Chapter 511: Huang Lao She Ji Tu

At this moment, the rising sun ascended, clouds billowed and rosy mist flourished; it could truly be called a blaze of brilliant colors, with hues spread everywhere.

As a few wisps of cloud and mist were slowly blown far away and scattered by the clear breeze, the space between heaven and earth became even more transparent and bright, light everywhere, purity everywhere!

At this moment, in a vast wilderness within Ying Ying Jichuan, surrounded by mountains and gathering waters, so expansive that one glance could not see its end, cultivators from all factions who had come to witness the ceremony had gathered like clouds massing and rain converging, a magnificent spectacle that likewise caused people to marvel in awe.

Not only could densely packed figures be seen across the vast wilderness, but flying boats and tower-pavilions of various designs also appeared above the azure sky, vast and surging.

If a cultivator of profound attainment were to activate their Dharma Eyes, they would further perceive floating islets and jade towers with golden halls looming faintly in the deeper reaches of the utmost heavens, indistinct and hazy, seeming to stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun and sky.

The Grand Capital Grand Assembly, the Primordial Yuan Great Competition—

Merely by a rough count, the number of cultivators who personally traveled to Ying Ying Jichuan to witness the ceremony was no less than several hundred thousand.

Not to mention that among them were no lack of true great divine ability practitioners such as Zu Wushan Ren and Zhenwu Tian Qishang.

Even though they suppressed their surging qi auras and did not unleash them, due to their overwhelming numbers, they still caused heaven and earth to subtly resonate and interact.

Auspicious clouds coiled around, layers of radiant colors numbered in the thousands, brilliant and vast!

"Huang Lao She Ji Tu; so this session of the Primordial Yuan Grand Assembly is taking place here?"

At this moment, Chen Heng watched as the point of bright light indicated by Pei Pei Shuyang's raised hand, upon rising into the distant cloudy sky, suddenly shattered, its radiance spilling outward in all directions.

Then, a huge painting scroll suddenly unfurled, unfolding slowly with the momentum of pushing aside clouds and overturning seas; in the blink of an eye, it obscured hundreds of li of skylight, and continued to spread east and west, its momentum rumbling, seeming capable of easily encompassing all of Ying Ying Jichuan, and even swallowing up the entire continent and devouring the Northern Sea!

This situation caused the cultivators below the clouds to exclaim repeatedly, as if they had seen something inconceivable, their facial expressions mostly filled with disbelief.

Chen Heng's gaze condensed, for he saw that within the painting there were seas and lands, mountains and rivers, sun and moon with arrayed stars galloping through the void, and herds of birds and beasts running across heaven and earth.

So-called yin and yang as the framework, the four seasons as the discipline, the nine qi arranged correctly, the ten thousand transformations of heaven and earth—

The map was veritably a real and magnificent great world, rich in spiritual energy, worthy of being a place of creation!

Chen Heng knew that the Huang Lao She Ji Tu before him was a heavy treasure of creation belonging to the Jiuzhen Sect.

If this map were fully unfolded, obscuring not just Ying Ying Jichuan but even the vast Northern Hao Province would be no difficult task.

Yet what lay before them was absolutely not the entirety of the Huang Lao She Ji Tu; it should be merely a corner of the scroll borrowed by Pei Pei Shuyang, while the true Huang Lao She Ji Tu still lay dormant deep within the mountain gates of the Jiuzhen Sect.

Unless it was a critical moment, the various Truths of the Jiuzhen Sect would not fully expose this map to the world.

Besides this Huang Lao She Ji Tu, the Jiuzhen Sect possessed five other scrolls, collectively known by outsiders as the Nine Truths Six Sceneries.

However, as everyone knew, among the Nine Truths Six Sceneries, the one with the greatest fame was not this Huang Lao She Ji, but rather the Shizhou Heaven and Earth Map.

This map was painstakingly created over infinite time by the two founding ancestors of the Jiuzhen Sect, who personally measured the Shizhou and Four Seas of the Xu Capital Heaven with their own feet.

Legend has it that regarding its origins, the Shizhou Heaven and Earth Map was actually a small universe that formed its own order and discipline; it only gained its name because it was created within the Xu Capital Heaven and used the landscape of these Shizhou as its blueprint.

Chen Heng had once heard Master Master Tongxuan mention in casual conversation that the intention of the Jiuzhen Sect's founding ancestors in forging this map was that should a day come when the myriad laws sank into oblivion and the universe became desolate, disciples of the Jiuzhen Sect could temporarily hide within the Shizhou Heaven and Earth Map to avoid disaster, ensuring the foundation of the Nine Truths was not lost.

Then, when chaos separated again and the universe reopened in the future, the disciples of the Jiuzhen Sect within the painting could calmly emerge once more to secure a place for themselves in the new great era.

However, although such an idea was good, how it would actually work out remained without a definitive conclusion.

Moreover, of the two founding ancestors of the Jiuzhen Sect, one had died during the great calamity of the Dao Court's collapse, destined never to witness what the end of time would look like.

Speaking of which.

It was indeed fate toying with people...

At this time, after presenting the corner of the Huang Lao She Ji Tu, Pei Pei Shuyang did not return to his Dharma carriage; instead, he straightened his expression and solemnly walked toward a Dharma altar below the clouds.

On that Dharma altar, only an incense table was arranged, and the presiding elders of the Bapailiu Sect had already gathered beneath the altar.

Among them was a face Chen Heng had seen before within his sect: Elder Xun Bing, who was on good terms with Yu Yu Yuchen and Jun Yao.

Seeing Pei Pei Shuyang descend from the cloud head, the fourteen presiding elders all performed a bow together, offering their respects to Pei Pei Shuyang.

There had long been an unwritten rule at the Primordial Yuan Grand Assembly.

That was, those serving as arbiters of the assembly must be the few individuals within the Bapailiu Sect most hopeful of merging with the Dao and attaining truth.

Therefore, the respect shown by these fourteen presiding elders was not only for Pei Pei Shuyang's identity and status, but even more so for his future position and achievement on the Great Dao!

By rights, Chen Chen Yushu should also be in this list, and unquestionably ranked at the very top.

However, this individual was currently trapped by the Pure Yang Lightning Disaster inflicted by the Heaven Duke's tribulation punishment, forced to draw a prison within the Fan Fan Dongtian of the Xiantianmo Sect, making it difficult for him to easily appear in the world; furthermore, even if Chen Chen Yushu were willing to come forward, several Governing Dao Lords of the Qianyuan Sichen Palace would likely not allow him to preside over the situation.

After returning the salutes, Pei Pei Shuyang received three sticks of high incense from the Wusheng Wusheng Tongzi's hands, then with a shake of his robes, he stepped toward the Dharma altar.

With every step he took, the ancient characters resembling tadpoles and bird tracks within the tall Dharma altar seemed to come alive, flying out from the altar body one after another to dance and swirl around Pei Pei Shuyang.

In the end, they actually merged into a surging torrent, impenetrable even by wind and rain!

"So this is the fortune of Xu Capital? Truly admirable and awe-inspiring..."

Inside a bronze carriage pulled by six heavenly horses, Zhenwu Tian Qishang sighed softly, then inexplicably clapped his hands and laughed.

At this moment, under the gaze of the multitude, Pei Pei Shuyang had already inserted the three sticks of high incense into the golden censer on the table.

As green smoke slowly rose from the censer into the sky in a straight line, to great cultivators like Qishang, a subtle change seemed to arise within this world.

In the unseen depths.

It seemed as if some indescribable, ungraspable thing was being quietly stirred...

"You hail from Xiangjin Mountain in the Zhenwu Tian Kun Realm, also of great heavenly origin, and you are an elder within Xiangjin Mountain; why do you speak such words?"

Not far beside Qishang, Fuchan Fuchan Laozu was squatting next to a jar of wine.

He seemed extremely satisfied with this jar of mellow brew that Qishang had brought from Zhenwu Tian; after savoring it with a slow smack of his lips, he laughed again:

"Since the collapse of ancient times, the Dao Court has no longer had the power to restrict heavenly fortune and fate, and the Shanghuan Fortune Book is also far inferior to before.

Yuanzai Tian cultivating the Sun's Central Net at noon, Wu Liangguang Tian refining the Wise Sages to exhaustion... such actions, in ancient times, would have been capital crimes worthy of execution! You now sigh over this Primordial Yuan Grand Assembly; I truly do not understand. Could it be that Zhenwu Tian has not cast a Martial Fortune Gourd?"

Qishang glanced at Fuchan Fuchan Laozu:

"This Dragon Bone Precious Yang Wine is used for my cultivation; because I have swallowed the turbid yin of the Earth Abyss year after year, I am inevitably invaded by foul qi. Who would have expected that although I brought a thousand jars, I myself drank less than a hundred, with the rest all ending up in your stomach."

"Heh, we are all fellow daoists; why bring up such things? Would that not create unnecessary distance between us..."

Fuchan Fuchan Laozu laughed awkwardly, then quickly added a compliment:

"Besides, you borrow the Earth Abyss for cultivation; now that Yi Shi Gong has greatly advanced and you have successfully broken through your bottleneck, how could a little turbid yin and filth harm your true martial body!"

Seeing Fuchan Fuchan Laozu hurriedly put away the remaining half-jar of wine, looking as if afraid it would be snatched, Qishang could not help but laugh.

"True Martial's Martial Fortune Gourd and Xudu's Pill Origin Assembly, though both are acts of forging and wielding fortune for the great heavens of the Yang World, are not entirely the same; for an individual, the latter is naturally a tier stronger."

After a moment of silence, Qi Shang shook his head:

"I am currently thinking, if I were someone from Xudu's Bapailiu Sect, and had obtained Xudu's Great Pill within me at the Pill Origin Assembly.

Then would my Dao path... have proceeded somewhat more smoothly before now?"

"Indeed, True Martial's Martial Fortune Gourd blesses an entire region, and while it is hard to say which is superior between this and the Pill Origin Assembly, for an individual, the latter is ultimately more useful."

Upon hearing this, Fuchan Fuchan Laozu shrugged, then as if thinking of something, suddenly chuckled and said:

"But in your view, who will emerge victorious at this Pill Origin Assembly? Why don't we make a wager?"

"I have never been fond of gambling in my life."

Qi Shang shook his head:

"However... that junior from the Xiantianmo Sect is quite interesting; he gives me a feeling that is not ordinary, making me recall an old acquaintance."

Hearing the words 'Xiantianmo Sect', Fuchan Fuchan Laozu knew it was not Chen Heng, and just as the name Yin Yin Wuji floated up in his mind, he saw Qi Shang's gaze drift far away to settle upon Lu Rong.

"Blood River Lu Rong?"

Fuchan Fuchan Laozu was surprised.

But before Fuchan Fuchan Laozu could press further, the great cultivators in the arena suddenly felt something amiss.

They only felt the boundless earth beneath them tremble heavily, as a massive pillar of light, nearly invisible to the naked eye, shot up from the ground, heading straight for the sky above!

At that instant, precisely half of the incense in the golden censer had burned away!

And not only were the great cultivators within Ying Ying Jichuan alarmed, but many great divine practitioners with cultivation across Northern Hao Province were also stirred, looking up toward the sky in unison.

First Northern Hao and Northern Lu, then Eastern Mi, Eastern Liu Huan, and Eastern Hun—these three provinces—followed by the Southern Lands, and finally reaching the two western regions!

In just the blink of an eye, across the Nine Provinces and Four Seas, towering pillars of light surged upward into the heavens.

It was as if wind and thunder shook each other, and yin and yang clashed, truly intending to illuminate the Xu Huang Tian's clear void and meet the Profound Dawn!

Such a rare and wondrous spectacle not only drew the attention of Xudu's cultivators, but also caused great abilities in several nearby Xudu Xudu Tianyu to cast their gazes over, their expressions varying.

"Piercing the heavens and penetrating the earth, heaven and earth in a Xiao Daze, crushing the starry river, bursting open the Ox and Dipper; the heroes of the Nine Provinces seek to comprehend the profound truth of Xuanyuan?

Contend for the foremost position, wield divine power, display lifelong methods, and seize the Authority of Heaven!"

Within the Forty-Nine Luevity Palaces, Beiji Fuchan Laozu clapped his hands and chanted softly, swaying his head on the main hall.

And at this moment, the three tall incense sticks in the golden censer were still burning fiercely, Xiong Xiong, and the smoke gradually revealed a bone-penetrating fragrance, refreshing the heart and spleen, seeming to spread across ten thousand li.

"The Pill Origin Assembly; this time it is truly a fierce battle among dragons!"

Beiji Laoxian sighed with emotion, raised his head to gaze into the distance, and a smile slowly floated onto his face.

Earth Abyss, Golden Drum Cave.

Master Qiao Qiao Yubi suddenly halted his Mei Mei Gongxing; he merely glanced at the sky and knew what had occurred, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, causing the divine swords around him to gently twang, emitting a sword whistle that shook the void, startling all the ghosts!

In a desolate mountain of Eastern Liu Huan Province, Du Ao and Liang Wen also felt something in their hearts, suddenly exchanging a glance.

The former chuckled with a hint of mockery in his eyes, while the latter remained expressionless.

In the Xiaoming Great Marsh, Fire Dragon Shangren walked out of the Dao Record Hall, with Zhang Zhang Taichu following behind him, holding a roll of golden register.

And after Fire Dragon Shangren gazed at the vast sky for a moment, his gaze inexplicably turned toward the direction of Xiyi Mountain, his expression unusually complex, momentarily speechless.

And while the great abilities of the Nine Provinces all felt something in their hearts.

In Nanchan Province, within a half-new, half-old Daoist temple.

A young man with a face like polished jade, long eyebrows, and beautiful eyes, who had been boredly teasing several tiger cubs, suddenly stopped, merely clasping his hands behind his back to gaze toward Ying Ying Jichuan, his expression full of interest.

Just as the young man was pondering slightly, suddenly a wooden door not far away was kicked open from within, and a slovenly old Daoist walked out of the room, cursing profusely.

"After you visited the Wenhuang Sect and then went to the Xiantianmo Sect, you have been lingering in Xudu, eating free meals in my small, broken temple for so long; was it all for this scene?"

The slovenly old Daoist kicked away several tiger cubs that had approached to act coquettishly, looked at the young Daoist, pursed his lips, and said:

"With your status, why need you care so much about this matter?"

"Yin Yin Wuji."

The young Daoist smiled slightly:

"Since I have nothing else to do, I might as well join in the excitement."

Upon hearing this, the slovenly old Daoist neither agreed nor disagreed; he merely looked toward Ying Ying Jichuan, his gaze pausing specifically on the Ninth Imperial Prince, Ji Xiu, for a moment before saying:

"Are you betting that the junior surnamed Yin will win the Pill Origin championship?"

"Since he has obtained that true method, emotionally and rationally, I ought to weigh his caliber."

The young man deliberately sighed: "Besides, you and I are old friends; since I know about your pursuit by the Dao Court, emotionally and rationally, I ought to come and see you."

The slovenly old Daoist spat on the ground, clearly disdainful of this excuse.

"But don't get me wrong, this Pill Origin Assembly, I actually find quite interesting; I didn't expect that junior to have some connection to a casual move I made many years ago, which is also quite interesting..." The old Daoist raised his eyebrows.

"Oh? Which one?" the young man asked with a smile.

The old Daoist did not answer, merely pretending to be profound and keeping everyone in suspense.

And now in Ying Ying Jichuan, the incense in the censer had burned out completely, and all preparations were sufficient.

Seeing this, Pei Pei Shuyang took another imperial edict from the Wusheng Wusheng Tongzi; upon it were already written the names and origins of the forty-two Pill Origin True Persons, with a Fa Li Yin seal left upon it.

After verifying there were no errors, Pei Pei Shuyang spread the imperial edict in his hand flat, personally took out his private seal, and stamped it down.

At that instant, the Dharma altar suddenly burst with shimmering rosy light, dazzling the eyes and rushing to the sky, resonating distantly with that corner of the Huang Lao She Ji map in the heavens, illuminating all of Ying Ying Jichuan in magnificent splendor!

"It has come!"

Lü Rong stepped out from the Dharma carriage.

He sensed the Talismanic Edict of the Golden Core in his sleeve suddenly stir, emitting a pulling force that seemed impatient to drag him into that corner of the Huang Lao She Ji Map.

Lü Rong clenched his palm, unable to suppress a fierce battle intent in his heart, his eyes momentarily turning scarlet and dripping with blood.

Chen Heng, Yin Yin Wuji, Zhou Fuga, Wei Wei Lingjiang, Gu Yi...

Lü Rong slowly scanned the scene; before his eyes, all the True Persons of the Golden Core present wore slightly solemn expressions.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the arena suddenly turned grim and killing intent slowly diffused, causing many cultivators who had come to witness the ceremony to be infected by this mood, their expressions growing tense.

Just at this moment, Pei Pei Shuyang's voice sounded again; pointing a finger at the sky, he smiled kindly and said:

"This map is the venue for the Golden Core Grand Competition. As for what the He Deng Zhang entails, you will know once you enter. Gentlemen, please proceed."

No sooner had these words fallen than a sharp sword rainbow slashed through the cloud curtain with a boom, plunging into the painting first, its momentum massive!

"Zhou Fuga..."

Lü Rong sneered; beneath his feet, a putrid, bloody river churned and surged, following closely behind.

"..."

Lu Lu Tingyun and Shen Shen Xingcui exchanged a glance, then also soared forward on their swords to catch up.

As one True Person of the Golden Core after another activated their divine abilities and entered the painting in succession, just as Chen Heng was about to rise, he suddenly felt something and met a chilling gaze.

It was a handsome man binding his hair with a jade hairpin and wearing a crow-blue coarse robe.

His brows were like ink paintings, his eyes like dots of lacquer; truly a fine appearance, yet at this moment, besides undisguised hostility on that face, there was also a trace of hidden dread, impossible to dispel.

"A leaping clown, not worth a sneer."

Seeing this, Chen Heng shook his head slightly.

He did not look at Chen Bai any further; with a mere wave of his sleeve, he transformed into a streak of clear light and vanished in the blink of an eye.