The whole Heavenly Court was quiet when he walks in. More damaged than he ever was, the Heavenly Saint regalness still silent everyone's question. There was dried blood on his clothes, his own blood, the Heavenly Saint still walks without fear into the Royal Banquet.
"Master?!" Lang Li asks in surprise
...This fellow. Just what was he doing?!
With that beautiful hand, he sheathes his sword, handing it to the heaven guard, giving the Zhang Emperor some face. Even if they know the Heavenly Saint overshadow the Emperor, especially with the Heavenly Emperor's strange illness within the recent years, they don't dare to announce it out loud, after all even Zheng Jie himself gives the Heavenly Emperor some face, who are they, greater then the Sect Master of the Heavenly Sword Sect?
The old cultivator, whose hair is gray stands up in joy. This fellow, Zheng Jie, even if you invite him, he wouldn't even come, let alone giving you face in front of every Daoist present.
The Heavenly Emperor who was once a cultivator on par with the Sect Master of the Heavenly Sword Sect is now only a shadow of his former self. He has aged considerably. And while Zheng Jie advances, he has stagnated. The old Emperor of the Nine Cloud Kingdom was thinking that if that old fellow of his was to come out of that lonely abode of his, he would have told him to his face that it must be because of his over-indulgence and that he should absolve his cultivation and come train in the Sword Saint Abode again, never minding that they are equal.
The Heavenly Emperor glances at Zheng Jie's disciple, a plain girl with no talents to speak of, fitting of someone Zheng Jie would choose. However even if she has no talents, even staying within the divine sense of the Sword Saint should have provided untold benefit, even someone with no talents whatsoever, a mortal, would have made progress by leap and bound by now. And yet even now, she did not improve at all. Some laughs at the talentless disciple of the Heavenly Sword Saint, but the Heavenly Emperor could only laugh at them. Would they laugh at the Heavenly Saint too, who was once exactly the same?
This fellow is extremely strange, but the single-mindedness of that method of his can only be admired.
...However, it seems that he did not even tell the poor girl. For a while now, the disciple of the Heavenly Sword Saint did not have the composure of the sole disciple of the Saint at all. She is doubting herself for failing to increase her cultivation for so many years.
...This fellow is indeed strange, sometime the Heavenly Emperor wonders if being too enlightened is a curse. After all, if he was as enlightened as Zheng Jie, he wouldn't be married to a wonderful woman right now. Thinking about what they are going to do later...The Emperor of the Nine Cloud Kingdom could only lick his lips.
"The Heavenly Saint, the Heavenly Saint! Just what fortuitous wind has brought you here today? It seems you have a breakthrough again. Congratulation, Congratulation!"
The Heavenly Emperor did not mention the blood on his clothes, since the Heavenly Saint has given him face, it's time to repay the favor in kind. After all, anyone who pick a fight with Zheng Jie wouldn't have a happy end anyway.
Zheng Jie raises his hand
"It's nothing. Nothing. I just went through with business that I have decided a long time ago. And with that I gain enlightenment."
"And what business is that?" Suddenly, the Heavenly Queen utters at that moment, her beautiful voice rings through the entire court, shaking even the most powerful cultivator to their core. A veil draped down on the floor, covering the figure of the Heavenly Queen that can only excite curiosity within any male cultivators in the same room as her. There are 10,000 cultivators within the room, all are considered the most respected masters of the entire cultivation world, all are shaken with curiosity and excitement for the beauty of the Heavenly Queen. From the way she moves, for her trillions of men would fight to the death. For her beautiful ringing voice, 10,000 masters are shaken.
She moves one of her finger, 10,000 pair of eyes follow those movement, even the palace guards was enchanted seeing her skin for the first time. It is like a lock whose key was hidden, behind it hides the ultimate taboo. Would it hurts, just for a little bit to break the taboo? It was the thought on the mind of every cultivators within the room. The deadly excitement, even just for one moment would be enough. That moment would be forever recorded within their mind for the rest of eternity.
The world cannot understand, the indescribable hunger at that moment. Why does beauty exist within this world? To cause men to fall into sorrow?
At that moment, the Heavenly Queen uses her one finger to lift her veil, regarding her husband and the rarely appear in public Heavenly Saint. It was a sight only for the two of them, even master who can see hundreds of million kilometers away could not discern that unforgettable face no matter how hard they try. And they try. At least within acceptable parameters that wouldn't get them hunted down by the Heavenly Emperor and the Heaven army.
The Heavenly Emperor did not feel any jealousy within his heart at that moment however, because after all...
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The other person who saw the Heavenly Queen's visage is unfazed. The Heavenly Saint stands alone under heaven, like a straight rod, never bending.
"The Devil Cultivators within heaven and earth. They are gone." Zheng Jie smiles serenely.
Confusion, then murmured whispers. They all know Zheng Jie's disdain for the Devil art, however how many Devil cultivators are there in this world? Devil cultivators nothing, just how many participle continents are there? Within the Nine Cloud Kingdom, there are nine continents layered upon each other. Below the Nine Cloud Kingdom are the endless participle continents, within moment, countless more continents would appear. That is why the Heavenly Emperor is revered through out the world, he unified the Nine Upper continent, interfering with the lower continents, something that has never been done before. Of course there would be stray cultivator who could not survive within the upper continent and fled to a lower continent being a big fish within a small pond, but an establish power house reaching down to nine continents below is unheard of. He unified all nine continents, forming one singular government.
From now on, cultivators wouldn't wander meanderingly after ascending anymore, they now all one singular familiar structure to familiarize themselves. The Heavenly Saint appreciates the great will of the Heavenly Emperor. From now on, there is system to unify the cultivator from even the lower realm, even providing basic education for them so that they do not make simple pit fall is possible. And that is why the branch sect of the Heavenly Sword Sect was created within the various location in the Nine Cloud Kingdom with the cooperation of the Heavenly Emperor. All to create a future for their junior. On this part, outside of the Heavenly Emperor and the Sect Master of the Heavenly Sword Sect, nobody understand.
However, the issue still remain, there are countless participle continents below the Nine Cloud Kingdom, and on each continents, who know how many Devil Cultivators are born at any given moment? Exterminating the Devil Path is therefor impossible. It is a great task that is almost akin to reaching the Heavenly Dao.
However it was the Heavenly Saint who says those words, who dare refutes it? Even still it is impossible. Just how did he-
There was a cost.
The blood on his robe is the proof. It is Zheng Jie's own blood.
"Enlightenment, isn't it more a Great Evil? There are countless untold lives who walk the Devil Path, all have their reasons, even those who only start walking down the path. Would you call them unsavable? Trillions upon trillions upon trillions-"
"Dear-" The Heavenly Emperor tries to defuse the dangerous situation between his wife and the sect master of the Heavenly Sword Sect. It could get really out of hand.
"Those who stray down too far cannot be saved anymore, those who can be however, I absolve their cultivation."
He didn't refute it!
The masters in the room stare nervously at Zheng Jie. Exterminating all Devil Path Cultivator within the Heaven and Earth is one thing, an impossible task akin to reaching the Heavenly Dao, exterminating those who can't be saved, and absolve the cultivation of those who can be however, that speak of control that is equally more impossible. Just what is this fellow?
Zheng Jie has attained enlightenment.
His great will within this life is to slay all Devils. In all of Heaven and Earth, the task is completed. However there is a place that is impossibly far out of his reach.
Yan Yu.
He has determined that the Devil Path Ancestor is not of Heaven and Earth. Does there exist a place where Devil Cultivators roam freely?
If such a place exist, with such master on the Devil Path, it must surely be someplace akin to hell. They must not be allowed to exist, all of them. The one who could be saved will have their cultivation absolve, those who could not be will die. That is the Heavenly Saint's Great Will.
No matter how much Karma backlash will be caused, the deed has to be done. Devil Path cultivators are not allowed to exist.
The once joyful Royal Banquet was now impossibly cold. Everyone was given a fright. Even the Heavenly Emperor, with all his wisdom could no discern Zheng Jie, just how close is this fellow to the Heavenly Dao? However, reading the situation, he realizes something is wrong.
"And why are you here?..." The Heavenly Emperor asks slowly, giving him face at the start... is this fellow going to-
"On my quest, short as it is, I have discern that there is a place where Devils are safe. Perhaps the jade wall of the Heavenly Palace is too high that it hides even Devils."
"You-"
With indignation and rage, the Heavenly Emperor was about to act, however in the next moment, he becomes extremely wary.
There is a small almost imperceptible change on the Sword Saint's face, a strange emotion appears on that ever unchanging face of the Heavenly Saint, of his old companion.
Nobody except Zheng Jie notices this but...
It was a System Notice
"Devil Path Ancestor, Yan Yu has challenged you to a 1v1 battle. Accept?
Yes/No"