Chapter 564: Special

"Tian Shi Yuan, the gods…"

Outside the Dao Soldier Pagoda, the crowd fell somewhat silent.

Similar words had been mentioned by Huang Huang Longzi before entering the temple, but bringing them up again now carried a very different weight.

The reason was simple: since entering the temple, whether it was the Dengshan trial or this Dao Soldier Pagoda, every Yiganda Sect grandmaster had felt an immense sense of frustration.

"Might Your Excellency be exaggerating the danger somewhat?"

Casting a sidelong glance at the silent, frowning Wan Wan Zhuliu, Shen Shen Qisheng let out a "heh" and said, "The Eight Directions Temple has been here for several thousand years, hasn't it? The gods of Tian Shi Yuan haven't noticed it all this time—could they really notice it the moment it opens?"

Emperor Qian frowned slightly, but merely looked at Huang Huang Longzi.

"The Eight Directions Temple has drifted through the Three Enclosures for who knows how many years, and every time it opens, it inevitably alarms Tian Shi Yuan—without exception! Whether you believe it or not is up to you, this Daoist has said all he needs to say."

Huang Huang Longzi's face was expressionless, but inwardly he sneered coldly again and again.

Because of the Wu Gong that flowed out from the Eight Directions Temple, these natives' martial arts were truly not weak, but precisely because the Eight Directions Temple sealed off its inside and outside, their horizons and understanding were far too shallow.

They simply did not know what "the gods" implied.

Nor did they know the terror of the Eight Directions Temple.

It was a creation sought after even by the gods, and also a forbidden ground that had swallowed countless prodigies and heroes, and even divine spirits!

"Tian Shi Yuan…"

The expressions of everyone present shifted.

Emperor Qian lightly rubbed his brow and said, "That Li Yuan is merely the temple-opener; even if he has the means to sever the Dao Soldier Pagoda, it cannot last long. We might as well wait a little longer."

Summoning the Poison Dragon Academy was absolutely not an option!

Emperor Qian did not hesitate for even a moment in his heart. He surveyed the crowd:

"Once we have comprehended the True Form Charts obtained from the Dao Soldier Pagoda, if the pagoda still cannot be climbed, then we shall withdraw from the Eight Directions Temple and hold the great sacrifice another time!"

"Your Majesty speaks wisely."

Once Emperor Qian spoke, no matter what they were thinking, the crowd still voiced their agreement.

"We shall follow Your Majesty's word."

Wan Wan Zhuliu cupped his fist in assent, cast a glance at Huang Huang Longzi who had closed his eyes and entered meditation, then sat cross-legged beside Emperor Qian.

Everyone else closed their eyes as well and began to comprehend the True Form Charts obtained from within the Dao Soldier Pagoda.

In the heavy silence, Emperor Qian transmitted his voice to Wan Wan Zhuliu:

"What did the Ancestor say?"

Wan Wan Zhuliu was silent for a moment, then said:

"What that Huang Huang Longzi said is not far off. Throughout history, whenever the Eight Directions Temple has opened wide, it has alarmed the gods of Tian Shi Yuan, and the heaven and earth where the Eight Directions Temple manifests will surely suffer a calamity of extinction."

"A calamity of extinction…"

Emperor Qian frowned: "Does the Ancestor have any way to respond?"

Ancestor…

Wan Wan Zhuliu's brow furrowed slightly, but he still said:

"Your Majesty, we may share some measure of bloodline, but this minister believes that person cannot be trusted, and is certainly not our ancestor…"

"Mm?"

Emperor Qian's heart stirred slightly.

"It said that by offering the imperial bloodline as a sacrifice, It can be resurrected…"

Wan Wan Zhuliu did not conceal anything, but his transmitted voice was very cold:

"It said that by offering the imperial bloodline as a sacrifice, and using Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing as a guide to aid Its resurrection, It can then lead you and me out of this trapped place, to the ancestral land of the Cloud Demons, to wash our bloodlines and become true Cloud Demons."

"Only you and me?"

Emperor Qian's brow furrowed.

"Yes."

Wan Wan Zhuliu answered: "It said that any living being born within the sealed grounds of the Eight Directions Temple, unless acknowledged by the Eight Directions Temple, will be trapped and die in their birthplace, unable to leave."

"Those acknowledged by the Eight Directions Temple… is it only that Li Yuan?"

"Yes."

"Wan Zhuliu, what do you think?"

Emperor Qian deliberated for a long while before transmitting his voice to ask.

"Your Majesty, this minister is the Martial King of Zhenwu of Great Fortune, not a foreign Cloud Demon." Wan Wan Zhuliu's voice was calm, yet Emperor Qian sensed a Qie Chen Zhong and intense will within it—impossible to shake.

"Foreign race…"

Emperor Qian was silent for a moment, then asked again:

"Then in your

opinion, how should we respond?"

"This minister wishes to enter closed-door cultivation here, to attempt a breakthrough to the Divine Palace realm."

Wan Wan Zhuliu's voice was very calm: "That True Form Chart of the Sky-Blue Blade carries the ability to shatter void and break prohibitions. If this minister breaks through, perhaps I can slash through the void at the place where that Spirit Turtle escaped…"

"Slash through the void?"

Emperor Qian was somewhat doubtful: "That Spirit Turtle escaped by some unknown means, and you…"

Slashing through the void existed only in legends and myths; even a supreme grandmaster would absolutely lack the ability to slash through the void.

"A Mi Jing, not the present world."

Wan Wan Zhuliu did not say more, merely stating:

"Your Majesty, that Huang Huang Longzi harbors the intent of summoning the Poison Dragon Academy. Whether or not he has the ability, he is a hidden threat. Should this minister slay him?"

Emperor Qian thought for a moment:

"Stay for now, you may be of use."

Wan Wan Zhuliu said nothing more, gathered his thoughts, and had already entered deep meditation.

"Eight Directions Temple, Tian Shi Yuan…"

The Qian Emperor opened his eyes, glanced at the faint silver glow between Wan Wan Zhuliu's brows, then his gaze fell upon Huang Huang Longzi. The latter seemed to sense it,

opened his eyes, and smiled in greeting:

"Your Majesty, may we speak a step aside?"

Hearing the transmitted voice, the Qian Emperor's eyes flickered:

"Very well."

……

……

Hum~

The ghostly light in the passage flickered on and off.

Li Yuan stepped out, looked up, and immediately saw Dong Dong Ershisan sitting with his back to him.

"Gate-sitting puppet." Li Yuan lightly pressed his brow. With the augmentation of the ten bone ornaments, the moment he focused his spirit, he saw a dazzling orb of light.

That orb of light was woven from countless divine patterns flowing and circulating. A single sweeping glance could not count them all — extremely intricate, and constantly shifting.

"Far more complex by a thousandfold than those two spirit puppets in Quancheng."

Li Yuan squinted as he examined it, recalling those two spirit puppets in Quancheng: "No, can't compare them — this isn't even the same kind of thing…"

The cores of those two eighth-grade spirit puppets in Quancheng were made of four kinds of spirit patterns, whereas the gate-sitting puppet Dong Dong Ershisan before him was composed of tens of millions of different divine patterns.

The gap between the two was not merely one of grade — there was also a vast difference in quality.

If the former were a blood-exchange martial artist of mid-to-upper bone constitution, then this damaged gate-sitting puppet was at least a supreme grand master of the Overlord level. The gap between them was as vast as cloud and mud.

"Severely damaged."

Li Yuan focused his perception. The orb of light before him was indeed dazzling, but the damage was also plainly visible — not only were the divine patterns broken, but the orb was missing its core.

Because the core was missing, the divine patterns that should have revolved around it were also constantly dissipating.

"This core should be the spirit puppet's heart, right? Doesn't quite seem right — that human-headed strange bird had no core either, yet it wasn't damaged to this extent…"

Li Yuan took out that spirit puppet heart and walked slowly toward the end of the passage. His keen perception detected the gate-sitting puppet trembling, as if drawn by the spirit puppet heart.

But the moment he stopped his steps, the spirit puppet fell silent again.

"The spirit puppet heart may not be its damaged core, but it clearly can awaken it…"

Li Yuan squinted slightly. An invisible aura emanated from the gate-sitting puppet, giving him a very dangerous feeling — as if approaching would invite a violent strike from the puppet.

"Can't rush to awaken it."

Li Yuan dismissed the thought.

To control this gate-sitting puppet, beyond the spirit puppet heart, one also needed the sixth level of the Treasure Refining Art. To be safe, he should meet the conditions before coming back.

Li Yuan put away the spirit puppet heart and walked out of the passage. Wooo~

Night was deep in the Eight Directions Grotto-Heaven, a breeze stirring the grass and trees.

Several bonfires burned at the foot of the mountain. The moment he entered, Li Yuan smelled the aroma of roasting venison. Looking up, he saw Zhou Ying surrounded by Dao Lord Long and the others.

"Friend Li!"

Zhou Ying had sharp eyes. The moment Li Yuan entered, he called out loudly — the pressure of being surrounded by a group of grand masters was truly too great, he could barely

bear it.

"Li Yuan?"

"Kid Li!"

Long Long Yingchan and the others also sensed the outsider's presence and looked over one after another. Seeing it was Li Yuan, their expressions all shifted.

Zhou Ying was relieved, Long Long Yingchan was delighted in his heart, Fang Fang Sanyun and the others wore subtle expressions, and Daoist Yuan Qing, embracing his beauty, could not help but look a touch resentful.

"Disciple Li Yuan, pays respects to Master and all the Dao Lords."

Li Yuan strode forward, cupped his hands in greeting. His peripheral gaze swept over the crowd — mainly the few victims prophesied to be killed by him.

The Dao Lords seemed very understanding; not one showed ill intent. Wait — no, two of them did…

Li Yuan glanced over. In a corner, Chi He Lian and that Northern Sea Azure Dragon, transformed into human form, were bound together beneath a tree, and at this moment their gazes were not very friendly.

"Good lad, your essence is full and abundant — already at the threshold of entering the Dao!"

"The Temple Opener is indeed different — to actually come and go from the Eight Directions Temple freely…"

"Tsk tsk…"

The Dao Lords were very warm. Apart from Daoist Yuan Qing, everyone crowded around.

"Enough!"

Long Long Yingchan frowned and shouted loudly, calling the few to a halt, then pointed at Zhou Ying: "Was he the one you sent in?"

"Senior Zhou was the previous generation's Dark Whale Hammer Master. When this disciple entered the Eight Directions Temple before, it was entirely thanks to his great assistance."

Li Yuan briefly explained a few points — mainly how Zhou Ying had cleared the path for him when he entered the temple before, and had forcefully taken on that Divine Palace-grade strange dragon.

"Many thanks, Brother Zhou."

Dao Lord Long was immediately moved, cupped his hands in thanks. Zhou Ying repeatedly said he dared not accept such praise.

"Azure Dragon!"

While Li Yuan smiled and exchanged pleasantries with the Dao Lords, the little mother dragon's sharp voice came from within his heart. Had Li Yuan not held her back, she would have pounced on the Northern Sea Azure Dragon beside them.

"Don't rush."

Li Yuan held down the Dragon-illusion Sash, his peripheral gaze sweeping over the cold-eyed Northern Sea Azure Dragon, but he looked instead toward Eight Directions Mountain.

On the mountain path, heat steamed like clouds and mist. Qin Yun, who had climbed to the eight hundredth step, trudged heavily down the mountain. Everyone fell silent and looked toward the mountain path.

Only Zhou Ying glanced at the dragon-belt at Li Yuan's waist. He hadn't noticed it before, but now, looking closely, it felt somewhat familiar—could it be the top-grade long whip he had forged in his lifetime for the Changhong Sword Sect?

"Hoo~"

Qin Yun slowly walked down the mountain, exhaling a breath of turbid air. Dengshan's eight hundred steps—even he showed a trace of weariness between his brows.

"Congratulations, Senior. A thousand steps is within reach."

Li Yuan cupped his hands in greeting, feeling quite pleased within. If Qin Yun climbed to a thousand steps, he would receive a reward as well.

"It's not that easy."

Qin Yun swallowed a Longhu Longhu Dadan, easing his sinews, bones, and spirit, before sweeping a glance at the others:

"This old man wishes to speak a few words with Li Yuan. You few..."

"Please, go ahead."

The moment he spoke, the several Dao Lords returned his courtesy one after another, smiling as they stepped aside and gave him space—though each of them tilted their ears and focused their attention.

Qin Yun didn't mind. He let out a long breath and said, "A few days ago, this old man took your token and went to seek the road leading to Tian Shi Yuan…"

"Any results?"

Li Yuan's spirit jolted; he was very concerned about this.

"Nothing at all." Qin Yun took out the token, his expression complex: "This path, I'm afraid, is one only you can see."