Chapter 438: The Twenty-Four Emperors Transmit the Throne

Light illuminated the clear sky, brilliant and dazzling, casting a single hue over a hundred li of barren wilderness.

Its blinding radiance seemed to harbor a prominent awe-inspiring virtue, pressing down so that countless plants and trees among the myriad mountains bowed low, while clouds sank and smoke slanted!

Such an unreserved display of power not only caused Xue Jing, Yang Yang Kezhen, and others on Yu Yu Yuchen's side to take notice, but even Jin Jin Zongchun and Du Gui on Northern Pingshan across the Tongtuo River felt a resonance, filling them with surprise.

"..."

Lu Shen, who had been sitting in meditation, suddenly shifted his spiritual awareness.

He stepped out of the quiet chamber, raised a hand to shield his brow, and gazed into the distance; his eyes held a faint, deep glow, as if lost in thought.

At that moment, high above the wasteland, mere breaths after the laughter ceased, the strong wind in the sky suddenly parted, revealing the figures of three people.

Leading them was a young man with phoenix eyebrows and sword-like eyes, possessing an uncommonly dignified appearance.

Clad in a green robe with his hair tied by a bamboo hairpin, his attire showed nothing extraordinary, save for a stone lotus the size of a fist hanging at his waist; its verdant and lovely appearance made it obvious at a glance that it was no ordinary object.

Behind the man in the green robe stood an elder and a child.

The elder had distinct features and a flower-white beard; surrounded by a brilliant halo of Jin Jin Guang, though restrained and unreleased, he still exuded a mighty pressure like abundant clouds and rain.

As for the small boy, appearing about six or seven years old, standing by the elder's left hand, his qi fluctuation was ordinary, as if he had only just entered the path of cultivation; this made Yuan Yuan Yangsheng feel something was amiss, yet no matter how he strained his Martial Dao Heavenly Eye, he could not discern who this Wusheng Wusheng Tongzi truly was.

"My name is Ji Yang; I pay my respects to all fellow practitioners."

The young man bowed sincerely, a slight smile on his face; his speech was gentle and polite, inspiring an immediate sense of goodwill in anyone who saw him.

"Surname Ji?"

Chen Heng's heart stirred, slightly surprised.

Although various thoughts flashed through his mind, he ultimately revealed nothing, simply returning the bow with a formal salute.

"A descendant of the Heavenly Emperor of the current age, the Fifth Imperial Prince of the Dao Court, Ji Yang..."

After the young man announced his title, Chen Heng immediately understood.

Xu Zhi and Yuan Yuan Yangsheng, upon hearing this name, both wore strange expressions on their faces, clearly having heard of this person before.

However, that such a noble of the Dao Court would visit in person made the two of them feel even more astonished, finding it somewhat incredible.

"This qi fluctuation; why does it feel somewhat familiar..."

While returning the salute, Yuan Yuan Yangsheng suddenly recalled that upon first entering the Xiping lands, he had scanned the void in all ten directions with his Martial Dao Heavenly Eye and faintly perceived a trace of Jin Zi noble qi.

Now, with Ji Yang standing before him, that Jin Zi noble qi from before matched perfectly with the qi fluctuation on this person!

"So it was him!"

Yuan Yuan Yangsheng silently exclaimed in shock.

Just as his mind raced with myriad thoughts, after the mutual exchange of courtesies, Chen Heng waved his hand to summon the golden carriage, extending an invitation for Ji Yang to enter and converse.

Yuan Yuan Yangsheng shook his head and followed them inside.

"As the saying goes, 'A dead tiger does not lose its frame'; I once heard my Sect Master Senior Brother mention that although the Zhengxu Ji clan long ago lost the momentum of the ancient era, they absolutely cannot be underestimated.

With Tai Su Zhangren, the Fire Dragon Master, Duke Shangluo, and Great Profound Venerable Yuanmu—these virtuous giants subtly watching over them, even if that Shouzun Shouzun Moshen were to revive, he would likely find it difficult to openly attack Zhengxu Heaven or act recklessly!"

After host and guests were seated, the spirit of the golden carriage personally served tea.

Seeing that Ji Yang did not put on airs and was conversing happily with everyone, Yuan Yuan Yangsheng lifted his tea cup, took a sip, and could not help but let his thoughts wander endlessly.

"It seems this Imperial Prince intends to curry favor with Brother Chen, wishing to recruit him as an ally?"

Yuan Yuan Yangsheng thought silently.

It is said that void gave birth to the universe, and the universe gave birth to qi.

The clear and yang, being light and diffuse, became heaven; the heavy and turbid, congealing and stagnating, became earth.

Legend has it that shortly after the sages of the Dao Court descended from the void to separate heaven and earth and regulate yin and yang,

Moved by the sentiment that sentient beings remained unenlightened, a lofty Heavenly Emperor emerged from the depths of the chaotic universe in response to fate, taking over the great power of governing the world from the hands of the various sages; he personally opened up and transformed heaven and earth, guided yin and yang, and taught the most primal countless multitudes and all beings above and below in this universe.

And because that lofty Heavenly Emperor was the initial sovereign after the creation of the world,

'Tai' meaning 'the extreme of the great center,' and 'Shi' meaning 'the beginning of all phenomena'—

The immortals, Buddhas, gods, and sages of later generations thus presented the honorific title 'Emperor Emperor Taishi' to address that great Heavenly Emperor who single-handedly laid the foundation of the Dao Court, personally opened the framework of laws and disciplines, and promoted the orthodox teachings of all dharmas.

Then, after ruling the world for an unknown number of epochs, seeing that order within the myriad heavens and universes had been secured and hierarchy established,

That Emperor Emperor Taishi, of mysterious and unfathomable origin, relinquished the great power of the Heavenly Emperor; disregarding the kowtowing and tearful pleas of his ministers, he transmitted the throne to his disciple, Immortal Lord Yuanyu, and then departed gracefully, once again hiding in the depths of the universe, forever merging and separating with the qi of chaos, beginning and ending with the three luminaries.

Emperor Yuanyu transmitted the throne to Emperor Wengzhong, Wengzhong to Emperor Shangji, Shangji to Emperor Taihuan, and Taihuan to Emperor Zhouyu...

Until the sudden collapse of the ancient Dao Court, the Dao Court had altogether seen twenty-four emperors shining bright.

From Emperor Emperor Taishi above to Emperor Da Zhao below, they were the masters of living spirits and myriad phenomena, the supreme sovereigns of the myriad heavens and universes!

The twenty-four emperors transmitting the throne in succession—

This is what is called immortals and Buddhas encircling them, gods and sages guarding with auspiciousness!

Although the ancient era has long passed and the Dao Court's momentum has declined day by day,

Yet as the saying goes, 'A centipede dies but does not stiffen.'

Those great experts of boundless magical powers may indeed look down upon the Zhengxu Dao Court, even going so far as to label it the 'Ji family's small imperial court' as an open mockery.

But no matter how they regard the Dao Court's edicts as useless waste paper, deep in their hearts, toward that colossal entity which once suppressed the myriad Dao, they still harbor, more or less, a certain degree of dread.

Moreover, they

Cannot simply crush the Zhengxu Dao Court into powder, causing its complete destruction...

After the era of the ancient twenty-four emperors ended, Ji Mu, a bloodline descendant of Emperor Da Zhao, sought to rebuild the Dao Court; he posthumously honored Crown Prince Changming and proclaimed himself the Sovereign of the Myriad Heavens.

Although this individual's grand ambitions did not come to fruition, and Ji Mu himself passed away early, the state of the Dao Court ultimately continued to survive within Zhengxu Heaven.

To this day, although the foundation of the Zhengxu Dao Court has circulated several times among the Ji, Yu, Xia, and Si families, causing quite a few disturbances along the way, it was ultimately firmly grasped again by the Ji clan, with no further leakage.

Chen Heng had heard that the current Heavenly Emperor of the Dao Court, Ji Liu Huan, although having ascended the throne not long ago, did not possess the bearing of a wise and heroic ruler, and even his cultivation realm was insufficient to suppress the myriad heavens.

For a cultivation level like Ji Liu Huan's, had he lived in the ancient era,

this person would have found it extremely difficult to even obtain the position of a high minister or noble, let alone sit upon the Heavenly Emperor's great throne to regulate yin and yang.

Yet even so, under a single imperial edict from Ji Liu Huan, the Liaoming Xuanji Tianzun, who had previously interfered in the selection of the Heavenly Emperor and even attempted to curse Ji Liu Huan to death from afar, still met a miserable end.

His head was even sent to the Zhengxu Heaven as a congratulatory gift for Ji Liu Huan's ascension.

Although Liaoming was merely an ordinary Xudu Xudu Tianyu, its foundation could not be underestimated.

Hundreds of sects gathered within this Xudu Xudu Tianyu, among them being true immortal gates with long-standing lineages such as the Wanxiang Palace and the Baiting Sect!

That the Liaoming Xuanji Tianzun could firmly hold his supreme position amidst such surrounding heroes, suppressing the momentum of both the Wanxiang Palace and the Baiting Sect so that neither could shake the foundations of his rule,

such cultivation, even viewed among the ranked immortals, must be considered extraordinary!

Yet despite all this, simply due to his arrogance in interfering with the position of Heavenly Emperor, no matter how powerful the Liaoming Xuanji Tianzun's divine abilities were, he ultimately could not escape a miserable and ashen fate.

Though the Dao Court has declined, its foundation remains; from this, one can glimpse a part of the whole!

At this moment, inside the golden carriage, after three rounds of tea and some idle chatter,

Chen Heng set down his tea cup, looked across the table at Ji Yang, and got straight to the point to ask:

"Your honorable presence today has truly made my humble abode shine with glory; yet I wonder, what exactly is the innate flaw in the Chanxing Fenyuan that the Fifth Imperial Prince mentioned?"

Hearing this, Ji Yang smiled, likewise setting down the tea cup in his hand and placing it gently on the table before speaking:

"The founding ancestor of your sect, the Great Manifest Immortal, once served as a high minister of the Thunder Department of the Dao Court and was the master of the Xiandu Lei Ting Si; as the saying goes, he raised clouds and spread rain so that all things relied on him for growth, punished rebels and eliminated traitors, leaving fortune or misfortune to follow good or evil.

In my youth, I read no small number of records regarding this senior's various deeds of subduing demons."

After paying polite compliments to the ancestor Yu Yu Yuchen, Ji Yang suddenly shifted the topic, saying lightly:

"Similarly, as members of the Bapailiu Sect, the two founding ancestors of the Jiuzhen Sect also once held prominent positions in the ancient Dao Court, serving as Moral True Immortals of the Dipper Department.

However, those two great immortals of the Jiuzhen Sect had some friction with Mr. Mei Mei Gongxing,

and their conflicts of spirit were by no means few."

Mei Mei Gongxing—

The Mei Mei Gongxing who served as the Grand Historian of the ancient Dao Court and, by order, compiled the "Golden Chapter of the Earthly Netherworld," thereby offending countless sects and powers?

Although Chen Heng had never met this great virtuous one, he was by no means unfamiliar with this famous name.

The "Tai Su Yu Shen" he currently cultivates was specifically created by Tai Su Zhangren to compete with Monk Monk Longcang for the Ginseng Fruit.

When the Dao Court was compiling the "Golden Chapter of the Earthly Netherworld," this "Tai Su Yu Shen" was borrowed by Mei Mei Gongxing, and under Mei Mei Gongxing's hand, it received only a rating of "Lower-Middle-Lower."

Furthermore, when Master Junyao, due to forcibly cultivating the "Bai Shui Great Demon Spirit Curse Mi Zhou," reached the point where his lifespan was nearly exhausted, it was also Mei Mei Gongxing who spoke out.

It was Mei Mei Gongxing who told Master Junyao to go to the Daoist temple of Tai Su Zhangren, seeking a way out for Master Junyao...

"Due to incompatible ideals, Mr. Mei and the founding ancestors of Jiuzhen mutually detested each other; moreover, Mr. Mei's peculiar nature resembled that of a mischievous child, and according to rumors, whenever the founding ancestors of Jiuzhen created a new divine ability, expending all their effort to the point of neglecting court affairs, Mr. Mei would also create a corresponding opposing divine ability specifically to counter it.

For this reason, their grudges grew even deeper."

Ji Yang's voice drifted over unhurriedly:

"And this conflict of spirit extended likewise to the disciples and followers of these two figures.

The Chanxing Fenyuan Array was indeed created by Yan Yu of the Jiuzhen Sect; this person had a very ancient background, being a Chen Yuanshu Chen Yuanshu Zhenjun from the late ancient era, who died early after falling into an ambush while on a mission to exterminate a Heavenly Demon, and thus left no great fame to later generations.

After Yan Yu's death, out of respect for the name of the deceased, although several of Mr. Mei's students jointly deduced the flaws of the Chanxing Fenyuan, they did not announce the array-breaking method to the world, but instead sealed it within the library, keeping it secret and undisclosed.

Not long afterward, a great catastrophe suddenly arose, heaven and earth overturned, and the six directions merged into one darkness.

Countless gods and immortals across the universe fell into tribulation; one of the two founding ancestors of the Jiuzhen Sect died in this great calamity, and even the Dao Court descended into the Great Thousand, never again possessing the power to suppress the myriad heavens.

Under such circumstances, who would care any longer about an array-breaking method for a single Chanxing Fenyuan?"

After casually revealing these ancient secrets, Ji Yang took a bronze book from his sleeve, pushed it toward Chen Heng, and said decisively:

"This is the array-breaking method for the Chanxing Fenyuan; I hope True Person Chen will accept it, and I shall not trouble you further."

Having said this, Ji Yang rose neatly to take his leave, not lingering for even a moment more.

And after everyone escorted him out of the golden carriage, Ji Yang suddenly stopped, gazed at the ten thousand li of blue sky, and spoke inexplicably:

"In True Person Chen's view, how does the current universe of myriad heavens compare to the ancient era?"

After stopping, Chen Heng smiled and said, "This poor Daoist is seeing the scenery beyond the cosmos for the first time on this journey; in the presence of the Fifth Imperial Prince, I truly dare not speak recklessly."

"Weapons rise in competition, banners crowd in chaos, the great heavens of the Yang world

each govern themselves, while in the Nether World of Yin, the sounds of killing never cease..."

Ji Yang remained outwardly calm, merely looking deeply at Chen Heng for a moment before saying:

"My purpose in coming here, True Person Chen surely already understands; however, now is not the time to reveal my innermost thoughts. In my, Ji's, view, the universe of myriad heavens must ultimately return to unity.

As for my sincerity, True Person Chen will naturally come to know it in days to come!"

Having finished this sentence, Ji Yang bowed respectfully with clasped hands.

As that old man flicked his sleeve, a crystal rainbow bridge, having crossed who knows how many tens of millions of li, suddenly flew over, lifted the figures of the several people, soared into the sky together, gently split the canopy of heaven above their heads, and instantly vanished without a trace, leaving behind only an empty void at the original spot.

"The universe of myriad heavens, ah..."

Behind Chen Heng, Yuan Yuan Yangsheng opened his Martial Dao Heavenly Eye to gaze at the sky; after a long while, he shook his head and withdrew it:

"If this were during the time of the Twenty-Four Emperors of the ancient era, for a prince of the Dao Court to personally descend and recruit someone, even if it meant being dragged into turbulent waves, it would be a heavenly great fortune; but nowadays, this..."

Yuan Yuan Yangsheng's throat moved, and finally he only added:

"However, this Fifth Imperial Prince seems to be a person of true character, acting decisively without dragging things out.

But why does he seem so unenthusiastic toward me, Yuan? Are my pair of Martial Dao Heavenly Eyes not worth his recruitment?"

Xu Zhi heard this and smiled: "Wait until Brother Yuan can defeat Chen Chen Shidi one day; only then will it be time to feel resentment."

"..."

Yuan Yuan Yangsheng's expression stiffened, and for a moment he was struck speechless.

During these past few days of sparring, although both parties tacitly held back, it was not difficult for either to see Chen Heng's ease and mastery.

"Daojun Fu Yu could not defeat Brother Chen back then; how is it that now, having become a true disciple of the Kuiyu Prefecture, he still cannot win?"

Yuan Yuan Yangyang felt helpless in his heart and scratched his head.

Xu Zhen turned to look at Chen Heng, his expression becoming somewhat more solemn as he asked:

"I wonder what Chen Chen Shidi thinks regarding this offer of recruitment from the Court?"

Chen Heng smiled slightly:

"Now that I am a member of Yu Yu Yuchen, my actions will inevitably cause people to associate them with my sect, let alone a matter of such great importance involving the Ji clan of Zhengxu."

That Fifth Imperial Prince is a smart man; he should also understand the stakes involved herein, which is why he did not say much more.

However, regarding this Xudu Xudu Tianyu..."

Chen Heng paused for a moment at this point.

He suddenly raised his head to look at the sky, his gaze revealing a pool of brilliant light, bright as a torch, making it difficult for others to bear looking directly at him; only after a while did he speak with emotion:

"The sages of ancient times, the Twenty-Four Emperors, the world of the living and the underworld, the myriad Five Zheng Fa—"

"In a glorious great age such as this, to be fortunate enough to exist within it and witness such a universe and heaven and earth."

"You two, I am truly filled with immense joy!"

Although this voice was not particularly loud, it carried a tone of generous excitement, seeming capable of splitting the vast sky, causing Xu Zhen

and Yuan Yuan Yangyang to be infected by it as well, a surge of heroic spirit arising in their hearts too.

"The three qi are chaotic, the void gives birth to the natural; the mystery and wonder of this Xudu Xudu Tianyu are truly beyond estimation."

Chen Heng lifted the bronze book given to him by Ji Yang, stared at it fixedly for a long while, and thus found his answer in his heart, thinking silently:

"Let us set aside future matters for now; but with this method to resolve the formation, for me, the mountain-guarding formation at Northern Pingshan is no longer an obstacle; it can be broken within ten days!"

At the same time.

Outside the region of Xiping, within the deep starry river, a glimmer of light suddenly stirred, followed by a brilliant rainbow bridge flying across the sky; its head and tail entwined, transforming into a vast palace complex of unknown length spanning several thousand li, its clear light bright and shining, illuminating the entire void, as if a bright star had suddenly ignited in the darkness, its radiance dazzling.

Once Ji Yang entered the Zhudian and took his seat, ordering the female attendants and musician courtesans to withdraw, the old man below hesitated for several rounds before finally, unable to contain his confusion, bowing and asking:

"If my lord intends to recruit that Chen Heng, why not—"

"If I do not make the trip personally, how can I demonstrate sincerity? Moreover, even without my appearance, their breaking of the formation was inevitable; thus, for such a mere matter of adding flowers to brocade, I must handle it with my own hands."

As if perceiving the old man's thoughts, Ji Yang shook his head slightly and interrupted:

"Such a young First-Rank Jin Dan cultivator is a hero among men even if one looks across all of ancient times; for me to come personally is not excessive.

Furthermore, within that terrestrial continent, the one with the most promising future ahead, and perhaps the only one most likely to be on good terms with me, is this True Person Chen alone!"

Although there are hundreds of billions of living beings within Xiping, the only ones worthy of Ji Yang's special regard are actually just these five: Chen Heng, Lu Shen, Cui Ju, Yuan Yuan Yangyang, and Xu Zhen.

Among them, Lu Shen and Yuan Yuan Yangyang hail from Shaokang Mountain and Kuiyu Prefecture respectively.

These two families have extremely cold relations with the Zhengxu Dao Court; unlike the Bapailiu Sect, they have always been too lazy to even maintain superficial courtesies, so Ji Yang naturally would not waste effort seeking disappointment.

As for Xu Zhen, the Wusheng Sword Sect behind him is entangled in too many complications; unless absolutely necessary, Ji Yang is too lazy to wade into muddy waters for no reason.

As for Cui Ju.

The Venerable One behind him is on good terms with Ji Yang's third elder brother.

Regardless of other factors, this single point alone dictates that he, Ji Yang, and Cui Ju are absolutely not people of the same path.

Thus, looking around, the only one worthy of Ji Yang's wholehearted recruitment is Chen Heng!

"One of the Ten Great Chiefs, a direct disciple of a Dao Lord, a First-Rank Jin Dan, and moreover, he once defeated the avatar of Chen Chen Yushu in a battle within the same realm; speaking of which, it is quite interesting, the title of that Demon Master, even far away in Zhengxu, I have heard of..."

At this moment, Ji Yang sighed with emotion.

Following his gaze, one could see a round, lustrous pearl embedded in the palace ceiling casting down light, within which the entire scenery inside Xiping could be clearly seen.

"And I originally thought I had already valued this True Person Chen sufficiently, yet upon seeing him with my own eyes, I still

somewhat underestimated his capabilities; to wield such a powerful and supreme sword technique at the Sixth Realm—he is truly a genius of the current age!

Mr. Mei spoke correctly; for this person, it is indeed worth my making this trip!"

"Mr. Mei?"

Upon hearing this, the old man was startled, suddenly raising his head, a trace of astonishment floating in his eyes.

Grand Historian Mei Mei Gongxing, this loyal supporter of the Dao Court, in order to avoid being surrounded and killed by enemies from ancient times, has always kept his whereabouts obscure, to the point that rumors circulate in the outside world that Mei Mei Gongxing is long dead.

It is only people of the Dao Court like them who know clearly that Mei Mei Gongxing is not only alive and well but has also been working secretly all along for the great cause of the Dao Court.

However, for a major figure like Mei Mei Gongxing to specifically offer advice to Ji Yang, and moreover, to urge Ji Yang to recruit Chen Heng to strengthen his wings?

Connecting this to the current situation where the position of Crown Prince of the Dao Court remains undecided, and the sons of Ji Liu Huan are all secretly competing against one another.

The old man felt as though he had guessed something; blood rushed upward, and for a moment his face burned and his heart pounded.

"No wonder, no wonder! I was wondering why my lord, who clearly intended to visit Zhenwu for Baishan earlier, suddenly changed course halfway to come to this small terrestrial continent. So it was because Mei Mei Gongxing offered advice; this makes perfect sense!"

The old man lowered his head, hastily concealing the fervent light in his eyes:

"With Mei Mei Gongxing stepping forward, he must have seen the extraordinary nature of Chen Heng!

And for such a major figure to act in this manner, it might well mean he wishes to support the Fifth Imperial Prince's ascension. As the saying goes, when one person attains the Dao, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven; perhaps in the future, I too can hold a prominent position within the Dao Court, ranking among the nobles!"

While the old man's emotions were surging, the Wusheng Wusheng Tongzi, who had not spoken a single word since appearing earlier, suddenly looked at Ji Yang and said indifferently:

"Not only that."

Ji Yang valued this Wusheng Wusheng Tongzi highly; seeing him speak, he even rose from his seat to show solemnity and asked warmly:

"What does Elder Zhong mean?"

"Tai Yi Shen Lei."

"Tai Yi Shen Lei?" Ji Yang's expression changed for the first time with genuine shock.

"That Chen Heng's qi sea is filled with pure yang-dry qi, his apertures generating faint light, brilliantly radiant and overflowing; angry fire rises, true water descends, extreme yang agitates lesser yin, while his internal breath flows down from the purple palace, shaking his heart like lightning flashing across the dipper..."

Although the voice of the Wusheng Wusheng Tongzi, whom Ji Yang addressed as Elder Zhong, remained flat and indifferent, hearing it, Ji Yang could not help but feel a tremendous upheaval in his heart:

"Such are precisely the abnormal signs present only when cultivating Tai Yi Shen Lei; he, Chen Heng, may deceive others, but he cannot deceive me. Ten thousand years ago in the underworld of the netherworld, I received no small amount of instruction in this thunder technique, hence my memory of it is especially deep," Elder Zhong said with profound implication.

After this speech concluded, the scene seemed to grow cold for an instant, utterly silent.

"To dare cultivate the Great Yi Qing Shen Lei at the Golden Core Realm... Does that Dao Lord Master Tongxuan possess such confidence, truly holding his disciple in such high regard?"

Only after a long while did Ji Yang shake his head to break the silence, yet the corner of his lips

gradually curled into a hint of a smile, his mood greatly improved.

"It seems the Fifth Imperial Prince regards Chen Heng as someone of the caliber of Bai Bai Qiancheng or Chunyu Chunyu Tan Yao?"

Elder Zhong glanced at Ji Yang and couldn't help but dash cold water on the idea:

"But how rare are figures like Bai Bai Qiancheng and Chunyu Chunyu Tan Yao? With Chen Heng's nature, he is a phoenix among men; expecting him to die for the Dao Court is no easy matter."

Since the fall of the ancient era, Ji Mu had declared himself the Lord of All Heavens.

To this day, counting Ji Liu Huan's accession, the Zhengxu Dao Court has seen a full ninety-two Emperors in total, truly marking an enduring dynasty!

Under the rule of ninety-two Emperors, one faction exits the stage only for another to take its place.

During this period, calamities and disasters need not be mentioned; even events shaking the very foundations of the Dao Court's state occurred far more than just three or five times.

And regarding Bai Bai Qiancheng and Chunyu Chunyu Tan Yao, whom Elder Zhong had just mentioned—

Both were originally Dao Sons from great prestigious sects, famous in their time, yet both chose to pledge loyalty to the Dao Court; even after cultivating to the Supreme Dao, they continued to exhaust their minds and hearts for the foundation of Zhengxu, disregarding life and death.

In the eyes of the world, the actions of Bai Bai Qiancheng and Chunyu Chunyu Tan Yao were indeed too extraordinary, difficult for anyone to comprehend.

Hearing Elder Zhong's doubt, not a trace of anger appeared on Ji Yang's face.

He merely offered a gentle smile and let the topic pass.

"With that bronze letter in hand, True Person Chen should break the formation before long; since we have nothing else to do, we might as well wait a bit longer and see the outcome before leaving," Ji Yang said.

Hearing this, the old man hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself; finally, he bowed and said no more.

Elder Zhong offered no words either, casually nodding once, his expression returning to its usual solemnity.

In the blink of an eye, a full day had passed.

On this day, Ji Yang suddenly withdrew his Xue Xuan Gong and looked up at the bright pearl on the hall's ceiling.

With a lingering clear chime, the pearl's radiance rippled outward, revealing within a scene of collapsing mountains and falling stones, thunder crashing and winds howling, while various escape lights surged forth, dancing into a chaotic mass!

Among them, the most conspicuous was a streak of crimson sword rainbow, brilliantly dazzling.

It was currently locked in battle with a golden roc; the fight was fiercely intense, and wherever they passed, troops from both sides kept far away, daring not to interfere.

"It seems Cui Ju has ultimately fallen one step short."

After watching for a long time, Ji Yang withdrew his gaze and spoke.

At that same moment.

In the Xi Flatlands, Ge Lu.

Muddy smoke rose in clouds, and cries of killing shook the wilds.

Beneath the dim sky, Chen Heng sheathed his sword and stood still, looking down at Cui Ju, whose eyes burned with unwillingness, and said:

"Brother Cui, you have lost."