Demon Quelling Heavenly Venerable

Jijue was filled with doubt and astonishment. "Emperor Zhenwu Xuantian? That is an immortal from ancient times! Has his Primordial Spirit awakened?" In the Ancestral Court, at Zhenwu Temple, the Two Divine Generals of Turtle and Snake guarded the premises. In the vicinity of Dao Weeping Pass, Zhenwu Temple was the sole place considered safe, and travelers crossing the Ancestral Court often chose to spend the night and rest there. That night, while the two divine generals stood guard, a sudden crimson light streaked through the clouds across the sky, dyeing the dark clouds a fiery red. When the red light traveled above Zhenwu Temple, a magnificent Primordial Spirit plummeted from the heavens and dropped into the temple grounds. The two divine generals hurried inside, only to see the statue of Emperor Zhenwu Xuantian step down from its shrine. Vigorous and refined like an austere Daoist master, he carried a longsword across his back. Startled and overjoyed, the two divine generals bowed deeply in salute. "We pay our respects to Emperor Zhenwu! Has Your Majesty returned to life?" "Rise." Emperor Xuantian shook his head. "A single spark of my true spirit never faded, and by gathering the Great Daos of heaven and earth, my Primordial Spirit was revived. It cannot be considered true rebirth. This time, someone deliberately revived my Primordial Spirit, and I have caught hold of a thread of karma! Zhenwu Sword, unsheathe!" With a commanding shout, the tassel on his back fluttered, and the longsword sprang from its scabbard with a clear clang. The sword light thrust forward as though piercing the surface of a tranquil basin of water, causing space before him to ripple and tremble. This single strike pierced through space and time, tracing along the thread of karma back toward its origin, stabbing straight to the junction of the Immortal Realm and the mortal realm. There lay an expanse of azure void, where someone in the Immortal Realm was waving a banner, guiding a young noble to ascend into the Immortal Realm. The youth possessed delicate features, fair skin, and an air of heroic spirit; he was none other than Young Master Ningqing. Having descended to the mortal realm and obtained the Returning Dao Jade Platter, he was wild with joy and preparing to return to the Immortal Realm. Just then, the Immortal Realm suddenly turned chaotic, and the guiding banner vanished! Alarmed, Young Master Ningqing steadied himself in the void and bowed. "Could the senior who holds sway over the Returning Dao Jade Platter be playing a jest on this junior?" "Ningqing, you are no fool." From the junction of the mortal and immortal realms came a voice that sounded both male and female. A mass of divine light rippled, and within it seemed to be a figure strolling forward at an unhurried pace, speaking leisurely: "You should know that when the Returning Dao Jade Platter first appeared, for me to seize it amid the competition of myriad immortals, my methods were bound to be formidable. Now that you have obtained the Returning Dao Jade Platter, did it never cross your mind that I would make a move?" Deeply anxious, Young Master Ningqing summoned the Returning Dao Jade Platter to shield himself first, then bowed again. "It was never my intention to hoard this treasure. The Returning Dao Jade Platter acknowledged me as its master; I had no choice in the matter." He stared at the figure within the divine radiance. Shrouded in light, the person moved with masculine vigor one moment and feminine grace the next, making it impossible to tell whether they were a man or a woman. "The shameless look about you bears quite a resemblance to your father, Ning Zhong." The figure within the radiance laughed. "Your father is deeply ambitious, yet he was burdened with the post of Tai Sui Heavenly Venerable—a hollow office with no real authority. He is eager to use the opportunity of the Three Realms tide to achieve something monumental. He has plotted for a long time, laying his groundwork forty-eight thousand years ago, winning over the Five Absolutes and the Ninth Immortal King, and seizing control of Weixu. Farsighted and shrewd, he is indeed a formidable character. I admire him; joining hands with him would surely remove many obstacles." The voice shifted between man and woman as it sighed. "Under ordinary circumstances, winning over Ning Zhong would well be worth parting with a Supreme Treasure. Regrettably, the Returning Dao Jade Platter is of great use to me. I must have it." Cold sweat beaded on Ningqing's forehead in his utter panic. He wheeled around and fled toward the lower realm as fast as he could! The speaker's words signaled murderous intent. Even as powerful as the Returning Dao Jade Platter was, it could hardly withstand this person's assault. Fleeing back to the mortal world offered his only slim chance of survival! *If I escape back to the mortal world, they won't dare descend lightly. This person is surely an exalted figure of the Immortal Realm; descending to the mortal realm would leave traces and give others leverage against them!* Ningqing's mind raced. The instant he turned to flee, the radiant figure flicked a finger. A beam of fine light caught up to the Returning Dao Jade Platter and struck it with a thunderous clang. Beneath the platter, Ningqing was jolted so violently that blood sprayed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. His bones snapped with sharp cracks throughout his limbs and body, his surrounding bodhimanda warped, his Dao principles shattered, and his Primordial Spirit nearly disintegrated. The Returning Dao Jade Platter burst with the power of creation, flooding his body to rapidly heal his Dao injuries. The radiant figure sneered. "Fellow Daoist, you feigned death to escape and have hidden until now—did you truly think I remained unaware? Having refined this treasure for so long, I knew long ago you were still among the living. Have you finally run out of patience?" With another flick of a finger, a second beam of light shot forth. Ningqing tumbled downward toward the mortal realm along with the jade platter. His previous injuries had barely healed before every bone in his body shattered, and his Primordial Spirit was blasted apart by that single flick! Raising a finger to flick once more, the figure said flatly, "Back then, you were reluctant to let a Supreme Treasure fall into my hands because I am difficult to control. Yet weren't you outmaneuvered by me all the same, forced to yield it to me? Since you dare not reveal your true form, do not dream of escaping my grasp with only a Supreme Treasure!" As the finger thrust forward, Ningqing detonated with a bang! The figure raised another finger to finish Ningqing off once and for all, but suddenly frowned slightly, turned, and stabbed a finger outward. Ding! A clear, resonant chime rang out as a beam of sword light collided with their fingertip, making time and space at the junction of the realms seem to freeze! Immediately afterward, unimaginably violent power erupted in all directions! Beneath the jade platter, azure light surged forth to form a haze of creation qi. Young Master Ningqing's flesh and blood regenerated, his Primordial Spirit revived, gestating anew within the qi of creation. Misfortune had turned into a blessing; remade by the qi of creation, his physical body and Primordial Spirit were stronger than before. Yet the shockwave from the clash between sword light and finger force still battered him into vomiting blood repeatedly. Struggling to survive, Young Master Ningqing fled desperately toward the lower realm, silently cursing his regret: *Why on earth did I insist on returning to the Immortal Realm? If I were still below, even stuck with that bastard Xu Ying, I wouldn't have ended up like this... Wait, no. If I stayed with Xu Ying, he probably would have beaten me to death already!* Sword light swept up from the lower realm like a startled swan, flashes streaking past Young Master Ningqing. Terrified, Ningqing raised his arms to frantically shield his head and face as he plummeted. Brilliant, peerless flashes of sword light skimmed past him, meeting the offensive of the mysterious radiant figure and detonating even more terrifying tremors behind him. "Emperor Xuantian of the ancient era, Imperial Monarch Zhenwu, I revived you—how dare you repay kindness with enmity?" The voice, neither distinctly male nor female, resonated from the light and echoed in Ningqing's ears. Bursts of Dao resonance detonated and invaded his thoughts. The immortal Dao spread wildly through Ningqing's body, tainting his cultivation and instantly corrupting his Realm of Xiyi! Plants grew rampant across the Five Sacred Immortal Mountains. Where water and fire tempered each other, the balance collapsed; true fire and true water surged in every direction, obliterating everything in their path. The Twelve-Storyed Mansions twisted and swelled, the Jade Pool overflowed, and the God Bridge exploded with snapping bursts! His eyes sprouted like plants, long tentacles writhed out of his mouth, and his flying hair turned into massive serpents. Fortunately, the Returning Dao Jade Platter still functioned. No matter how bizarre the immortal Dao's resonance became, the qi of creation always restored him. The process, however, was agonizing. Young Master Ningqing plummeted along the path of the sword lights thrusting up from the mortal world. The surrounding scenery twisted into grotesque, nightmare-like illusions. Giant hands repeatedly reached out of the dark void to grasp at him, and each time, sword light intercepted them. By now, Young Master Ningqing understood: *As long as I follow the direction this sword light came from, I can survive!* Summoning every ounce of strength, he fell toward the origin of the sword light. Suddenly, ten thousand mountains and rivers rushed toward him. Young Master Ningqing screamed, crossing his arms before him as he crashed into the earth with a thunderous roar. The impact excavated a massive crater, bounced him into the air, and sent him slamming down again. He tumbled and rolled, carving a path across dozens of li before finally grinding to a halt. Bones broken across his entire frame, his internal organs mangled, and his flesh and Primordial Spirit grievously damaged, bizarre immortal Dao resonance still rang in his mind, relentlessly destroying his body and soul. Thankfully, the Returning Dao Jade Platter remained, mending his wounds. Young Master Ningqing swayed as he got to his feet. Looking up, he saw a Daoist temple standing right in front of him; by pure coincidence, he had rolled to its very doorstep. He hesitated, only to see the temple doors swing open. A lean, austere Daoist came into view, bearing an empty scabbard across his back. Just then, thunder shook the sky. A beam of sword light descended from the heavens and returned to the scabbard with a clear clang. In a flash of realization, Young Master Ningqing bowed deeply. "Thank you, Senior, for saving my life. Dare I ask which sacred being you are?" The Two Divine Generals of Turtle and Snake stepped forward, and the Turtle General chuckled: "This is General Zhenwu of the Four Sacred True Lords, Emperor Xuantian, True Lord Yousheng of the North Pole, the Demon Quelling Heavenly Venerable!" Emperor Zhenwu Xuantian said, "You and I share a fated connection. You may enter my temple." Young Master Ningqing hesitated, thinking, *With titles jumbling True Lord, Imperial Monarch, and Heavenly Venerable together, he must be some ancient devil or rebel. If I step into his temple, I become a rebel too...* He glanced back. Thunderbolts crackled across the sky, and colossal gods and demons seemed to be stirring up storms among the clouds. Gritting his teeth, he walked into Zhenwu Temple. In the Immortal Realm, at the Immortal Court's Manor of the Tai Sui Heavenly Venerable: Tai Sui Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong was cultivating the Supreme Xuanyuan Jade Hall Grand Method when a sudden premonition struck him. He rose, penned a letter, and summoned Ningqing's mother. "Your son has rebelled and become a traitor to the Immortal Realm," he said. "I am severing all ties with you and your son. Here is your letter of divorce." "Do not panic, Master. Allow me to draft a notice first, announcing to all under heaven that I sever relations with that wretched child. Then you will have no need to divorce me." Hearing this, Ning Zhong smiled. "My wife is as insightful as ever." With that, he burned the divorce letter, and the husband and wife jointly declared to the world that they were severing all parental ties with Ningqing. In the Dongli World, the common people had long suffered from the invasion of the demonic Dao. The revival of the ancient era's Great Daos collided with the contemporary Daos of heaven and earth, turning the Dongli World into something resembling a demonic realm. Suddenly, multicolored Dao radiance converged across the sky as a towering Primordial Spirit awakened. The Primordial Spirit tore through the void and departed, leaving behind only an ancient immortal's tomb. A few daring souls approached the tomb and read the stele inscription: Grand Marshal Yisheng Heisha of the North Pole. True Lord Chuqing Baode. Heavenly Venerable Traversing the Three Realms of Attained Fruition. Emperor Yisheng Haotian. The onlookers were dumbfounded. "Emperor, Lord, Saint, Heavenly Venerable—all these titles piled onto one person. Could the ancient immortal buried here have been illiterate?" On that same day, wherever the demonic Dao invaded, heaven and earth would shudder, and several immortal mountains or tombs housing ancient immortals would abruptly manifest. Ancient ruins that had never before appeared before the eyes of mortals emerged one after another. More and more worlds witnessed the revival of ancient Daos, spreading panic across the myriad worlds of the heavens. Someone returned from the Ancestral Court bearing news: "The demonic Dao invasion grows fiercer because the Great Daos of the demonic realm are awakening! The bandit chieftain of the demonic realm, the Little Celestial Venerable, is forging Heaven-Mending Divine Artifacts, stoking the demonic Dao like oil poured on fire, bringing it toward completion and prosperity!" Gradually, more news spread from the Ancestral Court: "The demonic realm's Little Celestial Venerable is forging Heaven-Mending Divine Artifacts! Lately, even more divine artifacts have ascended into the sky! The Little Celestial Venerable is going to rebel!" Immediately, people burned incense to contact the heavens, seeking to report this to the Immortal Realm. The immortals of the Immortal Realm did not cultivate incense faith, whereas the Heavenly Dao world was formed from the condensation of incense power. Thus, mortal incense had to first enter the Heavenly Dao world before the Heavenly Dao world could relay it to the immortals of the Immortal Realm. Yet Xu Ying had stormed the Heavenly Dao world and severed communication between heaven and earth. That incense conduit was now sealed tight by Xu Ying, so even if mortals in the lower realms attempted to petition the Immortal Realm, they could make no contact. As for the Thunder Department, they were still deciphering Heavenly Dao runes in an effort to regain control of the Heavenly Dao world, leaving them no time to meddle in mortal affairs. The Qi Refiners across the myriad worlds felt an impending storm brewing. In the Yuanchu Great World, Xu Ying emerged from the immortal tomb of Emperor Dantian. Glancing up casually, he spotted a weathered wooden boat floating in the sky. Standing aboard was a beautiful young woman clad in red, heroic and striking in bearing. Xu Ying studied her for a moment. The woman in red offered him a warm nod with a smile. Xu Ying returned the gesture with a slight bow, looked away, and departed from the immortal tomb. *Most likely some young lady who came over to join in the excitement,* he thought. Inside his head, various voices waged noisy battles, clamoring incessantly. Some analyzed the inscription inside Emperor Dantian's tomb, others debated whether Emperor Dantian had truly returned to life or merely had his Primordial Spirit awakened, and still others were passing judgment on the woman in red. Accustomed to this by now, Xu Ying walked straight to the shore of the Boundless Sea of Fire to wait for a ferry. There were others on the shore of the Boundless Sea of Fire, also waiting for the ferry. Xu Ying swept his gaze across them. Men and women alike inadvertently radiated an aura of immortal qi, displaying extraordinary bearing. The Dao methods they practiced were clearly different from those of the Ancestral Court. Moreover, a heavy ferocity clung to them, and their eyes darted toward him from time to time with ill intent. Influenced by the character "Shang," Xu Ying paid them no heed. Moments later, several more people hurried over. Catching sight of Xu Ying, they chuckled, "Good, we're not too late." The demon god poled the ferry over. Seeing the crowd and Xu Ying, he was visibly startled, but moored the boat by the bank without a word. The travelers boarded one after another, and Xu Ying followed behind. The demon god's expression darkened, and he leveled his bamboo pole in front of Xu Ying, barking, "Too many people on board! The boat can't take it—get off!" Those who had just boarded put on fierce scowls and shouted, "How is that too many? Don't talk nonsense, demon god! Little brother, pay him no mind—come aboard!" Xu Ying praised them: "You really are kindhearted!" He glared at the demon god and snapped angrily, "You're full of malice! How are there too many of us? There are clearly only seven of us!" The passengers were baffled: *Seven people? He's clearly only one person—where did he get seven?*