Great Suns Descend, The Dao Flower Blooms, Attaining Heavenly Immortal!

"So many, so many... suns!" Gazing up at the thousand great suns suspended in the vault of heaven, the tens of thousands of demons, great and small, throughout Mount Fenglian—who had just been brimming with ferocious morale—were completely stunned. Truth be told, such a spectacle was simply too outrageous. The brilliance of those one thousand great suns illuminated heaven, earth, and the four wildernesses in blinding, incandescent white. The radiance was so dazzling that it entirely eclipsed the true scorching sun suspended high in the nine heavens! "The great suns are falling! They're all falling!!" Suddenly, seeing the thousand great suns in the sky plummeting simultaneously, the demons turned pale with horror, their bodies trembling as if cast into an icy abyss. "Flee! Run!" No one knew which minor demon let out a desperate shriek, but in an instant, helmets and armor were discarded, command banners toppled, sabers and swords were strewn across the ground, and the entire demon horde scattered in pandemonium. Some mounted escape lights to flee beyond the mountains; some gritted their teeth and burrowed headlong into the earth; others scrambled for the nearest cave, running like mad into its depths. While the minor demons reacted thus, the Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord, hovering midair and directly facing the simultaneous plunge of a thousand suns, was dazed for an instant. In his eyes, the thousand boundless suns plummeted together with the fury of a collapsing sky. Across the vast canopy of heaven, everywhere sight could reach was flooded with boundless golden light. A surging torrent surged, pounced, and crashed down upon him with unstoppable momentum! He felt like a lone skiff caught in a raging tsunami, utterly powerless against the maddened waves, left with no choice but to bear the impact. "Hold!!" His eyes nearly split at the corners. With an enraged roar, his dharmic power surged violently throughout his body, and the white bone fork in his hands suddenly burst with boundless spiritual light that transformed into an expanse of bloody lake. Gripping the white bone fork tightly with both hands, he thrust it with all his might toward the plummeting suns. The bloody lake surged forward, violently colliding with the immeasurable golden radiance! Whoosh! The moment the two made contact, the lake of blood dissolved and vanished like snow meeting boiling soup. The golden radiance met no resistance whatsoever, continuing to crash down like an entire falling sky. Boom! Under the Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord's terrified and horrified gaze, the foremost hundred golden rainbows tore through the sky, shattering the white bone fork in his hands to powder before striking him squarely in the chest and abdomen. The immortal light and demonic qi upon him were shattered on the spot. His body, as if struck by a primeval divine mountain, plummeted violently from the heights of ten thousand fathoms! Rumble! Carried by the momentum of the falling suns, he resembled a dark-crimson meteor streaking across the sky in a flash, brutally slamming into Mount Fenglian that stretched for tens of thousands of li below! Instantly, the earth shook and mountains trembled. Ten thousand peaks cracked and crumbled. Billions of jun of sand, stone, and shattered river currents blasted in all directions. Vast plumes of smoke and dust soared into the sky, while over a hundred gigantic, earthy-yellow mushroom clouds billowed into the air at once! And billowing up alongside the mushroom clouds was magnificent, immeasurable golden light! A blazing ocean of light cascaded over ten thousand li of mountains and rivers. Tens of thousands of demons—whether bat demons fleeing through the air, corpse fiends burrowing into the earth, or tiger, leopard, and wolf demons hiding in caves—were all swallowed by this vast golden light. Every insidious array and foul evil qi in the mountains was wiped clean. "Ahhh!!" From the depths of the crater where the Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord had fallen, an enraged roar suddenly erupted, and a black scorpion ten thousand fathoms long burst forth from the earth! Its carapace looked forged from otherworldly divine iron; its legs resembled pillars that propped up the heavens; and its tail hook hung suspended, glistening with an eerie, shimmering light. It hissed toward the sky in fury, its deafening shriek churning the surrounding shockwaves into a raging gale. Yet before it could make a move, several hundred more great suns descended in rapid succession! Immeasurable light, immeasurable heat, and immeasurable Dao rhymes coalesced into a pillar of pure white light spanning heaven and earth, crashing down into the giant crater from beyond the highest heavens! "Hiss—ah!" The Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord's ten-thousand-fathom body writhed violently in the river of light. Yet no matter how he struggled, it was of no use. His carapace was reduced to ashes, and his toxic blood was vaporized into foul-smelling rain. In the end, even his shrieks faded into nothingness, as if everything had been completely engulfed and erased without a trace by that resplendent river of light... Absolute silence fell over all creation. There was only the howling of the wind and the wild dance of dust and sand swirling across the sky. Everyone—whether Zhao Zhen and the other generals, Arhat Yindeng who had hurried over, or the various mighty figures observing from afar—held their breath and cast their gazes into the mountains, eager to see whether the fearsome Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord was dead or alive. Whoosh, whoosh— The winds of heaven mingled with the mountain breeze, sweeping away the billowing dust. Only then did everyone see that in the bottom of the crater where the Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord had crashed, nothing remained but severed limbs. The scorpion head had rolled away from the body, utterly devoid of life. A clamor instantly broke out among the onlookers everywhere. "Dead? He's dead!" "The Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord, whose might shook the southern lands, was blasted to death without withstanding a single strike?!" "How can this True Lord Huang be so powerful? Did he not achieve True Immortal only a few years ago? From what I can tell of his dharmic power, it hasn't even been polished to completion." "His Dao Seed of 'Yang' must be a Seed of the Great Dao, not merely a branch Dao Seed! Hiss, this man hid his depths so well!" "How did he hide anything? He simply never spoke of it to outsiders. Still, his comprehension is truly astounding—in just a few years, he thoroughly comprehended 'Yang.' No wonder that monkey gave him pointers; he must have recognized his extraordinary immortal talent long ago." "This move, 'A Thousand Suns in One Sky,' packs power scarcely inferior to a strike from a Heavenly Immortal. No wonder the Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord was slain in a single blow." "Heh, the power is indeed formidable, but in my view, he merely caught the Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord off guard. The Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord didn't even get to display his abilities—he had no chance to unleash his trump card, the Reverse Horse Poison Stake. Otherwise, Huang Tian would never have won so easily." In the Heavenly Court, within an immortal residence, Star Lord Jinde, who was likewise watching the battle from afar, felt a shock in his heart. He had not expected Huang Tian's strength to be this formidable! He had witnessed Huang Tian undergoing the immortal tribulation, weaving various dharmic arts and divine abilities at will with utter calm beneath the lightning tribulation. Thus, he had known Huang Tian was skilled, which was why he had specifically recruited him to heaven as the True Lord of Demon-Quelling in the South. Yet! Skilled was one thing, but how strong he was in detail, Star Lord Jinde had not known. Still less had he imagined that Huang Tian could slay the Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord in a single move. Even if this move was Huang Tian's trump card, it was still shocking enough. 'I truly recruited a powerful figure...' As he was sighing in private wonder, his expression suddenly shifted. Looking up, his gaze traversed the void and locked eyes with another pair of eyes. "Miaoyin Bodhisattva," Star Lord Jinde nodded with polite deference. Yet across the void, seated cross-legged on a lotus pedestal and adorned with necklaces of jewels and ornate sashes, Miaoyin Bodhisattva had a chilly expression. "Star Lord Jinde, might I ask where I have offended you?" The latter was taken aback, then immediately realized: Miaoyin Bodhisattva assumed Huang Tian's actions had been carried out under his instructions! Heaven knew, he had only learned moments earlier from a subordinate immortal official that Huang Tian had led troops to subjugate the Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord, prompting him to hurriedly activate his dharmic eyes to watch the battlefield... And then... then he had witnessed that spectacle of great suns subduing the demon. Coughing softly, Star Lord Jinde said, "The Bodhisattva jokes. What enmity could there possibly be between us?" Miaoyin Bodhisattva's voice grew colder. "Then why did you dispatch Huang Tian to slay the Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord?" Star Lord Jinde smiled faintly. "That Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord committed evil for thousands of years, with no one able to rein him in. Our Heavenly Court is the orthodoxy of the Earth Immortal Realm, tasked with the duty of quelling demons, exorcising fiends, quelling chaos, and restoring order. What is so strange about slaying him?" Although this campaign had not been his idea, there was no need to explain that in detail. After all, Huang Tian had indeed acted on his orders to quell demons and exorcise fiends; it was just that the demon subdued this time was slightly stronger and had a slightly grander background. If he threw Huang Tian under the bus now, who would dare serve him wholeheartedly in the future? A superior who could not protect his trusted inner circle possessed no prestige, let alone the ability to attract followers. As for offending Miaoyin Bodhisattva, that was hardly a catastrophic matter. Both were Heavenly Immortals of comparable strength, and both had Golden Immortal luminaries backing them. Who feared whom? Hearing this, Miaoyin Bodhisattva's expression froze slightly, and she nodded slowly. "Very good. Very good indeed." Swish— The void shifted, and Miaoyin Bodhisattva's figure vanished. 'It seems she is very displeased...' Star Lord Jinde mused. He did not particularly care about earning her grudge; after all, over the past million-odd years, he had offended plenty of bodhisattvas and arhats, and none of them had managed to do anything to him. As long as those three Buddhas did not intervene, he had nothing to fear. It was just that Huang Tian would likely be targeted by the Buddhist sect from now on. Once Huang Tian withdrew his troops and returned, he would need to give him a few words of advice... Above Mount Fenglian, looking down at the devastated mountains below, Huang Tian raised a hand and drew the scorpion tail of the Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord up from the bottom of the crater into the sky. This scorpion tail condensed half a lifetime of the Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord's cultivation attainments and was an exceptional material for refining treasures. Although Huang Tian had not specially studied artifact-refining methods and did not intend to expend energy learning them, this object could be turned in to the Heavenly Court's treasury to exchange for immortal pills and immortal fruits. After stowing the tail away, he waved a hand. "That fiend's treasury holds quite a few good things. Go down and clear it out." "Understood!" Zhao Zhen and the others were thrilled. They promptly lowered their clouds and flew down into the mountains to sweep the battlefield and gather the spoils of war. "True Lord," a faint voice carried over. Huang Tian turned his head to look. It was Arhat Yindeng, who had arrived late. The latter had a complicated expression and let out a gentle sigh. "True Lord, you were far too reckless." Huang Tian smiled. "Not necessarily." Arhat Yindeng frowned and transmitted his voice: "Does the True Lord not know that this Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord has deep ties with Miaoyin Bodhisattva?" "Fellow Daoist jokes. Miaoyin Bodhisattva is a person of great virtue and wisdom. How could she have ties with an evil demon who carries debts of blood, stops at no evil, slaughters countless beings, habitually feasts on humans, and poisons all living things?" With every phrase spoken, Arhat Yindeng's face stiffened a fraction more. Indeed, you Western Bodhisattvas have always claimed to be great sages and saints. How could you be associated with such demonic evil, let alone have 'deep ties'? Arhat Yindeng fell silent for a moment. "The True Lord might not know, but in his early years before taking human form, the Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord happened by chance to hear the Bodhisattva preach the Dharma, which unlocked his spiritual awareness. Thus, he formed a karmic bond with the Bodhisattva. "The Bodhisattva imparted cultivation methods to him, and he practiced diligently for tens of thousands of years, finally attaining True Immortal. Originally, the Bodhisattva intended to bring him back to Mount Ling to serve as an arhat. However, although his Dao was accomplished, his disposition remained perverse. Therefore, the Bodhisattva had him temper his character here in the southern lands, intending to confer the status of arhat upon him once his hostility subsided." "By using the lives of countless mortals to help him temper his character?" Huang Tian said placidly. "I fear this has nothing to do with temperament, but was merely to help him cultivate the divine ability of the Reverse Horse Poison Stake, was it not?" After retrieving the scorpion tail, Huang Tian had sensed the extremely potent insidious and foul evil qi contained within it. It was precisely through these that the Reverse Horse Poison Stake could defile the body of a True Immortal. And where did such insidious and foul evil qi come from? Naturally, from slaughter. Over several thousand years, who knew how many cultivators and mortals had been killed to refine the Reverse Horse Poison Stake to its current state. If another tens or hundreds of thousands of years passed, it might even pose a threat to Heavenly Immortal powerhouses. It was no wonder that Miaoyin Bodhisattva had indulged the Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord in bringing ruin to the region. As if struck squarely on the mark, Arhat Yindeng's eyelid twitched. After a long silence, he sighed deeply. "Be that as it may, the True Lord should not have moved against him. Even if you could not bear the sight, you should not have killed him. Could you not have suppressed him for ten thousand years? After today, not only Miaoyin Bodhisattva, but other bodhisattvas and arhats will also be displeased with you." "He is already dead; more words are useless. Old monk, please return." Huang Tian smiled. "Actually, there is still a way to make amends," seeing that Huang Tian was unwilling to discuss it further, Arhat Yindeng said hurriedly. "If the True Lord is willing to join our Western realm, the Bodhisattvas will surely rejoice, and this enmity will resolve itself..." Huang Tian raised a hand to cut him off. "Say no more. Please return." What a joke. Joining the Western realm would mean offending the Heavenly Court—how would that be any different from his current situation? Moreover, he had no fear at all; rather, he was eager to test just what level his strength had reached. 'Well, no rush. I'll find an opportunity to test my hand once I break through to Heavenly Immortal...' Arhat Yindeng gave a heavy sigh, said, "May the True Lord look after himself!" and flew away. Huang Tian paid it no heed. Standing in the air, he waited until Zhao Zhen and the others finished sweeping the battlefield and tallying the spoils of war before declaring, "Withdraw the troops!" The golden clouds carried the army as they flew toward the Heavenly Court. After a long while, they finally returned to the Heavenly Court. Before he even had time to go to the treasury to exchange for pills, an immortal official guided him to Star Lord Jinde's immortal residence. "Greetings, Star Lord," Huang Tian bowed upon entering the grand hall. "No need for formalities," Star Lord Jinde, clad in dharmic robes, said with a solemn countenance. "Huang Tian, you must know why I summoned you this time?" "I do. It is regarding the matter of quelling the demon." "Mm. You did not do badly this time. There is only one thing: if you intend to campaign against great demons and fiends at the True Immortal realm in the future, you must report in advance." "Yes!" Star Lord Jinde pondered for a moment and said, "This time, you have severely offended Miaoyin Bodhisattva, so you must be careful in the future. Of course, there is no need to worry excessively. No matter what, it is impossible for Miaoyin Bodhisattva to strike at you directly. At most, she will use circumstances to obstruct your actions or use others to harm you. "Aside from that, you must pay closer attention to the safety of your relatives and friends. A dignified bodhisattva would not stoop so low as to harm your loved ones, but there are always people looking to curry favor with her, so..." Huang Tian nodded. "Mm, as long as you understand." Star Lord Jinde nodded, retrieved a glistening jade bottle, and tossed it to Huang Tian. "This is a personal gift from me, consider it a small reward. Take it." Huang Tian did not refuse. "Thank you, Star Lord!" "Go on, then. Carry out your duties well and act with prudence," Star Lord Jinde said. Huang Tian took his leave with the jade bottle. Leaving Star Lord's residence, he went directly to the Bureau of Merit Evaluation, received his merit points, and then exchanged them for immortal pills that augment dharmic power. Returning to the Residence of the True Lord, within the rear hall. He sat cross-legged. Before him were six crystal-clear jade bottles, each containing several immortal pills. 'This time, I will not emerge from seclusion until breaking through to Heavenly Immortal!' With this thought, he opened one of the jade bottles and swallowed the glowing immortal pill within. Boundless spiritual power instantly spread throughout his body. He circulated the spiritual power through the heavenly cycles, closed his eyes, and sank into deep meditation... Suns rose and moons set; moons rose and suns set. In the blink of an eye, three months passed. On this day, a profound and enigmatic aura, centered upon the Residence of the True Lord of Demon-Quelling in the South, instantly swept across and enveloped the entire Heavenly Court, then vanished just as abruptly. Yet every Heavenly Immortal and Golden Immortal luminary present in the Heavenly Court was shaken by it. "Someone has bloomed a Dao flower and attained Heavenly Immortal!!"