True Lord

Soon, Daoist Zheng, Liu Yunhe, Zhu Xuejie, Han Ziyi, Zhang Ziyan Nannuo, Jueming and others arrived one after another.

Of those present, apart from Daoist Zheng, Nannuo, and Jueming, the rest had all participated in the matter at the confluence of the Longchuan River and the Luchuan River, and were very familiar with the three-colored light of Proclaiming Earth.

Although Daoist Zheng was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, he had thoroughly studied Daoist scriptures and canons on Qixia Mountain, so he naturally recognized the origin of this item. Furthermore, he had heard about the plans of Daozheng and the various Purple Mansion True Person, and thus had a general idea of the purpose of Su Yao and the others' arrival in Nanzhao. At this moment, gazing at the surging tri-colored light on the northern horizon, he murmured:

"Proclaiming Earth... the reincarnation of the True Lord, has come to roam the mortal world..."

Upon hearing this, everyone present looked terrified.

Playing in the mortal world.

These four words may sound simple, but when they fall upon the people of Nanzhao, they mean a catastrophe of changing hands and rivers of blood flowing like rivers.

Even the seven disciples who arrived later— Lu Yuan, Ren Han, Zichuan, Li Xu, Yang Zhao, Lin Shuang, and Xu Qingluo —as well as the Yunsong who was the last to receive enlightenment, all gathered around.

Although the group didn't know what had happened, seeing the tense expressions on Yang Xiu's, Liu Yunhe's, and the others' faces, they couldn't help but feel anxious and even held their breath.

Of all those present, only Yunsong had never seen Yang Xiu before. Although he was terrified by the strange phenomenon in the north and his face turned pale, he still couldn't help but steal a glance at the golden-robed Daoist. He felt that this person stood in front of the hall as imposing as a mountain.

In the blink of an eye, the strange phenomenon became increasingly clear on the northern horizon.

Countless figures of ordinary people appeared out of thin air, some holding farm tools, some holding wooden sticks, some holding mining picks, some holding sharpened green bamboo, some holding iron rods unloaded from mine carts, and some wielding hoe handles tied to machetes. Countless figures raised what they held high, like a forest or a sea, shouting silently.

Immediately afterwards, a sandstorm swept across the land, obscuring the sky and the sun; then the earth cracked, with ravines crisscrossing like dragons and snakes; in the blink of an eye, the old soil was transformed, and countless men, women, and children worked happily in the fields, creating a harmonious and joyful scene, like a magnificent pastoral scroll slowly unfolding on the northern horizon.

After a long silence, Yang Xiu finally spoke:

"The signs of Proclaiming Earth have now appeared."

His voice was very soft, as if he were afraid of disturbing something, or as if he was suppressing something:

"Daoist Zheng is right. The reincarnation of Proclaiming Earth True Lord has indeed entered the mortal world. However, this is only a preliminary sign; he has not yet truly exerted his power."

He paused, his gaze remaining fixed on the northern horizon, a deep, greyish-purple Profound Qi slowly swirling between his brows, casting an indistinct glow on half of his face.

"The fate of Proclaiming Earth is never determined by whether He appears or not; after all, His appearance is inevitable. The only question is who He will sacrifice first after He appears."

After he finished speaking, no one responded.

A deathly silence Embracing Rosy Clouds Hall.

The mountain wind swept through the stone steps, swirling up a few withered leaves before they fell silently. Daoist Zheng lowered his head, muttering a few words, but ultimately remained silent. Liu Yunhe clenched his sleeves, his knuckles turning white. Zhu Xuejie and Han Ziyi exchanged a glance, both seeing barely suppressed horror in each other's eyes. Zhang Ziyan's Adam's apple bobbed, but he ultimately couldn't utter a word.

On the northern horizon, the three-colored light of Proclaiming Earth surged like boiling water, making the idyllic landscape even more magnificent, almost swallowing up the entire northern sky.

Just then, a clear voice rang out from behind the crowd:

What are you all standing there for?

The familiar voice, though not loud, was like a clear sword piercing the darkness, instantly tearing open the gloom in everyone's hearts.

Everyone turned around abruptly.

On the stone steps behind the Embracing Rosy Clouds Hall, a figure had appeared there at some unknown time.

The plain robe remained unchanged, the glow of the sunset subdued.

Su Yao.

He stood there, his face still somewhat pale, his lips extremely pale, as if he were someone recovering from a long illness. But his eyes were astonishingly bright, with a clear, sword-like light flowing endlessly deep within his pupils, like the moon reflected in a cold pool, clear and serene.

"Viewer!"

"Brother Daoist!"

"Su Yao!"

Several calls rang out simultaneously, some with joy, some with surprise, and some with a relieved sigh of relief.

Liu Yunhe was the first to step forward, his eyes already red. He opened his mouth, but this man, who was usually the most eloquent in Golden Ao Mountain and loved to flatter Su Yao, didn't know what to say at this moment. He could only bow deeply.

Zhang Ziyan followed closely behind, his voice trembling slightly:

"Abbot, you've emerged from seclusion!"

Su Yao nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone's faces before finally settling on Yang Xiu.

Yang Xiu was also looking at him.

Their eyes met, and for a moment they were speechless.

After a ten-year separation and a year of serious injury, the two met again at the very moment of Proclaiming Earth's birth.

After a long silence, Yang Xiu was the first to laugh.

The smile had lost its previous solemnity and emotion, leaving only the sincerity and joy of reuniting with an old friend. Then he said:

"Brother Dao, I've finally been waiting for you."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao's lips curled slightly, revealing a very faint smile:

"I've kept you waiting, fellow Daoist."

As he spoke, he stepped down the stone steps. When he passed Yang Xiu, he raised his hand and gently patted him on the shoulder. He did not stop, but walked straight forward a few steps, past the crowd, and stood at the very front of the Embracing Rosy Clouds Hall, facing the northern horizon.

There, the three-colored light of Proclaiming Earth surged and churned like a boiling tide, the idyllic landscape unfolding to its fullest extent, almost dyeing the entire northern sky in three colors.

After observing for a moment, Su Yao turned around and looked at Yang Xiu, saying:

Is Sanlang scary?

Upon hearing this, Yang Xiu remained silent, only shaking his head, his meaning clear without words.

"Master, something has changed," Han Ziyi said in a deep voice.

Su Yao looked in the direction he was pointing and saw that various colors of light were lighting up one after another on the northern horizon, like an invisible net hanging down from the sky, covering and suppressing the originally surging three-colored light of Proclaiming Earth layer by layer.

In a short while, the once bustling northern sky fell silent. The idyllic scene, the phantom of the people's cries, the flying sand and stones, and the cracked earth all receded like the tide, leaving only a very faint tri-colored afterglow that still flickered unwillingly at the edge of the sky, like a dying ember, barely clinging to life beneath the ashes.

Seeing this, Yang Xiu's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he was about to speak.

Suddenly, a mysterious sound came from the Great Void, touching the Soul-Losing Radiant Fire Formation Array, the protective formation of Golden Ao Mountain, and stirring up ripples.

The next moment, Xuan Yin broke through the formation and entered, her voice as resounding as a great bell in front of the Embracing Rosy Clouds Hall:

"I Ge Wei, have attained enlightenment today at Gezao Mountain, achieving the ' Cloud Script Talisman Controlling Yellow Turban Nature,' and have been promoted to the rank of True Lord."

As the mysterious sound subsided, countless talismans seemed to spring forth from the sky between heaven and earth.

Every talisman is in the Cloud Seal Script; every register can ward off the Yellow Turbans.

The mysterious sound had not yet faded; it continued to resound throughout the Great Void and spread throughout the world.

"The foundation of all talismans and incantations has been laid. They can be used as talismans, incantations, the root of the Yellow Turban Strongman, talismans for transmitting sound, and the origin of the Cloud Seal Script lineage. All disciples of my Mysterious Gate, carrying talismans and acting with this method as their guide, can summon warriors to protect the Dharma, can transmit sound across thousands of miles, and can suppress the forms of mountains and rivers."

"Once this path is completed, my path will flourish!"

The crowd in front of the hall fell silent for a moment.