Zhang Sheng's injuries sent shockwaves through the entire Palace of Grand Beginning.
Sun Yu, Xu Henshui, and True Monarch Zhidan were the first to arrive. Sun Yu laid down a three-layer formation to urgently preserve her vitality, while True Monarch Zhidan drew upon his immense Dao power and cultivation, channeling alchemical qi to protect Zhang Sheng's internal organs and sea of consciousness.
Soon after, True Monarch Hanzhong, Master of the Hall of Xuanming, arrived and upgraded Sun Yu's three-layer formation into a Nine-Layer Phoenix Blood Nirvana Great Formation, capable of restoring vitality even to withered wood and barren stone.
Then came Danmingzi, Master of the Temple of Good Fortune, bearing eighteen Heavenly Mechanism Good Fortune Pills—the supreme sacred medicine of the Temple of Good Fortune, capable of healing damage to an immortal's divine sense and primordial spirit.
Danmingzi placed the eighteen Good Fortune Pills into the Nirvana Formation and positioned Zhang Sheng at the formation's center, finally causing her vitality to slowly rekindle.
Seven days passed in this manner, until the eighteen Good Fortune Pills retained only a faint luster, and Zhang Sheng at last awakened.
Before Zhang Sheng even opened her eyes, a streak of sword qi shot from between her brows, circled once through the room, and returned to her glabella. Only then did she slowly sit up.
Wei Yuan had been keeping vigil beside her the entire time. Though no one else was physically in the room, the divine senses of True Monarchs Xuanyue, Danming, and Hanzhong lingered constantly, monitoring the operation of the Nirvana Formation and repairing the damage to Zhang Sheng's divine intent and sea of consciousness as meticulously as possible.
Upon waking, Zhang Sheng looked at Wei Yuan and asked, "How long have you been here?"
Wei Yuan replied, "Not long—only seven days. Are you feeling better?"
Above Zhang Sheng's head, the World's Sword Clan dharma idol materialized. It was no longer fractured, and even its aura of decay had faded considerably. The eighteen Good Fortune Pills truly lived up to their name of rivaling nature's creation; they had erased most of the erosion left behind by the passage of time. This was tantamount to extending Zhang Sheng's lifespan without any of the side effects of a longevity pill.
Having inspected her dharma idol, Zhang Sheng said, "I am out of danger. From here, I need only rest quietly for a time. Furthermore, I seized a sliver of the Buddhist sword's authority this time; I will also need time to properly comprehend it."
Learning that Zhang Sheng was fine, Wei Yuan finally felt the weight lift from his heart. Then, with a solemn expression, he said, "Knowing full well it was a lethal trap, why did you still go? Why couldn't I be the one to go? At the very least, my chances would have been better right now."
Zhang Sheng said, "I possess a Sword Heart Clear and Bright, and since this was a contest of the sword path, I would naturally sense any major karma. Therefore, their scheme inevitably had to leave a sliver of a chance of survival. Had there been even one more Scenery Command cultivator in the trap, a sudden premonition would have struck me instantly, and I would have fled on my own. And if I intend to flee, even an immortal stepping in would find it difficult to stop me now—something the enemy naturally understood.
"But if you had gone, you do not cultivate the sword path, nor do you possess a Sword Heart Clear and Bright. The enemy could have laid an absolute dead end with all their might, crushing and slaying you in one stroke with the overwhelming force of a lion pouncing on a hare."
Wei Yuan said, "I carry mortal fortune upon me. Which immortal would dare touch me?"
Zhang Sheng sighed. "There is more than one immortal like Liumiao on their side. Or they could have sent several more Scenery Command cultivators, or used other means to share the karmic backlash—any of those could kill you. The mortal fortune you possess now is not overwhelmingly vast; so long as they were determined enough, they could still endure the backlash.
"I, on the other hand, am different. They could only test my sword intent and Dao heart. And when it comes to sword heart, whom have I ever feared?"
"Just who was that Buddhist sword cultivator? Could you identify his origins?" Wei Yuan asked, his tone very calm.
Zhang Sheng sighed. "A supreme expert masked heavenly secrets, so there was no way to trace his background or origins at all. Even the magic power I sensed was disguised. The only certainty is that he was also in the mid Scenery Command Spirit Manor realm. Fortunately, his Spirit Manor was built only recently and his true spirit had yet to manifest; otherwise, slaying him would have cost your master a bit more effort."
Not only Wei Yuan, but even the True Monarchs had not expected that the Buddhist sword cultivator Zhang Sheng slew was actually also at the Scenery Command realm!
Furthermore, a Scenery Command cultivator who had attained a fraction of heaven-and-earth authority was no ordinary Scenery Command cultivator; their might was comparable to the late Heaven Command realm.
No one had imagined that Zhang Sheng, fighting one against two, could not only slay her opponent but even seize a sliver of Buddhist sword authority. It could be said she killed him so thoroughly that not a shred of chance remained. In terms of sheer lethality and slaughter, she was truly rare throughout history!
At this moment, the True Monarchs all saw in Zhang Sheng shades of the fourth-generation Palace Master and the founding patriarch.
True Monarch Xuanyue walked into the room at that moment, followed by Perfected Fenhai. Hearing that Zhang Sheng had been injured, Fenhai had rushed over immediately as well.
True Monarch Xuanyue glanced at Zhang Sheng, then at Fenhai, letting out a heavy sigh. "Look at her, and look at you!"
Perfected Fenhai opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word. He had watched with his own eyes as Wei Yuan and Zhang Sheng surpassed him step by step, leaving him further and further behind. In his heart, there was gratification, but also a twinge of sorrow.
Seeing Fenhai arrive, Zhang Sheng struggled to sit up from within the formation to greet him.
Fenhai hurriedly said, "Don't leave the formation! Don't leave the formation! Focus on recovering from your injuries first; these worldly courtesies don't matter."
Zhang Sheng nevertheless insisted on saluting True Monarch Xuanyue before lying back down.
Zhang Sheng needed quiet rest now, so Wei Yuan stepped out of the sickroom.
Stepping outside, the scenery shifted before Wei Yuan's eyes, and he arrived above Immortal Heaven. Nine True Monarchs were already seated in Immortal Monarch Yanshi's small courtyard; every temple master and hall master who could attend was present. With Wei Yuan included, the courtyard was becoming rather crowded.
A seat had been reserved for Wei Yuan in the courtyard. Once Wei Yuan sat down, Immortal Monarch Yanshi said, "I have summoned everyone today primarily for two matters. First, to discuss the candidate for Master of the Water Moon Hall; second, to discuss the Martial Ancestor's grand design."
Wei Yuan had stayed by Zhang Sheng's side without taking a single step away while she was unconscious, completely unaware of recent events in the Palace of Grand Beginning. The position of Master of Water Moon Hall had always been held concurrently by True Monarch Xuanyue—why was a new hall master suddenly being appointed?
Yet True Monarch Xuanyue sat there with composure, looking rather pleased with himself.
Immortal Monarch Yanshi said slowly, "At present, whether in cultivation or lethal prowess, Wei Yuan is indistinguishable from a True Monarch. Furthermore, he achieved the feat of slaying an immortal in counter-slaying, and his Dao path is originally the Lunar Moon Splendor Myriad Aspects Chapter. Therefore, I believe he can succeed as the Master of Water Moon Hall. What do you all think?"
Wei Yuan was taken aback and hurriedly stood up, saying, "What virtue or talent does this disciple possess to serve as master of a hall? I implore the Immortal Monarch to rescind this order!"
Yet all the True Monarchs approved. In the end, Yanshi said to Wei Yuan, "Whether in terms of Dao path, cultivation, or combat prowess, you are more than qualified to assume the mantle of Master of Water Moon Hall. In the palace's founding era, Water Moon Hall was among the highest-ranking and most formidable paths, only declining somewhat over the past few centuries. I hope that in your hands, it will flourish once more."
With the cultivators' decision settled, Wei Yuan could only accept the position of Master of Water Moon Hall.
Next came the matter Wei Yuan cared about most right now: the Martial Ancestor's grand design. The various True Monarchs knew very little about this, so they mainly listened to Immortal Monarch Yanshi explain.
Long ago, after the Martial Ancestor set his design, he used earth-shattering methods to erase the related karmic cause and effect. Every immortal in the world lost their memories of that period.
Having ascended to immortality not long ago, Yanshi naturally lacked memories from that era. However, as the Palace Master of the Palace of Grand Beginning, he had access to all pertinent records, and through his immortal status and divination arts, he had deduced part of the truth on his own.
Presently, two major events were known to be connected to the Martial Ancestor's grand design. First was the formal establishment of enfeoffing the nine states. At the time, each of the nine royal clans had an immortal, though later most of these royal immortals perished without successors, such as in the State of Ji and Eastern Jin. In contrast, the immortal ancestors of the State of Zhao, the State of Song, and others were still alive.
Prior to the Martial Ancestor's design, the Human Sovereigns who ruled as the common masters of the realm had possessed heaven-defying cultivation; this had been true throughout the Li, Chu, Han, and Xia dynasties. Yet by the Great Tang, following the Martial Ancestor, it suddenly became increasingly difficult for mortal kings—including the Tang Emperor—to cultivate, making breaking through to Scenery Command an immense struggle.
The second matter was that following the Martial Ancestor, the worldly trend shifted, and children of karmic destiny emerged constantly and in growing numbers. For most children of karmic destiny, cultivation was a smooth, unimpeded road, and their cultivation speed far outstripped that of ordinary cultivators.
To this day, many of the earliest children of karmic destiny had already attained immortality. Even though the immortals of the nine royal houses steadily diminished, the overall number of human immortals rose steadily.
It was just that immortals who ascended through karmic luck progressed too rapidly and often lacked depth, leaving their combat power inferior to those who rose step by step without the blessing of karmic luck. Nevertheless, without question, the overall strength of the human race saw a clear increase.
This was the entirety of what was known regarding the Martial Ancestor's grand design. The decision that had to be made now was whether or not to find a way to overthrow the King of Ji.
In the Martial Ancestor's grand design, the nine royal houses were clearly a crucial link. Never mind overthrowing a monarch to change dynasties—even for a succession of the throne within a royal house, an immortal who intervened directly would have to pay a tremendous price.
This was the brilliance of the Martial Ancestor's design: the nine royal houses were like nine nails driven firmly into the realm, securing the overall momentum of the human race. To pull out a single nail required paying a devastating price, directly costing an immortal their life. Furthermore, no one knew whether pulling out just one nail would accomplish anything. What if it proved useless? Wouldn't an immortal have died for nothing?
Wei Yuan's current plan was merely to replace the King of Ji, shaking the opponent's entire layout by striking at this vital piece. Once the enemy moved, it would become easy to discern their subsequent arrangements.
This was the very matter Immortal Monarch Yanshi had brought up for discussion. Wei Yuan provided only a brief explanation before falling silent, quietly awaiting the decision of the True Monarchs.
The cultivators discussed it for a time and then began stating their positions one by one. In the end, with the sole exception of True Monarch Xuanyue, every hall master voted against it.
Finally, Immortal Monarch Yanshi stated his stance as well: he, too, opposed it.
Wei Yuan was not surprised by this outcome; in fact, he had anticipated it all along. A single move here would affect the entire situation. If the Martial Ancestor's design were shaken and the overarching destiny of mankind affected, the consequences would be catastrophic. Furthermore, Wei Yuan's move carried a considerable measure of personal grudge, something the True Monarchs did not condone.
Wei Yuan was not disappointed. The rejection of this proposal merely meant that the Palace of Grand Beginning would not intervene in the succession of the King of Ji; whether Qingming intervened still depended on Wei Yuan himself. And Wei Yuan had long since resolved that the current King of Ji had to be replaced.
Chapter 1037