The moment those words were spoken, everyone in the Linglong Heavenly Sect—from disciples to elders to Grand Supreme Elders—was shaken to the core.
"The Purple-Robed Divine Marquis, Chu Tiandu?"
"He is Chu Tiandu? The Chu Tiandu whose true face no one has ever seen?"
"A paragon among men, draped in purple robes—truly striking and dignified! Though his complexion is a bit dark."
"No wonder he usually wears a mask..."
Witnessing this scene, Chu Tiandu felt a tumult of sorrow and joy. He was glad that the name of the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis had risen even higher, adding another vivid stroke to his legend of invincibility.
The sorrow, however, was that none of this had anything to do with him.
A white-haired Grand Supreme Elder stepped forward and said to Xu Ying, "So Your Excellency is the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis. No wonder you could comprehend our Heavenly Sect's Linglong Dao Scripture in such a short time. You previously defeated our sect's disciple Yu Youchen. Bitterly reflecting on that loss, Yu Youchen spent these past years in rigorous cultivation, advancing by leaps and bounds. I originally thought there would surely be a battle of titans between the two of you."
He sighed and shook his head. "Yu Youchen has no hope of catching up to you anymore. His cultivation is indeed powerful, and he is undeniably a genius of our Linglong Heavenly Sect, but the gap is simply too vast."
Hearing this, the others could not help but look dejected.
Yu Youchen was the Eldest Senior Brother of the Linglong Heavenly Sect. Before his junior brothers and sisters, he was as dazzling as a heavenly god—immensely powerful and exceptionally perceptive, a figure beyond their wildest reach.
Yet before the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis, wasn't Yu Youchen the same? Was not the Marquis also like a heavenly god?
Setting aside Yu Youchen, even the three Grand Supreme Elders, who had meditated before the Linglong Dao Scripture for so many years, had failed to grasp it entirely. What they had understood fell short of what the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis had gleaned in mere moments before the stone cliff.
What was more, the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis had not only comprehended what was written in the Linglong Dao Scripture, but had even deduced what was missing from it!
The fame of the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis, Chu Tiandu, had grown so immense that many believed he was merely enjoying an empty reputation. Only now were they thoroughly convinced.
Xu Ying bowed slightly and said apologetically to the crowd, "Forgive me for disturbing everyone's quiet cultivation. That was my fault. However, everyone, I am not the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis."
The crowd froze.
Xu Ying produced a mask, slipped it over his face, and said, "Only the me right now is the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis."
The three Grand Supreme Elders caught his meaning immediately. The white-haired elder looked around at the assembly and declared, "The Purple-Robed Divine Marquis wears purple robes and a mask. This young brother was not wearing a mask, so he is not the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis. Do you understand?"
A chill ran through the disciples and elders, and they hastened to voice their agreement.
The white-haired elder stepped beside Xu Ying and smiled. "Young brother, you had best keep the mask on for the next few days. Though our Linglong Heavenly Sect will safeguard the Divine Marquis's identity, many mouths mean many slips. The more people who know, the more likely your true face will be exposed."
Xu Ying looked over and saw that many more disciples had heard the news and were rushing toward the highest tier of the Linglong Pagoda. He nodded in agreement.
The white-haired elder smiled. "Divine Marquis, could you demonstrate the divine ability you performed just now once more?"
Xu Ying chuckled. "Why not?"
He was never a petty person, so he immediately displayed the divine ability he had comprehended. To him, executing these techniques came as naturally as breathing, without the slightest sluggishness or difficulty.
To the onlookers, however, it was a blinding, bewildering spectacle. At the beginning, they could still follow a few moves, but after that, it became utterly incomprehensible!
The Thirty-Three Heavens Linglong Golden Pagoda, in particular, left them dazzled and dumbfounded.
As Xu Ying ran through the technique and manifested the Linglong Golden Pagoda, his mind shook slightly. He felt the physical structure of the Linglong Golden Pagoda beneath his feet rumbling and trembling as well. Although exceedingly faint, a wondrous power within the pagoda was indeed resonating in harmony with him!
*Could this immortal artifact still be alive?* he wondered, intrigued.
The white-haired elder offered an ingratiating smile. "Divine Marquis, could you explain it to us?"
Setting aside the pagoda's resonance for the moment, Xu Ying sat down on the thirty-third tier of the Linglong Pagoda and began expounding the mysteries of the Dao runes he had comprehended one by one.
He started from the basics and moved toward the profound. Whenever he reached a subtle point, the onlookers nodded in fervent agreement.
More and more disciples gathered on the mountain until nearly all of them across the entire peak had arrived.
Some who had been away hastened back upon hearing that the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis, Chu Tiandu, had come to the Heavenly Sect to lecture on the Dao and transmit techniques.
The Linglong Dao Scripture was carved onto the stone cliff, and most disciples in the sect had studied it. What Xu Ying initially explained was only slightly deeper than what they had grasped.
As time passed, however, the depth increased, and many gradually lost the ability to follow his lecture.
Sometimes, just as they finally grasped the knowledge contained within a single Dao rune and snapped back to attention, they would discover that Xu Ying had already moved past the secrets of a dozen more.
Three days later, the Dao runes Xu Ying expounded were no longer those found in the Linglong Dao Scripture, but principles extrapolated from it!
Such wondrous methods were the missing Dao runes of the Linglong Golden Pagoda—the very direction toward which the three Grand Supreme Elders had dedicated their entire lives!
Yet even with Xu Ying demonstrating as he lectured, fewer and fewer people could keep pace.
Eventually, even the three Grand Supreme Elders could no longer follow his exposition. They had no choice but to memorize frantically, trying to commit everything he said to memory so they could organize and comprehend it slowly later.
Words and diagrams were easy to memorize, but how could the Dao be so easily remembered?
If one failed to remember the Dao accurately, it would warp and deform, leaving whatever they grasped distorted and specious.
Two days later, Xu Ying finished explaining the Dao runes he had comprehended. As the runes churned, the Thirty-Three Heavens Linglong Golden Pagoda reappeared once more, interwoven with the textures of the immortal Dao, manifesting a magnificent divine ability that dazzled the entire mountain yet again!
This time, when Xu Ying unleashed the Linglong Golden Pagoda, the resonance with the pagoda beneath his feet grew even stronger!
Vaguely, an ancient power within the pagoda seemed to begin turning with great difficulty.
Through the vast passage of time, sedimented over ages into a thick and sluggish sludge, the power within the pagoda had become almost impossible to circulate. But awakened by his divine ability, it gradually began to flow smoother.
Though still sluggish, it was far better than before!
*This immortal artifact really is still alive!* Xu Ying felt both surprised and delighted.
"Chu Tiandu, I concede completely!" A young man stepped before Xu Ying, his eyes reddening as he bowed deeply to the ground.
*Who is this?* Xu Ying looked utterly bewildered.
The young man straightened up and said with utmost sincerity, "I originally thought I could contend with you once more, Marquis. Never did I imagine you would unleash a divine ability that no one in my Linglong Heavenly Sect could ever comprehend. What more can I say? What face do I have left to seek instruction from you?"
Xu Ying remained baffled. *Who in the world is he?*
Noticing the confusion in his eyes behind the mask, Chu Tiandu quietly stepped to his side and sent a transmission via divine sense: "He is Yu Youchen."
Enlightenment dawned on Xu Ying. He smiled warmly and said, "Brother Yu's abilities are extraordinary; I admire them greatly as well. I remember when we fought dozens of rounds back then, and I only barely edged you out by a single move. After all these years, your cultivation and strength have grown ever more profound. If we were to cross hands again, it would be difficult for me to win—at best, it would end in a draw."
Chu Tiandu's eyes widened, his breath catching as tears welled in his eyes, swallowed back into his stomach. *I guess I can only ever be his body double.*
Hearing Xu Ying's words, Yu Youchen felt his pride restored. He declared solemnly, "The Marquis is far too modest! You have bestowed a great kindness upon our Heavenly Sect. If you ever have a command in the future, simply say the word, and Youchen will go through fire and water without hesitation!"
Xu Ying thought to himself, *Seventh Master's teachings really are spot-on. Putting it this way saves face for everyone.*
The disciples of the Linglong Heavenly Sect still had many questions about what Xu Ying had lectured on, and quite a few clamored for him to perform the divine ability once more.
Xu Ying also wished to see whether the power within the Linglong Golden Pagoda could be fully awakened, so he executed the technique again.
As the crowd watched, utterly entranced, Xu Ying faintly established a connection with that ancient power inside the pagoda. He performed the technique once more, and more of that ancient power stirred awake, releasing a vast, ocean-like aura of immortal and divine might.
Xu Ying cast the Linglong Golden Pagoda yet again. This time, the battered thirty-three-story pagoda beneath their feet began to shudder slowly, making everyone's soles go numb from the vibrations.
Chu Tiandu hurried to Xu Ying's side and whispered, "Don't use this divine ability anymore. Something feels wrong..."
The trembling gradually subsided.
Xu Ying sensed that within the pagoda, the boundless power was surging like a tide, yet it remained just a hair's breadth away from breaking through its shackles and waking completely.
"Since the Linglong Heavenly Sect is so hospitable, I shall demonstrate it one more time," Xu Ying said with a smile.
He unleashed the divine ability once more, manifesting the Linglong Golden Pagoda. The instant the technique appeared, Dao runes across the surface of the real Linglong Golden Pagoda lit up, accompanied by a deafening chorus of Great Dao resonances!
Even the severed Dao runes reconnected under the surge of surging power!
The earth around the Linglong Heavenly Sect shook violently. Enormous metallic fragments flew up from beneath the ground one after another, hurtling toward the sect with clanging rings, shearing through the buildings constructed upon the pagoda as they reattached to it!
From the distant mountains and rivers, countless shards took flight, whistling through the air in response to the pagoda's summons!
Innumerable fragments joined together on their own, piecing back what was missing and gradually restoring the golden pagoda to completeness!
More and more fragments flew in. However, the Linglong Heavenly Sect had been built around the golden pagoda; many halls and pavilions were situated directly within it, and bridges connected to its structure. All of them now suffered calamity, either shattered to dust, cracked apart, or collapsed.
The ground beneath Xu Ying's feet shook constantly. Looking out, he saw the Linglong Heavenly Sect looking as if it had been thoroughly demolished, buildings collapsing everywhere.
*At a time like this, shouldn't I be running away?* Xu Ying blinked.
The aura radiating from the Linglong Golden Pagoda grew increasingly domineering. Fragments from even farther away answered the call and flew over, quickly restoring the thirty-three-story pagoda to a pristine, brand-new state!
Waves of ancient immortal might gushed from within the tiers of the pagoda, making everyone in the Linglong Heavenly Sect tremble with fear, unable to take a single step!
Suddenly, a beam of celestial light erupted from the gem atop the pagoda, piercing straight through the sky and reaching beyond the firmament!
The space beyond the heavens burst open, whirling like a vortex. As it spun, it expanded, revealing another world before everyone's eyes.
It was a world as magnificent as the Realm of Xiyi, with floating immortal mountains, breathtaking scenery, and dazzling colors—wholly unlike the mortal realm!
Xu Ying's eyes went wide. What this Linglong Golden Pagoda had opened was none other than the Immortal Realm!
The Immortal Realm was vast and boundless. Suddenly, seven beams of bright light shot out from nowhere, shooting through layers of immortal clouds at tremendous speed!
"Disaster!" a voice shouted from within the immortal clouds. "The Seven Treasures Sarira has escaped suppression! Capture it at once—do not let it flee the Immortal Realm!"
The seven streaks of light darted through the mist at incredible speed, heading straight for the illumination shining from the Linglong Golden Pagoda.
Suddenly, the layers of immortal clouds exploded as boundless cloud-qi coalesced into a colossal hand, lunging toward the seven lights at unimaginable speed!
*Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!*
Piercing whistles rang out as the seven lights plunged into the illumination of the Linglong Golden Pagoda a step ahead, causing the giant hand of cloud-qi to grasp nothing but empty air!
"Trying to flee? Where do you think you can go?"
The giant hand rode its momentum downward, reaching out of the Immortal Realm along the radiance of the Linglong Golden Pagoda and lunging straight down.
Directly beneath it stood the mountain and pagoda where the Linglong Heavenly Sect resided!
Xu Ying and the others were looking up when they saw the clouds and light merge into a single hue, with streaks of radiance hurtling down. With seven crisp clinks, the seven lights entered the pagoda!
Inside the pagoda, treasured light overflowed. The fractures covering its body healed instantly within that thick, paste-like radiance, and all the severed or erased Dao runes were restored to pristine perfection!
Before Xu Ying could examine any of this closely, the sky shook violently. Nothing remained but that colossal hand of cloud-qi, bearing an aura of total extinction as it pressed down from the heavens!
All at once, immortal music thundered. Strange phenomena erupted all around the Linglong Heavenly Sect; the myriad daos fell into disarray, all things grew grotesquely, and every living thing seemed to turn into demons and monsters!
Faced with this scene, everyone plunged into despair.
Beneath this giant hand of cloud-qi, towering sacred mountains, long-standing sects, and countless prodigies were nothing more than ants and floating dust!
Once the hand pressed down, everything would be reduced to fine powder, wiped from existence!
Right at that moment, the Linglong Golden Pagoda suddenly flew up, shrinking rapidly until it landed within Xu Ying's left palm in the blink of an eye.
Xu Ying froze, at a total loss.
The crowd had originally been standing atop the pagoda. Now that the pagoda had flown up and shrunk, they had no ground beneath their feet. Compounded by the crushing immortal pressure of the cloud-qi hand striking down from the Immortal Realm, they scrambled in panic, tumbling from the sky!
Under the suppression of the immortal Dao, even figures like the Grand Supreme Elders were powerless to circulate their magic power!
Holding the Linglong Golden Pagoda in his hand, cold sweat poured down Xu Ying's forehead. Looking up at the sky-spanning hand that grew closer and larger by the second, he suddenly let out a roar. Marshaling all his magic power and cultivation, he visualized the golden pagoda, unleashed his divine ability, and offered up the Linglong Pagoda!
The tiny pagoda in his hand flew upward, soaring into the sky to meet the giant hand of cloud-qi.
For a moment, all things between heaven and earth seemed to freeze, and the falling crowd appeared suspended in midair.
The next instant, the heavens underwent a drastic upheaval. Thirty-three tiers of radiance erupted alongside a thunderous sonic boom. The giant hand of cloud-qi shattered with explosive crackles, and ten thousand li of clouds were blasted into nothingness!
The Linglong Pagoda whistled back, spinning as it landed neatly back in Xu Ying's outstretched left hand.
Xu Ying stared wide-eyed, cold sweat still clinging to his forehead and terror lingering in his gaze as he stared straight at the sky.
Above, the Immortal Realm remained visible; the spatial rift had not yet closed.
A face appeared within that fissure. Though Xu Ying had never seen it before, it gave him a familiar feeling.
The fear in Xu Ying's eyes vanished, replaced by a sharp, piercing gleam. He thought of the insect man.
Seeing Xu Ying and the pagoda in his hand, the face looked startled. "It's you!"
Xu Ying held up the pagoda and gave an insincere smile. "It's me. Why don't you come down and play?"
The face snorted, and the rift to the Immortal Realm closed, slowly concealing the visage behind it.
Chapter 340