Lingyuan Immortal

Chapter 973 Incense Divine Realm

Tang Shangyuan stood in mid-air, his indifferent gaze sweeping over Qi Yunsu, Tao Fengbian, Luo Feng, and the others below, who were heavily injured, flying backward, and their auras were exhausted.

That gaze was like a god looking down upon the dust, without the slightest hint of murderous intent, yet containing an absolute control that was suffocating.

He is not incapable of being killed.

At this moment, he was radiant with divine light, his aura was harmonious and vast, far surpassing the peak of the Dao Inquiry realm, and every move he made could resonate with the laws of heaven and earth.

Erasing these entities that once required careful planning is as easy as snapping a finger.

But he didn't make a move.

This is because Qi Yunsu and others are ultimately connected to the last remaining thread of incense and fortune of Fusheng and Liangyi Liangguan.

They are the symbols of the Taoist tradition, the "patriarchs" or "pillars" anchored in the hearts of countless believers.

If he were to uproot and completely destroy it now, the vast river of fortune that had been forcibly gathered by the Hunyuan Zhenyun Cong and had not yet been fully refined and controlled by him would surely suffer a violent backlash, and might even cause his newly formed divine position to become unstable and develop cracks.

The way of incense offering is profound and unpredictable; a solid foundation is far superior to the fleeting pleasure of killing.

Fortunately, he had absorbed 99% of these "roots," like withered vines drained of their essence, no longer able to interfere with his final step to ascend to the throne.

At this moment, their existence is nothing more than the humblest yet most stable foundation beneath the throne of the gods.

Above the Three Immortals Valley, the wind and clouds were no longer swirling, but completely frozen.

The immense incense energy accumulated over ten thousand years by Fusheng and Liangyi Liangguan, under the pivotal role of Hunyuan Zhenyun Cong, is no longer merely an intangible Daoist charm, but has solidified into a tangible substance.

A magnificent and ancient altar, seemingly cast by the devout faith of millions of believers, slowly emerged beneath Tang Shangyuan's feet.

On the altar, countless blurry phantoms of mortals knelt and chanted, wisps of golden vows rising and swirling like smoke and mist, eventually merging into Tang Shangyuan's increasingly sacred body.

Tang Shangyuan closed his eyes and stretched out his arms as if embracing the entire world.

His expression was no longer one of greed and fervor, but rather one of indescribable ecstasy and tranquility, as if he were communicating with the Dao in the darkness and resonating with the faith of the people who had gathered there.

His body was glowing, no longer with dazzling divine light, but with a warm, restrained, yet supremely majestic jade-like luster. Profound golden divine patterns flowed naturally between the lines of his skin, like the manifestation of the laws of heaven and earth...

Breakthrough, godhood, it's happening now!

He did not deliberately circulate his cultivation technique, nor did he need to make any earth-shattering noise. The accumulated incense and divine essence resonated silently deep within his soul.

"Om-!"

The entire Three Immortals Valley, no, the entire northern border of Qizhou, seemed to tremble slightly, not as a physical tremor, but as a slight tremor at the level of the laws of heaven and earth.

The next moment, the jade-like divine light surrounding Tang Shangyuan suddenly receded, as if collapsing into a single point, and then—

boom! ! !
A "light" whose color and form could not be described burst forth from his body.

This light is neither gold nor white, neither real nor illusory; it transcends the realm of color and is a manifestation of pure divinity.

Wherever the light reached, the scattered clouds silently merged, and the chaotic spiritual energy instantly calmed down, as if time and space were bowing down to it.

A golden crown, condensed from pure divinity and symbolizing authority and immortality, quietly appeared above his head.

On the golden crown, countless tiny runes flowed endlessly, each rune seemingly containing the most devout prayer of a believer, ultimately converging into a divine law that suppressed all directions.

He took a step forward, a step that crossed the boundary between gods and mortals, shattering the shackles of the Dao.

The Dao Realm! The Incense and Divine Dao Realm!

In an instant, an unparalleled majesty that transcends all living beings, controls cause and effect, and holds sway over faith, swept across the entire battlefield and even more distant regions like an invisible tide.

The sky seemed to be filled with ethereal celestial music, and the earth seemed to be blooming with the phantom of a golden lotus. Though fleeting, these sights heralded the birth of a new god.

Qi Yunsu, Tao Fengbian, Luo Feng, Wei Cangdong, Fu Danian... all those who bore the imprint of the two sects' lineages let out a muffled groan at this moment, their already ashen faces instantly losing all color, turning ashen.

They clearly felt that the last faint connection between themselves and their sect and their founder was completely covered and assimilated by an overwhelming divine power.

An aura emanating from Tang Shangyuan was branded into their very souls, leaving them with no thought of resistance and only awe and... submission born from their very life instincts.

They were no longer purely practitioners of the two views, but rather "remnants" beneath the divine throne, their existence tainted by divine aura...

"Fellow Daoist Chen!"

Xu Rong, Guo Zizhe, the Wu couple, and others had quietly crept up to Chen Mu's vicinity at some point.

Their faces were as pale as paper, and their eyes were filled with fear and worry.

The earth-shattering dispute between the two masters and Tang Shangyuan just now allowed these outsiders, who had signed the legal contract and whose positions were delicate, to temporarily withdraw.

However, the legal bond still bound them, preventing them from leaving easily. But as for taking action again... even someone like Qi Yunsu was suppressed by the new god. For them to go up would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, and they would be instantly reduced to ashes.

Therefore, Chen Mu, who was the strongest and had the greatest background at this moment, naturally became their only pillar of support.

Chen Mu frowned, his deep gaze sweeping over the battlefield, now a foregone conclusion, over Qi Yunsu and the others whose spirits were waning and whose souls had been corrupted, and finally settled on the figure whose divine might was like a prison. He remained silent for a long time.

He felt that whether he left or stayed, it was difficult to say whether it was right or wrong, and he obviously couldn't give a definite answer.

Guo Zizhe forced himself to remain calm, trying to find a glimmer of hope: "Perhaps... this Tang Divine Lord has no intention of involving us outsiders? After all..."

Before he finished speaking, something strange happened.

Tang Shangyuan, who had just completed his breakthrough and was closing his eyes to feel the vast, boundless, and almost immortal divine power within his body, suddenly opened his eyes.

What kind of eyes are those?
Indifferent and cold, like a deity high in the heavens looking down on the mortal world, devoid of any human emotions, only absolute divinity overlooking all living beings.

He first glanced indifferently at Qi Yunsu and the others below, who were like lambs to the slaughter, their souls already branded with his mark. The corners of his mouth curled up very slightly, as if mocking, or perhaps indifferent, but he did not say anything.

Then, his emotionless gaze turned to the Yuan brothers, Yuan Tianshu and Yuan Tianquan, who were in the corner, their bodies still bearing the burn marks of the Golden Light of Fortune, and who were trying their best to conceal their aura and escape.

"Hmph." A cold sneer rang out, as if ice had scraped through his bones.

"Since you two are so 'enthusiastic,' willing to act as pawns and stir up trouble for us two observers..."

Tang Shangyuan's voice was loud and cold, like a divine pronouncement, "Then I will grant you a 'fortune' to become my divine servants, serving me for eternity, to atone for your sins!"

Before he finished speaking, he stretched out a finger and pointed it at the Yuan brothers from afar.

There was no dazzling light at the fingertips, only a fleeting flash of pure, golden divine light.

"what--!"

Yuan Tianchu and Yuan Tianquan froze abruptly, letting out a shrill, inhuman scream. They clutched their heads in agony, their bodies convulsing and contorting violently, as if their souls were being repeatedly forged and reshaped by an invisible divine fire.

The process was extremely brief; the screams ceased abruptly after only a few breaths.

The Yuan brothers then slowly lowered their hands and stood up straight again.

Their appearance, clothing, and even their cultivation aura remained unchanged; they still had that sinister look.

However, the eyes!

His eyes completely changed!
The former ruthlessness, cunning, greed, fear... all the emotions belonging to "humanity" have disappeared. In their place is indifference and coldness like Tang Shangyuan's. However, within this coldness, there is a fanatical devotion and absolute obedience to the gods.

The evil aura remained, yet it blended perfectly with the cold divinity, creating a chilling and eerie atmosphere.

They stood quietly with their hands at their sides, like two evil god puppets draped in human skin, only given life again, but without any fluctuation of their own divine souls.

"hiss……"

Upon witnessing this scene, Chen Mu and the others' pupils suddenly contracted to the size of needles, and a chill ran from the soles of their feet straight to the top of their heads.

The soul is thoroughly cleansed and transformed, which is more terrifying than direct annihilation. Who knows if this cold divine decree will fall on one's head in the next moment?

What truly terrified everyone was that Tang Shangyuan's emotionless gaze was now slowly turning towards the direction of them, the "outsiders."

Like the wheel of fate, the invisible divine power, like a colossal mountain, crashed down, almost suffocating Xu Rong and the others, freezing their thoughts.

However, at this critical moment, when everyone's minds were about to collapse—

“BOOM Boom Boom Boom!!!”

The entire northern border of Qizhou suddenly erupted with an unprecedentedly violent tremor, a thousand times more intense and violent than the slight tremor of the laws when Tang Shangyuan became a god!
First, the three outermost flying islands, and the two core peaks to the north and south, their golden light of blessings, which had originally shone brightly due to the placement of the Hunyuan Zhenyun Cong but had dimmed after being absorbed by Tang Shangyuan, now uncontrollably blazed up wildly again.

But this light did not originate from the formation; rather, it seemed to be drawn by a powerful force from the depths of the earth or from the other side of the void.

Five enormous pillars of light, reaching to the heavens and the earth, suddenly erupted, no longer pure gold, but mixed with an ancient and boundless chaotic aura.

Immediately afterwards, beams of light shot into the sky, each symbolizing a flying island or mountain peak.

At the center of these dozens of beams of light, space shattered and twisted like fragile glass, and an unimaginably huge vortex formed at the intersection of the beams of light. At the center of the vortex, a "singularity" that was so dazzling that it could not be looked at directly was rapidly expanding.

The Ancestral Grotto-Heaven—is about to truly open in the real world!
Qi Yunsu and the others were experiencing extremely complex emotions at this moment.

The two families fought tooth and nail for this ancestral grotto, exhausting their resources and even seeking outside help, only to have their lineage stolen, their incense offerings and fortunes wiped out, and even their own souls corrupted...

This grotto-heaven was no longer a blessing for them; it was more like a resounding slap in the face, a huge irony. The ancestral land had become the harbinger of such thieves…

"Tang Shangyuan! You treacherous thief who betrayed your master and ancestors! You even want to seize the ancestral land?! You will die a horrible death!"

Fu Danian's eyes were bloodshot with rage. Ignoring his serious injuries, he roared hoarsely, his voice filled with endless grief and helplessness.

However, Tang Shangyuan ignored Fu Danian's angry curses.

His icy gaze suddenly erupted with an unprecedentedly scorching light, firmly locking onto the core of the spatial vortex.

The divine position has been established, but a "divine kingdom" matching its status is still lacking.

Where else could be more suitable than this ancestral grotto-heaven, which contains the origins of both worldviews and is about to be opened?
This is practically a divine throne bestowed upon him! It's a foundation for his ascension to godhood tailor-made for him!
He stood with his hands behind his back, surrounded by divine light, waiting quietly.

That posture was as if the master of the grotto was waiting for his own gate to be opened, full of a sense of entitlement and expectation.

Before long, the expansion of the spatial vortex reached its limit.

"Crack——!"

With a deafening roar, as if the heavens and earth were splitting apart, the "singularity" at the core of the vortex exploded.

A magnificent scene, beyond description, slowly unfolded in the shattered void:

A myriad of rays of light and auspicious clouds appeared, like the Milky Way cascading down from the heavens. The ethereal images of immortal herbs swayed gracefully in the misty light, and the roar of the divine spring and waterfall could be faintly heard.

The outlines of magnificent palaces and pavilions are faintly visible in the misty purple aura, and the wind chimes on the eaves seem to stir the soul. Deeper in, there are stars twinkling and the earth's veins roaring, exuding an ancient, vast, and awe-inspiring chaotic aura.

At the same time, an extremely pure and concentrated spiritual energy of heaven and earth, like a floodgate opened, surged out from the open portal, instantly washing away the filth and bloodshed of the entire Three Immortals Valley, bringing a freshness and vitality originating from ten thousand years ago.

Beyond the portal lies not just space, but more like a breathing, pulsating...little world.

The ancestral grotto has finally appeared in the mortal world!
Tang Shangyuan's eyes shone brightly, and with one step, he was about to step into the divine kingdom that had been opened for him.

"Tang Shangyuan—!"

Qi Yun's eyes were bloodshot, and blood gushed from his mouth along with his grief-stricken roar.

He mustered his last bit of true essence, and forced the dim Yin and Yang energies around his body to circulate again. Despite the danger of his Dao foundation collapsing and his soul dissipating, he still managed to fly up and pounce on the thief who was about to enter the cave heaven divine kingdom.

Even in death, he could not stand by and watch this traitor who betrayed his master and ancestors defile the final, pure realm of Patriarch Qizhen.

"Humph."

Tang Shangyuan paused slightly, without even turning around.

With just a thought, the Yuan brothers, the divine servants standing to the side, transformed into two eerie streams of light interwoven with dark red and gold, instantly blocking Qi Yunsu's path.

"Get out of the way!" Qi Yunsu shouted, and the illusory image of the Yin-Yang Millstone reappeared, but it was more than ten times dimmer than before, carrying a tragic sense of despair, and crashed hard into Yuan Tianshu.

Yuan Tianchu remained expressionless, his eyes filled only with absolute obedience to the divine command. He raised his hand, and the evil energy and divinity in his palm merged, condensing into a dark gold shield covered with twisted runes.

boom!
The Yin-Yang millstone struck the shield, producing a dull, deafening roar.

Qi Yunsu was already at his limit, and the recoil made him feel as if he had been hit hard. His body flew backward, and blood splattered in the sky. He was caught by Tao Fengbian and others who followed closely behind. His aura completely weakened, and he no longer had the strength to curse.

Tang Shangyuan slowly turned half of his face to the side, a hint of impatience and killing intent rising in his eyes, but it was quickly suppressed by a deeper indifference.

"Times change and the way of heaven turns."

His voice was loud and cold, devoid of any emotion, like the imperial decree, resounding in the hearts of every living being: "The path of incense and gods is also the path to heaven. Now that my divine position is established, the fortune of this world is entirely in my hands. Those who obey me will prosper, and those who oppose me will perish!"

His gaze fell upon the portal to the celestial realm, where spiritual energy surged forth like a vast ocean, and his eyes revealed absolute control: "I wish to enter this divine kingdom, establish an eternal Daoist temple, and rule this world... Who can stop me?!"

……

(End of this chapter)