"Why I failed to become a Saint Spirit this time, I don't know the exact reason either." Carefree Heavenly Venerate shook his head. "You've managed Carefree Ancient Star very well. With you holding the fort, I have nothing to worry about."
"Even if I'm not here, I trust you'll manage Carefree Ancient Star well."
The three of them shuddered at Carefree Heavenly Venerate's words.
He had spoken to the Immortal Tear Green Gold bottle through divine sense just now, so the two Quasi-Supremes knew nothing of it.
They didn't understand why Carefree Heavenly Venerate wanted to leave just after coming back to life.
"Ancestor!"
One of the Quasi-Supremes asked, "Where are you going, Ancestor?"
Carefree Heavenly Venerate's mastery reached the heights of creation, and he saw through their thoughts at a glance.
"Just continue managing Carefree Ancient Star. Now that I've come back to life, I naturally intend to revisit the places I once knew. Then I'll return and preach the Dao to everyone. Afterward, perhaps I'll seal myself away again, or perhaps I'll be buried in the starry sky," Carefree Heavenly Venerate said.
Hearing this, the others felt reassured.
They had thought Carefree Heavenly Venerate was about to go into hiding in a forbidden zone, but the ancestor actually wanted to revisit old haunts.
Having decided to seek out Overlord Heavenly Venerable, Carefree Heavenly Venerate made careful arrangements, then took the Immortal Tear Green Gold Great Dao Treasure Bottle and tore through the starry sky.
By now, the many powerful cultivators on Carefree Ancient Star had also received word that Carefree Heavenly Venerate had returned to life.
Just as they were about to come pay their respects in person, they discovered that the terrifying presence had torn through the starry sky and entered the depths of the universe.
Though the newly reborn Carefree Heavenly Venerate had only a few thousand years to live, his blood and Qi were still vigorous, and he brimmed with vitality.
After all, he had only just come back to life.
Carefree Heavenly Venerate's destination was naturally the Tyrant Body Ancestral Star, once the Beast God Mountain Forbidden Zone.
With a thunderous boom, Carefree Heavenly Venerate arrived at the Tyrant Body Ancestral Star.
The Nine Heavens and Ten Lands were vast and boundless, but the Life Source Lands were limited in number.
On the Tyrant Body Ancestral Star, mountains rose in magnificent grandeur, and oceans stretched beyond sight. Its bearing was extraordinary.
The essence Qi of heaven and earth was incomparably dense, and the Great Dao rumbled. Powerful cultivators flew through the sky and burrowed through the earth, some hunting down exotic beasts from Desolate Antiquity, others sparring with one another.
If someone looked upon this planet from the starry sky, they would surely sense its magnificent bearing. An unseen, supreme majesty emanated from the planet, as though it suppressed the heavens and myriad worlds and trod upon the myriad Daos.
That feeling, as though a supreme heavenly venerable lay hidden there, came from Overlord Heavenly Venerable.
The entire planet radiated the presence of the Tyrant Body Lineage.
The most mysterious place on this planet was naturally Heavenly Pillar Mountain, where a mysterious ancient cave lay.
Blurred figures flew out of the ancient cave from time to time, vanishing in the blink of an eye like True Immortals, accompanied by lingering immortal melodies. It was truly extraordinary and mysterious.
Legend had it that Heavenly Pillar Mountain and the Heavenly Pillar Mountain Ancient Cave had come from the Immortal Domain, falling into this world through a rift in the Immortal Domain. No one knew whether the rumor was true.
In any case, ever since Overlord Heavenly Venerable had forcefully occupied the place, it had become the stronghold of the Heavenly Tyrant Body Lineage.
Other Life Source Lands had countless Dao lineages, but here, the Heavenly Tyrant Blood alone reigned supreme.
Carefree Heavenly Venerate had visited the Beast God Mountain Forbidden Zone before. Now, gazing upon the utterly different presence of the Great Dao, a complex look flickered in his eyes.
The Tyrant Body Ancestral Star had long since ceased to be the Beast God Star of old.
The presence of the Great Dao across the entire planet had changed completely. With Overlord Heavenly Venerable holding the fort, this heavenly venerable of the present age had made the place the center of the universe in this era.
All living beings under heaven revered this place.
Carefree Heavenly Venerate suppressed his various thoughts and concealed his presence before descending upon the planet.
His destination was naturally the Heavenly Pillar Mountain Ancient Cave.
After Overlord Heavenly Venerable killed Yun Gen and the four Dark Supremes of Beast God Mountain, displaying his immense strength, the Heavenly Pillar Mountain Ancient Cave had become a sacred place in the universe.
A place where all living beings under heaven truly came to bow in worship.
Carefree Heavenly Venerate had not come here to demand an accounting, of course.
Sensing that utterly tyrannical presence, Carefree Heavenly Venerate suddenly felt uncertain.
Powerful cultivators from across the starry universe descended around Heavenly Pillar Mountain from time to time to pay their respects from afar.
Of course, not everyone was qualified to visit Overlord Heavenly Venerable, nor was every powerful cultivator qualified to be granted an audience.
Allowing them to descend upon the Tyrant Body Ancestral Star and worship from a distance was already giving them face.
Carefree Heavenly Venerate's arrival, his powerful presence and distinctive bearing, immediately attracted everyone's attention.
The many powerful cultivators watched the mysterious expert curiously as he walked step by step toward the Heavenly Pillar Mountain Ancient Cave.
Rumble.
When he reached Heavenly Pillar Mountain, an unseen, magnificent, and tyrannical pressure suddenly burst forth, making Carefree Heavenly Venerate, one of the Nine Great Heavenly Venerables, feel his blood run cold.
Fortunately, Carefree Heavenly Venerate was himself one of the Nine Great Heavenly Venerables, and he forcibly suppressed his unease.
He cupped his hands and bowed. "I am Carefree Heavenly Venerate. I have come to request an audience with Overlord Heavenly Venerable!"
Outside Heavenly Pillar Mountain, the mysterious, powerful voice brought absolute silence to the area.
A dreadful hush fell in an instant.
Looks of disbelief appeared on the faces of the many powerful cultivators watching.
They had not expected this mysterious expert to be Carefree Heavenly Venerate.
People said that Carefree Heavenly Venerate, one of the Nine Great Heavenly Venerables, had already been killed by Overlord Heavenly Venerable. So what the hell was this Carefree Heavenly Venerate standing before them now?
Could he really have come seeking revenge?
Overlord Heavenly Venerable was the Great Emperor of the present age. His mastery reached the heights of creation, his divine sense pierced the unseen, and he had killed more than one Dark Supreme.
Overlord Heavenly Venerable had forged his illustrious, invincible reputation with the blood of those Dark Supremes.
Countless cultivators from the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands came here to worship, in a ceaseless stream of pilgrims and incense offerings.
Of course, powerful Quasi-Supremes also came to seek an audience.
Even Dark Supremes came to visit.
But Overlord Heavenly Venerable was wholly devoted to the Dao and immersed himself in cultivation. Apart from showing himself when Dark Supremes visited, he paid no attention to anyone else.
Aside from living with the two Great Accomplishment Sacred Bodies, he spent his time carefully studying the Red Dust Immortal method. Beyond that, Overlord Heavenly Venerable seemed to have no other interests.
Overlord Heavenly Venerable also rarely traveled about in the world, making it difficult for anyone to catch sight of him.
He had, however, distributed portraits of himself and allowed people to erect statues and make offerings. It was said that Overlord Heavenly Venerable was also studying the Power of Faith.
And the mortals who worshipped Overlord Heavenly Venerable had indeed received some inexplicable benefits.
At this time, few Supremes or heavenly venerables studied the Power of Faith, because everyone generally agreed that it was poisonous.
The Power of Faith was like an addiction. Its effects were astonishing when first used, but the unseen worldly karma it entailed could easily become hopelessly entangled and bring a backlash.
Xiao Ping'an knew that the Amitabha Great Emperor of a later age had forged a path, and that his research into the Power of Faith could be said to have reached the pinnacle.
Xiao Ping'an also knew that the Undying Heavenly Emperor's research into the Power of Faith from the mortal world had reached the pinnacle. He had used the Power of Faith to forge an undying body, then severed the connection between them and granted that undying body an independent life.
That was the Dark Supreme renowned in later ages: the Undying Daoist. The Undying Daoist possessed roughly the strength of the Undying Heavenly Emperor at the peak of his second life as a Great Emperor, which was why he could easily kill the Great Accomplishment Sacred Body at Saint Cliff in his later years. But when he faced Great Emperor Wushi, he was effortlessly torn to pieces and sealed at Saint Cliff. Later, he was simply thrown into the Road to Immortality on the Big Dipper as a sacrifice.
Xiao Ping'an naturally hoped to forge a faith body like the Undying Heavenly Emperor's, to help him handle those mundane worldly affairs.
He himself would only need to devote himself to studying the Red Dust Immortal method.
Perhaps the cultivators of this world had never seen such a homebody of a heavenly venerable in the present age.
Everyone had originally thought this mysterious expert was most likely a Dark Supreme who had emerged from a forbidden zone to visit the heavenly venerable of the present age and discuss mysteries and the Dao.
But events had clearly exceeded everyone's expectations.
This expert had actually said he was Carefree Heavenly Venerate!
They had thought he had come looking for trouble, but now he looked as though he had come to beg forgiveness, keeping a low profile and acting humbly. Everyone was stunned.
Overlord Heavenly Venerable was indeed powerful, much more so than an ordinary Supreme.
And if the expert before them who called himself Carefree Heavenly Venerate wasn't boasting, then he had to be one of the Nine Great Heavenly Venerables.
By rights, they were both heavenly venerable-level experts, so he shouldn't have been so humble.
No matter how hard they scratched their heads, they couldn't understand why Carefree Heavenly Venerate showed none of a heavenly venerable's domineering bearing and had instead come to visit Overlord Heavenly Venerable so discreetly.
Was it as though he had gravely offended Overlord Heavenly Venerable and wanted to come in person to apologize?
Though Carefree Heavenly Venerate hadn't said so, everyone could clearly sense it.
"Carefree Heavenly Venerate? Why does that name sound so familiar?"
"I think I've heard it somewhere?"
"Carefree Heavenly Venerate? Could he be one of the legendary Nine Great Heavenly Venerables?"
Everyone's expressions changed drastically upon hearing this.
Some had evidently heard secret accounts from history, while others looked bewildered, unable to understand why everyone was reacting so strongly.
Someone exclaimed excitedly, "Legend has it that when Overlord Heavenly Venerable had just attained the Dao, Carefree Heavenly Venerate rushed out of a dark forbidden zone and tried to devour him."
"Carefree Heavenly Venerate almost succeeded."
"But who would have thought Overlord Heavenly Venerable would be so powerful? He killed Carefree Heavenly Venerate and took his Extreme Dao Weapon. He even refined his bones into a weapon."
Someone couldn't help asking, "By your account, Carefree Heavenly Venerate died long ago. So how has he survived until now, and why has he come to beg forgiveness?"
The expert chuckled and glanced at him. "Carefree Heavenly Venerate is one of the Nine Great Heavenly Venerables. By rights, he should have died hundreds of thousands of years ago. Since he was able to reappear in the world, he must be extraordinarily powerful and have abilities all his own."
"As for why he's appeared, if you're so brave, you can go ask him."
The man rolled his eyes. If he had the courage, would he need to ask him?
Carefree Heavenly Venerate had sharp ears and keen eyes, and had naturally heard everyone's discussion long ago, but he did not react much.
They were just little shrimps, after all.
Carefree Heavenly Venerate stood there, but there was no response from the Heavenly Pillar Mountain Ancient Cave. Only an utterly tyrannical presence continued to grow stronger, becoming ever more vast and boundless, tyrannical to the extreme.
It was as though world after world were pressing down from the starry sky.
It had been a long time since Carefree Heavenly Venerate had tasted such humiliation.
But Carefree Heavenly Venerate was a steadfast old geezer. Faced with this provocative pressure from Overlord Heavenly Venerable, he actually endured it without losing his temper on the spot.
After an unknown length of time, the confrontation between those terrifying presences finally dissipated.
Rumble.
Countless rays of divine light suddenly erupted from the Heavenly Pillar Mountain Ancient Cave, along with chaotic Qi.
Under the crowd's expectant gazes, a dazzling brilliance flashed.
An old turtle slowly crawled out, emerging from the cave.
Then, with a shake, he transformed into a white-haired old man.
He truly looked like a decrepit old man, frail and dim-eyed.
Judging from his presence, the old turtle appeared to be roughly at the Great Saint realm.
Now he walked slowly out of the ancient cave.
The crowd waited for the chaos to disperse before clearly seeing the turtle's form. He was a dark turtle-or rather, a Xuanwu.
His presence was only that of a Great Saint, yet he was qualified to move about inside the Heavenly Pillar Mountain Ancient Cave.
He came before Carefree Heavenly Venerate. Though he was a Great Saint, his bearing was not the least bit weak.
Everyone widened their eyes and watched intently.
For so many years, no one had been able to visit Overlord Heavenly Venerable. Many had come in high spirits, only to leave disappointed.
Yet unexpectedly, when Carefree Heavenly Venerate came here, a living being actually emerged from the Heavenly Pillar Mountain Ancient Cave to receive him.
The many cultivators could tell at a glance that this old turtle was definitely not Overlord Heavenly Venerable, nor was he a relative of Overlord Heavenly Venerable.
But since he could freely enter and leave the Heavenly Pillar Mountain Ancient Cave, he must be Overlord Heavenly Venerable's servant?
Someone like the Ruthless Great Emperor's Desolate Slaves?
Indeed, he really was the first test subject for a secret technique personally developed by Overlord Heavenly Venerable.
In fact, when Overlord Heavenly Venerable conquered this planet, he had originally intended to slaughter every demonic beast at the Saint realm or above.
But after seeing the old turtle, he changed his mind.
He did not kill them. Instead, he converted them all into tools of the Tyrant Body Lineage.
The first time Xiao Ping'an saw this dark turtle, he felt there was something special about him.
After making some deductions, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck him, and he seemed to see a vision of the future.
The old turtle actually had such astonishing fortune; it seemed he would attain the Dao and become an emperor in the future.
Could this old turtle actually be the future Ancient Emperor Xuanwu?
Could it be that the old turtle sealed himself in Divine Source Liquid until a later age?
Yet he was so old, and he actually attained the Dao and became an emperor in a later age.
Had he lived a second life on his own? Or had he taken an Immortal Medicine?
In any case, Xiao Ping'an found the old turtle truly wondrous.
Thus, faced with the old turtle who had already become a Great Saint, Xiao Ping'an transformed him into his own Desolate Slave without hesitation.
Of course, Desolate Slave was the name for the Ruthless Great Emperor's servants. Should Xiao Ping'an's servants be called Tyrant Slaves? Old Slaves?
In any case, it was only a name. Calling him a servant or an envoy of Overlord Heavenly Venerable would do as well.
In any case, the old turtle did the job with great enthusiasm. Far from feeling humiliated, he considered it an honor.
The old turtle now showed none of the bearing he would have after attaining the Dao and becoming an emperor in a later age.