"Both a god and an immortal?"
Xu Ying was startled. The immortal buried within the Chaotic Star Sea, named Lingzhuzi, bore another title: the Great Deity of the Three Altars and Sea Gathering. This signified two identities—one an immortal, the other a god.
Yet how could both identities be united in a single person?
*Perhaps while he was an immortal, he also possessed temples in the mortal realm and absorbed incense smoke qi. But how can the immortal and divine, primordial qi and incense smoke qi, ever harmonize with each other?*
He felt deeply puzzled. If this dilemma could be solved, couldn't Chu Xiangxiang cultivate into an immortal as well?
Chu Xiangxiang was the god of the Xiang River in the Yuanshou world. She was human, too, possessing the Realm of Xiyi and the Six Secret Depositories of the Human Body. If she could obtain the cultivation method of this Great Deity of the Three Altars and Sea Gathering, she could cultivate both the immortal and the divine at once!
*In other words, the super heavenly tribulation is so difficult to cross nowadays—if one cultivates both immortal and divine paths simultaneously, could one survive it?*
Xu Ying's thoughts raced even further. *And if one adds the Nuo method into the mix, would the super heavenly tribulation still be hard to overcome?*
Hu Zhuojun said, "The Great Deity of the Three Altars and Sea Gathering was laid to rest here, but his tomb was once robbed."
Snapping back from his reverie at her words, Xu Ying smiled and asked, "Who could possibly be that bold?"
Hu Zhuojun shook her head. "I don't know either. I only heard my master say that forty to fifty thousand years ago, an audacious scoundrel broke in here trying to steal the treasures from the immortal tomb, only to be relentlessly pursued by the immortal artifacts guarding it. I heard all three immortal artifacts were mobilized, hunting that grave robber from the demonic realm across the myriad heavens and realms, and then all the way back!"
Xu Ying glanced toward that red sash, his heart burning with longing as he chuckled. "If an immortal artifact were laid out right here, even I would be tempted. No wonder someone set their sights on an immortal's grave."
The moment his words fell, a length of the red sash guarding the tomb drifted forward like smoke. In an instant, it arrived before Xu Ying and the others, darting left and right, front and back, as if looking them over.
The crowd went rigid, not daring to move a muscle.
Hu Zhuojun said in utter terror, "Don't move, everyone! The Great Deity of the Three Altars and Sea Gathering clearly discerns good from evil and distinguishes the loyal from the treacherous. He won't harm faithful souls like us!"
That red sash was an immortal artifact encompassing its own world, its might naturally unimaginable. If its power were to erupt, they and the land beneath their feet would likely be reduced to ash in an instant!
Suddenly, the red sash began whistling through the air, seemingly unleashing martial techniques and divine powers. Every movement was supremely soft, yet incomparably lethal.
All at once, another burst of fiery light flew out of the immortal tomb, transforming into a Fire-Tipped Spear. Moving without a wielder, a spark of immortal fire danced at the spearhead, weaving countless phantoms that whistled through the air, pointed directly at the space between Xu Ying's brows!
The spear halted just before striking between his brows, withdrew, and thrust forward once more, each move brimming with deadly intent!
Everyone on the land felt their hair stand on end, not daring to let out a breath.
Yet another dazzling golden ring flew from the tomb, hurtling toward them with a whoosh before snapping to an abrupt halt.
The ring grew and shrank unpredictably. At its largest, it could encircle the sun, moon, and stars; at its smallest, it was merely the size of a bracelet. As it vibrated, it shook the heavens, and its radiant bursts of light resembled an immortal mirror illuminating and refining all things!
The three immortal artifacts hovered around them, darting left and right and launching feigned strikes before finally flying back to the immortal tomb, resuming their dormant state.
The people on the land trembled uncontrollably, their legs turning to jelly.
Hu Zhuojun stammered, "Nothing like this has ever happened before. Why did the three immortal artifacts suddenly threaten us today?"
A demonic Qi Refiner remarked, "I think... it seemed like the three immortal artifacts were threatening Zi—Brother Ah Ying."
The others nodded in agreement. They, too, had realized that the three immortal artifacts were clearly targeting Xu Ying. Every time they were on the verge of striking him, they stopped short, refraining from dealing a fatal blow.
This was an unmistakable threat directed at Xu Ying!
Yet why on earth would the three immortal artifacts of the Great Deity of the Three Altars and Sea Gathering threaten the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis without any provocation?
Xu Ying asked calmly, "Didn't any of you comprehend anything just now?"
Hu Zhuojun blinked her bewildered eyes and murmured, "Comprehend what?"
Xu Ying sighed and said, "Just now, the three immortal artifacts of the Great Deity of the Three Altars and Sea Gathering were displaying divine powers and Dao methods to us. They were offering us the chance to inherit the great deity's mantle and become his successors. Yet you were all so paralyzed by fear that you failed to glean any Dao methods or divine powers from it?"
At these words, realization dawned on everyone, leaving them thoroughly ashamed and filled with regret.
Hu Zhuojun murmured, "Could it be that we missed out on an immortal encounter?"
Xu Ying nodded gently. "It is only natural that fear overcame you. Just think: who could face an assault from three immortal artifacts while remaining calm and composed enough to comprehend Dao methods and divine powers from it? Even I only managed to grasp twenty or thirty percent."
He sighed with deep emotion, stealing a furtive glance toward that immortal tomb.
There, the red sash was currently tying itself into a hangman's noose. It wrapped tightly around a mountain peak, hoisting the entire peak into the air in a brazen show of force before his eyes.
The mountain peak was snapped clean in two!
Xu Ying's heart skipped a beat. *Could it be that the person who robbed Lingzhuzi's tomb was my very first life? Heh heh...*
A sweatdrop the size of a bean broke out on his forehead. *No wonder those three immortal artifacts were so agitated the moment they saw me, barely resisting the urge to strike me dead. But just how much trouble did my first life stir up besides robbing Lingzhuzi's tomb?*
Just because Lingzhuzi's three tomb-guarding immortal artifacts had stayed their hand didn't mean the artifacts of other tombs robbed in his first life would be so merciful. If one came along that truly meant murder, wouldn't he be killed by the deeds of his past self?
*Let's hope my first life performed a good deed every day and sowed seeds of goodwill across the mountains of the demonic realm.*
Fortunately, the three tomb-guarding immortal artifacts caused them no further trouble. The floating landmass carried them across the waters. Xu Ying manifested his Primordial Spirit to observe the Chaotic Star Sea, comparing it against the Dao forms within his Hidden Scenery latent transformation ground, gaining his own insights.
When they reached the opposite shore, Hu Zhuojun exclaimed in excitement, "Once we cross this mountain, we'll reach my sect! Ah Ying, though my sect isn't as grand as yours, it's still a renowned, prominent power in the Ancestral Court!"
She dashed toward the mountain peak, and Xu Ying quickly followed. When they reached the summit, a sudden burst of golden light stung their eyes.
Xu Ying shielded his eyes and looked out. A towering mountain rose abruptly from the earth, steep, imposing, and magnificent. Nestled amid the encircling peaks stood a tattered, thirty-three-story pagoda cast of pure gold, every single level riddled with holes.
This battered thirty-three-story golden pagoda stood taller than the surrounding peaks. Within it burned immortal fire, casting its illumination into the void and the Netherworld.
The buildings on the mountain were built around this dilapidated golden pagoda, with winding paths and palaces connected directly to the pagoda, forming a demonic sect of grand proportions.
Dazzled by the sight, Xu Ying murmured, "That golden pagoda is an immortal artifact..."
Hu Zhuojun said with smug pride, "That's right! An immortal artifact from ancient times! Unfortunately, it has lost most of its might, though our sect master can still draw forth a fraction of its power. Our lineage is called the Linglong Heavenly Sect! Come, I'll take you up the mountain! If Master knew that the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis had come to visit the Linglong Heavenly Sect, he would be overjoyed."
Following in her footsteps, Xu Ying laughed. "Sister Zhuojun, I am Xu Ying, not Chu Tiandu."
Hu Zhuojun gave him a knowing look. "I understand. The name of the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis is simply too renowned. Far too many people want to challenge him; even in my own sect, there are fellows itching for a fight. Don't worry, you are Xu Ying. I won't breathe a word."
She turned around to glare fiercely at the other demonic Qi Refiners. "None of you are allowed to speak of this either, understand?"
The others hastened to voice their agreement.
Xu Ying felt relieved and followed her into the Linglong Heavenly Sect.
Near the mountain gate, a purple-robed young man was also ascending. When his eyes fell upon Xu Ying, his heart gave a violent jolt: *Why is he here too?*
Xu Ying's heart also skipped a beat: *Uh-oh. I might have run into the real deal!*
That young man in purple was none other than Chu Tiandu. When their eyes met, both looked away, neither daring to meet the other's gaze.
In the end, Xu Ying proved thicker-skinned. He smiled and said, "How small the world is! My friend, we meet again."
Chu Tiandu offered a half-smile. "Indeed, we meet again, Purple-Robed Divine Marquis."
Xu Ying asked with concern, "Are your injuries any better?"
"Thanks to your blessings, not too severe," Chu Tiandu replied with a forced smile.
With a smile as gentle as a spring breeze, Xu Ying offered, "Since I was the one who injured you, and I happen to be skilled in healing, how about I treat your wounds? What do you say?"
Chu Tiandu kept that same stiff smile. "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."
Xu Ying said casually, "Do you think I mean you harm? To be defeated beneath the palm of I, Chu Tiandu, is an honor for you. I, Chu, am stronger than you; if I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't need to resort to such underhanded tricks."
Chu Tiandu's chest swelled with indignation, but he ultimately swallowed his anger and smiled. "If that's the case, then I'll accept your kindness."
Hu Zhuojun leaned close to Xu Ying and whispered, "Ah Ying, who is this guy?"
Xu Ying lowered his voice. "He was one of the three great experts who challenged me outside Qingyang Palace in the Dao Revelation Land. An extraordinarily formidable man."
"Why is he dressed in purple?"
At that realization, Hu Zhuojun blurted out, "He must be trying to imitate you! Knowing how terrifying the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis is, and seeing no way to make a name for himself, he's copying you to build his own reputation!"
Chu Tiandu trembled with fury, yet he held back his temper. "Young lady, it's not what you think..."
"Repent!" Hu Zhuojun said with deep distress. "Imitating someone else will get you nowhere! You must strengthen your Dao heart and possess the courage to surpass your predecessors! By copying the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis, you will never become him!"
Veins bulged on Chu Tiandu's forehead. "You... you little girl..."
He nearly suffered a relapse. The old injuries left by Xu Ying flared up, and a mouthful of blood rose to his throat.
Hu Zhuojun chuckled. "You imitate the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis, deliberately dressing in purple, thinking you can become him just by wearing purple clothes. Look at the real Purple-Robed Divine Marquis beside you—he can cast off his purple robes, remaining unattached to fame, forgetting both reputation and worldly trappings. That is why you are merely an imitator, while he is the true Purple-Robed Divine Marquis."
Xu Ying smiled faintly and nodded in agreement.
Forcing down the blood welling in his throat, Chu Tiandu said woodenly to Xu Ying, "Marquis, please find a secluded spot and treat my injuries."
He paused, his complexion shifting slightly. "I can no longer suppress them."
Xu Ying was surprised. *This man truly possesses a luminous Dao heart, actually intending to let me heal him.*
Such open and upright character was exceedingly rare.
At the very least, it was almost unheard of in Yuanshou.
In the Yuanshou world, powerful Qi Refiners—especially the chives-harvesters—were meticulously guarded. Every one of them viewed others as a personal hell and never trusted a single soul.
In all his years wandering the Yuanshou world, Xu Ying's true friends could be counted on one hand: Yan Kongcheng, Shi Yuqing, Xue Ying'an, Guo Xiaodie, Chu Xiangxiang, and a scant few others, alongside Yuan Qi and the big bell.
Everyone else either sought to use him or harbored malice toward him.
Except, of course, for Yuan Weiyang.
*I finally understand why my first life, having brought three immortal mountains from the Immortal Realm, chose to hide one in the demonic realm,* he mused silently. *Perhaps because back then, I saw that the people here possessed luminous Dao hearts.*
"Repent," Hu Zhuojun urged Chu Tiandu with earnest grief.
Chu Tiandu could endure no longer. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his aura instantly flagging as he looked toward Xu Ying as if pleading for help.
Xu Ying hurriedly intervened. "Sister Zhuojun, say no more. Let us hurry up the mountain and find a place to rest so I can treat his injuries."
Chu Tiandu nodded repeatedly.
Only then did Hu Zhuojun let him off the hook and lead them up the mountain.
She was a straightforward, generous woman who wielded considerable authority within the Linglong Heavenly Sect. Rounding up a few disciples, she quickly had a guest residence prepared for Xu Ying and Chu Tiandu.
Once Xu Ying and Chu Tiandu settled inside the courtyard, Xu Ying raised a hand lightly. A curtain of light swept out, and various Dao patterns circulated across the sky, spreading outward to envelop the entire residence.
Chu Tiandu had entered the room and changed into snowy white robes. Looking up at the sight, he raised an eyebrow.
Xu Ying's display genuinely moved him. The Dao patterns floating in the air were exceptionally exquisite and profound—true Great Dao patterns that could only be mastered through comprehending the Great Dao of the Ancestral Court's world!
Without thousands of years of contemplation, who could summon them with such effortless grace?
In fact, even with millennia of study, one might not possess Xu Ying's ease and breadth of knowledge.
Some of the Great Dao patterns Xu Ying manifested were ones Chu Tiandu had never even encountered before!
Furthermore, Xu Ying's refinement technique was remarkably unique, belonging to the methods of the Heavenly Dao. One had to know that his master, the Little Heavenly Venerate, had long pursued a Heaven-Mending Plan precisely to repair the Heavenly Dao of the Ancestral Court!
Yet while the Little Heavenly Venerate had yet to achieve success, how had this seemingly young boy already attained such extraordinary mastery in this path?
*If only he truly were Chu Tiandu...* Chu Tiandu thought.
Xu Ying turned around, glanced at him, and asked, "How many sets of purple clothes do you have on you?"
Chu Tiandu hesitated before replying, "A dozen or so."
"Give them all to me. What about masks?"
"A dozen or so of those as well."
"Hand them over too."
"Brother, you aren't planning to silence me, are you?"
Xu Ying changed into Chu Tiandu's clothes and put on Chu Tiandu's mask, leaving Chu Tiandu watching uneasily from the side.
Turning back with a smile, Xu Ying said, "Don't worry, I won't silence you. Even if you told people that you are the real Purple-Robed Divine Marquis, Chu Tiandu, no one would believe you."
Chu Tiandu gave a muffled grunt. "Chu Tiandu, the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis, is a symbol of invincibility. The one who suffered defeat cannot be Chu Tiandu."
Xu Ying walked over to his side and smiled. "Relax your mind, and I will treat your injuries. By the way, who passed the Nuo ancestor cave-heaven down to you?"
"My master, the Little Heavenly Venerate."
Chapter 338