Chapter 43

A single thought arose in their hearts: Taishang was terrifying beyond measure! Indeed, Li Er's strength was so great that it inspired fear.

They knew that Dao Ancestor Hongjun had once paid an enormous price to break through to a realm above that of a Saint.

Yet at this moment, Li Er had attained Dao by Slaying Three Corpses, transcended the Heavenly Dao, and reached a realm above Saints through his own strength.

The power he displayed shocked all the Saints.

Even Hongjun had no choice but to take his cultivation seriously.

All the Saints were awaiting the coming great tribulation.

When the great tribulation descended, anyone unable to protect their Daoist Lineage would risk a severe loss of providence.

At this moment, Hongjun mentioned that he had exposed Li Er's cultivation, thus owing him a karmic debt.

Regarding Li Er's question about the Heavenly Dao Realm, Hongjun fell silent before answering, "The Heavenly Dao Realm is an existence that surpasses the realm of Saints.

Its breakthrough relies on one's own cultivation and comprehension, while the process of attaining Dao requires enduring countless hardships and trials."

As for exactly how one could break through and attain it, Hongjun did not elaborate.

Li Er waited quietly, hoping to receive further answers concerning the Heavenly Dao Realm.

When one's advancement in strength reached the level of touching upon the laws of the Primordial World, that was a manifestation of the Heavenly Dao Realm.

Hongjun explained this clearly: "The Heavenly Dao Realm is the supreme embodiment of the order of laws."

As soon as his words fell, he turned to discussing the realm in which Saints transcended the Primordial World, pointing out that the Heavenly Dao Realm was a realm beyond the Primordial World, one that directly touched the Heavenly Dao.

To reach this realm, one had to temper one's own Dao into an existence akin to the order of laws.

At present, Li Er's Grand Pure Dao had already paved an invincible path and forged an unshakable foundation. His Dao had reached the Half-step Heavenly Dao Realm.

Hongjun further explained that the key to the Heavenly Dao Realm lay in forging one's own Dao into the order of laws.

A Saint's words were law, while the Heavenly Dao needed no words. Its very existence was law.

As for how Li Er could break through, Hongjun gave no clear answer. "I united myself with the Dao and became the incarnation of the Heavenly Dao.

As for how you may attain the Heavenly Dao Realm, I cannot put it into words, for this realm can only be understood, not conveyed."

Hongjun spoke this way because his method of attaining the Heavenly Dao Realm had been to unite himself with the Dao and merge into the Heavenly Dao.

As the Heavenly Dao's spokesperson, this path had been his only choice.

After the conflict between the Dao and the demonic path, his fate had already been decided. He could not choose another road.

Thus, in a sense, Hongjun envied Li Er's courage in daring to challenge the Heavenly Dao.

Although Hongjun had not explicitly stated the method of attaining the Heavenly Dao Realm, Li Er had gleaned many mysteries of that realm from Hongjun's words.

Li Er pondered Hongjun's description deeply.

When the Heavenly Dao Realm was mentioned, he noticed what seemed to be the faintest ripple across Dao Ancestor's face.

"Was that an illusion, or was it real?"

Li Er could not help but wonder.

At the same time, he realized that Hongjun's earlier warning that the Heavenly Dao Will was about to awaken had not been made without reason.

After Hongjun departed, Li Er's strength became known to all the Saints, making him the center of attention.

His realm surpassed that of ordinary Saints, as though he had reached the Half-step Heavenly Dao Realm.

This caused the All Saints to reassess him, and subtle changes arose in their attitudes and positions.

Zhunti was especially embarrassed. Had he known of Li Er's strength, he never would have schemed against the Daoist sects.

Now, he had only the cultivation of a Heavenly Immortal left. His cleverness had backfired upon him.

For a time, all the Saints fell silent, and the atmosphere grew solemn.

Today's dispute should reasonably have reached its end.

Yet because of Li Er's might, they could not decide how to conclude it.

Under countless watchful eyes, a voice rang out once more from within the Chaos Bell. "Zhunti, since you have already perished, I will no longer hold this against you.

But if you dare scheme against my Daoist sects again, I would not mind killing you once more."

Upon hearing this, Zhunti promptly replied, "I have witnessed Taishang's might today. Zhunti would never again dare scheme against the Daoist sects."

Li Er had complete faith in Zhunti's words. Unless Zhunti possessed the strength to oppose him, he would never dare act rashly again.

Immediately afterward, the void before the Chaos Bell split open, revealing a pitch-black fissure.

The Chaos Bell flashed once and vanished without a trace.

With the departure of the Chaos Bell, this dispute finally came to an end.

Yuanshi, Jieyin, and Zhunti also departed one after another. Keeping firmly in mind Dao Ancestor Hongjun's prophecy that a great tribulation was about to emerge, they each returned to their own sacred grounds to consider their responses.

In the days that followed, because Heavenly Court's Haotian had yielded, the conflict between the Heavenly Court and the Saint factions did not intensify further.

Under the restraint of the Four Saints and Three Sects, no further killing tribulations occurred among the Saint factions.

A hundred years were but the flick of a finger to cultivators of the Primordial World. A single period of secluded cultivation could far exceed that span.

But for the human race, a hundred years were enough for the Great Xia Dynasty to see several monarchs succeed one another.

All the Saints were awaiting an important moment—the descent of the great tribulation foretold by Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

In this regard, the Three Sects and Four Saints clearly faced far greater pressure than Li Er and Nuwa, who had not founded sects.

From Hongjun's words, they realized that this great tribulation would be far from ordinary.

They felt uneasy about the struggle over Daoist Lineages.

They were not Li Er, who possessed terrifying strength. Their Daoist Lineages were their sole foundation.

On a mountain peak deep within Mount Daluo of the Xuandu Purple Mansion, spiritual energy pressed upon the air, while vegetation flourished luxuriantly.

Though this peak could not compare to the main peak of Li Er's Eight Sceneries Palace, its heaven-and-earth spiritual energy was so rich it was nearly condensing into mist. It was a Blessed Land coveted in the dreams of countless Primordial World cultivators.

Li Er stood there, his bearing tranquil and detached, as if immersed in thought and contemplating the Dao.

He had come here because it was an excellent location from which to overlook the Xuandu Purple Mansion and several great wonders.

At this moment, one of his Nine Scenes, Chaos Primordial Mist, had already evolved.

This was because he had gathered the Taiji Diagram and the Chaos Bell to construct the ninth scene.

It also meant that Li Er had gained the qualification for a ninth scene.

Though it was customarily called the Eight Sceneries Palace, he had not changed its name.

At this time, Tongtian's projection manifested in this place.

Though burdened with worries, Tongtian could not help laughing loudly when he saw this sight, praising Li Er for recreating the scene of Chaos Primordial Mist with Heaven-Opening treasures.

After constructing the scene of Chaos Primordial Mist, Li Er leisurely turned to face Tongtian and gave a slight nod.

He had constructed this scene in order to contemplate it and comprehend the Dao.

For someone of his cultivation, simply meditating in seclusion no longer served much purpose.

His cultivation had already reached its peak, unless he could thoroughly break through into the Heavenly Dao Realm.

Since the first Dragon-Phoenix Calamity, Hongjun seemed no longer keen on the Witch-Demon Calamity.

Li Er understood this to mean that once one's cultivation reached a certain height, there was naturally no longer any need to fight for providence.

However, although Li Er thought so, the other Saints still needed providence. Though their cultivation was high, they still had to undergo many challenges to reach Li Er's level.

Therefore, when the new great tribulation arrived, the Saints would still fight for it without restraint.

Sect Master Tongtian was the first to seek out Li Er to discuss how to deal with this great tribulation.

As the leader of the Interception Sect and the Saint who most loved accepting disciples, Tongtian was worried about the uneven temperaments of those under his sect.

He knew that Yuanshi's Chan Sect had gained considerable providence in the previous great battle, and so he felt even greater pressure.

After Tongtian's projection appeared, Yuanshi's projection emerged as well.

The two told Li Er that they too had been considering how to handle this new great tribulation.

It turned out that they also wished to know what kind of tribulation this so-called great tribulation truly was. The great tribulation mentioned by Dao Ancestor had troubled them both for a long time, so they had come to the Eight Sceneries Palace together to seek Li Er's views.

Though they could not keep pace with Li Er, they still needed to unite and face the unknown great tribulation together.

Regarding Yuanshi and Tongtian's doubts about the tribulation of the Heavenly Scroll and Investiture of the Gods, Li Er spoke bluntly. "The Heavenly Scroll is about to emerge, and the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods is descending!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Tongtian and Yuanshi both fell silent, as if the name Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods carried some strange magical power.

Li Er continued, "Although Haotian, as the new ruler of the Heavenly Court, was not rebuked by the Purple Sky Palace because of the Saint factions, the appearance of the Earth Scroll and Human Scroll foretells the emergence of the Heavenly Scroll."

Zhen Yuanzi's Earth Scroll, the Human Scroll that governs life, death, and reincarnation, and the Heavenly Scroll soon to appear together form the Heaven, Earth, and Human Books.

Yet only the emergence of the Heavenly Scroll is accompanied by the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods."

Regarding the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods, Li Er believed that it was not aimed at his Grand Pure lineage.

They had only Xuandu as a disciple, and he stood apart from worldly affairs, so there was no need for excessive concern.

As for whether Xuandu would be listed, Li Er was not worried given Xuandu's strength and status.

In the end, this great tribulation brought about by the Heavenly Scroll's emergence was still, at its root, the Investiture of the Gods.

It was merely that its scope had expanded from a killing tribulation among the Saint factions to the entire Primordial World.

As stated earlier, the emergence of the Heavenly Scroll in the Primordial World would trigger a great tribulation involving the Investiture of the Gods.

The three Saints, Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Li Er, each had their own thoughts on the matter.

Li Er stated that although the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods might have a greater impact on the Interception Sect, he had already taken measures to address the tribulation facing those under his sect.

What Yuanshi and Tongtian cared about most was whether Li Er would participate in this great tribulation.

In response, Li Er merely mentioned that he had only one direct disciple of the Grand Pure lineage, Xuandu, who would not be affected by the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods. However, he did not clearly state whether he would participate.

In the Primordial World, a mysterious Heavenly Scroll descended, triggering an unprecedented great tribulation that affected all living beings. This tribulation was closely tied to the Investiture of the Gods.

Faced with this sight, the two Saints Yuanshi and Tongtian were filled with worry, while Li Er remained calm and composed.

This great tribulation concerned the entire structure of the Primordial World, and the predicament facing the Interception Sect in particular seemed even more severe.

Yet Li Er calmly stated that he had already devised a strategy for those under his sect.

He knew full well the severity of the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods, but he did not panic because of it.

In response to Yuanshi and Tongtian's concerns, he explained that although the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods had far-reaching effects, he had already taken measures to protect those under his sect.

What Yuanshi and Tongtian cared about most was whether Li Er would personally take part in this great tribulation.

They understood that Li Er's attitude would determine the direction of the entire situation.

Faced with this question, Li Er did not directly answer whether he would personally participate in the great tribulation.

He merely mentioned that he had only one direct disciple of the Grand Pure lineage, Xuandu, who would not be affected by this Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods.

However, he did not clearly state whether he would personally participate.

This remained an unresolved question.

He possessed the strength of the Half-step Heavenly Dao Realm, an overwhelmingly powerful existence in itself.

For Tongtian and Yuanshi, the pressure they felt was immense.

Tongtian in particular was likely to become a main force in this Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods, and he would inevitably have to battle other Saints.

Though he had not feared this originally, when facing Li Er, even the Immortal-Slaying Four Swords in his hand found it difficult to display their proper might.

Thus, Tongtian cared deeply about Li Er's attitude.

Yuanshi had the same thought.

Faced with this situation, Li Er merely smiled faintly and gave no answer.

He understood Yuanshi and Tongtian's thoughts. As for whether he would participate in this great tribulation, the answer in his heart was affirmative.

If he did not participate, he would have no way to scheme for Yuanshi's Pangu Banner, reverse-refine the Heaven-Opening treasures, or restore the three great treasures to the original form of the Pangu Axe.

Moreover, this Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods was related to the awakening of the Heavenly Dao Will.

Although this might not yet have been realized, Li Er knew very well that even if he did not participate, he would not be able to escape the Heavenly Dao Will's hostility toward the Pangu Imprint.

Therefore, Li Er had long since had an answer to this question in his heart.

When Tongtian asked for their thoughts, Li Er merely smiled faintly and responded with a question.

His answer seemed irrelevant, but in truth, it was already perfectly clear.