The Ultimate Sword Dao, The Three Purities' Opportunity

After a long moment, Tongtian finally calmed down.

His heart settled slightly.

Then he set off toward the opportunity he had sensed.

However.

Before heading there, Tongtian couldn't help but think of his two elder brothers.

"I wonder what fortunes my elder brothers have encountered?"

"I imagine they must be doing well too..."

"After all, the one preaching is a Sage!"

At the same time.

Two cultivators had temporarily stopped in their tracks.

These two cultivators.

One was an old man, the other a middle-aged man.

They addressed each other as brothers.

These two were none other than Taiqing and Yuanshi, who had heard that Hongjun was about to expound the Heavenly Dao and were hurrying toward the Heaven Beyond Heaven.

But for now.

The two had not yet reached the Heaven Beyond Heaven.

They were still within the Primordial Wilderness.

To be precise.

They were in the Thirty-Three Heavens!

As for why they had stopped...

The reason was simple.

Because they were stunned by what they were experiencing.

A realm entirely different from when they were on the Primordial Wilderness continent.

The Heavenly Realm they were perceiving!

"Truly..."

"There are heavens beyond heavens!"

"Before even leaving the borders of the Primordial Wilderness, I can clearly feel that comprehending the Heavenly Dao has become easier!"

"Elder Brother, do you feel the same?"

Yuanshi exclaimed in wonder.

Taiqing gently stroked his white beard and smiled.

"Of course!"

"I perceive the same as you!"

"One could say that merely having this experience makes the journey worthwhile!"

"It seems..."

"We came to the right place!"

"Elder Brother speaks wisely!"

Yuanshi nodded, his mood greatly lifted.

What was even more crucial.

The insight he had gained told him that there were a full thirty-three layers of such Heavenly Realms.

And each layer was higher than the last.

One could imagine.

What kind of harvest awaited them when they finally reached the Heaven Beyond Heaven.

Or rather.

Even the gradual process of "ascending to heaven" could be considered an opportunity in itself.

From it, one could comprehend many things.

For a moment.

Neither Taiqing nor Yuanshi could remain calm.

At the same time.

They also thought of Tongtian. Taiqing let out a sigh.

"Ah~"

"What a pity!"

"Third Brother isn't here. I wonder if he's found that opportunity yet?"

Upon hearing this, Yuanshi spoke.

"Elder Brother, don't bother with him!"

"That was his own choice. If we say too much, he'll only grow displeased!"

"Since he's set on that path, let him be!"

"As for his opportunity..."

Yuanshi paused briefly.

He gave a light snort.

"Hmph!"

"Even if he finds it, so what?"

"Can it possibly compare to a Sage's opportunity?"

"When the time comes, he'll inevitably fall behind us again!"

"Then, we can offer him a few pointers, and he'll come to his senses! He'll realize what a mistake he made!"

Taiqing nodded, agreeing with this reasoning.

"Well said!"

"In that case."

"After a brief rest here, let us proceed to the next Heaven!"

With that.

The two composed their Heart Spirits.

They no longer thought of Tongtian.

Instead, they focused all their attention on the Thirty-Three Heavens.

The more they observed, the more they marveled.

Their thoughts aligned.

Though they couldn't perceive it clearly.

They still understood.

The Thirty-Three Heavens were not innately formed.

They were utterly unlike the Primordial Wilderness.

Not innate, which meant...

They were created by some existence in a later age?

Who could it be?

Surely only the Heavenly Dao?

That was why, with each Heaven they ascended.

They felt.

As if drawing closer to the Heavenly Dao?

At this moment.

The two never imagined that the reason the Thirty-Three Heavens were close to the Heavenly Dao was not because the Heavenly Dao had created them, but because...

Someone had punched through them!

In truth.

It wasn't just Taiqing and Yuanshi. Every cultivator who later reached the Thirty-Three Heavens.

Was no exception.

They all believed it was the work of the Heavenly Dao.

It never occurred to them that during the creation of the Thirty-Three Heavens, the Heavenly Dao had actually been quite passive.

There was no helping it.

Who could blame them? Their cultivation was insufficient to perceive so many mysteries.

In any case.

After Hongjun became a Sage, every cultivator in the Primordial Wilderness.

Was stirred into action.

Even if they weren't preparing to head to Lei Jun Palace, they sought other opportunities.

This marked the rise of a great trend.

And it wasn't just the Primordial Wilderness.

To some extent, even the Seeking Dao Courtyard—hidden somewhere in the Primordial Wilderness, where few could sense it—had also changed.

Not long ago, a mountain suddenly appeared.

An Immortal Mountain that carried the entire courtyard on its back!

This mountain was incomparably hard.

And also enormous.

But what was astonishing was that, though it stood across the Primordial Wilderness, no one noticed it at all.

Even cultivators near the Immortal Mountain.

Were completely unaware.

Clearly.

Some great force was at work, not only sealing off the surrounding heavens and earth, but even...

Rewriting the rules!

Otherwise.

How could such a massive, obviously extraordinary Immortal Mountain go unnoticed by anyone?

As for where this great force came from.

At this moment.

On this very question.

Two waves of consciousness emanated from the mountain, clearly discussing the matter.

But soon.

These two consciousnesses reached a consensus.

"I cast my vote for the Celestial Venerable!"

"I do as well!"

"Indeed! Between the Heavenly Dao and the Celestial Venerable, though I know not who is stronger, it's obvious the Heavenly Dao cannot deal with the Celestial Venerable, but the Celestial Venerable has means to deal with the Heavenly Dao! Otherwise, how could our Spiritual Lights have been rescued by the Celestial Venerable? To have come this far?"

"Haha, my fellow daoist shares my view! I also believe it cannot be the work of the Heavenly Dao!"

These two consciousnesses.

Were none other than that Stone and that Sword Grass.

But now.

The Stone had transformed. It had become this Immortal Mountain. The mountain had no name.

Yet it was profoundly mysterious.

Just standing at its foot could stir awe in one's heart.

It even gave the illusion of being at Mount Buzhou?

Of course.

It couldn't compare to Mount Buzhou.

But that still showed its wonder.

In contrast.

That Sword Grass was far more ordinary.

Truly embodying what it meant to be "utterly unremarkable."

So much so that the Stone...

Now it should be called the Immortal Mountain—was utterly baffled.

It asked.

"Fellow daoist, what does your being so low-key have to do with the reward you mentioned?"

At the foot of the mountain.

A verdant little grass swayed left and right.

Its movements were quite human-like.

As if shaking its head.

"Remember what the Celestial Venerable said at the very beginning? The reward and opportunity I spoke of are related to that!"

"What? I have no memory of that!"

The Immortal Mountain was dumbfounded.

The Sword Grass reminded it.

"The Uninvited Guest!"

"You understand now?"

Immortal Mountain said nothing.

But its meaning leaked through.

It did not understand.

A single green leaf of the Sword Grass propped up its tip, as if holding its forehead.

"Stupid!"

"The Celestial Venerable has so many ways to punish us, so why did he specifically have us guard the Courtyard Gate?"

"Think about that old man Yang Mei!"

"Clearly! He wants us to block any Uninvited Guests who come calling!"

"Or rather..."

"Test them!"

"After all, the Celestial Venerable did say that when it's time to loosen up, we can loosen up a bit!"

Immortal Mountain finally realized.

But one thing still puzzled it.

"Then what does this have to do with the reward of opportunity?"

"Sigh~"

"You're clearly a rock, so why are you as dense as a block of elm? Could it be that old man Yang Mei has assimilated you?"

The Sword Grass explained again.

"If the Celestial Venerable truly wants us to test the 'Uninvited Guests,' then wouldn't testing them be a meritorious deed?"

"If not, and I stop them, isn't that also merit?"

"No matter how you choose, there's merit to be had—so if that's not a reward, what is?"

"And if it's the former, it means we've earned the Celestial Venerable's favor. In the future, there may be fortune, and we can also forge a good karmic bond with them in advance!"

"So, how is this a punishment? It's clearly a sweet assignment!"

Immortal Mountain fell silent.

After a moment, it spoke.

"What you say makes sense, but... how do you know which one to test and which one to chase away?"

"That's why I keep a low profile! If their cultivation is sufficient, let them pass. If not..."

"Hehehe, I am the Twelve Star Sword Grass!"

"They must witness the power of the ultimate Sword Dao!"

The Sword Grass swayed.

Proudly.

"If they want to come, as long as they're not too far off from Yang Mei's level, they should be tested—just like when you smashed that old man Yang Mei!"

"Don't you think that itself is a kind of test?"

"And also the Celestial Venerable's arrangement!"

At once.

Immortal Mountain was utterly speechless.

After a long pause, a thought finally popped into its mind.

This was judging people by their measure!

But on second thought.

Using Yang Mei as a standard didn't seem like much of a problem.

After all...

Yang Mei wasn't all that strong.

As for.

Whether the current Primordial Wilderness had other cultivators comparable to Yang Mei.

Maybe not many.

But there might be some, right?

Perhaps.

"Is this why the Celestial Venerable has us guarding here?"

Immortal Mountain thought to itself.

Not long after.

The Immortal Mountain and the Sword Grass had both entered a half-secluded state.

Waiting for the "Uninvited Guest."

Time flowed on.

In the blink of an eye.

Another countless years passed.

A Young Daoist appeared not far from the Immortal Mountain.

His expression was one of deep emotion.

He had clearly experienced much.

So much so that his tone was filled with feeling.

"It wasn't easy!"

"After more than a hundred epochs!"

"I have finally found the location of the opportunity!"

"This Immortal Mountain..."

"It makes me feel as if I am standing at Mount Buzhou!"

After taking form at Kunlun.

The Three Purities naturally did not separate immediately; instead, they traveled the Primordial Wilderness.

As such.

They certainly had to pay homage to Mount Buzhou, which was formed from Pangu's spine.

Thus.

Seeing an Immortal Mountain with such awe-inspiring might.

Tongtian couldn't help but be moved.

There was no helping it.

Though the Primordial Wilderness had many Grotto-Heaven Blessed Lands, few could leave a cultivator at the peak of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal so shaken.

Once he set foot within the Immortal Mountain's domain.

That feeling grew even stronger.

It was a pressure entirely above his own!

Even the laws and Divine Abilities he commanded were suppressed.

His Dao Body was the same.

Letting out a breath, Tongtian's heart trembled slightly.

He immediately made a judgment.

"I cannot fly!"

"This place is like Buzhou!"

"Nor can I use Shrink Ground to Inch or other translocation Divine Abilities."

"I can only walk."

Because...

Everything here was hard and solid, vast and profound beyond measure.

After a moment's thought.

Tongtian threw a punch.

Striking the void.

Then.

He was even more shaken, even drawing a sharp breath.

"Sss~"

"Is it really just like Buzhou?"

"With my cultivation at the peak of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, a single punch couldn't even stir a ripple in the void?"

To think.

With his cultivation at the peak of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, anywhere else.

Moving mountains and filling seas.

Was as easy as play.

Only those Famous Mountains and Great Rivers, those Grotto-Heaven Blessed Lands, were beyond his current cultivation's reach.

Even so.

When one stood within a renowned mountain, their cultivation still carried some weight, after all.

But here.

Even with a peak Da Luo cultivation base.

One could not even dig a shallow pit in this place!

To be precise.

There wasn't even a visible trace!

No matter how absurd it was.

Could it really be this extreme?