Chapter 968

The Grand Elder of the Taiyi Sect, Tai Huangtian, struck out with a single massive palm that could rival an entire star domain, capable of annihilating all living beings across the heavens when it descended to suppress—yet it was still shattered by the Great Wish Art.

This great battle concluded with Exalted Linglong single-handedly defeating the Sect Master Supreme of the Taiyi Sect, Tai Huntian, and the Grand Elder of the Taiyi Sect, Tai Huangtian.

Exalted Linglong once again cemented her renowned reputation as the foremost figure of the Xuanhuang Great World.

However, only a handful of people witnessed this great battle.

"Has it finally ended? What just happened? Exalted Linglong and Tai Huntian fought—who won?"

"The fact that we're still sitting here safe and sound naturally means Exalted Linglong won, but as for what exactly happened just now, I have no idea either."

"Just now, I seemed to submit to Exalted Linglong with absolute devotion, losing all self-awareness, my heart filled entirely with worship of this Exalted! Heavens, this is far too terrifying—I nearly got directly converted by the Exalted on the spot."

The peerless young geniuses of both the immortal and demonic paths regained their senses, every single face written full of shock. Whether it was the immortal path's peerless geniuses—such as Wan Lianshan, the senior disciple of the Wanggui Immortal Island, Xing Mie Xie of the Qunxing Sect, Jiao Fei of the Tongtianjian Sect—or the demonic path's Demon Marshal of the Xiantianmo Sect, the Little Barbarian Lord of the Manhuangmo Sect, or even eternal overlords like the Dragon Daoist and the Wood Daoist, all were utterly astounded and moved.

They realized that they had all previously been subdued by the great wish Exalted Linglong had unleashed, their entire selves willingly choosing to follow Exalted Linglong.

This was truly a great terror.

"Yan, what exactly is this Great Wish Art? I've never heard of it before, and it's never been mentioned in any of the worlds, yet its might is simply too terrifying!"

Upon a throne, Fang Han withstood the shockwave of the Great Wish Art with great difficulty, yet towering waves of shock surged within his heart.

"Too powerful, far too powerful! I suspect Exalted Linglong is even more formidable than the Huang Quan Great Emperor—she actually mastered the Great Wish Art! This is the most powerful absolute art of Hongmeng Daoist, the Master of the Three Sovereigns of antiquity. That Hongmeng Daoist once used the Great Wish Art to slay an immortal!"

Yan wagged his tail and shook his head within the Huang Quan Diagram. Over these past days, following Fang Han had granted him a great deal of pure Yang Qi, greatly restoring his strength. He had deployed several world-shaking formations from this Top-Grade Dao Device, the Huang Quan Diagram, and was feeling quite pleased with himself, believing that in just a few more days he could recover the might of his past days.

But this time, he was utterly startled—he had never imagined that Exalted Linglong had actually mastered the forty-eight forms of the Great Wish Art, directly beating the Sect Master of the Taiyi Sect, "Daoist Huntian," into a thoroughly wretched state.

"Hongmeng Daoist."

Fang Han listened to this name and knew that the Daoist arts and divine abilities cultivated by Feng Yaoguang, daughter of the Yuhua Sect's Sect Master Supreme, had been passed down from Hongmeng Daoist. Now Exalted Linglong had also obtained Hongmeng Daoist's Daoist arts and divine abilities, but he wondered whether Feng Yaoguang knew the Great Wish Art.

"When Hongmeng Daoist was around, the Huang Quan Great Emperor hadn't even grown up yet. During the Huang Quan Great Emperor's era, Hongmeng Daoist was already a myth, a legend. Legend has it that in the most ancient times, when the great beings of the Divine Race of the primordial era cut down the World Tree, Hongmeng Daoist directly slew three thousand Divine Emperors of the Divine Race in one fell swoop, then vanished without a trace. However, a great being like him couldn't have simply disappeared—either he retreated into a mysterious time-space, or he entered the Immortal Realm. If our luck is good, we might still obtain the treasure vault left behind by Hongmeng Daoist."

Yan swayed excitedly back and forth within the Huang Quan Diagram. "In today's Xuanhuang Great World, there's the legend of the Seven Palaces, Three Vaults, and One Secret Cache. That one Secret Cache is the Hongmeng Secret Cache. The legend of this Secret Cache even existed during the Huang Quan Great Emperor's time, but back then there was no mention of the Three Vaults, because the Huang Quan Vault was personally established by the Huang Quan Great Emperor himself. However, the Tianwu Vault does indeed contain some good things—you must try to obtain them."

"The Tianwu Vault, huh…"

Fang Han grunted in acknowledgment. He knew the Tianwu Vault was left behind by the legendary Pan Wu Xianzun, and that within the Yuhua Sect there was even an inheritor of Pan Wu Xianzun—Hua Tiandu. If Hua Tiandu were to obtain Pan Wu Xianzun's treasure vault, he might be able to rise rapidly and alter the entire structure of the Yuhua Sect. Neither he nor Senior Brother Zhou wanted to see that happen.

The Tianwu Vault—he absolutely had to claim a hefty share of it!

"The Taiyi Sect wants to kill Ying Tianqing, and my Linglong Blessed Land naturally must protect Ying Tianqing. From this day forth, all fellow Daoists across the Heavens and Worlds—anyone who kills Ying Tianqing, my Linglong Blessed Land shall not spare them."

At this very moment, Exalted Linglong's voice transmitted outward, vast and boundless, immensely grand.

"The birthday gifts continue. All the rest, present your birthday gifts!"

A group of Elders from Linglong Blessed Land drew out their voices, acting as if the scene that had just occurred had never happened at all.

The grand banquet continued. Demon Marshal Ying Tianqing withdrew, and the other young talents and experts of the immortal and demonic paths continued to present their birthday gifts.

"With the Exalted declaring this, no one can kill the Demon Marshal anymore…"

Fang Yu listened to Exalted Linglong's voice and understood that this was Linglong Blessed Land taking a stance, making a declaration—but the situation had become rather strange.

Now it wasn't appropriate for him to make a move and slay the Demon Marshal either.

Of course, given his current status, it also wouldn't be proper for him to make a move against this Demon Marshal who had cultivated to the 9th Stage of Divine Abilities, the Heaven and Earth Dharma Phenomena realm. His opponent would soon become the Demon Marshal's father—the Xiantian Great Emperor, Ying Xiantian.

As for the Demon Marshal, if they crossed paths in the future, once he too reached the Longevity Secret Realm, he would strike when the moment called for it.

Fang Yu contemplated these matters upon his throne, his gaze watching the others present their birthday gifts. Among them, two stood out the most—one was Jiao Fei of the Tongtianjian Sect, ranked fifth on the yet-to-be-updated Longevity Candidate List.

As the chief disciple and senior disciple of the Tongtianjian Sect, he presented a massive batch of items—elixirs, flying swords, armor, Daoist scriptures, all manner of rare treasures—worth hundreds of millions of White Yang Pills, creating quite a sensation here.

"Wanggui Immortal Island, Wan Lianshan, presents one scroll of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden Painting. This painting was drawn by an ancient Human Sovereign after he beheld the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden of the Immortal Realm."

The senior disciple of Wanggui Immortal Island, Wan Lianshan, presented an incomparably precious birthday gift.

This man wore a sea-blue Daoist robe, the color of the ocean itself. As he walked forward, the sound of ocean waves filled the void everywhere, as if the place he stood was a vast ocean—this was the manifestation of water-attribute Daoist arts and divine abilities cultivated to their absolute extreme.

Wan Lianshan, ranked fourth on the yet-to-be-updated Longevity Candidate List.

Just below Hua Tiandu.

Of course, Hua Tiandu's current strength had already surpassed the Divine Ability Secret Realm and reached the Longevity Secret Realm. If the Longevity Candidate List were updated, Wan Lianshan would surely advance one rank.

This person presenting the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden Painting immediately caused a stir among everyone present.

Legend has it that in the most ancient times, when the Divine Race invaded, the Three Sovereigns led all the experts of the Xuanhuang Great World to resist. Seeing they could not hold back the enemy, the gates of the Immortal Realm swung wide open, and a fairy maiden appeared—the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden. She slew eighty-one Divine Emperors of the Divine Race in succession, resolving the crisis.

The Human Sovereign, moved by the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden's grace, used the Human Sovereign Brush to paint a scroll, upon which were inscribed all manner of unfathomable magic power.

Now Wan Lianshan presenting this painting to Exalted Linglong was nothing short of blatant flattery.

"Good."

Sure enough, with this painting presented, Exalted Linglong was very pleased. "Wanggui Immortal Island has put considerable thought into my birthday gift this time. From this painting, one can sense the brushwork of the Human Sovereign Brush, which holds some value for my exploration of the Three Sovereigns' Daoist arts of antiquity. Very well—I see that what you cultivate is the supreme absolute art of Wanggui Immortal Island, the Nine Transformations of the Mysterious Heavens, but you are still far from its perfection. I shall bestow upon you nine streams of Mysterious Heaven Daoist Gang Qi to aid you in cultivating this supreme divine ability to great perfection."

As Exalted Linglong spoke, she spread her fingers, and nine streams of radiance flew from her fingertips, instantly entering Wan Lianshan's body. Immediately, Wan Lianshan's body underwent a violent transformation.

Those with sharp eyes could see countless runes and Xu Yuan Qi flowing within the flesh of this senior disciple of Wanggui Immortal Island, with talismans condensing one after another, merging into his flesh and blood, causing his body to undergo earth-shattering changes. He merely stood there, yet exuded an immense pressure—everyone felt an intense sense of oppression, as if Wan Lianshan could at any instant flash over and punch them into oblivion with a single blow.

Of course, Fang Yu felt no such sensation. If Wan Lianshan flashed over, he could extinguish him with a single breath. However, the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden Painting was connected to the Human Sovereign Brush, and he seemed to know some of the whereabouts of the Human Sovereign Brush.

Seal Demon Ridge.

That place—he would have to go investigate.

The king-grade immortal weapon of the ancient Human Sovereigns, the Human Sovereign Brush now stripped of its grade, was there.

"The Nine Transformations of the Mysterious Heavens—this is the sect-protecting absolute art of Wanggui Immortal Island, a supreme divine ability. Legend has it that when cultivated to its extreme, the physical body can undergo myriad transformations and decompose at will. Exalted Linglong actually knows even this supreme divine ability?"

"Who is Exalted Linglong? She is the most formidable existence in our Xuanhuang Great World. A being like her can control time, pierce through origins, and with a mere thought, see through the secrets of the Nine Transformations of the Mysterious Heavens. With a slight twist of time, she can immediately cultivate this supreme divine ability to great perfection. Bestowing it upon him saves Wan Lianshan at least three hundred years of bitter cultivation!"

"Could it be that Exalted Linglong holds Wan Lianshan in high regard?"

"Not really—it's just that Wanggui Immortal Island's gift this time was far too heavy. They actually brought out the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden Painting. Legend has it that the Island Master of Wanggui Immortal Island chanced upon this painting and comprehended many divine abilities from it. This painting even contains the secrets of the Human Sovereign Brush—the sharpest weapon under heaven!"

"The Human Sovereign Brush? This magic treasure is truly extraordinary—it's the treasure of the ancient Human Sovereigns, reputed to hold the life and death of all immortals and demons in its grasp. With a single stroke of the great brush, ghosts and gods weep. Its fame shook the world in antiquity."

"The Three Sovereigns of antiquity each refined a supreme treasure. The Heavenly Sovereign refined the Heavenly Sovereign Mirror—a blazing bright mirror that illuminates all of Zhou Tian. The Earth Sovereign refined the Earth Sovereign Book, also called the Book of Life and Death, which can bear the weight of the heavens. The Human Sovereign refined the Human Sovereign Brush—its tip is sharp beyond compare, invincible; with one stroke, immortals and gods fall! However, each of these three divine artifacts has already vanished. Throughout the ages, many have sought these three treasures, but none have obtained them, and no one knows into whose hands they might fall."

"The three supreme treasures—even obtaining one would immediately allow one to establish a sect, and the Xiandaoshi Sect would become the Shi Yi Sect."

"Then why did Wanggui Immortal Island give this painting away?"

"Perhaps they feel they lack the strength to obtain the Emperor's Brush and seek to leverage Exalted Linglong's power? Many opportunities may come your way, but you may not truly be able to harness them."

"By the way, Fang Yu, the Immortal Sovereign of Yuhua Sect, also presented Exalted Linglong with a painting. The figure within the painting seems to be a woman as well—no one knows what connection this woman might have with the Nine Heavens' Mystic Lady. Unfortunately, we never saw the gift Exalted Linglong returned to that Immortal Sovereign."

"This is indeed a coincidence—one is the Immortal Sovereign of Yuhua Sect, the other is the eldest disciple of Wan Gui Xiandao; both presented paintings. No one knows which of the two paintings holds greater value."

Many murmured in awe at Wan Lianshan receiving such a gift, and they compared the offerings of Fang Yu Immortal Sovereign and Wan Lianshan. One of the women depicted was the Nine Heavens' Mystic Lady—no one knew who the other might be.

Yet Fang Yu's offering, aside from the painting, was also exceedingly precious. A single Great Heavenly Dragon Talisman alone could rival countless treasures; if put up at Daopaimai Society, it might fetch tens of billions, even hundreds of billions of White Yang Pills. And for those in the Longevity Secret Realm, such talismans could be forged in vast quantities.

Those in the Longevity Secret Realm are incredibly profitable.

Wan Lianshan still has a long way to go.

"Thank you, Exalted Linglong, for transmitting the Supreme Divine Art of Xuantian Nine Transformations to this humble disciple. I am now only half a step away from the Longevity Secret Realm."

Wan Lianshan had no intention of comparing himself to Fang Yu. Having received Exalted Linglong's gift, he was utterly satisfied, his entire being transformed. A faint white rainbow rose from his crown, extending into the void, as if communicating with some mysterious world.

He was truly only half a step from entering the Longevity Secret Realm.

"All of you are the elite of the Immortal and Demon paths. Though my Linglong Blessing is a Xiandao Sect Sect, we practice the cultivation of both Immortal and Demon paths, directly pointing toward the Dao. This time, our Paizhang Sect's Supreme Lord has bestowed three Supreme Divine Arts to elevate the next generation. Any disciple of the Divine Ability Secret Realm, whether from the Immortal or Demon path, may compete on the banquet's stage—the victor shall be king."

Beside Exalted Linglong, another ancient giant Elder woman spoke, raising her hand. Instantly, the countless divine lights of Xumi Jin Shan coalesced into a towering arena, three thousand zhang wide and long, standing firm in the void.

Exalted Linglong raised her hand, and three talismans flew from her fingers. One was pitch black, like the impenetrable shell of an ancient ferocious beast—its defensive power clearly peerless.

This Supreme Divine Art is called Zu Ma Ancient God Qi, the supreme technique of the Zu Ma Sect from a star beyond the Huang Huang Great World. The patriarch of that colossal sect lost a duel to Exalted Linglong and forfeited this supreme technique.

Besides Zu Ma Ancient God Qi, another talisman radiated dense Buddhist light, within which a golden Buddha emitted countless chants of meditation. Hearing it filled the ears with profound, unwavering devotional power.

This Divine Art is called Great Universal Liberation Light, also known as Great Universal Liberation Technique—one of the Three Thousand Great Daos whose power is modest but greatly beneficial for spiritual cultivation.

The third Supreme Divine Art is called Great Xumi Mountain King Fist. It appeared as a talisman shaped like an ancient character for "mountain," radiant with golden light, heavy and imposing—when pressed down, it could suppress all ten-direction demons.

Each of these three Supreme Divine Arts, once obtained, would greatly strengthen one's power and elevate one's cultivation by hundreds, even thousands of years.

"My dear fellow cultivators, for my four-thousand-year birthday, I have no better entertainment than this arena. Let the elite of the Immortal and Demon paths compete—it will be a worthy prize. All disciples of the Divine Ability Secret Realm may enter. Of course, the giants of the Longevity Secret Realm should not compete with the younger generation; consider it mere amusement for the banquet."

Exalted Linglong spoke slowly, her gaze turning to Fang Yu. "Fang Yu, though you have walked the cultivation path for only a short time, you have already reached the Longevity Secret Realm—you are now a senior. You and I may speak and chat; let the others handle the combat."

"Very well, Immortal Sovereign."

Fang Yu smiled and nodded.

Advancing too quickly in realm brings contradictions: though he has cultivated for only three years and is hundreds of years younger than Xing Mie Xie, he is now called Ancestor by others, while Xing Mie Xie stands before him as a junior.

Of course, such an Ancestor cannot play with the juniors—so these three Supreme Divine Arts were left for others to compete for.

These three Supreme Divine Arts were a prize of immense value—even Longevity Secret Realm giants would be tempted.

One of the Three Thousand Great Daos!

The prize was enormous.