Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Peak, Bi Xiao Is Stunned!

Xuandu's mind sank into the System Interface, and the constantly flickering numbers finally froze.

[Real-time Cultivation Feedback (Extractable): Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Peak]

Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Peak!

Xuandu's pupils constricted sharply, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest.

Even in his boldest estimates, he had only expected the mid-to-late stages of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm.

After all, the Witch-Demon Tribulation had yet to conclude. Though the Jie Sect had begun to take shape, it was still far from the height of its prosperity during the Investiture of the Gods period.

Core direct disciples such as Daoist Duobao and Saint Mother Jinling were likely still hovering around the Mid Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm.

Zhao Gongming and the San Xiao sisters had perhaps only just broken through to the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm.

Even though the Jie Sect already had quite a number of disciples, the difficulty of breaking through each minor realm grew exponentially.

The gap in strength between the Early Stage and Mid Stage, and between the Mid Stage and Late Stage, was as vast as the clouds and mud.

He had imagined that the total would be immense, but he had never expected it to soar directly to the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Peak!

With only one final step remaining, he could glimpse that vague and ethereal Primordial Dao Fruit!

This was simply a colossal stroke of fortune fallen from the heavens!

"System."

Xuandu forcefully suppressed the wild roar that nearly burst from his throat and hastily asked in his mind, "When extracting cultivation, can I conceal my true realm?"

He stared fixedly at the System Interface. This was the most crucial step.

If it could not be concealed, extracting it now would be courting death.

[Ding! The Host may freely set the cultivation realm displayed to the outside world. The system will perfectly simulate the aura of that realm; none beneath a Sage can see through it.]

The cold mechanical prompt sounded like celestial music from the Ninth Heaven to Xuandu at this moment!

It could be hidden?

And none beneath a Sage could see through it?

The last enormous stone in Xuandu's heart crashed to the ground, and an indescribable surge of excitement and exhilaration swept through his entire body.

If he could hide his cultivation, what the hell was there to fear!

Secured! Completely secured!

On Golden Ao Island, so long as Sect Leader Tongtian did not deliberately inspect every inch of his foundation, who could possibly see through his true strength?

And how could his Sage Master possibly be bored enough to examine him?

If he did not extract it now, then when would he?

"System, extract the cultivation!"

Xuandu no longer hesitated, silently reciting the command in his heart.

The instant the command was issued—

BOOM!!!

An indescribably vast power seemed to surge forth from deep within the endless void, violently flooding into his limbs and bones, his Eight Extraordinary Meridians!

This power was boundless as a sea of stars, pure as the innate, carrying the ancient Dao resonance of the World's First Opening.

It was no longer thin spiritual qi, but Innate Magic Power condensed to the utmost extreme!

Xuandu only felt as though his entire body were about to be burst apart by this sudden torrent.

In an instant, his meridians expanded to an unimaginable extent. His bones crackled with light sounds, taking on specks of jade luster.

His internal organs were repeatedly scoured and tempered by the pure magic power, radiating vigorous vitality.

His Divine Soul was as though immersed in a hot spring, growing and solidifying madly at an unprecedented speed.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, which had originally been a chaotic blur, Stars now seemed to light up, and insight after insight naturally emerged.

His perception of the Heaven and Earth Rules became clearer than ever before.

It was as if, should he so desire, a mere thought could unleash immense might.

Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Peak!

The real deal!

From the Outside World, he was still that Young Man in Green seated cross-legged upon a crude stone bed.

The aura emitted by him was weak and ordinary, no different from before. He had not even completed Qi Induction.

The spiritual qi within the cave abode remained sparse, while dust slowly drifted down.

It was as though nothing had happened.

Only Xuandu himself knew what kind of world-destroying power lay hidden beneath this seemingly ordinary body!

He slowly opened his eyes.

Deep within his eyes, a vision of stars being born and dying, of the universe turning, flashed past before swiftly fading away, returning to their original clarity.

He gently clenched his fist.

Feeling the vast magic power within him, as obedient as his own limbs and flowing without end, a heroic pride of My Fate Is Mine To Control, Not Heaven's rose within him.

From this day forth, the sea was vast enough for fish to leap, the sky high enough for birds to soar!

Here on the Great Wilderness Continent, he, Xuandu, finally had the foundation to establish a foothold!

With a thought, he set the cultivation he displayed to the Heavenly Immortal Realm.

After all, it was perfectly reasonable for someone Laozi had taken a liking to have slightly better talent, wasn't it?

Having finished all this, Xuandu let out a long breath of foul air.

The breath was long and distant, faintly carrying the sound of wind and thunder, stirring the dust before the stone bed into whirling flight.

He rose to his feet and stretched his limbs.

The surging sense of power within him left him somewhat intoxicated.

But he quickly calmed down.

He had the cultivation, but how to use it, how to fight with magic, how to truly wield the strength of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Peak—those were things he still needed to learn and temper.

Right now, he purely possessed the realm without the corresponding divine abilities.

What was more, the Jie Sect was teeming with great powers.

Duobao, Jin Ling, Wu Dang, Gui Ling...

Which of those personal disciples had not fought through countless battles, possessing vast divine abilities?

Zhao Gongming's Sea Calming Pearls and the Three Goddesses of Xiao's Nine Bends Yellow River Formation were even more renowned throughout the Great Wilderness.

This cultivation he had suddenly gained might not give him much of an advantage before those seasoned veterans.

He had to familiarize himself with his power as soon as possible and find suitable cultivation arts and divine abilities.

Thinking of Chang Er Ding Guang Xian's disdainful expression earlier, a cold smirk curled Xuandu's lips.

Good.

He wanted to see what a splendid expression that fellow would make upon seeing his cultivation.

And the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation...

Xuandu looked beyond the cave dwelling, as though his gaze had pierced through the stone wall to see the future calamity that would sweep across heaven and earth.

Originally, he had only wanted to rely on the Jie Sect Disciples' numerical advantage, use the system to become stronger, and avoid the killing tribulation.

But now that he possessed the cultivation of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Peak, his mindset had quietly changed.

Was merely avoiding it enough?

How many Jie Sect immortals had their True Spirits extinguished upon the Investiture of the Gods List, or been shackled to the Heavenly Court?

Those traitors like Chang Er Ding Guang Xian deserved death all the more!

Since he possessed strength, could he... do more?

Could he try to overturn that seemingly fated ending?

For the Jie Sect that sought to Seize a Thread of Life, could he truly seize a chance at life for it?

Once that thought arose, it grew wildly in his heart like weeds.

The risks were immense, but the rewards... were equally beyond estimation!

After all, his cultivation increased according to the real-time total of Jie Sect Disciples.

If too many Jie Sect Disciples died or were injured, his cultivation could even decline.

But conversely, the more living beings who joined the Jie Sect, the higher his cultivation would become.

Before the Investiture of the Gods, he could absolutely reach the realm of the Primordial Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.

This was also the path Xuandu had chosen: to follow the Hunyuan Dao, not the path of the Quasi-Saint.

He Took a Deep Breath, suppressing his roiling emotions.

The road had to be walked one step at a time.

His most urgent task was to consolidate his cultivation, familiarize himself with his power, and find a way to obtain divine ability techniques.

He pushed open the stone door and stepped out of the cave dwelling.

Outside, the sunlight was bright, and Golden Ao Island brimmed with Immortal Qi, far beyond this desolate mountain at the edge.

He could clearly sense quite a few powerful auras within the island's core area.

Several of them were obscure and profound, carrying sharp sword intent. They should belong to Duobao, Jin Ling, and the others.

Another was bold and unrestrained, concealing the momentum of wind and thunder. It was likely Zhao Gongming.

Further away, three streams of cool Immortal Qi intertwined and circled. They surely belonged to the Three Goddesses of Xiao.

"So this is the perception of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal..."

Xuandu sighed inwardly.

In the past, when he had possessed no cultivation whatsoever, he had only found those auras vast and terrifying.

Now, however, he could roughly distinguish their strengths and attributes, and even faintly sense some of the threads of the Great Dao they cultivated.

This sense of control was truly wonderful.

But next, Xuandu planned to seek out Zhao Gongming.

After all, when he had joined the Jie Sect, Sect Leader Tongtian had instructed Chang Er Ding Guang Xian to settle him in.

Clearly, Chang Er Ding Guang Xian had also been meant to teach him the Jie Sect's cultivation methods.

Yet Chang Er Ding Guang Xian clearly looked down on him, and had not even taught him any cultivation methods.

With his mind made up, Xuandu no longer delayed.

He stepped out of the Simple Cave Mansion and cast his gaze toward the depths of Golden Ao Island.

Based on Chang Er Ding Guang Xian's perfunctory directions and his own powerful Spiritual Sense, he swiftly locked onto the general location of Zhao Gongming's cave mansion.

It was a range of mountains with even denser spiritual qi, Rosy Clouds curling around it, its aura endlessly varied.

Compared to the desolate edge where he was, it was as different as clouds and mud.

"Sure enough, no matter where one is, strength and status determine everything."

Xuandu's heart remained unmoved. Instead, his resolve to become stronger only grew firmer.

He tried to mobilize the boundless, sea-like mana within his body.

With a slight stir of his thoughts, he pictured the location of Zhao Gongming's cave mansion.

Then, he merely took a seemingly casual step forward.

The surrounding space seemed to ripple gently like water.

The next instant, the scenery before his eyes had completely changed.

The barren mountains and crude dwelling had vanished.

In their place stood a magnificent immortal mountain.

Cloud Mist swirled through the mountains, immortal cranes gathered in flight, and waterfalls cascaded down like a Milky Way, roaring thunderously.

The dense Innate Spiritual Qi had nearly transformed into liquid; with every breath, he felt refreshed in body and spirit.

And there he stood, at the foot of that immortal mountain, before the entrance to a cave mansion.

It was Zhao Gongming's cave mansion!

Xuandu stood where he was, utterly shocked.

That step had not been any Divine Ability or spell. It had merely been the natural result of his thoughts guiding the mana within him.

He had crossed more than ten thousand li!

"Is this the power of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Peak...?"

"Without deliberately using an Escape Technique, wherever the heart reaches, the body follows?"

He carefully savored that profound sensation from moments ago.

In his perception, space seemed to have become elastic, something that could be folded and crossed at will.

Was this the world as seen through the eyes of high-level cultivators?

It truly was incomparably wondrous!

Possessing such Great Power without corresponding Divine Abilities was indeed a regret.

It only further strengthened his resolve to seek cultivation methods.

Just as Xuandu was immersed in his insights from using his power for the first time, a streak of light drifted gracefully down from the sky, landing not far away.

The immortal light faded, revealing a woman dressed in an azure immortal gown.

Her features were peerlessly beautiful, her brows and eyes carrying a touch of liveliness and mischief. The aura around her was cool and pure.

She was Bi Xiao, one of the Three Goddesses of Xiao.

Bi Xiao had originally been heading back to her own cave mansion, but the moment she caught sight of Xuandu standing before Zhao Gongming's cave mansion, she could not help but pause in slight surprise.

Her delicate brows drew together as a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes.

"Eh?"

"Aren't you... that newly arrived Junior Brother Xuandu?"

She remembered clearly.

This man had just been personally accepted into the sect by Master in Biyou Palace and entrusted to Chang Er Ding Guang Xian for settlement.

By all rights, he should have been in the gathering place for Outer Disciples in the edge region, familiarizing himself with the surroundings, or attempting Qi Induction.

How had he appeared here, in the Core Area, before Big Brother's Luofu Cave?

Judging by his aura... had he already stepped onto the Immortal Path?

The Heavenly Immortal Realm?

The astonishment in Bi Xiao's Beautiful Eyes deepened.

This speed was simply too fast.

Though anyone favored by Uncle-Master Taiqing was surely exceptionally gifted, to have only just entered the Dao Path and then, in the span of moments, risen from mortal to Heavenly Immortal was still utterly astonishing.

Could it be that he had accumulated deeply beforehand, then attained enlightenment in a single day?