I became an immortal in the mountains

Chapter 870 The Old Guys of the Primordial Divine Sect

Lu Zeyu recounted the events that had occurred over the years.

However, Gu Yuanqing gleaned very little useful information from him.

Lu Zeyu's consciousness was clouded, and as Gu Yuanqing severed the power of the Zhenyuan Mingchi, he also lost many memories.

Moreover, Lu Zeyu was trapped within the Ancient Divine Sect. After his memories and soul were wiped away, he spent most of his time cultivating in a mountain. At most, he could only come into contact with elders at the Shattered Heaven level of the Divine Sect, and he could not get any more information.

The only thing Gu Yuanqing knew was that the Ancient Divine Sect had suddenly sent them back so that they could regain control of the sect and use its power to disrupt the Qian Yuan Divine Palace.

In fact, this situation was not unexpected for Gu Yuanqing, since Lu Zeyu's cultivation level was not high to begin with.

At the end, Lu Zeyu suddenly remembered something and said, "However, I vaguely remember something. I seem to have heard people from the Ancient Divine Sect say that the sect leader Mu Tianheng, the supervisor Guo Yongquan, and elders such as Lei Fuyue seemed to have defected from the Ancient Divine Sect and disappeared without a trace."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yuanqing sat up straight, slightly surprised: "Mu Tianheng and the others betrayed the Ancient Divine Sect?"

Lu Zeyu said somewhat awkwardly, "Actually, I'm not sure about this either, my memory is a bit hazy. Besides, it seems a bit unlikely."

Gu Yuanqing seemed thoughtful, then smiled and said, "This might not be false. This news is quite interesting."

Lu Zeyu himself was somewhat surprised and asked, "Brother Dao, do you also believe it to be true? Mu Tianheng is the sect master of the Ancient God Sect, and Elder Jiantian and Lei Fuyue are all powerful cultivators in the Ancient God Sect. Why would they betray us?"

Gu Yuanqing chuckled and said, "I'm just guessing. Back then, the Ancient Divine Sect said it would be closed for a hundred years, and Mu Tianheng and his ilk never appeared again after that."

Lu Zeyu sensed that Gu Yuanqing seemed to know something, but seeing that he didn't say anything, he didn't ask any further questions.

Then, the conversation shifted to the Hidden Radiance Alliance, a powerful force that could once rival the Ancient Divine Sect. It had many powerful cultivators who were immortal and controlled several forbidden areas. But now, some are dead, some are under control, and it has been almost completely destroyed, which is quite lamentable.

However, the only thing Gu Yuanqing cared about was Ning Xuxuan's death; he didn't interact much with others.

Lu Zeyu concluded, "Fortunately, we have Brother Dao here; otherwise, the Ancient Divine Sect would probably be completely unrestrained now."

Lu Zeyu stayed in the mountains for one last day before leaving with Yi Yunbo.

Gu Yuanqing stood atop the mountain and watched him leave, sighing softly. Although Lu Zeyu seemed to have returned to normal afterward, Gu Yuanqing could tell that his spirit had been gone.

Having been controlled by the Ancient Divine Sect for many years, even though Gu Yuanqing released him from the control, his foundation was still severely damaged, and it is feared that he will find it difficult to advance further in the Yin-Yang Realm.

Moreover, the path he cultivates corresponds to the Boundless Forbidden Land, but now this forbidden land has fallen into the hands of the Ancient Divine Sect, and before it can be taken back, his path is almost completely cut off.

The Linglong Realm itself has too many limitations. Apart from the current Qian Yuan Realm and the Taigu Realm of the Taigu Divine Sect, the limit that the realm itself can support is the Yin-Yang Realm. Moreover, the connection between the Linglong Realm and the power of the rule artifacts is too weak. Unless there are some special opportunities, it is difficult to support further advancement.

After a long while, Gu Yuanqing finally looked away and focused his attention back on his own cultivation.

If the Ancient Divine Sect wants to test us, it will definitely not rely solely on cultivators from other sects; it must have other methods.

In fact, the Ancient Divine Sect might already know that he broke the restrictions on Lu Zeyu. After all, if he had truly been possessed, he probably wouldn't have interfered in Lu Zeyu's affairs.

However, he still did it. He and Lu Zeyu had a prior relationship, and Ning Xuanxu had asked him to take care of the Illusionary Spirit Sect before he died. Naturally, he would not sit idly by.

As for what the Ancient Divine Sect will do next, we'll deal with whatever comes our way.

Having achieved the status of a Void Immortal and refined the power of multiple Demon Lord clones, Beiquan Cave Heaven has also grown significantly, greatly increasing Gu Yuanqing's confidence.

The physical bodies of the divine cultivators of the Ancient Divine Sect are no longer present, as they are not at their peak. Gu Yuanqing may not be afraid of them.

……

In the ancient realm, deep within a cave dwelling of the Ancient Divine Sect.

Lu Qianfan, who was meditating and contemplating, suddenly frowned and his mind was shaken!
He suddenly opened his eyes, two points of ghostly fire flickering violently within them, as if he had severed ties with some distant being.

"It was the Zhenyuanming Edict on Lu Zeyu's body... that was forcibly broken?" Lu Qianfan's face was gloomy. "How could such a method exist in the Linglong Realm? It must have been Gu Yuanqing who made the move!"

He dared not delay, and his figure transformed into a shadowy shadow as he swiftly sped toward the main peak.

Inside the main hall, after hearing Lü Qianfan's urgent report, Sect Master Qi Yichen remained expressionless and simply said, "Summon Zhang Cheng."

A moment later, a middle-aged cultivator strode in. It was Zhang Cheng, a disciple of Elder Guo Yongquan, who was in charge of the Observation Mirror Path. After Elder Guo Yongquan left, Zhang Cheng took over the position of Elder Guo Yongquan.

He bowed respectfully and said, "The sect leader has summoned me. What are your instructions?"

Qi Yichen lowered his gaze slightly: "Investigate where Lu Zeyu is currently residing. Has anyone from the Illusionary Spirit Sect recently traveled to the Qian Yuan Realm?"

Zhang Cheng quickly said, "Sect Master, please wait a moment."

He then closed his eyes and concentrated, a mysterious fluctuation emanating from his body. With the help of the Celestial Mirror, he looked out at the Illusionary Spirit Realm.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he opened his eyes, his brows furrowed slightly: "Reporting to the sect master, Lu Zeyu's aura disappeared seven days ago, and his whereabouts are unknown. His sect elder, Yi Yunbo, also disappeared at the same time."

He never mentioned the Qian Yuan Realm, because let alone the fact that he was only at the Yin-Yang Zhou Tian Realm and had not yet become a Hun Tian, ​​even Guo Yongquan back then would have found it difficult to see the clues of the Qian Yuan Realm in the end.

He paused, then looked up at Qi Yichen, "Sect Master, has something happened to the Illusionary Spirit Sect?"

"I understand," Qi Yichen replied calmly, then waved his sleeve, signaling him to leave.

Zhang Cheng bowed and left the main hall, descended the long jade steps, transformed into a streak of light, and disappeared from the main peak, his respectful expression fading.

He glanced back at the majestic main peak, his face slightly gloomy, snorted coldly, quickened his pace, and disappeared into the clouds.

Qi Yichen moved swiftly, and in a few steps arrived at the forbidden area behind the sect, in front of the Ancestral Hall.

Pushing open the heavy temple door, the interior was dimly lit, with the seven enshrined statues appearing and disappearing amidst the incense smoke.

He straightened his clothes, burned incense, and knelt in worship.

The incense smoke rose straight up, and the instant it touched the mysterious restriction on the top of the palace, Qi Yichen felt his soul lighten, as if he had been drawn into a vast and boundless illusory space.

The place was deserted, with only six towering Dharma images standing tall, exuding a vast and majestic aura of power.

One of the statues, its entire body formed from a dazzling galaxy, seemed to contain the profound principles governing the endless starry sky as it slowly opened its eyes.

Endless starlight rained down, and the immense divine power stunned Qi Yichen's soul, almost causing him to collapse to the ground. This was the presiding figure of this era, the Star Ancestor—Zhou Tianyan!

Judging from his appearance, Qi Yichen knew that he was practicing the Hunyuan Zhoutian Xingdian.

"Qi Yichen, what has disturbed you?" Zhou Tianyan's voice was grand and indifferent, like a flowing river of stars.

Qi Yichen respectfully reported: "Reporting to Ancestor Xingyan, the Zhenyuanming Imperial Decree mark on Lu Zeyu of the Huanling Sect was forcibly removed a few days ago. According to the investigation by Elder Jiantian, Lu Zeyu and his sect elder Yi Yunbo have been missing for several days. This disciple guesses that they may have gone to the Qianyuan Realm, and the person who did it is most likely Gu Yuanqing."

The galaxy flowing around Zhou Tianyan paused slightly.

At the same time, as if touched by this news, the other five silent Dharma images opened their eyes one after another, radiating boundless power!

One of the Dharma images was formed from raging thunder, like a thunder god descending to earth;

A Dharma image was surrounded by azure gales, its aura sharper than anyone else's;
One of them was a great crimson Dharma form, its entire body burning with heavenly fire, as if space itself could hardly contain it, domineering and unparalleled, with the faint phantom of the Nirvana Purification Cauldron appearing in the distance.

The image of the deity is as heavy as a mountain, and behind him are signs of immeasurable heavenly secrets.

The last statue appeared ethereal and illusory, shrouded in the meaning of endless life and the cycle of prosperity and decline.

The five Dharma Masters awoke simultaneously, their boundless divine thoughts and immense pressure intertwining and filling the void, causing this illusory space to tremble.

Qi Yichen's soul was completely suppressed, rendering him unable to move, and even his thoughts became slow.

"The Zhenyuan Ming Edict has been broken? Gu Yuanqing?" The thunderous Dharma image spoke first, its voice like thunder from the heavens. It was none other than Lei Xiao Zhenjun Li Huang, who cultivated the Nine Heavens Thunder God True Scripture and achieved true godhood through the Dao of Juntian Lei Xiao Jian.

"Li Huang, calm down," the wind god's avatar said slowly.

He is Feng Wuhen, the Wind Lord of Myriad Transformations, who attained enlightenment through the Myriad Transformations Azure Nether Scripture and cultivates the power of the divine artifact of rules, the Myriad Transformations Edict of the Heavenly Sky.

"This matter certainly needs to be taken seriously. To be able to break the decree of the underworld, this boy's methods are indeed extraordinary."

The Great Crimson Dharma Image was imposing and domineering, yet his voice was gentle and soothing. This person was named Mu Qingxuan.

The Boundless Heavenly Mystery Dharma Image spoke indifferently: "I wonder what other moves Gu Yuanqing has made? Is Lu Zeyu still alive? How have the various parties in the Linglong Realm reacted to this?"

Qi Yichen quickly focused his mind and replied, "Reporting to the patriarchs, Gu Yuanqing has hardly appeared since the Battle of the Boundary Abyss. The only possible reason for his intervention was to rescue Lu Zeyu this time. The soul imprint left by Lu Zeyu in the sect has not been destroyed, so he should still be alive."

Other forces in the Linglong Realm, due to the rumors spread by our sect, have become suspicious and hesitant about the Qian Yuan Sect and Gu Yuanqing himself, and their prestige has indeed wavered recently. However, the Qian Yuan Realm has suppressed them with swift and decisive measures, and the other realms are too weak to match it, so they dare not make any major moves. As for Lu Zeyu…”

Zhou Tianyan asked a few more questions about the Qian Yuan Realm, and Qi Yichen answered them all truthfully.

The patriarchs listened, exchanging thoughts without Qi Yichen noticing in the slightest.

A moment later, the Dharma form formed from starlight said indifferently, "Hmm, we are aware of this matter. You may leave now and proceed as usual, closely monitoring the movements of the Qian Yuan Realm and the Linglong Realm."

"Yes, disciple takes his leave." Qi Yichen dared not ask any further questions, and his soul quickly returned to his body.

He composed himself, bowed respectfully again, then rose and left the hall, gently closing the door behind him, his brow furrowing slightly.

There are too many secrets within the Ancient Divine Sect. Mu Tianheng left in a hurry back then, and he took over as sect leader when he was only at the Shattered Heaven Realm. He was unaware of many things, but there were some secrets within his lineage. In addition, he guessed some things after these few encounters.

The hall returned to its quietude, and in the illusory space, a fierce collision of divine thoughts erupted.

"Zhuo Ming's soul imprint has not been destroyed, so he must be trapped."

"Hmph! That good-for-nothing Zhuo Ming!" Lei Xiao Zhenjun Li Huang snorted lightly, "He couldn't even handle a junior at the Shattered Heaven Realm, and ended up like this!"

Feng Wuhen said calmly, "There's no point in saying more. According to the ancient rules, since he missed his chance, the opportunity for the next Yuanhui calamity should be replaced by someone else."

The Dharma image behind him, bearing the Boundless Heavenly Secrets Diagram, said, "The evolution of heavenly secrets requires a fixed number to bear them. I believe this child is most suitable for this old man. What do you all think?"

Mu Qingxuan's tone remained gentle, yet he was unyielding: "The only chance of survival lies in transformation. The Purification Cauldron is infinitely mysterious, capable of giving birth to life amidst calamity and seeking survival amidst death. Even if Gu Yuanqing was born to face calamity, we can still transform his calamity power into resources. Who else but me can seize this opportunity?"

“Why do you say that, fellow Daoists? I was originally in charge of this Yuanhui, so it is naturally my turn!” Zhou Tianyan said.

Li Huang's body crackled with lightning: "Gu Yuanqing is not a person of this era, but a calamity and variable of the previous era. With the calamity imminent, my Thunderous Path is the way to break the calamity! This opportunity to continue the path of cultivation belongs to me alone!"

The divine senses of the several individuals clashed fiercely, neither willing to yield, and the profound meanings of the Great Dao collided in the illusory space, creating ripples.

They were trapped in the Ancestral Hall for countless years, and the opportunities and fortunes of each Yuanhui calamity were their only hope to break free from their shackles and continue their path of cultivation.

The opportunity was given to Zhuo Ming in the last Yuanhui (a major academic year), but he failed. Now that the opportunity has come again, who will give it up?

Just as the debate was escalating, the ancient Dharma image, which had remained silent until now but whose aura contained the cycle of life and death, slowly spoke.

"All right."

The moment the words were spoken, the space fell silent.

The ancient Dharma Image's gaze swept over the others: "I think you are getting more and more backward as you get older. Zhuo Ming is imprisoned, which is enough to prove that Gu Yuanqing is no easy opponent."

"A mere junior at the Shattering Heaven Realm managed to trap Zhuo Ming until now. Does he really think he can be captured so easily?"

He paused, then said, "The lesson of Zhuo Ming's fate is still fresh in our minds. The most urgent task is to find out Zhuo Ming's current situation, ascertain Gu Yuanqing's background and reliance, break his momentum, and weaken his edge."

Once he is captured, it will not be too late to decide, according to the ancient agreement, who should be the recipient of this destiny.

“What Your Excellency says is absolutely right!” Feng Wuhen said.

“We really have to be careful, lest we capsize in the gutter, or we’ll really make a fool of ourselves,” another statue echoed.

Xinghe Faxiang said, "Gu Yuanqing may have really obtained the great opportunity of the Primordial Heaven Furnace. Apart from the power of the rule artifact, I can't think of any power that could make Zhuo Ming fall into trap. Even if he is a waste, he is still at the level of a true god."

……

Inside the Northern Spring Cave, Gu Yuanqing felt a strange unease. He looked up at the void and thought, "On a whim, it seems those old guys from the Ancient Divine Sect probably already know. I'll have to be even more careful from now on. After what happened with Zhuo Ming, they shouldn't be so reckless. If they make a move, it will be a thunderous strike. And the power of the Rule Artifact is inherently mysterious, making it impossible to defend against!"

(End of this chapter)