Chapter 1429
The Great Sacrifice to All Living Beings
Chapter 1429 The Great Sacrifice to All Living Beings (7205)
The azure sea was shrouded in an indescribable darkness, with layers upon layers of restrictive formations built within its surging waves.
Beneath the waves, deep in the ocean.
In that pitch-black depths, a billowing white mist could be vaguely seen, within which stood a towering tree with branches reaching for the sky.
At the edge of the tree branches, Angxiao sat cross-legged, dressed in a green robe, looking calmly and composedly at the deep outside world. He witnessed magnificent divine thoughts lingering outside, occasionally impacting the white mist, entering with killing intent, and leaving with a sense of bewilderment.
And so on and on.
Finally, the lingering, magnificent divine sense grew impatient, and a clear, cold voice followed, its words interspersed with the clanging sound of swords.
"Ling Xiao, are you still going to remain so stubborn?"
“We don’t want your life. As long as you hand over the Ancestral Dragon’s primordial spirit, at most you will be rejected and return to the Sea of Light. Your life will not be in danger.”
Angxiao remained silent.
Behind him stood a young man dressed in simple clothes, his eyes gleaming with bright wisdom, who was looking at his back with a complex expression.
The Light Sea Dao Lords who entered the Outer Heaven scattered in all directions, but Sword Lord, Cang Hao, Wan Fa, and Du Xuan were the first to gather together. This was because Sword Lord had the [Thread of Affection] as a guide, and he immediately found Cang Hao and Wan Fa. In turn, Wan Fa used the connection of the three foundations to find Du Xuan.
Then the four of them joined forces.
Then, they somehow managed to make contact with the Dao Ancestor of the [Reverence for Gods] lineage, and eventually found their way to him.
Indeed, Dao Tianqi's wisdom is undoubtedly the best in the sea of light.
However, his time in the underworld wasted too many years of his cultivation, and after being besieged, he barely survived thanks to his transformed essence.
Until [Angxiao] appeared.
Thanks to the mystery of the [calamity], Angxiao and Daotian joined forces and managed to escape several times, but were eventually trapped at the bottom of the North Sea of Shenzhou.
"Boom!"
The next second, the surging waves deep in the sea suddenly became dangerous, crashing down once again onto the white mist-covered land supported by [Angxiao].
"Humph"
Seeing this, Angxiao grunted, but did not give an inch. Instead of fighting head-on, he activated his Calamity with all his might and successfully escaped the calamity once again.
Upon seeing this scene, the deep, dark seabed, where nothing could be seen, finally revealed a hint of color.
The six figures, each with a distinct appearance, quickly transformed into six separate figures, which lined up on the seabed. The leader, dressed in white, had a handsome face and was playing with a jade stone in his hand.
Four of them were Jian Jun, Cang Hao, Wan Fa, and Du Xuan.
The other two were the remaining two Dao Ancestors of the [Reverence for Gods] lineage. The one in white, leading the group, was none other than Zhen Qulu, the third Dao Ancestor of the [Reverence for Gods] lineage.
The inspiration for Sword Lord's [Heavenly Dao] comes from the method of Zhenqulu, which is to worship external objects as gods, receive offerings from all living beings, and finally integrate the external objects into oneself to achieve the Dao. This Dao Ancestor's cultivation in [Reverence for Gods] surpasses that of the patriarch, and can be said to have surpassed his master.
"There's not enough time."
Suddenly, the Dao Ancestor slowly spoke, saying, "Those who know their destiny have died. The current calamity is probably at its most spiritual and vigorous."
"My plan must begin as soon as possible."
Zhen Qulu said in a deep voice, "Only the primordial spirit of the innate Dao God can resonate with the Dao God of the Final Tribulation. This is the life force that the Dao Venerable promised to me."
His expression was calm yet fervent.
Previously, Guiming had told Lü Yang that there were not many Dao Ancestors who were not interested in the Seed of the Great Dao and paid more attention to external things; there were only seven in total.
Lu Yang had already met or indirectly learned about six of them: Zhi Tianming, Gui Ming, Dan Qiu Huo (Bu Changming), Dan Qing Jian, and Zhu Liu Xian. His master was Xiong Zhen Qu Lu, who was the seventh. If we use Gui Ming's words, his plan was definitely radical.
in short.
He wanted to refine the final calamity of the Divine Land into an unprecedented and unique magical artifact, using the method of manipulating external objects to control the power of the final calamity.
Just like the Way of Heaven.
Completely control the land, including the final calamity, and you will naturally be able to escape the crisis of the final calamity and even turn it into your own.
It sounds a bit far-fetched.
However, Zhen Qulu knew that he had already succeeded—at least halfway, and the appearance of Jianjun and the others was irrefutable proof of this.
The next second, Zhen Qulu's eyes flickered, and a beam of light immediately separated from the Sword Lord's body and landed in his hand, showing a special intimacy. Upon seeing this, a strange light appeared in the Sword Lord's eyes, which also resolved a doubt that had troubled him for many years.
Immediately, the bright light solidified into a form.
Looking around, one could see a five-colored interwoven lock, coiled like a dragon, its very existence revealing a strong image of confinement.
【Heavenly Heart Lock】!
The Ancestral Dragon's magic weapon, the only Dao artifact in the world, and one of the foundations of the former Heavenly Dao. According to the Ancestral Dragon, it was created by itself.
However, no one believed it.
After all, as everyone knows, the Ancestral Dragon, as a born Dao God, was essentially a demon. Where would he have gotten the skills to forge a supreme magic weapon?
Therefore, the Dao Lords of Guanghai had long suspected that this was an ancient legacy obtained by the Ancestral Dragon, but they did not know who it came from.
The truth has finally come out.
"That's right, this is the original prototype of the treasure I designed. It's just a pity that it was mostly damaged and then some mysterious things were added to it in a bizarre way."
Zhen Qulu sighed, then reached out and gently touched the [Heavenly Heart Lock]. In an instant, the five-colored light that had enveloped the artifact was stripped away, and the dragon-like clasp was also pulled out, leaving only a stubborn rock-like lock body in place.
However, it was this stubborn rock.
Looking at it, it was exactly the same as the jade that Zhen Qulu was playing with in his other hand, except that one was intact and the other was pitted and uneven.
"It seems my plan has ultimately failed."
Zhen Qulu remained calm and said in a low voice, "When I designed this magic weapon, I underestimated the end of the calamity and made the same mistake as Zhi Tianming."
"But it doesn't matter, I now know the reason for the defeat."
"Thanks to Zhuliu Xian's foresight, I was able to see the limits of the final tribulation. The Nascent Soul stage just before destruction, no wonder Zhi Tianming failed at the last moment."
"However, his failure will contribute to my success."
"to this end."
Before he finished speaking, Zhen Qulu's gaze fell directly into the depths of the white mist before him, meeting the eyes of Angxiao, who was also looking out.
He needs the primordial spirit of the Ancestral Dragon.
The primordial spirit thought of the innate Dao God was to complete the final piece of his plan. He firmly believed that this was the guidance of the Dao Venerable, otherwise how could it be such a coincidence?
Almost simultaneously.
Deep within the white mist, Angxiao's expression grew increasingly solemn, and the great forest behind him grew ever more lush. The sea of mist stretched to the sky, obscuring the sun and surging with brilliance.
[A calamity!]
Perhaps because of his past experience in controlling the Great Forest, controlling the Calamity now seems effortless to him.
He had perfected the art of avoiding calamities, and with Dao Tianqi's assistance, they had managed to escape imminent dangers time and again, and persevere until now. However, this kind of effort to maintain their position has its limits and cannot continue indefinitely.
"Bastard!"
Finally, a primordial spirit fire appeared between Angxiao's brows, within which a small dragon roared angrily, its defenses somewhat breached as it shouted curses.
It was the primordial spirit of the Ancestral Dragon.
At this moment, the Ancestral Dragon was filled with regret. It never expected that so many Dao Ancestors would suddenly appear out of nowhere in the ancient times. If it had known this, it would not have been greedy for transcendence!
The next second, it found that [Angxiao] was staring straight at it.
Why are you looking at me?
Zu Long instantly became alert, gritting his teeth: "You want to hand me over? Don't forget, if I hadn't covered for you, would you have been able to get in here?"
"And don't forget, I'm right here in your mind's eye!"
"If you want to hand me over, I'd rather die than not shatter your sea of consciousness and make you pay with your life!" Zu Long said fiercely, his primordial spirit suddenly fluctuating.
[Angxiao] quickly explained:
"Senior, you misunderstand. I owe my entry into the Outer Heavens to your help. I am grateful to you, and I would never do anything so ungrateful."
You can!
Zulong was completely unconvinced and hissed in a low voice, "You were definitely thinking about how to betray me just now. All of you disciples and grand-disciples of the Primordial Saints are like that!"
【Angxiao】: "."
After a moment of silence, [Angxiao] said helplessly, "I've said it so many times, Chusheng and I have long since severed all ties, and I have nothing to do with him now."
After finally calming down Zu Long, Ang Xiao shook his head and gave up the tempting escape plan of "selling Zu Long to find a way to survive". Instead, he began to think about the issue of reinforcements. He and Dao Tianqi had been chased for so long, why hadn't anyone come to their aid yet?
Where are my teammates? Come save me!
Why did he save Dao Tianqi? Wasn't it because Dao Tianqi had a close relationship with the World Honored One and strong connections, making it easier to get reinforcements by bringing him along?
It turns out we've been waiting for so long.
Not a single reinforcement was seen.
"Is it a secret blockade by the heavens? Or some other method to cover up the traces of our pursuit? If this continues, we'll have no choice but to fight to the death."
Just as Angxiao was pondering a solution.
Suddenly.
At the horizon of the once deep sea, a circular ring of the Great Dao, composed of countless interlocking concentric circles, rises like the rising sun.
"Boom!"
At first, it was just a sound of the Dao and a splash of color in the sky, but as time passed, in an instant, the color filled the world.
Zhen Qulu suddenly turned around.
What came into view was a ring of great energy, with countless concentric circles interlocking within it, rippling like waves and surging with endless light and color.
The light shone brightly, instantly illuminating Zhen Qulu's face, making his eyes glaze over and his spirit turbulent. It wasn't until the jade he was playing with suddenly shone brightly, forming a magnificent canopy that isolated all the mysteries from him, causing him to suddenly rouse himself and regain his consciousness.
"puff!"
The next second, Zhen Qulu suddenly covered his mouth and nose. The strong smell of blood filled his palm, and at a glance, one could see that bright red blood was flowing between his five fingers.
"Good tactic"
Zhen Qulu sighed, then, powerless to resist, his body disintegrated and exploded amidst endless light and color, his flesh and blood evaporating, leaving only a wisp of green smoke.
However, this is not the end.
After Zhen Qulu perished, the jade in his hand suddenly leaped up, scattering thousands of rays of light as it spun, forcibly fixing the drifting green smoke in place.
Then, the light and shadow reappeared.
As if time had been reversed, the evaporated flesh and blood reappeared, then recombined, and the internal organs were generated, eventually manifesting a human form!
Of the seventeen Dao Ancestors of the ancient Divine Continent, Zhen Qu Lu was the most unique, because he did not cultivate himself, but instead placed all his hopes on external things.
The jade in his hand was his magic weapon for attaining enlightenment and the foundation of his Great Dao. His primordial spirit was completely entrusted to it. On the contrary, his physical body and soul, which he used to walk in the mortal world, seemed to be vital, but in reality, they were not worth mentioning. Even if destroyed, they could be instantly rebuilt.
".ha!"
The next instant, Zhen Qulu reappeared in the same spot, his expression unchanged as before. He gently played with the jade and smiled, "So it's Junior Brother."
Why not show yourself?
Before he could finish speaking, the Ring of Infinity stopped in front of him, and Lü Yang stepped out, his gaze fixed on Zhen Qu Lu.
Meanwhile, Si Chong and Shi Zun blocked the way for Jian Jun and the others.
As for Zhuliu Xian and Shan Qiuhuo, they blocked the last Dao Ancestor of the [Jing Shen] lineage, and the energy of each family collided violently at this moment.
Lü Yang arrived just in time.
If this drags on any longer, things will definitely be even more dangerous for Angxiao. But even so, Lü Yang felt no joy whatsoever.
Instead, there was only doubt.
'It's true, the information provided by the founder of the Confucian school is absolutely accurate. Does that mean he's genuinely cooperating? Impossible, he must have other plans.'
He wasn't afraid that the intelligence was fake.
If it were false, it would only show that the First Sage's side had run out of options, and he could deal with it calmly. However, the information given by the founder of the Famous Sect was true.
This is a big problem.
'If the intelligence is true, then conflict with Zhen Qulu, Sword Lord, and others is unavoidable. After all, I can't abandon Angxiao and Dao Tianqi.'
Did the First Sage want to reap the benefits?
Thinking of this, Lü Yang did not immediately make a move, while Zhen Qu Lu on the other side had obviously also considered the same possibility and maintained a certain degree of restraint. "...Ancestral Dragon."
After a moment of silence, Zhen Qulu spoke first: "The other junior brothers can be taken away, but I want to keep that born Dao God named Zulong."
Lü Yang immediately understood.
This is the bottom line.
Meanwhile, Si Chong turned his gaze to Du Xuan, who was somewhat evasive, and sighed, "It seems that we have finally come to this."
"Si Chong, I don't ask for much."
Du Xuan took a deep breath and regained his composure: "I must kill Ang Xiao. This person poses a great threat to me. I will not be at peace until I get rid of him."
He was already suffering from the backlash of the [calamity], and now he was standing on the third level of the [Other Shore] with [Ang Xiao], and his primordial spirit was incomplete, making him extremely vulnerable. Moreover, how could he allow someone else to sleep soundly next to him? In his view, if he didn't kill [Ang Xiao], it meant that [Ang Xiao] wanted to kill him!
This judgment is not wrong.
Pick the softest persimmon to squeeze. [Angxiao] had already made up his mind that if the great battle started, he would definitely be the first to find Du Xuan to settle the score.
Si Chong shook his head at this:
"Our friendship is now completely severed. You'd better take care of yourself."
After saying that, he looked away from Du Xuan, who looked unwell and even somewhat bewildered, not understanding why things had come to this.
at the same time.
Lü Yang also made contact with [Angxiao], and immediately saw the Ancestral Dragon Primordial Spirit, which was currently entrenched deep within his sea of consciousness, looking at everyone as if they were enemies.
Before Zu Long could speak, Lü Yang spoke first:
"Don't worry, senior!"
"I'm a good person and I wouldn't lie to you. Look at my title, Xuande, which shows I'm a virtuous person, unlike that old bastard, Chusheng."
Zu Long was instantly stunned: "Really? Really?"
Lu Yang nodded emphatically: "Of course it's true!"
His tone was heavy, each word deliberate and clear, as if speaking directly to Zu Long's heart, causing him to involuntarily feel a sense of goodwill towards the person before him.
A thought sprouted wildly in my mind like weeds.
Trust the person in front of you!
He is trustworthy!
This thought was so strong that all doubts, confusion, and hesitation were blown away by a gust of wind, leaving only the purity of a blank sheet of paper.
However, his primordial spirit soon began to riot.
No! The scent on Xuande is off. I've known the First Sage for so long, how could I not recognize it? This is the First Sage's scent!
Don't trust him
The next second, Angxiao, who had been calm and unmoved, suddenly spoke: "Fellow Daoist Zulong, your primordial spirit seems to have a flaw. Let me help you repair it."
Boom!
In an instant, some mysterious force acted upon the ancestral dragon's raging primordial spirit, quickly calming its originally vigorous flames and dimming them.
Not far away, Si Chong, who witnessed this scene, looked on with a strange expression.
Others might not be able to see it, but how could he not? The method Lü Yang used to suppress the Ancestral Dragon was the "calamity" borrowed from Angxiao.
As for Angxiao, he used the Dao Heart!
The Dao Heart he had cultivated through emptiness was specifically designed to counter the primordial spirit. Its application to the ancestral dragon, who now possessed only the primordial spirit, proved to be a perfect example of specialization, producing remarkable results.
The fact that they were able to do this demonstrates their excellent teamwork.
'It just looks a little sinister.' Si Chong had a headache.
This doesn't seem like the right path at all!
For a moment, the situation became somewhat chaotic.
Zulong tried to struggle, his primordial spirit fluctuating violently, but his thoughts were so pure that all other thoughts were obscured, leaving only one thought.
Believe!
Lü Yang: "Trust me, trust me, you won't go wrong!"
Emperor Zulong: "No, that's not right, we can't believe it."
Lü Yang: "Trust me!"
Zu Long: "."
After a long time, the primordial spirit of the Ancestral Dragon finally calmed down, and endless mysteries intertwined in his eyes, finally transforming into a pure and innocent gaze.
Then Angxiao finally made his move, separating a small piece of the Ancestral Dragon's primordial spirit and leaving it in his sea of consciousness as "proof." He then carefully sent the primordial spirit itself out of his sea of consciousness. During this time, the Ancestral Dragon's eyes once again showed signs of struggle.
"it hurts."
Lü Yang immediately said, "Don't be afraid, trust me!"
The First Emperor shut up.
Then Lü Yang handed him over to Zhen Qulu, who also had a strange expression. Even at this moment, Zu Long asked with an innocent look:
"Are you sure everything will be alright?"
Lü Yang answered without hesitation: "Don't worry, it's fine, trust me."
Boom!
Before he finished speaking, Zhen Qulu suddenly clenched his hands, completely suppressing the still-believing Zulong, and even sealing his consciousness.
Just a second before he was suppressed, Zu Long still believed that Lü Yang would not harm him, and the aura of calamity in his eyes made Zhen Qu Lu a little scared.
Is this truly a successor of the Daoist Master?
It doesn't look like it. The Daoist Master is very upright!
Nevertheless, he put away the sealed Ancestral Dragon, then cupped his hands to Lü Yang and said sincerely, "Thank you very much, Junior Brother Xuande."
"It's alright."
Lu Yang's tone was slightly somber: "As far as I know, fellow Daoist also intends to save the Divine Land and establish great achievements. Since that's the case, I will naturally lend a helping hand."
"In this way, we can also avoid being taken advantage of by others."
Zhen Qulu nodded: "Good."
After speaking, he raised his head and looked up at the dome, his eyes filled with fervor: "Everything is ready. I invite my junior brother to attend the ceremony, which will be a perfect opportunity to prove my Dao."
Lü Yang was naturally pleased to see this happen.
However, at this moment, another question lingered in his mind: Where is Chu Sheng? Could it be that he saw that he and Zhen Qu Lu's side had not started fighting?
So they quietly withdrew?
Or is it...?
China, another hidden realm.
Time and spacetime were thrown into chaos here; the past, present, and future were connected by the same avenue, and surging light transformed into boiling waves that roared about.
Time!
This unique path belonging to the First Saint has an ineffable effect in communicating with the final calamity. At the end of the path, a deathly stillness suddenly appears.
In the deathly silence, a tiny figure is trekking through the distant future, carrying the burden of the apocalypse. He seems to have seized something, and then he turns back step by step. However, with his return, the colors of the apocalypse seem to be impatiently chasing after him along the flow of time.
The final tribulations yearn for life.
Having just experienced the reincarnation at the age of fifty, they are currently in a state of spiritual turmoil, and with just a little stimulation, they may give birth to spiritual beings.
Therefore, it instinctively desires it.
The instinct of every intelligent life is to yearn to leave the doomed future and enter the present where life still exists, so as to be reborn.
But the next second.
The tiny figure traversed the gap of time, returning to the present. Then, without any hesitation, it turned around and severed the river of time behind it.
"Boom!"
The long river collapsed, and the deathly silence came to an abrupt end, remaining in the future and failing to spread. The boiling spirituality also gradually subsided.
Upon seeing this, the First Sage nodded slightly.
Immediately afterwards, two figures strolled over. They were the founders of the Famous and Physician sects. The founder of the Famous sect spoke first, saying, "Have you successfully brought them back?"
"Success."
The First Saint spoke calmly, raising his tightly clenched hand. There, however, was a deathly stillness, the very aura of the final calamity symbolizing destruction!
This aura of impending doom constantly corroded the First Saint's palm, but the First Saint paid no heed and continued to clench his fist, for this aura of impending doom contained crucial information, information that only those who knew their destiny could know, but which he had brought into the apocalypse because of his reincarnation.
"How is the situation?"
The First Sage carefully sent the aura of the impending calamity into the [Book of Divine Fortune and Destiny] before looking at the founder of the Confucian sect: "Have they started fighting?"
"No."
The founder of the Ming Cult shook his head: "Junior Brother Xuande used some method to control that primordial spirit's thoughts, making it surrender."
"Is that so?"
The First Saint was not surprised to hear this. The Ancestral Dragon was just a mere monster. He had controlled him for 100,000 years, so this performance was worthy of his status.
Besides, the matter concerning the First Emperor was merely something he did incidentally.
He has already achieved his true goal.
With everyone's attention diverted elsewhere, no one noticed his secret opening of the time portal to head towards the apocalypse.
From the very beginning, the sage never imagined that the snipe and the clam would fight while the fisherman would benefit.
This is a diversionary tactic; it's all to prevent anyone from discovering my surreptitious time travel and interfering with my plans.
Just then.
After absorbing that aura of the final calamity, the golden light on the [Divine Fortune Book] seemed to dim somewhat, and the characters were now mostly grayish-black.
[Analysis complete.]
As expected, like the Sea of Light, Shenzhou also has a "Celestial Pivot Land," the location of which can only be sensed by the primordial, naturally born Dao God.
"Location," Chu Sheng said in a deep voice.
It is the Purple Cloud Palace.
The consciousness within the book slowly coalesced into words: [That is the "Celestial Pivot" of the Divine Land. Placing the sacrificial rites there will allow their influence to spread throughout the entire Divine Land.]
For a moment, everyone fell silent, especially the founders of the Ming and Xiang sects. Although the Daoist Master had been detached from worldly affairs for many years and was very likely to have transcended the world, the Zixiao Palace still held a great place in the hearts of these Daoist founders, and the lingering power of the Nascent Soul stage still remained in their hearts.
On the contrary, the First Saint and the Primordial Immortal were completely uninhibited.
"Sure enough."
The First Sage's gaze remained calm: "The fact that the Immortal Pivot of Shenzhou is located in Zixiao Palace further confirms our previous suspicions that the immortal was plotting something sinister."
"Back then, the First Emperor was in the Celestial Pivot, where he performed a grand sacrifice to all living beings."
"Now in Shenzhou, in Zixiao Palace, that immortal is perfectly capable of doing the same thing. This is the truth behind this battle for the Seed of the Great Dao!"
"His transcendence is not complete; he is stuck between the realm of transcendence and the present world, and it is probably difficult for him to unleash his great power. If he rashly initiates the grand sacrifice, he will only be stopped by the Dao Ancestors. But what about now? For an empty promise to save the Divine Land, he died at the age of fifty, and even the Immortal of the Dwelling Tassel is half crippled."
"He is taking this opportunity to eliminate some Dao Ancestors who might stop his grand ceremony."
"When the number of Dao Ancestors drops to a certain level, and no one can pose a threat to him, he will make his move and sacrifice the entire Divine Continent!"
That must be it!
The consciousness within the book also endorses this hypothesis.
On the contrary, the founders of the Ming and Xiang sects were somewhat puzzled, feeling that something was not right. After all, in their impression, the Daoist Master did not seem to be the kind of person who would perform great sacrifices to all living beings.
However, they did not speak.
There's no need.
"Let Taiyuan Xian and the others do their thing. Their choice regarding transcendence is the most appropriate; we don't need to interfere."
Just then.
Suddenly, all the Dao Ancestors felt a sense of connection once more, raised their heads and looked towards the North Sea of Shenzhou, towards a beam of immortal light rising there.
"Is it the real Qu Lu?"
"So that's how it is. So he wanted the primordial spirit of that naturally born Dao God, the second one after Zhu Liu Xian. Knowing the power of the final tribulation, he still dared to act?"
Where does his confidence come from?
Only the First Sage nodded upon seeing this, as if he had not expected it:
"You've come at the perfect time."
"While everyone's attention is diverted, let's go to Zixiao Palace. Since Jun wants to hold a grand sacrifice for all living beings, let's lend him a hand!"
(End of this chapter)