Chapter 499: The Peak of Human Existence

Chapter 499: The Peak of Human Existence

"Lord, there are so many people!!"

In the morning, Southern Plaza was bustling with people, and Lvyi stood on tiptoe to see the crowd ahead.

Jiang Ning nodded: "There are indeed a lot of people."

The crowd had surrounded the square, making it impossible to move through.

In the center of the square, the Ritual Altar had already been set up. This was the altar used by the Heavenly King of the Yellow Heaven Sect to pray for rain.

After a quick glance, Jiang Ning led Lvyi toward a nearby tavern.

About a hundred meters from the square stood a five-story tavern. Watching the Heavenly King of the Yellow Heaven Sect perform the rain ritual at noon from the tavern would clearly be a good vantage point.

Square Pavilion.

Fifth floor.

As soon as Jiang Ning climbed to the fifth floor, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. At a table near the Ritual Altar side, Bai Luoyu was sitting alone, drinking and looking out the window toward the square.

Suddenly, he seemed to sense someone watching him and turned to look at Jiang Ning, who had just climbed up to the fifth floor.

"Brother Jiang!!" Bai Luoyu stood up with a smile.

"Brother Bai, you chose this place too?" Jiang Ning also smiled.

"I guessed Brother Jiang would choose this spot. It's the best place to observe the square, so I came here first!" Bai Luoyu said.

Jiang Ning smiled and led Lvyi to a seat. Then, his gaze turned to the Ritual Altar. On the altar, a gray-haired Daoist in an apricot-yellow robe, wearing a Five Peaks Crown, with skin as smooth as a child's and a ruddy complexion, was sitting in meditation on a cushion.

Behind the Daoist, several young Daoists were making the final preparations for the rain ritual.

The area around the Ritual Altar was surrounded by five colors: green, red, white, black, and yellow, representing the Five Rain Banners.

"I heard that this Heavenly King Li is over a hundred and fifty years old!" Bai Luoyu suddenly said.

"Over a hundred and fifty, yet his skin is like that of a child. Impressive!" Jiang Ning said.

"Indeed, impressive!" Bai Luoyu agreed with a nod.

He continued, "I heard that before meeting the Yellow Heaven Daoist, Heavenly King Li was a frustrated scholar, already in his fifties."

"But after being mentored by the Yellow Heaven Daoist, he rose rapidly and has now cultivated the Yang Spirit, allowing his soul to leave his body at Celestial Noon and roam the heavens."

"Given his growth, if this were the Ancient Era, he would surely have become an immortal."

Jiang Ning said, "There are rumors that the Yellow Heaven Daoist has a private Cave Heaven Realm. What do you think, Brother Bai?"

"Brother Jiang has heard this rumor too?" Bai Luoyu was somewhat surprised.

"I have!" Jiang Ning nodded.

Bai Luoyu said, "This speculation is not without reason. Without an independent Cave Heaven Realm, how could the Yellow Heaven Daoist have cultivated twelve Heavenly Kings? In the current environment, how could he find so many cultivation resources?"

Jiang Ning nodded slightly. His understanding of the Daoist path had grown significantly, especially after spending days in the academy's library reading ancient texts. The Daoist path required far more cultivation resources than martial arts.

Spirit Stones, Elixir Pills, Spirit Crystals, and Heavenly Treasures containing spiritual energy—all were in great demand. Additionally, a suitable environment was needed to absorb the free-floating energy from the heavens, known as spiritual energy.

Today, neither the environment nor the Heavenly Treasures and various resources met the requirements for this path. However, in the remaining Secret Domains and Cave Heaven Realms, these resources still existed.

The fact that the Yellow Heaven Sect had twelve Heavenly Kings was enough to show that the Yellow Heaven Daoist must have a well-preserved Cave Heaven Realm.

This thought flashed through Jiang Ning's mind as he looked at the Ritual Altar in the square.

A moment later, the Daoist in the apricot-yellow robe, wearing the Five Peaks Crown, slowly opened his eyes. As he stood up, it seemed as if the energy in the world converged on him, and the light dimmed.

Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed. At that moment, he felt that the Heavenly King of the Yellow Heaven Sect had become the center of this world, forming a vortex around him. Invisible energy converged on him.

"Brother Bai, did you feel that?" Jiang Ning asked.

"Feel what?" Bai Luoyu looked at Jiang Ning, his eyes blank.

Jiang Ning glanced at him, knowing he wasn't faking it. He realized that this perception of the world, or awareness, was something only he could detect.

Just like the difference between species, humans can see a three-color spectrum, while dogs can only see a two-color spectrum, and birds can see a four-color spectrum. This was the difference between species.

He could sense the field around the Heavenly King of the Yellow Heaven Sect as it activated the moment he stood up. Under the influence of this field, the Heavenly King seemed to become a human black hole, the center of the world.

He slowly closed his eyes, his aura disappearing as he merged with the world. In the state of Oneness with Heaven and Man, Jiang Ning's perception of the field around the Heavenly King deepened.

He felt countless specks of light emerging from the void and converging on the Heavenly King. These specks of light vanished the moment they touched him.

As the specks of light converged on the Heavenly King, the field Jiang Ning had sensed became more tangible.

At that moment, Jiang Ning felt a gaze on him. The gaze lingered on him for a few breaths before withdrawing.

Jiang Ning opened his eyes and looked at the Ritual Altar. The Heavenly King was now standing before the offering, reciting the scriptures.

Listening briefly, Jiang Ning recognized the Supreme Abyssal Rain-Calling Sutra, which was recorded in the Thirty-Six Volumes of the Daoist Canon, a text he had read.

"Brother Bai, did the Heavenly King just look in our direction?" Jiang Ning asked.

"No, he didn't!" Bai Luoyu shook his head, his gaze curious.

He knew that Jiang Ning wouldn't ask such a question without reason, so he must have noticed something.

Looking at Bai Luoyu's gaze, Jiang Ning slowly shook his head.

"Perhaps I was mistaken!"

Although he said this, he knew he couldn't be wrong. At his current level and strength, his perception wouldn't fail him.

Though he didn't know what method the Heavenly King used to observe him, he was certain that the Heavenly King had secretly observed him. Or perhaps, not secretly, but openly.

On the other side.

The Heavenly King had already finished reciting the Supreme Abyssal Rain-Calling Sutra on the platform. He then drew a talisman in cinnabar and burned it in the Nine Dragon Cauldron.

Then.

Boom—

Boom—

Boom—

A burly man began to beat the drum, the three beats echoing like thunder, causing the crowd in the square to retreat in shock, the scene becoming chaotic.

"Five Thunder Generals, Fire Cart Generals, soaring through the heavens, driving the clouds and thunder."

As the last word of the Thunder Summoning Incantation was spoken.

Crack—

A bolt of white light split the sky, the spreading lightning resembling a crack in the heavens, the rumbling thunder echoing through the world.

The crowd in the square was stunned.

"Truly a powerful being, second only to immortals!" he muttered.

Bai Luoyu was utterly amazed.

"According to reason, that Heavenly King is merely on par with a Second Rank Grandmaster. How can he display such terrifying divine might?"

"By leveraging external aids!" Jiang Ning said.

He now had a deep understanding of the methods the Heavenly King was using.

Reciting the Supreme Abyssal Rain-Calling Sutra, setting up the Five Rain Banners on the Ritual Altar, drawing the dragon-summoning talisman in cinnabar, and burning it in the Nine Dragon Cauldron.

Then striking the drum three times to call upon the heavens and reciting the Thunder Summoning Incantation.

As Ye Zhengqi had said before, the Way of Heaven has its own spirit.

With such external aids, this was not just the power of the Heavenly King but also the power of the heavens being invoked.

At this moment, his understanding of the ancient immortal path deepened.

The next moment.

The Heavenly King stepped in the pattern of the Seven Star Constellation, reciting the names of the Seven Star Lords.

He then took a willow branch soaked in lake water and sprinkled it around, ringing the bell to call the Dragon Lord to bring rain.

Jiang Ning looked up, seeing the lightning appear, the dark clouds gathering over Guangning City, and the wind picking up.

The leaves rustled in the wind.

"Great reputation is not undeserved!" Jiang Ning sighed. "The Heavenly King of the Yellow Heaven Sect truly can call down rain from the heavens."

At this point, he was convinced that the Heavenly King could indeed summon a heavy rain.

"Brother Jiang, if this heavy rain does come, how many more believers will the Yellow Heaven Sect gain in the city?" Bai Luoyu asked, somewhat worried.

"Many. Many", Jiang Ning replied.

After today, there would undoubtedly be a large number of people in the city who would become believers of the Yellow Heaven Sect after witnessing this.

Calling down the rain not only ensures a partial harvest for the crops but is also a divine miracle, a sign of the return of immortals.

Suddenly.

Drip—

Drip—

A few raindrops hit the wooden boards, signaling the imminent arrival of the heavy rain.

"Since that's the case, I'll give him a hand! It's also a good opportunity to test how wide an area my Cloud-Weaving Rain-Spreading Art can cover!"

Jiang Ning looked at the dark clouds gathering over Guangning City, a thought flashing through his mind.

The next moment.

He focused his mind.

In the sky, invisible to the naked eye, the rolling dark clouds suddenly paused, then gathered even faster.

Silver lightning split the sky, and the wind became even more intense.

On the Ritual Altar.

"No!!" The Heavenly King, dressed in the Apricot Robe of Dao and wearing the Five Peaks Crown, looked up at the sky, his expression changing.

He carefully sensed the changes in the sky, feeling the energy in the world.

"Is there a high master helping me?"

"Who is it, which high master?"

"What is their intention??"

He scanned the surroundings but found no clues.

In the square, below the Ritual Altar.

The crowd fell to their knees en masse.

"Immortal!"

"Immortal!!"

"An immortal is here!!!"

"..."

The heavy rain was now pelting the ground, causing pain to those caught in it.

The Heavenly King looked at the surging emotions of the crowd below. After today, the number of believers would certainly surge, but he was not at all happy.

The high master who had secretly helped him had shown him that there were always greater heights to reach, always more people to surpass.

Since he had achieved great Dao, he had only felt this way in the presence of the Sect Leader.

The intangible pressure made him feel that the situation was out of his control, completely beyond his grasp.

"I am already at the peak of human power. Who else in this world, besides the Sect Leader, can do this?!!" The Heavenly King's mind was filled with confusion.

The sudden change had shattered his worldview.

"Could it be those people have emerged??" he thought.

On the other side.

In a pavilion.

Xia Wanjun watched the scene in the heavens, her expression filled with a sigh.

"Is this what cultivators of the ancient path look like?"

"Yes, Miss!" A middle-aged woman behind her spoke, continuing, "This Li Heavenly King of the Yellow Heaven Sect is one of the peak cultivators in the Great Xia, second only to immortals. In the entire world, there are no more than twenty people with greater Dao power than him!"

"That is indeed remarkable!" Xia Wanjun nodded.

"Aunt Bai!" She looked at the middle-aged woman with crow's feet at the corners of her eyes, continuing, "Father said that the potential of martial arts is now greater than that of the immortal path, but I see that the strength of martial artists is not outstanding, lacking the great powers of immortal cultivators."

"Miss, if you could see the peak martial artists, you would understand!" the middle-aged woman said.

Then she added, "Miss, if you had seen the Martial Sage in action, you would understand even more! The great power of the Martial Sage comes from within, without relying on the external environment. The Martial Sage can shatter the bodies of immortals and gods with sheer force, breaking all laws of the world, and smashing artifacts with bare hands."

"In the current world, the path of martial arts is the most viable and suitable path."

Xia Wanjun's pupils narrowed.

"The Martial Sage is that powerful?"

"Yes!" the middle-aged woman nodded. "Based on his past victories, he is truly an invincible existence in this world!"

"If not for him, how could he have suppressed this world for over eight hundred years, even with some sects having the remnants of ancient powers, they can only rest and recuperate in the face of the Martial Sage."

On the other side.

The wind and rain had already swept through the entire Guangning City, affecting millions of people.

At this moment, it was noon, but the sky was as dark as night.

Jiang Ning also felt the limits of his influence.

He could affect half of Guangning City.

With the help of the Heavenly King of the Yellow Heaven Sect, they were able to cover the entire city with clouds and rain at this moment.

"Indeed, the improvement is significant!"

"The strength of a divine ability is indeed related to the user's ability!"

Jiang Ning thought to himself.

He no longer held back, continuing to push the rain and wind.

A heavy rain could alleviate some of the drought.

After observing for another half an hour.

There was no chaos, and Jiang Ning left with Bai Luoyu.

As for the Heavenly King, he had no other thoughts.

With strength equivalent to a Second Rank Grandmaster and mysterious, unpredictable methods, it was better not to meet him.

He knew that his current strength was not yet fearless.

There were still many people in this world who could threaten him.

While the situation was still stable, he needed to develop and grow.

Stability is the best way to deal with all changes.

He believed that as long as his strength progressed, or advanced a few steps, he would be able to handle most changes.

When he returned to his residence.

"Are you Jiang Ning?"

"Yes, I am!"

"This is your letter, from Dongling City!"

Jiang Ning took the letter wrapped in oiled paper from the messenger, who then left in the rain. Jiang Ning's mind was filled with curiosity.

"Who could this letter be from?" (End of Chapter)

Chapter end