The Heaven Venerable's emergence from seclusion was the greatest cause for celebration in all of the Wuliang Dao.
The sole reason the Wuliang Dao had risen from a holy land to become the ruler of all heavens and myriad worlds was that the Immeasurable Heaven Venerable, the one who had attained the Dao in this age, hailed from its ranks. That alone had brought the Wuliang Dao three hundred years of glory.
Over the years, everyone in the Wuliang Dao had upheld the decree He Mu issued before entering seclusion, spreading their faith throughout the universe, bringing blessings to countless mortals, and maintaining order across the sea of stars. Its disciples, too, had conducted themselves with dignity and restraint; few were arrogant tyrants who stirred up trouble.
Now that He Mu had finally emerged, the entire Wuliang Dao naturally rejoiced. All its senior members and sect prodigies had been summoned back to meet the Heaven Venerable. Perhaps they might even receive opportunities and blessings that would send them soaring into the clouds, shooting straight into the heavens.
Dong-
Dong-
Dong-
The jade bell hanging high in the Wuliang Dao's main hall rang out. This was the sect's most important ritual instrument, and three tolls marked its most exalted ceremony-even the accession of a sect leader warranted no more than this. Today, it sounded to summon the faithful to pay homage to their Heaven Venerable. He Mu now ruled all heavens and was revered by every race; his standing was more than sufficient to receive such grand honors.
Within the Wuliang Dao's majestic, solemn Central Treasure Hall.
The hall was ancient and imposing, solemn and unadorned, yet it radiated an age-old, mighty aura, as though possessed of the vast majesty to rule boundless territories.
A plaque hung at the center of the hall, engraved with two great characters meaning "immeasurable." Written in the wondrous Chaotic Ancient Era Divine Script, their strokes were powerful and weighty. An ordinary person needed only one glance to feel as though a Primordial Divine Mountain pressed upon their heart. Those who harbored reverence would fare well enough, but anyone showing even the slightest disrespect might find themselves crushed breathless beneath the surging immortal might of those two characters.
This hall had stood for more than thirty thousand years. Every corner bore the weathered weight of time, while a mysterious aura flowed through it, as though recounting an ancient, enigmatic age to the world.
There were no elaborate, extravagant decorations inside. Like its exterior, the hall was simple and unadorned, yet magnificent in scale, majestic and imposing.
The sect leader's throne at the center of the hall stood empty, while the current leader of the Wuliang Dao sat below it. Behind the sect leader, both sides were filled with men and women of varying ages. Without exception, each radiated an aura as profound as an abyss, as vast as the sea. Not one was below the Saint King level.
In the foremost rows, where the Wuliang Dao's sect leader sat, heavenly might surged and profound Dao resonance abounded. The sect leader and several supreme elders all possessed Quasi-Venerable cultivation!
Such cultivation was enough to roam unhindered through the universe and reign supreme over an entire region. Yet all these people belonged to a single sect, and today they had gathered under one roof. How could anyone fail to be utterly astonished?
At some unnoticed moment, He Mu had appeared in the hall and seated himself upon the throne above. His aura was simple and natural, yet profound and boundless, like an infinite universe, filling everyone seated there with reverence.
Seeing that the Heaven Venerable had arrived, the Wuliang Dao's sect leader rose first. Everyone followed, bowing in grand homage.
"We pay our respects to the Heaven Venerable. May you attain the Great Dao, and may your immortal life flourish forever!"
Seated upon the dais, He Mu smiled at their words.
"Dispense with the formalities. Please rise."
The next instant, a mysterious force coalesced out of thin air and lifted everyone from their bows. They had no power to resist. The Quasi-Venerable and Great Sage cultivation that ordinarily allowed them to stride unchallenged through the universe might as well not have existed. Such tremendous power deepened their understanding of the Heaven Venerable's might and heightened their reverence for He Mu upon the throne.
Once everyone had risen, He Mu spoke again.
"Now that I have attained the Dao and become a Heaven Venerable, peace reigns throughout the universe, and all living beings flourish between heaven and earth. Yet a hidden concern weighs upon my heart. In ages past,
the three Heaven Venerables, Daode, Yuanshi, and Lingbao, all fought bloody battles among the stars. Each great calamity struck in the blink of an eye, and within a mere hundred thousand years, the legacies of all three vanished. It is enough to make one wring one's hands in grief.
Thus, I intend to preach the Dao within the sect to strengthen our disciples. Afterward, for the sake of preserving our legacy, certain preparations must also be brought forward."
The Wuliang Dao's sect leader was deeply shocked and asked,
"Heaven Venerable, you are now in your prime, and your divine might is immeasurable. Would petty villains still dare stir up trouble? Surely the situation cannot be so dire?"
An elder well versed in ancient texts and secret histories was also deeply troubled and spoke.
"What could make matters so urgent? Has something stirred in the Forbidden Zone? Or is this a calamity left behind from the days of the three Venerables?"
He Mu looked at those seated below and said calmly,
"Enough. There is no need to discuss this further. We are merely preparing early. Below the Supreme level, knowing of this matter would do you no good. Simply make preparations as I have instructed. When the time comes, no matter what happens, I will ensure our sect remains unharmed."
At He Mu's words, everyone finally relaxed, nodding in assent.
Seeing their agreement, He Mu said no more, leaving the sect leader and elders to arrange his preaching and make the necessary preparations. Yet a measure of gravity remained in his eyes.
When he had emerged from seclusion earlier, the black aura had stirred, but He Mu had been unable to divine its causes or consequences. Presumably, this was because it involved the immortal Dao.
He knew that black aura could not possibly be anything benevolent. When it emerged again, a great battle was certain to follow. Yet the immortal Dao was mysterious and extraordinary; even the three Venerables, one after another, had failed to rid the universe of this scourge completely.
To eliminate such a hidden threat once and for all, allowing it to develop until it erupted in full was undoubtedly the best choice. He Mu had his own unwavering conviction of invincibility. This entanglement had lasted a hundred thousand years, with several Venerables successively quelling its upheavals. It could not be allowed to drag on any longer.
Whatever that black aura truly was, he, He Mu, would strike with all his strength. Everything had to be resolved in this age, restoring clarity and peace to the universe!
The author has made minor changes to the preceding chapters, correcting some errors and adding some content. None of the additions affect your understanding of the story, however, so there is no need to go back and reread them.
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