Refining the Old Demon with Gentle and Fierce Fire

The dark gold Gu Qiuxing Heavenly Ranking was once crushed to death by Chu Tianshu with a single palm strike.

But in the long history of the Heavenly Ranking, that was just a negligible impact.

The Yanxia and clouds resembled the sea, Heavenly Ranking resembled a large ship, gradually rising to a certain height, solemn, dignified, and captivating.

Ding! Ding ding ding ding~ Dong ding dong!

The sound of the guqin slowly began to rise.

The musician's technique was exquisite; the music was like a stream, rushing and leaping through the mountains and forests, rising and falling, each wave bringing a lively and refreshing feeling.

Lu Shuangyan was ranked fourth on the Ancient Heavenly Ranking, slowly opened her eyes.

"Who is playing the zither, whose gentle, flowing melodies and unrestrained spirit so effortlessly permeate the Heavenly Ranking's restrictions?"

The music, as naturally as water flowing through the iridescent glass enclosure, entered his ears.

Even Chu Tianshu used his divine power and immense strength to forcefully seal it, unlike the peaceful sound of this zither.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

After three consecutive pluckings, the tone suddenly shifted to a more accented one.

Lu Shuangyan could tell that the other person was using the strings to tune the sound, trying to use the music to simulate language.

"Old friend."

The music seemed to laugh, "I'm here again."

Lu Shuangyan: "Huh?"

Chu Tianshu, holding his zither in one hand, walked through the Yanxia to the front of the Heavenly Ranking. His other hand lightly pressed on the strings, his robes fluttering and his long hair flowing freely around him.

"Recently, I killed a very skilled musician. His music echoed throughout the city and hasn't faded yet. I happened to learn some from him."

Chu Tianshu spoke through his zither, "Of all the people I've met since my return to the martial world, his ' Beihai Soul-Sending Melody ' is the most ingenious martial art, even more unique than the Dream-Savoring Divine Art.'"

"Unfortunately, Zhilan is in power, and he must be eliminated. This man shouts and threatens to kill me whenever we meet. If I don't kill him, I'll be letting down his good intentions."

Upon hearing this, Lu Shuangyan couldn't help but feel a deep sense of sympathy and let out a soft sigh.

"Back then, you went around killing people, yet you acted as if you didn't like fighting and killing, and only enjoyed gatherings with friends, chatting about martial arts."

"Xiahou and I used to secretly laugh at you, but after experiencing more things and looking back, we realized that you truly didn't like fighting."

"If those people had any principles, you would have spared their lives after you fought them."

Chu Tianshu laughed heartily and plucked a string from the zither.

"Life is so beautiful, after all. But now I'm more mature, and I no longer harbor such extravagant fantasies about many people."

He got down to business.

"This piece was originally created by Wan Longsheng in an attempt to bypass all obstacles and directly target the spiritual essence of the Heavenly Ranking, but unfortunately, he himself never fully completed it."

"The secondhand tune I learned is even worse; I can only use it to communicate with you and to find out if there are any other living people on the Ancient Heavenly Ranking."

Chu Tianshu's fingers lightly plucked the strings of the zither, his gaze drifting down from the Ancient Heavenly Ranking, his expression gradually becoming puzzled.

"What? Besides you and Yuhua, there's no one else alive?"

The names on the Ancient Heavenly Ranking have not remained unchanged for more than two hundred years.

Many of these titles were only moved to the Ancient Heavenly Ranking after the passing of their "younger generations" within the last two hundred years.

Even if these younger generations are not as talented as Yuhua Yuhua and the others, their fame is obviously not as widespread, and they also face less pressure.

After his death, he was granted extended lifespan by the help of the Yanxia. Even if he is confined to the Heavenly Ranking, he should be able to endure for many years.

Surely not everyone should have died.

"Oh."

Lu Shuangyan chuckled softly, a hint of desolation in her voice, "Because their souls never even made it onto the Heavenly Ranking."

"In the last two hundred years, none of the individuals whose names were moved to the Ancient Heavenly Ranking died of old age."

Chu Tianshu was taken aback.

"That's not right. I checked the historical records in the palace, and many people didn't die in battle—"

Before he could finish speaking, he understood.

Although they did not die directly in battle, these people likely had too many hidden injuries accumulated throughout their lives. When they could no longer suppress them, their bodies died, and their souls perished along with them.

There was no chance to enter the Yanxia and prolong life.

You figured it out, didn't you?

Lu Shuangyan smiled with a complex expression, "We live in chaotic times, from the martial arts world to the whole country, and we've even experienced dynastic changes and founding wars."

"Our descendants should be living in a peaceful time, at least much better than we were back then."

"However, those who manage to ascend to the Heavenly Ranking have fought far more battles in their lives than any of us."

"To harm others by any means necessary, and then to be harmed by any means necessary."

"The pursuit of fame and fortune has been inevitable in every dynasty, but the existence of the Heavenly Ranking quantifies fame, making it easier to manipulate and seize, thus igniting more bloody battles, with trivial excuses and sudden deadly clashes everywhere."

The existence of rankings is not necessarily a bad thing; it can also be motivating.

However, the existence of rankings should be comprehensive and diverse.

If it's a single, unique list, it will never be a good thing. It will only exacerbate internal strife and waste the efforts of the masses.

Chu Tianshu already had this understanding.

However, it's because even someone like the Dream-Eating Marquis can stay firmly in the top ten of the Heavenly Ranking.

This led Chu Tianshu to underestimate the intensity of the Heavenly Ranking.

Looking back now, the Dream-Eating Marquis was incredibly lucky. He fully benefited from the Dream-Savoring Divine Art and monopolized the profits of a wondrous trade route, which allowed him to enjoy smooth sailing for the time being.

However, relative to his cultivation level and lifespan, his current age can only be considered his childhood.

If he hadn't been thoroughly beaten by Chu Tianshu, with the people around him fawning over him and the ever-expanding business of Caimeng, he would have inevitably ended up in a situation where he was assassinated every day and challenged to duels every month.

The probability of them not living to a ripe old age is probably as high as 90%.

Chu Tianshu played the zither facing the sky, shaking his head and chuckling softly.

The music of the zither drifted on, and the heavens remained silent.

The eastern sky was already dark at this time.

The West, however, is bathed in daylight.

A lush green olive grove, its leaves swaying in the wind, a vast blue sky above the open field, the sound of ocean waves, and seabirds taking flight.

The Apennine Peninsula, a holy site for the Roman Church.

The peninsula's overall outline resembles a boot. The island's terrain is mainly mountainous and hilly, but the coastline is mostly low-lying and has many well-known harbors.

During the height of the Roman Empire, the techniques used by the Greeks to build temples were brought to this island, resulting in the construction of numerous elaborate and luxurious arches, vaults, and domed halls.

As the church's power expanded and it came to regard the entire peninsula as its heartland, it also continued the ancient architectural style, albeit with slight modifications.

The widespread existence of Divine Arts enabled them to build even more magnificent cathedrals.

Decades ago, when the religious leaders were selecting a site for a cathedral, they inadvertently discovered the ruins of a city in the southwestern part of the peninsula.

After research, it has been determined that this ancient city, buried under earth and stone, was actually Ancient City of Pompeii, the second most prosperous city in ancient Ancient Rome.

The legendary Ancient City of Pompeii, known as the city of wine and women, was a paradise for the wealthy of Ancient Rome.

The city boasts comprehensive facilities including the Temple of Jupiter, the Temple of Apollo, a grand hall, baths, and shopping malls, as well as theaters.

Stadiums, Beast Arena, aqueducts, and other such structures fostered a culture of extravagance and led people astray.

Later, a sudden volcanic eruption buried the city entirely with volcanic ash nearly six meters thick.

After the church experts verified the origin of this ancient city site, they were overjoyed, believing it to be the Lord's guidance.

It was the Lord who guided them to discover this site, and it was also the Lord who once used His supreme power to destroy the city of wine and women, giving the world a warning.

Therefore, the church recruited a large number of people to excavate the ancient city ruins.

They cleared away half of those tall, ancient buildings, made minor repairs, and used all their ingenuity to create statues of the Pompeii inhabitants during the disaster, which were then placed in the streets.

In this way, when people from all over come to observe, they will clearly realize how terrible the past disaster was.

Beside the ancient city ruins, a separate cathedral was also built specifically for the church's high-ranking officials to discuss matters that required serious attention.

A topic that could potentially lead to disaster.

Back then, they discussed the problems here in the face of the refugee uprisings in the various countries under their tutelage.

Today, priests also prostrate themselves inside this church.

The dome, which is fifteen feet high, is inlaid with various patterns of colored glass. When sunlight shines through, it forms colorful spots of light, and the priests prostrate themselves in these spots of light.

Twelve golden, high-backed thrones are arranged around the perimeter in an oval shape.

"Did he really say that?"

Bishop Roman's face darkened.

"Our church has never suffered such a threat before. It's outrageous! These are words no human being should utter. They are indeed heretics, the devil among heretics! They must be defeated!"

This man was a well-known hawkish leader in the church. He was originally the ruler of a duchy, but after entering the church, he successfully joined the Cardinal Order and wielded immense power.

But none of those present were afraid of him, the priest, lying down; he wasn't even there.

No sooner had Bishop Roman finished speaking than someone else chimed in.

"The insults that Prince Xuan brought to the Church back then have yet to be avenged. Bishop Roman, are you going to seek revenge on the dead?"

"Can these be the same thing?"

"Indeed, Prince Xuan's violence is probably not as great as this—the Immortal's!"

More than two hundred years ago, the church seized the best opportunity to expand rapidly, attracting many powerful figures to join.

However, the biggest beneficiaries were not the pope and other orthodox clergy, but rather these later recruits.

The Pope's greatest role now is merely to remain in that position, preventing a bloody battle from erupting between a powerful bishop and other opposition factions once the latter comes to power.

These disputes between bishops were so commonplace that even the priest found them reassuring.

It's so familiar; it's just like our church.

A bishop wearing a silver mask covering half his face suddenly said, "Gentlemen, isn't the most urgent matter to find out where the old sage is hiding?"

These words silenced everyone, and their gazes shifted, creating an eerie atmosphere throughout the church.

Even though it was a sunny day with a gentle breeze, the large group of guards outside the church still felt unwell, experiencing waves of heat and cold.

The church seemed to have transformed into several strange abysses, sometimes drawing away their heat, sometimes absorbing the chill in their hearts, bringing them peace.

The practice of Divine Arts begins with receiving the power of the Ark of the Law, so every master of Divine Arts is like an abyss.

However, despite this extensive absorption and search, no trace of the old Qianyang's soul was detected.

"This is where the old sage went into seclusion."

The Silver Face Bishop said, "If his soul isn't hiding here, then there's probably only one other place."

Many bishops simultaneously looked up, sensing the Ark of the Law within the Yanxia Realm.

A subtle understanding began to grow among them.

Roman said in a deep voice, "That's right, this Old Devil is also full of evil. The Lord has given us this opportunity to kill him completely first."

"I agree." "I second that." "I have no objection."

"I suggest burning at the stake."

"We cannot enter there, but we can use the power of the sacred fire to burn him to death, never to rise again."

Once the twelve had made their decision, they had no further hesitation; some carried religious texts, others necklaces, some gold cups, and others chestnut wood walking sticks, and so on.

In the Yanxia Realm, a peculiar cabinet slowly emerges. It is square in shape, but topped with a pair of wings, as if it contains countless mysteries, wisdom, and power.

The cabinet door was always tightly closed and never opened.

But from beneath the cabinet, twelve highly concentrated beams of colored light shot out, which were then guided by the twelve people in the church and circulated and brewed within their bodies.

After a long while, white flames rose from the center of their heads, burning along the colorful light all the way to the Yanxia Realm, and onto the cabinet.

Using the power of the Ark of the Law itself as fuel and the will of the priests as oil, the temperature of the flame is increased.

The white sacred flame burned brighter and brighter, gradually enveloping most of the cabinet.

They were not worried that the sacred fire they had started would burn down the Ark of the Law.

No matter how long it burns, the flames will only make the cabinet shine brighter.

For the heretical soul hiding in the closet, it must be the most painful torment!

The combined attack of the twelve bishops was incredibly profound, and the fire burned for seven hours straight.

These twelve people remained calm and composed, showing no signs of exhaustion.

Blessed by the Yanxia and clouds, all they did was use their pure hearts to act as a kindling for oil.

If divine power is boundless, then anyone who can truly open their mind and body, discern divine power, and embrace divine power will also find their power to be boundless.

However, after burning it for so long, they vaguely sensed that the heretic in the cabinet had not been eradicated.

"Give it your all!"

The Silver Face bishop spoke first, silently reciting the gospel. His chanting a hymn came from the heart, causing the light around his body to resonate and echo.

Under the blessing of the radiant hymn, the high-backed metal chair seemed to transform into a small temple.

Bishops are not gods and are not entitled to reside in temples, but their thrones are both temples and seats.

This was a secret they secretly figured out during their discussions with Qianyang.

That Old Devil committed the sin of arrogance, knowing only that he himself had benefited greatly from reading extensively in the church, how could he know that the twelve bishops had also gained much?

The priest lay there, still not daring to move, and as he watched the thrones gradually transform into miniature temples, his heart was filled with awe.

Within the Yanxia Realm, the white sacred flames rose higher and higher, almost completely enveloping the entire cabinet.