A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 189 Unexpected Circumstances
"Everyone, please."

Qinglong Xuanjiang gestured and led the way with three others. Tianyun Zhenren nodded and bowed, then led his disciples inside, with the rest of the group following.

After an unknown amount of time, the view suddenly opened up before them, and the clouds and mist dispersed, revealing a magnificent palace.

The golden hall radiated golden light, majestic and awe-inspiring. An overwhelming aura swept over, making people unaware of their own insignificance. Disciples with shallow cultivation immediately felt fear in their hearts, as if the sky had collapsed. With the sound of bells and chimes, the pressure vanished instantly.

Master Tianyun narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the main hall in front of him. This Xuanxin Sect was indeed profound in its foundation. The sheer power of the main hall almost made him lose his composure. It seemed that they were intentionally trying to give him a hard time.

With a wave of the jade ruler, True Man Tianyun stepped forward and stood on the jade steps of the main hall. The others followed one after another. Seeing this, Azure Dragon General waved his hand, and a beam of azure light landed on the hall door. The azure light merged with the golden light, and with a loud bang, the heavy hall door slowly opened, revealing a cloud-like vortex before everyone's eyes.

Inside, the sea of ​​clouds surges and rolls, the mountains rise and fall in a winding manner, thousands of waterfalls and rivers cascade down, and stars shine in the sky, like a fairyland painting.

"I heard long ago that there is a realm within the Xuanxin Sect, existing in an unknown place. Judging from the aura emanating from this cloud, which is different from this realm, could this be that realm?"

When Yun Xuan appeared, Master Tianyun was startled. His cultivation level far surpassed that of everyone present. Others might have thought that Yun Xuan was just an array, but he could see something different. When Yun Xuan appeared, streaks of lightning suddenly appeared and disappeared. If it weren't for his insufficient cultivation, he would have been hard to detect.

This was clearly an anomaly caused by the collision of the energies of the two realms, which is why he dared to make this guess.

"The True Man's discerning eye is infallible. This Cloud Void is indeed a realm, and also the only way to the main hall."

As soon as Qinglong Xuanjiang finished speaking, Yuan Ming's face immediately showed shock, and the copper ball he was spinning involuntarily stopped. Although Qianji Pavilion was also a major righteous sect, it only had great achievements in mechanical creation. As for opening up a sacred realm, it was willing but unable.

Let alone Qianji Pavilion, among the major sects present, only Miaoyun Pavilion has a chance. However, seeing the surprised look on Tianyun Zhenren's face, Yuan Ming couldn't help but secretly give up the idea.

Fang Kong and Mu Yang Zhenren exchanged a glance, both seeing disbelief in each other's eyes. After all, opening up a realm was something no ordinary person could do, and they couldn't help but wonder if there was another such person within the Xuanxin Zhengzong sect. If so, the Xuanxin Zhengzong sect would be able to firmly hold the top position with just this one person.

"Fortunately, I stood firmly on the side of Xuanxin Sect from the beginning. A thousand-year-old sect is indeed beyond the imagination of small sects."

As for Gu Wenshao and Duan Jing, they were both shaken, and their eyes revealed longing.

Seeing this, Qinglong Xuanjiang didn't say much. After he and the other three each injected a ray of spiritual light, Yunxuan stopped spinning and opened a passage. As soon as everyone entered Yunxuan, they felt dizzy. When they came to their senses, they found themselves in a palace.

Looking around, one sees an incredibly spacious hall, yet its layout is remarkably simple. Eighteen jade pillars with coiled dragons support the entire hall, which is surrounded by an ethereal, empty space, with only a large circular hall at the front. In the center stands a cloud platform, and below, on the left and right sides, are twelve altars each. Auspicious clouds hang down, creating a scene of divine grandeur.
The hall floor was covered with crystal and jade, adorned with stars from the heavens, sparkling and radiant. Tianyun and the others were immediately stunned by the sight before them. Although they recovered quickly, their expressions were still somewhat unnatural.

As the head of a sect, it was quite embarrassing to be shaken by the scene before them. However, their embarrassment did not last long. A clear and melodious voice rang out, and everyone looked over to see a ray of light fall on the cloud platform at the head of the table. As the light dissipated, a golden figure was revealed.

Jin Guang was dressed in a golden robe with sun and moon patterns, wearing a lotus crown and holding a simple black-sheathed longsword. His eyes were bright and his expression was solemn and majestic. The golden pattern between his eyebrows added a touch of mystery and nobility.

"Greetings, Sect Master Jin Guang."

When Tianyun and the others saw the golden light appear and saw his appearance, they immediately knew that he had received the sect leader's inheritance, and they all bowed respectfully.

"Everyone, please take a seat."

Jin Guang rose to return the greeting and spoke loudly, which resounded in the spacious hall. Upon hearing this, everyone took their seats on the altar.

At that moment, Master Tianyun was horrified to discover that, at some point, a cloud platform had appeared slightly behind the Golden Cloud Platform, and there was a blurry figure on it with an ethereal and unpredictable aura. His divine sense could not penetrate more than three zhang away.

"not good."

Master Tianyun hurriedly withdrew his divine sense, but it was too late. His divine sense was severely damaged, and a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. He was injured with just one move. This person's cultivation can only be described as all-encompassing.

No wonder Jin Guang sent an invitation to Miao Yun Que; it seems he came prepared.

"Sect Master Jin Guang, may I ask who this fellow Daoist behind you is?"

Master Tianyun silently circulated his true energy for a moment, dispelling the stagnant energy within his body, and then asked Jin Guang a question in a clear voice.

Just after Master Tianyun finished speaking, Yuan Ming, Fang Kong, Master Muyang, Gu Wenshao, and Duan Jing noticed the cloud platform to the left of the golden light, and their expressions immediately changed.

They hadn't noticed this cloud platform at all before; if it hadn't been pointed out by Master Tianyun, they would have thought it was empty.

Upon hearing this, Jin Guang said in a deep voice, "Master, this is one of my senior brothers. However, he is devoted to cultivating the Dao and does not wish to participate in this mortal world. He came here today at Jin Guang's invitation to witness Jin Guang take over the Xuanxin Sect."

When Master Tianyun heard that Jin Guang was unwilling to reveal his name, his heart tightened.

"This person possesses profound magical power and is certainly not an unknown figure. However, why have we never heard of such a person within the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect? Could he be a trump card that the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect has deliberately hidden, or perhaps a protector of the Golden Light?"

As Tianyun held up the jade ruler, he pondered inwardly. Neither of these possibilities was good news. With this person present, whether or not the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect was severely weakened was insignificant. This person's existence was like a stabilizing force. As long as he was there, no matter how things changed below, it would not shake the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect's leadership over the entire righteous path.

"Despite all the planning, we still overlooked one step. We thought that once Yan Chixia and his wife left, we could sever the two arms of the Xuanxin Sect. We didn't expect that there was still this person. He really has a good plan."

Yuan Ming, the master of Qianji Pavilion, unconsciously tightened his grip on the copper ball. He had originally planned to follow Miaoyun Que to save face for the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect, but now it seemed that was no longer possible. Yuan Ming sensed the faint probing sensation and immediately became vigilant. Cold sweat involuntarily poured down his body, soaking a piece of his clothes.

On the other hand, Fang Kong and his companions were all in high spirits, and a sense of confidence naturally arose in their hearts.

Fang Kong glanced at Yuan Ming beside him and sneered inwardly.

"Qianji Pavilion has big ambitions, but they don't even know who they're up against. If they make any more unnecessary moves, Xuanxin Orthodox Sect is not to be trifled with. Dealing with Miaoyun Que might be a bit of a struggle, but giving a small Qianji Pavilion a piece of cake is a piece of cake."

Master Muyang and Fang Kong exchanged a glance, stroked their beards and smiled, then sat quietly on the altar, watching the blurry figure at the head of the altar.

"The Golden Light Sect Master did not reveal his name, as if he was intentionally concealing it. However, this is not a big deal. As long as this person is here, I don't think Tianyun will make any rash moves."

Jin Guang took in the expressions of everyone below, then turned halfway and bowed to Gu Xu.

"The sect leader should simply do what he should do."

Upon hearing the voice from Gu Xu, Jin Guang felt reassured and immediately instructed Qinglong Xuanjiang to prepare to welcome the heavenly light and bathe his mortal body.

This is the final step in succeeding as sect leader. Using the light of the Destiny Star to wash away the mortal dust and impurities from Jin Guang's body and reshape himself is also an important step in improving his foundation and cultivation. Success will lead to a great advancement in cultivation, while failure will result in the complete loss of cultivation and rebirth as a mortal.

This is also a crucial step for Jin Guang to leave his mark on the life star.

However, in the thousand years since the founding of the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect, there has never been a precedent of failure.

Upon hearing this, Qinglong Xuanjiang immediately accepted the order, stepped down from the altar, and held up the jade token towards the dome. There, he saw a galaxy of stars shining, like a dazzling Milky Way hanging in the sky. Among them, the brightest star was the destiny star of the Xuanxin Sect.

Seeing the star of destiny appear, Qinglong reached out and retrieved the jade token. He then clasped his hands in a respectful bow to the golden light at the head of the table and solemnly said, "Respectfully inviting the sect leader!"

The three generals, Baihu and Xuanjiang, spoke in unison. Upon hearing this, Jin Guang glanced at Gu Xu, who nodded to him. Jin Guang straightened his expression, stood up, straightened his robes, and walked down the jade steps. Under everyone's gaze, he stood still in the yin-yang fish.

In less than half a breath, everyone felt a strong starlight power descend and envelop the golden light. The latter radiated a dazzling light that was impossible to look at directly. Master Tianyun raised his jade ruler and created a light shield to block out the blinding starlight. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the golden light bathed in starlight.

"To cleanse oneself with the power of stars and rebuild one's foundation is a great fortune. Ancestor Xuanxin is indeed no ordinary person. To be able to think of this method is truly amazing. With this trick, outstanding figures will appear in every generation, which is enough to ensure that the inheritance will never be interrupted."

Master Tianyun sighed deeply. Even if he knew the benefits of star power, achieving this was utterly impossible. Just as everyone was praising the golden light bathed in star power, Gu Xu on the cloud platform had divine light shining in his eyes. Through the protective starlight, he saw the true scene inside.

Jin Guang's cultivation was relatively weak. Although he had reached the sect leader's inheritance mark, he was not yet able to unleash his full strength. When he was being cleansed by star power, Jin Guang was able to withstand it at first, but as time went by, he felt that his body could not support it.

"No, I can't give up like this. I can't let the Xuanxin Sect decline in my hands. I can't let down the founder and I can't let down Senior Brother Gu Xu for the help he has given me."

Jin Guang's mind was filled with images of the past, especially a sentence that his senior brother Gu Xu had once said to him.

"If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight. Since you have chosen this path, you can only keep going. There is no way back, and you cannot back down."

"Senior brother, is this also something you've considered?"

Jin Guang's face was pale. He thought of how Gu Xu had hoped to wait a year before officially taking over the Xuanxin Sect a few months ago, but after careful consideration, he had refused. He had his reasons for not doing so.

Just as Jin Guang was struggling to hold on, he suddenly felt a sense of clarity. He felt an endless stream of life force flowing into his body, constantly repairing his damaged meridians. Moreover, the remaining life force merged with the starlight, forming two completely different forces, one positive and one negative, which slowly sank into his dantian.

"Brother!"

Jin Guang exclaimed in surprise, just then a gentle voice entered his ears.

"Hurry up and leave the mark on the Destiny Star. I can only help you for six breaths."

Jin Guang's mind immediately sharpened. He suppressed his thoughts, focused his attention, and the golden mark between his eyebrows suddenly shone brightly, echoing the star of destiny in the sky. Three breaths later, a mysterious feeling arose in Jin Guang's heart, as if there was a blood connection between him and the star of destiny.

Meanwhile, the celestial star in the sky slowly faded away and finally disappeared into the vast darkness.

After an unknown amount of time, Jin Guang finally awoke from that mysterious feeling. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that his cultivation had made great strides. Although he was still not as good as Yan Chixia, he was far superior to the Four Generals of Xuanxin.

"Congratulations to Sect Master Jin Guang on taking charge of the sect. We offer our congratulations."

Fang Kong, Mu Yang Zhenren, Gu Wenshao, and Duan Jing were the first to step forward and respectfully bow to Jin Guang. Upon hearing this, Jin Guang raised his hand to return the bow.

Master Tianyun and Yuan Ming looked rather grim, but they quickly came out to offer their congratulations. In any case, Jin Guang had truly become the sect leader of the Xuanxin Sect, and the proper etiquette could not be disregarded. As for embarrassing him on such an occasion, they were not so foolish as to do so.

Leaving aside the one on the cloud platform, with Jin Guang's current strength, unless he completely breaks off relations, he will only end up being a show-off.

"Sect Master Jin Guang, the Wan Jian Sect is a remote and impoverished place, and we don't have much to give, so please accept this Thousand-Refined Frost Sword as a congratulatory gift."

Fang Kong beckoned to the back, and a disciple came out carrying a long sandalwood box. He opened the box and inside was a three-foot-long sword with a green scabbard and a black hilt that exuded a chilling aura.

Jin Guang knew the sword was extremely valuable after just one glance and exclaimed, "Sect Leader Fang, this is too kind of you."

Upon hearing this, Fang Kong felt relieved. This sword was a rare treasure in the sect, forged from ten-thousand-year-old mysterious ice. It had the power to seal the void and destroy the soul. He had brought this treasure to befriend the Xuanxin Sect, and had argued with the sect elders quite a bit in the process. Now it seemed that his decision was absolutely right.

Seeing Fang Kong take out such rare treasures, the others were all surprised, thinking to themselves that Fang Kong was indeed generous. After a moment of contemplation, the others also presented their prepared gifts.

The gift brought by Master Muyang was two 500-year-old "Pine Leaf Fruits". These fruits grew on the treasure tree that guards the Yunsong Temple. Using these fruits as the main ingredient, along with various rare items, one can refine the "Soul Gathering and Yang Restoration Pill".

The congratulatory gift presented by Gu Wenshao's Tianhai Sect was a reddish-purple jade coral, about ten feet tall, crystal clear, with red and purple colors constantly flowing across it, making it look quite extraordinary.

Duan Jing was not to be outdone. He took a square stone box from the disciple, opened it, and found three irregularly shaped black stones inside, with a glint of silver light on them.

"Lord Duan, could this be the Xuan Tie Mi Yin?"

Fang Kong spends his days with swords, and is an expert in forging and using them. He has encountered countless rare iron ores, but when he saw these three black stones, he showed a look of shock.

"Indeed, it is Xuan Tie Mithril. Sect Leader Fang has good insight."

Upon hearing Duan Jing's words, everyone present, except for Master Tianyun, gasped in shock.

This mysterious iron and mithril are excellent materials for forging high-grade magic weapons. Using even a tiny bit of it when refining a magic weapon is enough to improve its overall quality. If by chance, it is not impossible for it to develop spirituality.

Others would cherish even a small piece, but Duan Jing was so wealthy and generous that he took out three pieces of Xuan Iron Mithril of the same size, which made them extremely envious.

In particular, Yuan Ming, the master of Qianji Pavilion, stared intently at the black iron and silver in the stone box, his hands so tightly that the copper ball in his hand was deformed.

The Thousand Machines Pavilion is skilled in crafting mechanical artifacts. If these three pieces of Xuan Iron and Mithril were to fall into his hands, he would be confident in crafting three high-grade puppets.

"Lord Duan, I am grateful for your kindness."

Jin Guang was also surprised to see Duan Jing take out such a treasure. There wasn't much of this Xuan Tie Mi Yin in the sect. He didn't need it himself, but he could give it to Senior Brother Gu Xu to deal with. If it could be used to make a magic weapon, it would also add to the sect's foundation.

When Gu Xu saw the Xuan Tie Mi Yin, his mind was stirred. This thing was indeed a rare treasure. It seemed that Cangzhen Mountain had gone all out this time.

Jin Guang had his disciples take away the gifts from everyone and thanked them one by one. At this time, Fang Kong and the others all looked at Tianyun Zhenren. As the second most powerful sect in the righteous path, what kind of congratulatory gift could Miaoyun Que offer?

Master Tianyun nodded to one of his disciples behind him. The disciple understood and took out a round, hollowed-out stone sphere from his bag. Master Tianyun then summoned the sphere and waved his jade ruler. A beam of white light shot into it, and a white mist immediately poured out from the hole in the sphere, covering an area of ​​about ten feet.

"what?"

Fang Kong looked surprised. He was usually very perceptive, but he only felt emptiness in the white light mist, which surprised him greatly.

"Sect Leader Jin Guang, this is a rare artifact that our sect has collected for many years. It is called the 'Chaotic Void Stone Sphere'. It has the effect of isolating senses and cutting through space."

Jin Guang was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, but then smiled and said calmly, "Thank you, Master. I am unworthy of such praise."

This thing is very strange. I tried to touch it with my divine sense just now, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea. Before I figure out what this thing is all about, I dare not put it directly into the treasure vault.

So after Master Tianyun sealed the stone ball in the jade box and handed it to Jin Guang, Jin Guang solemnly placed it aside.

The others reacted with varying expressions upon seeing this.

After the gifts were received and everyone was exchanging pleasantries, a sudden sound of golden bells and jade chimes rang out in the hall. Before anyone else could react, Jin Guang, the four generals Xuan Xin, and Fu Yun and the others' expressions changed drastically. They all stood up and looked outside the hall.

Upon hearing this, Gu Xu frowned, silently calculated for a moment, and his face immediately turned grim. After secretly conveying a few words to Jin Guang, he left a clone behind and then transformed into a beam of light and left. Apart from Jin Guang, no one noticed.

"Sect Master Jin Guang, what has happened?" Master Mu Yang asked anxiously upon seeing the situation.

The others also turned their gazes over, and judging from the expressions of Jin Guang and the others, something big must have happened.

"This is an imperial edict, and it's the most urgent one!"

(End of this chapter)