Chapter 781: Expansion, Recruitment

In the Azure Patrol Hall, Zhang Jian and the Star Emperor Daoist sat facing each other; at this moment, the Star Emperor Daoist's gaze fell upon Zhang Jian, and deep in his eyes there was a hint of solemnity.

He had seen Zhang Jian before; although Zhang Jian had given him a special impression, it lacked the profundity and vastness he now perceived.

At this time, his unusually keen intuition constantly warned him, telling him of the terrifying nature of the person before him.

The Star Emperor Daoist felt surprised in his heart, yet he still handed over the sealed scroll he had been holding.

Zhang Jian took it casually, inspected the scroll's integrity and whether the sealing spell had been tampered with in front of the Star Emperor Daoist, confirmed it was correct, then unfolded and read it.

"Exploration Mission!"

As he opened it, a hint of surprise appeared in the depths of Zhang Jian's eyes.

Exploration missions are typically the most difficult among the various classified missions issued by the Azure Patrol Hall.

The various classified missions issued by the Azure Patrol Hall are roughly divided into several types: exploration, harassment, garrison, and temporary missions.

Exploration includes decapitation, strong assault, or various point-clearance missions.

Of course, it also includes recruitment.

This time, the Three Sovereigns and Five Elders Council issued a classified mission concerning the Heavenly Talisman Realm: to recruit a renowned Daoist Venerable of the Heavenly Talisman Realm.

This Daoist Venerable is renowned for mastery in both alchemy and formations.

The Three Sovereigns and Five Elders Council hopes to recruit him into the Three Sovereigns Heavenly Realm.

Experts skilled in alchemy and formations have always been in urgent demand by major Daoist traditions and superpowers.

Recruiting such a powerful Daoist Venerable would allow the Three Sovereigns Heavenly Realm to maximize savings in manpower costs during the great war.

……

After leaving the Azure Patrol Hall, Zhang Jian, following convention, first entered part of the intelligence agency of the Three Sovereigns Heavenly Realm, and even the Heavenly Lan Terrace Dao Palace, to inquire about records concerning the mission target.

After confirming there were no omissions, he then brought Qing Lan Xianzi and headed toward the direction of the Heavenly Talisman Realm dimension.

The location of the Heavenly Talisman Realm dimension is quite subtle.

It lies in the central region of the many heavenly dimensions governed by the Heavenly Court.

However, the Heavenly Talisman Realm dimension does not belong to the central Heavenly Court; rather, it is an independent neutral heavenly realm.

Its elongated dimension can extend all the way to the outer edge of the neutral dimension region.

It is a narrow, blank zone.

Naturally, possessing such an extraordinary status is due to the Heavenly Talisman Realm housing several extraordinarily powerful beings stationed there.

Some of these powerful beings come from the original Earth Immortal Realm, while others originate from the native domains of the Heavenly Talisman Realm, being innate divinities nurtured by the Heavenly Talisman Realm's origin.

Therefore, for this journey, Zhang Jian is also extremely cautious.

Besides this, he has also received some other information.

For example, the powerful beings of the Ancient Demon God clan also have considerable influence in the Heavenly Talisman Realm.

The Heavenly Lan Terrace Dao Palace has long suspected that the reincarnation sites of several Ancient Demon God primordials from the previous transmigration are precisely the Heavenly Talisman Realm dimension.

That is to say, Zhang Jian may possibly encounter several primordials of the Ancient Demon God clan who have returned, or powerful beings, in this journey.

Zhang Jian actually does not worry about this point.

At this time, his cultivation has gradually approached that of the ancient era; even if these Ancient Demon God clan primordials were to return in their peak state, giving him time to grow, they would still be unable to threaten him.

……

Zhang Jian did not prepare to use the Three Sovereigns Heavenly Realm's cross-dimensional teleportation grand formation, but instead prepared to tear open dimensions with his own power and traverse dimensions and spacetime.

Although this method consumes more effort, its advantage lies in secrecy, leaving no traces in the Three Sovereigns Heavenly Realm.

Along the way, Qing Lan Xianzi followed beside Zhang Jian; at this moment, she gazed at the winding river of spacetime before her, like wind and lightning, and spoke softly.

"Your Majesty, I have contacted a few of my sect's elders via secret arts during this period; among the four great Daoist Venerables of the ancient God-Hiding Dao Tradition, only two Daoist Venerables remain now, and as for their whereabouts, I cannot confirm!"

Zhang Jian said.

"That is to say, you cannot confirm whether that treasure has already fallen into the hands of these two Daoist Venerables, or into the hands of the forces behind them?"

Qing Lan Xianzi hesitated slightly, then said.

"There is this possibility, but the ancestor, during his lifetime, most valued Master Xinglan; Xinglan is one of the two fallen Daoist Venerables, and it is also possible that he is secretly still in Master Xinglan's secret abode!"

Zhang glanced at her and said.

"Is it possible that Master Xinglan's secret abode has already been found by other Daoist traditions, or even by the two Daoist Venerables who escaped from your God-Hiding Dao Tradition?"

Qing Lan Xianzi shook her head and said.

"The possibility is not great!"

Facing Zhang Jian's gaze, she pondered for a moment and said.

"Among the four great Daoist Venerables, Master Xinglan was most favored by the ancestor, thus his relationship with the other three great Daoist Venerables was not particularly good; only his relationship with my master was close……"

Saying this, she felt a hint of hesitation in her eyes.

Zhang Jian noticed this and directly asked.

"What cultivation level is your master, and what is their relationship? By now, this matter need not be concealed, right?!"

Zhang Jian had heard Qing Lan Xianzi mention that her master also fell during the collapse of the God-Hiding Dao Tradition.

Qing Lan Xianzi's eyes flickered slightly, and after a moment she said.

"My master, Hong Ling Xianzi, is a great divine ability user of the third transformation!

As for her relationship with Master Xinglan, it should be considered that of close confidants……"

Zhang Jian's gaze came over, and he slightly furrowed his brows.

"Should be?"

His tone carried doubt.

Qing Lan Xianzi spoke softly.

"They have not practiced dual cultivation, but their relationship is indeed very good; my master originally had the chance to achieve the other shore, yet she gave the opportunity to Master Xinglan!"

Zhang Jian nodded upon hearing this.

"Then they truly are inseparable friends!"

One might ask: the opportunity to attain the Dao Venerable of the Other Shore lies right before us—how many great divine beings could possibly endure such temptation?

Even the strongest bond, at this moment, could turn tense, even to the point of mutual slaughter.

A thought arose in his heart, and at this moment Zhang Jian abruptly halted his act of traversing spacetime, his gaze turning toward the depths of the spacetime river.

Seeing Zhang Jian stop, Qing Lan Xianzi could not help but show surprise, but she quickly concealed it.

Zhang Jian smiled faintly.

"I never expected to encounter an 'old acquaintance' here!"

Though called an 'old acquaintance,' his eyes held no smile; he merely raised one palm, thrusting fiercely toward the direction of a vast thousand-world domain, where boundless heavenly Dao radiance burst from his palm, piercing straight through the heavenly Dao defenses of that realm and reaching deep within to seize.

At this moment, deep within an unknown vast thousand-world realm.

In the depths of the netherworld soil, a figure clad in dark robes, surrounded by the overwhelming authority of the Nine Underworlds, the primordial demon god ancestor of the Nether River was engaged in bitter cultivation, constantly restoring his primordial Dao fruit.

This figure was none other than the Nether River Ancestor who had fled from the Tianling Realm.

This ancestor was one of the Nine Great Ancestors of the Tianling Realm, possessing immense influence among them and governing the Nine Underworlds Nether Prefecture of the Tianling Realm's dimension.

After the Purple Micro Emperor descended into the world, he exterminated many Tianling Realm ancestors and their descendants, reestablishing the Purple Micro Immortal Court.

The vast majority of these ancestors were directly annihilated in that battle by the Purple Micro Emperor wielding the might of the Heavenly Emperor's descent.

Among them were the Imperial Dynasty Ancestor, the Gray Map Ancestor, the Fertile Land Ancestor, and other powerful demon god clan ancestors.

Yet others, like the Nether River Ancestor and the Blood Leech Ancestor, sensing danger, decisively abandoned their ancestor status and fled the Tianling Realm.

After escaping the Tianling Realm's dimension, to evade the pursuit of the Celestial Palace's Constellation Battle Division gods, the Nether River Ancestor did not flee directly to the outer unknown regions of the heavenly realm, but instead went against the current, heading toward the central regions of the many heavenly dimensions governed by the Celestial Palace.

In fact, his strategy proved viable.

After several twists and turns, upon confirming that the Constellation gods could no longer lock onto his qi, he seized the opportunity to enter the Nine Underworlds soil of a vast thousand-world domain, quietly seized control of its authority, and used it to recover from his injuries.

Once healed, he planned to rise again in the east and seize the moment for revenge!

But at this moment, a surge of intense emotion arose deep in the Nether River Ancestor's heart-mind.

Under this omen, he suddenly awoke.

He instinctively summoned his secret technique to shield his body, yet in that instant he felt his entire body freeze—spacetime, fate, and even his primordial spirit will were suddenly seized and suppressed by a terrifying, vast Other Shore will, so much so that he could not even twitch a finger.

In shock, the Nether River Ancestor's face twisted; the primordial Dao fruit at the center of his brow instantly swelled, and an invisible river of divine light, like a galaxy, flowed from his entire body, drawing upon the netherworld's Great Dao rules, making him seem to become one of the concepts of the netherworld heavens' void.

Yet deep within the heavens' spacetime river, a colossal hand emerged, piercing through the thousand-world heavenly Dao defenses and effortlessly scooping him out of this vast thousand-world domain.

Even having become one with the Dao, he could not escape the grasp of this hand—capture and imprisonment were inevitable.

Shortly after, he beheld a towering true form standing upon the heavens' spacetime river.

The surging spacetime river flowed, yet could not stir even a ripple around him, nor could any heavenly Dao rule affect his 'existence'!

Merely gazing upon this figure, the Nether River Ancestor felt a faint sense of familiarity rise in his heart—but it was instantly drowned by fear and shock.

Zhang Jian closed his palm, and a cyan lotus creation divine light appeared in his hand; in an instant it wore down the Nether River Ancestor's true form and Dao fruit layer by layer, reducing them to primordial essence that merged into the Thirty-Six Leaves Innate Cyan Lotus.

Though the cyan sacrificial fire's feedback to heaven and earth's primordial source was extraordinarily powerful, Zhang Jian hesitated to directly absorb this mysterious gift, instead letting the Thirty-Six Leaves Innate Cyan Lotus absorb it, then using its power to transform chaotic qi and replenish his own body.

The Earth Emperor's true form relies more on the power of the Mystic Female Gate for advancement.

Qing Lan Xianzi's expression beside him shifted slightly.

What she witnessed with her own eyes far surpassed any rumor in shock value.

She could tell it was a terrifying Other Shore-level demon god powerhouse—yet the person beside her, the Supreme One, had reached across the heavens' spacetime river, directly pulled him from under the protection of the thousand-world heavenly Dao, and erased him.

What immense Dao cultivation this was!

Deep in her heart-mind, Qing Lan Xianzi stirred silently; even the ancient hidden ancestor master of years past probably lacked such heaven-shaking divine powers.

After all, a thousand-world heavenly Dao is not to be trifled with!

Zhang Jian casually crushed the Nether River Ancestor to death—merely an afterthought.

After all, having seized the Nether River space of the Tianling Realm, he naturally could not leave the Nether River Ancestor, this enemy, alive.

Decades later, the two traveled swiftly and had already reached the vicinity of the Tianfu Realm's dimension.

Zhang Jian gazed outward and could see a vast, boundless dimension of spacetime, where heavenly Dao power was extraordinarily vast.

The flourishing degree of that heavenly Dao power, among all the heavenly realm dimensions Zhang Jian had experienced, ranked among the highest, not inferior to the Three Sovereigns Heavenly Realm or the Central Heavenly Realm—those mighty heavenly realm dimensions.

The defensive power was even more immensely strong.

Yet at this moment Zhang Jian no longer needed to rely on the previous method of borrowing bodies for rebirth, nor on status transformation, etc., to gain entry into the Tianfu Realm; relying on his current understanding of heavenly Dao rules, he could directly enter with his true form.

Qing Lan Xianzi, moreover, was a native spirit of the Tianfu Realm, thus faced no obstacle.

The two transformed into a streak of flowing light, instantly descending into the depths of the Tianfu Realm's dimension, heading toward its native domain.

Tianfu Realm

Fuwei Mountain, a majestic mountain god mountain suppressing the vast earth, standing tall between the boundless heaven and earth—this seems like a mountain from myth, already possessing a unique mythic essence.

Part material realm, part already exceeding the limits of the material realm, evolving into the void of the netherworld dimension, even onto the dimension's long river.

At this moment, deep within Fuwei Mountain, in an ancient and simple Dao palace, an ancient deity opened his eyes; his gaze swept over the heavenly realm's faint heavenly secrets, faintly seeing a dense purple light fall from the firmament, instantly vanishing into the boundless heavenly and earthly phenomena.

He slightly calculated with his hand, only able to faintly sense that it was an extraordinarily powerful celestial immortal descending.

This majestic powerful being calculated for a moment, yet ultimately still ceased this futile effort.

Yet deep in his heart, he still harbored some worry.

At this time, the arrival of such an overwhelmingly powerful existence in the Tianfu Realm—fearful that chaos would soon arise.