Chapter 349: Qinglian's Assessment of the Seven Heroes, the True Sage's Intervention

Chapter 349: Qinglian's Assessment of the Seven Heroes, the True Sage's Intervention

"Not seen?"

Ji Jingqiu had expected his journey to the Ten Thousand Phenomena Godly Nation to be as smooth as his visit to the Taiyin Temple, but he was met with a closed door.

Qinglian Daoren coughed lightly, "I understand. Even if the God of the Ten Thousand Phenomena wanted to meet me, he might not have the strength to do so at this moment."

Ji Jingqiu shook his head, "It's not that. Senior, you may not know, but the newly appointed Pope of the Ten Thousand Phenomena Godly Nation is someone from our Yanhuang Federation, a senior named Wan Chengcang who was born a thousand years ago."

"Wan Chengcang?" Qinglian Daoren pondered, "That name sounds familiar. Tell me more about his cultivation path."

"He and I both started with the cultivation of the Formless Body..."

"Wait, the Formless Body?"

Qinglian Daoren interrupted Ji Jingqiu's introduction and frowned, "So he cultivated the Formless Body of the World Honored One's lineage in the True Essence Realm?"

"That's right."

Qinglian Daoren paused for a moment, then said, "No wonder. It's not a coincidence that he entered the Ten Thousand Phenomena Godly Nation. It's inevitable that a rift would form."

Ji Jingqiu's heart trembled slightly. Wan Chengcang's entry into the Ten Thousand Phenomena Godly Nation a thousand years ago was not an accident?

Because of the Formless Body?

Qinglian Daoren suddenly spoke, "Among the seven of you from the Federation, I like Ah Ke the most. He has a temperament similar to mine, decisive and swift, ruthless yet understanding of human emotions."

"Next, there's Li Shoucheng and Mu Shitian. One is a stickler for tradition, a good-natured man who can get along with anyone. Otherwise, how could he have become the Dao Master of the Changsheng Guan?"

"The Changsheng Guan has produced True Sages in the past, but they've since passed through tribulations and have yet to return. Li Shoucheng was once regarded as the next True Sage."

"The other one is even more obvious. Do you know why your cheap master is qualified to bear the weight of the Sea of Suffering? Because he has never killed!"

"Bearing the weight of the Sea of Suffering is not something that can be achieved solely through cultivation level or Dao power. If it were He Donghuang, not only would he be unable to bear the weight, but he might not even be able to find the Sea of Suffering, which wouldn't respond to him in the first place."

"Hey..."

Qinglian Daoren paused, seemingly hesitant or still in disbelief, and muttered, "To reach the level of a True Sage and never kill; after attaining the Dao, no one in the world dies because of him. Can you comprehend the weight of that? His path of cause and effect has almost transcended!"

He paused again, continuing his assessment of the Federation's Seven Heroes, "After that, there's Qin Tianfeng and Yang Qingshan. One is a self-proclaimed killer, and the other is a chivalrous man who eventually broke his back and imprisoned himself in a cell..."

With a light sigh, he continued, "I wonder if that boy, who has always been a youth at heart, has grown up or aged. Has the Heavenly Sword of Omnipotence, which can cut through all things, been tarnished by the passage of time?"

In Qinglian Daoren's description, Ji Jingqiu felt as if he could see the figures of the past standing before him, existing within Qinglian Daoren's memories, standing at the upper reaches of the river of time.

Hearing this, Ji Jingqiu's heart stirred with ripples—

The relationship between this Qinglian senior and the Federation seemed to exceed his expectations.

His familiarity with the Seven Heroes went beyond just owing a favor to Ke Shuai.

He might have even experienced the growth and rise of the Seven Heroes and the Federation, playing a crucial role in their journey, just as Hera had in his life.

"And the one I dislike the most is Ji Tianxing."

Qinglian Daoren spoke slowly, "By cultivating the divine nature in a human body, he will inevitably face a consequence—an impure divine nature and an unquenchable human nature, never reaching the state of pure perfection. In the end, he will become neither human nor divine."

"So, the more he advances, the bigger his problems become. The foundation of his cultivation path has taken a wrong turn, difficult to rectify, and it even affects his behavior. Before this, although he was unlikable, he wasn't to the point of being insensitive to human emotions. In fact, one could say that as a scion of a noble family, he was well-versed in the ways of the world."

Qinglian Daoren's tone turned cold, "The path to godhood that he researched is a dead-end, a heretical path that completely cuts off the Dao of Ah Ke and the others!"

Ji Jingqiu was shocked. Had Ji Tianxing's cultivation taken a wrong turn?

Cultivating the divine nature in a human body was almost a dead end?!

In the inner realm, Hera spoke softly, "Ji Tianxing was too greedy. It's not his fault; he wanted everything, and in the end, he gained nothing."

Qinglian Daoren's voice deepened, "Ji Tianxing's departure from the Federation was a self-imposed exile."

Ji Jingqiu's expression turned solemn. It seemed Ji Tianxing's situation was even worse than expected, which explained why he was captured by the Four Demons.

"What about He Donghuang?" Ji Jingqiu asked, "Senior, you mentioned six people but left out He Donghuang."

"He Donghuang..."

Qinglian Daoren remained silent for a long time before speaking, "There is a person who commits all kinds of evil, has no conscience, and bullies men and women as if it's nothing. He even eats the hearts of young children as part of his daily meals..."

He described a despicable character to Ji Jingqiu, someone so detestable that just hearing about him made one want to kill him.

Then he asked, "But his parents, master, senior brother, and senior sister are all willing to fight for the Federation, and they might even be the key to the Yanhuang Federation's survival through the great tribulation..."

"So, Ji Jingqiu, would you kill him?"

In the face of this classic dilemma, JiJingQiu furrowed his brows.

Compared to the eternal prosperity of the Federation, what is the death of a few people?

This is a matter of righteousness.

But what if these deaths were to fall upon your own head? What if those people didn't want to sacrifice themselves?

This is a matter of personal feelings and morality.

If someone else were to ask, JiJingQiu would not have paid any attention to this classic dilemma.

JiJingQiu had once made a choice in the western part of the Federation.

He had left the luxurious banquets of the aristocratic families and stepped into the stormy night.

But even this choice was difficult to compare with the analogy given by QingLian Dao Ren.

Because no matter which choice was made, it would require the sacrifice of innocent lives.

In the latter case, the only sacrifice needed was one's own.

QingLian Dao Ren spoke calmly, "This kind of 'dilemma' was something Ji Tianxing loved to present to He Donghuang in the past."

"Before He Donghuang broke through this barrier, no matter how high his Dao power was or how fast he broke through the boundaries, what could he do? He still had to tiptoe around, afraid of disturbing others."

"At that time, in my eyes, he was like a dog raised by Ji Tianxing, manipulated at will. It was not a matter of simple like or dislike."

"And after He Donghuang broke through this barrier, my perception of him was no longer a simple matter of like or dislike, but rather..."

"Recognition?"

"Reverence?"

"Fear?"

He fell silent once more, as if even he couldn't find the right word to describe his first impression of that person who had "escaped the cage and was beyond the reach of the heavens" years ago.

He turned to JiJingQiu and said slowly, "In the past, Ji Tianxing often liked to tell He Donghuang that there are no simple matters in this world that can be solved with a single stroke."

"He Donghuang's disciple, guess how He Donghuang, under Ji Tianxing's 'careful cultivation', answered after breaking through the heart's barrier?"

JiJingQiu pondered, trying to imagine what He Shi might say from his perspective.

This question...

Seemed not too difficult to guess.

He replied, "To be invincible in the world."

QingLian Dao Ren looked at him deeply and laughed, "No wonder you're his disciple!"

"That day, He Donghuang told Ji Tianxing—"

"Then cut again!"

Cut until there's no one to rely on!

Cut until there are no more great calamities!

Cut until the world knows that where his blade falls, there lies a taboo, and no one dares to defy it!

During this time, there may be innocent victims, but if he doesn't cut, won't there be no innocent victims?

It's still the same old story.

There are no simple matters in this world that can be solved with a single stroke.

It's necessary to make more cuts.

After that, He Donghuang truly achieved a grand and free heart, surpassing Ji Tianxing.

His speed of breaking through boundaries was only second to Mu Shitian, who bore the will of all living beings.

It was with this Dao heart that He Donghuang dared to aspire for the realm of transcendence not long after breaking through the True Sage.

From QingLian Dao Ren's perspective, He Donghuang had already reached the "Great Freedom" of the ninth realm in terms of Dao heart.

In terms of the height of their hearts, he was not beneath Mu Shitian.

Although their paths were different, they were of equal stature.

Both had reached the "Other Shore."

Sometimes, QingLian Dao Ren even wondered if this was what Ji Tianxing had wanted to see.

Was it the He Donghuang who was always under Ji Tianxing's control, or the He Donghuang who was forced by Ji Tianxing to take a significant leap forward...

No matter which one, the Federation still won.

He had to admit one thing.

Even he couldn't see through that seven-orifice heart.

Fortunately, Ji Tianxing still had his "anchor" in this world.

"By the way, what cultivation method have you been practicing lately? I always feel that the aura on your body is somewhat familiar, that kind of... pure and fragrant scent, without any annoying delusions or the five impurities."

QingLian Dao Ren looked at JiJingQiu, who was still deep in thought.

The latter answered subconsciously, "The cultivation method obtained from Hela, refining the divine nature, striving for long-lasting forgetting."

QingLian Dao Ren's eyes widened in surprise, "Have you already touched the threshold of the Forgetting Realm?"

JiJingQiu came back to his senses and said, "I was lucky enough to enter the Forgetting Realm a few times, but I couldn't stay for long."

"Lucky..."

Qing was puzzled, wondering if the difficulty of cultivating the heart had decreased in the later generations.

He had never heard of anyone entering the Forgetting Realm simply by luck.

Moreover, considering JiJingQiu's cultivation time, he couldn't have entered the Embryonic Breathing stage for long, and with insufficient accumulation, how could he have stepped into the Forgetting Realm so quickly?

Could it be Mu Shitian's inheritance?

That was also possible.

He didn't delve further, pondering for a moment before saying, "Let's go to the Three Thousand Yan Fu Ti. I hope this journey goes smoothly."

JiJingQiu asked, "What is our goal for this trip?"

"One is to find allies," QingLian Dao Ren said calmly, "and the other is to confirm the enemy."

...

...

Three Thousand Yan Fu Ti, a secret gathering place.

"How much power does this Great Tribulation have, and how many Tian Wang can it promote to Tian Zun? How many Tian Zun Dao Zu can it help to break through, and has the Tianji Realm calculated it yet?"

"The calculations are still ongoing. There are too many variables, making precise measurements difficult. More time is needed."

"How are the negotiations with the various factions going? Since it involves sharing the power of the Great Tribulation, it's best to reach an agreement soon."

"I'm more curious about what the Tianji Realm has calculated regarding the depths of the four guardian stars of the Yanhuang Federation."

"Hmm, I'm curious too." Someone chimed in, "Although the power of the Tribulation is precious, the thing that drives the Four Devils crazy must be even rarer. Several True Sages are quite interested in it."

"Chang Daoyou, the True Sages have said that you need to calculate the recent path of the Great Universe and see if any of the Tian Wang Zongshi who arrived early on the path have already broken through."

Chang Ji, from the Tianji Realm, was responding to inquiries from various parties.

He said solemnly, "The envoys sent to negotiate with the different factions are already in motion, but it hasn't been going smoothly. Our disciple who was sent to the Ten Thousand Phenomena God Nation extinguished the soul lamp that was enshrined within the realm, and their life is uncertain. The Ten Thousand Phenomena God Nation has also remained silent."

A middle-aged man spoke calmly, "The situation with the Ten Thousand Phenomena God Master is special at the moment, so it's not appropriate to pressure them too much. Let's put it aside for now."

Another person nodded, "Let's make a note of it. In the future, we will seek an explanation from the Ten Thousand Phenomena God Nation on behalf of the Tianji Realm."

Chang Ji's expression darkened, as he was well aware of the nature of these people.

They wanted an explanation, which was just an excuse to seek trouble with the Ten Thousand Phenomena God Nation when it weakened in the future.

As for now, these people would never stand up for the Tianji Realm or cause trouble for the Ten Thousand Phenomena God Master.

"There's one thing I need Chang Daoyou's help with." Someone spoke up, "Not long ago, I had a dispute with someone on the path of fate, and this person cut down several of my pawns along the path of fate, even extinguishing my own. I hope Chang Daoyou can help me calculate who this person is."

Chang Ji frowned, "To be able to suppress you on the path of fate, they must be at least a top-tier Tian Wang, or a powerful Tian Wang. These levels usually have a name and a surname, how can you not recognize them?"

The person who spoke earlier paused for a moment, then said,

"This person is from the Great Universe."

"The Great Universe?"

This statement instantly piqued the interest of the others.

"Where in the Great Universe are there such powerful beings at this level? Could they be the Nirvana cultivators?"

"I haven't heard of any top-tier Tian Wang Nirvana at this level."

"If they can glimpse the path of fate, why would they Nirvana?"

Chang Ji stared at the Daoist from Wan Jie Shan, and said slowly, "Please provide more details, Daoist."

"I suspect this person is Ji Jingqiu from the Yanhuang Federation." The Daoist spoke frankly, "This suspicion may sound ridiculous, but I need you to help me verify it."

"Ji Jingqiu from the Yanhuang Federation?" Chang Ji's first reaction was disbelief.

Why would a small Tian Ren interfere with the path of fate and clash with the top-tier Tian Wang of Wan Jie Shan?

This wasn't the Tianji path.

But the Daoist didn't seem to be joking.

"Ji Jingqiu?" Someone in the crowd spoke up, "This person should be eliminated as soon as possible to prevent future troubles."

"Indeed, when the Great Tribulation arrives, this person might become an obstacle."

"If there are any unexpected events, the Divine Prohibitions will join forces to fight him and suppress him."

"Hehe, several Saints have already made a covenant with the other Saints to prevent the possibility you're worried about."

"This time, when we target the Federation, we won't leave any troubles behind. Both the Four Devils and the Yanhuang Federation must be destroyed. If we have to choose, we'll prioritize the Four Devils, as they are hard to kill, but the Yanhuang Federation can be eliminated. We must not give the Four Devils a chance to ascend."

As the crowd discussed, Chang Ji suddenly received a message, and his expression changed slightly as he said:

"I just received news that Ji Jingqiu from the Yanhuang Federation has appeared in the Three Thousand Yan Fu Ti, and together with a strange man, they visited the Yao Court."

"The Yao Court?" Someone asked in confusion, "In this era, isn't the Yao Court not planning to emerge?"

Currently, there are nearly two dozen True Sage Dao Courts that have 'surfaced,' but this is still not all of them.

Not all True Sage Dao Courts have chosen to bet on the Great Universe and prepare to migrate into the Great Universe to coexist.

Chang Ji's expression suddenly changed as he said, "The True Sage of the Yao Court personally greeted them. I wonder if it's to welcome Ji Jingqiu, or the person beside him."

The crowd was stunned. A True Sage personally greeted them?!

"The person beside him, could it be one of the Seven of the Federation?!"

"Could it be that Ji Tianxing is still alive?!"

"Investigate! We must find out! If there's no surprise, this might be the best opportunity to eliminate Ji Jingqiu in advance!"

...

...

The Three Thousand Yan Fu Ti was vast and boundless, and there were several places in a strange zone, where the Dao rules were dense. Although they weren't on the path of the True Sage, they were very close. Similar to the Sacred Lake beneath Tian Sheng Hu, or the Yao Court's gate.

Lofty and majestic mountains stretched out, surrounding a towering tree that pierced through the heavens and earth, holding up this universe, as well as the past, present, and future.

At the top of the tree, magnificent palaces stretched out.

In this True Sage Dao Court of the Three Thousand Yan Fu Ti, Ji Jingqiu finally saw Qing Lian Dao Ren's 'connections.'

"Do you want me to find you a wife here?" Qing Lian Dao Ren transmitted his voice.

The True Sage of the Yao Court, standing beside him, also seemed to sense something and glanced over with a faint smile.

After sizing him up, the True Sage nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied and approving of his qualifications to 'plant seeds' in the Yao Court.

JiJingQiu was silent.

The so-called Yao Court, contrary to his imagination, was not a place of demons, but a realm of fairies.

At this moment, surrounding the hall and accompanying the Yao Court Zhen Sheng in receiving guests were all true "fairies," with long legs, slender waists, and stunning curves, their beauty beyond description.

JiJingQiu was still relatively young and couldn't relate to these "aunties" who looked thousands or even tens of thousands of years younger than their actual age.

When faced with QingLian Dao Ren's invitation, Yao Court Zhen Sheng shook his head, giving them due amount of courtesy but refusing to take action.

Finally, QingLian Dao Ren unleashed his ultimate move:

"01 has been attempting to open a channel between the two realms. He is not in seclusion but plotting, and he is about to succeed. If not this time, it will be in the near future. We must quickly inflict heavy damage on the Four Devils, not just repel them, but cripple them!"

Yao Court Zhen Sheng's eyebrows furrowed slightly, "If it comes to that, I will take action, but this time, I am unwilling."

QingLian Dao Ren contemplated, "Are you going to remain neutral, fellow Daoist?"

Yao Court Zhen Sheng reminded him, "This time, many Zhen Shengs are targeting the Yanhuang Federation, and they may have the same intentions as the Four Devils."

QingLian Dao Ren nodded, not delaying, "I understand. Since that's the case, we won't disturb you further. We still have other places to visit."

Yao Court Zhen Sheng stood up to see them off. As they parted ways, he whispered, "Fellow Daoist, you may want to visit the Sheng Miao. That Daoist emerged from the burial sea."

QingLian Dao Ren's pupils constricted slightly.

"I understand," he said in a deep voice, "Thank you for the reminder."

Yao Court Zhen Sheng shook his head, "Fellow Daoist, you are paving the way for us. We owe you a debt of gratitude from the very beginning."

QingLian Dao Ren hesitated. He really wanted to say that the world owes a great deal to a certain someone in the Federation.

But in the end, he didn't say it.

Because that person never claimed such credit.

The two set off again, but not long after leaving the Yao Court's territory, they were stopped.

In the void ahead, a person with an extraordinary aura calmly drew and aimed an arrow, looking down at the two of them with cold, indifferent eyes.

Without saying a word, he shot an arrow at JiJingQiu. This arrow seemed ordinary, but its speed was so fast that it surpassed the speed of soul fluctuations, forming a Dao rhyme that revealed the image of an infinite starry sky being destroyed beneath the arrow!

Even from an infinite distance, JiJingQiu felt suffocated!

This power was too domineering, leaving him no room to counterattack. He could only watch as the divine arrow pierced through his heart!

This was definitely a top-tier expert among the Tian Wang, possibly even a Tian Zun!

JiJingQiu suppressed the Wan Gu Dao within him, feeling it wasn't the right time for him to take action.

Indeed.

Time seemed to freeze.

A finger pointed from behind them, and the incoming arrow instantly shattered, finally landing on the brow of the attacker.

In this seemingly frozen moment, JiJingQiu clearly saw that behind the attacker, there was also a huge hand pressing down, supporting a vast and hazy world. Wherever it reached, all laws decayed, and it clashed with the Zhen Sheng from the Yao Court!

As for the archer who was caught in the middle of their battle, his body suddenly exploded, his soul silently burned, eventually leading to the destruction of both his physical and spiritual forms.

The entire starry sky began to collapse, divine light surging like a tidal wave. This was the aftermath of the two's brief clash.

"Is Yao Court going to be an enemy of my Wan Jie Shan?"

A voice of authority and coldness echoed through the void, like thunder, causing JiJingQiu's body to tremble, almost losing his balance from the mere sound.

QingLian Dao Ren didn't protect him, allowing him to truly experience the power of a Zhen Sheng's domain and inspiring his cultivation.

Although...

This kid's breakthrough speed seemed to rival even the seven of Ke Jia.

QingLian Dao Ren didn't pay attention to the collapsing void ahead, as if everything was within his expectations. He leisurely said,

"It seems your connections are not small, and your enemies are numerous. No wonder Ke Jia asked me to come with you instead of accompanying his descendant."

"JiJingQiu, after this trip, you will also become familiar to the Zhen Shengs. After the great disaster, no one knows if you will fare well or face difficulty."

JiJingQiu didn't respond, his expression cold.

This is a Zhen Sheng? With just a finger, a suspected top-tier Tian Wang expert didn't even have time to react and was directly shattered! And with just a voice, he almost lost his balance.

"Steady yourself, don't fall," QingLian Dao Ren smiled, "If you can't even withstand the pressure of a Zhen Sheng, how can I take you against the flow of time to attend the banquet of the Five Great Pillars?"

A palm covered the sky, encompassing everything, and once again, it pressed down. In an instant, the stars and constellations fell, all light extinguished, and the world plunged into absolute darkness.

Yao Court Zhen Sheng let out a cold snort and fearlessly took action. In the deep sky, the extinguished stars reignited, and all things revived, as if time was flowing backward.

The two briefly clashed in the depths of the void and eventually stopped.

"This is... the true body?"

QingLian Dao Ren suddenly exclaimed in surprise, his eyes widening. His gaze pierced through the void, seeing what JiJingQiu couldn't—a young man standing there, his eyes calm and unperturbed. The place where he stood was filled with an endless cycle of starry sky birth and decay, the universe alternating between prosperity and decay, ultimately leading to eternal extinction.

"JiJingQiu, your reputation is indeed significant. To make a Zhen Sheng's true body take action just to capture you?"

QingLian Dao Ren marveled.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end