Falling apart
Zhang Xuezhou had witnessed the Technique Method of Yuanshi Tianzun at Zixiao Palace, and to him at that time, Yuanshi Tianzun was an inhuman being.
Zhang Xuezhou had also witnessed Ao Sheng unleash the Technique Method that Yuanshi Tianzun was skilled in, and he could only say that the effects were worlds apart.
Back then, he had no concept of domains; he simply believed that Yuanshi Tianzun had a high level of cultivation and strong Technique Method abilities. Now, he obviously doesn't have that kind of perception.
"Awesome!"
A single auspicious cloud technique prevented the Yuanshi Heavenly Lord from being affected by evil magic, and the fact that he fell faster than a meteor meant that he was exceptionally skilled in flying.
Leaving aside the other abilities possessed by Yuanshi Tianzun, these two abilities alone were what Zhang Xuezhou had been pursuing for nearly twenty years.
A simple comparison revealed that Zhang Xuezhou felt he had no advantage whatsoever in front of such a powerful cultivator.
May all evil be banished!
The visual observation brought by the gaze has a lag; before the stream of light that Zhang Xuezhou felt had fallen to the ground, the shout of the Yuanshi Celestial Venerable had already come from the Jade Emperor Peak.
"Zhu Jiuyin, we have tolerated your mischief time and again because we remembered your service to our teacher in the past. But your demonic nature remains unchanged, and your evil habits are hard to break!" Yuanshi Tianzun roared. "This time, you took advantage of the alignment of the seven stars to guide the three secret realms of Heaven, Earth, and Man on Mount Tai, attempting to annihilate us. Your actions are truly deserving of death! Quickly come out and go to Zixiao Palace to receive your punishment!"
The voice of the Yuanshi Celestial Venerable was like a thunderclap, resounding throughout Mount Tai and echoing continuously through the surrounding mountains, its sound spreading far and wide.
"This method will save your life. I will only count to three. If you remain obstinate, you will face dire consequences in the future, and you cannot blame us for standing idly by!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
The Celestial Venerable of Yuanshi spoke each word extremely slowly, his voice constantly reverberating into the distance and disappearing into the mountains.
As he began the countdown, people from the Immortal Court appeared in the Heavenly Gate passage.
"Sigh, fine, fine. If you want to retaliate, then retaliate. We won't interfere. Don't blame us when you're skinned alive!"
Yuanshi Tianzun finally sighed, clearly abandoning any consideration for past feelings, and said no more.
However, Yuanshi Tianzun's posture was unlikely to have any effect, since Zhu Jiuyin was indeed not at Mount Tai, and no matter how deep Yuanshi Tianzun's voice was, it would be difficult to pass through the Northern Border and cross the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
Amidst the shimmering light that pierced through the Heavenly Gate, one by one, cultivators from the Immortal Court emerged.
It was clear that some people were not used to traversing the Heavenly Gate. By the time they reached the Jade Emperor Peak, they were already in a semi-conscious state, and their limbs were twitching unnaturally.
These people carried not only bags and other items, but also various large and small bags, looking exactly like they were about to flee a disaster.
"Has the Lingxiao Palace been abandoned, or is the Jade Emperor using this turmoil to drive away the third and fourth generation immortals of the Immortal Court?"
Contrary to Zhang Xuezhou's speculation that the Immortal Court was investigating the secret realm and the Zhu Jiuyin, the Immortal Court cultivators seemed to be abandoning the Lingxiao Palace secret realm.
Leaving the Lingxiao Palace secret realm might be easy, but returning in the future will be difficult.
Zhang Xuezhou looked at the cultivators carrying large and small bags, and then at the people still rushing downwards through the Heavenly Gate Passage.
Given this scene of people fleeing for their lives, all four Heavenly Gates of the Immortal Court should be open by now. Cultivators will not only appear in the Mount Tai region, but also in the East Sea, or in Xiniu Hezhou, or even in the North Heavenly Gate, which Zhang Xuezhou has not yet visited.
Many immortals were filled with anxiety at this moment, and their mental state was somewhat dazed due to passing through the Heavenly Gate.
"By order of His Majesty the Jade Emperor, your strength is insufficient, and remaining in the Immortal Court is extremely risky. Now that you have left the Immortal Court, you must abide by the order of the mortal realm and refrain from any reckless behavior!"
The official in charge of maintaining order in the mortal realm below the South Heavenly Gate was not Li Jing, the Heavenly King whom Zhang Xuezhou had seen in the gray fog, but Wang Shan, the Spirit Official whom they had met through a century-long pact.
He then loudly proclaimed the rules, signaling everyone not to cause trouble after descending to the mortal realm.
"If the secret realm can be secured in the future, the Immortal Court will summon you from the Upper Realm then," Wang Shan announced briefly. "The decree is complete!"
There was no gratitude or thanks at Jade Emperor Peak. Some sane cultivators bowed slightly and glanced at the Yuanshi Celestial Venerable from time to time, clearly hoping to resolve the issue quickly and allow everyone to return to the Immortal Court.
Many immortals who have lived in the secret realm for a long time clearly dislike the environment of the lower world. This is no different from Changkong Yinghao and others who are not used to the outside environment when they step out of the Sinkhole No. 2. They find the outside air polluted, and those with weak strength even have some difficulty breathing.
In terms of altitude, the secret realms in the high heavens are quite different from those in low-altitude areas, and are very unfriendly to those with low cultivation levels.
Many people needed assistance, and they all hoped that the Yuanshi Celestial Venerable would display his divine power.
"The heavens belong to our Lingxiao Palace, while the earth belongs to the Lord of Mount Tai. The Lord of Mount Tai's Daoist temple is open to all, but this secret place belonging to humans is coveted by many cultivators. Furthermore, a school called Yin Yang has occupied it and constructed a mountain and river array, making it difficult for us to find a way in and out!"
As everyone looked up at him, Yuanshi Tianzun could only shake his head, indicating his own weakness.
"That wicked dragon already possesses the ability to traverse between reality and illusion, and by taking advantage of the alignment of the seven stars to draw attention to the secret realm, it has caused turmoil in the Three Realms realms of Heaven, Earth, and Man. This trouble will be difficult to resolve anytime soon!"
"Heavenly Venerable, this secret place is connected to our Immortal Court, why was it taken away by someone?" someone asked, puzzled.
"If only you had been willing to guard this place, how could it have fallen into the hands of others?"
Yuanshi Tianzun shook his head.
When the Immortal Court held power in the past, it could conscript cultivators from the Zhou Dynasty to guard secret locations.
Once they lost power, no one would remain to guard the Immortal Court, and this secret place was shrouded in darkness year-round, so few were willing to stay here.
In addition, some cultivators coveted this place, and battles and deaths occurred from time to time, so over time no one from the Immortal Court wanted to come here.
Once the Yin-Yang School occupied the area and set up a formation, they couldn't even find the entrance.
Once a secret location is occupied, it's occupied; it hasn't had any negative impact in the past, and no one has paid much attention to it. Who would have thought that the formations set up in these three secret locations could affect the safety of the Lingxiao Palace secret realm?
The Yuanshi Celestial Venerable rebuked many people, causing a group of them to lower their heads and dare not utter a sound.
The secret place involving the human world has been lost for hundreds of years, a period spanning their fathers' and even grandfathers' generations.
The older generation neglected their duties, and the younger generation suffered the consequences.
Some people had never even heard of this secret place, and some young newcomers were descending to the mortal realm for the first time and were unfamiliar with everything around them.
"If you are capable, find that evil dragon Zhu Jiuyin as soon as possible. Only by capturing this evil dragon and finding its secret location, thereby breaking its plans, can we safeguard the safety of the Immortal Court!"
The Yuanshi Celestial Venerable explained the matter, but no immortal dared to step forward and accept the task.
If the opponents were some low-level players, everyone would readily agree, but Zhu Jiuyin only has a chance of winning if the top-level big shots take action; others can only stand far away and cheer, and can't even get on the field.
In this matter, we are all destined to fail.
The Jade Emperor Peak was somewhat deserted for a while, with only people occasionally appearing as they passed through the Heavenly Gate.
When the top of Jade Emperor Peak was full of people, people continued to emerge from behind. Some took out bright pearls to light them, but they still had to descend the mountain at night.