Chapter 380: Dao Trace Beneath the Wilderness

Chapter 380: Dao Trace Beneath the Wilderness

Cang Qing quickly reined in her words, her expression changing as she looked at the "freak" in front of her with a strange gaze.

This person had merely glanced a few times and entered the profound realm of enlightenment.

Although this place was one of the top mystical lands, this was still too fast.

This scene reminded her of the past, when someone else had dared to observe the rise and fall of a world, relying on the Legacy of the World Venerable's lineage.

She wondered what Ji Jingqiu would gain from observing the Dao today.

Cang Qing pondered for a moment, then quietly left, leaving the area to Ji Jingqiu.

She still needed to pay respects to the Master, and there were many matters of the Cang Qing lineage that required her attention.

Unconsciously, Ji Jingqiu sat down, his mind as calm as a still lake reflecting the moon. He looked around, and the lights in his field of vision were like countless stars.

Time passed, and a sense of ancient vastness enveloped Ji Jingqiu. His mind had already delved deep into the Misty Sea, reaching the "spiritual wilderness" beneath the abyss.

Though called a wilderness, it was actually an unknown territory.

This wasn't the first time Ji Jingqiu had come here.

In the past, the area was shrouded in dense fog, with visibility extremely low. Even he could barely see beyond a few meters around him, making it impossible to avoid hidden dangers, relying entirely on luck.

Here, anything could be encountered.

Ji Jingqiu had once come across a strand of sword qi.

It was like a misty cloud, with an ethereal aura. Just seeing it made Ji Jingqiu's "heart moon" waver, as if this strand of sword qi had once severed countless moons, forming an invisible Great Dao.

Even Hai La and the others had shown a slight change in expression, advising him not to provoke it.

The strand of sword qi seemed to have its own consciousness, circling him once before leaving.

Later, Hai La told him that in the deepest parts of the Misty Sea, one could often see...

Traces left by Transcenders.

These traces confirmed that there were indeed beings who had transcended everything, achieving supreme freedom.

As Ji Jingqiu walked through the wilderness, he felt this time was different from before.

He looked up, and the dense fog could not block the brilliance of the stars.

Each star represented a heart lamp.

What did this mean?

Ji Jingqiu pondered.

These heart lamps could be considered the reflections of the hearts of those who planted them in the Misty Sea.

But for some reason, this scene had never appeared before in the Misty Sea.

Was this something only he could see?

His expression remained calm.

A calm mind reflects everything clearly.

When Ji Jingqiu exited the Misty Sea, he heard Xiao Wu Zhou say:

"Too bad, Cang Qing has bound her own hands, so it's no surprise she was stepped on by her former subordinates upon her return."

In the bamboo grove of the Inner World.

Xiao Wu Zhou opened his eyes, ending his seclusion, and saw through Ji Jingqiu's eyes where he was.

Over the past twenty years, Xiao Wu Zhou's status had somewhat improved. After fusing with a thread of Wu Zhou's essence, Hai La could no longer bully him as easily as before, and he had reclaimed some of his dignity.

"What do you mean?" Ji Jingqiu asked.

Xiao Wu Zhou lifted his chin, indicating the World Tree below:

"This should have been Cang Qing's greatest support and Divine Weapon. Now it has become the foundation of Daluotian, making it difficult to extract without the risk of the entire Daluotian collapsing."

Moreover, as Ji Jingqiu knew, the Cang Qing lineage had used the World Tree as a base to construct a mental realm above the Misty Sea, gathering the collective thoughts of the masses to delay the awakening of the Misty Sea.

According to Wu Zhou, Cang Qing's actions were akin to sacrificing one of her own arms.

Ji Jingqiu nodded, muttering to himself: "If the Nine Mountain True Emperor is about to engage in a bloody battle with the Cang Qing lineage, I will lend a hand to help Cang Qing."

Xiao Wu Zhou raised an eyebrow: "Do you not understand human speech? This guy bound his own hands, and it's his own fault for being bullied. Why would you board a sinking ship?"

"Idiot!"

In the lotus pond, Hai La mocked him mercilessly.

"Do you know who this guy is?"

"Mu Shitian is still struggling in the Sea of Suffering. Cang Qing sacrificed herself for the greater good, which is actually a plus in his eyes."

Ji Jingqiu remained silent, only nodding and giving Xiao Wu Zhou a kick for his lack of respect towards the landlord.

Hai La's meaning was roughly his own attitude.

Xiao Wu Zhou shook his head, muttering:

"Speaking of which, the Five Pillars must have sacrificed some 'things' to build Daluotian."

"Ji Jingqiu, find an opportunity to explore Daluotian. These five guys must have some ulterior motives to go to such lengths."

Ji Jingqiu noted this but did not respond.

The way to deal with Wu Zhou was never to let him lead the way.

"Will the Misty Sea respond if I open the 'Guard Void and Stillness' and carve the Dao into the heart of heaven?" Ji Jingqiu asked the two of them. "Why haven't you mentioned this before?"

Xiao Wu Zhou and Hai La remained silent, exchanging a glance with a certain someone.

At the center of this land, which had expanded many times over and had taken on the form of a world, stood a towering tree, its branches lush and green, casting a large cool shade.

What caught Xiao Wu Zhou and Hai La’s attention the most was the Bodhi Tree’s canopy, which had already broken through the dome of the Pure Land and soared into the projection of the Sorrowful Sea.

Its roots, on the other hand, had long since taken hold in the Misty Sea two decades ago, extending infinitely downward, piercing through layer upon layer of mist. Even Ji Jingqiu wasn’t sure where the roots of the Bodhi Tree ended.

It was still far from the peak of Mu Shitian’s time.

However, this phenomenon undoubtedly surpassed the original.

Following their gazes, Ji Jingqiu immediately understood what these two were thinking.

With the Bodhi Tree around, he didn’t need to worry too much about the Misty Sea’s retaliation.

Additionally, he felt that the various-sized, flickering heart lamps he had seen earlier would bring him unexpected gains.

"Ji Jingqiu, in fact, the Misty Sea isn’t incapable of eternal silence", Xiao Wu Zhou suddenly said.

A derisive laugh echoed:

"Going to show off your Eternal Unity Great Dao again? Save it. Ji Jingqiu has his own path to the heavens; why should he walk your solitary bridge?"

Hai La immediately exposed him.

Ji Jingqiu wasn’t surprised at all.

Similar sabotage had happened quite a few times over the past twenty years.

In Xiao Wu Zhou’s words, Hai La’s current behavior was a classic example of self-destructive.

Hai La’s attitude was that expressing her true feelings was beneficial to her. At the very least, it clarified her Dao heart.

"You mean, after all things return to one, thoughts don’t cause ripples, leaving the Misty Sea in peace", Ji Jingqiu shook his head. "That path isn’t very promising."

The reason the Misty Sea could be so active, even if it was temporarily silent, was because it would eventually recover. This was due to the immortality of all beings. Countless thoughts fell into the Sea of Souls, especially those of the powerful, whose thoughts created larger ripples and waves.

Xiao Wu Zhou’s method was simply to make him the only one in the world, guarding his soul platform in solitude, causing no ripples or waves. In this way, the Misty Sea wouldn’t be able to "respond to all beings" and wouldn’t stir up any storms.

Ji Jingqiu suddenly looked in a certain direction.

In his perception, several "lamps" lit up in the world, not in the Misty Sea, but because someone had grasped the true meaning of Guarding Void and Stillness and ascended to this level.

An intangible Great Dao blessing emerged, like water overflowing for Ji Jingqiu, who had already touched the limits of his Dao power.

In the end, this blessing transformed into a foundation in his Inner World.

...

Grand Cosmos.

Among the twelve people Ji Jingqiu left behind to comprehend the Great Dao of the Mind, one opened his eyes first, exuding a serene and far-reaching aura.

His presence was like an echo in an empty valley, inclusive and unobstructed.

His stillness was like the moon reflected in still water, clear and reflective.

In a moment, it seemed to contain the birth and growth of all things in a world. This past powerhouse, Tian Xing, immediately felt his aura rise, breaking through the Heavenly Person barrier in the blink of an eye.

Although he hadn’t fully recovered to his peak, he had regained about seventy to eighty percent of his former strength.

"A new beginning..."

Tian Xing’s eyes were calm as he whispered to himself.

The image of Ji Jingqiu quickly surfaced in his mind.

His previously calm heart now rippled.

Not only had Ji Jingqiu rescued him from the Sea of Burial, but he had also bestowed the teachings of the Dao.

The karmic debt was too great.

Tian Xing stood up, not disturbing or interrupting the others, and quietly attempted to leave.

He soon discovered that the restrictions Ji Jingqiu had left weren’t to prevent them from leaving but to protect them.

He sighed again, knowing he owed too much to this person.

First, he confirmed his location, then tore through the void, following the coordinates in his memory, and set out to find his sect.

He came from a True Saint Daochang, but his sect had fallen in a past Dao conflict, destroyed by several rival forces. Even the True Emperor patriarch had perished.

Celestial Kings like him were either forcibly sent to the Sea of Burial or died and were reborn.

Now, who knew how many years had passed, whether the patriarch had returned...

Memories of the past flooded his mind, like a overturned jar of mixed emotions.

He finally returned to the world where his past sect was located.

The once towering peaks and vast palaces, a sacred ground, were now nothing but overgrown weeds and vines, the most primitive form of life in the world.

Time had changed everything, making the past unrecognizable.

Tian Xing felt a sense of melancholy. How many civilizations had risen and fallen under this starry sky? How many powerful beings had emerged and faded?

No matter how glorious the past, one failure was enough to destroy everything, and his lineage was one of those past failures.

"Who?! To enter without announcing is to be a thief! This is the Dao field of the Heavenly Mountain; I advise you not to make a mistake!"

From the depths ahead, a figure suddenly rose into the air, tall and imposing, with fierce eyes and terrifying aura, not a weak Celestial King.

Hearing the name, Tian Xing’s body trembled, his eyes locking onto the figure, and a name escaped his lips:

"Xiaohua?! Are you Huo Qianlou from Zuo Peak?"

Hearing the old nickname, the man guarding the mountain gate’s expression darkened, a stormy silence descending.

But soon, his expression changed, and the mountain-crushing aura vanished, as he exclaimed:

"Are you Uncle Tian Xing? You're still alive?!"

After a moment of reunion, Tian Xing learned from the junior disciple about the experiences of the past years.

With the help of the surviving disciples from that battle, the Ancestor had successfully returned from the tribulations more than ten thousand years ago, found the living disciples, and rebuilt the sect.

"Time flows, but only a True Emperor can be called immortal. As long as one doesn’t die, everything can start anew!"

Hua Qian Lou said excitedly,

"Uncle Tian Xing, the Ancestor has gone to Daluotian to attend the Assembly of the Saints. When he returns and sees you, he will be very happy!"

"Where have you been all these years, and why have you returned now? Even the Ancestor couldn’t foresee the fates and trajectories of some of the inner disciples."

Tian Xing felt as if he were in a dream. The Ancestor had actually returned and rebuilt the sect!

"I..."

Tian Xing suddenly fell silent, swallowing the words he had been about to blurt out.

"I fell into the Sea of Burial back then. Only recently, due to fortunate circumstances, did I escape and return to the present."

Tian Xing concealed Ji Jingqiu’s whereabouts, feeling that this person wouldn’t want the matter of spreading the Dao to be known.

As a disciple of a True Emperor, he had once been a top Celestial King with the potential to ascend to Heavenly Venerable, and he understood the significance of "Path Opening the world."

"I see, no wonder the Ancestor couldn’t foresee it", Hua Qian Lou sighed.

"Who else has returned to the sect?" Tian Xing asked eagerly.

"Uncle, don’t rush. Let’s find a place to sit down, and I’ll tell you about the changes over these years..."

Upon hearing that many of his former fellow disciples had reincarnated and returned, Tian Xing let out a long, resonant cry that shattered the cloud sea above, dispelling the last of his lingering gloom.

But soon, Hua Qian Lou poured cold water on his enthusiasm, saying gravely,

"Uncle, your priority now is to restore your former cultivation. According to the message the Ancestor sent yesterday, the world is about to be in chaos again. The Dao conflict is about to begin, and this time it will be a battle to the death!"

"Rumors say that even before the Assembly of the Saints concluded, some True Saint Daochang had already decided to engage in a bloody battle, a fight to the death!"

Hearing this, Tian Xing’s eyes grew deep, instantly recalling the several forces that had teamed up to bury their Heavenly God Mountain!

"Battle to the death?"

"Exactly!" Hua Qian Lou said, "It’s said that the supreme powerhouses will open the Netherworld of the Dark Wasteland, using it as the battlefield for the bloodbath!"

Tian Xing suddenly thought of Ji Jingqiu and indirectly inquired about the young powerhouses of the present era.

Anyone who could Path Open the world would be a top-tier powerhouse in any era.

"Outstanding talents of the present era?" Hua Qian Lou thought for a moment and said, "I don’t pay much attention to the outside world, but I’ve heard of someone named Ji Jingqiu, who is called the greatest Heavenly Person of all time. Of course, no matter how strong, he’s still just a Heavenly Person."

"Ji Jingqiu..."

Tian Xing murmured, seeing Hua Qian Lou’s indifferent expression and shaking his head.

Though Ji Jingqiu was a Heavenly Person, even the average Celestial King was probably no match for him.

Once he completed his Path Opening, it wouldn’t take long for him to catch up to the leading Celestial Kings.

...

...

At the request of the guardians of truth and other supreme powerhouses, the first meeting between the True Emperors and the returned ancient gods took place.

This meeting of True Emperors lasted a long time, during which various rumors and gossip spread.

For example, it was said that two True Emperors had a major fight during the meeting, directly setting the stage for the first bloodbath...

Or that the discussions among the saints were not pleasant, with table slamming incidents occurring frequently, and the table in front of the Wude Palace representative being replaced more than once.

In the end, even the Void Emperor couldn’t stand it anymore and created a temporary universe, allowing the more aggressive individuals to fight inside.

"Bloodbath..."

Ji Anquan was pondering.

Should he bring back some of the old hands from the Federation?

Otherwise, if some fool started a bloodbath against the Yanhuang Federation, could they really rely on their allies to fight?

They would probably sever ties with them at the first opportunity.

But according to the last conversation with the Taiyin lineage, these old hands seemed to have gone to the Transcendent Dao Grounds in the outer realms, making communication a significant problem.

"A bit tricky..."

On this day.

Xuan Ji True Emperor, across the vast expanse of space and time, made contact with Ji Anquan:

"Be prepared. The saints have preliminarily agreed, and the first bloodbath is about to begin. Some are targeting your Yanhuang Federation."

"Try to contact Ji Jingqiu and persuade him to suppress his cultivation, not to enter the Celestial King battlefield too early."

Hearing this, Ji Anquan shook his head and said, "Brother Ji won’t stop for such a reason. From what I know, he will only accelerate his progress. He’s not far from attempting to break through his current boundary."

Xuan Ji True Emperor was silent for a moment and then said, "The first bloodbath will take place in a month. You can watch then to understand the true cruelty of the bloodbath. Perhaps it will change your mind."

"Which two sects?" Ji Anquan asked.

"Tian Sheng Lake and Tai Qing Hall."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end