Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 596 Seeking Truth Through Restoration
Shengle.

The brownish-yellow divine light of the Earth element descended from above, like a curtain or screen, and the majestic phantom of the [Changwu Ancient City] appeared. It was only a matter of final deployment before it could be completely solidified and set foot on the frontier.

The brilliance of the Southern Star of Yuanluo shone even brighter, reaching this place and causing incense offerings and religious practices to also fall here. In the vast void, many heavenly soldiers and warriors could be seen emerging to clean up the mess.

Xu Xuan sat atop the city wall, his gaze fixed on Yinshan Mountain.

The winds and thunder between heaven and earth still reverberated. The fall of a direct descendant of a celestial sect, Zifu, and the influence of divine faith, made this extraordinary phenomenon the most magnificent he had ever witnessed in his life.

Wisps of pure, ethereal energy emanated from the wind and thunder, like a duster sweeping away the evil, gradually giving the earth a touch of green, transforming it from its previous desolate state.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, we part ways today, but we shall meet again in the future. Our sect is preoccupied with important matters and dare not linger any longer."

Guang Chan mustered his strength, dragged his injured body, and rode the wind to arrive. After briefly mentioning the matter of the cave heaven, he transformed into a streak of green light and disappeared into the void.

Han Chenzi, who had fought Xu Xuan in the past, was in a rather awkward situation and naturally wouldn't linger. He instantly used his supernatural powers to return to the void, and his figure disappeared.

Huan Yuan seemed inclined to approach and chat, but Xu Xuan didn't linger. He broke through the void and headed towards Yin Mountain.

Lei Bu completely took over this land, and a beam of azure lightning emerged from it. The Azure Envoy, with a sorrowful expression, went to see Wei Hua and received the relics of his master from him.

Qinglang didn't say much and left directly, while Xu Xuan followed and rode the wind down to Weihua's side.

"Pity."

Wei Hua sighed and looked at the wind and thunder in the sky that were gradually ceasing.

"General Zhuoxie was a pillar of our tribe. Now that he has perished, isn't it ridiculous for an old man to say such things?"

Xu Xuan remained silent.

"When I first attained supernatural powers, I didn't cultivate the Fire of Departure, but instead cultivated Divine Thunder, precisely to prepare for the Thunder Department. After being delayed on the frontier for so many years, finally being able to return to the Divine Path can be considered a way out."

"It's just a pity that we've lost a fellow traveler."

Wei Hua's tone was low and unassuming, seemingly genuine. He then turned his gaze to Xu Xuan:

"With the grand ceremony now settled, the Emperor has issued another decree, requiring us to travel to the capital in a few days. His Majesty is quite satisfied with Fellow Daoist Xu and should reward him, which should be related to She Lei."

Xu Xuan's eyes narrowed. He had always suspected that Li Song had a lot of information about She Lei, after all, he had even found the Thunder Prison of the Sijie Heavenly Palace.

If he had the cultivation method, he wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble to plan.

"I understand, I will definitely go."

The two discussed some matters concerning the Thunder Department, and Xu Xuan then used the excuse of repairing his injuries to break through the void and head south.

'Finally, I can relax.'

He breathed a sigh of relief; the pressure from the series of battles was immense.

The land between Shengle and Chiyun has been completely taken back from Litu, and traces of the past battles can still be seen along the way, slowly healing under the light of Wu.

The scattered mortals were settled in the frontier, where a shrine had been erected, gilded and silvered, with incense burning continuously inside. Inside was a statue of a unicorn-headed deity, with several wealthy-looking people kneeling in worship below.

Xu Xuan stood in the void and glanced at it, then saw that the divine title was [Bai She Siming Yue Shen].

“E represents the central earth element, which governs the fate of all things and is the center of the five elements.”

Taking the opportunity, Tian Tuo glanced at the underground shrine a few times, seemingly with a sigh:
"Now that the Shengle has been restored, this former sacred land of Tude has returned to Dali, and that Shen Bailin should also be born. Ah, in ancient times, Bailin lived in Cong and was the offspring of Jianwu Great Sage. Later, he was subdued by Wuheng, and the fate of his bloodline was similar to that of the Mo Qilin lineage."

"According to Lei Bu, this Bai Lin was born with supernatural powers. I wonder what level he is at?"

Xu Xuanxin had a question. According to his understanding, even if he were a reincarnation of a True Lord, he would still be bound by the laws of heaven and earth and would need to rebuild his cultivation step by step.

According to what Wei Hua said in the past, the white unicorn of the Divine Department had already possessed supernatural power even before it was born, which was quite astonishing.

"It's hard to draw a conclusion. Now that he has firmly established himself as the head of the divine path in this country, he cannot be judged by ordinary standards. Even if he only has one divine power, it would be enough to make many mid-stage Purple Mansion retreat."

Tian Tuo's tone was solemn, as if he were giving a warning:
"Although the path of the gods can be cultivated quickly, the foundation is unstable, making it extremely difficult to attain a position. Most become servants under the gold rank, stopping at the nascent elixir stage. If one's lineage can follow the path of the gods and obtain a position, one can become a divine ruler."

"I have never heard of anyone who has ascended to the position of a deity. Even the Lu Qi prefers to use power to subdue the world as an emperor rather than a deity who manipulates incense offerings. In fact, some deities in ancient times were just a side, an incarnation, or an alternate name of a true deity."

"So, this Bai Lin was destined to be without a future official position from the moment it was born?"

Xu Xuan understood.

What Dali seeks is merely a local deity who can regulate the divine path and stabilize the mountains and rivers; he would never allow a true lord who truly occupies the high position of Wutu to rise up.

The Earth element (戊土) is of such high rank that it is already trending towards being among the top of the Five Virtues. In ancient times, it must have produced a figure of the level of a Celestial Lord. With such an important lineage, can Li Song really seize the position? Or is he willing to seize the position?

As he rode the wind, he analyzed the current situation.

"Between Zhenyuan and Fuchen, whose current power is superior?"

“It’s hard to explain.”

Tian Tuo also fell into an unusual hesitation, as if pondering, and sighed after a long while.

“Zhenyuan is the orthodox successor of the ancient Gen Earth lineage, and his patriarch was a figure who participated in the establishment of the Thunder Palace. In terms of foundation, he is naturally profound. Today, there should still be two True Lords in the lineage, but they should both occupy subordinate positions.”

"As for Fu Chen," Tian Tuo said solemnly, "that great man's Daoist name is [Bitter Day], and he is extremely mysterious. Even I didn't know his origins when I was alive. In recent years, I have studied the Shangxiao classics and found some clues. The Qingxiao True Lord once said that Ding Huo was [daring to make the Zhulong not return, rather than be the sun and moon shining outside]."

"In fact, his attainment of enlightenment should have been facilitated by the former leader of the Northern Society Immortal Path, the Heavenly Thunder Immortal. In this light, Ding Huo should be an extremely ancient True Monarch."

"Tian Ting?"

Xu Xuan's mind raced, and he simply said:

"If this lord is indeed the former leader of the Four Paths of Beichen, he should be at the Immortal Realm. However, it is rather strange that he, as a disciple of Tianpeng, still uses 'Tian' as his title."

Tian Tuo also had a guess and continued:
"It is not necessarily a bad way to sever ties. This person's former Daoist name may not have been like this. It is only after the destruction of Lei Palace that he had to offend his former master in order to distance himself from the relationship."

"At least, the method of 'seeking immortality through the community' that the Northern Society was researching might be a path that corrupted the community's thunder. Ironically, after this path was destroyed, the Northern Thunder began to correct the traditional community thunder again."

As he prepared to return to the mountain, he could see the rosy clouds above the crimson sky in the distance. Seeing the familiar scenery, Xu Xuan felt much more at ease and simply said:
"Since he has received guidance from the Celestial Thunder Immortal, and I've heard that this True Lord of Bitter Day has the highest cultivation level in the Li Kingdom and holds a high position, I wonder if he has any intention of competing with the Zhenyuan Dao lineage?"

He traveled all the way to the front of the Heavenly Punishment Hall, then quietly returned without disturbing the disciples in the mountains. "The Ding Fire is not something that can be easily attained; this path has its own mysteries, and... that was the former position of [Zhu Yin]."

When Tian Tuo mentioned this matter, he seemed quite wary.

"This deity even burned the Immortal of Longevity to death, causing the life force of the world to cease and all living beings to lose their lifespan. Meanwhile, Ding Fire became one of the Three Calamities. One can imagine how deeply this deity remembered the position of Ding Fire!"

"Under such circumstances, to be able to attain the fruition, or even to cultivate all the way to the late stage of the Golden Core, and still have the energy to open up new paths, is enough to show one's cultivation level."

The dim candlelight in the main hall made Xu Xuan's mood even more depressed.

The relationship between Fu Chen and the sect can definitely be described as a blood feud. It is only because his own family is too weak and he has the protection of She Lei that he has been able to survive.

With the appearance of several immortal sects, Ding Huo's realm became even more unattainable.

'Someday.'

He calmed his mind, and with his body protected by pure energy, he was not afraid that the True Lord would sense anything strange.

Looking around, Xu Xuan activated the great formation, completely sealing off the Great Crimson Palace, preventing even a wisp of spiritual energy from entering. Only then was he satisfied.

First, a rhombus-shaped piece of gold was taken out, with a sun pattern carved in the middle and ancient characters engraved on the back, which read "Xuanhao's Edict".

Divine Thunder Treasure, [Divine Hao Gold].

Divine Thunder is the most powerful and fastest of the Five Thunderbolts, and this spiritual treasure perfectly embodies these characteristics. It is made by imprinting the sun's instrument with Divine Thunder and Geng Metal, and possesses a majestic heavenly aura.

In terms of sheer power, this magical treasure even surpasses the Great Wind Fan. Once unleashed, it can transform divine thunder into countless weapons to slay the disobedient.

"Xiao Xueya has indeed given me a fine treasure."

A smile appeared on Xu Xuan's lips. This thing was already worthy of being passed down as a treasure. Even a direct descendant of a Golden Core cultivator wouldn't dare to take it out casually, yet now it had fallen into his hands.

Including Dan Ting, the sect now possesses four spiritual treasures, far surpassing the ordinary immortal paths of the Great Li realm.

He summoned the Thunder Pool, from which faint crimson light emanated. The spiritual energy from the outside world seemed to be summoned, and began to frantically attack the formation, surging towards the main hall.

This situation was extremely unusual, so Xu Xuan immediately put away the spirit stone, not daring to take it out, for fear that if he made a careless move, all the cultivators on the mountain would be turned into piles of rotten flesh.

“Ling Lei. Truly strange.”

No matter how many times I look at it, this bolt of lightning is completely different from the other four, and it doesn't even match the aura of the immortals. I wonder what the Heavenly Dragon Lord is like now.
Even Tian Tuo felt a sense of apprehension upon seeing those streaks of crimson light:

“This should be something taken from the Spirit Source. Back then, if True Monarch Ruoji had a grand plan in the North Sea, he created a Spirit Thunder Hub, which is the [Spirit Source].

"The East Sea Dragon Clan has been hoping for many years to reclaim that [Spiritual Source] and completely cut off the path for outsiders. Ha, these long worms are quite shrewd, daring not to provoke Zhen Lei."

Xu Xuan seemed to be deep in thought upon hearing this.

"Ling Lei and Han Shui are both under the Yuan Qi Dao. Han Shui even has the supernatural power of [Loss of Measurement]. Shen, Zhen, and Xiao Lei are probably all under Xuan Qi, forming the most primitive Yin Yang Chan Lei Dao."

"I have been studying the [Thunder Evolution Technique] sent by Zijin Temple for a long time. Perhaps, among these three, taking thunder as the foundation and connecting it with Shenxiao is the right path of thunder."

Whether it is social thunder or spiritual thunder, both are later creations with peculiar characteristics, and they do not conform to the most harmonious and perfect way of the three thunders: divine, shock, and sky.

Among these three types of thunder, the Zhen thunder undoubtedly holds the most special position, and can even be regarded as the pivot of the yin and yang transformation of thunder.

"Now that your immortal virtue is complete, you should exchange it for the scroll of 'The Wondrous Method of Seeking Truth Through Restoration of the Apertures'! Let me see just how profound the methods of the Thunderclap Path truly are."

Xu Xuan made a decision in an instant, returned to his inner vision, and entered the cave.

He entered the Supreme Pavilion with practiced ease, intending to exchange for the scriptures. If the "Secret Essentials of the Universe and Profound Thunder" was an explanation of the chaos of thunder, yin and yang, then this scroll, "The Wonderful Method of Seeking Truth through Restoring the Apertures," was probably something of an even higher level!
To be honest, he wasn't sure if he could understand this scroll of scripture.

The Daoist doctrines recorded in the Golden Elixir are sometimes incomprehensible even to those in the Purple Mansion realm. If one's spiritual level is insufficient, it is absolutely impossible to understand what the True Lord is saying, unless the other party intends to impart the Dao.

I just hope that the True Lord of the North Sea is a kind soul and won't throw him a scroll of heavenly book!
Upon ascending to the upper level, after passing numerous ancient texts, one comes upon a scripture shrouded in a vast, chaotic aura—the [Wonderful Method for Restoring the Apertures and Seeking Truth].

With a single thought, he nearly exhausted his immortal virtue in exchange for this scroll of immortal techniques.

The item that landed in his hands was a blue-green Daoist book, shrouded in chaotic energy, about three fingers thick, inscribed with the words "[The Wonderful Method for Seeking Truth by Restoring the Apertures]". It seemed to be some kind of physical object, rather than the illusory inheritance he had obtained in the past!

Xu Xuan's mind raced. He stepped out of the Supreme Pavilion and saw Tian Tuo, dressed in a bright red Taoist robe, already squatting outside.

The old monster let out a cry and transformed into a streak of golden-white light, flying straight towards the scripture in Xu Xuan's hand. Without hesitation, Xu Xuan activated the scripture.

As the primordial energy rose and shifted, the scroll of Daoist scriptures emitted streaks of gray-gray thunder, threatening to strike it down.

"Wait, wait!"

Tian Tuo cried out, and Xu Xuan then put away the [Restore Aperture], a mocking expression on his face.

"What, even you, old monster, have moments of fear?"

“It is a primordial substance and is related to the True Lord, so we should naturally avoid it.”

Tian Tuo's golden eyes shone brightly, and he urged Xu Xuan to hurry up and see what wonderful methods this immortal scripture described, because he might be able to use them himself.

The scriptures were opened, and primordial energy flowed forth.

"Restore the orifices to achieve constancy, open the orifices to achieve wonder; I speak of the Dao emerging from chaos, passing through the profound to enter the Thunder Pool."

The opening of this scripture seems to subtly reveal the origins of that Suspended Chaos True Lord, but the language is quite obscure, making it difficult for Xu Xuan to understand at first. He only understands that this True Lord must be related to Chaos Qi.

His conjecture is very likely correct: the current Xuanhun is the former Lord of Chaos, or even some kind of divine origin. Only such an origin could overshadow the Dragon Lord, who is a descendant of the Great Sage.

Tian Tuo watched silently, his golden eyes shining like torches. Even with his cultivation level, reading it was extremely difficult, let alone Xu Xuan.

After reading the first few sentences, Xu Xuan was completely bewildered, even feeling as if he couldn't read. He knew every single word in the scripture, but he couldn't understand them when they were put together.

"This scripture is very likely related to the immortal technique [Qiheng] of the Xuanqi lineage. It may even be the understanding of this technique by that Xuanhun Zhenjun."

Tian Tuo continued in a calm tone:
"Indeed, this is a wondrous method even a first-level Golden Core cultivator needs. I don't understand it."

(End of this chapter)