Chapter 379: The Initial Bloodbath and Ten Thousand Heart Lamps

Chapter 379: The Initial Bloodbath and Ten Thousand Heart Lamps (Additional Update)

None of the powerful figures present intervened in the battle between the Nine Mountains and Cangqing. Instead, they stood in a standoff, none willing to step into the fray.

Especially Shouzhen and a few others, who ensured that the war would not escalate and remained within a certain boundary, while also seeking a resolution.

"The situation is unclear, and I do not support expanding the war. If there are true conflicts, they can be resolved through other means, such as restricting the conflict to the Celestial King and Heavenly Person levels."

The Yin-Yang Dao Venerable of the Yin-Yang Dao Palace also appeared, his expression calm, standing alongside Shouzhen.

These three were all ancient figures.

Though they had not taken action for many years, they were indisputable powerhouses at the True Emperor level, standing at the pinnacle of their realms.

"Did the elders see anything at the Source of Time?"

A newly ascended Sage, who had not yet reached ten thousand years, asked respectfully.

Even among True Emperors, not everyone could trace back to the Source of Time.

Kong Xuan glanced at him and replied, "Go and see for yourself."

Seeing the old man's attitude, many who had intended to ask for guidance grimaced and gave up on discussing matters with him.

"Where are the Holy King and the Void Emperor?" someone shouted at the Holy King lineage's powerful figures, "Is the gathering of all Sages not enough to warrant their presence?"

"Ha ha", someone responded sarcastically, "The Void lineage is currently in contact with the Outer Domain, and they have no time to meet with you."

"The outsiders have ulterior motives. How can we deal with them? First, we should sort out our own affairs", a True Emperor coldly snorted.

Seeing the conversation veering towards a more confrontational tone, another person stepped in to "pour water on the fire."

Ji Jingqiu stood beside Cang You, witnessing these supreme rulers of the realm meet.

The gazes that had been fixed on him had long since dissipated.

Ji Jingqiu privately conversed with the Golden Peng elder.

"Pay no attention to these people. They may seem ready to clash at any moment, but a full-scale war would not be in the best interest of most. As Kong Xuan said, this battle has not yet reached the point of true eruption."

The ancient Golden Peng, when not in action, appeared quite peaceful, like a monk who had practiced for many years, with a mind free of ripples.

He told Ji Jingqiu:

"A great battle will soon break out, but it will not be a war between True Emperors. Instead, it will be the younger generations who will fight. Otherwise, what use would the True Emperors have in cultivating disciples and followers?"

"At crucial moments, these disciples will be their pawns, and they will be the ones playing the game, rarely stepping into the fray themselves. Only a few, like the Sage of the Nine Mountains, will intervene directly, while the majority will bicker."

Ji Jingqiu asked, "Elder, are you saying the battlefield will be restricted to the Heavenly Person and Celestial King levels?"

The Golden Peng suddenly spoke, "If I were to let you stay at the Heavenly Person level for a while longer, to participate in the Heavenly Person-level battle and vie for the top position, would you be willing?"

Ji Jingqiu was taken aback.

To have him remain at the Heavenly Person level to compete and win the Heavenly Person battlefield?

He shook his head and declined the offer, saying, "Elder, I have confidence that once I reach the Celestial King level, I can still claim the top position in the Celestial King battlefield. There's no need for me to stay at the Heavenly Person level just to gain an advantage."

"Very well", the ancient Golden Peng nodded, "I have heard that you are opening your path. Speed up, and strive to reach the Celestial King level before the battlefield opens. This will be a bloodbath, but it will also be an opportunity."

Ji Jingqiu mentally connected with the ancient Golden Peng and explained his current situation.

"Oh?"

The Golden Peng flew from his head to his shoulder, looking deeply at his profile.

"If you speak up, the Cangqing lineage should not refuse you, but this matter... your performance is too exceptional, which makes it more complicated."

It fell into deep thought, feeling that Ji Jingqiu's Path Opening was highly dangerous and could become a pretext for the Sages to act.

The root of the issue lay in his exceptional performance...

If he were merely opening his path, even if he achieved the best possible outcome, the "Unity of All Phenomena, Primal Infinity", it would still only be a future threat to the Sages.

But to open a new path to the Dao and become a new "Dao Ancestor"—this alone was enough to make all Heavenly Venerables and Dao Ancestors take risks.

This was a path that directly challenged the True Emperors.

The greatest difference between the eight realms was the accumulation of power, which was the most difficult to make up. When the quantitative change reaches a qualitative change, it approaches the "heavenly limit."

Even True Emperors would be tempted by this path.

Moreover, given Ji Jingqiu's current realm, the risks of this path were too great, with the danger of losing his way.

In the midst of the Sages' meeting.

"Then let the initial bloodbath decide. All disputes will be resolved on the battlefield. If True Emperors wish to join, they can do so at the end, and it will be a fight to the death until one side is completely eradicated."

Shouzhen spoke calmly.

"The initial bloodbath?" a relatively "young" True Emperor frowned.

The powerful figures who had witnessed ancient bloodbaths all looked solemn.

"Once a bloodbath begins, it will be a fight to the death. It will only stop when all the powerful figures below the True Emperor level on one side are dead. In the past, this was called a divine war, where one side's divine nation would be utterly destroyed, and even if the divine ruler of that nation survived, they would be nearly ruined..."

An elder explained the origins of the bloodbath to the younger generation present.

"Completely eradicated?"

Many in the crowd, including the Heavenly Venerable Dao Ancestors, furrowed their brows. Did this include them?

Moreover, if their disciples were all to be exhausted, could the True Emperors remain passive?

Humans are not grass or trees; even True Emperors have beloved disciples and even descendants.

Moreover, once a True Emperor undergoes tribulation and departs, if there are no disciples to assist upon return, the time it takes to come back will be greatly prolonged.

The recent complete split of the Eternal Gate almost sentenced the Saint of Green Mountain, who was slain by He Donghuang, to an indefinite period of isolation.

Without intervention from other True Emperors, these disciples of Green Mountain would be the first line of defense to prevent his return and avoid being held accountable by Green Mountain.

"Isn't this too cruel?" someone said solemnly.

"Cruel?"

Kong Xuan sneered,

"Once you completely overturn the order of the world, all living beings will be less than straw dogs, mere sheep ready for slaughter; how can you consider it cruel when the same fate befalls you?"

"If you want to overturn everything, you must be prepared to never turn the tables!"

"Why must everything be decided by you?" A broken jade bottle floated in the air, emitting a cold and calm mental vibration.

Its position was unique, clearly standing in opposition to the Holy Kings, yet not aligning with the True Emperors of the future. Its stance was similar to that of the Nine Mountains.

It represented the attitude of another leader among the ancient gods who resisted the Five Pillars.

Many in the field tried to identify this individual, but it seemed to have severed all traces of its past. The River of Time and the River of Fate could not reveal its origins.

Even Shouzhen and the ancient gods of the Five Pillars could not recognize this individual, only knowing that it called itself "Ember."

Kong Xuan said disdainfully, "I underestimated you. Even while opposing the Five Pillars, you still have the nerve to tangle with me."

The jade bottle floated silently in the air, choosing not to continue the entanglement with this reckless individual.

As the first peacock born at the dawn of creation, Kong Xuan's past strength and status were on par with the Nine Mountains.

In his early years, he called himself Kong the First, the sole Great Dao, and roamed the world with the Five-Colored Divine Light, which the Five Pillars indulged in even then.

This guy was not only troublesome but had clearly allied with Shouzhen and the others.

With these three standing together, they could form a significant faction, capable of swaying the tide.

At this critical juncture, it was bad enough that they couldn't be won over; to provoke them would only invite trouble.

"Today is just a proposal. The specifics need further discussion."

Shouzhen glanced at the jade bottle.

"At least we need to wait until most True Forms gather before further discussions. Three of the Five Pillars have already returned, representing their five members' stance. The strong of the past and present need a formal meeting."

"How about those in the Bitter Sea? Should we bring them out?" someone suddenly asked.

It was well-known that the Bitter Sea wasn't just home to one True Emperor. If they were all brought out, they could form a significant faction influencing the situation.

"If you don't want to get entangled in the Bitter Sea, don't meddle in its affairs", a True Emperor coldly scanned the direction of the speaker, "This is not a suggestion, but a warning."

The Imperial Phoenix stood beside the female sage of the Jade Pool Immortal Realm, giving a strange look to the person who had spoken:

"Does their suppression of the Bitter Sea bother you? Who will fill the Bitter Sea if you bring them out, you or your group?"

The topic quickly cooled down. The Heavenly Venerables who wanted to rescue their True Emperor ancestors could only reluctantly back off and seek other methods.

Ji Jingqiu listened with amusement.

The one who had first mentioned the Bitter Sea had glared at him fiercely earlier, and he had taken note of it.

Ji Jingqiu heard the voice of the Golden Peng in his ear:

"From today, factions will begin to form, and there will be no place for independent cultivators in the realms. Those so-called independents will become targets for recruitment, invitations, and even conscription by various factions."

Ji Jingqiu felt a chill.

In the past, independent cultivators were dispensable to the sages, but with the bloodshed about to begin, everything would change.

He wondered what impact this would have on the Federation.

He glanced at the group that had mentioned the Bitter Sea, some of whom were the Federation's current "allies."

He had taken note of them and would pass the information back to the Federation, so Ji Anquan could be on guard.

"The battle between Cangqing and the Nine Mountains has ended."

The ancient Golden Peng on Ji Jingqiu's shoulder suddenly lifted its head, its eyes sharp, piercing through the Dharma Realm to see its depths.

"Who won?" Ji Jingqiu asked hurriedly.

If the Lord of Cangqing lost, even if he was just at a disadvantage, it would be a massive blow to the world's order, signaling the end of the Five Pillars' rule.

"Someone intervened, so the battle ended in a draw", the ancient Golden Peng said with deep eyes. "But the Nine Mountains are still the biggest winners. Some ancient gods will defect to his side."

It flapped its wings, leaving Ji Jingqiu with a message before diving into the meeting of True Emperors.

"The bloodshed may begin this year. Strive to break through your realm soon. If you need help, you can contact me through my feather."

The True Emperor powerhouses began to clear the area.

"Let's go, Master has returned", Cangyou's voice rang out.

She led Ji Jingqiu into the divine territory of the Cangqing lineage, and before them stood the World Tree that supported the starry sky.

"I've already informed Master of your situation. He asked me to take you to the World Tree to gain a higher perspective on the Great Dao, which will aid your Path Opening."

"Additionally, Master has promised to assist you, but not immediately. He needs several months to recover his peak fighting strength..."

Ji Jingqiu looked at the World Tree ahead and suddenly asked, "Is this World Tree of the Cangqing lineage from Mount Wuwang?"

Cangyou paused, surprised, "Have you been to Mount Wuwang?"

Ji Jingqiu nodded.

Not only had he visited it, but he had also replicated a mountain formation within his Inner World.

With the increasing activity in the Bitter Sea of the present world, the illusory Bitter Sea in his Inner World was also trending towards becoming real. As a result, the power of the blood rain that fell had grown stronger over time, causing the mountain formation he had replicated to undergo unexpected changes.

Over the past twenty years, Fat Tiger and the Formless Wind had delved deep into the mountains, disappearing without a trace.

"Indeed, someone did bring something out of Mount Wuwang, but the World Tree did not come from Mount Wuwang. It is a manifestation of the Great Dao that accompanies the Master, born with the primordial essence."

Cang You led Ji Jingqiu up the World Tree, where the void was chaotic and folded. A single step could take one millions of light-years away, and even a Heavenly Venerable would find it difficult to move freely here.

Under Cang You's guidance, the two headed towards the treetop.

"The Master also asked me to remind you that you are opening a path in the realm of the mind, so you must be cautious of the Misty Sea's counterattack."

Cang You's voice was solemn.

"Although the Misty Sea is currently silent, this is only temporary. Even true transcenders cannot make the Misty Sea eternally silent."

"Transcenders are unafraid of the Misty Sea and have already escaped from the Bitter Sea, but that doesn't mean they can control these two forces."

Ji Jingqiu had heard a theory earlier.

And this theory had been proven by the parties involved.

Wu Zhou, who resonated with the Great Dao of the Misty Sea, would achieve a great leap forward once he fully merged with the Misty Sea. He would dominate the boundless cosmic sea and attain true freedom and transcendence.

Wu Zhou himself had admitted that if he could fully merge with the Misty Sea, he would achieve the true transcendent realm.

But this was almost a paradox.

Because without achieving transcendence, he could not fully bear the weight of the Misty Sea. Forcing the merger would instead turn him into a puppet of the Misty Sea.

"Be cautious of the Misty Sea?"

They ascended to a high level of the World Tree, where countless stars were not even as large as leaves, let alone fruits.

Ji Jingqiu had not expected the Lord of Cangqing to warn him about the Misty Sea. Shouldn't the greatest obstacle to his Path Opening be the Great Dao rules of the Grand Cosmos?

"Yes, be cautious of the Misty Sea", Cang You said softly. "The Master says that the foundation of mental cultivation in this world is inherently linked to the Misty Sea. When you Path Open the world, you will not only affect the Grand Cosmos but also invite the Misty Sea's counterattack."

She led Ji Jingqiu to the treetop of the World Tree, a vast expanse like a world in itself. At the edge, there stood a courtyard that appeared to have been unoccupied for a long time.

"This is where the Master once secluded himself. It is now available for you to cultivate your mind and prepare for the final breakthrough."

"This World Tree is one of the foundations of Daluotian, and its treetop is the closest place to the source of the Dao in the world. Even a True Emperor could benefit from residing here for a long time. You can use this place to comprehend the Great Dao."

Ji Jingqiu thanked her.

In a sense, the greatest challenge of his Path Opening was no longer about himself.

Over the past twenty years, he was confident that he had thoroughly prepared for this path.

The true challenge lay in embedding it into the fundamental rules of the Grand Cosmos and gaining the recognition of the world's Great Dao.

According to the calculations of Hela and the others, during this period, he would enter a highly mysterious state, akin to merging with the entire Grand Cosmos.

For any Eighth Realm being, this would be the ultimate opportunity they could only dream of. But for Ji Jingqiu, who was still at the Heavenly Person level, it was a formidable challenge.

Just as Wu Zhou could not bear the weight of the Misty Sea, if Ji Jingqiu were to enter such a merging state, it would be like falling into a deep sea. If he could not endure this period and became lost, there would be a risk of not returning.

His attempt to address this challenge was through teaching.

Over the past twenty years, in the Yanhuang Federation, the Nine Palaces, Xuanji Heaven, and the Buddhist Homeland—among the allies the Federation could trust—many had gained insights into "Guard Void and Stillness" through his teachings.

These people were like lamps he had lit.

In the vast deep sea represented by the Grand Cosmos, these faint lights would serve as anchor points for him to confirm his own position and find a breakthrough.

Today, the Lord of Cangqing had reminded him to be cautious of the Misty Sea.

He wondered what form the Misty Sea's counterattack would take.

Indeed, this path was fraught with difficulties, Ji Jingqiu mused calmly, without a hint of fear.

When he chose this path, Hela had repeatedly warned him. Now that he was just one step away from achieving his goal, there was no reason to retreat.

Ji Jingqiu suddenly walked towards the edge of the courtyard.

He had just seen a fleeting flash of light.

Here, at the top of the World Tree, looking down, he did not see the vast expanse of the world or the endless star rivers, but a tangible manifestation of the Great Dao.

For example, two long rivers intersected and flowed ceaselessly through the world.

These were Time and Fate.

In addition, he could see a hidden Sea Eye and, in the distance, a deep, tranquil ocean.

The fleeting flash of light he had seen was in this ocean.

"Is this the Misty Sea?"

Ji Jingqiu gazed intently at the boundless, formless ocean, where he saw countless heart lamps lit.

"This is..."

The Heart Flame Myriad Phenomena Lamp?

He had never imagined that his innate divine ability could manifest in such a form... within the Misty Sea!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end