“I’m not really your mother anymore.”
In the Star Sea, Cangzhen’s face became blurred again under the brilliant starlight.
Her gaze fell on Li Jingyu, and she slowly explained, “I cultivated the three lifetimes of the Heartless Body, and Li Qingxun was my final transformation.
After her fall, my path was already complete.” Her three lifetimes were three cycles of reincarnation, and no matter what, the fate of falling could not be changed.
The shock on Li Jingyu’s face quickly subsided.
She looked deeply at Cangzhen and asked, “Do you remember the past?” Cangzhen nodded and admitted, “I do.” Li Qingxun was one of her transformations.
It could be said that Li Qingxun was her, but it couldn’t be said that she was Li Qingxun.
Hearing this, Li Jingyu wasn’t too surprised.
Her hand, hidden in her sleeve, clenched into a fist.
She continued to ask, “Why are you telling me this now?” Cangzhen smiled, “The Tai Shang Primordial Embryo is about to be completed, which means the shackles that have been binding Jiuzhou will soon disappear.
By then, I will continue to seek the path upward.
But before that, I need to completely sever all ties.” She reached out and grabbed forward, and the Heartless Book flew out from Li Jingyu, returning to her hand and dissolving into a stream of light.
Li Jingyu gazed at Cangzhen, and as she sensed the Heartless Book fading away, her brow slightly cooled.
It was Cangzhen’s sword intent left on her.
She thought for a moment, pursed her lips, and said, “I understand.” Everything she had done in the past was for her mother’s revenge, but it wasn’t just for that.
No matter her mother’s situation, she had to continue down this path.
She wouldn’t expect someone who walked the Heartless Path to show warmth again.
Bowing to Cangzhen, she calmly exited the Star Sea.
In the Huoxin Palace’s Dharma Hall.
Light and shadow flickered among the Heavenly Maiden Dharma Forms.
“You found out?” Huai Wanxiu manifested her form, watching Li Jingyu with a hint of concern in her heart.
Li Jingyu calmly said, “I found out.
Mother is mother, and that person is that person.
It’s all in the past.”
Huai Wanxiu nodded slightly and added, “They are doing everything they can to push the Tai Shang Primordial Embryo.
It won’t be long before it manifests.
Once the Tai Shang takes human form, the shackles and restraints of the heavenly path will be gone, and the path upward will be open.”
Li Jingyu asked, “Are you, like her, going to strive for a higher realm?” Huai Wanxiu was silent for a moment, then smiled, “Yes.” After a pause, she added, “We will try to take the three from the Immortal Sect with us.
However, there may be variables, and you need to be prepared to deal with the Tai Shang lineage’s heavenly beings.”
Li Jingyu nodded, “Alright.”
— Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, three years have passed.
The North Sea base extended from the near sea towards Jiuzhou, connecting with Bailu Academy.
Meanwhile, the Huoxin Palace in the Southern Border successfully unified the Demon Sect, essentially eliminating the demonic cultivators sheltered by the Three Supreme Palaces.
One day, Ji Yutang, Li Jingyu, and their group were sitting in the Dao Palace discussing the “Tai Shang” matter when they suddenly heard a cracking sound.
Everyone stood up abruptly and flashed outside.
They slightly raised their heads, their gaze falling on a Great Whirlpool in the sky.
Countless starlights poured out from the Great Whirlpool, transforming into a stream of light that fell towards the Three Supreme Palaces’ altar.
There, a nearly one-zhang-tall “Tai Shang Primordial Embryo” bathed in vast spiritual energy was frantically absorbing the starlight falling from the sky, undergoing transformation bit by bit.
Its form, under the wash of starlight, had a mass of essence transforming into a human form, growing limbs in just a few breaths.
“We’ve sacrificed too much for this day; we can’t afford to fail,” Yang Xizhou sighed with emotion.
“If we could obtain the Heart of the Great Dao, the essence of creation that the Tai Shang Primordial Embryo could feedback might be even more,” Han Linchi added, his eyes full of regret.
“It’s the final moment; nothing can go wrong now,” Zhu Deyan said.
In recent years, they chose to recuperate and didn’t want to conflict with the Demon Sect or the North Sea, but that didn’t mean they did nothing.
Now, outside the Taiyuan Palace, they had built layers of barriers and formations, so even heavenly realm cultivators would be hindered for a while.
As the Tai Shang Primordial Embryo continued to evolve, Cangzhen and Huai Wanxiu emerged from a rift.
They watched the flickering brilliance ahead, with no intention of making a move.
After the Supreme Dao Ancestor and Demon Ancestor perished together, their auras scattered across Jiuzhou.
However, this era was the Tai Shang era, and the Demon Ancestor’s residual thoughts could only reside in the Ancestral Source Demon Sea, but Tai Shang was different.
The Tai Shang’s will fell upon the entire heavenly path.
Under the guidance of the Tai Shang’s will, the path was biased, and the path naturally faded.
But now, the shackles above had been unlocked, and the path upward gradually revealed itself.
Cangzhen smiled slightly, “It’s time.” She pointed forward, and the formations and barriers in front of her collapsed like a sand tower, layer by layer, leaving only the innermost layer for the Jiuzhou cultivators to handle themselves.
“They… have arrived.” Yang Xizhou and the others’ faces were solemn.
Sensing the collapse of the formation, his brows furrowed even tighter.
Even knowing it was difficult for the other side to break through the final barrier, he couldn’t help but pay attention.
Taking a deep breath, he turned to Han Linchi and said, “Dao brother, let’s deal with them first!” Han Linchi hesitated for a moment, then nodded, “Alright.”
Holding their magical artifacts, they swept out of the formation, ready to strike first.
But before they could act, the surrounding aura suddenly changed.
The two figures hidden in countless lights and shadows gradually faded, as if they were about to leave this place! Immediately, Yang Xizhou, Han Linchi, and their group also noticed changes in themselves! An invisible force urged them to move upward! The barrier above the heavenly realm seemed to disappear at this moment, and if they wished, they could take a step forward!
Their Tai Shang plan was to reference the Dao Ancestor’s body, to understand the essence of creation and find a way upward.
But now, before the Tai Shang Primordial Embryo was complete, the path upward had already opened to them.
Cangzhen and Huai Wanxiu’s figures were the first to disappear, and Zhu Deyan, in a daze, couldn’t help but take a step forward.
His aura instantly detached from Jiuzhou, fleeing towards the vast, deep sky.
“Dao brother, don’t!” Yang Xizhou saw Zhu Deyan disappear, his expression changed immediately.
He steadied himself and hurriedly shouted to Han Linchi.
Han Linchi’s face was stern.
He turned to look at Yang Xizhou, sighed, and said, “Our aura has accumulated enough.
Even if we don’t take this step today, we will in the future.” He slightly raised his head to look at the sky, his eyes filled with a bit of confusion, “Why did the path upward suddenly open today?” Yang Xizhou frowned, “But those two are ahead, we still have no chance.”
Han Linchi remained silent, and after a moment, his figure disappeared like Zhu Deyan, leaving only Yang Xizhou repeatedly cutting away his aura to keep himself in Jiuzhou.
It seemed like a moment passed, or perhaps a long time, when a rumbling sound shook the heavens and earth.
Two figures fell from the sky, disintegrating in mid-air, completely turning into masses of pure spiritual energy! The spiritual energy was so vast that it distorted the space, forming a black hole that took a long time to dissipate.
Yang Xizhou was shocked.
Those two light shadows were clearly Han Linchi and Zhu Deyan, who had taken a step on that path! Were they cut down by those two, or abandoned by the heavenly path? A chill rose from his feet.
Yang Xizhou had no intention of letting his aura escape, and after witnessing this scene, he was even more unwilling! He steeled his heart, gritted his teeth, and cut out a shadow of himself.
As the shadow exploded, his aura fell, barely maintaining the heavenly realm!
In the vast, endless deep starry sky, a great river of the Dao stretched across, with no beginning or end, shimmering with countless stars.
Cangzhen indifferently put away her sword, bowed to Huai Wanxiu, took one last look at Jiuzhou, and walked into the depths of the great river of the Dao.
This was a path no one had walked through, and no one knew what lay in the depths of the great river of the Dao.
But one thing was certain, the Dao was endless, eternal, and would not be fixed at any point.
— Jiuzhou, North Sea base.
Ji Yutang gazed at the massive spiritual energy black hole in the sky, her expression complex.
Two heavenly realm cultivators had fallen so easily.
What exactly existed up there? But such thoughts didn’t linger long.
She withdrew her wandering mind and said solemnly, “There’s still one in the Taiyuan Palace.
If he doesn’t leave, it means the Tai Shang plan is still in operation.”
Li Jingyu nodded, “The Tai Shang Primordial Embryo is about to be born.
Let’s go to the Taiyuan Palace.”
In the Taiyuan Palace, disciples of the Supreme Dao Ancestor’s lineage were stationed.
After Cangzhen broke the barrier with a single point, disciples began repairing it, pushing out five more layers in a very short time.
They had no chance against heavenly realm cultivators, but below the heavenly realm, they believed they might have a chance based on the barrier.
On the altar.
The spiritual energy’s turbulence was more intense, and the Tai Shang Primordial Embryo’s evolution accelerated.
Originally, there were three seats here, but after the other two disappeared, only Yang Xizhou remained.
The Tai Shang Primordial Embryo naturally chose him as the reference for its form, and its face began to evolve towards his.
Yang Xizhou stood with his hands behind his back, silently watching the Tai Shang Primordial Embryo’s evolution, occasionally showing a hint of anxiety in his otherwise calm eyes.
After Cangzhen disappeared, the Heaven and Earth Chessboard that spanned Jiuzhou dissipated, and all Dao mechanisms could be recalculated.
But regarding the “Tai Shang Primordial Embryo,” he secretly consumed divine intent to deduce several times, unable to get the answer he wanted.
Seeing he had no other retreat, once the Tai Shang Primordial Embryo’s aura settled, he must devour it and use the essence of creation to climb the Dao!
— Outside the Taiyuan Dao Palace, countless thunder beads poured down from the flying boat in the sky, crashing onto the Taiyuan Dao Palace’s barrier, making a deafening sound.
The formation shattered like glass, layer by layer under the bombardment of magical artifacts and thunder beads, leaving only the final barrier, with turbulent air currents, never showing a crack.
“The formation is based on the five elements, endlessly regenerating.
At this rate, it will take at least ten days to break it open.”
“Then ten days it is.”
Ji Yutang and her group were not in a hurry.
Unlike the battle with the North Sea, this was the Taiyuan Dao Palace’s home ground, and no one knew what other means the Three Supreme Palaces might have.
But the situation changed three days later when a thunderous aura leaked from inside, creating a crack.
Ji Yutang and her companion, highly sensitive to thunder techniques, seized the opportunity, driving countless thunder beads and formation energy towards the crack.
The energy wave from the formation’s collapse was even more powerful than before, enveloping the entire Taiyuan Dao Palace in rising flames.
When the flames dissipated, the pavilions and towers were exposed to everyone’s view.
“Wasn’t this formation supposed to hold for a while? How did it break now?” Wang Shenyu exclaimed in shock.
The Three Supreme Palaces and the righteous path’s primordial spirit cultivators combined weren’t few, but after past consumption, facing those people again meant they had to personally take the field.
They might not last until the headmaster succeeded, and they themselves might fall.
Liu Fu said solemnly, “Perhaps they have a superior treasure.”
Wang Shenyu frowned, feeling doubtful about Liu Fu’s explanation.
She took a deep breath, her gaze falling on the surrounding Daoists from different sects, “The headmaster hasn’t emerged yet.
Who will face them next?” The room was silent for a moment before Zhou Keyin sighed deeply, “I’m afraid we all need to act.” A few days ago, he couldn’t sense the aura of the Confucian Saint Zhu Deyan anymore.
Either he had ascended, or he had fallen.
But in his view, the latter was more likely.
In any case, he couldn’t show himself now.
Their only hope now lay with Yang Zhangjiao in the Taiyuan Palace.
The remaining Daoists didn’t respond.
Regardless of their thoughts, they had no retreat.
As Zhou Keyin moved, the others also transformed into streams of light, sweeping out of the Dharma Hall.
“Stop, fellow Daoist.”
Ji Yutang stood with her hands behind her back.
Upon hearing this, she suddenly raised her eyes, gazing at the young cultivator who appeared ahead.
This person wore a blue Confucian robe and held a black iron pen, clearly a primordial spirit cultivator from One Stroke Across Past and Present.
Ji Yutang had more interactions with disciples from Spring and Autumn Heaven Palace, but only encountered a corpse puppet from One Stroke Across Past and Present at the Chongxu Dao Field.
Her eyes sharpened, her aura rising, and the Divine Dragon Dharma Form soared behind her.
In front of Li Jingyu, Wang Shenyu stood with a sword, her eyes flickering, seemingly cold yet mixed with a bit of sorrow.
“Where’s Ran Jingri? Hiding behind a woman?” Li Jingyu’s eyes shifted, and she spoke with a smile.
She had heard about Ran Jingri being injured by the Dragon Lord, and now he was probably barely hanging on, right? Perhaps she should thank the Dragon Lord for giving her a chance for revenge.
“How can you be so heartless?” Wang Shenyu gritted her teeth, accusing Li Jingyu.
“Heartless?” Li Jingyu tilted her head slightly, smiling, “Not as much as you.”
Wang Shenyu frowned, “What about A Zhu? Qin Ruoshui stole her corpse and brought it back to the Southern Border.
Is she still in your hands?”
“Do you really care?” Li Jingyu didn’t answer Wang Shenyu’s question.
She sneered, “I’ll thank you for her.” She looked coldly at Wang Shenyu, her magical power surging like a tide.
The Jewel of the Rising Tides split into nine, crashing towards Wang Shenyu! As the water surged, the vast mist was hazy and illusory, expanding outward like mirage vapor, gradually covering a large area of the sky, leaving only a cold crescent moon illuminating the world.
Wang Shenyu practiced sword intent, with countless sword lights stirring in the water tides, but she could never break through the mist.
She had lingered in the Primordial Spirit realm for many years, yet her magical power was far inferior to the later achievements of Li Jingyu.
At the moment when the sword lights collided with the Jewel of the Rising Tides, her heart suddenly tightened, a chill rising from her spine.
She opened her eyes, only to see the lightning flashing through the mist.
“Stop, you wretch!” Just as the countless whirlpools of lightning formed by the water tides were about to engulf Wang Shenyu, a loud shout suddenly rang out.
Li Jingyu’s expression remained unchanged, the magical power surging around her continued unabated, and in the blink of an eye, it swallowed Wang Shenyu.
It was only when Wang Shenyu was swept away by the Primordial Abyssal Divine Water, completely dissipating into a mass of essence, that she looked down towards the source of the voice.
The once elegant and charming gentleman Ran Jingri was now gray-haired and aged, looking pitiful and miserable.
If it weren’t for the many protective artifacts on him, he might not have even made it to this place of spiritual energy.
“Do you have any orders?” Li Jingyu looked down at Ran Jingri with a tone of disdain and arrogance.
“You, you—” Ran Jingri was furious.
“I don’t understand how you still have the guts to appear before me, thinking I won’t kill you?” Li Jingyu looked at Ran Jingri’s flushed face with interest and continued, “Let me tell you something else, mother didn’t actually fall.
She was the third incarnation of the one from the Wangqing Sect, a life of hers.
You thought you were in control of everything, but you were being played all along.
Now that you’ve heard this, shouldn’t you rest in peace?” Although Taishi Palace’s Han Linchi had guessed about Li Qingxun’s situation, he wouldn’t pass it on to the already abandoned Ran Jingri.
At this moment, Ran Jingri’s eyes were blood-red, driven to the brink of collapse by Li Jingyu’s words.
The artifacts on him shone with an unusually bright light, and his aura and magical power were being elevated layer by layer by some force.
He shouted angrily and suddenly struck towards Li Jingyu.
On the other side, Ji Yutang had long noticed Ran Jingri’s presence.
After dealing with the disciples of the One Stroke Across Past and Present lineage blocking her path, she turned towards Li Jingyu, only to witness Ran Jingri’s sudden outburst! Her expression changed abruptly, and she shouted “Be careful,” immediately transforming into a dragon hundreds of feet long, her tail whipping fiercely forward.
Li Jingyu was not unprepared for Ran Jingri.
Just before making a move, sensing the surge of sword intent between her brows, her eyes flashed, and she released that sword intent! A magnificent and brilliant sword light leapt from her brow, like a white rainbow piercing the sun, slashing down fiercely! Where the sword energy reached, the surging aura and magical power quickly disintegrated, silently slicing into Ran Jingri.
Ran Jingri’s body trembled, all his artifacts shattered under this sword, and his primordial spirit was completely annihilated, leaving no chance for reincarnation.
“I thought it was a protective sword intent, but I didn’t expect it to be used to resolve karma.” Li Jingyu muttered, quickly collecting her emotions, and turned to smile at Ji Yutang, who had arrived by her side, saying, “I’m fine.”
Ji Yutang frowned as she looked at the place where Ran Jingri had disappeared, her eyes full of disgust.
“Is he really gone?” Li Jingyu replied, “His soul is gone.”
Ji Yutang said, “He was your father, you’ll bear the burden of sin, I should have dealt with him.”
Li Jingyu smiled, “It’s nothing.” Not to mention that this sword was the sword of vengeance left on her by Cangzhen, even if she did bear the burden of sin, so what? She didn’t need to care about that at all.
Her gaze swept around Taiyuan Palace, where both sides were fighting fiercely.
Just as she was about to help her comrades, she suddenly sensed something.
The two exchanged a glance and said in unison, “Let’s go to the altar!”
At the altar.
Yang Xizhou was fully immersed, unable to sense the happenings in Taiyuan Palace.
But even without deliberately sensing, he could guess the outcome.
His eyes were fixed on the Tai Shang Primordial Embryo in front of him, his gaze growing deeper.
As the aura of the Tai Shang Primordial Embryo descended, he suddenly stepped forward, a shadow falling from his body, quickly approaching the Tai Shang Primordial Embryo, merging into it as the aura completely stagnated.
At this moment, the Tai Shang Primordial Embryo had almost fully evolved, and opposite him was a person identical to himself.
Yang Xizhou didn’t want the Tai Shang Primordial Embryo to have its own consciousness.
Fortunately, this was a gradual process.
After merging the shadow into the embryo, he completely erased that seed of consciousness.
After completing this, he hurriedly began to devour the principles of the Great Dao brought by the Tai Shang aura.
Whether it was the man-made Tai Shang embryo or the current Tai Shang Primordial Embryo, it was a container.
Only that vast “essence” mixed with the aura of the Supreme Dao Ancestor was the true “essence of creation,” a part of the Supreme Dao Ancestor born from the heavens and earth.
Originally, when Yang Xizhou severed a part of himself, his aura fell to a low point.
But as he seized the principles of the Great Dao, his entire aura continued to rise.
During the devouring process, he vaguely felt something was wrong, but couldn’t figure it out, so he could only continue the process.
However, this scene fell into the eyes of Ji Yutang and Li Jingyu, who had arrived, clearly showing a chaotic, twisted monster writhing, yet it bore the unmistakable aura of Tai Shang, the true transmission of Tai Shang.
Ji Yutang was silent for a long time before saying, “Is this the Supreme Dao Ancestor they want? The path to the heavens they want to open?” Li Jingyu frowned, looking at Yang Xizhou with disgust, “The Tai Shang era has come to an end, it’s time for a new heaven.”
Yang Xizhou’s process of devouring creation was interrupted by Ji Yutang and Li Jingyu.
His eyes flashed with malice and killing intent, and he spoke indifferently, “Not of the Tai Shang lineage? Outsiders.” Behind him appeared several obscure and deep sword lights, clashing and emitting a series of hums. He reached out and pushed the sword energy outward, splitting the Primordial Qi of heaven and earth into two paths, clear and turbid.
The clear Qi continuously rose, while the turbid Qi was worn away by the sword light!
“Sword splitting Yin and Yang?” Li Jingyu’s eyes flickered, her magical artifacts turning, transforming the turbid evil Qi into clear spiritual Qi, exuding the aura of Tai Shang Daoism, “Do you remember the deduction in the Chongxu Dao Field? Tai Shang returns, annihilating everything, allowing only itself.
Now there’s plenty of turbid evil Qi, it doesn’t show much in the short term, but over time, the world will be completely unbalanced.”
Ji Yutang nodded solemnly, her divine power turning, holding the 《Daode Heavenly Book》 glowing with golden light in her hand.
