Chapter 149: A Net of Heaven and Earth! Experts from All Sides Gather at Shouyang Mountain!

In the Heavenly Court, inside a grand hall.

The Great Luo Golden Immortal Demons left behind were gathered here, all with gloomy expressions.

Just moments ago, they had been deliberating over who would be responsible for staying behind and who would sneak off to Shouyang Mountain to listen to the Saint's sermon.

Who would have thought that an order would suddenly be transmitted back from the Sun Star, commanding them to lead their subordinate Demons to abandon the defense of the Heavenly Court and head directly into the Outer Space to search for and capture Lu Yun and the others who were causing trouble.

With things turning out this way, their long-awaited plan to go to Shouyang Mountain would naturally fall through; how could they not be depressed? What made them even more depressed was that this order also required them to prepare for sacrifice, stating that after this battle, those who survived would receive the protection of the Demon Heavenly Court and have the opportunity to listen to the Demon Emperor Di Jun's sermon on Proving the Dao and Becoming a Saint.

As everyone knows, a Saint's sermon, especially one given while Proving the Dao and Becoming a Saint, contains the principles and laws of Proving the Dao.

Such an opportunity is impossible for any creature in the Great Desolation to refuse.

Conversely, if they tried to feign compliance while acting in opposition, once Di Jun came out of seclusion and found out, they would certainly meet a miserable end!

Therefore, no matter how unwilling these Great Luo Golden Immortal Demons of the Heavenly Court were, they ultimately had to accept the order and, together with the Demons under their command, set off in a mighty force toward the direction of the Outer Space.

However, even if they could truly find Lu Yun, they were destined to be unable to do anything to him.

Because Lu Yun had long since made thorough preparations.

As far as Taiyi and the others could perceive, the only anomalies were the main stars such as the Wenqu Star, the Tian Qian Xing, and the Ziwei Star, so those Great Luo Golden Immortal Demons split into four groups and headed directly toward these four main stars.

But what they did not know was that these main stars were all intentionally exposed by Lu Yun to fish for them!

While those Great Luo Golden Immortal Demons were leading their subordinates on their way, they suddenly suffered attacks launched from the main stars!

……

In the vast starry sky near the Wenqu Star, the starlight was brilliant.

A group of Demons was hurrying toward the Wenqu Star when they suddenly discovered that the light of several other nearby main stars was exceptionally dazzling.

They seemed to have been activated by some kind of power, releasing immense strength.

The leading Great Luo Golden Immortal was shocked to discover that the main star he had assumed was normal was now suddenly launching an attack against them.

"Boom—"

Streams of starlight like swords, like waterfalls, like the sea, poured down toward them crazily.

"What... is going on?!"

"Not good! We've fallen into a trap!"

This Great Luo Golden Immortal Demon was both shocked and furious; he immediately commanded his subordinates to counterattack while simultaneously circulating his own magic power to the fullest, attempting to withstand this sudden attack.

However, the attacks from these main stars seemed endless, continuously bombarding their protective barriers, causing them to tremble incessantly as if they would shatter at any moment.

……

At the same time, the Demons who had arrived near the Tian Qian Xing also began to notice that this starry sky seemed somewhat wrong.

The starry sky, which should have been empty, was now filled with a dangerous aura, as if something terrifying was secretly watching them.

"Not good, there is an ambush here!"

"Retreat quickly, retreat from this starry sky!"

However, their reaction was already a beat too slow.

Just as they were panicking and trying to flee this starry sky, countless starlight chains suddenly emerged from all around, firmly binding them and their subordinates.

These starlight chains seemed to have a life of their own, constantly contracting and tightening, making it impossible for them to move at all.

The attacks released from those main stars also became more intense, crazily bombarding their bodies.

"Ah—"

Screams rose one after another; this Great Luo Golden Immortal and his subordinates suffered heavy casualties in these few moments.

Some of the weaker Demons were even reduced to dust directly under this terrifying attack!

……

The encounters of the other Demon groups were much the same, all very miserable.

Although those Great Luo Golden Immortals were not killed, they were directly suppressed, while the Taiyi Golden Immortal Demons suffered countless casualties.

Lu Yun, inside the Map of Mountains and Rivers, knew of all this at this moment, but he only shook his head.

He had long since had his avatars set up a net of heaven and earth, just waiting for these Demons to arrive; everything the other side encountered was within his expectations.

With his current attainments in the Array Dao, he could not only mobilize the power of the main stars he had seized but also mobilize a portion of the power of the Zhou Tian Star Formation; these Demons were simply seeking their own deaths! Lu Yun did not pay much more attention, instead continuing to immerse himself in the Array Dao True Explanation II.

……

On the Primordial Land.

As the day of the Three Pure Ones' sermon drew near, more and more cultivators began to gather at the foot of Shouyang Mountain.

These cultivators came from all over the Great Desolation; some were alone, others in groups, but without exception, they all harbored a longing and yearning for the Saintly Dao.

At the peak of Shouyang Mountain, clouds and mist swirled, and rays of auspicious light shone in ten thousand directions.

From afar, one could see the Three Pure Ones Saints sitting upright on the cloud platform, with endless Dao rhymes flowing behind them, as if they had merged into one with the entire Great Desolation heaven and earth.

At this moment, they were no longer simple cultivators, but represented the will of the Great Desolation heaven and earth, serving as the guiding light in the hearts of countless cultivators.

Duobao, Zhao Gongming, the Sanxiao, Chang'er Dingguang Xian, and others had finally arrived near Shouyang Mountain after a difficult journey.

"We made it!"

Smiles appeared on their faces one after another.

What made them even happier was that they happened to encounter Jinling Shengmu near Shouyang Mountain, who was leading other fellow disciples who had also come to listen to the sermon. Many Jie Sect disciples did not stay on Kunlun Mountain all the time but would go out to travel, so some had not seen each other for a long time; naturally, they were all extremely happy to meet now.

However, before they could be happy for long, Duobao and the others suddenly saw a group of familiar figures appear in another direction.

That was clearly the group of immortals from the Chan Sect.

Among them, the leader was the Nanji Immortal, followed closely by Guangchengzi and other Chan Sect disciples.

The appearance of the Chan Sect immortals made the atmosphere among the Jie Sect disciples suddenly become somewhat subtle.

Although the two sects originated from the same source, ever since Dao Ancestor Hongjun distributed the treasures, the relationship between the two sects had become somewhat complicated. Especially in recent years, with the growth of the disciples of both sects and their deepening understanding of their respective doctrines, friction and fighting between the two sects had become increasingly frequent.

Duobao, Zhao Gongming, and the others looked at each other, seeing the vigilance and wariness in each other's eyes. They knew that this time, while listening to the sermon at Shouyang Mountain, the Chan Sect immortals would certainly not be content to lag behind others, and fighting between the two sects was likely inevitable.

The Nanji Immortal, Guangchengzi, and the others naturally also saw the arrival of the Jie Sect disciples. Their expressions were calm, but a trace of cold light that was difficult to detect flashed in their eyes.

As disciples of the Three Pure Ones, they naturally possessed priority rights to listen to the Dao this time, so the best mountain peaks on Shouyang Mountain were not occupied by other Great Desolation experts, but were silently left for the disciples of the Three Teachings.

At this moment, the two groups of people each occupied one side of the mountain, facing each other from afar, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

However, both sides maintained restraint, because they knew that this sermon was very important to the Three Pure Ones. As disciples of the Three Pure Ones, even if they had grievances in their daily lives, they should not cause trouble at this time; otherwise, if they lost the face of the Three Pure Ones, they would inevitably be severely punished!

After all, those who came to listen to the lecture this time were not just the disciples of the Three Pure Ones, but also many Great Desolation experts and powerhouses.

And just after the disciples of the Jie Sect and the Chan Sect arrived, another figure drifted over, and it was none other than the Human Teachings First Disciple—Xuandu! Duobao discovered that it had only been a little over a year since they last parted, yet earth-shaking changes had occurred in Xuandu.

At this time, Xuandu looked completely different from before. Although he was still dressed as a Taoist mage, his whole body was circulating with Literature Qi, exuding an elegant temperament; he did not look like a Daoist, but rather like a great Confucian.

The disciples of the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect who had not seen him for a long time almost did not recognize him.

Seeing Xuandu heading toward the remaining mountain peak, some Chan Sect disciples thought that some Great Desolation expert was disregarding the face of the Three Pure Ones and wanted to stir up trouble! Once they learned that this person was actually Xuandu, they were all astonished.

"How is this possible? When did Senior Brother Xuandu have such a change?"

"Indeed, look at the aura around him; it is completely different from the Dao methods we practice!"

"Does this seem to be the Literature Dao practice method that is quite popular in the Great Desolation recently?"

"No way? Senior Brother Xuandu actually switched to practicing the Literature Dao? Does Senior Uncle Taiqing have no objections?"

The Chan Sect disciples whispered to each other; they felt surprised and confused by Xuandu's changes.

After all, in their impression, Xuandu had always been the First Disciple of the Ren Sect, practicing the same Dao methods as them. Now that such a change had suddenly appeared, it was truly unexpected.

Even Guangchengzi, who had previously seen Xuandu have an epiphany in the Zhushan Tribe with his own eyes, had not expected that after parting that day, Xuandu not only did not return to the Taoist sect, but had also gone further and further on the path of the Literature Dao!

Even, he discovered that Xuandu's cultivation had made great progress, and it looked like he was about to surpass him! This made him feel somewhat unhappy inside.

The Jie Sect disciples, however, had other thoughts.

They all knew that although the Three Teachings shared the same origin, there were great differences in their doctrines and practice methods.

Seeing Xuandu's changes, they could not help but start to think whether this meant that the Ren Sect was also seeking reform, or if Xuandu himself had some kind of realization.

Duobao and Zhao Gongming looked at each other and saw the gravity in each other's eyes. They knew that Xuandu's change might not just be the result of personal practice, but might represent the future direction of the Human Race! It was just that whether Xuandu could continue to practice like this ultimately depended on the will of their Grand Senior Uncle Laozi! Thinking of this, several people could not help but look toward the clouds above Shouyang Mountain, but they could not see anything at all.

Shouyang Mountain, above the clouds.

The Three Pure Ones sat cross-legged here, and naturally, they took in everything that happened below.

At the same time, they also noticed the changes in Xuandu.

Immediately, Yuanshi could not help but frown, looked at Laozi, and said, "Eldest Brother, Xuandu cannot go on like this!"

Laozi opened his eyes slightly, his gaze profound, as if he could penetrate the void and see the majestic Literature Qi circulating on Xuandu.

He was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Although Xuandu's action is contrary to our Taoist Dao methods, his heart toward the Dao is firm, and it is rare that he can find his own opportunity in the Literature Dao."

Upon hearing this, Yuanshi's brows furrowed even tighter: "Eldest Brother, although that is so, Xuandu is after all the first disciple under our sect; if he acts like this, I fear it will invite much criticism."

Laozi smiled faintly and said, "Yuanshi, you are attached to appearances. The path of practice is ever-changing and has no fixed rules. That Xuandu can find a glimmer of life in the Literature Dao is also his own fortune. As teachers, we should support our disciples in exploring their own paths rather than blindly restraining them. As for the so-called criticism, that is an indispensable tempering on the path of practice. If one cannot even endure these, how can one speak of Proving the Dao and Becoming a Saint?"

Tongtian also spoke at this time: "Eldest Brother's words are very true. Although Xuandu's action is unexpected, it may not be a bad thing. We have many disciples under our sect; if they can all be as brave as Xuandu in exploring their own paths, then the prosperity of the Three Teachings is just around the corner."

After listening to Laozi and Tongtian, Yuanshi was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "Forget it, forget it. Since Eldest Brother and Third Brother both say so, then this poor Taoist will say no more. I only hope that Xuandu can take care of himself and not let down our expectations of him."

Laozi nodded slightly: "Rest assured, although Xuandu has switched to practicing the Literature Dao, he is after all the first disciple under my sect, and his foundation is deep."

Tongtian also agreed: "Indeed, this poor Daoist sees that the Literature Qi around his body circulates freely, which clearly shows that he has already gained a very deep understanding of the Literature Dao. I believe that in time, he will definitely be able to walk a path of his own in the Literature Dao."

Yuanshi said no more and turned his gaze to other directions, seeing that many experts had already arrived near Shouyang Mountain.

They were either hidden in the clouds or concealed in the mountains and forests, all silently paying attention to this grand sermon event.

These experts clearly had their own calculations in mind; some wanted to take the opportunity to break through their own cultivation bottlenecks, while others wanted to comprehend deeper Dao rhymes from the sermon of the Three Pure Ones Saints to enhance their own strength.

However, after looking around, Yuanshi frowned again: "Why are Zhenyuanzi, Minghe, Zhulong, and others not here?"

Regarding this, Tongtian was also somewhat puzzled.

If it were said that the Witch and Demon races, as well as some Great Desolation experts, did not come because they were trapped in a great war, that would be one thing, but Zhenyuanzi and Minghe did not participate in the war in the Outer Space, so it was truly strange that they had not come at this time.

Laozi also frowned slightly, but soon relaxed and said, "Perhaps it is because they saw that the main target of our sermon this time is the Human Race, and it is of little help to them personally, so they did not come!"

Upon hearing this, Yuanshi and Tongtian also nodded, accepting this explanation from Laozi.

Subsequently, the gazes of the three of them could not help but look toward the Human Ancestral Land, where the Human Race was gathered, below Shouyang Mountain.

(End of this chapter)