Above the East Sea, azure waves stretched beyond sight, while rosy mist billowed skyward.
The ancestral veins of the Three Isles and Ten Continents—Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou—floated like enormous emeralds amid the vast misty waters, immortal light and auspicious haze surrounding them as spirit birds gathered in flight.
Penglai Immortal Island was particularly lively today. Auspicious clouds paved the way, immortal music drifted in waves, and countless streaks of light flew in from every corner of the Primordial World, descending into the magnificent immortal palace complex shrouded in seven-colored rosy clouds—
Purple Mansion Isle, East King Duke's residence and the venue of this Assembly of Immortals.
The streaks of light formed by Jieyin, Zhunti, and their disciple Ming Xin landed at the edge of Penglai Immortal Island.
The moment they landed, they felt the dense Primordial Spiritual Qi, utterly unlike the barrenness of the West, rush toward them. It was also mixed with the fragrance of immortal fruits and rare treasures.
Verdant mountains rose and fell across the island, waterfalls plunged into flowing springs, wondrous flowers and precious herbs carpeted the ground, immortal cranes carried spirit mushrooms in their beaks, and auspicious beasts roamed about. It was truly a paradise on earth.
Yet an invisible air of grim hostility and scrutiny permeated this paradise.
Countless divine senses—some domineering, some strange, some curious—swept over the newly arrived trio from the West like an invisible web.
They lingered especially long on Ming Xin, whose aura was steady and restrained yet faintly revealed an extraordinary Dao rhythm.
"Hmph, even that barren land of the West produced someone like this? Twelve-Petal Bloom? The Dao Ancestor personally called him one with a Sage's Demeanor? Let us see whether he truly lives up to the name!"
"Following behind Jieyin and Zhunti, is that their newly accepted chief disciple, Ming Xin? His aura is steady enough, but he is only at the early Great Luo stage..."
"The White Bone Life-Death Sword... personally bestowed by the Dao Ancestor... a legacy from a Chaos Demon God... what tremendous fortune!"
"Come, let us see what this 'Sage's Demeanor' favored by the Dao Ancestor is truly capable of!"
Whispers and exchanges of divine sense surged in secret.
Clearly, the Dao Ancestor's appraisal and bestowed treasure at Purple Cloud Palace, along with Ming Xin's survival of his tribulation with a Twelve-Petaled Blossom, had already spread throughout the highest circles of the Primordial World.
Many great powers had come to this gathering. Rather than giving East King Duke face, they had come to see this suddenly risen Western Sect's Chief Disciple with their own eyes!
Jieyin and Zhunti seemed wholly unaware. Daoist Jieyin still wore a sorrowful expression, his steps steady.
Daoist Zhunti wore a compassionate smile as he lightly swished his whisk. The majesty of a Primordial Golden Immortal emanated from him without form, causing the excessively impudent divine senses to quietly retreat.
Ming Xin, meanwhile, kept his gaze on his nose and his mind on his heart, his expression calm and undisturbed. He simply followed half a step behind his two masters, walking with ease.
His gray robes were plain, but he possessed the bearing of deep pools and towering mountains. The innate chill between his brows, together with the composure tempered through tribulations—
made him especially conspicuous amidst this gathering of immortals.
The three of them ignored the open and hidden gazes and discussions around them as they headed directly for the heart of Purple Mansion Isle—
a magnificent palace floating above the sea of clouds, built entirely of violet jade and radiating countless rays of rosy light: the Hall of Immortals!
The plaza before the hall was already packed with immortals. There were old immortals with transcendent bearing, monstrous giants wreathed in demonic aura, elegant and unworldly female immortals, and Witch Clan figures brimming with Killing Intent.
The Three Pure Ones sat upon specially prepared cloud platforms at the very front, their auras unfathomably deep. Empress Nuwa sat alone at one table, the aura of Creation flowing around her.
Di Jun and Tai Yi occupied a lofty position to one side. Emperor's Aura intertwined with True Sun Fire, while demonic clouds churned behind them and Demon Saints stood in ranks. Their momentum was the greatest of all!
Great powers such as Fu Xi, Hong Yun, and Zhen Yuan Zi each occupied their own places as well.
When the Western master-disciple trio stepped into the plaza, the previously boisterous scene fell quiet.
Countless gazes focused on them in unison like tangible searchlights! Curiosity, scrutiny, jealousy, wariness, contempt... all manner of emotions intertwined.
"Fellow Daoists Jieyin and Zhunti of the Western Teachings have brought their Founding Disciple, Ming Xin, to attend this gathering! Congratulations to Fellow Daoist East King Duke on becoming the Head of Male Immortals!"
Daoist Zhunti's clear voice, bearing a compassionate smile, rang throughout the venue. He announced their identities and stated their purpose.
Seated upon the main platform was East King Duke, dressed in a lavish violet-gold imperial robe and holding a Dragon Head Crutch. At Zhunti's words, his gaze fell upon the three of them.
It paused especially on Ming Xin for a moment, and an almost imperceptible complexity flickered in the depths of his eyes—along with a faint shadow.
The Dao Ancestor had personally called this boy one with a "Sage's Demeanor"... If he had been in the East, he would have been the greatest support and symbol of glory for him, the Head of Male Immortals. What a pity... he had joined the West!
The smile on his face remained unchanged as he said aloud, "So it is Fellow Daoists Jieyin and Zhunti! And this must be... young friend Ming Xin!
Your arrival from afar brings great honor to this humble place! Please, take your seats!"
He raised a hand, indicating three seats near the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa, though slightly below the seats of Di Jun, Tai Yi, and the Demon Court.
This seating arrangement gave the Two Sages of the West their due respect, while subtly placing the Western faction beneath the demon race, silently displaying East King Duke's assessment of the Primordial World's powers.
Jieyin and Zhunti looked as usual, as though they did not care in the slightest, and led Ming Xin calmly to their seats.
Ming Xin likewise kept his gaze on his nose and his mind on his heart. He ignored the countless burning stares and merely sat quietly behind his two masters.
The immortal banquet soon officially began. Fine nectar, jade liquor, dragon liver, phoenix marrow, and all kinds of rare fruits and treasures seldom seen in the Primordial World were served in an endless stream.
Immortal maidens danced gracefully while divine music drifted through the air, creating a scene of harmony and prosperity. East King Duke was full of satisfaction, repeatedly raising his cup as he accepted congratulations and flattery from the various immortals and gods, acting as though he were the rightful leader of the Primordial World.
Yet beneath this superficial harmony, undercurrents surged. After three rounds of wine, when the atmosphere was at its liveliest, someone finally could not hold back.
"I have long heard that Fellow Daoist Ming Xin, the newly accepted chief disciple of the Western Teachings, possesses peerless talent, achieving Twelve-Petal Bloom, something unseen since ancient times!
"He was even personally granted a Chaos Demon God relic by the Dao Ancestor, who proclaimed him one with a 'Sage's Demeanor'! Truly, he is an unparalleled genius not seen in countless ages of the Primordial World!"
A somewhat shrill voice rang out. Though it carried deliberately exaggerated praise, it could not conceal the provocation beneath it.
The speaker was a middle-aged Daoist seated not far below East King Duke. He wore Eight Trigrams immortal robes, had a lean face, and shifty eyes.
He was East King Duke's capable confidant, known as Xuanji Zi. He excelled at reading expressions and discerning his superior's intentions.
Seeing his lord's faint displeasure toward Ming Xin and the Western trio's low profile, he decided to seize this chance to stir up trouble, test them, and vent his lord's frustration.
As soon as he spoke, the entire hall's attention focused on Ming Xin once more. Many great powers showed amused expressions, waiting to enjoy the spectacle.
When Xuanji Zi saw that Ming Xin remained seated with his eyes closed, as though he had heard nothing, he grew even more indignant.
His voice rose several degrees. "With such extraordinary bearing, Fellow Daoist Ming Xin, why not display a little of your ability at today's grand Assembly of Immortals and broaden our horizons?
"Let us witness what foundation the Twelve-Petal Three Flowers possesses, and what the Dao Ancestor's personally designated 'Sage's Demeanor' truly means.
"Could it be... that the West is barren, and though Fellow Daoist possesses a profound foundation, he suffers from a lack of fine teachers, leaving his divine abilities and methods... somewhat lacking?"
These words were already naked provocation and blatant disparagement of the West!
The entire hall fell silent! Even the immortal music stopped!
Daoist Jieyin's gaunt face remained sorrowful, but Nirvana Buddha Light flickered faintly in the depths of his eyes. The compassionate smile on Daoist Zhunti's face faded slightly, and the whisk in his hand moved without wind.
On the high platform, East King Duke held his wine cup with a half-smile and did not speak to stop him. Cold smiles rested on the lips of Di Jun and Tai Yi.
Among the Three Pure Ones, Primordial Lord of Heaven remained expressionless, Laozi sat with his eyes closed in repose, while Lord of the Heavens looked toward Ming Xin with great interest. Empress Nuwa's delicate brows furrowed slightly.
Seeing that the Two Sages of the West had not immediately reacted and Ming Xin showed no response at all, Xuanji Zi became bolder. Thinking the other side had grown timid, he was about to continue fanning the flames.
At that moment, Ming Xin, who had been seated with his eyes closed all along, slowly opened them!
There was no earthshaking eruption of aura, nor any killing intent from an enraged glare.
He simply opened his eyes calmly.
Nirvana Buddha Flame smoldered in his left eye, while a Demon Abyss vortex lay deep within his right.
Yet when his gaze, calm to the point of near indifference, fell upon the eloquent Xuanji Zi—
Xuanji Zi had been speaking animatedly, preparing to continue his clamor, when his words seemed to be seized by an invisible giant hand gripping his throat, abruptly cutting off!
The smugness and provocation on his face froze instantly, transforming into utter terror! It was as if he had been targeted by the most terrifying Ancient Fierce Beast!
He saw an indescribable sight that froze his very soul!
Within Ming Xin's calm eyes, he clearly "saw" himself! But there was not just one him—there were countless versions of "him"!
The "him" who had harmed fellow cultivators to seize spirit medicine in the past, the "him" who had framed others to curry favor with East King Duke, the "him" who had secretly cultivated vicious evil arts only to suffer their backlash...
Countless crimson Threads of Karma representing his "evil karma," "causes of death," and "karmic debts" extended from those countless versions of himself like hideous venomous snakes.
They densely coiled around his primordial spirit at that very moment! Every thread radiated a thick scent of blood and misfortune!
Even more terrifyingly, deep within Ming Xin's indifferent pupils, he seemed to see two cold, invisible, formless blades capable of severing the River of Fate.
They slowly rose, locking onto the thickest and most crimson Threads of Karma that foretold death as they coiled around his primordial spirit!
A death omen that could not be resisted, born from the deepest part of his soul, swept through Xuanji Zi's entire body like the cold wind of the Nine Netherworlds!
He felt that his Life Force, his existence, everything about him, had been placed beneath a cold blade. With a single thought from the other party, it would all be utterly brought to Terminus! He would not even know how he died!
"Urgh... urgh..." Strange choking sounds came from Xuanji Zi's throat. His face instantly turned white as paper, bean-sized drops of cold sweat rolling down his forehead like streams as his entire body began trembling violently like chaff!
He wanted to scream, to flee, to beg his lord for help, but overwhelming terror froze everything from his fleshly body to his primordial spirit like ten thousand years of black ice!
He could only remain rigid in place like a frog stared down by a venomous snake, his eyes filled with utter despair and pleading!
The entire Hall of Immortals was deathly silent!
A falling needle could have been heard!
Every great power could clearly sense the sudden eruption of absolute despair from Xuanji Zi, a despair born from the instinct of life itself!
It was the despair of having Death's scythe held to one's throat! And the source of it all was merely that Western Sect's Chief Disciple calmly looking at him once!
What had happened?!
What had Ming Xin done?!
Why had a dignified peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal, East King Duke's confidant, become so terrified after a single glance, as though facing his natural predator?!
On the high platform, East King Duke's smile stiffened completely, and a flicker of uncertainty crossed his eyes!
Di Jun and Tai Yi's pupils contracted slightly, traces of imperial pressure emerging! The gazes of the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and the other supreme beings instantly became incomparably grave!
Though they could not "see" the karmic death threads as Xuanji Zi had, they clearly sensed that the instant Ming Xin opened his eyes and looked at Xuanji Zi—
an extremely concealed, extremely dangerous cold power that seemed capable of directly affecting the source of Fate flashed and vanished!
It was that power which had plunged Xuanji Zi into boundless hell!
A flash of wisdom blazed in Daoist Zhunti's eyes, then the compassionate smile on his face bloomed once more, even brighter than before.
He lightly swished his whisk, and a gentle, auspicious stream of clear light brushed over Xuanji Zi without drawing notice.
"Could Fellow Daoist Xuanji Zi be unable to hold his liquor? It seems this East Sea Fine Wine has quite a strong aftereffect." Zhunti's smiling voice shattered the dead silence.
As the clear light swept over him, Xuanji Zi was like a drowning man pulled ashore. He suddenly sucked in a breath of cold air, then began coughing violently, his entire body collapsing limp as mud.
He looked at Ming Xin as though he were the most terrifying demon, his eyes filled with the fear of surviving a calamity. How could he dare utter another word?
Only then did Daoist Jieyin slowly speak. His voice was low and compassionate, as though nothing had happened. "This unworthy disciple's cultivation is still shallow, and he is not good with words. Please forgive the amusement he has caused you, fellow Daoists."
The sorrow on his gaunt face remained unchanged, yet the invisible protectiveness and faint warning in his words made every great power present shudder inwardly!
Not good with words? Someone not good with words could frighten a peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal into instant paralysis?!
The methods of Ming Xin, the Western Sect's Chief Disciple, were far stranger and more unfathomable than they had imagined, while the depth of his temperament was equally beyond their expectations!
After this silent yet terrifying scene, the atmosphere in the entire Hall of Immortals completely changed.
Most of the open and hidden looks of scrutiny, provocation, and contempt vanished at once! They were replaced by deep wariness, gravity, and curiosity.
The Dao Ancestor's personal appraisal of "Sage's Demeanor"... Twelve-Petal Bloom... it truly had not been a fluke!
What kind of divine ability had that glance been? It had directly struck at the Dao heart and stirred the deepest terror?!
With someone like this, the Western Teachings... in the future, perhaps...
Under the countless complicated, indescribable gazes, Ming Xin slowly lowered his eyelids and returned to his tranquil, ancient-well-like state, seated with his eyes closed.
It was as though the fleeting glance that had stunned the entire hall had not come from him. Only his fist, slightly clenched within his sleeve as he felt the cold touch of the White Bone Life-Death Sword, revealed his silent recitation:
"To kill is to protect life... To slay karma is not to slay people... The arising and passing of Cause and Effect... this is my Dao."
Before you continue