Regret

According to the Azure Dragon Chronicle, in ancient times, those who entered the Immortal Realm were first bathed in radiant light, and then faced a heavenly tribulation.

This scene of Saint Chu perfectly matches the first sign of entering the Immortal Realm: radiant light shining everywhere!

Even Ma Feifei was slightly surprised, staring blankly at the radiant light shining on Saint Chu. According to Ma Feifei's previous speculation, the Tao Te Ching should not allow anyone to break through to the Immortal Realm, because the Tao Te Ching is Epic-grade book with a unique system. The benefits that readers gain from each stage of the system are closely related.

Whether it's * Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio *, *the Analects *, or * The Lotus Lantern *, these three Epic-grade- quality books have perfectly demonstrated this point through their previous successes. If the * Tao Te Ching * can enable one to break through to the Immortal Realm, wouldn't that mean that, at the same level, the * Tao Te Ching * is superior to the * the Analects * and * The Lotus Lantern *?

If we were to rank it higher, we might as well classify the Tao Te Ching as a Legendary-grade quality book. Since it wasn't classified as such, it proves that the Tao Te Ching cannot directly lead one to the realm of the Immortal Realm. Therefore, based on the above, it is absolutely impossible for Saint Chu to become an immortal by relying on the Tao Te Ching.

But the problem is now...

Even the extraordinary phenomena that occurred when he ascended to immortality have appeared. Damn, things seem to be a bit beyond Ma Feifei's expectations!

'He's really about to become an immortal!' The millions of cultivators below were all shaken, looking up at Saint Chu with excited expressions, gazing at the radiant light descending from the sky.

As cultivators, the Azure Dragon Chronicle is an essential book for them, recording all the major events that have occurred since ancient times. Naturally, extraordinary phenomena such as those related to becoming an immortal are also mentioned. Therefore, the appearance of this scene instantly excited everyone, who believed that someone was finally about to step into the Immortal Realm.

'Thump!'

Suddenly, a bell rang out from the sky, its sound distant and lingering, refusing to cease for a long time.

It was at this moment that the glow in the sky gradually began to Minimize, and the originally thick pillar of light gradually contracted, becoming smaller and smaller.

"No!"

As if sensing something, Saint Chu looked up to the sky and cried out in grief and indignation, transforming into a streak of light that shot straight into the Yunxiao, chasing after the already shrinking rosy light.

On the ground, everyone watched this scene in silence, their excitement suddenly vanishing, replaced by a faint sense of loss.

Even some sentimental people felt their eyes well up with tears upon hearing Saint Chu's mournful cry.

In the end, it was all just like looking at flowers in a dream—a complete waste of time.

"Sigh..." Someone let out a long sigh, which expressed the helplessness and disappointment in everyone's hearts.

Becoming an immortal is not just about the birth of a celestial being; it also breaks the 30,000-year curse that prevents anyone from becoming an immortal on the Azure Dragon Continent, adding a glimmer of hope to everyone's hearts, instead of the situation where, for 30,000 years, all cultivators have given up on the dream of becoming an immortal.

Only...

The dawn was mercilessly shattered by the Great Dao. Saint Chu, who was currently the closest to the Immortal Realm on the Azure Dragon Continent, failed, despite comprehending the Epic-grade- quality book "Tao Te Ching".

The curse continues, and immortality remains a distant dream.

"Pfft~"

A Spirit Saint's Dao heart shattered, and Spit Up a mouthful of blood before collapsing backward.

"Ancestor!" The descendants from countless generations around him caught him, their faces filled with panic.

"It's all fate..." Above the clouds, a powerful figure who had lived for over two thousand years and was at the Spirit Saint eighth stage peak sighed deeply, slowly closing his eyes and remaining motionless.

This great figure, who stood Azure Dragon's Peak and roamed the continent for countless years, brought his life's cultivation journey to a close at this moment.

Many Spirit Saint figures sensed the gradual disappearance of life force within his body, and they all turned their gazes away, their expressions complex, filled with emotion and regret.

Many of them belonged to the same era. They may have had grudges, hatred, and bullying, but at this moment, everything vanished like dust, leaving only a long sigh.

'Hoo~'

A gentle breeze blew by, and the great man's body turned into fluorescent light, drifting away with the wind.

"Jiu You, may you rest in peace."

For some reason, Ma Feifei felt a pang of sadness upon seeing this scene. After struggling against the heavens for two thousand years, he ultimately could not escape the cycle of fate. It was both a sense of resentment and regret.

Shaking his head, Ma Feifei shook off his melancholy and looked up at Saint Chu, who was descending from the sky. He had indeed not broken through to the Immortal Realm, but Ma Feifei could feel that Saint Chu's aura was becoming more and more profound, and his vitality was becoming more and more vibrant. He was quite different from the Saint Chu he had seen before. In other words, Saint Chu must have gained a lot from listening to the Tao Te Ching this time. However, with the Immortal Realm as a precedent, after his hopes were dashed, all other gains were naturally not so important.

After venting his frustrations, Saint Chu's mindset finally stabilized, and at least outwardly, nothing seemed amiss.

After Saint Chu gained his reward, the sermon came to an end. Ma Feifei composed himself, his expression solemn, preparing to deliver a motivational speech as a conclusion. However, before he could even speak, the masked man in black suddenly asked in a low voice, "Shopkeeper, um, I don't think I gained any reward..."

All the important figures on the clouds benefited to some extent, but he, the one who reached the top, had no reaction at all. It was unlikely to be normal, but if you asked him to find out the reason... he couldn't. In the end, he could only shamelessly ask Ma Feifei. Fortunately, Ma Feifei was masked, so no one knew who he was, and he could completely let loose.

Unfortunately, he asked the wrong person. Could Ma Feifei, the instigator, really tell him the reason? He was overthinking it. His face turned solemn, and he said seriously, "Everything is predestined; just accept your fate."

After saying that, Ma Feifei didn't even have time to give Zhang Yunji a pep talk before giving him a wink.

Seizing the Zhang Yunji activated his Spiritual Power and soared into the air, standing beside Ma Feifei. He announced loudly, "I now declare the shopkeeper's sermon a complete success. Please stay tuned for the latest news from the Mysterious Bookstore, and we look forward to the next sermon. Thank you."

'Buzz~'

As Zhang Yunji finished speaking, Li Shulin trembled slightly, ejecting everyone once again. A light shield appeared, and the clouds in the sky disappeared.

Along with him, Ma Feifei, the owner of the Mysterious Bookstore, also disappeared.

"Eh eh~~" The masked man in black, who had been pushed out, stared blankly at everything, his spirits plummeting to rock bottom.

"Brother, don't be discouraged. We'll start over next time." At this moment, two other masked men in black walked over and comforted him.

"Indeed, since this brother has risen to the highest level, he must be exceptionally talented. I wonder which of the Twelve Holy Kings in the organization he is?" another masked man in black asked curiously.

"An organization? The Twelve Holy Kings?" The masked man in black turned to face another masked man dressed similarly, his temper flaring instantly. He yelled, "Are you guys crazy? Wearing night clothes and masks in broad daylight, are you thieves?"

After saying that, he angrily turned and left, leaving the two people completely bewildered.

"Is this guy crazy?" one of the men in black couldn't hold back and cursed.

The other, however, fell into deep thought, stroking his chin, and said, "Could it be that he's not someone from the organization?"