Chapter 576

The disciples of Longyuan Immortal Sect heard this, all were stunned, then their faces showed bitter expressions. One young disciple clenched his teeth, suppressed the fear in his heart, and shouted loudly: "Netherworld Sect Leader, you use such despicable means, aren't you afraid of heavenly punishment?"

The Netherworld Sect Leader gave a light laugh, his voice full of mockery: "Heavenly punishment? In this Netherworld land, I am heaven! Your fate has long been under my control. Now, just obediently accept the fate of defeat!"

At that moment, elsewhere, in the mysterious depths of Golden Ao Island, a slight tremor sounded. Accompanying the tremor was an indescribable majestic pressure, as if an unparalleled expert were about to be born. All beings lifted their heads to look at the source of the tremor, only to see Zhenyuanzi and Duobao walking out slowly hand in hand.

Zhenyuanzi wore flowing Daoist robes, his countenance kind and solemn; Duobao was clad in golden armor, holding a Dharma treasure, imposing and awe-inspiring. Their appearance was like a lightning bolt tearing across the sky, instantly drawing the gaze of all surrounding beings.

"Netherworld Sect Leader, your methods are really too despicable." Zhenyuanzi's voice was calm and firm, his gaze fixed on the Netherworld Sect Leader as if he wanted to see through her soul.

Hearing this, the Netherworld Sect Leader slightly furrowed his brows, but then relaxed and coldly laughed: "Zhenyuanzi, Duobao, you have finally come. But do you think you can change anything? The disciples of Longyuan Immortal Sect are already in my bag."

Duobao gave a cold snort, the light of his Dharma treasure flashing, and said: "Netherworld Sect Leader, you are overly confident. Today we have come to rescue the disciples of Longyuan Immortal Sect, to show you what true righteousness is!"

Speaking thus, Zhenyuanzi and Duobao prepared to go forward and battle the Netherworld Sect Leader. The Netherworld Sect Leader, unafraid, moved to meet them. A fierce battle over the fate of Longyuan Immortal Sect's disciples thus began.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment, all things stilled. Everyone's gaze was locked tightly onto Zhenyuanzi, moving with his movements, filled with astonishment and bewilderment. They did not understand why Zhenyuanzi would appear here at this time, nor why his companion, the Daoist Duobao, was accompanying him.

"Zhenyuanzi Great Immortal, what is this…?" a Heavenly Dao Saint finally could not hold back, his voice trembling with a hint of awe.

Zhenyuanzi smiled faintly, did not directly answer, merely waved his hand lightly, indicating they need not ask further.

At the same time, the powerhouses of all heavens and myriad worlds were also watching Zhenyuanzi on the screen.

In the strange highlands of the Flawless Heaven and Earth World, inside a magnificent palace, the Lord of the Great Wilderness, the Black Emperor, the Chu Emperor, the Wuzhong Great Emperor, and Shiva gathered together. Over these years, after Zhenyuanzi departed, the Wuzhong Great Emperor and Shiva came here; Shiva seemed to have taken Zhenyuanzi's role, displaying the images for the several heavenly emperors.

Upon seeing Zhenyuanzi slowly appear, the Lord of the Great Wilderness first showed a smile: "Old Zhen is still Old Zhen; even among the six supreme powerhouses, he remains calm and composed!"

"Fortunately Old Zhen acted in time, otherwise Duobao would be in danger!" the Black Emperor lamented.

"Who would have thought that someone as exalted as the Primordial Heavenly Venerable would actually strike at Duobao—truly shameless!" the Chu Emperor said disdainfully.

The Lord of the Great Wilderness and others nodded in unison, expressing contempt for the Primordial Heavenly Venerable's actions.

They felt that, as a Heavenly Dao Saint of the supreme world, to sneak attack a junior was truly beneath his stature, like a petty villain.

"Actually, even if Zhenyuanzi Great Immortal did not intervene, Duobao might still be fine." the Wuzhong Great Emperor said lightly.

Upon hearing the Wuzhong Great Emperor's words, the Lord of the Great Wilderness and others fell into silence.

They were all sharp, instantly grasping the Wuzhong Great Emperor's meaning.

As he said, even if Zhenyuanzi Great Immortal did not act, Daoist Duobao might still be unharmed, for within Golden Ao Island there exists that supreme mysterious being—Ye Qin!

They recalled what Zhenyuanzi had said to them before his departure:

"Daoist Ye Qin's power is unfathomable!"

"Daoist Ye Qin's mystery is unmatched!"

"Daoist Ye Qin's Divine Abilities are vast, causing countless beings to submit."

"Within the Honghuang heavens and earth, if the Patriarch Hongjun who governs the Dao does not act, none can rival Daoist Ye Qin!"

"However, Patriarch Hongjun upholds the Dao, just and impartial; as long as the trend of the Dao does not reverse, he will not intervene!"

Therefore, although the Lord of the Great Wilderness and others have never personally seen Ye Qin, they firmly believe he possesses the ability to overturn heaven and earth!

"Old Zhen really, if he didn't act, we might actually get to see Ye Qin." the Black Emperor said with some regret.

"Exactly!" several heavenly emperors chatted while continuing to watch the screen.

In the Demon God's Tomb World, Chen Zhan's face was slightly pallid, as if he had just recovered from fright. He pointed at the screen and shouted:

"Heavenly Dao Saint, my ass! What gives you the right to be a Heavenly Dao Saint? You're nothing but a despicable, shameless old bastard!"

"Damn it, still have the nerve to sneak attack the fatty! Brother Boshi, is there any way to let me cross over to the Honghuang world? I want to fight that shameless old bastard to the death!"

From every word of Chen Zhan one could sense his endless fury. He had accompanied Daoist Duobao for hundreds of millions of years, together they had braved countless perilous forbidden zones. To him, Duobao was both teacher and friend. Although he usually called Duobao "dead fatty", he would actually fight to the death for Duobao!

Of course, if one were to say who hurls the vilest insults at the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, it would still be the ruffian Long from the God's Tomb World. His fluent vernacular could surely make the Primordial Heavenly Venerable vomit three liters of blood!

Besides that, the powerhouses observing from all heavens and myriad worlds also expressed contempt for the Primordial Heavenly Venerable.

At the same time, amidst the vast, chaotic expanse of Honghuang, an ancient palace stood as if it had existed since time immemorial. The palace stood firm there, not even the wind, fire, water, or earth of the chaos dared to approach it by even a fraction.

This palace is none other than the famed Purple Cloud Palace!

Hum!

At one moment, the void above the Dao platform trembled slightly, and then a hazy gray energy mass slowly emerged. Shrouded within it, one could vaguely see an old Daoist, but his aura was illusive and indistinct, as if merging with the void.

Without a doubt, this old Daoist is none other than the Heavenly Dao's spokesperson, the Patriarch of the Mystic Sect, Patriarch Hongjun!

"Silence! Emptiness! The Dao inherently returns to nothingness!"

"The power of the Heavenly Dao Saints will ultimately pose a great threat to Honghuang!"

"I never expected that this Fengshen Calamity would actually bring about so many changes!"

"Golden Ao Island cannot be peered into, the disciples of the Sect of the Cutting Edge have abnormal cultivation levels, Zhenyuanzi has attained the Dao of Heavenly Unity!"

"Ye Qin, you are indeed a great variable!"

"However! No matter what, the trend of the Heavenly Dao cannot be reversed; no being can alter it!"

Hum!

As soon as his words faded, he vanished once more into the void, as if he had never appeared. Yet it also seemed as though he had always been there, inscrutable and mysterious!

Although Patriarch Hongjun's remarks seemed somewhat disordered, it is not hard to discern that he is not overly worried about the changes in the Fengshen Calamity. Or rather, the changes so far are insufficient to prompt him to appear personally. As the saying goes, the Heavenly Dao is just and impartial, its trend cannot be reversed; Patriarch Hongjun naturally would not readily intervene.

Outside Golden Ao Island, the six Heavenly Dao Saints present did not know that the powerhouses of all heavens and myriad worlds were discussing them. They also did not realize that every move of theirs was under the gaze of Patriarch Hongjun. At this moment, their eyes all locked onto Zhenyuanzi, their faces showing utter astonishment.

Obviously, Zhen Yuanzi's proving the Dao to attain the Primordial level was beyond everyone's expectation.

The vast magical power he displayed was obviously due to his strong cultivation level, forcing a breakthrough; compared to the magical power others had when they proved the Dao through merit earlier, his was far deeper—this is simply shocking!

It is well known that when sentient beings break through a Realm, they absorb the innate spiritual qi of heaven and earth and convert it into their own magical power; this process is usually accompanied by tremendous commotion. Especially when breaking through to the Primordial Daluo Golden Immortal, the commotion is earth-shaking.

Back then, when they proved the Dao to reach the Primordial level, heaven and earth shook, Heavenly Flowers fluttered down, golden lotuses surged from the earth, purple qi came from the east for millions of miles, celestial music lingered, and the sight was extraordinarily magnificent.

However, when Zhen Yuanzi proved the Dao, they sensed no omen of a sage's birth in Honghuang. Had they not seen it with their own eyes, they would scarcely dare believe that Zhen Yuanzi had already proved the Dao to reach the Primordial level.

After a long while, Zhun Ti broke the silence with a grim expression and asked Zhen Yuanzi: 'Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi, why aren't you staying properly at the Five Zhuang Observatory on Mount Longevity, but have come to Golden Turtle Island to do what?'

Although Zhen Yuanzi had already proved the Dao to reach the Primordial level, Zhun Ti bore him no goodwill. After all, had Zhen Yuanzi not aided the Daoist Duo Bao, that fellow would have long been suppressed by Yuanshi Tianzun, the Sect of the Cut would have suffered grave harm, and the morale of the Sect of the Exposition's disciples would have greatly risen.

Facing Zhun Ti's questioning, Zhen Yuanzi gently swayed his whisk and calmly replied: 'How so? Am I imprisoned by Fellow Daoist Zhun Ti in the Five Zhuang Observatory, not allowed to go out? Furthermore, this is Golden Turtle Island—when is it your turn to question me? Fellow Daoist Tong Tian has not yet spoken.'

Zhunti's face sank slightly after being rebuked by Zhenyuanzi's words, and he asked, 'In that case, do you intend to intervene in this Investiture of the Gods Calamity?'

As soon as these words were spoken, Yuanshi Tianzun and the others turned their gazes toward Zhenyuanzi, their expressions solemn. The addition of a Hunyuan Great Luo Golden Immortal could shift the battle situation, and they could not afford to ignore it.

Under everyone's gaze, Zhenyuanzi stepped forward and laughed loudly: 'So what if it is? So what if it isn't? The Sect of the Cutting has shown me kindness; I will exert myself for it, which is only natural. Even if it means my primordial spirit will be utterly destroyed, I will not hesitate.'

Upon hearing this, the faces of the Six Heavenly Dao Saints varied. Yuanshi Tianzun and the others naturally grew grim, killing intent flashing in their eyes. Zhenyuanzi, for the sake of the Sect of the Cutting, did not hesitate to become their enemy, and they naturally seethed with anger. Meanwhile, Sect Leader Tongtian was first startled, then overjoyed. The sudden addition of a Hunyuan Great Luo Golden Immortal's combat power was undoubtedly a great boon for him.

However, the Sect Master of the Way of Heaven also had doubts in his heart. How could Zhenyuanzi have appeared from Golden Turtle Island? How could he, as the owner of Golden Turtle Island, be completely unaware? Moreover, Zhenyuanzi even said that the Sect of the Cut had shown him great kindness.

After a moment's thought, the Sect Master of the Way of Heaven suddenly understood. He guessed that Zhenyuanzi might also have been sent by Ye Qin to the myriad worlds, which explained why Zhenyuanzi had suddenly broken through to the Mixed Yuan Grand Luo Golden Immortal and why he had appeared on Golden Turtle Island without his knowledge.

Having figured this out, the Sect Master of the Way of Heaven clasped his hands toward Zhenyuanzi and said, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi, for your assistance!"

Zhenyuanzi quickly returned the salute with a smile, saying, "It was merely a trifling effort, Sect Master of the Way of Heaven, you stand on ceremony."

At that moment, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable and the others still stared at Zhenyuanzi with grim faces. The Primordial Heavenly Venerable said coldly, "Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi, I hope you will not regret it. You should remember that, back in the Purple Cloud Palace, our teacher once said, 'Small trends can be changed, great trends cannot be reversed.' The Sect of the Cut's encounter with the Fengshen Calamity is the inevitable course of the Heavenly Dao's great trend, not something human power can reverse."

"Those who try to forcibly oppose the great trend of the Heavenly Dao will ultimately be unable to escape a doomed fate." The Primordial Heavenly Venerable spoke with a hint of helplessness, yet still tried to persuade Zhenyuanzi, "Even if you have attained the Dao of Mixed Yuan, how could you possibly contend with the Heavenly Dao?"

They did not wish to be enemies with such a powerful figure, if they had a choice.

However, Zhenyuanzi's stance was extraordinarily firm: "I have always acted with a clear conscience; I only know that the Sect of the Cut has shown me kindness as weighty as a mountain, and I must repay a fraction of it."

"Hmph, truly obtuse and insensible, seeking your own death!" Zhunti snorted disdainfully.

Zhenyuanzi frowned slightly, his gaze cold as he looked at Zhunti: "Zhunti, between you and me there remains an unsettled karmic tie."

"Nonsense, you and I have always kept to ourselves—well water does not offend river water—so where does this talk of karmic ties come from?" Zhunti retorted.

"Well water does not offend river water? Do you recall what happened to Fellow Daoist Red Cloud back then?" Zhenyuanzi laughed angrily, killing aura swirling around him, "If it weren't for you and Jieyin blubbering in the Purple Cloud Palace and disturbing the order, how would my good friend Daoist Red Cloud have fallen for your trick, yielding his seat on the mat? Moreover, because of that he attracted the attention of the Kunpeng, ultimately perishing in body and Dao? The root of this karmic tie lies with you two shameless scoundrels!"

As his words fell, Zhenyuanzi's aura surged violently outward, sweeping toward Jieyin and Zhunti.

Faced with Zhenyuanzi's provocation, Zhunti merely waved a hand to dispel the violent aura and flicked his wrist, saying, "I can't be bothered to waste more words with you."

Seeing this, Zhenyuanzi merely gave a cold snort, taking no further action. He intended to wait and see how things would develop.

At that moment, the ever-silent Laozi suddenly stepped forward, his gaze upon the Sect Master of the Way of Heaven: "Sect Master of the Way of Heaven, feeling nostalgic for old times, I have given you many chances, yet you remain unrepentant?"

Hearing this, the Sect Master of the Way of Heaven could not help but sneer. The act of colluding with the Two Western Sages to attack Golden Turtle Island, attempting to send the Sect of the Cut's disciples onto the Fengshen List and even to destroy the Sect of the Cut, was actually called 'feeling nostalgic for old times' by him? Moreover, in battle, it was clearly the Sect of the Cut that repeatedly won, yet he claimed he was giving 'opportunities'? And even more laughable, the words 'unrepentant'—he was clearly studying formations in peace on Golden Turtle Island, yet was provoked for no reason, and now he says I am unrepentant?

For a moment, the Sect Master of the Way of Heaven did not know how to describe the thickness of Laozi's cheek.

Laozi, seeing the Sect Master of the Way of Heaven's reaction, his face instead calmed, and he said lightly, "Alright, next it is your Sect of the Cut's turn to send out a representative."

Saying this, he subtly gave Jieyin a look, and the latter nodded in understanding.

And the Sect Master of the Way of Heaven, unaware of their oddness, merely sneered, "I originally wanted to directly settle the karmic tie of your failed attempt to assassinate Duobao, but since you still want to play, why not let me join your game? The matter of assaulting Duobao will naturally find its time of resolution."

……

Within Golden Turtle Island, millions of Sect of the Cut disciples were paying attention to the situation outside the island. Although the atmosphere outside was solemn, each of them wore a smile, even cheerfully discussing.

"Hahaha, that's too funny!"

"Did you see that? Just now the Senior Apprentice Brother's face turned green!"

"I have to say, the Senior Apprentice Brother's shout was truly timely!"

"Exactly, who let him like to show off? We need to scare him!"

"He even spent eight years laying the groundwork, and then really put on a big show, leaving us all envious to the point of inability!"

""Who claims to be invincible, who dares say they are undefeated?" "At the end of the immortal path, who is the peak? Upon seeing the beginningless Dao, it becomes empty." He even brought out these classic sayings; his pretense is so natural, he deserves to be scared!"

……

As it turned out, Zhenyuanzi had already returned to Golden Turtle Island earlier and had explained to the disciples his attainment of the Dao. Therefore, when they saw Duobao Daoist in danger, they were not worried and did not rush out to rescue him, for Zhenyuanzi had already said he would lend a hand.

The disciples therefore watched with relish, after all they rarely got to see the Senior Apprentice Brother humiliated. Especially after seeing Duobao Daoist's various pretentious antics beforehand, seeing him frightened was all the more amusing to them. They even teased, "Senior Apprentice Brother, don't show off—showing off easily invites lightning strike!"