Chapter 261: Righteousness

Chapter 261: Righteousness

Mu Juncheng stared at Ji Jingqiu, feeling a sense of strangeness in his old friend.

They had trained together on the Nine Provinces Ancient Road less than a year ago, but how could Ji Jingqiu already surpass the Celestial Warriors?

But this wasn't the only thing that made Mu Juncheng feel estranged.

He looked at the Mu Clan's Divine Armament hovering above Ji Jingqiu's head and the manifested Tribulation Bodhimanda of Many Lives, and couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

Was this the secret that the Ancestor and Third Grandpa were hiding?" He suddenly understood why the Ancestor had told him that even if the Mu Clan stood against Ji Jingqiu, their lineage must support him without reservation...

Because Ji Jingqiu was the Ancestor's Heir!

If they were to follow the generational order, how should he address Ji Jingqiu now? Mu Juncheng gave a bitter smile.

His old friend had suddenly become a superior generation.

A question suddenly popped into his mind.

When did Ji Jingqiu become the Ancestor's Heir? He found the answer when he looked at Mu Xueying.

It seemed that back then, when he was at the Four Guardians Star, he had been competing with the Ancestor's chosen heir...

...

Mu Tianrui's face turned red, and his chest heaved with emotion. But when he saw Mu Xuantong's self-inflicted corpse, his emotions vanished like a bucket of ice water poured onto a bonfire.

A chill ran through his heart and lungs.

In that fleeting moment, countless thoughts raced through his mind, and his gaze shifted between Mu Xueying and Ji Jingqiu.

At this moment, the emotions that welled up within him were a mix of shock and anger, or perhaps shock and fear.

Neither, because no matter which, it wouldn't change the current reality.

The wonders of Hellfire Buddha Prison couldn't be fake, nor could the support of the Divine Armament or the betrayal of the Ancestral Star.

In that instant, Mu Tianrui even wondered if Ji Jingqiu had used his Formless Dao Body to 'imitate' this.

But without the 'original' in the world, where could Ji Jingqiu have gone to imitate? He immediately accepted Ji Jingqiu's identity as the Ancestor's Heir, and his face gradually turned pale as he quickly connected the dots and anticipated the upcoming developments.

He didn't even refute Ji Jingqiu's words.

He was the Heir of the Venerable One, the Ancestor's Heir! Whatever he said must be right, at least for the Mu Clan.

The Mu Clan must support his words and actions; otherwise, they would be denying the Venerable One's lineage, the Ancestor, and the legitimacy of the Mu Clan itself.

Most importantly, Ji Jingqiu wasn't just an empty title. With the blessing of the Divine Armament and the support of the entire planet's will, he was nearly invincible on the Mu Clan's Ancestral Star.

His position was justified, and he deserved it... Who could stop him?

Was there still a chance to turn things around?

At this moment, Mu Tianrui seemed to hear the whispered temptations of the Heavenly Demon in his ear, asking if he acknowledged it...

This left Mu Tianrui, who had never experienced such a situation, stunned and dazed, with a mix of sorrow and laughter.

According to Mu Xueying's words, wasn't he now 'acknowledged' by the Heavenly Demon as a direct descendant of the Mu Clan? When Mu Tianrui subconsciously looked at the reactions of the Celestial Warriors on his side, a chill enveloped him.

The Venerated Celestial Warriors showed no expression, and there was no sign of them intervening again, especially the one who had previously drawn his sword to stop Mu Xuantong. He looked at Mu Xuantong's corpse with disdain.

Even the remaining Celestial Warriors from the side branches hesitated and took a step back when Mu Tianrui's gaze swept over them, as if drawing a clear line between themselves and Mu Xuantong.

For the former, this person was the Heir of the Venerable One, the Mu Commander's Heir.

And for the Mu Clan's descendants, this person was the Ancestor's chosen heir! The incident where Mu Xuantong was tainted by the Heavenly Demon's power was still fresh in their minds, and this alone had caused them to lose their 'righteousness.' Now, they were going against the Heir of the Venerable One.

Moreover, this person had just entered the Four Steps of Heart and could rival the Celestial Warriors. With the protection of the Divine Armament, there was almost no risk of death in the current Great Universe, and he was destined to shine in the Federation.

And what about Mu Tianrui?

Did he even need to choose?

The Federation wasn't blind, and it wasn't yet night.

There was no more to say.

With the appearance of the Heir of the Venerable One, all internal struggles within the Mu Clan seemed laughable.

The sudden reversal of the situation stemmed from Ji Jingqiu's display of strength and identity.

Mu Tianrui's face became expressionless, and his spirit seemed to be drained, not even responding to Ji Jingqiu's taunts.

At this moment, Mu Xueying stepped forward and glanced at Mu Xuantong's corpse with a complex expression.

Both he and Mu Xuantong were of the 'Xuan' generation in the clan, but Mu Xueying had not chosen the path of martial arts, and Mu Xuantong had not followed the Ancestor's path.

Unexpectedly, Mu Xuantong had been corrupted by the Four Demons at some point and had become a believer of the Heavenly Demon.

The Mu Clan had produced a believer of the Heavenly Demon, and he was a Celestial Warrior with great power...

If this news got out, it would be a laughingstock and would completely shake the Mu Clan's standing in the hearts of the Federation's citizens.

He sighed softly, and the earlier desire to 'humiliate Mu Tianrui' faded significantly. Feeling a sense of ennui, he didn't even glance at Mu Tianrui but turned to prevent the spread of the Heavenly Demon's power).

He turned to look at Ji Jingqiu and said with relief, "Not long ago, the Divine Armament Ancestor exhibited strange phenomena, and I guessed it was related to you. I thought either the Divine Armament Ancestor would seek you out or you would soon visit the Mu Clan."

"Old man, it's been a while!"

Ji Jingqiu held great respect for Mu Xueying, who could be considered his martial arts mentor.

If not for that 【Hellfire Buddha Prison Contemplation Diagram】

Perhaps he could still find a way to survive, but never would he achieve the success he has today.

This visualization chart completely altered his life's trajectory and endowed him with the strength to face anything head-on.

"Today, I've made a fool of myself." Mu Xueying sighed, his voice tinged with self-mockery, "A Mu Clan descendant has become a believer of the Heavenly Demon. What an irony!"

The other Mu Clan warriors' expressions changed slightly upon hearing this, and they exchanged glances, their eyes filled with vigilance, finally settling on Mu Tianrui.

Before this, did anyone know that Mu Xuantong had been corrupted by the Heavenly Demon?

And was this attempt to seize control of the direct lineage related to the Heavenly Demon?

Mu Tianrui's face turned ashen, "I had no knowledge of this!"

Ji Jingqiu calmly stated, "This isn't something you can decide."

"Next, all members of the Mu Clan will undergo an inspection." Ji Jingqiu turned to Mu Xueying and solemnly said, "At this moment, there must be no chaos within the Six Grand Clans. We must eradicate this tribulation at its root."

Mu Xueying didn't hesitate and nodded, and at the same time, he looked at the other Mu Clan Celestial Beings beside him.

The others all stared at Ji Jingqiu with complex expressions.

Another Celestial Being standing at the second stage, Mu Tianxiang, suddenly asked, "Ji Shijie, have you truly cultivated the Flame Mansion Buddhist Hell Meditation Diagram?"

Ji Jingqiu's gaze swept over, and he calmly replied, "If not, how could the Divine Armament have chosen to support me?"

The crowd's smiles were uncertain, a mix of joy and bitterness. Their emotions were complex.

In their eyes, Ji Jingqiu's title as the first genius in ten thousand years, or He Shuai's heir, or even his earlier impressive display against the Celestial Beings...

None of it compared to his cultivation of the Flame Mansion Buddhist Hell Meditation Diagram.

As Mu Clan descendants, how many of them hadn't tried this inherited art of the ancestors with high hopes?

In the end, they all failed, without exception.

Mu Tianxiang remained silent for a moment, then sighed, "As a side branch of the Mu Clan, we welcome the Venerable Lineage Heir's return from tribulations."

The Flame Mansion Buddhist Hell Meditation Diagram was known as the 'Diagram of Ten Thousand Tribulations', and Ji Jingqiu's cultivation of this diagram meant he had indeed returned from tribulations.

After this person bowed, even though Mu Tianrui remained silent, the other Celestial Beings seemed to have found a breakthrough, and they took turns speaking.

As for the Celestial Being venerators, they weren't Mu Clan descendants; they had merely signed a contract with the Mu Clan. Still, they expressed goodwill towards Ji Jingqiu.

Some had been secretly searching for what had happened outside over the past few months, and they were bewildered as Ji Jingqiu suddenly rose to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Celestial Beings.

Especially those who had previously fought Ji Jingqiu, they felt that even without the Divine Armament's assistance, Ji Jingqiu was likely qualified to face the Celestial Beings!

Mu Xueying stepped forward to ask everyone to keep today's incident a secret, preventing news of a Heavenly Demon believer within the Mu Clan from spreading, and to soothe the venerators.

Meanwhile, Ji Jingqiu, led by Mu Juncheng, learned about the current situation of the Mu Clan and met another Mu Clan direct lineage member, Mu Junxin.

This person was a few years older and had entered the Divine Journey early, missing the opportunity to walk the Nine Provinces Ancient Road.

After learning the truth, this person was stunned for a moment and then performed a grand bow to Ji Jingqiu, making Mu Juncheng's mouth twitch; he hadn't even performed the grand bow yet...

From the two of them, Ji Jingqiu learned that the Mu Clan's situation wasn't too good, mainly due to the blood curse issue.

The Mu Clan's direct lineage was in decline, but the side branches were still thriving, producing several Celestial Being warriors, including one at the third stage. However, he had left with the old ancestor, and currently, the strongest in the clan was Mu Anyan.

This person solemnly bowed to Ji Jingqiu according to ancestral customs and, through psychic transmission, Ji Jingqiu learned that he was cultivating the silent dharma of the Venerable Lineage from the Supreme Buddha Sect.

The longer one cultivates this divine ability, the greater its power.

The Mu Chan Tianyuan Elder had obtained the Venerable Lineage inheritance from the Supreme Buddha Sect, which included the cultivation method for this art.

Afterwards.

Mu Tianrui was restrained and imprisoned deep within the ancestral residence, and their entire lineage would be implicated.

As for the other Celestial Beings, they were in a state of making amends while restricted, their personal freedom curtailed, and their influence within the clan reduced to the lowest, but they still maintained a semblance of Celestial Being dignity.

In Mu Xueying's words, the Mu Clan couldn't afford turmoil, and regardless of which side won this battle, the outcome would be largely the same.

Mu Xueying and Mu Tianxiang first suppressed the news of the Venerable Lineage Heir's return and then, in their respective names, summoned the Mu Clan descendants to the ancestral house.

Everyone thought it was a matter of determining superiority between the two lineages, but when they gathered, Mu Tianxiang and Mu Anyan personally took action, not even sparing the other Celestial Beings.

They carefully examined and searched for other Heavenly Demon believers, especially those Mu Clan descendants who were close to Mu Xuantong.

In the end, they found several Heavenly Demon believers within the side branches, their expressions turning ugly. They wanted to question them, but the divine power within their bodies suddenly started to burn on its own, and even the Celestial Beings' intervention was futile because their connection was too deep. They died in extreme agony.

Mu Xueying sternly warned the clan members with the tragic state of these people, saying this was the consequence of associating with the Four Fiends and forgetting their ancestors.

For a moment, unease, panic, and heaviness enveloped the Mu Clan.

At this moment, Mu Xueying took the opportunity to inform them that the Venerable Lineage Heir had been decided, and someone had cultivated the Supreme Visualization Chart left by the ancestors and gained the recognition of the ancestral Divine Armament.

The revelation of this news instantly caused a stir, shifting everyone's attention and sweeping away the previous atmosphere of despondency and unease.

...

That night, Ji Jingqiu sat in meditation in the ancestral house where Commander Mu had once resided.

The green lantern, having bound itself to him, hovered in the void, constantly by his side.

At this moment, a heart moon slowly blossomed on his forehead.

What exactly was this heart moon?

Even Haila couldn't figure it out and wasn't sure if he had unlocked the psychic vault or not.

It was a fusion of his divine perception, wisdom light, divinity, innate divine talent, and even psychic power.

The convergence of various powers formed the heart moon on his forehead.

With this heart moon, Ji Jingqiu could easily enter a state of tenfold heaven and human unity and even sense a certain planetary will in the depths of his consciousness.

It was like this in the West, and now it was the same on the ancestral star of the Mu family.

Through this heart moon, he could sense certain divine anomalies.

According to Haila, this was usually a planet and the collective will of countless spirits on it. Celestial warriors, when in a state of unity, often sense this during the process of transforming the planet with their own life force field.

Therefore, for celestial warriors, transforming a planet into their own life stance is also a process of aligning with the heavenly heart.

But what Ji Jingqiu saw went far beyond that.

The eyes, shimmering and flickering in the void, carrying the ebb and flow of life, left a deep impression on him.

They seemed... related to the heart ocean.

Ji Jingqiu allowed his mind to merge with the heavens and the earth at this moment.

As he entered the state of unity, his mental perspective soared, and a sense of transcendence, as if overlooking the heavens, the earth, and all things in the palm of his hand, filled his heart.

His mind transformed into a phantom, riding the wind and roaming the heavens and the earth, soaring higher and higher, breaking free from the planet's constraints, and strolling through the universe.

Just as he was enjoying this novel sensation, a wonderful resonance transmitted from the distant starry sky arrived after a long night and crossing the distance of light-years, finally flowing clearly into his heart field.

Ji Jingqiu stopped and gazed towards the distant starry sky.

This feeling was strangely familiar to him, as if it wasn't the first time he had experienced it.

He began to recall and contemplate, and his psychic body unconsciously followed the resonance.

Ji Jingqiu realized that his psychic body was traveling at an incredibly fast speed, as if riding a cloud somersault, one step per light-year, and he couldn't help but feel a little strange.

Fortunately, he sensed the presence of the heart ocean and could always retreat into it, using it as a shortcut back.

Chapter 69

Along the way, he saw scorching white stars floating in the starry sky.

"Universe..."

The four directions, from ancient times to the present, were called the universe.

His mind wandered through the universe, captivated by the wondrous and fantastical landscapes. Unconsciously, he hovered in front of a familiar star.

He gazed into the distance.

On that star—

Sixteen dazzling divine lights, rarely seen by ordinary people, shone in the starry cluster, with four divine lights being the most ethereal, sacred, sublime, pure, and filled with endless divine radiance at its center, radiating throughout the vast federation's territory.

These sixteen divine lights suppressed a dark "abyss" below, like a bottomless valley in the sea where countless waters converged.

And deeper within, there was a world-shaking blade light that seemed to divide the universe in half.

Beneath the blade light, a deep crimson mist loomed, faintly outlining the graceful figure of a human body with a serpentine tail.

"Four Guardians..."

Ji Jingqiu suddenly realized that his psychic power had unknowingly crossed the starry river and brought him to the Four Guardians.

He was curious. The blade light was probably from Elder Xuan Yi, the crimson mist was naturally from La Jiang, the sixteen majestic divine lights were the Four Divine Sovereigns and the Twelve Divine Lords...

Then what was the black vortex beneath the sixteen divine lights? Ji Jingqiu suddenly remembered that La Jiang had once tempted him, saying that the federation still held its greatest secret, related to the federation's foundation.

He looked across the starry river at what the Four Divine Sovereigns were suppressing—was it the federation's hidden secret?

So, were the Divine Sovereigns running out of time, and was this related to this matter?

With these thoughts, the brief relief Ji Jingqiu felt after clearing the Mu family's internal strife faded away.

It wasn't enough. The West was still unstable, and the other five great clans might also have hidden followers of the Four Fiends within them. Additionally, the followers of the Four Fiends were secretly plotting to attack the Four Guardians...

All these matters couldn't and wouldn't be handled by Ji Jingqiu alone.

But Ji Jingqiu still felt a sense of urgency, fortunately aided by the divine armament.

Ji Jingqiu remained silent for a long time.

It was time.

After pacifying the Western turmoil, he would invite the federation's hundred lineages to gather and complete the remaining hundred lineage challenges in one go, hoping that the lineages wouldn't feel he was taking advantage of them...

Thinking of this, Ji Jingqiu found some "pleasure in adversity" and smiled.

The federation's hundred lineages would be a formidable force.

Even the current six great clans must acknowledge this power.

By suppressing the hundred lineages and then cleansing the six great clans, the federation would find peace.

At that time, even if there were dissenting voices within the federation, they wouldn't affect the overall situation.

Ji Jingqiu contemplated the possible developments and changes that might occur.

Soon after.

The news of the Venerable Lineage Heir will spread through the Mu Clan as a channel.

In a sense, this identity will be more useful than that of He Shuai's heir.

With his current strength, there will also be no situation of "unworthiness for the position." This title will become the embodiment of "Righteousness."

At the core of the Federation, they still adhere to the ways of the Ancient Planet era—

With legitimacy, the people's expectations will be fulfilled.

...

The next day.

Mu Xueying originally wanted to ask Ji Jingqiu to stay a few more days.

After ten thousand years, the Venerable Lineage finally produced a successor and returned to the Mu Clan. Staying for however long would not be excessive.

However, Ji Jingqiu declined, stating that he still needed to go to the west.

The reason he gained the recognition and empowerment of the Mu Clan's Divine Armament was also related to his decision to go to the west.

Mu Xueying knew the real reason for his journey to the west and no longer detained him.

He originally wanted Mu Anyan and another Celestial Being from the Mu Clan to accompany the Venerable Lineage Heir as his guardians.

But in the end, Ji Jingqiu declined. With his current combat power and the Divine Armament's assistance, theoretically, no one in the Federation could stop him.

He hoped that the Mu Clan would quickly settle their internal affairs and then, in the name of the Venerable Lineage, send envoys to the other five Great Families.

This was the top priority at the moment, aside from the west.

Before departing, Mu Xueying suddenly asked Ji Jingqiu, "Are you going to become a savior on this journey to the west?"

Ji Jingqiu gazed towards the west, shook his head, and frankly admitted that he didn't possess the ambition or grand plan to save the entire west.

There will be saviors and disaster relief, and there have always been people doing that.

All he wanted was to be invincible and become the towering mountain behind those people.

On the Heavenly Ancient Path, the talented individuals of various races only recognized one truth—dignity is earned through killing, and power is demonstrated through battles. Everything is decided by strength.

It seems that way now.

This principle applies everywhere.

"The Federation is too chaotic. To prepare for the upcoming Great Tribulation, we need to clean up the house."

Mu Xueying nodded, his eyes filled with relief.

He didn't want Ji Jingqiu to become a savior, even if he was the heir of the Ancestor.

Even the Ancestor himself never claimed to be a savior. While the Ancestor never minded shouldering more responsibilities for others, he always emphasized that sentient beings should learn to save themselves.

Just before departing, Ji Jingqiu seemed to remember something. He sent a mental message to Mu Laoye, asking, "Where did Mei Jie go? Why hasn't she returned after all these years?"

He still owed Mei Jie a favor.

Mu Xueying shook his head, "She went on the Celestial Path and hasn't returned. I haven't been in contact with her for a long time."

Ji Jingqiu nodded, took note of it in his heart, and bid farewell.

Although this visit to the Mu Clan was rushed, the departure was also hasty, he ultimately obtained what he desired.

With the Divine Armament's assistance, he had nothing to fear within the Federation.

And just as he was on his way to the west—

The Mu Clan began to promote him. After ten thousand years, the Venerable Lineage finally welcomed a successor. This was not only a grand event for the Mu Clan but also for the Six Great Families and even the entire Federation.

The news slowly spread, shocking the Federation. Everyone who was paying attention to the Mu Clan was amazed.

They had waited for so long, and in the end, they finally received the news that the "Venerable Lineage Heir has been decided!"

This news was even more astonishing than the news of the Mu Clan's Divine Armament Choosing Master.

"A successor of the Venerable Lineage has cultivated that Supreme Visualization Chart? Impossible!"

"It's said that Mu Shuai has a mind intent wandering between heaven and earth... Could it be that Mu Shuai personally selected this heir?"

"This generation of He Shuai has a successor, and now even Mu Shuai has a successor from a different generation? Who is it?"

"It's Mu Juncheng. He is one of the direct descendants of this generation in the Mu Clan and has already broken through to the Shackles Realm."

"It might not be Mu Junxin."

"The situation is not right. It might not be the two young ones. Mu Anyan was also extremely impressive back then."

"Ji Jingqiu?! Are you joking? Isn't he He Shuai's heir?!"

"Ji Jingqiu cultivated Mu Shuai's Supreme Visualization Chart?!"

This news quickly spread to the ears of those who had been closely monitoring the Mu Clan's situation.

That Divine Armament of the Mu Clan...

"With this young man's rise, his momentum is unstoppable!" This was everyone's first reaction upon receiving the news.

Someone sighed lightly. A young man who was recently dismissed by various parties as "inexperienced" had, in just a few months, transformed into a formidable figure within the Federation.

"The western situation... Perhaps this generation will truly witness a turning point?"

...

...

The western region of the Federation.

A space logistics spaceship docked at the spaceport and was suddenly prohibited from taking off.

"Zhang Ge, what's going on?" The team leader, Zhang Hengshan, jogged over, smiling apologetically. He held a card in his right hand and quietly slipped it into the other person's shirt pocket.

But this time, the spaceport official showed no trace of his usual affability. He sidestepped, avoiding the hand, and said coldly, "We've found that you've been secretly supplying materials to the underground rebel army. You will all be detained and held accountable. Take them away!"

Zhang Hengshan stood frozen in place.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end