The ink portrait was ultimately tucked away in a corner cabinet rather than officially hung up, sparing Wei Yuan some face.
With the emergence of the third grotto-heaven, the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World also began undergoing a series of changes.
In the Holy Battle Hall, Jun Weizhi, Han Li, Fuyao, and the others awoke from their meditation, sensing that several more of the invisible chains binding them had snapped. The auras of each rose slightly, all having touched upon Dharma Idol Perfection.
The many cultivators in the hall were equally astonished and overjoyed as they felt their cultivation skyrocketing.
The mortals, for their part, discovered that the world seemed to grow richer in color and fuller in detail. Distinctions emerged across the fields outside the city, no longer a boundless stretch of monotonous wasteland. Driving a shovel into the earth yielded different types of soil in different places, along with various unfamiliar stones.
Autumn insects proliferated through the fields, accompanied by the chirping of crickets and croaking of frogs. The cities saw an influx of small critters, birds, and beasts, which proved rather annoying—after all, mosquitoes, rats, and the like had also appeared, along with a few bizarre, peculiar things.
The mortals felt as if something sticky and heavy had been lifted from their bodies. Their steps grew lighter, their spirits brighter than before, and no matter what they encountered, they faced it with enthusiasm.
The sea grew livelier and more abundant as well. Deep beneath the waters, a terrifying seaweed standing a thousand zhang tall with tens of thousands of branches swayed with the waves, watching more and more fish dart among its fronds in ever greater varieties. Many tiny fish sprang into being from nothing, appearing out of thin air only to scatter in panic.
In Wei Yuan's vision, ever since the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss had taken shape, it had begun absorbing karmic debt and resentment from across the entire Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World. Though it came in mere wisps, wherever it was drawn from underwent subtle yet distinct changes in detail.
Yet why would there be resentment within the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World? And seemingly in no small amount, at that. Had the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss not begun siphoning it, Wei Yuan would never have noticed it at all.
Seen in this light, those fellows who spent their days burying stone figures, bronze statues, and various seals were not merely bored out of their minds—they had actual motives!
Wei Yuan pondered this, suddenly understanding the necessity of the phrase "their intent deserves death."
When you look at a fellow and know that treasonous thoughts are stirring in his heart, if you do not strike him down then and there, what are you waiting for? Are you supposed to wait until he actually raises a rebellion?
As for whether he might be wronged, Wei Yuan did not consider that an issue. Once someone was deemed deserving death for their intent, they would inevitably claim innocence anyway; their excuses could simply be ignored.
Wei Yuan swept his divine sense across the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World, casually tagging a batch of fellows whose intent deserved death—only to give himself a fright. There were nearly two million mortals in the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World now, yet over thirty thousand had been flagged.
Only then did Wei Yuan begin to consider a fundamental question: where did this resentment come from?
With a shift of thought, he caught a drifting wisp of grievance, seemingly a remnant thought left by some wandering soul that had perished not long ago. Because of its intense fixation, the thought had lingered until now, and one notion within it could still be deciphered: "If only Creation Immortal Venerable were a bit more diligent..."
Wei Yuan was stunned, then flared with outrage. *How am I not diligent?!*
On the spot, Wei Yuan judged that this sliver of consciousness deserved death for its intent! But once the impulse faded, Wei Yuan realized a problem: this was a thought left behind by a remnant soul—where was the remnant soul itself? What had killed it?
Wei Yuan swept his divine sense through the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World once more, but found nothing. He had no choice but to let it drop, though he kept the matter in mind.
By now, the Yellow Springs Grotto-Heaven had resumed its operation. With the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss absorbing the karmic debt and resentment, giving them a proper destination, the Yellow Springs Grotto-Heaven's power had noticeably increased. It had turned into a small domain of the Netherworld, half Nether Mountain and half Yellow Springs. Countless yin souls were drawn from places unknown, entering the Yellow Springs Grotto-Heaven to wander.
These yin souls were not limited to humans; there were now many beasts, birds, and even insects.
Some of the stronger souls vanished after entering the Yellow Springs Grotto-Heaven, reincarnating at the Gate of the Many Realms to become living beings within the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World.
The weaker ones continued wandering the Yellow Springs Grotto-Heaven, absorbing its yin qi and nether power to slowly recover.
Three natural boulders now stood upon the Nether Mountain. The center one was carved in the likeness of a human, lifelike as though on the verge of stepping into reality. The one on the left looked as if work had only just begun on it, possessing merely a crude outline that could not even be called a half-finished work, seemingly depicting one of the Liao Clan. The boulder on the right bore only the faintest marks of chisel and axe, making it impossible to discern, though Wei Yuan had an intuition that it was meant to be one of the Shaman Clan.
In the past, yin souls had reincarnated directly through the Gate of the Many Realms, and only the strongest among them had the chance to do so. Now, weak spirits could linger in the Yellow Springs Grotto-Heaven to rest and recuperate. Furthermore, it was no longer limited to human souls; seemingly, any sentient being within the area covered by Qingming could do so.
With karmic debt and resentment circulating through the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World, its worldly details constantly enriching, and beasts, birds, fish, and insects endlessly reincarnating, it would sooner or later burst with vitality, little different from the outside world.
With a shift of thought, Wei Yuan felt it was time to activate the combat power here. Thus, he issued a task to develop an interface similar to the Hall of Immortal Wisdom, dedicated to controlling the Five Elements Dao Soldiers in the outside world.
At this point, the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World and the three surrounding grotto-heavens formed an integrated whole. The third orbit, in particular, which had been forged by pouring in immense karmic luck, was exceptionally stable and in perfect harmony with the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World.
The Central Thick Earth Grotto-Heaven seemed somewhat detached from the system, so Wei Yuan cast a glance over it. By now, the Thick Earth Grotto-Heaven spanned about a li across and was packed with Mirage Demons. Previously, space had been so cramped that the Mirage Demons could not all fit even stacked on top of one another; now that it was several times larger, the majority could finally move in, and if they squeezed together, they could just barely stand.
However, true to their nature, they could not die and had nothing to do. Consequently, despite being utterly drained, the moment any of them recovered a sliver of strength, they would engage in certain indescribable acts. As for with whom—whoever next to them was free.
Mirage Demons generally conformed closely to human aesthetic standards, so witnessing such a spectacle made Wei Yuan mentally cry out what a sin it was—before taking several more looks.
Upon closer inspection, however, Wei Yuan was surprised to find that there was actually a little Mirage Demon!
A newborn Mirage Demon resembled a dandelion, its long hair floating loosely around its tiny body, which curled into a ball nestled in the center of the hair, floating through the air.
The tiny demon was currently quite frail. Wei Yuan immediately sent down a thread of divine sense to protect it, then questioned the three Scenery Command demons about who had given birth to the little thing.
The three Scenery Command demons were tangled in a heap at that very moment, the two females vigorously overpowering the male while he put up a desperate resistance, making for quite an amusing romp. Hearing Wei Yuan's inquiry, both male and females were blank-faced; none knew when the little creature had appeared.
Wei Yuan was helpless; having no idea how to raise a Mirage Demon, he had no choice but to bring it temporarily into the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World and nurture it beneath the Jianmu. Leaving it to those three scoundrel Scenery Command demons would surely starve the little creature to death.
By now, the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World thrived with vigor, gradually taking on the grandeur of a great trichiliocosm. Wei Yuan's demeanor also grew increasingly profound and transcendent; occasionally catching his reflection in a mirror, even he felt thoroughly pleased with himself.
With the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss stabilized, Wei Yuan went to bid farewell to the sect elders, preparing to return to the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World to face the heavenly tribulation that could arrive at any moment. He visited every True Monarch on the main mountain who was not in secluded cultivation. His standing was entirely different now, showing faint signs of sitting on equal terms with the master of a palace hall, and many quietly assumed that Wei Yuan possessed the potential to pioneer his own Dao path.
Wei Yuan was already indisputably one of the greatest geniuses of the younger generation. And ever since Zhang Sheng cultivated her dharma idol, Realm of the World's Swords, the "one of" was equally beyond dispute.
When meeting True Monarch Feng Yuan, however, Wei Yuan recounted some of Feng Chutang's deeds, heaping lavish praise on this fellow who was both teacher and friend, adding that he was currently in charge of the Qingming Bank and would bring in massive amounts of karmic luck in the future.
True Monarch Feng Yuan was deeply pleased upon hearing this, but cautioned, "Still, he is not you and cannot bear too much karmic luck, so he must know when to stop. As for you..."
After pondering for a moment, True Monarch Feng Yuan asked, "Do you wish to stay on the main mountain to face your tribulation?"
"I can stay on the main mountain for my tribulation?"
True Monarch Feng Yuan nodded. "Your heavenly tribulation is no trivial matter; the omens are heavier than anything seen before! Though you should be able to pass it safely given your aptitude and foundation, the danger will still be considerable. The main mountain is protected by an immortal artifact left by the Patriarch, and the remains of a Heavenly Shaman are buried beneath it. Part of the tribulation's power will fall upon the Heavenly Shaman's remains to be diverted and shared. Therefore, undergoing the tribulation on the main mountain typically weakens it by thirty percent."
Wei Yuan's expression turned solemn. "Thirty percent? Good, I'll stay."
Having decided to remain for the tribulation, Wei Yuan could not help thinking that after death, a Heavenly Shaman not only had to turn into fertile soil, but also had to constantly endure heavenly tribulations for disciples of the Palace of Grand Beginning. Truly, they found no peace even in death. With this, he gained a newfound appreciation for the Patriarch's methods.
Meanwhile, in a secluded corner far away, Shengxin lay prostrate on a rock covered in wounds, while Huixin dipped a cloth into stream water to clean his injuries.
Shengxin was gravely injured, on the verge of damaging his very foundation. Several wounds were entwined with immortal qi, completely unable to heal.
Shengxin let out a miserable yelp every now and then, but then suddenly burst out laughing.
"You're still in the mood to laugh? You're lucky the puppets didn't beat you to death this time," Huixin said tartly.
"I just thought of a hilarious joke." Shengxin laughed non-stop, only to pull at his wounds and grimace in agony.
"What joke?"
"It's about a guy who tried desperately to dodge his heavenly tribulation. He ran far, far away, wanting to reach a place known only to himself—meanwhile, the tribulation was already waiting there. The tribulation was even wondering, *The time is almost up, where is the guy I'm supposed to strike?* And then it saw the guy running right into it on his own! Hahahahaha!"
Huixin remained silent for a long while before asking softly, "The water is freezing. Aren't you cold?"
Shengxin finally managed to stifle his laughter and sighed. "How boring. You never know how to appreciate my humor. Sigh, do you think a genius like me will incur the envy of heaven and get beaten to death one day?"
Huixin retorted bluntly, "Your genius won't invite heaven's envy, but your mouth definitely will!"
Chapter 948