Official Rank

After leaving Lifeless Valley, Qi Yun did not return directly to the Wuji Sacred Sect's mountain gate deep in the northwest.

Although the dramatic event that involved both regions has temporarily come to an end, the ripples and undercurrents it caused are far from over.

Heading west, we traveled through increasingly desolate and ancient mountains.

This place is far from human habitation, and even the traces of cultivators are rare. Only the ancient mountain wind howls, sweeping across the iron-gray, rugged rock walls, bringing with it a desolate echo.

Qi Yun at a leisurely pace, sometimes riding the wind to admire the grandeur of the mountains, and sometimes pausing atop a peak to observe the flow of the earth's energy.

Against the wild backdrop, the deep blue Daoist robe resembled a lone boat, yet remained as steadfast as a mountain.

After traveling and stopping for more than ten days, covering tens of thousands of miles, he finally stopped in a remote and desolate place.

Before us stand four imposing peaks, their massive and majestic forms as black as iron, forming an encirclement that protects a central valley spanning approximately ten miles in circumference.

In the center of the valley lies not an ordinary lake, but a bottomless, dark, inky "Heavenly Pool".

The pool water was still and stagnant, its surface as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the stark silhouettes of the four iron-black mountain peaks and the drifting clouds in the sky, creating a stillness that was unsettling.

"Yes, this is it." A golden light spilled from Qi Yun's sleeve, landed on his shoulder, and transformed into a tiny figure, no bigger than a palm, with clear features and wearing an illusory golden robe. This was the spiritual incarnation of Cai Kun, the Wealth Connects to the Divine.

It stood with its hands behind its back on Qi Yun's shoulder: though small in size, it possessed a majestic and imposing presence.

He was squinting, carefully observing the layout of the "four mountains surrounding a secluded pool" before him.

"Four dragons bow their heads, drinking from the same abyss—" Cai Shen nodded slowly, a hint of reminiscence and certainty flashing in his eyes.

"Back then, the fourteenth brother was the most unrestrained and loved to play around in the mortal world. He lingered here for a long time."

Before he left, he sank something of great importance into the Yin Eye at the bottom of the pool, hoping to preserve it by the nourishment of the earth's Yin energy and the dragon energy of the four mountains.

Based on the timeline, barring any unforeseen circumstances, that thing should still be there.

Upon hearing this, Qi Yun 'Divine Sense, like invisible mercury spilling onto the ground, quietly spread towards the dark Heavenly Pool below.

"If that's the case, then let it see the light of day again." Qi Yun no longer hesitated, took a step forward, and stood in mid-air directly above the Heavenly Pool.

He didn't use any fancy magic; he simply stretched out his right hand, fingers slightly spread, and gently lifted it upwards towards the dark pool of water that stretched for miles below.

The movements appear casual, like scooping up a handful of clear spring water.

However, the instant the palm was raised, "Buzz----!!!"

The entire world seemed to resonate with a deep, resonant sound!

With Qi Yun's palm as the core, an invisible and intangible yet unimaginably vast power erupted!

That wasn't wind, nor was it a wave.

Rather, it is the purest form of Law Power interfering with reality; it is the immense power generated when Foundation Establishment True Person connects with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth through their own Dao Foundation!

Below, the smooth, mirror-like dark pool water suddenly dipped downwards in the center, while its edges were gripped and lifted upwards as if by a giant, transparent hand that covered the sky!

The entire pool of water was forcibly "lifted" up by an irresistible force!

Rumble----

With a muffled roar like the earth churning, the pool water, spanning several miles in diameter, transformed into a dark column of water with an astonishing diameter, shooting straight into the sky!

The water column condensed and did not disperse, rising straight up to a height of hundreds of feet, like an upside-down, pitch-black water dragon.

Beneath the pool's surface, a layer of pitch-black silt, tens of meters thick and never before seen by the sun, was revealed, along with even deeper layers...

Ancient rock beds eroded by water for countless millennia.

The stench of mud instantly filled the air, the surrounding temperature plummeted, and frost even formed on the rock walls.

For Foundation Establishment True Person, the ability to move mountains and overturn seas is not an exaggeration.

Although Qi Yun did not use Divine Ability in this move, it fully demonstrated the immense power of his Law Power and the exquisite control he possessed.

"There!" The golden statue of Cai Shen, standing on Qi Yun's shoulder, flashed with golden light in its eyes and pointed to a certain spot at the bottom of the pool.

The mud there was a slightly different color, and there was a faint, extremely weak, warm white light that seemed completely out of place with the surrounding cold and deathly silence.

It stubbornly peeks through the thick darkness.

Upon hearing the sound, Qi Yun swayed slightly in place, and the next moment, he was standing in mid-air on the exposed, cold mud.

He looked down, his gaze piercing through the surface grime, locking onto that point of white light.

The right palm was raised to a clenching motion, with the palm facing that spot, and a supple yet precise suction force erupted.

"Bo Yi"

With a soft sound, the silt below churned slightly, and a pearl the size of a longan, perfectly round and flawlessly white, broke free from its millennia-old constraints, breaking through the mud and landing steadily in Qi Yun's palm.

Upon handling the pearl, it felt exceptionally warm and smooth, unlike the texture of jade.

Its surface is perfectly smooth, yet inside it seems to be filled with misty clouds, with wisps of soft light slowly flowing and fading within.

However, when Qi Yun carefully scanned it with his Divine Sense, he found that apart from its unique texture and the presence of a certain gentle and stable spiritual energy, the pearl did not contain any traces of Treasure Talisman or runes.

It is more like a rare treasure, naturally formed and nurtured by the earth's veins over a long period of time.

"Hehehe----" Cai Shen's little golden statue let out a joyful laugh, gently leaped down from Qi Yun's shoulder, and hovered in front of the pearl, its eyes full of nostalgia.

"It's still there. He used to love using this bead to store all sorts of oddities."

It extended its tiny yet solid golden finger and gently touched the snow-white pearl in Qi Yun's palm.

This was not achieved through the exertion of much force, yet it seemed to have touched some ancient, dormant pivot.

"Buzz"

Inside the pearl, the leisurely flowing clouds and radiance suddenly froze.

It then suddenly collapsed inward, and in the next instant, it exploded with a roar!

A beam of light, shimmering with seven colors yet exuding an indescribable aura of majesty and righteousness, shot forth from the core of the pearl, instantly enveloping Qi Yun's entire body!

This beam of light was not aggressive; on the contrary, it was warm and comforting, carrying a strange power to soothe the Divine Soul and calm the mind.

But what shocked Qi Yun even more was the change that followed.

The instant the beam of light enveloped him.

Everything before his eyes suddenly blurred and distorted.

The muddy pool at my feet, the dark, iron- Black Mountain all around, the dark, upside-down water column overhead, and even the small golden statue of Cai Shen on my shoulder, all faded away quickly, like a faded ancient painting.

Instead, there was a fantastical scene whose grandeur and solemnity defied description.

In the the Unseen of his mind, he seemed to be standing before a towering palace that reached into the clouds.

Beneath my feet lies an endless white marble plaza, while in the distance, palaces stretch endlessly, displaying a magnificent and ever-changing scene. Auspicious purple qi clouds drift from the east, and golden dragons appear and disappear.

The sky was a deep and dazzling starry sky, with countless stars moving along mysterious trajectories, casting their clear light, which complemented the magnificent aura of the palace below.

A tall figure, whose features were obscured, wearing a crown of nobility and a black robe, stood atop the high steps, holding a scroll of imperial edict shrouded in purple qi and woven from starlight.

Its figure blends seamlessly with the vast starry sky behind it and the thousands of miles of mountains and rivers below, exuding an unparalleled majesty that commands the eight wastelands and holds the law of heaven.

The figure slowly unfurled the purple qi imperial edict in its hand, and a grand, indifferent voice, transcending the barriers of endless time and space, clearly entered the depths of Qi Yun's mind.

Every word carried immense weight, bearing the unquestionable weight of a law. "I, having received the mandate of Heaven and inherited the weighty responsibility of the state, have observed that [name omitted] has diligently performed his duties and rendered meritorious service in assisting the emperor. Therefore, I hereby bestow upon him the Principal Ninth Rank Benevolent and Brave Commandant of the Great Tang Dynasty."

"Although his rank is low and humble, he is still a subject of the king."

This seal is bestowed upon you to demonstrate the Emperor's grace.

He enjoyed high rank and salary at court, and his benevolence extended to the people.

Respectfully yours!

As the four characters "Benevolent and Brave Commandant" fell, the figure holding the imperial edict in the illusory image seemed to cast a purplish-gold light toward Qi Yun.

At the same time, the brilliance of the snow-white pearl in Qi Yun's palm completely faded, and a tiny, imperceptible purple-gold mark quietly emerged deep within its core, then disappeared, merging with the pearl itself and becoming one with it.

The illusion receded like the tide.

Before him lay the exposed pool bottom, the inverted water column, the desolate mountains, and the golden statue of Cai Kun, the God of Wealth Connects to the Divine, floating in front of him with a smile.

But Qi Yun knew things were different now.

This precious pearl in my palm is different now.

It is no longer just a rare treasure, but carries the official seal of the Principal Ninth Rank Benevolent and Brave Commandant, bestowed by the glorious and prosperous Great Tang Dynasty from ancient times!

Although he was only the lowest-ranking military officer.

But the meaning of the four words "official body of the Tang Dynasty" is more important than that of mountains.

Qi Yun slowly clenched the pearl in his palm, feeling the faint yet real purple-gold official aura within it. He looked up at Cai Kun, his eyes shining brightly.

Cai Shen, disguised as a little golden statue, chuckled, "How is it? Are you satisfied with this gift?"

"Of course I'm satisfied," Qi Yun said with a smile.

From the secrets Cai Kun had previously revealed, he already knew the significance of this "Great Tang Dynasty official position".

"Alright, now that we have the official position, the sooner the better." Cai Shen's golden statue stopped smiling. "Let's hurry back to Lifeless Valley!"

Although my physical body has been removed, the causal threads connecting my spirit to you remain.

Those old guys might have had some of their attention diverted by the Imperial Weapon itself, but once they recovered, they would continue to deduce and search repeatedly.

"I can always sense something unusual from the slightest clues left in the world."

"We must lay down the [Cause-Settling and Effect-Resolving Grand Formation] before they truly pinpoint the suspicious points!"

With the power of this formation, the secrets of heaven will be obscured, residual cause and effect will be severed, the threads connecting you and me to this matter will be completely buried, and a plausible ending will even be fabricated.

Otherwise, the consequences will be dire.

"The Cause-Settling and Effect-Resolving Grand Formation" Qi Yun nodded slightly.

He already knew the general outline of this formation from Cai Kun. It was an extremely obscure and ancient formation created specifically to conceal heavenly secrets and resolve certain karmic entanglements. Its setup was complicated, and the materials required were extraordinary.

Only a spirit of an ancient Imperial Weapon like the Wealth Connects to the Divine can understand and guide the deployment.

As the scene of the incident, Lifeless Valley has the most intense and complex causal relationships remaining, making it the most suitable Formation Deployment.

"There's no time to lose, let's set off now." Qi Yun no longer hesitated. With a thought, he was about to put away the pearl and use his escape technique.

However, in the split second when his Law Power was about to be activated and his figure was about to rise, a sudden change occurred!

"Laugh----"

A sharp, stabbing pain suddenly shot through the inside of my left wrist without warning!

It wasn't a feeling of muscles tearing apart, but a burning sensation originating from the depths of the soul, triggered by something!

Qi Yun suddenly stopped, and he looked down.

Beneath the skin of his left wrist, a complex and ancient-looking incantation tattoo was clearly visible.

It is indeed the [Tribulation-Avoiding Incantation]!

Is the curse reacting badly, signaling an impending great calamity?