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

Chapter 388 Dark Mountain Ghost
The sun and moon shine together over heaven and earth.

The moon had not yet set in the west, its radiant light shining brightly, while the sun had already risen in the east, illuminating the heavens and the earth. The sun and moon appeared together, and streaks of golden light converged towards them.

In the center of the courtyard, Zhenyuan Immortal Lord stood floating in the air, his ancient Taoist robe adorned with mountain patterns. The radiance of the Earth element shone on his handsome, pale blue face, the scattered light making him appear especially noble.

"Underestimating us? Who are we?"

Chen Xuan felt wronged. This was clearly a baseless slander. The matter was too complicated, and he knew nothing about it!
In fact, he was no different from those Qi practitioners from other places who were stuck in the capital and Taixu; they were all just watching the show.

At this moment, for an old monster who has sat on his immortal throne for hundreds of thousands of years, and who has not wasted his time but has always paid attention to the mortal world and kept up with the times, to say that he "looks down on the mortal world" is really outrageous.

After all, this was an immortal who successfully withstood the might of the Supreme Weapon and dragged the battle until the Wuji Banner exhausted the power of the Ji Emperor and fell into silence, ultimately winning the victory!

"His name was removed from the Lesser Underworld's Book of Life and Death, his body was hidden in the giant Qingnang weapon, the Yellow Stone Coffin, his whereabouts were concealed by the Ji family's Wuji Banner, and his soul was hidden by the Xinzhai Heavenly Evil Spirit. With four methods and all sorts of schemes, I finally brought him to my side."

With a smile on his face, Zhenyuan Immortal Lord instantly understood the cause and effect of some events here, but he didn't care. His black and gold eyes moved, and his indifferent gaze fell on Little Black True Lord beside him.

"Yin-Yang Couple, have you forgotten the day you attained the status of True Lord, who agreed to issue the imperial decree from the Celestial Palace, thus fulfilling your cycle of reincarnation?!"

The authority over the tribulation of the cauldron resides in the Little Dragon Palace, the tribulation of the divine journey is in the Jade Pool, and the difficulty for the True Lord lies in... the nod of the Immortal Palace.

"We must never forget the difference between right and wrong..."

Little Black True Lord's robes fluttered, and his childish voice sounded dry. He clenched his fists and bowed slightly, still remembering that when he was promoted to True Lord a thousand years ago, it was a True Lord of Earth Virtue who descended to the mortal world on behalf of the Taiyin Immortals to proclaim the imperial decree.

Chen Xuan, Ye Kui, Yan Yushu, and Ji Youbing were among the few who could remain conscious, and upon hearing the sound, they were all startled.

The strongest chosen one in the world, the Yin-Yang Couple, Black and White True Lord, has actually had contact with the Immortal Palace for some time now, and it seems to be quite deep?!
Zhenyuan Immortal Lord turned his face to the side, his gaze falling once more on the broken coffin. His smile remained unchanged, but there were words he spoke to whoever they were meant for, as cold as ice falling on jade.

"I underestimated you, but you underestimated me by more than a thousand times!"

As his mocking words fell, everyone's hearts sank, and the terrifying deeds of the Immortal Lord resounded in everyone's ears like thunder.

"I was born with divine talent. I entered the Dao at the age of three and ascended to godhood at the age of nine. When I was over a thousand years old, I saw the insignificance of the Dao in the world and felt lonely in the mortal world. So I took half a scroll of the 'Earth Immortal Chart' and led my sect to rebel against the ancient immortals."

"From then on, the temple withered away, leaving only me. The precious tree of the sect, the ginseng fruit, withered and ceased to bear the fruits of immortality."

The Ji family emperor exhausted the foundation of the Daoist tradition and failed in his attempt to defeat the immortals.

Many tens of thousands of years ago, when Zhenyuan Immortal Lord was young, he did the same thing, resolutely risking everything, but he won.

The world is filled with a series of evil beings such as the Chosen Ones, Immortal Seeds, and Heart Fasting, whose reputations inspire fear in the world... And the Immortals are the source of those reputations, their fame carved over countless bones in ancient times!
Zhenyuan Immortal Lord looked lonely and continued, "The Immortal Palace has a register of immortals descending to earth, but do you know there are also registers of immortal soldiers, registers of destiny, and so on? The Ji family's Wuji Banner, half of the Book of Life and Death in the Lesser Underworld, the Yellow Stone Coffin of Qingnang..."

He paused for a moment, then said something even more astonishing, like a thunderclap striking people's hearts.

"About 300,000 years ago, after I ascended to immortality, I impulsively created a golden elixir of immortality and joined the Ji family. I have been playing with the [Wuji Flag] for over a thousand years."

A single decree he casually wrote could silence the supreme-level [Xuanhuang Sheji Grand Array]. How many people in the world understand the Ji family's foundation better than him?
If Emperor Ji had not used the blood of the ancient Ji Emperor to sacrifice to the flag, it would be uncertain who the Wuji Flag would have served as its master.

"Emperor Ji said that the Celestial Palace regards the living beings of the mortal world as playthings..." Some people were terrified, because it was not just Emperor Ji's pre-death ramblings; the immortals of the Celestial Palace really did these things.

Everyone was shocked. No wonder Emperor Ji asked such a question after Zhenyuan Immortal Lord descended... At their level, there was almost no scheming; everything was done openly.

"Buzz!"

At this moment, Zhenyuan Immortal Lord's gaze turned slightly cold, and dark gold, like a sea of ​​clouds, intertwined in his pupils, with strands of awe-inspiring light emanating from them. He was clearly checking what was inside the yellow stone coffin.

"Tai Xuan—"

"No need to hide anymore, come out."

There was not a trace of doubt in his tone. After the blood sacrifice of Emperor Ji, there was no more Earth Virtue True Lord in the world. During the time he fought against Wuji Banner, someone took the opportunity to do some things.

He had lingered in the mortal world for a long time, not because he had lost patience, but because it was indeed time to leave.

However, the broken coffin remained motionless, and only crimson mist gradually filled the entire courtyard, even turning the sunlight blood-red.

Zhenyuan Immortal Lord's expression finally turned cold, and his icy killing intent slowly expanded. His gaze fell on Chen Xuan, and in an instant, a golden arc of light flew over.

"Stubborn and obstinate—"

A ray of golden light transformed into a celestial rope, covered in runes, its purpose being to first capture Chen Xuan and force the object in the coffin to reveal itself!

"You!" Chen Xuan was shocked. He suddenly unleashed the bronze mirror he had been holding, and the power of the Heavenly Dao Supreme descended upon the world. His invincible domain expanded like a tide, suppressing the approaching Immortal Dao ropes to the extreme.

"Buzz!"

The power of the immortal rope plummeted rapidly, and the Heavenly Dao could not prevail. However, in an instant, a white light appeared on the immortal lock, with flowing runes that were of the same origin as the immortal talisman armor worn by Niu Ben of the Mountain and Sea Banquet, resisting the power of the Heavenly Dao's Ten Thousand Generations Venerable.

No, these immortal runes are even more profound. After more than a year, the Golden Core Immortals of the Immortal Palace have mastered something even more useful.

This is too hopeless. The immortals dwell high in the heavens, watching over the mortal world. They see everything clearly and have a way to eliminate anything that might be a threat to them.

"boom!"

However, the celestial radiance descending from the bronze mirror, being from the highest destiny, though not fully effective, still caused the power of the flying golden immortal rope to plummet, successfully dropping it by a considerable amount of power.

"No!" Little Black True Monarch flew over immediately. Even with the suppression of the bronze mirror, the Immortal Lock was not something a mere Divine Traveler could resist.

Yan Yushu and the other chosen ones standing to the side were filled with sorrow, for disaster was imminent!
But then, in Chen Xuan's other hand, the True Monarch Sword suddenly slashed through the sky, a bright light shining like a crescent moon.

"Bang!"

A pale flame, invisible to anyone, rose from Chen Xuan's True Monarch Sword. With a whoosh, the flying Immortal Rope was severed in half and turned to ashes.

What happened?

"..." Little Black True Monarch stood there stunned. What an ordinary sword strike it was! It didn't even have time to be cast instantly, yet it successfully severed the immortal's attack without even causing the slightest fluctuation of immortal energy.

"what?"

Zhenyuan Immortal Lord slowly narrowed his eyes, but the corners of his mouth began to curl upwards, revealing a ghostly smile that sent chills down one's spine.

"Supreme Creation..."

"Fuck your mother, fuck!" Chen Xuan's curse suddenly rang out. The ferocity that had not reappeared since Xinzhai disappeared rose again in his eyes, erupting like a volcano.

He'd had enough of this spectacle and was seething with anger!

He knew that the Emperor Ji would not succeed, so although his emotions fluctuated many times today, he suppressed his desire to take action and only watched coldly. But now, the enemy has already bullied him!
"Bang!" A gloating, sinister laugh came from the broken coffin beside him, and wisps of crimson mist, like rivers flowing into the sea, converged on Chen Xuan.

"you……"

Zhenyuan Immortal Lord was slightly taken aback. The next moment, his sleeves flipped up like a giant curtain covering the sky, revealing all things in the universe. The Great Universe Technique from within the sleeves descended.

"Come!" Chen Xuan roared, reaching his left hand into the crimson fog beside him to command the mourning boy.

"Let this old man go first." A calm voice rang out, and then a hand pushed Chen Xuan's palm away, and a figure emerged from the crack in the broken coffin.

He had white hair and a youthful face, and was rather thin. He wore a golden robe with his white hair flowing like snow that had accumulated for a thousand years. The radiance around him, like jade dust, fell and condensed into a huge golden lake at his feet.

Tai Xuan, Zhang Daoyin.

The remains of Tai Xuan, which once appeared in the secret realm of Guyao Mountain, have been resurrected.

At this moment, countless scarlet threads swirled around him, like a red serpent ready to devour its prey. A crack appeared between his brows, and in his vertical pupils, the mourning child was firmly bound by countless chains, unable to move, and was emitting a ferocious roar.

"Buzz!"

A crimson sword of light shot out, like a meteor chasing the moon, shattering the immortal's sleeve that had been rolled up.

Tai Xuan Zhang Daoyin's vertical pupils shone brightly between his brows. He held up the Wuji Flag in one hand, and his body was surrounded by a light red immortal mist. His murderous aura was as cold as winter, and he had an aura that transcended the life and death of the mortal world.

"This..." Little Black True Monarch was stunned. Half a year ago, the Daoist boy in mourning clothes disappeared. He was actually captured by Tai Xuan?!

Old Zhang once asked Chen Xuan if he wanted to restore Xinzhai. Although he later said that the die was cast and could not be changed, it seems that he really had a wicked method.

"Woo!" Within Tai Xuan's vertical pupil between his brows, the mourning-clad Daoist boy roared, and strands of scarlet light overflowed, desperately drifting towards Chen Xuan... It seemed as if he was desperately shouting an explanation to Chen Xuan that this imposter was not genuine at all!

"An evil spirit?"

Zhenyuan Immortal Lord chuckled, instantly recognizing the other party's true nature. He had simply cultivated himself into something similar to the evil spirit of Xinzhai Heaven, and a wisp of remnant soul could only achieve this much: "Indistinguishable between immortals and ghosts, it is quite fitting."

His efforts, though seemingly short-lived, have led to a complete breakdown in his path, making further progress impossible.

The supposedly dead Qingnang Taixuan has become an immortal? Many True Monarch cultivators who had been observing the capital were all shocked.

Emperor Ji once said he had invited a helper; was he referring to Tai Xuan?

"After Ji family's Xuanji, another person has come seeking death... hastily and unorthodoxly becoming an immortal, trying to hold me back?" Zhenyuan Immortal Lord muttered to himself, "Is this the moment the Heavenly Emperor's daughter becomes an immortal?!"

Tai Xuan Zhang Daoyin did not respond, but with a gentle expression, he slightly raised his hand and performed a very standard Taoist kowtow.

"Immortal Lord Yuheng, how have you been?" Earth-element cultivators value etiquette most highly, and at this moment, he displayed the demeanor of a Dao Lord of an immortal sect.

A thousand years ago, Zhang Daoyin ascended to heaven with the Qingnang Daoist Temple. He arrived at the gate of the Immortal Palace and briefly met Zhenyuan Immortal Lord and other beings inside.

Zhenyuan Immortal Lord sneered, but surprisingly returned the greeting with a flick of his sleeve. Then, a strange regret flashed in his eyes, and he sighed:
"Since the Immortal Lord Lingyue, the True Lord Haode of Jixia Daoist Temple, the Earthly Bodhisattva of Jinshan Temple, the Five Whites of Jiaogou Mountain... Qingnang Taixuan, the Xuanji of the Ji Family, over three hundred thousand years, countless remarkable figures have emerged in this mortal world."

As his words fell, a half-torn ink painting scroll suddenly unfurled behind him, spreading out like a peacock's tail, its supreme aura spreading like a tsunami. Within the scroll, first on the left, the Ji family emperor was depicted, his majesty as imposing as a prison; then on the right, Qingnang Taixuan manifested, his immortal countenance solemn; then, a third figure appeared, an ancient cultivator holding a jade tablet, his Daoist aura flowing; a fourth…

In an instant, a total of twelve figures appeared, all exuding an earth-shattering, near-immortal aura.

The last figure to appear exuded an overwhelming aura of immortality, so powerful that it was almost unbearable to look directly at him; he was undoubtedly the previous Immortal of the Celestial Palace, Tu De...

At this moment, Zhenyuan Immortal Lord resides in the center, like the head of all immortals.

Half a scroll of the "Earthly Immortal Painting"!
Previously, when Zhenyuan Immortal Lord fought against Emperor Ji, he used this item to forcefully counter the Ji family's most precious treasure, the Wuji Banner.

The immortals born in the ancient Immortal Palace era were all peerless geniuses who successfully rose to power as True Lords. The external possessions they had were not much different from those of the Ji family.

"Those who strive to cross the path to immortality end up as nameless bones by the roadside. Tai Xuan, where do you think you would rank in this picture of the Earth Virtue Immortals?"

Zhenyuan Immortal Lord tilted his head, a mocking smile appearing on his eternally handsome face.

"..."

Chen Xuan, Ji Youbing, and other young people stared at the unfolded map of the Earthly Immortals, their hearts trembling. Beneath the Immortal Palace, how many heroes and geniuses had ultimately faded into nothingness, leaving only a trace of ink, their lives ending in a tragic song.

"Do you know what kind of enemies you are about to face?" The mournful cries of the True Lords who fell at the hands of Emperor Ji and Wei Tianjun before their demise are still very clear.

Everyone says that the immortals in the celestial palace are golden elixir immortals, and the bones in their tombs are withered.

Whether an immortal is corrupt or not seems to make little difference to lower-level cultivators; the gap is as wide as an chasm...

Even if young masters like Chen Xuan, Yu Zhe Xian, and Wan Shi Zun lost their Xin Zhai, Jin Dan, and Tian Ming, they could still crush all lower-level cultivators.

Tai Xuan Zhang Daoyin admired the painting of the Earth Immortals, his eyes shining like golden candles as they swept over the once brilliant heroes and demons. Among them were several who had led their sects to ascend to immortality and challenge the immortals, while some of their lineages had now turned to mortals.

"Since Tai Xuan has cultivated the Dao, he should naturally be the leader of the world."

He responded with a smile, his tone calm yet brimming with pride, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

He gently waved the Wuji Flag in his palm, and in a short while, he had completely mastered this supreme weapon.

This was an incredibly boastful statement, brimming with unparalleled confidence, but strangely, no one perceived it as arrogance.

Because, according to legend, this is a perfect-grade immortal talent, the only one of its kind in ten thousand years!

An alternative path to immortality.

Alternative Palm-Sized Retreat.

The unconventional use of the Wuji Flag and other such feats are all unprecedented and astonishing, yet Tai Xuan accomplished them all in an extremely short time.

Let alone ordinary people, even the most outstanding geniuses would feel boundless respect upon seeing Tai Xuan.

Several years ago, many True Monarchs did not even have the idea of ​​ascending to immortality through the Reverse Immortal Palace. They would rather try to obtain the Heavenly Mandate Immortal Pill Path. The main reason for this situation was that... a thousand years ago, the Southern Region's Tai Xuan Capital suffered a crushing defeat, and they knew they were no match for it!

"Heh, though your talent is high, you are a bit arrogant. Come on." Zhenyuan Immortal Lord remained noncommittal, only sneered, and made his move directly: "That old man's good intentions will ultimately be in vain."

The second battle, in which the enemy was defeated, unfolded in an instant.

Zhenyuan Immortal Lord knew that the other party was stalling... stalling for time to quickly stabilize the hastily formed evil immortal path, stalling for time to control the Wuji Flag.

But the fact that he was willing to say so much already gave the other party this opportunity... However, in the end, he couldn't be more tolerant, and he couldn't wait any longer.

"How dare I disobey the Immortal Lord's command!"

Tai Xuan Zhang Daoyin laughed loudly, raised his hand and unleashed a Qimen Dunjia technique. In an instant, the stars shifted and the entire capital city and the people of Dali disappeared into thin air, heading to a safe place.

Chen Xuan felt dizzy and the scene before his eyes was like a kaleidoscope, with various places such as the Chaotic Void and the Cave Heaven Secret Realm flowing like lightning, crossing hundreds of millions of miles in an instant!

This level of skill in magic surpasses the limits of what people can imagine!

"boom!"

Suddenly, a magnificent beam of immortal light tore open the layers of spatial curtains, and Zhenyuan Immortal Lord's massive hand came down, covering the sky and the sun, determined not to let Chen Xuan be transferred away by Tai Xuan.

However, in an instant, in the void on the other side, ten thousand crimson sword lights, like dragon veins, appeared as if the heavens and earth had been split open, exuding a war aura, and shattered the immortal hand.

Mysterious Woman's Magic!
Within the Earth Virtue lineage, this is arguably the most lethal supreme technique, a lineage with a completely different direction from other Earth Virtue techniques that are characterized by their long and profound nature!
At this moment, combined with the power of the mourning child, the killing power was astonishing, as if a white qi sword immortal had appeared out of nowhere, and the scarlet sword light of the weapon illuminated the nine heavens and ten earths.

This is an unparalleled killing power that should not appear in a Tu De cultivator!
"Boom!" In the corner of his eye, Chen Xuan saw the Wuji Flag and the Earth Immortal Map collide violently in the distance, the supreme power shaking the universe, and the brilliant light engulfing everything.

"As expected of Old Zhang..." he thought to himself, but then a deep regret welled up within him, for his old friends were about to leave one after another...

Zhenyuan Immortal Lord knew that Taixuan was no match for him.

Zhang Daoyin of Tai Xuan probably also knew that he couldn't win.

But what can be done about it? Chen Xuan has only been cultivating for five years, while in the Great War of Immortal Conquest, there are ancient monsters and geniuses who have been cultivating for thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years fighting each other.

Let alone him, even an ordinary True Lord wouldn't be qualified to get involved.

"Where will Old Zhang's Qingnang Technique send me?" Chen Xuan drifted in the vast void, feeling lost and unsure of where he would be transported.

I don’t know when.

"boom!"

With a deafening roar, Chen Xuan stopped. The Qingnang Technique had lost its effect. At that moment, he felt his hair stand on end. A cold, eerie eye locked onto him from behind, like a prehistoric beast about to devour him.

He turned his head sharply.

Zhenyuan Immortal Lord has caught up!

At this moment, the immortal lord had long lost all his immortal demeanor. He was covered in blood, his chest was bloody and his internal organs were visible. Crimson streaks were drilling into his body. His handsome face was contorted with pain and looked terrifying.

One of his eyes was gone, leaving only a dark, bloody hole, his face covered in blood, while his other eye was staring intently at Chen Xuan.

True form...

Chen Xuan felt a chill run down his spine. He tried to escape using his Qingnang Technique, but in an instant, Zhenyuan Immortal Lord appeared in front of him, a bloody hand reaching out to grab him.

"Follow me...!" His clear voice was now chilling and sinister, like ice piercing the bone.

"Wow!"

At this moment, Chen Xuan's whole body tensed up, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at the enemy. Countless dense golden-red trajectories intertwined and connected in his pupils, as if an ancient, dormant power was being revived in the face of despair.

His expression was ferocious, and there was no way to retreat. Xiao Shenyou had finally reached the point of fighting for his life!

"Wow!"

Suddenly, the fire in the furnace boiled violently. Those flames, invisible even to immortals, burned on their own, resisting the malice surging from the outside, and then surged wildly towards... behind them!
“You…” Zhenyuan Immortal Lord’s pupils contracted.

boom!
Darkness surged forth from behind Chen Xuan like a torrent, engulfing everything. A snow-white hand slammed out, and with a bang, Zhenyuan Immortal Lord's head flew off.

"roll!"

A cold female voice rang out in the desolate and dark Taixu.

Within the Great Void, the head of Zhenyuan Immortal Lord flew out, a trace of doubt still on his face, before being consumed by darkness and vanished into nothingness. Meanwhile, the headless immortal's body, its neck spewing forth a rain of blood, was swallowed by the overwhelming darkness, leaving not a trace of ash behind.

Zhenyuan Immortal Lord, is he dead?
Chen Xuan stood frozen in place, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. The darkness behind him was too intense, as if it would swallow up all the ancient heavens, and was absolutely indifferent!

Something even more terrifying than Zhenyuan Immortal Lord has descended!

Chen Xuan slowly turned his head, and in his golden-red eyes, a glimpse of the endless darkness was reflected. A section of his dark blue sleeve fluttered, as if it had been scalded by a furnace fire and shrank back.

The Empress's Corpse?
No.

Dark Mountain Spirit!

The wind stopped, the clouds condensed, and the Great Ruins held their breath.

A peerless, ethereal figure descended upon the world like the moon, her long black hair flowing freely. She stood barefoot in mid-air, her black brocade robe billowing, causing the entire world to pale in comparison. It was as if even time itself feared her presence, daring not to flow or approach.

When she appeared, the Chaos and the Primordial Ruins instantly submitted, and all living beings trembled under her majesty, not daring to look directly at her countenance.

"Let's go to the Immortal-Slaying Palace." That cold voice, which was neither unfamiliar nor truly familiar, rang out, like Kunlun jade shattering and falling into Chen Xuan's heart. She spoke softly.

"Okay." Chen Xuan nodded, his voice trembling slightly, and then his heart was filled with a long-lost excitement.

A gentle, fragrant breeze wafted by.

After all these years, these past two or three months have been such a long and agonizing wait!

The other party might be the only being in the world who knows that he can freely control his mind.

The mourning-dressed Taoist boy is now a weapon of Tai Xuan against enemies.

Chen Xuan finally got his chance to become the Empress's weapon.

(End of this chapter)