Joining Forces, Hearts Shaken
The white-haired elder and the Primordial Origin Spirit exchanged a glance, both seeing the resolve in each other's eyes.
"Alright." The old man nodded. "Continue with the Return to the Origin."
"We'll settle the score with the traitor later."
He turned to look at Yan Tianjin, his eyes icy cold.
"Yan Tianjin, you were used by a traitor to disrupt the ceremony. What is your punishment?"
Yan Tianjin's face turned pale and then red, filled with shame and anger.
He prided himself on his flawless strategies, but he never expected to be used as a pawn!
What cooperation, what restraint on Ancestral Vein —it's all a lie!
That Dao Guardian, from the very beginning, wanted to use him to disrupt the Return to the Origin!
Success! Dao Fruit is saved, but he takes the blame.
He was defeated; he suffered heavy losses, while the traitor escaped unscathed.
What a clever scheme!
"I..." Yan Tianjin gritted his teeth, but had nothing to say.
He was indeed the one who did the attack; a mistake is a mistake.
"Devil Emperor Yan," Li Yunjing began, "Things have come to this point, there's no point in saying more. The traitor's goal is to destroy Return to the Origin; we are all his enemies."
"Why not put aside our grudges for now, work together to complete the Return to the Origin, and then, once Return to the Origin succeeded, hunt down the traitors and find the mastermind behind it all?"
"After all, the ascension of the Dao Realm also benefits the Demonic Path. You wouldn't want to see so many people's efforts ruined by a spy from the Immortal Realm, would you?"
Yan Tianjin suddenly looked up at Li Yunjing.
He saw the sincerity in Li Yunjing's eyes, the angry gazes of the righteous people around him, and the cold scrutiny of the ten Ancestral Vein and the Dao Guardian.
He knew that if he dared to cause trouble again today, he would never leave this Burial Ground.
Moreover, he was also harboring a grudge.
It feels terrible to be made a fool of like a monkey.
That damned traitorous Dao Guardian the Dao, and what kind of the Immortal Realm Immortal Venerable...
He made a note of this debt.
"Good."
Yan Tianjin took a deep breath, suppressing the shame and anger in his heart.
"I will temporarily join forces with you to complete the Return to the Origin."
"But let me make this clear from the start: this is only temporary. Once we catch that traitor, we'll settle our score with you on the righteous path."
Li Yunjing smiled slightly, "No problem."
Seeing that both sides had reached an agreement, the white-haired old man said no more and said in a deep voice:
"Everyone, back to your places."
"The Return to the Origin Ceremony, continue!"
As soon as the order was given, the righteous disciples quickly returned to their positions, some on guard duty, others protecting the Dharma.
At Yan Tianjin's signal, the members of the demonic path retreated to the west side. This time, however, they were no longer watchful bystanders, but truly joined the vigilance, guarding against traitors lurking in the shadows.
In the center of the arena, Yuanchu himself and raised his hands again.
The Dao Fruit trembled slightly, but quickly stabilized again.
The seven-colored essence continued to slowly emanate, merging into the heavens and earth.
The sudden and dramatic turn of events has now subsided for the time being.
But everyone knows that the matter is far from over.
The traitorous Dao Guardian lurking in the shadows, and the high and Immortal Venerable of the Immortal Realm —these are all swords hanging over everyone's heads.
But at least for now, the righteous and the demonic paths, the Ancestral Vein guarding the way, all stand on the same side.
They worked together for the future of Tianyuan.
Li Yunjing stood beside the Dao Fruit, gazing at the slowly dissipating seven-colored light cluster, his eyes resolute.
The path Return to the Origin is destined to be bumpy.
But he believes that as long as we work together, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome.
The cycle of ten thousand years is about to end; what is a mere Immortal Realm spy compared to that?
Return to the Origin will surely lead to success.
After the shocking turn of events, the atmosphere in the main hall became several times more somber than before.
The righteous disciples redeployed their defenses, making the formation three times more secure than before, with divine sense sweeping over every blind spot.
The demonic forces abandoned any remaining hope and, at Yan Tianjin's signal, guarded the west gate of the palace, forming a pincer movement with the righteous path, jointly keeping watch for any movements in the shadows.
In the center of the venue, the Return to the Origin Ceremony continues.
Yuanchu, dressed in white, held the gradually shrinking Primordial Dao Fruit in his hands. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, yet he remained as steady as a rock.
After a brief period of turmoil, Dao Fruit's will stabilized again. The seven-colored origin, like fine rain of light, continuously drifted in all directions, evenly permeating every inch of the Heavenly Spirit Dao Realm along the earth vein network laid out by the ten Ancestral Vein.
Li Yunjing stood beside Yuanchu, the Five Aggregates Cauldron hovering motionless above his head. The dark yellow halo was like a thick curtain, enveloping the entire Burial Ground and even the entire Southern Continent.
He spread his divine sense, maintaining constant contact with the Five Spirits Lord, scanning every corner of the array barrier inch by inch, not daring to relax even slightly.
"Five Spirits Lord, can you detect the traitor's aura now?" Li Yunjing asked secretly.
"We can't find it at the moment." Five Spirits Lord's voice carried a hint of solemnity.
"Could he have already escaped?"
"No," Five Spirits Lord said confidently. "His mission is to stop Return to the Origin. Now that Return to the Origin has not yet been completed, he will never leave. He is definitely still hiding in some corner deep within the Burial Ground, waiting for the next opportunity to strike."
Li Yunjing nodded slightly, and quietly transmitted his divine sense to the Primordial Origin Spirit and the white-haired elder, the leader of the Dao Guardian.
The three parties joined forces and laid out three layers of dark web.
The ten Ancestral Vein control the earth's veins, and can immediately detect any fluctuations in the earth's veins.
The Dao Guardian communicate with the source and monitor any anomalies in the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, Five Aggregates Cauldron is responsible for guarding the boundary level and preventing any information from leaking out.
The triple-layered protection is virtually airtight.
Time passed little by little.
One hour, two hours, three hours...
The Return to the Origin Ceremony lasted from dawn until dusk.
The size of the Dao Fruit has shrunk to one-third of its original size, and the seven-colored halo has become soft and warm, no longer having the initial dazzling effect.
The primordial power it emitted became increasingly pure, and as it merged with heaven and earth, the changes it brought about became more and more obvious.
Those inside the hall were the first to sense the difference.
The Spiritual Qi was so dense it was almost liquefied. Taking a deep breath, one could feel the Spiritual Qi filling one's meridians, and a tingling, itchy feeling in the bottleneck, as if one could break through at any moment.
Several elders who had been stuck at the Dao Union Perfection for many years broke through and entered the Void Refinement realm after only a few hours of meditation.
"I broke through! I actually broke through!"
One of the Dao Union True Lord was so excited that his voice trembled.
He had been stuck at the Dao Union Perfection for over three hundred years, and thought he had no hope of ever Void Refinement in this lifetime. Unexpectedly, he broke through to the Origin stage naturally on his way Return to the Origin.
Similar scenes occurred repeatedly within both the righteous and demonic factions.
Lower-level disciples broke through their cultivation levels, mid-level cultivators consolidated their foundations, and even those at the Void Refinement and Tribulation Transcendence levels felt their understanding of the Principle had become much clearer, bringing them a significant step closer to the next realm.
"This is amazing." Zhang Jianchen gripped his sword, feeling the rapidly increasing spiritual power within his body, his eyes filled with astonishment. "It's only halfway through the Return to the Origin, and the effect is already so obvious. What will happen when it's completely complete?"
Zhenyangzi stood beside her, stroking his beard, and said with emotion, "The ascension of the Dao Realm benefits all living beings. This is not just fortuitous opportunity for any one person, but a blessing for the entire world."
On the west side, within the demonic faction.
As the Old Devil Bone Spirit sensed the rapidly increasing corpse energy within his body, his withered face was filled with disbelief. "Your Majesty, this... this is too exaggerated! This old minister has been stuck at the Void Refinement Perfection for almost two thousand years, and yet... yet I've actually sensed the threshold of the Tribulation Transcendence stage?"
Yan Tianjin closed his eyes and Spirit Concentration, his demonic energy surging around him, and his aura steadily rising.