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Outside the gate of Golden Ao Mountain, wind and snow began to rise.

The once spring-like Nanzhao has now become chaotic due to the Proclaiming Earth, the deaths of several people who sought the Golden Body in earlier years, and the Purple Mansion who perished in Nanzhao. Thunder in the twelfth lunar month and snow in the sixth lunar month are common occurrences.

Outside the mountain gate, a white figure stood silently.

It was a boy who looked no more than twelve or thirteen years old, not yet fully grown, his face indistinct as if seen through a thin mist, no matter how hard you tried to concentrate, you couldn't remember him clearly.

Only a pair of extremely pale pupils could be vaguely seen, like a deep pool of ancient water, without waves or ripples. His True Qi flowed slowly around him, neither strong nor weak, but like the ancient morning mist, enveloping the surrounding area in a vast and ancient atmosphere.

Hanging from his waist was an object, pure white in color, with faintly visible Taiji Talisman Edict patterns flowing endlessly on its surface—the very treasure of Jade Void, the Taiji Talisman Edict.

Su Yao led the way, his white robe fluttering in the wind and snow. Behind him, Yang Xiu, Xuan Yan, Zilin, Ying Qi, Mo Li filed out.

The six people walked at a leisurely pace, their footsteps crunching softly on the snow, like a silent drumbeat.

With each step Su Yao took closer, he could feel an invisible pressure, something that seemed to have existed since the beginning of time, gently and calmly permeating his Spirit Platform.

He had seen this person before.

That was shortly after he broke through to the Purple Mansion.

This person, holding Taiji Talisman Edict, handed him a scroll of edict, bestowed upon him a Daoist title, and entrusted him with the affairs of the Nanzhao Proclaiming Earth.

Later, Yang Xiu told me that when he broke through to the Purple Mansion realm at Green Nuo, a white-robed boy also appeared and bestowed upon him the Daoist name "Void Clarity".

Yang Xiu had described the scene to him in detail: the face was blurry, the voice was ethereal, and the person was dressed in white, just like the one he had seen years ago.

Now, the boy in white has come again.

Su Yao stopped three zhang in front of the boy, bowed deeply, and looked solemn:

"Su Yao, the abbot of Qixia Temple, greets the Imperial Envoy."

Then, the five people behind him also bowed in unison.

The boy in white did not speak immediately.

His gaze swept across Su Yao's face, then over Yang Xiu, Xuan Yan, Zilin, Ying Qi, Mo Li, before finally settling back on Su Yao.

After a moment, He spoke slowly, His voice ethereal and distant, as if coming from beyond the heavens, yet also as if right beside my ear:

No need for such formalities.

Then, the white-robed boy's gaze swept over the six people, and he suddenly chuckled softly.

The laughter was extremely faint, like a ripple on the surface of an ancient well, fleeting and gone in an instant, yet it startled all six people present.

"You six, you do know a lot more rules now."

He paused, his gaze falling on Yang Xiu's face:

"Void Clarity, when you received the imperial decree, were you still as meticulous and formal as you were back then?"

Yang Xiu looked slightly embarrassed and cupped his hands in greeting:

"The envoy is making fun of you."

The boy merely smiled upon hearing this, but did not reply; instead, his gaze turned to Xuan Yan:

"You must be from the Wisdom Light family, right? When your ancestor was struck by lightning, although you were displeased, you were never without fear... the Wisdom Light Dao Lineage..."

He paused, looked towards the northeast, and with a hint of something ambiguous in his tone, continued:

"He's fallen for tricks after all."

After he finished speaking, his gaze fell on Xuan Yan again.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yan opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to answer, so he could only bow down.

Zilin's lips curved slightly, but she refrained from speaking. The Wisdom Light Dao Lineage was close to Mount Lao, so she knew more about some things.

The fact that Master Wisdom Light had his Body Divine Ability Heavenly Venerable by the Thunder Bureau God's decree was a truly tragic event. Yet, since then, the Wisdom Light Dao Lineage has laid countless pawns throughout the world, which can certainly be described as "scheming".

The boy's words, seemingly a criticism but actually a compliment, seemed to praise Wisdom Light Dao Lineage "learning from its mistakes."

Then, the boy's gaze shifted, landing on Zilin's face. He looked her up and down for a moment, then suddenly said:

"The Purple Qi path has produced a promising talent. Your sister is about to seek gold, so it seems the Purple Qi Attainment Rank will soon have another owner."

Zilin was taken aback upon hearing this, then curtsied, her expression solemn:

"Thank you for informing me, Your Excellency."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao's eyes flickered slightly, and he thought to himself: Zilin's sister, the abbess of Purple Yang Temple, is actually starting to ask for gold. Once the Purple Qi Attainment Rank is taken, it will be both a pressure and a source of confidence for Zilin.

The pressure lies in the fact that the gap between her and her sister will be widened completely, and they will eventually become estranged; the confidence lies in the fact that with the Purple Yang Temple having the Purple Qi Attainment Rank, the Mount Lao lineage has gained confidence.

The boy looked at Ying Qi again, a hint of a smile in his voice:

"The Jieshi Dao Lineage truly deserves its reputation as the most prosperous sect under my Jade Void Sect. Not only did it first produce the two Heavenly Venerable of the South Pole and the Beiwu, but it also produced several Dao Lord, Immortals, and True Lord. Now, in this era of great contention, they should act accordingly."

Ying Qi bowed respectfully, his voice steady:

"Your Excellency is too kind in praising me."

Then, the boy's gaze fell on Mo Li.

He looked at Mo Li for a long while, then suddenly sighed softly.

The sigh was very soft, yet it carried an indescribable sense of regret. Mo Li's heart tightened at the sound of the sigh, and he instinctively scratched his head, saying in a simple, honest voice:

"Your Excellency... has there been anything I have done wrong?"

The boy shook his head, offering no explanation, only saying calmly:

"The Jade Spring Dao Lineage is quite good."

Mo Li was taken aback, not immediately understanding whether the word "not bad" was a compliment or an insult.

Ying Qi gently nudged him from the side, and he reacted, quickly bowing:

"Thank you, Your Excellency."

But just as he bowed down, a few glints of gold flashed in his eyes.

The golden light was extremely faint and fleeting, disappearing in an instant, so much so that even Mo Li himself didn't notice it. But Su Yao saw it.

His brow twitched almost imperceptibly, but he remained silent.

Within that golden light, there was a faint trace of an extremely ancient Mystic Body, which was similar to but not quite the same as the Mystic Body cultivation Mo Li usually practiced, but was more original and purer.

Su Yao suppressed his doubts and remained expressionless.

The boy looked at Su Yao one last time.

His gaze lingered on Su Yao's face for a long time before he slowly spoke, his voice carrying a very faint, incomprehensible meaning:

"Su Yao, when I bestowed upon you your Daoist name back then, I knew you were no ordinary person. You have done very well over the years."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao bowed respectfully without saying anything more.

Then, the boy withdrew his gaze, his expression returning to its usual calm.

"Let's get down to business."

He raised his hand and pointed to the southern horizon, where the three-colored light of Proclaiming Earth was still surging, dyeing half the sky a pale yellow.

"There have been many things happening lately. In Jiangnan and the Central Plains, the True Lord and Immortals are fighting fiercely, making a mess of the Great Void and even disrupting the Orthodox God of Soil and Grain the State to plug the leaks in the heavens. Your decree should have been issued long ago, but it was delayed by those battles."

Su Yao and Yang Xiu exchanged a glance.

The battle True Lord nearly resulted in the destruction of the "celestial artifact used to plug the leak in the sky"—these eight characters contain a wealth of information.

The celestial artifact left behind by the Orthodox God of Soil and Grain was at least a Heavenly Venerable -level artifact, yet it was almost knocked down?

What exactly are those True Lord fighting about?

The boy offered no explanation and continued:

"Those Tubo Monk Mao are restless too. For years they've been roaming the snow-capped mountains bordering Nanzhao and Tubo. Recently they've even started contacting the Nanzhao Royal Family. They want to go south from Nanzhao and take advantage of the Proclaiming Earth to spread the Esoteric School Buddhism to the Southern Frontier and Miao Frontier. We must be wary of this."

As soon as he finished speaking, the boy took two items out of his sleeve.

The object was a talisman, pure white, with extremely fine Lesser Yang patterns engraved on its surface. When sunlight shone on it, it emitted a very faint warm gold, like the first rays of dawn, as if all things were about to awaken.

The other item was a piece of plain silk, entirely bluish-white, with faint traces of wind swirling on its surface, like a gentle breeze blowing across a spring field, warm and pure. The silk felt as light as if it were nothing, yet it contained an indescribable sense of "steadiness"—as if as long as this silk was in hand, no storm could shake it in the slightest.

"The Lesser Yang Dao, the Dawn Calamity-Breaking Talisman Tablet." The boy handed the talisman to Su Yao. "This item can dispel all yin and turbid obstacles. Although Proclaiming Earth is of the Earth Virtue, it carries yin and turbid energy, and this talisman directly counteracts its source."

"The Qi of the Gang Qi, the Pure Leaf Calamity-Resolving Silk." The boy then handed the silk to Yang Xiu. "This item can dispel all calamities and malevolent energy. If you two join forces, one breaking and the other dispelling, it will be just right to deal with the two Law Treasure of the True Lord's reincarnation."

Su Yao took the talisman and felt a warm sensation flow from his palm into his limbs and bones, instantly clearing his Spirit Platform.

Yang Xiu took the plain silk handkerchief. The moment the handkerchief touched him, the intertwining of the moon-white True Qi and the gray-purple Profound Qi around him eased slightly, as if it had been gently smoothed out by the warm Gang Qi.

Su Yao tucked the talisman into his sleeve, pondered for a moment, and finally couldn't help but speak:

"Your Excellency, I have a question."

The boy glanced at him and nodded, signaling him to continue.

"The reincarnation of the True Lord is under the protection of the Proclaiming Earth Attainment Rank, and possesses two Law Treasure: the Great Marsh Banner and the Sixfold Completion Jar. Even with the assistance of these two treasures, we may not be able to break through his barrier or damage his foundation. Back then, when the King of the Kingdom intervened, he only severely injured him. Now, his cultivation is even greater than before..."

He paused, then voiced his deepest doubt:

"With just these two Law Treasure, can they truly cause him to Liberation by Violence?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Xiu, Xuan Yan, and the others all looked at the boy, their eyes filled with the same question.

The boy in white did not answer immediately.

He simply gazed at Su Yao, his eyes, deep as an ancient well, reflecting Su Yao's cool and solemn face.

A moment later, He suddenly smiled.

The laughter was very soft, yet it carried an indescribable sense of "naturalness," as if Su Yao had asked a question he shouldn't have asked in the first place.

"Who gave you permission to use these two items to kill him?"

Su Yao was taken aback upon hearing this.

The boy spoke slowly, his voice still ethereal and distant, yet every word was as firm as a divine decree, leaving no room for doubt:

"Just go ahead. Someone will break down the Proclaiming Earth Barrier in the north for you. When you attack the reincarnation of the True Lord, someone will secretly intervene. These two Law Treasure are merely to make you qualified to stand before him."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the six people, his tone carrying a faint hint of disappointment, like an elder expressing frustration with a younger person.

"This is a reward that your elders went to great lengths to obtain for you. You may leave now."

The moment the word "merit" was uttered, Su Yao's heart skipped a beat.

He understood instantly.

From beginning to end, the adults never intended for them to "win by their own merits."

All they need to do is be "present," all they need to do is "take action," and all they need to do is "stand there" at crucial moments. The true winners and losers are always the True Lord, Supreme True Person Beings, Immortals, and Dao Lord behind them.

But what the adults wanted was for them to do it "by their own hands".

Only by completing the task "by their own hands" can the credit be awarded to them, allowing them to "legitimately" advance further on their future Dao Path.

Yang Xiu understood.

He looked down at the plain silk in his hand, then at the talisman in Su Yao's sleeve, and suddenly felt that the two treasures were much heavier.

Xuan Yan, Zilin, Ying Qi, and Mo Li exchanged glances, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

The boy in white said no more.

His figure slowly faded away, like morning mist dissipating, leaving only a faint aftertaste flickering in the wind and snow.

Finally, a voice came from beyond the heavens and reached the ears of the six:

"Go then, and don't let your elders' good intentions go to waste."

Su Yao stood still for a long time.

He gazed in the direction where the boy had vanished, remaining silent for a long time before slowly taking out the talisman from his sleeve and glancing at it.

The Lesser Yang pattern on the talisman glowed with a faint warm gold in the wind and snow, like the first rays of dawn, as all things were about to awaken.

Yang Xiu walked to his side and whispered:

"Brother Dao, what do you think?"

Su Yao put the talisman back into his sleeve and looked towards the confluence of the two rivers to the north.

There, the three-colored light of Proclaiming Earth still raged.

"Do you remember what that mystical voice said when we received the imperial decree at the Zhao Household last year?"

Yang Xiu nodded:

"Within one year, let the reincarnation of Proclaiming Earth True Lord Liberation by Violence."

"At the time, I felt like we were being sent to our deaths," Su Yao said slowly. "Now it seems the adults never intended for us to die. They just wanted us... to go."

He paused, his voice firm:

"Then let's go."

Yang Xiu looked at his profile and suddenly smiled.

The smile held a hint of relief, and a touch of satisfaction. "Okay."

Su Yao continued, "Let's summon our respective protectors and go together."

Yang Xiu nodded. "That's exactly right. The three protectors of Green Nuo are already capable of handling things independently. On Golden Ao's side, Liu Yunhe, Li Siyi, Zhu Xuejie, and Han Ziyi have all broken through to the Purple Mansion realm. Zhang Ziyan is guarding White Sand Mountain, and True Person Yang Nan from the Water Mansion can also be transferred here."

Xuan Yan also said, "All of Wisdom Light's protectors in Nanzhao can be summoned here."

Ying Qi and Mo Li exchanged a glance and nodded to each other.

Upon hearing this, Su Yao glanced at the five people, solemnly put the talisman into his sleeve, and said in a deep voice:

"After returning, they will each send a message, and gather at Golden Ao Mountain seven days later."

"Good."

After saying this, the six people turned around and walked towards the mountain gate.

The wind and snow continued, but those six figures carried an inexplicable air about them compared to when they arrived.

Perhaps it's the relief of going from "suicide" to "merit," or perhaps it's the confidence of going from "alone" to "group."

The wind and snow of Golden Ao Mountain swirled behind them, gradually covering the line of footprints of varying depths.

There is a word cloud:

Clad in white, whiter than snow, they descend from the heavenly path; ancient energy, vast and Great Void.

A jade tablet dispels misfortune with the warmth of the Lesser Yang; a piece of silk relieves calamity with the gentle breeze of the fierce wind.

Don't think the barrier is impenetrable; in secret, immortals are there to help.

The credit was bestowed by the master; let us see the six sons embark on their journey.

They gathered at the summit of Golden Ao in seven days, each summoning their guardians to work together.

The wind and snow may fill the mountains, but they cannot be contained; the banners point straight to the corner of the two rivers.