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Chapter 450: 449. Instant Ascension to Sainthood (Part 1)
Chapter 450: 449. Instant Ascension to Sainthood (Part 1)
In a distant castle, Emperor Tang, Zhang Wantong, was not currently in the human realm of the Great Tang.
Like Zhao Chanying of the Kunwu Sect before her, she had chosen to venture into the outer void, and her exact location was unknown.
On this occasion, Zhang Wantong's seclusion and breakthrough to the Immortal Realm beyond the Nine Heavens did not include any specific individuals to guard her and protect her Dharma.
To a certain extent, keeping her whereabouts and actions a secret was the best way to protect herself.
Previously, she had utilized the ritual of the Heavenly Calamity Gold and other heavenly treasures, not for self-protection, but to prevent any changes in the Azure Abyss as a result of her own advancement.
To maintain secrecy and avoid delays in court affairs, the Empress would leave behind an image of herself—neither a true clone nor an illusion—every time she left the human realm of the Great Tang.
To the vast majority of people in the human realm of the Great Tang, especially the secular commoners, Emperor Tang had remained in the imperial capital of Luoyang ever since the Battle of Luoyang.
Only a select few knew that Emperor Tang, Zhang Wantong, had ventured out of the capital more than once over the years.
Whether or not to speak of this, Zhang Wantong, like Zhang Hui before her, did not have much luck during her departures from the capital.
Zhang Hui often encountered sudden events that forced her to turn back halfway.
Although Zhang Wantong did not give up halfway, each time she secretly left the human realm of the Great Tang, her actions were often noticed by the outside world for one reason or another.
However, it was precisely because Zhang Wantong had left an illusion of herself in the imperial capital of Luoyang over the years that the human realm of the Great Tang was now in such a state of flux.
"Her Majesty has dissipated the accumulation of national fortune that was supporting her, but she is still connected to the human realm, and her cultivation and strength remain unfathomable," Yuan Mobai marveled.
"There are those in the human realm of the Great Tang who have pushed open the Immortal Gate."
"Emperor Tang's situation is different from that of Senior Brother," Lei Jun said. "Although she was Tian Rui in her previous life, after her reincarnation and resumption of cultivation, she started anew. She is indeed someone who pushed open the Immortal Gate after the great Han Dynasty calamity."
Master and disciple sat in silence.
Until the fluctuations of the spiritual energy in the human realm of the Great Tang gradually subsided.
After that, all was calm.
As if everything that had happened before was an illusion.
Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai glanced at each other and nodded slightly.
Empress Zhang Wantong had not failed, she had succeeded.
When a Great Scholar of the Nine Heavens ascends above the clouds, transcending the earthly abyss and surpassing the Nine Heavens, it is known as Instant Ascension to Sainthood.
Lei Jun raised his hand, and with a flick of his finger, he conjured a spirit talisman in the air. The talisman glowed, and from it, an Illusory Tome appeared, its pages blank and constantly flipping.
After a while, the flipping pages suddenly stopped, and words began to appear on them.
Emperor Zhang Wantong's voice seemed to echo in the ears of Lei Jun and his disciple:
"Lei Zhenren, Yuan Zhenren."
"Longhu Mountain congratulates Your Majesty on ascending above the clouds and attaining sainthood," the two said simultaneously.
"You're too kind," Zhang Wantong said.
According to the prior agreement between the two parties, after Empress Zhang Wantong attained the Immortal Realm, she would return and reside permanently in one of the Nine Heavens—the Great Unity.
However, she would not make a grand display of this, and only a select few would be aware of her movements.
Lei Jun and the others would also not publicize it.
Ever since the Battle of Luoyang, Empress Zhang Wantong had been reducing her presence.
Even though those in the Immortal Realm could now remain in the human realm for a long time, she would not linger in the Great Tang as she had in the past.
Instant Ascension to Sainthood was the moment when she would further diminish her presence in the Great Tang Dynasty and among the common folk.
This applied to both herself and the illusion she had left in the imperial capital of Luoyang; secular affairs would be further transferred to the Political Affairs Hall of the Menxia Province.
Although she did not have a crown prince, she would remain in power for many years to come.
"Times are changing, and the various human realms will eventually converge," Lei Jun said.
"Is the Two Jin human realm the only one left for the time being?" Zhang Wantong asked.
"Yes, the spiritual energy in the Two Jin human realm has not yet started to surge, and it is still flowing naturally. It may take another hundred years or a few hundred years," Lei Jun replied.
"There may be those who seek to actively advance the spiritual energy surge in that human realm, and there may also be those who try to delay it," Zhang Wantong said.
"I have been to that human realm and left some traces. I will pay attention to the changes there," Lei Jun said.
"Thank you for your hard work, Lei Zhenren," Zhang Wantong said.
After entering the Great Unity, she would not make any other moves for the time being.
The urgent task at hand was to adjust and improve the ritual and ceremony formed by the Heavenly Calamity Gold and other heavenly treasures.
The ceremony she had arranged while at the Nine Heavens realm could only be maintained for a short period.
Now that Zhang Wantong had successfully attained sainthood, the ceremony could be sustained for a long time.
"Your Majesty, what is the current situation in the Azure Abyss?" Lei Jun asked.
"It's hard to say what the specific situation is in the Azure Abyss now, as eleven people, led by Gao Tian Sui, were sealed within it many years ago," Zhang Wantong replied calmly.
"Tian Rui had vast supernatural powers and profound methods," Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai said.
Tian Rui, He Ying, had reincarnated as the current Emperor Tang, Zhang Wantong.
Her Instant Ascension to Sainthood beyond the Nine Heavens might have allowed those sealed in the Azure Abyss to return to the mortal world.
This was why Zhang Wantong had hesitated to take that step until she had gathered treasures like the Heavenly Calamity Gold.
The ritual and ceremony were more about concealing the related changes than reinforcing the seal of the Azure Abyss.
Even in the Immortal Realm, there were still distinctions in cultivation and strength.
Although Tian Rui, He Ying, had sealed the Azure Abyss back then, Zhang Wantong was only a newcomer to the Immortal Realm, and times had changed.
If Gao Tian and the others were to break free from the Azure Abyss at this time, the outcome would be unpredictable.
However, when one recalled Tian Rui, He Ying's feat of sealing away numerous powerful beings in the Azure Abyss, despite the great price she had paid, her strength still inspired awe.
"It wasn't just my doing," Zhang Wantong said calmly. "In that battle, there were countless experts, far-reaching implications, and the victory was ultimately decided by the smallest of margins."
Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai nodded slightly.
If it hadn't been so intense, the great Han Dynasty calamity wouldn't have resulted in the separation of the human realms.
"If we must say there was a true victor back then, there wasn't one," Zhang Wantong finally said.
Lei Jun suddenly asked, "Your Majesty, do you still remember Mr. Beichen, Zheng Baiyu?"
"He seemed to have perished back then, but I believe he is still alive," Zhang Wantong said.
Lei Jun said, "Currently, there is a lack of concrete evidence, but I believe that the eminent scholar who caused quite a stir between the Nine Li Tribes and the Sea Clan was none other than Mr. Beichen."
"After the great Han Dynasty calamity, he most likely ventured into Youyun, but the specifics after that are still unclear."
Zhang Wantong mused, "If he hadn't been a late bloomer, his achievements might have surpassed those of Gaotian Sui."
Lei Jun fell into a thoughtful silence at the mention of this.
Zhang Wantong suddenly asked, "Do the various True Persons of Longhu Mountain have any leads on the Great Ruler?"
"In that chaotic era of strife between the Wu and the Buddhists, where a martial artist held sway, there were some clues about the Great Ruler. However, as of now, there is no news of the Great Ruler reappearing in the various mortal realms," Lei Jun replied.
"In the past, when the old Celestial Palace's subordinates rebelled, the significance of the Great Ruler was on par with that of the Azure Abyss," Zhang Wantong said.
Upon hearing this, Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai, who had been listening quietly by the side, looked up with a flash of interest in their eyes.
"So, it is like that..." they murmured in unison.
Zhang Wantong continued, "The Great Ruler has endured more turmoil and destruction than the Azure Abyss. Now, after so many years, if it has remained sealed off, it may have regained some of its vitality. Back then, the discovery of the ancient Celestial Palace's ruins was of utmost importance, just like the Azure Abyss. If Zheng Baiyu is still alive and has entered Youyun, then Youyun is also worth keeping an eye on."
"Thank you for the information, Your Majesty," Lei Jun expressed his gratitude.
He then proceeded to summarize and convey to her the various events that had transpired in the Great Han Empire and the developments with Kongsang and Kunlun during her seclusion, including the matters concerning Wang Guiyuan.
As for the affairs of the Great Tang mortal realm, Zhang Wantong did not seem to pay much attention to Wang Guiyuan's actions. Instead, she inquired in detail about the pure golden hall related to Chen Yi.
Finally, she concluded, "That hall was once a part of the ancient Celestial Palace and should have been in Zheng Baiyu's possession back then."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for clarifying our doubts," Lei Jun replied, his thoughts still on the matter.
Although this did not confirm that the Chen Yi of today was the same as the Beichen Zheng Baiyu of the past, it was indeed a lead worth pursuing.
"For now, let's focus on the matters of the mortal realm, and I shall trouble Longhu Mountain," Zhang Wantong said.
"Your Majesty is too kind," Lei Jun responded humbly.
The text on the book in front of them faded away, and Zhang Wantong's voice also disappeared along with it. Soon after, the book pages closed, and the illusory book transformed into a stream of light, returning to Lei Jun's talisman.
Lei Jun turned to look at his master, Yuan Mobai. The usual gentle smile was absent from his face, replaced by a thoughtful expression as he murmured, "The Great Ruler and Youyun, hmm..."
"Both the mortal realm of Sappo and Mount Ling are putting in great efforts to search for the Great Ruler," Lei Jun added.
Yuan Mobai's expression returned to its usual calm as he said, "Let's focus on ourselves for now."
"I share the same sentiment, Master," Lei Jun agreed.
That evening, during the study session, Lei Jun first guided his second disciple, Han Xiaofi, and Tang Xiaotang's disciple, Cheng Rongrong.
After concluding the day's lesson, he brought up the topic of "skipping grades" and asked for Han Xiaofi and Cheng Rongrong's opinions on the matter.
Cheng Rongrong promptly replied, "I respectfully report to the Sect Leader, disciple will follow the arrangements of the Master and you. The timing of the bestowal of the talisman doesn't make much difference. If, before the next bestowal, disciple can reach the perfect state of the Triple Heaven Law Forum, I would like to use the remaining time to cultivate and learn more spiritual talismans."
Lei Jun nodded slightly, "Mm, that's fine."
Most cultivators with similar aspirations would usually make such plans after the end of their golden cultivation window period, intending to broaden their horizons and enhance their practical combat abilities.
During the golden cultivation window period, aside from daily progress, they would mainly focus on cultivating their innate magic.
However, such conditions would naturally not apply to the most exceptional geniuses.
The likes of Xu Yuanzhen, Tang Xiaotang, Lei Jun, and now Cheng Rongrong, were all in this category.
It was truly difficult not to suspect Tang Xiaotang's standards when she had chosen her disciple.
Like Yuan Mobai and Zhuo Baojie, Cheng Rongrong was also a spiritual beast, and it would be inappropriate to measure their cultivation talents by human standards.
Nonetheless, their talents far surpassed their peers.
Especially Cheng Rongrong, who, in terms of innate foundation, was extremely outstanding.
Although her physical foundation of qi and blood was not as robust as Yuan Mobai's or Zhuo Baojie's, her comprehension abilities were exceptional.
From the perspective of talent and specialties, she was indeed very similar to Xu Yuanzhen.
At her current level of the Lower Three Heavens, Cheng Rongrong had chosen the three innate arts that were the most common combination in the Longhu Mountain Heavenly Master lineage: "Gold, Wind, and Thunder."
Namely, the Golden Lock Talisman, the Ride the Wind Talisman, and the Thunderclap Talisman.
In addition to these three innate talismans, Cheng Rongrong was also well-versed in a large number of other basic spiritual talismans.
Whether they were her innate talismans or not, the basic spiritual talismans crafted by her were more powerful than those of her fellow sect members.
Just like Xu Yuanzhen, even the most ordinary and commonplace magic in her hands would unleash a power far beyond the average level.
Even identical spiritual talismans crafted by Cheng Rongrong, when used as non-innate talismans, proved to be more effective and powerful than the innate talismans of other Heavenly Master disciples.
Although her temperament was much quieter compared to Xu Yuanzhen, her path of cultivation shared quite a few similarities, and she too had a wide range of interests.
Given this, it was not surprising that she chose not to "skip grades" and instead opted to follow the sect's rituals and wait for the next formal bestowal of the talisman. This decision did not catch Lei Jun off guard.
On the other hand, Cheng Rongrong's little sister, Lei Jun's second disciple, Han Xiaofi, was sitting by her side, her eyes darting around curiously.
Noticing her master's gaze, Han Xiaofi quickly raised her hand and said, "Master, disciple hopes to receive the talisman bestowal in advance."
"What are your specific thoughts on this?" Lei Jun asked.
"Regarding cultivation, disciple has some ideas. I want to emulate Master and Big Brother Disciple by having my own insights. If I can quickly reach the Middle Three Heavens, I believe I will gain greater insights," Han Xiaofi explained.
Lei Jun glanced at Cheng Rongrong, who was sitting beside her, her gaze unwavering, before turning back to his second disciple and asking, "Isn't this because you want to compete with your Senior Sister?"
Han Xiaofi's eyes shifted slightly downward, her gaze landing on a fiery red, fluffy tail. She quickly averted her eyes and replied earnestly, "Of course it has nothing to do with Senior Sister.
(End of Chapter)
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