Above the Light Pillar, after the splendor of golden radiance, there suddenly fell flurries of snowflakes. Upon closer inspection, these were actually inscrutable talismans. It seemed as though an invisible hand was painting in the void, tracing patterns of flowers cascading from the heavens, descending directly into the Ancestral Master's Hall.
The thunder that had been circling in the sky for a long time could no longer be restrained and, guided by the Light Pillar, it struck down with fury.
A pale blue light wave spread out, weaving through the peaks and ravines at the Sect's Mountain Gate. As it soared into the sky, it blossomed like a thousand-petaled lotus flower—this was the Sect Mountain Guardian Array activating. Before the first wave had even settled, a second and then a third wave followed, with bright lights emanating from the most prominent mountain peaks of the Sect, such as Touching Sky Peak, Chessboard Peak, Containing Truth Peak, and Flying Chain Peak, weaving an expansive but not overly dense protective barrier.
Above the Nine Heavens, a wave of Azure Void Demon Shadows, as the vanguard of Sky Demons, poured down amidst ghostly whispers, attempting to infiltrate through the massive gaps, only to be vaporized on the spot.
The talismans continued to fall as before.
Meanwhile, Yu Ci observed a curious play of light and shadow that seemed to gather the talismans, causing them to transform of their own accord.
He rose to his feet and stepped out of the building, with Zhang Yan following closely behind.
As Yu Ci stood in the open space outside the building, he felt at least a dozen gazes upon him. Through his senses and interactions over the past two days, he knew that there were at least five Golden Elixir cultivators present, including two at the Upper Level, and one particularly powerful cultivator from the Vacuum Walking Realm keeping watch. Although a wave of cultivators had recently returned from the Outer Realm of the Nine Heavens to bolster their defenses, the force by his side still occupied at least a quarter of the current Empirical Department's combat strength.
Such extravagance!
Yu Ci remained expressionless as he floated up into the air just outside the house—an action that caused everyone's hearts to tense. However, Yu Ci had no other intention; he simply wanted a broader view.
From this vantage point, he saw that the play of light and shadow was actually a scroll unfolding, as if the pages were being turned by the wind, with rows of vermilion-gold characters flowing endlessly across them.
"That is our Sect's Thunderbolt Tribulation Method, the 'Nine Degrees Refining Physique Chapter,' second only to the 'Heavenly Mansion Nine Degrees Book' as the fundamental classic of our Sect," Li Hong's voice emerged from beside Yu Ci. Turning his head, Yu Ci saw the plump man maintaining his usual smile, though his eyes shone brilliantly, almost dazzlingly: "The Nine Degrees Scripture derives from heaven and earth, inscribed in Divine Script. Unless one is an Earth Immortal, it is indecipherable. Only the Refining Physique Chapter, derived from it, serves as the foundation for our Sect Cultivators' cultivation. Hence, in the world of cultivation methods, none is more precious than the Thunderbolt Tribulation Method, as it is the foundation upon which a Sect may achieve the Earth Immortal's Great Mystical Powers."
"Is that so..." Yu Ci responded indifferently.
The rotund man lifted his head, gazing into the distance at the magnificent scenery, seemingly lost in thought: "I reminisce about those days when, in the Cultivation World, sword cultivation was paramount. With the emergence of the Sword Competing Pavilion, Buddhism, Taoism, demons, monsters, and the like all paled in comparison. Even my sect, secluded in the Broken Realm Mountain, was not immune to the impact and our Daoist Orthodoxy Inheritance began to falter. At that time, our sect had several exceptional individuals who, seeing the sect's precarious state, were deeply concerned. With great resolve, they built upon the existing foundations of Morality, Theory, and Discipline by adding a new Mechanism, drawing on the merits of the Hundred Sects. They forcefully carved out a cultivation shortcut, significantly enhancing our sect's combat power and stabilizing the situation. That was the precursor to our Empirical Department."
Yu Ci crossed his arms and remained silent.
Li Hong turned his face back, staring at him: "Later, the tragic defeat of the eight thousand sword cultivators in the western campaign marked the decline of the sword cultivation path. The Cultivation World was undergoing earth-shaking changes, and our Lichen Sect was situated in the most sensitive of places, fraught with crises and unpredictable disasters. It was our Empirical Department that, in the midst of calamity, produced three great Thunderbolt Tribulation Grandmasters in quick succession, forcefully maintaining the sect's Daoist succession and preventing its extinction.
"Since then, in the era of the Five Tribulations, our department has seen a flourishing of talent. However, the several Sect Founders of those years, after all, were intent on creating a shortcut and none stood at the true Earth Immortal Level. As a result, the Thunderbolt Tribulation Method derived from the 'Nine Degrees Refining Physique Chapter' had significant flaws. Since the inception of the Empirical Department, during the Six Times Four Nine Catastrophes, seven great Thunderbolt Tribulation Grandmasters have failed in their attempts, with only Grandmaster Fang surviving... Until today, Grandmaster Fang is about to use his newly deduced method to remedy the flaws in the Thunderbolt Tribulation Method. The ups and downs of this endeavor have been arduous—do you understand the gravity of this, Junior Brother Yu?"
"So, the other departments turn a blind eye to Grandmaster Fang's actions?"
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Li Hong's chubby face still wore a smile, but his eyes were as cold as frosty blades: "Do you also turn a blind eye to the lives and futures of the thousands of disciples in the Empirical Department?"
At that moment, countless people were dumbfounded, no one had expected that Li Hong, known for his good temper, would get into an argument with Yu Ci. Zhang Yan and Li You rushed forward to separate the two who were nearly coming to blows, but neither of them budged. Yu Ci even stretched out his hand, pointing toward the distant sky.
"I understand that this is a matter of life and death, but can't someone else take my place? If Grandmaster Fang can elevate a cultivator who barely stepped into the Golden Elixir Stage to the Realm of the True Being within seventy years, what difficulty would there be, inside or outside the sect, to replace me? Why must it be..."
There are certain things one ought not to say in public. Zhang Yan, trailing behind, twisted his arm as a warning. Just then, a thunderous boom resounded, shaking the entire sky. In the direction of the Sky-Supporting Mountain Pillar, blinding chains of lightning twisted into bundles, striking with an intensity far beyond the ordinary.
Now was the critical moment!
It was then that Zhang Yan found the opportunity to speak, "Junior Brother Yu, be cautious with your words! Elder Li bears no ill will..."
Yu Ci was well aware of this. It was hard to tell with Li Hong's smiling face, but an angry Li Hong must be holding some sincerity. Otherwise, with his profound and deep thoughts, why would he bother to get upset? The seemingly smooth-talking, rotund man also had his own stances and persistence.
Yu Ci felt the same.
He looked towards Li Hong, who was now intensely gazing in the direction of the Ancestral Master's Hall. His plump figure twisted awkwardly, his body language clearly asking:
Will it succeed? Will it succeed?
In response to the Sky-Supporting Mountain Pillar, the speed at which the Rune Patterns fell upon the Ancestral Master's Hall slowed, and the air seemed to congeal and freeze. All the cultivators at the sect's mountain gate held their breath in anticipation.
Suddenly, from above the Nine Heavens, there came a rustling sound. The pitch-black sky tore open a huge rift, and a dazzling light shone through, revealing a blood-red river stretching across the heavens. It plummeted sharply, winding through the canyons and mountains as if it could extend indefinitely, connecting the heavens and the earth, as if one could cross it by boat.
In this way, it somewhat resembled the layout of the Heavenly River connected to the sect's mountain gate.
Wherever the blood light river flowed, the Sect Mountain Guardian Array suddenly triggered another wave of tremors. In the center of the blossoming "Thousand-Petal Lotus," another wave of light burst forth, but this time it converged in a fixed direction.
The convergence point was right below the Sky-Supporting Mountain Pillar.
The surging spiritual pressure, like a tide, rushed up and triggered a certain mechanism. Starting from the base of the mountain pillar, a gigantic Rune Array that spread across the entire pillar lit up, like torches ignited in the night, with flames reaching for the sky. The lightning and fire from above could not penetrate the flames' outer layer and were twisted and torn apart, rendered formless. Outer Realm Sky Demons swarmed above but could only wander the perimeter, instantly vaporized upon contact, unable to escape the fate of spiritual annihilation.
"This is Grandmaster Fang's 'Burning Marrow Blood River,' capable of stimulating the potential of all things, even inanimate objects like Rune Arrays are no exception," Zhang Yan explained softly, then let out a long sigh of relief, "It's settled."
As he said, the previously stagnating Talismans resumed their smooth descent. This, in turn, caused the projections of the scrolls to shine brightly, with countless golden-red characters coming alive like tadpoles, moving and transforming through the void.
The lightning above and the Sky Demons could not break through the Sect Mountain Guardian Array and held back, apprehensive. With this, everything was decided.
Li Hong shouted with enthusiasm, "Excellent!"
At that moment, the cultivators of the Empirical Department were universally invigorated, clapping and celebrating with each other. Even those who lacked passion let out a sigh of relief, having shed a significant burden. Yet, amidst the crowd, there stood one who was out of place, unquestionably Yu Ci.
As Li Hong voiced his approval, Yu Ci turned with a cold expression, and with a booming crash, the door to his dwelling shattered. He strode in forcefully.
Zhang Yan and Li You exchanged glances, intending to follow, but were met with a fierce rebuke: "Get out!"
Both were struck dumb. The anger of a normally placid person is the most fearsome. Whether Yu Ci was considered a placid person was a matter of perspective, but within the Sect, he had always been courteous and polite, never once speaking harshly to his senior brothers. This sudden outburst left them somewhat intimidated.
However, at that moment, a figure appeared before the broken doorway, and a sudden chill pervaded the air.
The newcomer, with a striking silhouette and loose white robes, bore a cold and stern countenance—it was Wang Jiu. Ignoring the warning look from Li You, he proceeded straight into the room. Inside, a loud "bang" echoed, likely the result of a clash between Yu Ci and him. It was a collision between Golden Elixir-level powers. Fortunately, neither exerted their full strength, though it seemed the furniture inside suffered the consequences.
Wang Jiu emerged as if nothing had happened, facing the curious gazes around him, he advised, "It's best not to leave him alone... even so, make sure he stays in the room."
Wang Jiu, usually reserved and taciturn, was also thoughtfully meticulous. With his reminder, the others came to a realization—he was concerned that Yu Ci, having angrily dismissed everyone, might resort to some trickery, hence the need to test the waters by entering the room.
"It's still better to accompany him..." Zhang Yan and Li You exchanged looks, weighing who should stay with Yu Ci.
As they pondered, a chorus of eerie wails arose. Everyone's gaze shot upwards, only to see a swarm of Outer Realm Sky Demons breaking through the defense array, making their way here. The density of the Sky Demons at the Sect's Mountain Gate had reached a perilous threshold. No matter how strong the Sect Mountain Guardian Array was, it couldn't completely seal the Sect's Mountain Gate.
Zhou Yu's earlier mention of "defending" was not entirely without merit.
As the wave of Outer Realm Sky Demons surged forward, the cultivators remained undaunted, drawing swords and chanting spells, each displaying their Divine Power.
The Sky Demons cared not for the distinction between inside and outside—they were only interested in the fluctuations of the human heart, using them to identify their targets. Yu Ci, inside the room, was a prime bait.
Almost immediately, shadowy Demon forms flickered, attempting to seep into the room. But in the next instant, the building pulsated with the light of talismanic spirits, devouring two Thought Demons that tried to penetrate the room, vanishing without a trace. Then, a Sword Energy sliced through the air, obliterating another evil spirit.
"Younger Brother Yu's cultivation level has become even more refined."
Those in the know couldn't help but marvel. This stroke of the Foggy Sword Divine was astonishingly lethal, rivaling even the likes of Li Hong and Wang Jiu.