From a martial arts disciple to a god through countless trials and tribulations

Chapter 325 After Dark
Divine light surged, and celestial mist swirled in the pupils of the Candle Dragon, making many hazy figures glow and become increasingly clear.

"Possessing the weapon of the Heart-Cleansing Sect, the desire to kill arises spontaneously." In a celestial land shrouded in a halo, a celestial-level will trembled, as if to reflect out and reveal its true form.

There, surging black light spread, weaving countless decaying Daoist chains, as if a desolate netherworld had emerged, and a figure resembling a corpse exuded an aura of eternal decay.

The Candle Dragon Eye trembled slightly, and although it calmed down very quickly, it caused a great impact, drawing the attention of countless people to the woman with the oil-paper umbrella.

"You've placed your bet on Xinzhai and sent down such a priceless treasure. What are your intentions?" A creature let out a sinister laugh and said, "Truly hard to guess."

These ancient forces deep within the Great Void joined forces to convene the Mountain and Sea Banquet, each selecting seeds of hope that would be useful to their own side.

However, Xinzhai is special; he takes a dead-end path and can only reach the level of Zhenjun at most.

What's the point of betting on a "True Lord"?

"The greatest use of Xinzhai is to serve as a weapon to kill the Immortal in the Tomb after reaching the True Lord level." Someone laughed and said, "Today, most of the ancient Daoist temples with names and surnames have come. If you have your eye on any ancient immortal, you might as well say so."

"Is the 'Qing Nang' technique going to stir up trouble? These are turbulent times," a figure muttered to himself.

The woman with the oil-paper umbrella was lost in thought, never expecting that the secret treasure she casually gave away would cause such a commotion. Even Zhulong's eyes trembled before he sent out the jade book of unknown origin.

This scene led many forces to suspect that Qingnang had placed all his hopes on Xinzhai and was plotting a treasonous act.

After all, the two realm masters, Liuli, were considered Qingnang's private property and were of utmost importance, yet she only received a "mediocre" gift, while Xinzhai received an extraordinary reward.

"Qingnang has his own reasons for doing things, so there's no need for you to ask. Someone will ask in time," the woman with the oil-paper umbrella replied coldly, showing no fear of the other figures.

Even with the gazes of some celestial-level wills, she remained composed.

On the ascension platform, Chen Xuan held a palm-sized lapis lazuli jade book. The jade book was warm and smooth, covered with dense Dao patterns that resembled ancient seal script, and its radiance illuminated this void.

"An ancient artifact carrying scriptures? Or a damaged treasure?" Chen Xuan felt a sense of familiarity, having sensed a similar aura from the Black and White True Monarch.

Are these relics of the Goddess Houtu?

Houtu Huangdiqi is not only the Lord of Fengdu in the underworld who governs life and death, but also the supreme being of the Earth Virtue, no less than the Earth Virtue Emperor among the Five Emperors of the human race.

Chen Xuan was quite pleased. The woman with the oil-paper umbrella had exploited him several times, but now she was giving him a treasure, which was very respectable... Moreover, the timing of her reward was perfect, concealing the unusual tremor in Zhulong's eyes.

"She's helping me, deliberately trying to get my attention? She's such a nice person!"

Chen Xuan's opinion of her changed drastically. Zhulong was a supreme being, of extraordinary significance, and the fewer people who knew about his relationship with Zhulong, the better.

After all, as long as he doesn't actively reveal it, even True Lords and Immortals cannot detect it... This is a high-level power, a secret that can be hidden!
"Wow!"

Chen Xuan did not immediately examine the page of the jade book and put it into Guyao Mountain. Instead, he looked around with displeasure, because many people were peeking at him with ill intent.

"Trying to rob me?" Before he could even lay a hand on me, the others were already harboring evil intentions.

The rules of the Dao Palace have almost completely dissipated, and many people have become "unruly" instead of gentle.

"Brother-in-law, hurry and snatch it! Avenge us!" Sparrow Girl Zhu Yan shouted excitedly. The reward from Xinzhai was extraordinary, most likely a celestial item, or even something more, related to the Supreme Being.

This is definitely not as simple as the inheritance of scriptures and techniques, but rather involves a vessel that truly carries high-level power!

It should be understood that the Celestial Palace has been perched high in the clouds for millions of years, and the celestial-level resources inherited by the ancient lineages have been almost exhausted.

"You... watch your words!" The Sparrow King felt a chill run down his spine. He stared at the eager Sparrow Girl. He was usually calm and collected, never showing his emotions, but at this moment, he wanted to curse and slap the Sparrow Girl a few times.

"Brother-in-law, if we don't act quickly, someone else will snatch it away!" the Sparrow Girl urged anxiously. The Dao Palace rules had dissipated, and her brother-in-law had regained his strength and was now invincible. What were they still hesitating about?
"Shut up and see what's going on!" said the Sparrow King. The banquet was coming to an end, and it was time to decide who would receive the supreme fortune.

Moreover, he was cautious by nature, and minor humiliations and lost treasures did not seem like a blow to him.

If there is no need, he will not take the initiative to continue the conflict with Xinzhai at the Mountain and Sea Banquet... After all, if he fights Xinzhai to the death, it will only allow others to reap the benefits.

Many people shared the same thought as the Mahjong King: although they were envious of Chen Xuan's reward, they were all clear-headed and no one actually made a move.

"How do we compete for the top spot and obtain the supreme fortune? Do we have to fight and kill each other?" Niu Ben from Jilei Mountain shouted, looking up at the Candle Dragon Eye in the sky.

This bull-type demon god, whose entire body was shrouded in lightning and plague, was the strongest on paper and the designated number one seed. At this moment, he looked up at the sky without hesitation.

"Please, seniors outside the Great Ruins, explain the rules." On the other side, Liu Chenqiang, clad in silver armor and a red robe, spoke. He was the strongest human in public.

At this moment, the sky is completely calm, all rewards have been given, and the final test is about to begin.

Chen Xuan also withdrew his gaze, accepted the reward from the woman with the oil-paper umbrella, and spent some precious time. For the time being, he had no opportunity to make a move against the others.

"The supreme creations are beyond our comprehension; they possess their own will, and the rules of each Mountain and Sea Banquet are different." A distant voice responded from within the Candle Dragon's eyes.

"This..." Everyone was stunned. Even the extraterrestrial forces that had summoned them did not know the specific rules.
"The two tests we prepared are over," someone said. "We have no idea how things will turn out next."

The invitation test proved the attendees' fighting prowess, while the Dao Palace test proved that the final fifty ultimate geniuses possessed the potential to carry on the legacy and surpass the ancients... The tests and rewards of the celestial beings have now come to a complete end.

Chen Xuan pondered to himself, this champion's test is very mysterious.

"I can't deduce it, it's a complete blank!" In the distance, Fan Xianzhi's expression was solemn. Her Heavenly Evolution Dao could even deduce the workings of True Monarchs, but she couldn't deduce any useful information about what was about to happen.

Before her eyes, lines of small golden characters appeared.

"The fourth day of the Mountain and Sea Banquet: The final test begins."

"The supreme creation has descended upon the world..."

"You are filled with anxiety and fear, hiding in the east and west, not daring to show your face and compete with fate."

"But a few days later, you heard that Xinzhai had been replaced by the 'perfect' Sparrow King, and you breathed a sigh of relief. The dark cloud hidden in your heart finally dissipated."

"As you feel excited, you also feel a sense of confusion... He hasn't even obtained the Immortal Chapter of the Heavenly Evolution Scripture yet, how could he be gone? That damned Sparrow King!"

"With the demise of Xinzhai, you can finally step onto the stage and compete with other ultimate geniuses for destiny."

"After a period of time, nothing was gained..."

"In the end, the supreme creation was taken away by the divine immortal seed."

"The Mountain and Sea Banquet has ended."

"As you were leaving, you saw a golden sleeve descend from the sky, taking all the banquet attendees away...to the Celestial Palace?"

"..."

Fan Xian was stunned. This deduction was both true and false, and its credibility was not high. Then, she turned her head sharply. On the other side, Chen Xuan was staring at her thoughtfully.

"He saw the deduction," she thought to herself, and immediately got up and left quickly. Every moment she was in the same place with Chen Xuan was unsettling and agonizing.

"The little blind man is quite cautious." Chen Xuan withdrew his gaze, pondering the golden characters he had glimpsed.

The Heavenly Evolution Dao deduced that he would be replaced by the "perfect" Sparrow King? It seems that among the Sparrow King's rewards was a method to deal with flawed Immortal Seed Golden Cores.

Moreover, like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, will the Celestial Palace seize the supreme fortune and become the ultimate winner? "Boom!"

Just then, thunder and fire crisscrossed the sky, and crimson and purple lightning flashed like dragons and snakes, illuminating the earth with intermittent light and shadow.

"boom!"

The Ascension Platform trembled, and countless bright red beams of light shot down from the Candle Dragon's Eye, piercing the sky and the earth. The Candle Dragon's Eye could be seen shattering inch by inch, like broken glass, disappearing from this place.

"What happened?" Countless people were shocked.

Even the most outstanding geniuses were shocked. In the sky, streaks of lightning and fire crisscrossed, and the Candle Dragon's eyes shattered, as if weeping blood and tears, transforming into a broken blood sun.

"This is..." Chen Xuan could vaguely see a skeleton sitting cross-legged in the blood-red sun, wearing a crown, looking like a human or a demon. In addition, there were countless illusory figures kneeling and worshipping, chanting obscure ancient incantations. The sounds gathered into an invisible torrent, stirring up the entire world.

Immediately afterwards, a bronze ancient tree appeared in the blood-red sun, its branches twisting like dragons. Beneath the tree, a hazy figure murmured to itself, "An eight-million-year dream, today... it's time to wake up."

Nine black iron chains descended from the void, each end bound to an ancient bronze coffin. The coffin was engraved with ancient, malevolent seal script, blood seeping from the gaps in the characters. The hazy figure entered the coffin and disappeared.

This is an omen of the fall of a saint; all spirits bow their heads, and heaven and earth fall silent.

"The Supreme Creator has returned to the ancestral land!"

All the figures in the Candle Dragon's Eye were alarmed. The Supreme Being appeared in the world and returned to the ancestral land. A storm was about to strike. This was the omen of a great chaos!
"Whose reclusive sage or sect possesses this power?"

"I can't see it, I can't see it!" a consciousness that seemed to be at the Immortal level said.

"Xin Zhai! Perhaps we can glimpse a corner of Xin Zhai in our ancestral land!"

Countless gazes descended from the sky, all fixed on Chen Xuan.

But the Candle Dragon Eye suddenly shattered completely, taking all its figures with it as it left the Great Wilderness.

Chen Xuan pondered carefully the various possibilities that might arise after the Supreme Creator descended to earth.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, have you made any discoveries?" Wang Linyuan, Su Fuyao, and other acquaintances asked impatiently from the side.

Chen Xuan shook his head. He only saw the scene of the Supreme Creation descending, but he didn't find anything else. He didn't know where it had gone.

But one thing is clear: at this moment, the Supreme Creation has replaced the extraterrestrial forces and taken over the Dao Palace Ascension Platform.

“They should have made some discoveries as well.” He turned his head and saw that the four Divine Immortal Seeds, namely Sparrow King, Niu Ben, Liu Shuang, and Liu Chenqiang, were all frowning and looking at each other, as if they had discovered something.

"Boom!"

Niu Ben summoned the blessed land, Mount Jilei, which was over 90,000 feet high. He rode Mount Jilei away, and his voice, as loud as a drumbeat, rang out: "Who will be the recipient of the supreme creation? It all depends on fate!"

"There's no use in rushing. We need to deal with our own hidden dangers first!" the Sparrow King muttered to himself, and quickly left with his two followers, including the Sparrow Maiden. In any case, increasing his own strength was the only way to succeed.

Everyone received the much-needed supplies and needs time to process them.

"Hoo!" Liu Chenqiang's gaze was solemn, his eyes sweeping over everyone with pity. He sighed softly and quickly left.

"What a pity...it's getting dark." Liu Shuang glanced at Chen Xuan. She had recovered her strength, but instead of attacking Chen Xuan, she turned around and strode away, disappearing like a streak of white light.

"What do they mean by this?" Hua Liuli asked Chen Xuan, puzzled.

Besides Chen Xuan, who can see through the fog, these four Divine Immortal Seeds are the most likely to detect the traces of the Supreme Creation.

"I don't know, but there's no rush," Chen Xuan said in a low voice. He had gained many opportunities during his time at the Mountain and Sea Banquet and needed time to process them.

Although others will also become stronger, he is confident that he can make greater progress than others in the same amount of time.

At this moment, as the four Divine Immortal Seeds departed one after another, other ultimate geniuses such as Imperial Immortal and Worldly Venerable also scattered to find secluded places to cultivate in seclusion.

"Perhaps in the end, we'll still have to fight it out through a battle of wits." Some speculate on the worst-case scenario.

"The four demon gods are currently invincible." Some people muttered to themselves. Apart from the youngest, Liu Shuang, the other three demon gods could crush almost anyone.

"The Venerable One of Ten Thousand Worlds can suppress the cultivation level of everyone. In a battle against someone of the same realm, what is there to fear from a Divine Immortal Seed?!"

"What do you know? If Di Tian were truly invincible, the heavens would have bestowed all the rewards upon him long ago. Besides, who would be foolish enough to fight him one-on-one?" Someone shook their head and said that when extraterrestrial beings who were suspected to be at the Immortal level bestowed rewards, they would certainly take into account anomalies such as Xin Zhai and Wan Shi Zun.

People were talking about it, but most of them were clear-headed, knowing that they were just there to make up the numbers and were not planning to hope for the ultimate destiny.

But soon after, they were horrified.

"We can't leave the Ascension Platform." Some people used secret techniques to try to leave, but a restriction appeared at the edge of the Ascension Platform, trapping them.

"Boss Wu!" someone called out to the three-headed, one-armed ancient creature, but received no response.

At this moment, countless people were filled with fear and unease. Did they have to wait until the champion was decided before they could leave the Mountain and Sea Banquet?
"First, I will study the 'White Emperor Sword Scripture'." Chen Xuan unleashed his peerless treasure, the Two Realms Boat, a massive floating boat carved from white jade that floated in the air. He climbed to a high vantage point and then turned to enter a small room in the nine-story tea house.

Next door, Hua Liuli entered seclusion, pondering how to retrieve the relics of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden, and first showed them to Xiao Chen for his consideration.

"The White Emperor Sword Scripture is not the true inheritance of the White Emperor, but originates from a wisp of the White Emperor's sword intent, though it should have touched upon the supreme level." Chen Xuan decided to start with this technique. Compared to the Shangyang Secret Manual, which required him to pave his own way, this sword scripture, which could be cultivated step by step, was much less difficult.

Moreover, mastering this sword manual can bring about the most significant increase in combat power in a short period of time.

As for the suspected "Houtu Method" on a page of jade book, it should be placed further back.

Time passed, and night fell in the blink of an eye.

After the Supreme Creator manifested His power in the world, day and night suddenly began to alternate on the Ascension Platform, which was truly strange.

Outside, in a secluded place, Fan Xianzhi set up several layers of carefully prepared forbidden techniques to hide from Xin Zhai. Then, she conducted another divination of the situation.

"What? I'm going to die at the Mountain and Sea Banquet!" Her heart skipped a beat. At this moment, the prediction changed drastically.

at the same time.

Under the cover of night, Ye Kui hesitated for a long time before finally gritting his teeth and, like an invincible war god, rising from the ground and flying towards the Two Realms Ship in the sky.

"You're forcing Brother Niu to go find him on his own initiative, it's not like I'm asking you to!" he said angrily. Was Xinzhai deliberately manipulating him?
"boom!"

In an instant, a crimson sword light parted the sky, like heavenly fire tearing the sky apart, splitting the crystal-clear Two Realms Ship in two, with jade fragments scattering and falling from the sky.

"Pfft!" Ye Kui was only grazed by the sword's flames, and he was critically injured and on the verge of death, his mangled body falling from the sky: "What happened?!"

"Whoosh!" Chen Xuan opened his eyes and flew into the sky.

On the other side, Yu Zhexian was attacked and slammed into the ground by a purple lightning mountain. Further away, Yao Feiyue was pierced through the shoulder by a silver spear, blood splattering everywhere...

The sky was pitch black, and utter chaos erupted on the ascension platform.

(End of this chapter)