The emergence of a new era doesn’t mean everything is completely over.
The new heavenly order is extremely unstable and will take at least hundreds of cycles to gradually stabilize.
During this process, if foreign energies return, they could potentially destroy the new era, causing this newborn world to decline rapidly.
As the master of the new era, Ji Yutang, even though her cultivation had reached that level, did not rashly attempt to break through to a higher realm until the Heavenly Path was completely stable.
The green arrow shot forth like a wave, piercing through a halo in the blink of an eye.
After the dazzling light faded, a decayed and withered corpse slid down the cliff like a rag, turning to dust upon touching the ground, scattered by the wind.
Not far away, Ji Yutang calmly put away the Falling Moon Bow, not giving the matter much thought.
“This is already the seventy-second cultivator challenging the new heavenly order.
What a pity,” Li Jingyu said, crossing her arms and smiling.
She lazily looked at Ji Yutang, her eyes sparkling like autumn water.
After the clear and turbid energies merged into “yuan,” not all cultivators willingly embraced the new heavenly order; some attempted to challenge this era.
As the master of the new era, Ji Yutang naturally became their target.
Despite the tranquility between heaven and earth, she faced many challenges since the Heavenly Path began its proper sequence, which helped her cultivation progress further.
“The number seventy-two corresponds to the Earthly Fiend, and the Heavenly Path has stabilized,” Ji Yutang murmured, ignoring Li Jingyu.
Since that was the case, she naturally wouldn’t stay in Jiuzhou forever.
She looked up at the sky.
After Cangzhen and Huai Wanxiu embarked on a new path, the Dragon Lord also ventured deep into the great path two hundred years ago.
After they left, their traces gradually disappeared, and no one knew whether they succeeded or failed.
Li Jingyu gazed deeply at Ji Yutang.
“Have you made your decision?”
“I have a premonition that there is a force lingering above, and Jiuzhou’s fifteen hundred-year cycle of tribulation might be related to that realm,” Ji Yutang replied, meeting Li Jingyu’s gaze.
“Didn’t you sense anything when you reappeared in the world with Lingxuan Heaven as your foundation?”
Li Jingyu chuckled.
“Of course, I did.
But I can’t just leave you to explore the great path alone.” After a pause, she added, “Do you want to say goodbye to old friends?”
The only ones who could be considered their old friends were Shen Zao, Yan Shouxia, and their group.
After the reestablishment of the Spring and Autumn Heaven Palace, the two were busy seeking the new law.
As for Feng Wang, after obtaining the complete Xumi Sea inheritance, he naturally wanted to pass on this lineage, leaving Huoxin Palace.
Previously, he had some disputes with Feng Yuan, as Feng Yuan, being Li Jingyu’s successor, couldn’t leave Huoxin Palace to go to Ling Mountain.
“No need,” Ji Yutang said, not particularly interested in meeting old friends, only planning to say goodbye to the North Sea and her parents.
As the master of the new era, she had somewhat assimilated with the Heavenly Path, losing much of her human emotions.
Fortunately, she didn’t cultivate the path of Supreme Forgetfulness, so she still had ties in her heart, preventing her from merging completely with the great path.
Months later.
Two brilliant lights shot towards Extreme Heaven, breaking through the boundary and heading to a higher level.
Countless stars twinkled like an endless river, shining brightly.
Numerous energies surged in this great path river, creating waves.
Different paths left different energies in the great path river.
Logically, Ji Yutang and Li Jingyu should have parted ways, but their energies had long merged, with each containing the other, so they walked this path to the heavens together.
Streams of energy flowed around them, clear energy swirling and rising, the surging heavenly mechanism like waves.
Ji Yutang and Li Jingyu walked forward step by step, encountering countless figures of cultivators in the star river.
These figures had little energy, merely traces left in the world.
They hadn’t reached the end, and their final manifested images became obstacles for those who came after.
Water surged under Li Jingyu’s feet, her expression calm, starlight on her body.
One energy after another collided with her, eventually shattering and disappearing without a trace.
On the other side, Ji Yutang was surrounded by mysterious yellow energy, the Heavenly Seal of Morality floating beside her, emitting dazzling light.
Anything that touched it immediately disintegrated, leaving no trace.
The further they walked, the stronger the obstacles became.
The path of cultivation was like rowing against the current, with no retreat.
If their true spirits and selves were extinguished in the pursuit of the path, they would merge with the great path like the cultivators they encountered, ceasing to exist.
The path laws collided as they advanced, both silent, neither speaking.
After an unknown amount of time, both were shaken, as a fierce energy suddenly pressed down in front of them, blocking the way.
If they couldn’t overcome it, they would remain in the great path river forever.
This was the obstacle of a higher realm cultivator! The two exchanged a glance, understanding each other in that instant.
The obstacle formed by higher realm cultivators was extremely solid, impossible to break with one person’s strength.
It contained the paths of countless great beings, and they hadn’t reached that level yet.
How could they break through? Their expressions turned serious.
They couldn’t shake the laws of the paths, but they could borrow power on the same level as Gao Miao’s Path.
Ji Yutang’s eyes deepened, the Heavenly Seal of Morality glowing, countless path rhymes rushing towards her, gradually forming a great path text.
Although Li Jingyu didn’t have the Heart of the Great Dao to guide the divine will of the path, she returned to the world through Lingxuan Heaven, essentially a spirit of heaven and earth.
She manifested the Dao Mother form, using Lingxuan Heaven as a pillar, continuously ascending.
Their powers converged, forming a river that washed over the fierce energy ahead, as if entering the silence of the heavens, the burning flames seizing all colors in an instant.
In the boundless great path river, a loud boom resounded, and the obstacle in front of them shattered.
The crack widened, and Ji Yutang and Li Jingyu walked side by side, energy swirling around them, radiant light falling.
The view was vast like a mist, but as energies poured in, Ji Yutang and Li Jingyu both felt a sense of clarity, knowing this was the Great Luo Heaven Realm, the eternal realm above all heavens.
With a flick of their sleeves, they left their name imprints in the mist, then looked ahead, where a primordial Dao Palace appeared under the guidance of divine will.
After returning to the Dao Palace, the Great Luo Heaven Realm’s great bell continued to resonate.
High above, nine heavenly pillars loomed, each with a faceless cultivator seated atop.
“How come two more have broken through the restraints?”
“They all came from Jiuzhou.”
“The previous three were ordinary people, having little impact on us, but these two are different.
They arrived with a Dao Palace manifesting, clearly heavenly lords!”
“There’s another matter.
Jiuzhou’s heavenly era has changed, the heavenly lord transformed.
Without the new heavenly lord’s name imprint, we can no longer absorb Jiuzhou’s Primordial Qi.”
“Go to that primordial Dao Palace and see if we can win them over.”
…
In the primordial Dao Palace.
Ji Yutang and Li Jingyu sat facing each other, their minds unsettled.
The Great Luo Heaven Realm is where higher-level cultivators leave their names.
Here, nine heavenly lords jointly rule, known as Zhongtian, Xiantian, Congtian, Gengtian, Suitian, Kuotian, Jiantian, Chentian, and Chengtian lords.
The term “heavenly lord” refers to the masters of eras, but not all heavenly lords can govern the Great Luo Heaven.
These nine were the first to attain the path, thus holding the Great Luo Heaven’s proper sequence for countless ages.
Other heavenly lords and non-era master heavenly venerables are under their rule.
Of course, some don’t follow the nine heavenly lords’ orders, but they must cultivate on their own, excluded from all benefits of the Great Luo Heaven.
“The Primordial Qi here is abundant, partly because the Great Luo Heaven is the source of all heavens, and partly because it continuously draws Primordial Qi from smaller realms to replenish itself,” Ji Yutang said solemnly.
She pressed her hand to her forehead, understanding the truth of the world’s tribulations the moment her energy connected with the Great Luo Heaven.
Jiuzhou’s land originally had a balanced Primordial Qi, but after part of it was drawn away by the Great Luo Heaven, a void appeared.
To fill this void and restore balance, it could only draw from below, causing cultivators to return to the Primordial Qi of heaven and earth.
“Year after year, they draw Primordial Qi, causing imbalance every fifteen hundred years.
No wonder the heavenly tribulations are so severe.”
“All small realms are like this.
Cultivators below might care, but once they ascend and enjoy these benefits, they won’t care about others’ lives,” Li Jingyu said with a mocking smile.
Ji Yutang pondered briefly and said, “Now that Jiuzhou has a new era, the authority is mine.”
Li Jingyu sighed, “This puts us at odds with the nine heavenly lords, which might not be good.”
Ji Yutang frowned, “Should we just ignore it?”
“Of course not,” Li Jingyu replied, surprised at Ji Yutang.
She smoothed her hair and said leisurely, “I don’t like anyone above me.” Compared to Ji Yutang, her heart was indeed colder.
She didn’t care about the lower realm, more concerned with herself and Ji Yutang.
Over their long time together, Ji Yutang understood Li Jingyu’s nature.
She didn’t intend to change her mind, as long as their goals aligned, they would walk the same path.
Ji Yutang asked, “Should we look for your master and the others?” In the lower realm, they couldn’t sense whether they succeeded or failed, but in the Great Luo Heaven, they could find them.
“Why look for them?” Li Jingyu leaned forward, pulling Ji Yutang closer, smiling brightly.
“This Great Luo Heaven is the upper realm.
I wonder how dual cultivation here differs from the lower realm?”
Ji Yutang was speechless, glaring at Li Jingyu in annoyance, smoothing her hair.
“Don’t talk nonsense!”
Li Jingyu ignored Ji Yutang’s resistance, kneeling in front of her, leaning towards her, and blinking.
“Why not?”
Ji Yutang leaned back, supporting herself with her hands, her face flushed like a brilliant cloud.
