Heaven's Eye Sees Through False Virtue; The First God of Pure Blessings!

Ziwei Star Domain, Tianluo Great World.

Today was Tianluo Sacred Ground's once-a-century Merit Grand Ceremony.

Purple Qi rolled for three thousand miles above the main peak's plaza. Tens of thousands of high-level cultivators from sects across Tianluo Great World had gathered there, gazing up in reverence at Tianluo Ancestor, who sat upon the dais.

Tianluo Ancestor wore the Nine-Gold Daoist Robe. Dazzling Merit Golden Light radiated from him, making him look like a merciful sage who had stepped out of the Primordial World.

"Fellow Daoists."

Tianluo Ancestor's warm, sonorous voice rang between heaven and earth:

"The killing calamity is upon us. Only goodness can carry us through. Over the past half month, Tianluo Sacred Ground has rescued hundreds of billions of disaster-stricken mortals and amassed immeasurable merit in the eyes of the Heavenly Dao. I have gathered you today to teach you the true meaning of 'Accumulate Merit to Avoid Calamity'..."

The tens of thousands of cultivators below listened with fervent expressions. They bowed their heads and kowtowed, calling out, "How merciful the Ancestor is!"

Tianluo Ancestor watched them, a barely perceptible glint of smugness and derision flashing through his eyes.

But just as he was about to continue boasting of his "merit in saving the world"—

BOOM!

High above, the clear sky roiling with Purple Qi was abruptly torn in two by a tyrannical sword energy beyond description!

The Purple Qi filling the heavens vanished in an instant!

A supreme War God's pressure, surpassing even the Mahayana Stage and Half-Step Human Immortals, crashed onto the main peak of Tianluo Sacred Ground like an ancient mountain falling from the sky!

"Pfft!"

The moment that pressure descended, tens of thousands of lower-level cultivators in the plaza took a crushing blow and dropped to their knees. The magical treasures and spirit swords in their hands trembled and bowed.

"Who dares cause trouble in Tianluo Sacred Ground?!"

Several Dao-Slaying Stage elders of Tianluo Sacred Ground flew into the sky in fury.

But before they could approach the rift in the void, a cold voice that pierced the soul thundered across all of Tianluo Great World:

"The Heavenly Dao inspects the world. Hypocrites must be put to death!"

RIIIP!

The void split wide. A tall figure in coarse hemp robes, a Broken Sword on his back, stepped out of the spatial passage amid a sky full of dark-gold divine radiance from the Heavenly Dao!

It was Lin Qiye, the foremost disciple of Primordial Xuanmen and the Heavenly Court War God Successor!

The instant Tianluo Ancestor saw Lin Qiye's face, his heart lurched and his pupils shrank to pinpoints!

Lin Qiye!

Who across the myriad worlds did not know this Heavenly Court demon-subduing protector, backed by the physical Southern Heavenly Gate and heir to True Lord Erlang's supreme legacy?!

Tianluo Ancestor forced down his panic and hastily put on a smile of utmost sincerity and respect. Rising to greet Lin Qiye, he bowed deeply:

"So Holy Son Qiye has graced us with his presence! Forgive Tianluo Sacred Ground for failing to welcome you from afar!"

"I have recently been leading all my disciples in doing good and saving lives. May I ask what brings you to Tianluo Great World today, Holy Son?"

As Tianluo Ancestor spoke, he released the thick layer of counterfeit Merit Golden Light within him, wrapping himself in it until he resembled a golden, enlightened monk. He hoped to use that "merit" as a shield.

Seeing the dazzling "Merit Golden Light" around Tianluo Ancestor, the tens of thousands of cultivators below spoke up for him:

"Holy Son Qiye, Tianluo Ancestor is the kindest man in our Great World!"

"That's right! The Ancestor has saved hundreds of billions of mortals. His merit is immeasurable. Please look into this carefully, Holy Son!"

Faced with Tianluo Ancestor's performance and the crowd's pleas, Lin Qiye hovered in midair, his expression colder than ancient ice.

He did not waste a single word.

"Hum—!"

The ancient golden mark deep in Lin Qiye's forehead split open!

A golden divine eye—the Heavenly Eye, able to see through all falsehoods even in the Nine Netherworlds—opened with a thunderous surge!

BOOM!

The Heavenly Eye's dazzling light pierced the Nine-Gold Daoist Robe and shone into the depths of Tianluo Ancestor's seemingly sacred blood and bones!

Under the Heavenly Eye's unerring illumination, the brilliant layer of "Merit Golden Light" around Tianluo Ancestor hissed like snow doused in acid, then shattered and dissolved!

What was revealed before cultivators across the myriad worlds were black, bloodstained chains extending from Tianluo Ancestor's body, entangled with the vengeful souls of three hundred thousand mortals!

With its great power, the Heavenly Eye projected the horrifying scene of the enormous blood pool in the rear mountain's secret chamber clearly across the skies of Tianluo Great World!

"Ahhh! Help us! The Ancestor killed us! He caused a mountain flood that drowned our entire village!"

"He let demons devour us, then came back pretending to be our savior! He's a monster who eats people!"

The shrieks and sobs of three hundred thousand vengeful souls exploded like thunder across the sky through the Heavenly Eye's projection!

Silence!

The entire plaza of Tianluo Sacred Ground fell deathly silent!

The tens of thousands of cultivators who had just been praising the Ancestor's mercy stared at the bloody truth in the sky, at the vast pool filled with mortal corpses and bones. They stood frozen, their minds blank and their stomachs churning!

Hypocrisy!

An atrocity so vile it defied belief!

Tianluo Ancestor had personally tortured and murdered three hundred thousand mortals to forge merit, hoping to deceive the Heavenly Dao and escape the killing calamity!

"Tian... Tianluo Ancestor! How could you commit such evil?!" A righteous Dao-Slaying elder shook with rage and pointed at Tianluo Ancestor on the dais, screaming at him!

It had come to this. His disguise had been torn away completely!

Tianluo Ancestor's kindly face twisted into a hideous snarl. His eyes blazed red as he roared in hysteria:

"Lin Qiye! You've gone too far! I'm at the peak of the Mahayana Stage! One step from attaining the Dao and becoming immortal! I only killed a few mortal ants! What right do you have to call me guilty?!"

"The Heavenly Dao is unjust! I'll take you down with me!"

Tianluo Ancestor went mad. He knew Heavenly Court would never spare him, so he immediately burned the entire lifespan and soul essence he had cultivated over ten thousand years. They became a pitch-black ghostly claw ten thousand zhang long, which hurtled toward Lin Qiye with monstrous baleful energy!

A desperate final strike from a cultivator at the peak of the Mahayana Stage held enough power to collapse the entire Tianluo Sacred Ground!

And yet.

Faced with that world-destroying claw, Lin Qiye hovered in midair without the slightest change in expression.

"Mortals are not ants. Their lives have dignity."

Lin Qiye slowly drew the Broken Sword from his back.

BOOM!

The second level of the Eight-Nine Profound Art erupted within him. Merit Divine Runes and the will of an ancient War God flowed into the Broken Sword! A dark-gold sword beam tens of thousands of miles long burst across the sky, shattered the void, and split the colossal ghostly gale in two!

Eight-Nine Profound Art: One Sword Subdues Demons!

The sword light flashed!

SPLURT!

The instant Tianluo Ancestor's enormous body touched the dark-gold sword beam, it failed to withstand it for even a microsecond. Like fragile tofu, it was cleaved in two on the spot!

"Ahhh!"

Amid his screams, Tianluo Ancestor's Mahayana Stage body crumbled and vanished in the golden light, turning into a pile of ash!

However, Lin Qiye's strike had severed more than flesh. It forced Tianluo Ancestor's fleeing soul out of the void!

Just as Tianluo Ancestor's soul screamed in terror and tried to detonate itself, taking Tianluo Great World with it—

"Hum—!!"

Far away in the skies above Canglan Realm, the Investiture of the Gods Heavenly Ranking beside the physical Southern Heavenly Gate suddenly erupted with golden light that illuminated the myriad worlds!

The God-Striking Whip at the side of the ranking rang out on its own, releasing a Heavenly Dao peal that punished the soul!

An irresistible pull from the deepest laws of the Heavenly Dao crossed hundreds of millions of miles of starry sky and locked onto Tianluo Ancestor's soul with absolute precision!

"No! Don't! I won't go on the ranking! I don't want to be a god who works for others! Spare me!"

Tianluo Ancestor's soul wailed in utter despair.

But before the rules of the Heavenly Dao's killing calamity, every struggle was futile!

Tens of thousands of cultivators in Tianluo Great World and countless mighty beings across the myriad worlds watched with their divine senses.

Tianluo Ancestor's translucent soul was forcibly drawn out of Tianluo Great World. It became a dazzling streak of light, shot across the void, and plunged into the Investiture of the Gods Heavenly Ranking outside the Southern Heavenly Gate of Canglan Realm!

BOOM!

Golden light blazed across the first page of the Investiture of the Gods Heavenly Ranking!

At the very end of the Three Hundred and Sixty-Five Orthodox God Positions, which had originally stood empty, the Heavenly Dao's brush moved through the air, inscribing the first eternal divine name in bold, sharp strokes—

[Tianluo Ancestor: His sins are grave. True Spirit Entering the List! Appointed as a Mountain-Patrolling Little God in Heavenly Court's Lower Eight Divisions! He shall remain under the God-Striking Whip's authority for life, lose the freedom to pursue the Dao, and atone for his crimes through service!]

RUMBLE!

The divine name was fixed, and the Heavenly Dao resounded!

Under the Investiture of the Gods List's cleansing power, Tianluo Ancestor's once-evil soul was forcibly clad in the blue armor of a Heavenly Court mountain-patrol official. Bound deep within the ranking's space, he had nothing left in his eyes but endless regret and obedience!

[The first name on the Investiture of the Gods Heavenly Ranking is set!]

At that moment, the entire universe fell silent!

Supreme Mystery True Lord, Netherworld Blood Emperor, Tu Shanye, and other sect-leader-level powers watched Tianluo Ancestor's name appear on the Investiture of the Gods Heavenly Ranking. They watched his soul truly be dragged away and appointed a mountain-patrol god without freedom...

Every one of those powerful figures drew a sharp breath from the depths of their souls, the hair on their bodies standing on end!

It was real!

The Heavenly Eye exposed anyone who forged merit on the spot!

Their bodies were slain, their souls forcibly taken into the Investiture of the Gods Heavenly Ranking, and they became lowly divine officials stripped of their freedom!

"The Heavenly Dao cannot be deceived... and Xuanmen cannot be fooled!" Supreme Mystery True Lord's voice shook violently as he cried out!

"Well killed! Those who forge merit deserve to die!" Netherworld Blood Emperor roared, excitement and terror mingling in his voice!

After this, every last hope of escaping judgment across the universe was shattered!

The myriad worlds had truly entered Xuanmen's sternest, most uncompromising era since the dawn of the epoch!

Primordial Xuanmen, Library Pavilion.

Outside the window, the sun shone and a gentle breeze blew.

Su Chen sat behind a wooden desk. Hearing the notice in his mind that his Karma Points had surged by another five million, he gently blew across his tea. A vast river of stars was reflected in his warm eyes.

"The first place is filled."

A knowing smile touched Su Chen's lips as he murmured:

"Now that the ranking has begun to move, the struggle over the killing calamity across the myriad worlds... is only going to get more interesting."