Returning to the Western Desert, the Core Ranks of the Daode Lineage

"Leave it to me!"

Huntian let out a soft laugh.

"It really is the aura of the Blood River Dao. I wonder who's in charge of the Blood River Dao now."

After a period of recovery, Huntian's Primordial Spirit grew stronger day by day, and he truly began to possess some of the "demeanor" befitting a Great Sage.

Ordinary Primordial Spirit Immortals and Gods are no longer a problem for him.

Yu Tunzhou tapped his fingertips on the edge of the table, seemingly lost in thought, and said:

"That ' Blood God Son ' from the Blood River Dao last time, and the Great Sage with the Daoist name ' Nine Netherworlds ' who was possessed by Helian Tu, seem to be old acquaintances."

"That Blood God Son must be someone from the Blood River Dao, but we don't know exactly who it is." Huntian replied casually, flying out from the Niwan Palace of the Yu Tunzhou, opening his mouth and pecking, swallowing the Primordial Spirit imprisoned in the head.

"Yu Tunzhou!"

Xuanyangzi roared, and his long-accumulated Primordial Spirit power suddenly erupted, only to come to an abrupt halt the next moment.

Huntian let out a burp, spitting out a wisp of pale gray impurity.

Xuanyangzi had already been swallowed by it.

Yu Tunzhou thought to himself, "Huntian has indeed improved a lot. If this continues, he might become a good mount in the future..."

A moment later, Huntian spat out Xuanyangzi's Primordial Spirit again. All the madness and struggle disappeared, leaving only a blank and dazed look.

"Fellow Daoist, you may ask now," Huntian said arrogantly, his golden feathers seeming to shine even brighter. "My Spirit-Searching Method, though not a specialized torture method, is more than enough to deal with this kind of scum."

Yu Tunzhou's eyes showed admiration, and he asked directly, "How did you recover after you self-destructed your Inner Heaven and Earth last time?"

Xuanyangzi's Primordial Spirit spoke, its voice stiff and mechanical. "The Blood River Dao... I used the power of the Blood River Dao to reforge my physical body and planted a part of my Primordial Spirit in the Blood River..."

It really is the Blood River Dao.

Yu Tunzhou narrowed his eyes. "You left a part of your Primordial Spirit in the Blood River? Could it be that you can revive it in the future?"

"That's right, that's what Blood River Dao says..."

Huntian sneered, "Having only retained a portion of your Primordial Spirit, even if you were to revive, you would merely become a puppet. Your strength and intelligence would be far inferior to what they were at the beginning, and you would even have your path to reincarnation cut off."

Yu Tunzhou then asked, "Did the Blood River Dao send you to West Xuan Commandery?"

"... It's the Xie Household." Xuanyangzi said blankly, "The Xie Household a message to the Blood River Dao... that the Jin Household be wiped out... to make an example of them and cut off the Northern Dark Sea's supplies. I accepted this mission, and the reward is a share of Immortals and Gods blood."

It's Immortals and Gods bloodline again!

"The Xie Household also has close ties with the Six Paths of Evil and Demons?"

"Yes, he has connections with both the Blood River Dao and our Supreme Origin Sect. The Blood River Dao Master is suspected of having a past relationship with the Immortal Ancestor behind the Xie Household."

Yu Tunzhou stared intently at Xuanyangzi: "Who was the ancestor behind the Xie Household?"

I don't know.

Where is the Blood River Dao Lord?

"I don't know..."

Yu Tunzhou shook his head; it seemed this question was beyond Xuanyangzi's level.

He thought for a moment and asked, "Where are the main bases of the Blood River Dao and the Supreme Origin Sect?"

"The Blood River Dao... is unclear... The Supreme Origin Sect is hidden in a secret location in the Western Frontier, at coordinates..."

As Xuanyangzi spoke, he suddenly began to convulse violently. It seemed that a restriction deep within his Primordial Spirit had been triggered, and it was about to collapse on its own.

Huntian snorted coldly and attacked again, his Primordial Spirit power transforming into golden threads that wrapped around Xuanyangzi, suppressing the violent restrictions deep within his Primordial Spirit.

"In... Fengdu City, Western Frontier!"

With Huntian's intervention, Xuanyangzi revealed the coordinates of the Supreme Origin Sect.

"Fengdu..." Yu Tunzhou's gaze sharpened, "Is the Supreme Origin Ghost Emperor behind your Supreme Origin Sect Immortals and Gods from the Nine Netherworlds Underworld?"

"Yes or no..."

This time, Xuanyangzi's Primordial Spirit trembled far more than before, breaking free from Huntian's suppression, and it seemed as if a gaze from the Unseen void was locking onto him.

Huntian suddenly opened his mouth and swallowed Xuanyangzi's Primordial Spirit into his belly, thus severing the lock from the the Unseen.

"This guy has quite a few restrictions on him," it said sullenly. "There were at least two people locking onto this side just now."

Yu Tunzhou also sensed something, but not as accurately as Huntian.

"That's normal, given it's both the Blood River Dao and the Supreme Origin Sect," Yu Tunzhou said. "Fortunately, we've already obtained the information we wanted; the rest we'll have to trouble the Great Sage with."

Then.

Yu Tunzhou looked up at the gate and smiled, "Martial Uncle Jin, please come in."

The gate was wide open.

Jin Moyuan stepped into the room, his gaze lingering for a moment on the broken head before falling on Yu Tunzhou, a rare smile appearing on his face.

"In just two years, I didn't expect you to have grown to this extent, Tun Zhou." He lifted his robe and sat down, with a hint of emotion in his tone, "It seems that Huai Qing's eyes are still above us."

Yu Tunzhou laughed, "When I last saw Martial Uncle Jin, he was still unknown, but now he's already ranked thirty-sixth on the Earth Ranking."

Jin Moyuan chuckled, "That still can't compare to your meteoric rise. You're now ranked 51st on the Earth Ranking, a ranking that's comparable to those who have just entered the External Scenery Fourth Layer. It seems you truly have that strength."

Yu Tunzhou said seriously, "Martial Uncle Jin, you were hiding your strength before because of the Northern Dark Sea?"

Jin Moyuan nodded slowly, a hint of reminiscence in his eyes. "Back then, Huaiqing was targeted by all sides, and we were also targeted as a result. Later, he focused all attention on himself, while we returned to our respective clans, devoted ourselves to cultivation, and waited for the 'change' he spoke of."

"In Martial Uncle Jin's opinion, is the current situation in the Central Plains still stable?" Yu Tunzhou asked.

"Stable?" Jin Moyuan shook his head and sighed, "A single move can affect the whole situation. Now it's a matter of who will make the first move. Powers like the Xie Household have already sensed the changing circumstances and are itching to act."

Yu Tunzhou's eyes flickered. "Uncle-Master should know who is secretly targeting the Jin Household, right?"

Jin Moyuan nodded. "The Northern Plains Xie Household."

"I've received information that the Xie Household is laying traps for the Jin Household in the Western Desert. If necessary, I can accompany Uncle Jin to remove all the spies the Xie Household has planted in the Western Desert."

"No need," Jin Moyuan shook his head. "The situation here is still under our control, you don't need to worry about us."

"But you--"

Jin Moyuan's expression became more serious.

"[The Star Palace] has sent you an important message through the Northern Dark Sea: you are about to face your first Life-and-Death Tribulation!"

"[Star Palace]?" Yu Tunzhou inexplicably thought of a certain bald man.

He pondered, a hint of doubt in his voice, "Which member of the [Star Palace] calculated this?"

Even An Ruyu, who possesses the Luo River Diagram), claims he finds it difficult to deduce his fate. As one of the contemporary schools of Heavenly Secrets Technique, does [Star Palace] truly have the ability to predict his future?

"It's said that the message was sent by Daoist Xuanyang, the current master of the Star Palace. The message only mentioned the Life-and-Death Tribulation, but there were no further details."

Yu Tunzhou nodded thoughtfully.

As the master of the Star Palace, he must possess some abilities.

Life-and-Death Tribulation?

Could it be referring to the third tribulation of lightning in the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art?

This will indeed be a crucial step for him to complete his transformation in life level, and he may even be unable to bypass it.

"I understand, thank you for the reminder, Martial Uncle Jin."

Yu Tunzhou thanked Jin Moyuan.

The two chatted about their experiences over the past two years. Jin Moyuan didn't linger, patted him on the shoulder, and instructed him:

"Our people will be going on the upcoming trip to Heavenly Court; you can join them then."

"A journey to the Heavenly Court... could not be an exaggeration to say that every step is fraught with danger. Be extremely careful!"

Yu Tunzhou asked doubtfully, "Since it involves the Heavenly Court, it's said that the High Heaven Treasure Hall and Jade Pool, two important areas, will be opened this time. Martial Uncle Jin, aren't you planning to join in the fun?"

Jin Moyuan shook his head. "I need to oversee the overall situation in West Xuan Commandery. Moreover... without good fortune, it's likely that returning empty-handed on this trip to the Heavenly Court will be a pipe dream."

He looked at Yu Tunzhou: "Your smooth journey to where you are today is due to both personal effort and opportunity. You are clearly a person of great fortune, but you must remember one thing—"

"Those who experience great fortune will also face great calamity!"

"The world is in balance, yin and yang give rise to each other, and calamities arise from the cycle of life; this is the natural order, a principle that Huaiqing took decades to comprehend."

Throughout history, countless extraordinary individuals, sages, and unparalleled powerhouses have emerged, yet none have transcended this principle.

These words were spoken with great seriousness, and coupled with the "Life-and-Death Tribulation" mentioned earlier, Yu Tunzhou's expression also became more solemn.

Am I truly facing Life-and-Death Tribulation?

"Take care of yourself!"

Jin Moyuan patted his shoulder lightly one last time, then stood up to take his leave.

Yu Tunzhou rose to see Jin Moyuan off, and after seeing him off, he returned to his room alone and fell into deep thought.

This battle with Xuanyangzi proved that even without relying on the Nether Passage, he could contend with the Dharma Domain opened up by the External Scenery Fourth Layer.

Although Xuanyangzi's strength was greatly reduced after his self-destruction last time, making him probably the weakest among the fourth External Scenery Fourth Layer, this was still enough to demonstrate his strength.

His current strength has reached a bottleneck, and apart from continuing to nurture the Dao Sprout Immortal Embryo, there is almost no room for improvement.

"Life-and-Death Tribulation..."

Yu Tunzhou wondered in his heart what Huntian thought.

Huntian solemnly said, "I think this matter might still be related to your ' Dao Calamity '!"

Yu Tunzhou remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

When Jin Moyuan returned to his residence, he found Jin Qingwu waiting for him at the door.

"How do you feel about returning to the Jin Household?" he asked casually.

Jin Qingwu was silent for a moment. "The only person I still care about is Qingshui."

Jin Moyuan nodded, seemingly unsurprised. "Home is where family is."

Jin Qingwu said in a low voice, "The Ancestor didn't tell Young Hero Yu about the crisis the Jin Household is facing, right?"

Jin Moyuan stood with his hands behind his back and said with a faint smile, "After staying in the Northern Dark Sea for two years, you've started trying to guess what I'm thinking?"

Jin Qingwu said softly, "It can now be confirmed that the Xie Household has been plotting for thousands of years to usurp the position of the ruler of the Central Plains, enduring until today. Not only is their strength far beyond what was expected, but the power they can wield is also Non-Self reach."

"The relationship between the Northern Dark Sea and Northern Plains has not yet completely broken down. If the war escalates, the Jin Household may become the first casualty."

"At that time, Ancestor... I'm afraid you will be the first sacrifice to die."

Jin Moyuan laughed and said, "Are you saying that I will be the chicken used as a warning to others?"

Jin Qingwu stared intently at the person before her.

From a young age, he was thoughtful and deep, able to see through the thoughts of many elders, but there were some people he just couldn't understand, or rather...

These people are completely contrary to "human nature".

There are many such people in the Northern Dark Sea, but very few in the Jin Household; only the one standing before him is like this.

Jin Moyuan suddenly said, "Huaiqing has studied a lot, especially after his path in Martial Dao was cut off. He has studied formations, celestial secrets, talismans, alchemy... He is a true genius, learning a wide range of things, yet mastering them all."

A ripple of emotion stirred in Jin Qingwu's eyes.

During his two years in the Northern Dark Sea, everyone he met admired Lu Huaiqing immensely.

Before this, he had never imagined that there could be such a perfect "person" in the world.

"The Cosmic Heaven Grand Array is not only a powerful array for both offense and defense, but also a celestial array, Huaiqing's final masterpiece," Jin Moyuan said slowly. "After its formation, Huaiqing used it to deduce a part of the future, and the reason for the death in the third year of Tianshun was derived from this."

"And after that--"

"With the demise of the Central Plains human race, all the achievements of the ancient human emperors have vanished like a mirage."

Jin Qingwu's pupils suddenly contracted.

The Central Plains Human Race... perished?

"And the root of the problem lies in the ambitions of a few wolves, beasts who betray their entire pack for their own sake."

Jin Moyuan looked up at the distant night sky, his eyes deep and unfathomable, and said...

This world can fall into the hands of many people, but it must never fall into the hands of beasts.

"We have endured for decades for this war. This is our battle, and it has nothing to do with the Tunzhou."

"Each generation should do its own thing."

He raised his hand and gently patted Jin Qingwu's shoulder in return.

"You are one of the next generation."

Two days later, Yuan Mengzhou and his two companions returned with the news.

Yuyang and the others who entered the secret realm with Yu Tunzhou back then have been missing ever since and have never returned to Twin Rivers Commandery.

In addition, they also discovered something else—someone in the Western Desert was secretly tracking Yu Tunzhou's past.

The news came from the Wang Household of Twin Rivers Commandery, who had previously joined forces with Yu Tunzhou to thwart the Blood River Dao's conspiracy, and it has been confirmed.

Without further delay, Yu Tunzhou set off immediately.

That day.

He returned to Donghe County.

Outside the county was Gao Old Village, where he first encountered the Feng Yanleng.

Yu Tunzhou went straight to the Gold-Wielding Guard garrison in Donghe County and found Liu An, the Gold-Wielding Guard he had met a few times before.

"Fish... Young Hero Yu?!"

Liu An looked astonished and quickly walked out.

In one corner of the room hung a birdcage, its door ajar, and a brightly feathered sparrow was hopping and chirping.

Upon seeing the Yu Tunzhou, it tilted its head, then flapped its wings and flew out, landing lightly on his shoulder and affectionately nuzzling his cheek.

Yu Tunzhou teased the sparrow with his finger and laughed, "Is this the one I entrusted to you that day?"

He survived his first Eight-Nine Lightning Tribulation in Donghe County. The lightning strikes destroyed the courtyard where he lived, and the big bird in the nest was frightened and flew away, leaving only this baby bird behind.

Liu An chuckled, "Young Hero Yu's eyesight is truly amazing. This little sparrow is incredibly intelligent, almost on par with Demon Beast."

Yu Tunzhou nodded and examined the birds with his Primordial Spirit, discovering that this little fellow's physique was also extraordinary, far surpassing that of ordinary birds.

He obtained a cultivation method from the Demon Race from Huntian, and further enlightened the bird's intelligence through the cultivation of the [Nature-Seeing Heaven] Nature Cultivation.

"Chirp chirp chirp--"

The bird's eyes became noticeably more lively as it circled the Yu Tunzhou again and again before finally settling on his fingertip.

Yu Tunzhou handed the bird to Liu An and said with a smile, "Take good care of it. Maybe it can even see your grandson off in his old age. One bird can support ten generations."

Demon Beast are much older than Human Race, but the price they pay is a much slower cultivation speed, unless they are individuals with Immortals and Gods bloodlines.

When Liu An looked at the bird again, his gaze was immediately filled with surprise.

"Has there been any movement from Gao Old Village since I left?"

Yu Tunzhou to Get to the Point

"Or have any suspicious people been in the city?"

Liu An pondered for a moment, then said, "After Gao Old Village fell into ruin, I haven't heard of anyone visiting it. As for the city..."

He paused, his expression serious, and said, "When I went to clean the courtyard where Young Hero Yu stayed before, I happened to see someone walking out of it, and they disappeared before I could ask them anything."

Yu Tunzhou nodded, thinking of the message sent by the Prince of Shuanghe.

Are these people not searching for themselves, but rather searching for traces of their past?

What are they hoping to find through this method?

With this question in mind, he bid farewell to Liu An and went to Twin Rivers Commandery to meet Master Wang.

According to Old Master Wang, since last year, people have been entering Twin Rivers Commandery one after another, trying to get information from the Wang Household family about Yu Tunzhou's specific actions back then, especially what Yu Tunzhou did during the Blood God's Descent and the battle against Helian Tu.

Among the people who came was even a powerful expert in the External Scenery, whose strength far surpassed that of Old Master Wang. In his memory, this person was very likely Grandmaster at the Peak External Scenery!

This gave Yu Tunzhou a jolt.

Did the Grandmaster personally search for the footprints he had left behind?

What are these people's true motives?

After confirming with Grandpa Wang that Yuyang and the others had not returned, Yu Tunzhou did not linger and went to the Five Thunder Temple, which was not far outside the county town.

Within Xie Xiaoran's fragmented Primordial Spirit, the Xie Household seems to be secretly searching for a successor to the lineage of the Great Emperor of Longevity of the South Pole.

The Thunder Method tradition of the Five Thunder Temple originates from the Great Emperor of Longevity of the South Pole.

Two years later, Abbot Chen Xuanjing's aura has become even more profound, reaching the level of External Scenery.

Upon Yu Tunzhou's arrival, Chen Xuanjing warmly welcomed him, stating that his previous exchange had been very beneficial to him.

Yu Tunzhou learned from Chen Xuanjing that since then, his cultivation of Thunder Method had been quite smooth, and he had hardly encountered any obstacles!

"This feeling..." Chen Xuanjing pondered for a moment and said frankly, "It's as if the Great Dao is right before my eyes, no longer separated by a veil. I have never experienced such clarity before."

"Not only me, but all the disciples of my Five Thunder Temple are like this."

"Perhaps..."

Chen Xuanjing paused, his expression grave, and said in a low voice,

"Perhaps the Grandmaster is about to return!"

Yu Tunzhou down his spine.

Is there really such a saying?

The smooth progress of cultivation at the Five Thunder Temple is because the Great Emperor of Longevity of the South Pole, the ancestral source of this practice, is about to return?

He asked Huntian, Huntian said that it was indeed possible.

At the level of the Great Sage, one embodies the Great Dao. Once one dies, falls into depravity, or seals oneself off, the corresponding Great Dao either falls into silence or is reborn.

The divine imprint of the Demon Race race on heaven and earth is a similar method.

After leaving Five Thunder Temple, Yu Tunzhou headed straight for his destination – Falling Star Gorge.

For the past two weeks, he has almost retraced the steps he took in the Western Desert two years ago.

Yu Tunzhou stood at the highest point within a radius of ten miles, looking down at Falling Star Gorge below.

Returning to this place, my mindset and perspective are completely different.

"Falling Star Gorge, according to folklore, is a gorge formed by a star falling from the sky. But a meteorite that could crash into the Central Plains could not be an ordinary star..."

Yu Tunzhou stepped into the canyon.

"Could it be that Laojun's Xuandu Heaven has fallen to the mortal realm?" Huntian muttered. "But that doesn't make sense. Unless Laojun also disappeared like the Dao Venerable, how could Xuandu Heaven have fallen? Besides, that place seems to be sealing something away..."

Yu Tunzhou couldn't help but twitch his brow.

He still clearly remembers the voice that echoed in the Heavenly Court— "Dao and Virtue is dead."

If even the Buddha has passed away, then what about the Three Pure Ones...?

He suppressed certain thoughts and ventured deeper into the canyon.

Many lightning marks can be seen around the area, which were caused by the lightning tribulation he attracted here last time to fight.

Following the lightning trails, Yu Tunzhou quickly arrived at the place where the secret realm gate had opened last time.

"This is it, fellow Daoist. Let's try the method of Nether Passage," Huntian said expectantly.

Yu Tunzhou focused his mind on the inner Inner View. He had already created seven wonders and was able to sense and open part of the gates to Xuandu Heaven, but he was still missing the last bit, and that last bit was like an insurmountable chasm that kept him outside.

At this moment, Yu Tunzhou tried to sense the location of the secret realm's gate, but to his disappointment, there was no response for a long time.

"It's a pity I couldn't find Yuyang and Feng Yanleng."

"The method they possess to open the gate to the secret realm might be the ' Nether Passage ' technique belonging to this hidden place."

"It seems the hope of breaking through to the next realm still lies with the Heavenly Court..."

Yu Tunzhou murmured to himself, feeling neither disappointment nor anything else, but simply gazing calmly into the distance.

I don't know how much time passed.

Yu Tunzhou suddenly spoke up, "How long will you continue watching, Your Excellency?"

A hundred feet away.

Suddenly, a figure appeared, dressed in a gray-white robe and wearing a bamboo hat, his face hidden in the shadows.

The person was of medium build, with a slightly hunched back. It was impossible to tell whether he was male or female, or how old he was; he seemed to blend into the surrounding world.

"So it is you who are searching for traces of my past?" Yu Tunzhou asked calmly.

The gray-white figure didn't speak, but simply watched him quietly.

After a moment, he slowly spoke:

"Being able to perceive me proves that you have already entered the Nature-Seeing Heaven."

"So young... the Daode Lineage has indeed chosen a fine successor this generation."

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Long Jifeng. You should be able to guess my background."

Yu Tunzhou squinted and looked at him. "The Taicang Long Clan? This is the third time your people have come to me."

Long Jifeng chuckled softly, "So what's your choice? Will you join our Taicang Long Clan, or become a pawn of the Daode Lineage? Do you really think being chosen by the Daode Lineage is a lucky thing?"

He shook his head, his tone tinged with a resolute regret:

"Don't be misled. That Celestial Venerable is gone forever. The other great figures of the Daode Lineage are either dead or reincarnated. Those who remain today are nothing but remnants, a handful of stragglers."

Their recruitment and promises to you are all empty words and unlikely to be fulfilled.

He took half a step forward, his tone becoming more forceful:

"In this era, you will never be able to enter the core ranks of the Daode Lineage!"