan Que, this palace has specifically sought out several Dao Masters from the Dan Que Dao Palace to verify; on that day, the Qing Lian Dao Master was indeed present within the Dao Palace, not an incarnation, nor a spiritual body, but his true form!"

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Phoenix Divine Emperor and the Cang Ming Divine Emperor could only lower their heads.

……

At this moment, within the Celestial Void Immortal Mansion.

Qing Xia Dao Jun's countenance was solemn, yet he was facing another figure whose entire form was enveloped in boundless divine light.

"Father!"

Her countenance was solemn.

This is the 'powerful ally' she summoned!

Within the divine light, the Jade Emperor, Great Heavenly Venerated One, manifested his true form, nodding toward her.

"This matter has already been settled; the Taiyi Clan, however, has become alert!"

He did not elaborate further on other matters, but Qing Xia Dao Jun had already guessed as much.

A hint of regret appeared in her eyes.

If this time we could suppress the Taiyi Clan, then the future Heavenly Court would be spared much trouble.

After pondering, Qing Xia Dao Jun asked again.

"Does Father need to meet with A Yu?"

The Jade Emperor, Great Heavenly Venerated One, waved his hand and smiled.

"We will soon be able to deal with him again!"

Qing Xia Dao Jun was startled, then suddenly understood.