At that moment, an angry shout rang out, and Daoist Lu Ya's expression changed in alarm once more.
He had only made a move to save those three Ancient Demon Lords. He had never intended to reveal his identity.
Who could have guessed that, despite taking such pains to conceal himself, someone would see through him with a single sentence?
He looked toward the source of the voice and saw that the one who had exposed his identity was none other than King Zhou.
That left him wondering: how did the Human Sovereign know who he was?
Not many people knew his identity. The Human Sovereign could never have known—unless someone had told him.
Suspicion and unease filled him. Just who had exposed his identity?
At that thought, he lost all desire to save the three Ancient Demon Lords. He turned and left at once.
Until he found out how his identity had been exposed, he had no intention of continuing his confrontation with the Human Sovereign.
Besides, he was deeply wary of the mysterious powerhouse before him. He knew there was no chance left to save the three Ancient Demon Lords.
If he didn't leave now, when would he?
But even if he wanted to leave, he still had to see whether Kong Xuan would allow it!
The Five-Colored Divine Light swirled, and crimson radiance shot into the sky, spreading for three thousand li as it swept toward Daoist Lu Ya.
Daoist Lu Ya didn't dare linger. Dodging the red light, he fled all the way toward the Deep North Sea.
Kong Xuan pursued him relentlessly, and the two powerhouses soon vanished into the vast depths of the North Sea.
"Today, the Yao Race invaded the Human Race. They must be executed!"
Before leaving, Kong Xuan had left the three Ancient Demon Lords behind and sent them before Zi Shou.
Suppressed by the Five-Colored Divine Light, the three Ancient Demon Lords might have been Golden Immortals, but by then they were no different from ordinary mortals.
As the word "executed" fell, the three Ancient Demon Lords at the Golden Immortal level were already separated from their heads.
Standing above the North Sea, Zi Shou had become the sole presence between heaven and earth.
"What kind of divine ability was that? How could it be so terrifying?" Jù Liúsūn said, his face full of shock.
For one of the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao to call something "terrifying" showed just how astonished he was.
But Jù Liúsūn wasn't the only one. The other Chan Sect Golden Immortals were no less shaken.
The battle had been brief, but they had all seen it with their own eyes. That was why they were so astonished.
A true expert could tell at a glance!
Whether it was the mysterious powerhouse beside King Zhou or Daoist Lu Ya, both were unquestionably top-tier experts.
Even Guang Chengzi, the foremost of the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao, would likely have no chance of winning against either of them.
Yet that was precisely why the streak of five-colored light had stood out so much.
In a clash between top-tier powerhouses, a mere streak of five-colored light had sent one side fleeing in disarray. What kind of peerless divine ability could be so terrifying?
"With such a powerhouse at his side, King Zhou can no longer be opposed by force," Taiyi Zhenren sighed.
Only after witnessing that battle did he truly understand that his defeat outside Chaoge City had been no shame at all.
With such overwhelming strength and such a terrifying divine ability, if the mysterious powerhouse had wanted to kill him, he would have been dead long ago.
With a top-tier powerhouse like that at his side, even if the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao combined all their abilities, they would have no chance of winning.
"The Canonization of the Gods is already set. King Zhou is doomed to be nothing more than a grasshopper after autumn. But with a powerhouse like that at his side, we must plan carefully," Guang Chengzi said.
They had already used every means at their disposal to salvage the Exposition Sect's reputation, yet this was still how things had ended.
His heart held not only anger, but also deep frustration. But what could frustration accomplish?
A top-tier Quasi-Saint was more than enough to defeat all Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao together.
They couldn't simply call off the conflict. The Canonization of the Gods was already set, and the Exposition Sect and King Zhou were fated to be enemies, not allies.
But they would have to consider their next move carefully. They had no way to deal with the mysterious powerhouse beside King Zhou.
Leaving aside the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao and their private concerns, the North Sea shore was now filled with celebration.
The King had led from the front, slain countless members of the Yao Race, and publicly executed three Ancient Demon Lords.
Such a magnificent feat had left countless members of the Human Race overcome with excitement. They shouted, "The King is mighty!"
A grand feast was inevitable. The thousands of members of the Yao Race who had been slain made the finest ingredients.
There hadn't been many Yao Race members at the Earth Immortal level, but there were still three at the Golden Immortal level. The feast's ingredients were truly top-grade.
"After this battle, perhaps I should pass on a cultivation method," Zi Shou thought to himself.
After the battle in the North Sea, his prestige among the army had risen tremendously, and many problems had been resolved.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he could now direct the North Sea Army as easily as his own limbs. They could serve as the foundation of his forces.
He had once asked Grand Tutor Wen about it. Although the Human Race's armies had cultivation methods, they were very crude.
Even those with some talent could scarcely hope to cultivate successfully.
"The Dao isn't passed on to the unworthy; the method isn't passed on to the six-eared!"
In this world, the transmission of the Dao and its cultivation methods was strictly restricted. It wasn't something one could simply choose to practice.
Only by apprenticing oneself to a renowned master could one learn profound Daoist arts. Grand Tutor Wen, for instance, had studied under Golden Spirit Holy Mother of the Interception Sect.
What's more, Grand Tutor Wen couldn't casually pass the Interception Sect's cultivation methods on to others. He could do so only with his sect's permission.
The North Sea Army was already loyal, and after eating many members of the Yao Race, they had a decent foundation as well.
If he passed on a cultivation method, he didn't expect everyone to achieve great things, but the North Sea Army's strength would surely surge.
He had actually been considering this for a long time. But his strength had been limited, and he'd had many concerns, so he had put the matter aside.
Now was undoubtedly a good opportunity. He could use it to test some of his ideas.
If it truly proved effective, then even if all the lords under heaven rebelled, he could suppress them with a mere flip of his hand.
There was no need to rush. He needed to plan it all carefully, and he didn't have to handle it personally; Zhang Guifang could make all the necessary arrangements.
Before the feast began, Kong Xuan had already returned, but he hadn't brought Daoist Lu Ya back with him.
"That Yao Race powerhouse was indeed capable. In the end, he still managed to escape!"
Those were Kong Xuan's exact words. One could only imagine Daoist Lu Ya's strength, if even the proud and unruly Kong Xuan said such a thing.
According to Kong Xuan, he would have won a fair fight, but it would have been difficult for him to keep Daoist Lu Ya from escaping.
They were both top-tier Quasi-Saints. Even if their strengths differed, the gap between them couldn't be all that great.
"He was at a disadvantage because he didn't have a supreme treasure," Zi Shou thought to himself.
Was Kong Xuan's Five-Colored Divine Light powerful?
It was powerful enough to defy the heavens—an unrivaled divine ability!
But it was also true that Kong Xuan had no supreme treasure in his hands. That put him at a disadvantage.
Look at the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao. Which one of them didn't have a supreme treasure?
Even Daoist Lu Ya had two in his possession: the Slashing Immortal Flying Knife and the Seven Arrows Nail Head Book.
If Kong Xuan had a supreme treasure, his strength would surely rise to another level. Perhaps he could even suppress Daoist Lu Ya.
But most of the supreme treasures in this world already had owners. Obtaining even one would be harder than scaling the heavens.
There were a few that might be worth scheming for, but that would take careful planning. There was no need to rush.
The grand feast marked the end of the North Sea rebellion!
His Imperial Expedition had ended in a complete victory.
The Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea had been wiped out, while the Exposition Sect and the Yao Race had gone quiet.
Whether it was the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao or the North Sea Demon Race, anyone with sense would think twice before making another reckless move.
After all, with a powerhouse like Kong Xuan around, anyone who dared to make a move would have to consider whether they were strong enough.
At this point, returning to the capital was the obvious next step.
Who could have imagined that King Zhou had completely put down the North Sea rebellion in less than a month?
Before returning to the capital, Zi Shou had Zhang Guifang summoned and told him about passing on the cultivation method.
The Five Great Secret Realms of the Human Body cultivation method began with the Sea of Wheels Secret Realm and went all the way to the Immortal Platform Secret Realm. It sought nothing from the outside world and focused solely on cultivating oneself.
This was entirely different from the mainstream cultivation methods in this world. That was why the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao couldn't see through his cultivation.
Zhang Guifang was also a disciple of the Interception Sect. Though his talent was limited and his cultivation wasn't high, he was still quite knowledgeable.
When he suddenly heard of such a wondrous cultivation method, he was astonished, but he could also sense its extraordinary nature.
Still, before he saw any results, he didn't dare make a rash judgment about how effective it would be.
But after all this time, he no longer dared doubt the King in the slightest.
As far as he was concerned, if the King had passed down such an unusual cultivation method, it must contain a deeper purpose.
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