Ding! Your second disciple, Ye Chen, has achieved First Level Transcendent Realm in Spirit Fire Attainment! Synchronizing now!
As the System's voice faded, a pure, gentle stream of energy flowed into Lu Xuan's Dantian, subtly enhancing his cultivation foundation. A pleasant, tingling sensation spread through him. Simultaneously, a cluster of profound insights blossomed in his mind, scattering like starlight before instantly integrating into his being.
Lu Xuan chuckled, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Not bad at all, not bad."
"This journey into the Bronze Ancient Palace… Ji Fuyao and Ye Chen are practically guaranteed to Attain Emperor!"
Before long, Chen Changsheng arrived, bearing steaming dishes that filled the air with their enticing aroma. The two of them began to eat.
Chen Changsheng couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration. His Master truly possessed a unique kind of magic, remaining so utterly calm and composed no matter the circumstances—even if Chen Changsheng himself had been the one handling all the recent battles. He still had so much to learn from Master.
Along the way, he'd gained profound insights into the Scripture of Non-Action. He mused that Non-Action and Action were two sides of the same coin, dialectically unified. To hide in the shadows, striking unseen, was a form of Non-Action. To unleash a thunderous, direct strike was also, in its own way, Non-Action.
Chen Changsheng took another bite, a subtle Dao Rhyme flowing around him. "Master," he asked, "what do you believe Non-Action truly is?"
Lu Xuan's gaze seemed to pierce through the very fabric of reality. "Non-Action isn't something you can argue your way into, Changsheng," he said, his voice calm. "It's something you comprehend. The more you try to intellectualize it, the more it slips away. But if you simply stop thinking, stop debating, then one day, you'll find yourself effortlessly stepping into the Transcendent Realm of Non-Action."
Chen Changsheng froze, a subtle tremor running through him. Master's words! They contained an immense amount of profound information, a hazy, ethereal mystery that resonated deep within his Dao Heart.
He continued to eat, his mind reeling with thought.
Lu Xuan continued, "Some things, the more you chase them, the more they elude your grasp."
Chen Changsheng's eyes widened. He understood. A moment later, he let out a long sigh. "I was too attached to the superficial form," he murmured, a profound realization dawning on him.
Non-Action itself was a state of 'nothingness.' His relentless pursuit to dissect its mysteries had, in fact, been a lower-tier approach all along. Quickly, his agitated mind settled, achieving a rare tranquility.
He glanced at Lu Xuan, subtly observing him. So carefree, so unrestrained, so utterly calm even if a spiritual mountain crumbled before him…
Meeting Chen Changsheng's gaze, Lu Xuan offered a faint, knowing smile. "Third Brother," he said, "keep learning. There's no end to it."
Chen Changsheng nodded, absorbing every word.
Before long, Lu Xuan finished his meal and leaned back, stretching out leisurely. He gazed up at the magnificent, ever-shifting Dao Patterns that painted the firmament above, his heart as calm and unperturbed as a still lake.
Chen Changsheng broke the comfortable silence. "Master, along this journey, we've seen immense killing intent directed at our Grand Dao Sect, from foreign races, the Demon Race, and even ancient overlord-tier factions. My Wooden Puppet Clone has sent back urgent news: countless forces are now actively targeting the Grand Dao Sect!"
Lu Xuan merely raised an eyebrow, his tone utterly unconcerned. "Any sign of Tianyuan Old Ancestor and the others?"
"I've already located them," Chen Changsheng replied, "They're currently being hunted by a combined force from Dark Shadow Island and the Demon Race! However, Tianyuan Old Ancestor and his group seem to be holding their own for now."
Lu Xuan simply leaned back further, an 'Old God is here' aura radiating from him. "Against absolute power, numbers are utterly meaningless."
Chen Changsheng took another bite, a faint Dao Rhyme swirling around him. "Master," he asked, "when do you plan to make your move?"
"No rush, no rush," Lu Xuan replied, his voice a languid drawl. "When the time is right, I'll naturally make my move."
An hour later, they resumed their journey.
Over the past few days, news of Lu Xuan and Chen Changsheng casually traversing the Emperor Realm Area had spread like wildfire, sending shockwaves through the various major powers. Could Lu Xuan and Chen Changsheng actually be Emperor Realm Experts all this time?
Otherwise, how could they survive? The Emperor Realm Area was a treacherous expanse, riddled with terrifying Heaven and Earth Momentum, haunted by Outer World Yin Soldiers, and even home to humanoid creatures from the Outer World, corrupted by the insidious Eerie Power. Even High-star Great Emperors had to tread with extreme caution here. With Lu Xuan's supposed Qi Refining Stage cultivation, he should have been instantly annihilated by the overwhelming Eerie Power of this place!
Yet, some reported seeing Lu Xuan lounging casually in a chair, utterly at ease. Others claimed to have witnessed him and Chen Changsheng enjoying a leisurely meal. Meanwhile, every Great Emperor who had boldly declared their intention to capture Lu Xuan and Chen Changsheng, hoping to leverage them against the Grand Dao Sect, had vanished without a trace. This left countless Great Emperors scratching their heads in deep suspicion. What in the blazes was going on with this Lu Xuan kid? Wasn't he just in the Qi Refining Stage?!
Upon hearing these reports, the Grand Dao Sect's Old Ancestors merely chuckled and shook their heads. Within the Bronze Ancient Palace, Lu Xuan was the least of their concerns. That's the White Robe Great Emperor possessing him! the Old Ancestors mused internally. It seems our White Robe Daoist Friend is indeed an Emperor Realm Expert; otherwise, he would have long since been shunted into the Supreme Area of the palace.
Meanwhile, Lu Xuan and Chen Changsheng continued their leisurely advance.
They were currently deep within a terrifying True Dragon Bloodshed Stance, a landscape where chilling Great Emperor Dao Patterns permeated the very air, triggering the Heavenly Dao Killing Intent of the region. From the shadows, cold, predatory eyes fixated on Lu Xuan.
Above Lu Xuan's head, the Dao Patterns of the True Dragon Bloodshed Stance constantly shifted and evolved, morphing from a boundless starry sky to a world on the brink of collapse, then to a fleeting glimpse of the River of Time, showing the eons of change in this realm. Here, one simply couldn't trust their own eyes! This was the true terror of the Emperor Realm Area. The Bronze Ancient Palace's rules enveloped the entire Emperor Realm Area, ensuring that anyone who dared approach these terrifying terrains would be inexorably drawn into their depths.
Lu Xuan activated his Insight Eye, effortlessly discerning every intricate Dao Pattern and Restriction woven into the very fabric of this treacherous land. He paused, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, as he spotted a humanoid creature, Covered in Red Hair, lurking deep within a hidden cavern.
Chen Changsheng's Divine Sense also pinpointed the eerie existence. "Master," he warned, his voice low, "it's covered in Eerie Power and Ominous Power."
Lu Xuan, however, merely observed with a casual curiosity. This was his first encounter with such a creature. The dense Red Hair covered the creature like a grotesque blanket. Despite eons of erosion, it still appeared remarkably smooth, with faint strands of Dao Rhyme flickering within its crimson depths. He scrutinized it with genuine interest, examining it from head to toe, then back again. After a moment, Lu Xuan finally spoke, a wry grin spreading across his face. "Well, I'll be damned," he muttered, "Brother Dong never lies!"
In that instant, the humanoid creature, sensing their presence, let out a guttural roar and lunged at Lu Xuan and Chen Changsheng, eager to devour their Life Force.
Chen Changsheng merely flicked his wrist. Several black Array Disks shot forth, unleashing brilliant Formation Patterns that surged like a cosmic river, instantly ensnaring the humanoid creature in a powerful Restriction.
The two continued their journey, unperturbed.
Lu Xuan, a hint of genuine curiosity in his voice, turned to Chen Changsheng. "Third Brother," he mused, "by all accounts, you're an old fossil yourself. How is it that you haven't been tainted by Eerie Power or Ominous Power?"
Chen Changsheng's face twitched almost imperceptibly. "Master," he replied, "I possess certain… undisclosed methods. This matter touches upon some deep secrets of the Southern Wilds."
Lu Xuan didn't press the issue. If Third Brother wanted to be a 'Gou Dao' master, who was he to stop him?
Before long, they arrived at a Great Tomb—the very cultivation retreat of the red-haired creature. Chen Changsheng produced an ancient iron shovel and, under Lu Xuan's casual guidance, began to systematically dismantle the Formation Patterns protecting the tomb. He meticulously plundered every single treasure within, leaving nothing behind.
From a distance, the red-haired creature watched, its eyes burning with impotent rage. Though its consciousness had long been eroded by the endless passage of time, leaving only a primal survival instinct, Lu Xuan's blatant plundering still infuriated it, causing it to leap and thrash in its confinement. Before they left, Lu Xuan even waved a casual farewell to the red-haired creature. The creature, already seething, exploded with fury. It could endure eons of desolate solitude, but Lu Xuan's utter nonchalance was simply unbearable!
As they finally stepped out of the True Dragon Bloodshed Stance, the Transmission Jade Slip tucked into Lu Xuan's robe vibrated faintly. He extended a wisp of his Divine Sense into it, and Cangyuan Old Ancestor's frantic voice echoed in his mind. Cangyuan Old Ancestor was calling for help! "Several Old Ancestors from the Cang Lineage have been surrounded by numerous High-star Great Emperors!"
"We'll be right there!" Lu Xuan said immediately, his voice still calm, but with a hint of decisive action.
The next instant, Lu Xuan and Chen Changsheng stepped forward. Divine Radiance surged beneath their feet, transforming them into two blazing Divine Arcs that shot straight towards the distant horizon.
Meanwhile, a dilapidated palace stood precariously atop a desolate mountain range—the ruins of an ancient sect. The surrounding mountains stretched into the misty distance, vast and ancient. Countless cave dwellings lay in ruins, and the bleached bones of powerful cultivators littered the ground, as if their lives had been extinguished in a single, devastating moment.
Within a concealed stone hall, Cangyuan Old Ancestor and his companions had deployed a Heaven-reaching Defense Array, hunkering down to await their fate. They had just attempted to send a Transmission Jade Slip to the "Heaven" Lineage Old Ancestor, but received no reply. Yet, a message to the White Robe Great Emperor had, astonishingly, been answered.
At that very moment, within a radius of several dozen miles, three Nine-star Great Emperors from the Demon Court, leading a host of High-star Great Emperors from the Demon Race, were relentlessly hunting for them! A grey-robed Old Ancestor clutched his bleeding chest, his face pale. "Cangyuan," he gasped, "who exactly is this White Robe Great Emperor?"
Cangyuan Old Ancestor shook his head, a bewildered expression on his face. "I don't know," he admitted. "This Daoist Friend seems to have simply swept into existence from nowhere. I've guarded the Grand Dao Sect for over a millennium, and I never once sensed his aura. He only suddenly appeared last year, right after Lu Xuan took Ji Fuyao as his disciple!"
The others frowned, deep in thought.
Just then, a thunderous BOOM! ripped through the air, followed by a sharp CRACK! The void itself tore open, and space twisted violently. An immense, abyssal Great Demon Aura, characteristic of a Nine-star Emperor Realm expert, billowed forth from the tearing void. Three Nine-star Great Emperors emerged, their presence like an overwhelming tide, followed by over a dozen High-star Great Emperors from the Demon Race.
The Divine Sense of the Nine-star Emperor Realm Great Demon was boundless, sweeping across the ancient ruins. In an instant, it pinpointed the concealed stone hall where Cangyuan Old Ancestor and his group were hiding. One Star, One World! The Cang Lineage's strongest Old Ancestor was merely a Seven-star Great Emperor. Before the might of a Nine-star Emperor Realm expert, they had absolutely nowhere to hide!
The Nine-star Emperor Realm Great Demon let out a contemptuous sneer, its voice cold and echoing. "Grand Dao Sect! You dared to slaughter the people of my Demon Court. Today, you will face your retribution—"
Before it could even finish its threat, the void tore open again. CRACK! BOOM! Lu Xuan, accompanied by Chen Changsheng, slowly stepped out of the newly formed spatial rift.