Nine Steps to the Pinnacle

Within the palace lantern's illusion. When Daoist Zilei learned the truth from Old Devil Fan, in a mere span of time, more than half of the statue had turned pitch-black. The black and blood-red were distinctly demarcated, yet they eerily blended together. Infiltrating through the passage, more and more of the Demon Son's power poured into Zhu Wudao. Zhu Wudao's strength climbed continuously. They intended to communicate with the artifact spirit. However, during this period, the artifact spirit seemed entirely devoted to scouring away the filth tainting its true form, completely unresponsive to both the Demon Son's clamoring and Daoist Zilei's calls. The artifact spirit had no mind to stabilize the seal. At this moment, the seal was beset by troubles both internal and external. The Demon Son unleashed his demonic might, his frenzied assaults remarkably effective. The seal vibrated with increasing violence, and the abnormal phenomena it caused in the outside world grew even more terrifying. Crack, crack, crack... The sound of fracturing roared across Dishou Mountain like a tempest. Visible to the naked eye, giant serpents crawled across the boundary. Cracks grew as dense as spiderwebs; such fragile points could no longer hold. Snap! The first point of collapse finally appeared near the mountain peak, tearing open a massive void through which boundless baleful wind vented outward. From the outside, it could be clearly seen that the baleful wind formed a black tornado, surging skyward until it slammed into the killing array of sword phantoms aloft, violently clashing against them. Immediately afterward, more and more such tornadoes erupted, spreading across Dishou Mountain within a few breaths! Witnessing such a terrifying spectacle, everyone felt as if Dishou Mountain were about to topple. Inwardly shaken to the core, they wondered what kind of titanic battle was taking place on the mountain that threatened to tear it to pieces. At the edge of the Earth Phase Hall. A stone stele suddenly snapped, its upper half flying far away and shattering into rubble midair. The stele was an array artifact—an important node in the Earth Phase Hall's mountain-protecting grand array—now shattered from within. Taiyue Sect Master Yue Lingtian walked out from behind the broken stele. No one knew what he had encountered inside the Earth Phase Hall. He appeared travel-worn, his Daoist robe torn in several places, and a long, narrow wound resembling a blade slash marked his left wrist. Yue Lingtian was in no hurry to tend to his wound; his gaze was drawn toward Dishou Mountain. According to his plan, he was to ascend Dishou Mountain only after securing the Earth Phase Hall's heritage. By then, the situation would be clear, allowing him to act at leisure according to however events unfolded. Now, some unknown upheaval had occurred on Dishou Mountain. To go, or not to go? Yue Lingtian pondered. A ray of spiritual light coursed over his body, restoring his robe to its pristine state. In the end, he decided to summon his escape light and fly toward Dishou Mountain. At this moment, Qin Sang and the others on the mountain felt it even more clearly. The ubiquitous cracking sounds stirred deep unease. There was one change, however, whether for better or worse: as the boundary shattered, the baleful wind found a channel to vent. Furthermore, the tremors caused by the barrier's destruction suppressed the wind formation, greatly diminishing its ferocity. The baleful wind on the mountain gradually thinned, and visibility began to recover. As this upheaval arrived, the chase within the medicinal garden continued unabated, unaffected by the outside environment. Daoist Hegao had transformed into a spirit crane, moving with nimble agility. As he navigated the medicinal garden, he continuously analyzed the array restrictions, originally intending to use them to shake off Su Zinan and Mo Xingdao. Unexpectedly, the two joined forces once again. Their combined strength was far too formidable; none of the obstacles Daoist Hegao erected managed to produce their intended effect, trampled flat by brute force. Su Zinan and Mo Xingdao pursued relentlessly, but they could only latch onto a faint wisp of Daoist Hegao's aura to ensure they did not lose him. Daoist Hegao's mastery over formations and restrictions left them feeling inferior; that he could achieve this much in such a short time was astonishing. Several times they attempted to intercept him, only to be seen through. Following this chase, the medicinal garden lay in ruins. Boom! A stone forest collapsed behind him. Hearing the sound of shattering stone, Daoist Hegao knew he had still failed to shake them. Coldly snorting inwardly, the crane shadow flapped its wings and suddenly surged several fathoms higher. With a resounding crane cry, his speed erupted! Before Daoist Hegao now lay an expanse of misty spiritual fog. Had Su Zinan and Mo Xingdao seen this earlier, they would certainly have been greatly astonished. While circling around behind Daoist Hegao, they had traversed almost the entire medicinal garden, yet had never discovered this area shrouded in spiritual fog. Little did they know that while tracking Daoist Hegao and believing they had grasped the key, they had unknowingly been deceived by him. Daoist Hegao's movements appeared erratic, but he had actually been feeling out the shifts in the garden's array layout all along, searching for this place while concealing its abnormalities. Of course, such subtle tricks could not remain hidden for long; once the two caught on and investigated carefully, they would see through it. In truth, Su Zinan and Mo Xingdao's approach could not be called wrong either: no matter what tricks he possessed, keeping their eyes glued to Daoist Hegao was enough. Whoosh! Like a sharp arrow, the crane silhouette plunged into the spiritual fog. The next moment, Su Zinan and Mo Xingdao swept in. Seeing the spiritual fog, both of their eyes lit up. *** "Bastard!" Old Devil Fan's furious curse echoed from within the mountain belly. At this critical juncture, instead of doing everything in his power to disrupt Zhu Wudao's scheme and prevent the ancient demon from breaking the seal, Daoist Zilei had abruptly withdrawn from the battlefield, flitting up toward the mountain peak. He was leaving Fan to face Zhu Wudao alone! Only because Daoist Zilei was present had Old Devil Fan decided to take a gamble. Left to himself, seeing the situation turn hopeless, he would never have risked his life against an ancient demon here. "The demonic tribulation rises anew, and the Deity Transformation cultivators have vanished. Can you truly stay clear of the fray?" Daoist Zilei's tone was calm. As the sect master of an orthodox Daoist school, Daoist Zilei's mental fortitude and cultivation were truly remarkable. In the face of crisis, he remained as composed and unhurried as ever. Yet this very tone made Old Devil Fan grind his teeth in rage, nearly cursing aloud. Cursing aside, he could not refute it. Back in the day, the Wuxiang Immortal Sect had not confined itself to any single Dao, encompassing Daoist, Buddhist, demonic, and unorthodox paths alike, with no shortage of cultivators practicing demonic arts. Yet when the demonic tribulation struck, all were treated without distinction. Never had an ancient demon been known to show favor to demonic cultivators. Once a realm was tainted by an ancient demon, hiding at the ends of the earth would be futile. "Calm yourself, Fellow Daoist. This poor Daoist has a strategy to subdue the demon; I shall return shortly." Having made up his mind, Daoist Zilei left behind those faint words and flew to the mountain summit. Instantly, purple radiance blazed atop Dishou Mountain, and rolling thunder echoed through the entire immortal estate. Both inside and outside Dishou Mountain, onlookers could see myriad streaks of purple lightning over the summit. It was as though a Thunder Lord had descended into the mortal world—draped in a thunder robe, crowned with an imperial diadem, ruling over the lightning and subjugating the four quarters. At this moment, Qin Sang and the others felt it and looked toward the summit, wondering what Daoist Zilei intended. Daoist Zilei's gaze was indifferent as it swept across the mountain, his vision suddenly locking onto the medicinal garden. Within the medicinal garden. The three burst in one after another. The spiritual fog was no longer misty and still; in the chaos, the scene within was laid bare. There were no wondrous or magnificent sights here, only a clear spring bubbling softly, fresh and natural. The only extraordinary thing was the exceptionally dense spiritual energy. Growing within the spring was a green vine rooted in the water, lush with foliage, dripping with verdant life. Beneath the leaves, two fruits faintly showed, perfectly round like bright, luminous moons. Spiritual light formed illusory visions around them, seeming to depict a celestial cassia tree and a lunar palace, where fairies danced lightly around the immortal fruits... The spiritual light was actually an anomalous vision manifested by spiritual energy condensed to its utmost peak. They had seen this exact spirit herb earlier at the entrance to the medicinal garden! "The Lingxi Immortal Fruit!" Su Zinan and Mo Xingdao paled, crying out in unison. Next, they saw Daoist Hegao reach forward and press his hand down. A seal flew from his palm, and wherever it touched, cracks spiderwebbed across the barrier of light formed by the protective restriction. The Lingxi Immortal Fruit was actually real! Back then, the Daoist nun had indeed wanted to use the genuine Lingxi Immortal Fruit to lay a trap. In any case, the fruit was of no help in shaping the artifact spirit, and using the real thing would produce a far better effect. Unfortunately, the protective restriction was too formidable. Before she could fully crack it, she realized the two Daoist masters were about to leave. She had no choice but to use the power of the garden's arrays and restrictions to project an image of the green vine outside. Though a projection, it truly existed. Only through a blend of truth and falsehood could all the great cultivators be deceived. Daoist Hegao had been closest at the time and was deeply versed in arrays and restrictions, so he had vaguely sensed something, but could not be certain. After all, who would be willing to use a Lingxi Immortal Fruit as bait? It was far too extravagant. His circling through the garden served two purposes: first, to search for the Lingxi Immortal Fruit, and second, to observe the paths of the garden's spirit veins. In the end, his efforts bore fruit. The Lingxi Immortal Fruit was without question the most precious spirit herb in the entire medicinal garden. Its protective restriction was intimately connected to the arrays throughout the garden, making it the sturdiest place in the grounds. By now, Daoist Hegao understood the garden thoroughly, so the protective restriction posed no obstacle to him. Crack! The breaching of this protective restriction triggered chaos across the medicinal garden. And this spot was the most chaotic of all. Just as Daoist Hegao was on the verge of breaking through the barrier of light, two figures suddenly lunged out. Su Zinan and Mo Xingdao charged straight at him from left and right. Since entering the immortal estate, Mo Xingdao had rarely displayed his full edge, but only a supreme treasure like the Lingxi Immortal Fruit could make him cast caution to the wind. Even if it meant cooperating with Su Zinan—with whom he had just forged a mortal grudge—and offending the Daoist sects, he would not hesitate! Two Lingxi Immortal Fruits were just enough for the two of them to share. He and his puppet were virtually fused into one, their momentum earth-shaking. Su Zinan, having merged with his two souls, was even more imposing. Their attacks were aimed straight at Daoist Hegao's back! In an instant, Daoist Hegao faced the combined might of two top-tier powerhouses alone, bearing terrifying pressure. He did not look back. His gaze turned frigid, a cold snort escaped his throat, and his figure vanished, transforming out of thin air into a lean, ethereal crane. A cinnabar crown bearing the sun, frosty feathers untainted—an extraordinary presence. It possessed more divine charm than any of his previous transformations. In an instant, with a crane's cry, the crane divided into ten illusory shadows, each in a different posture, each embodying Daoist rhyme. The ten shadows formed a ring, instantly establishing an array. Ten Shadows of the Spirit Crane! This was not merely a formidable divine ability of Daoist Hegao's, but a creation born from blending his profound mastery of formations and restrictions with his lifelong divine abilities. One man forming an array, facing Su Zinan and Mo Xingdao without the slightest fear! Crane shadows circled. Su Zinan's gaze turned chillingly sharp. Uniting his true body and two souls, he jointly brandished the black ruler, leaving a trail of ruler shadows in the void that violently struck the crane array. Bang! Instantly, a crane shadow collapsed. Yet Su Zinan was startled. He snapped his head around; though Mo Xingdao's attack had carried considerable momentum, it fell far short of the anticipated power of a combined man and puppet. When he looked, Su Zinan's expression changed drastically. The puppet beside Mo Xingdao had vanished without him noticing. Simultaneously, above the clear spring and beside the green vine, a figure suddenly materialized—it was Mo Xingdao's puppet! Only, its size had shrunk, standing at the height of an ordinary human. Not only Su Zinan, but even Daoist Hegao was astonished, unable to discern how Mo Xingdao had pulled it off. Regardless of their thoughts, the puppet reached out toward the green vine! Just as they were caught between shock and fury, a Daoist shout rang out. At the mountain summit. Daoist Zilei took in the entire scene in the medicinal garden. The imperial crown atop his head blazed with radiant light, detached of its own accord, and flashed into the high sky, instantly transforming into thunderclouds. "Where are the Purple Thunder Retainers!" Daoist Zilei's eyes parted slightly, his aura as deep as an abyss. When the Thunder Lord raged, the mountains shook and the earth trembled. At this moment, Qin Sang, the Poison King, and the others were all startled by the thunderclouds. Because the aura of the thunderclouds swept away the baleful wind around the medicinal garden, they too saw the scene within. "The Lingxi Immortal Fruit!" Qin Sang paled. No wonder he hadn't found it on the Daoist nun. Who could have guessed that before she even had it in her hands, she dared to use it as bait? Qin Sang gritted his teeth; the Daoist nun was truly insane. He had chased after her and obtained the scarlet immortal pendant, but had missed out on an opportunity for Deity Transformation. Unlike Tianlinglong, the Lingxi Immortal Fruit was useful to him as well! Yet the battle for the immortal fruit was already drawing to a close; returning now was too late. Swish! Three purple beams shot down from the thunderclouds, plunging into the clear spring and manifesting into human forms midair. Formed from lightning, the Purple Thunder Retainers wore armor of thunder, their expressions stern. Even their eyes were purple, devoid of pupils, with only threads of lightning coursing through their bodies. All three Purple Thunder Retainers possessed formidable auras, each holding a thunder chain, instantly descending beside the puppet. Swish! Just as the puppet grasped the green vine, its body shuddered violently. Its extraordinarily robust physique was pierced straight through the chest by a thunder chain, the other end gripped in the hand of a Purple Thunder Retainer. Unexpectedly, the puppet forcefully seized one of the Lingxi Immortal Fruits. Just as the cage was about to snap shut, its figure flickered and, in an unbelievable manner, broke free of the chains, vanishing into thin air. Having snatched the fruit, the puppet escaped back to Mo Xingdao's side. The gaping hole in its chest could not heal for a long time, lightning crackling through its body in a startling sight. "The Yin-Yang Evasion!" At this moment, Qin Sang, Daoist Hegao, Su Zinan, the Poison King... Everyone who witnessed this was shaken to the core. The Yin-Yang Evasion was the innate divine ability of the Yin-Yang Ghost Mandrill, an existence comparable to a Deity Transformation powerhouse! "Yin-Yang... Yin-Yang..." Those two words echoed repeatedly in Qin Sang's mind. He had suspected it earlier upon seeing Mo Xingdao's puppet, and now he could essentially confirm that Mo Xingdao was the one who had bought the Yin-Yang Puppet Crystal! Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that the puppet crystal contained such a supreme divine ability as the Yin-Yang Evasion. Qin Sang smiled wryly; he truly had entered a mountain of treasures only to leave empty-handed, lamenting that Senior Sister was not here. He could blame no one else, only his own shallow knowledge. Yet a transaction was a transaction; each took what they needed, relying on their own discerning eye. Did he regret it? Not necessarily. Trading the Yin-Yang Puppet Crystal for the Thousand-Knot Divine Net had allowed him to cultivate the Fire Seed Golden Lotus so smoothly. Had he divided his focus to the way of puppetry, how could he have come this far? As these thoughts flashed through his mind, an explosion suddenly rang out. Qin Sang narrowed his eyes and looked over. Amid the unfolding events in the medicinal garden, the thunderclouds simultaneously shot down a purple thunder seal, striking a valley near the mountain peak. Amid the swirling light and shadows, the thunder seal blasted through the seal. In an instant, Qin Sang caught sight of a jade-like cliff wall. "This is..." Qin Sang's heart stirred. The residual force of the thunder seal struck the jade wall square on. Boom! The jade wall shattered with a resounding crash. Under a multitude of varied gazes, shards flew, and a blurry figure stepped forth—neither entirely Buddhist nor purely Daoist. Standing several fathoms tall, the figure exuded an ethereal aura. Taking a step forward, it raised a finger and lightly drew a line in the void, leaving a momentary trace. Both the trace and the figure lasted for only a fleeting instant before disappearing, but their lingering resonance was profound, the trace seeming to breathe with the rise and fall of Daoist rhyme. Before anyone could lament its passing, they were all spellbound. Right at that moment, the Purple Thunder Retainers gave up pursuing the puppet, plucked the last Lingxi Immortal Fruit, and returned. Kneeling in midair, they held aloft a plate of thunder, presenting it to Daoist Zilei. Picking up the immortal fruit, he placed it into his mouth. Daoist Zilei stared at the Daoist trace, fell into contemplation for a moment, and then burst into hearty laughter, startling everyone awake. "So that is how it is!" His laughter rang out loud and clear. Gently flicking his thunder robe, Daoist Zilei took a step. Steps seemed to form in the empty void. Nine steps upward—nine steps to ascend the pinnacle! By then, the boundary had already shattered, and the Dharma swords circling the heavens retreated one after another. Tribulation clouds gathered.