Liu Xuan

And the moment the willow tree appeared.

The atmosphere above the sky became extremely oppressive.

An unprecedented killing intent, as if brewing for countless ages, pierced through the universe and locked onto that willow tree.

Rumble!

Above the sky, amidst the gathering dark clouds, purple lightning churned, stirring up the Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind.

"Purple Firmament Divine Thunder!"

"It's actually the number one divine lightning bolt in the entire universe!"

"What sins did my senior brother commit that would allow him to be struck by the Purple Firmament Divine Thunder?"

Deer Child stared blankly at the purple thunder dragon flashing in the sky.

He felt a chill run down his spine, a sense of Great Terror and impending crisis emanating from him.

Although Deer Child was just an Attendant Boy in In Wuyi Mountain and in front of Zhou Yuan, he was still a powerful ancestor who had attained the status of Immortal Golden Immortal in the Primordial World.

He naturally understood what the Purple Firmament Divine Thunder was.

According to ancient texts, when a cultivator defies the will of Heaven, they become burdened with karmic obstacles and overwhelming negative Karmic Debt.

'That's why it attracts the Purple Firmament Divine Thunder, a kind of tribulation.'

'But this senior brother is favored by the master, so he's clearly not a wicked person.'

Therefore, it was difficult for Deer Child to fathom why the Purple Heaven Tribulation would be triggered.

But he was unaware.

Liu Xuan was once plotted against by an old demon king of the Western Demonic Cult, which damaged his very foundation. His primordial spirit and true soul were corrupted by demonic energy, and the Great Dao engraved in the world was on the verge of collapse.

Fortunately, he received guidance from Zhou Yuan, Born from Death, rising from annihilation and reviving from ruin.

In this way, a second life was born.

Those who defy the heavens will inevitably suffer calamity. The return of a Great Luo Dao Lord is worthy of the roar of the Purple Firmament Divine Thunder.

The Deer Child and the Crane Child stared intently at the Purple Firmament Divine Thunder that was striking the willow tree from the void.

He silently prayed that his senior brother would be spared.

They were simply powerless to handle such a large-scale event.

While they were living in fear and trepidation.

A dazzling light suddenly flashed in the void.

Amidst the endless divine light, a handsome man in a white robe revealed himself. A lush, green willow tree, only a foot tall, floated above his head, wisps of Chaos Aura cascading down, forming layers of curtains.

"Having broken free from the old shackles, I now know who I truly am."

Facing the boundless Purple Firmament Divine Thunder in the sky, which seemed capable of destroying the world, Liu Xuan remained unmoved, his expression utterly indifferent.

The next moment, thousands of leaves suddenly fell from the willow tree above his head.

The Willow Leaf, shrouded in a dazzling divine light, appeared extremely mystical.

Buzz buzz buzz~

The Willow Leaf shimmered, and the divine light wavered.

Countless brilliant sword beams surged forth, and everything in the surrounding void, both existence and non-existence, vanished. Only the ultimate black and white and chaos remained, devoid of the universe, devoid of time and future.

Then, amidst the terrified gazes of the Deer Child and the Crane Child...

The sword light, formed by the convergence of countless sword beams, illuminated the entire world and roared towards the raging purple thunder dragon in the void.

The greatest sound is silent, the Great Form is Formless.

The aftershocks from their collision instantly spread to infinite dimensions.

It also needs to spread towards the present world and the valleys.

Upon seeing this, Liu Xuan, dressed in white, frowned. His fair hand swept across the sky, instantly annihilating and dispersing the aura from all directions. The dark clouds in the sky also vanished in an instant.

As the dawn broke through the sky, it illuminated the valley, where countless plants grew wildly, as if overnight, thousands of trees were blooming in competition.

Liu Xuan concealed his aura and slowly descended.

He smiled gently at the two children who were already stunned.

"Are you two Attendant Boy sent by the teacher?"

The Deer Child and the Crane Child then realized what was happening, and their eyes involuntarily brightened.

He exclaimed joyfully:

"Greetings, Senior Brother."

"Congratulations, senior brother, on breaking free from your shackles and discovering your true self."

"From now on, I will be carefree and can go anywhere in the world!"

Liu Xuan laughed heartily.

He then chatted with the two Attendant Boy for a while longer.

Only then did she sigh:

"Time stands still in the mountains; the passing of winter's chill makes one unaware of the year."

"When I secluded myself to cultivate, Born from Death, this world was still ruled by Turbid Fiend Divine Demon."

"But now the world belongs to the Mystic Gate Immortal Path."

Liu Xuan chuckled softly, concealing the trace of sorrow between his brows:

"What instructions does the master have?"

The Deer Child and the Crane Child exchanged a glance, then hurriedly presented a jade slip to Liu Xuan:

"The master said..."

"Simply give this jade slip to your senior brother."

"Senior brother will naturally know what to do."

Liu Xuan raised an eyebrow, took the jade slip, and understood.

"The teacher's Heavenly Mechanism Calculation becoming increasingly terrifying."

"Truly awe-inspiring."

Ten thousand years are but a handful of time; even a powerful Great Luo Dao Lord like Liu Xuan would feel a chill run down his spine upon seeing this.

"The teacher's meaning is profound and fully understood."

"Deer Child and Crane Child, you two are returning to Wuyi Mountain."

"Still with me?"

The Deer Child had not yet spoken.

Crane Child had already spoken first, chuckling:

"Senior brother, why don't you take us to see the world too?"

Upon hearing this, Deer Child also looked at Liu Xuan expectantly.

She clearly wanted to act alongside him.

Liu Xuan chuckled to himself.

However, he also knew that these two Attendant Boy had been cultivating in seclusion in the In Wuyi Mountain since birth, untouched by worldly affairs.

Now, it is all for him that the teacher sent him to this place for eternity.

It's understandable that she has a lively and playful personality.

So he nodded slightly:

"Then let's go together."

Having said that, he waved his sleeve, took the two Attendant Boy with him, made a few quick calculations, and then transformed into a streak of sword light, flying rapidly eastward.

Since that day when I reported the obstacles I encountered to Zhou Yuan.

Wu Zhiqi then calmed down.

He diligently practiced his spiritual disciplines every day without ceasing.

I was too lazy to look at that Red Maple Mountain not far away.

If you can't beat them, you can't beat them.

Even with his astonishing combat prowess and the aid of the remnant soul of the Chaos Demon Ape, he was already invincible in the realm of Primordial Unity Golden Immortal.

However, the Innate Dao Lord controls the Great Dao, and even if the Great Dao is illusory, it is still the essence of the universe.

Below the Dao Lord, all are but ants.

Even the weakest Innate Dao Lord is not someone that beings below the Daluo Golden Immortal can challenge.

On this day, Wu Zhiqi was reciting Daoist scriptures as usual, nurturing the [Primordial Chaos One Qi Staff] with his divine consciousness.

A soldier rushed in from outside to report:

"Reporting to the Marshal."

"We have guests visiting."

"They claim to have come on the Imperial Decree of the patriarch of Wuyi Mountain to clear the obstacles in our path."

Upon hearing this, Wu Zhiqi jumped up suddenly.

A glint of light flashed in his golden pupils.

"Real."

"Lead the way, I'll go meet you personally."

Having said that, he hurriedly left the central army camp.

Sure enough, three people were already standing outside the tent.

The two were dressed Attendant Boy, looking around curiously, though they were only at the level of Immortal Golden Immortal.

But the other person...

Wu Zhiqi, however, could not see through it.

The moment we met.

He saw mountains, rivers, grass, and trees; he saw a single blade of grass that could cleave the Sun, Moon, and Stars.

The sword light was dazzling to the extreme.

It seems capable of piercing through ancient mountains and rivers, and exploring the entire universe and time.

Just one glance was enough to make Wu Zhiqi feel a stinging pain in his eyes.

'Which deity has descended to the mortal realm?'

'How come I've never heard of this person before?'

Wu Zhiqi was surprised.

With his keen eyesight, he could naturally tell that the person in front of him was a Dao Lord who cultivated the Dao of the Sword.

Moreover, it is pure swordsmanship.

The sword is a weapon of slaughter, and powerful sword practitioners are extremely skilled in combat.

Not to mention Daoist of Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Venerate, who wields the Four Swords of Zhu Xian and can easily recreate the four elements of Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind.

Even the Ancestor Minghe, who wielded the [Yuantu] and [Abi] swords and whose swords Blood Sea, was a first-rate killing giant in the world.

This Daoist master left no name in the world.

Judging from his aura, Wu Zhiqi realized that this person was a first-rate figure among all the Heavenly Dao Lords.

He quickly withdrew his supernatural powers and went to pay his respects.

But the next moment, something happened that shocked Wu Zhiqi to no avail.

"Liu Xuan greets Senior Brother."

"This... this..."

Even someone as bold and daring as Wu Zhiqi felt a chill run down his spine when he saw Liu Xuan bowing to him.

He gave an awkward smile, scratched his head, and rubbed his hands, looking rather uneasy.

Why does that "senior brother" sound so jarring?!

The little monkey muttered to itself.

He felt the throne beneath him, the seat of the founding disciple of the Wuyi Mountain Dao Lineage, was burning hot.

But he's not a monkey who gets stuck on trivial details.

On the contrary, it was a rather proud monkey.

After a brief moment of astonishment.

A thought flashed through my mind:

'This junior brother only attained enlightenment a few years earlier than me.'

'I am still young, yet I have achieved so much.'

'According to Master's words, I will surely become a revered ancestor someday.'

'The existence of reaping the fruits of the Tao.'

'Flowing water doesn't compete to be first; it competes to flow endlessly.'

'It's still uncertain who will have a higher cultivation level in the future.'

"I deserve to be called 'Senior Brother,' I truly deserve it."

Wu Zhiqi's eyes darted around:

'But I've never heard of a teacher taking on disciples.'

'But we must inquire about this person's identity.'

So Liu Xuan saw that the white-haired monkey, who had been somewhat frightened just moments before, immediately straightened its posture.

He bowed in return and inquired:

"May I ask if this Daoist is a newly accepted disciple of my master?"

Liu Xuan nodded slightly and smiled:

"Junior brother, I made a promise with our teacher years ago."

"If one is fortunate enough to break free from the shackles, reap the Dao fruit, and be reborn."

"Thus, I developed a mentor-student relationship with my teacher."

"And just then, the two Attendant Boy who served my teacher brought Imperial Decree, which meant that I was allowed to enter their tutelage."

"However, since I haven't formally become your disciple, I dare not address you as 'Master'."

After saying that, he suddenly laughed:

"Before you met me."

"The teacher has already accepted my senior brother as his disciple."

"Our sect has its own rules, and there's a reason for the first-come, first-served principle."

Completely disregarding the fact that he was of higher cultivation level but could only be treated as a junior brother.

After hearing this, Wu Zhiqi saw Deer Child and Crane Child reveal their identities and take out the [Three Lights Jade Ruyi].

Only then did I realize that he really was my fellow disciple.

He was also a carefree person.

I just gave myself a mental pep talk.

This eliminated the awkwardness.

"Our master has incredibly insightful eyes."

"He personally selected his junior brother to help him; this situation can be broken in a matter of days!"

He laughed and quickly pulled Liu Xuan's arm, leading them into the central command tent.

After settling down, he began to complain without giving a chance to explain:

"Junior brother, you say those women on the mountain are incredibly unreasonable."

"That Tongtian River is her territory; if she can't take it, so be it."

"But to the north of this place lies a vast ocean, not all of which could be her territory."

"Even so, she still wouldn't let me lead the army north."

"Every time it moves, a celestial fire or meteor serves as a warning."

Wu Zhiqi had been feeling frustrated for so long.

This time, with his fellow disciple standing up for him, he immediately became bolder.

After a string of complaints.

He then considered his words carefully and said:

"Junior brother."

"Although the Daoist master on Red Maple Mountain is quite unreasonable..."

"But he possesses a golden cup in his hand, which is of innate nature and can unleash innate divine fire, making it extremely domineering."

"Even if I were to use the [Profound Nether Weak Water Bead] to fight against it, I still wouldn't be able to defeat it."

"Junior brother, if you challenge us tomorrow, please think twice before you act, lest you fall into the trap of that magical treasure."

After saying that, he took out the [Profound Nether Weak Water Bead] and told Liu Xuan to put it away.

"My cultivation level is only Taiyi, so I cannot unleash the full power of this treasure."

"Since Junior Brother has already attained the Daluo Golden Immortal..."

"With this treasure by our side, our chances of winning might increase a bit."

Liu Xuan did not refuse.

Although he considered his offensive skills to be astonishing, he would not underestimate the Dao Lord level powerhouses in the Primordial World.

The saying goes, "Heroes of the world are as numerous as carp crossing a river."

How many of those who have fought their way out of mountains of corpses and Blood Sea to become powerful Daluo Golden Immortal are easy to deal with?

Therefore, Liu Xuan never overestimated himself, nor did he underestimate his opponents.

The two brothers then talked all night, gaining a deeper understanding of each other.

The next day.

Wu Zhiqi then led Liu Xuan to the foot of Red Maple Mountain.

Now that he has someone backing him up, he naturally feels very confident.

So he shouted without any hesitation:

"Empress Mingyan"

"I, Wu Zhiqi, have been hesitating here for quite some time."

"Why does Your Majesty insist on preventing our army from marching north?"

"Could there be some other shady dealings involved?"

"Today I have brought my fellow disciples with me, specifically to demand justice from Your Majesty."

The divine sound, amplified by Wu Zhiqi's magical power, instantly reverberated throughout Red Maple Mountain.

On Red Maple Mountain, the Mingyan Goddess is practicing magic and cultivating her Dao.

Before her, golden lamps floated in the void, flickering with light, and wisps of Innate Undying Spirit Light.

"Bah!"

On the left side of the lamp, a blazing golden divine fire, as bright as the sun, transformed into the shape of Three-legged Golden Crow, its ferocious flames reaching the heavens, seemingly capable of tearing apart endless stars. On the right side of the lamp, there was a cluster of divine fire, entirely crimson, radiating endless brilliance of laws. This divine fire sometimes transformed into a dragon, and sometimes into a fire serpent, a transformation known as the Dragon-Serpent Transformation.

"Finally, only the Great Sun Divine Fire and the Zhu Rong Divine Flame remain."

The Mingyan Goddess looked somewhat tired, but her eyes shone brightly, reflecting an immortal and inextinguishable flame.

"Once these two divine flames are refined into the [Nine Luminaries Glazed Lamp], we will be able to gather all nine Innate Spirit Fire."

"This completes the status of this Innate Spiritual Treasure."

This [Nine Luminaries Glazed Lamp] is High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure left behind on Red Maple Mountain during the Dragon-Han Great Tribulation at the end of the Primordial Era, when a great Great Divine Ability User cultivated the Great Dao of Heavenly Fire perished.

When the Mingyan Goddess obtained the Dao Fruit using the Heavenly Fire Dao and became Innate Dao Lord, she followed the guidance of the mysterious Qi and came to this place, where she obtained this Innate Spiritual Treasure.

Unfortunately, this treasure was already severely damaged during the Great Calamity.

Over the years, the Mingyan Goddess has lived in seclusion on Red Maple Mountain, secretly collecting Innate Spirit Fire in order to complete the treasure's status and hope to use it to further comprehend the Great Dao.

However, Innate Spirit Fire is hard to find. She searched for countless years and only managed to collect five kinds.

"But who knew that all it would take was to stop Wu Zhiqi for 30,000 years."

"Then four forces from all directions sent four kinds of Innate Spirit Fire!"