Seven days after the Battle of Purple Mountain ended, at noon.
The scorching sun poured down on the crimson earth of the Northern Region, baking the dried bloodstains and broken pieces of armor until they were burning hot.
The air was filled with a somber smell, a mixture of scorched earth, rust, and a faint, almost imperceptible stench of blood.
The Holy City, the center of the Northern Region, is like a giant cauldron placed on a divine fire, its contents boiling and churning.
Teahouses, restaurants, markets, and even the backstreets—wherever monks gathered, the noise was so loud it almost lifted the roof off.
Spittle flew in the sunlight, accompanied by the loud "bang" of slamming the table and a slightly hoarse voice from excitement.
"Absolutely true! My third maternal uncle's sworn brother was on the outskirts of Purple Mountain at the time and witnessed it with his own eyes!"
Imperial emblems paved the way, starlight illuminated a hundred miles!
That spectacle was even more extravagant than any Saint procession recorded in ancient texts!
A burly man with a full beard waved his thick arms, spitting as he spoke, his face flushed with excitement.
"Turning my back on all living beings!"
Do you even know what it means to turn your back on all living beings?
A tall, thin monk next to him took a big gulp of strong liquor; the pungent liquid burned his throat. He breathed heavily, his eyes filled with fanaticism.
" The Jiang Family, the Ji Family, the Yaoguang, the Central Continent dynasty, the Primordial Royal Clan —so Mighty Figure, King, and even Saint from the Primordial Royal Clan!"
He didn't even turn his head! He just raised his hand.
No, it's said that he didn't even raise his hand; it was just a thought.
With a gentle tremor of the Beginningless Bell, all phenomena vanished, and all enemies bowed their heads!
A collective gasp of cold air rose from the crowded room; the icy air stung their noses.
"The ancient king, Saint of Silverwing Spirit Valley, launched a sneak attack! And what was the result?"
They died so dead that not even ashes remained!
Heh heh, "It's no easy task for a mayfly to shake a tree," those words sound so damn satisfying now!
Another voice joined in, filled with a sense of pride and excitement, as if he himself had been present at the time.
The initial, vague, and legendary rumors have been filled in and confirmed by more and more details in recent days.
And when
" Eastern Exalt Li Qingshan "
" Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo "
" Great Emperor Wushi "
Holding the Beginningless Bell
As these words, like heavy meteorites, crashed one after another into this boiling ocean, all the clamor eerily paused for a moment.
Immediately following was an even more explosive uproar and a profound, bone-deep shock.
" Li Qingshan, it was him!"
Someone muttered to himself, tilting his wine glass and spilling cheap liquor onto his greasy clothes without even noticing.
" Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo, a physique unparalleled throughout the ages, no wonder, no wonder indeed!"
An elderly monk leaned against the corner of the wall, his face etched with complex emotions—astonishment, envy, and a sense of bewilderment as if he were witnessing history.
"He subdued two kings with a flip of his hand, drove away the Ji Family with a flick of his finger, and pacified Purple Mountain with a single stroke—how many years of cultivation has he even had?"
This is no longer a genius, this is a monster! A born emperor!
Some people asserted this with absolute certainty, their voices carrying an undeniable conviction.
The message, as if it had wings, rode the wind and crossed the continuous mountain range.
It crossed vast rivers and spread wildly to every corner of the Five Regions of the Big Dipper.
Eastern Wasteland, Southern Region, Yan Kingdom border, the former site of Burning Heaven Valley.
The scorched earth where Li Qingshan once underwent tribulation still retains the terrifying aura of the Heavenly Tribulation.
A faint, destructive aura seemed to linger in the air, making even low-level cultivators feel a chill run down their spines when they approached.
Several figures dressed in the attire of different sects stood on a broken cliff, looking down at the devastation.
The air was filled with the distinctive, burnt smell of soil repeatedly scorched by lightning.
It contained a strange, almost imperceptible vitality, a faint spark of life born from the ultimate destruction.
"This is where the Eastern Exalt underwent his tribulation back then."
A middle-aged cultivator dressed in a blue robe spoke, his voice tinged with a hint of pride and excitement.
Previously, the title "Eastern King" was considered unsuitable for Li Qingshan's status, so Eastern Exalt "Eastern King."
"It's incredible that in just a few years it has risen to a level that even the older generation can hardly match."
Unbelievable!
Beside him, a plump cultivator dressed in the robes of the Taixuan Sect stomped his foot hard on the scorched earth, feeling the stubborn stillness and hidden heat emanating from the sole of his shoe, and clicked his tongue in amazement:
"Hey, looking back now, it's ridiculous."
We were truly ignorant back then, like frogs in a well.
"It is said that Ji Haoyue, the Divine Body of the Ji Family, has sealed off the family's secret realm and refuses to see outsiders since learning the news."
The other person whispered, in a subtle tone,
"The same is true of the Yaoguang Holy Son; it is said that the holy light emanating from his secluded cultivation place soared into the sky and did not dissipate for three days."
Upon hearing this, the fat cultivator looked around and whispered:
"Not to mention now, even the holy sons and daughters of the many supreme holy lands at this time are probably comparable to the Eastern Exalt who underwent tribulation here back then."
That's already quite far off, let alone today.
"How arrogant the Northern Emperor was! His father once said, 'My son Wang Teng has the bearing of Great Emperor.'"
Central Emperor Xiang Yufei, his spirit soaring like a mountain swallowing rivers;
The Southern Demon Qi Lin is unfathomable.
Central Emperor Xiang Yufei, his spirit soaring like a mountain swallowing rivers;
The Southern Demon Qi Lin is unfathomable.
These once dazzling and unparalleled geniuses, now!!!
He shook his head, his words abruptly ending, the unspoken meaning clear.
"Emperor Wang Teng of the North, Emperor Xiang Yufei of the Central Region, and Yao Yuekong of the South—these unparalleled geniuses who were once the best in their respective regions are probably no longer comparable to him."
The cultivator in the green robe traced a tiny, stubbornly persistent arc of electricity through the air with his fingertips.
Those were the broken traces left over from the heavenly tribulation of the past; touching them caused a slight stinging and burning sensation.
He sighed deeply, his voice carrying a hint of world-weary desolation:
" Eastern Exalt brings to the world's geniuses is not pressure, but despair."
Even those of the same generation, with boundless ambition and unyielding pride, are left with only despair.
That was an insurmountable barrier that made even the thought of chasing after them seem impossible.
Northern Region, Holy City, the former site of Tianxuan Stone Workshop Archway.
Amidst the broken walls and ruins, the wild grass rustled softly in the wind.
Several old monks squatted beside the dilapidated altar, talking in hushed tones over a pot of turbid wine.
"I always thought Eastern Exalt was low-key and unassuming. I only occasionally heard his name and assumed he was just an ordinary young saint-level figure."
An old man with a missing front tooth took a sip of wine, his cloudy old eyes gazing at the still faintly visible, suspended palace in the air in the direction of the Holy City's center.
"Now it seems that wasn't about keeping a low profile, but rather a dragon in the clouds that couldn't be bothered with us ants in the mud."
"To see it is like a mayfly peering at the blue sky."
Another old man, clutching a tattered array plate, repeatedly stroked the cold surface of the plate, murmuring the poem that had spread throughout the Big Dipper.
"At first glance, it seemed arrogant, but upon closer examination, I realize it is a realistic depiction."
"Without personally experiencing that scene at Purple Mountain, one cannot grasp even a fraction of its meaning."
"What do you think will happen to Jade Pool now that he has returned with unparalleled power?"
Will the Queen Mother of the West simply abdicate and pass the throne to a more virtuous successor?
The toothless old man lowered his voice, a hint of excitement in his voice as he pried into a secret.
The old man holding the array plate chuckled, his breath reeking of alcohol.
"Abdicate? Do you think Li Qingshan would still value the position of Lord of Jade Pool?"
His gaze has likely already been cast towards the depths of the starry sea, towards that legendary Emperor's Road!
Central Continent, deep within the Four Great Dynasties.
The ancient and majestic palace was filled with the aura of dragons, yet it could not dispel the somber atmosphere.
The Emperor of Jiuli held a jade slip in his hand, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force he exerted.
The jade slip clearly replayed a blurry scene: at the core of Purple Mountain, imperial patterns paved the way like a galaxy, a figure in black robes turned away from all living beings, the Beginningless Bell trembled slightly, and all laws became empty.
The scene carried a silent sense of oppression, making his heart tighten even through the jade slip.
" The Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo, the Wushi Scripture, the Beginningless Bell,"
He repeated the three phrases in a low voice, each word carrying immense weight.
"Variables, huge variables."
The message is to be sent out: all Jiuli, when encountering disciples of the Jade Pool outside, especially those related to Li Qingshan, should show them respect and not easily make enemies.
Similar commands were issued almost simultaneously from the depths of the three great dynasties of Great Xia, Ancient Hua, and Divine Continent.
Li Qingshan's rise was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, completely disrupting the power structure that had been maintained by the Big Dipper for millennia.
A terrifying being possessing Emperor Weapon and imperial scriptures, with limitless potential, whose future cannot be described as merely "limitless".
Rather, it is enough to make any extreme power feel uneasy, unable to eat or sleep.
Within the ancient palace, permeated with a wild and untamed aura, enormous beast shadows appeared and disappeared in the mist, emitting deep roars.
"That piece of trash Yin Lie deserves to die!"
A cold, violent voice echoed, making the palace reverberate.
"This is a disgrace to Primordial Myriad Races!"
Another sharp voice rang out, filled with resentment and anger.
"Shut up!"
A more aged and authoritative voice silenced all the noise.
Have you forgotten the power of the Beginningless Bell?
Until the Ancestor King issues a clear decree, all clansmen must restrain their arrogance and refrain from provoking Jade Pool, especially Li Qingshan!
A brief silence fell over the hall, broken only by heavy breathing and the rustling of scales rubbing together, revealing the speaker's inner turmoil.
Hatred and fear, like two venomous snakes, intertwined in the hearts of these Ancient Races powerhouses in the Spirit Valley.