Chapter 583: Chapter 583: I Want to Mingle With the Lower Cultivators
As Lü Yang unleashed his mana, causing mountains and rivers to tremble, the transformation across the entire West became increasingly dramatic. At this moment, the Mighty Power of a Golden Core Perfected Lord was on full display.
Countless great mountains were flattened out of thin air, and the very earth seemed to roil like the sea. The razed mountains transformed into visible waves of soil that converged on the center of the West. Wherever these waves passed, rivers were rerouted and lakes burst their banks, even pulling the water system of the West to flow in the same direction.
Such a colossal change naturally had an impact on mortals.
「In a mortal kingdom in the West.」
The people of the kingdom worshipped an Arhat, with countless individuals burning incense and praying day and night. But now, the magnificent Buddhist Temple they so devoutly attended had suddenly vanished.
In its place was a rushing torrent.
Witnessing this, the people all rubbed their eyes, completely unable to comprehend what was happening. A wave of intense panic instantly spread through them.
But a moment later, their calm was restored.
For when they looked up, every single one of them saw a figure in the vault of heaven, standing with his hands clasped behind his back, facing away from them.
In an instant, all was silent.
Merely gazing upon him, the people were overcome with a sense of peace. After all, the thoughts of trillions of mortals were no match for a single whim of a Perfected Lord.
And just like that, the transformation ended.
Across the vast expanse of the West, mountain peaks radiated out in layers from Lü Yang at the center, covering everything as they spread from the region’s heart to its very borders.
What seemed to be a chaotic distribution was, in fact, perfectly orderly.
Gazing down from above, one could clearly see eight trigrams forming the outermost ring, which collapsed inward to four symbols, and then merged into the two "fish" of Yin and Yang.
From Eight Trigrams to Four Symbols, from Four Symbols to Yin and Yang.
Collapsing inward layer by layer, ring by ring, all of it finally converged upon Lü Yang at the very center, merging with his Celestial Pillar Profound Grotto Heaven.
Yin and Yang return to Taiji!
Moreover, from the mountains and rivers of the West, pillar after pillar of Incense Fire Divine Light shot toward the heavens. These were the gods, consecrated by Incense, continuously assuming their positions.
"This is... an Array!"
One of the Perfected Lords realized what it was, his eyes filling with awe. "A Third-Grade Grand Array... laid out according to Feng Shui and covering the entire West. Is he truly trying to establish a Dao Lineage?"
"So he wasn’t just messing around. Does he really intend to contend with the Bhagavat for territory?"
"Is he insane?"
"What audacity!"
Amid the gasps of astonishment, the entire Array finished forming. Lü Yang opened his eyes. In that instant, his gaze held nothing but serene composure.
At this very moment, there were no longer any cloud-piercing peaks in the entire West, only rolling hills. Without exception, all the vanished mountains had settled beneath Lü Yang. They lifted the Vast Skull Mountains below him high into the sky, transforming it into an untouchable Immortal Realm.
"It’s the Sea of Clouds...!"
Seeing this, a Perfected Lord immediately recognized the similarity. ’Isn’t this the damn Sea of Clouds from the Stain Sect?! And you still claim you’re not from the Stain Sect?’
Lü Yang, of course, turned a deaf ear to this.
At this moment, his focus was entirely on the foundation of the Righteous Qi Dao. He soon turned to Progenitor Tingyou, Suo Huan, and Empress Xiao beside him.
"I’ll go first."
Progenitor Tingyou was the first to grasp Lü Yang’s intent. He stepped forward and, with a mere thought, the Wu Ghost Secret Realm within the Skull Mountains reemerged into the light of day.
"I am Tingyou, and today, I shall reestablish the Wu Ghost Sect!"
With a deafening roar, the entire Wu Ghost Secret Realm settled into the Skull Mountains, spreading across the landscape. At almost the same instant, the Fruit of Celestial Fire burst forth with dazzling light!
The scorching Celestial Fire responded, descending from above.
It finally landed atop Progenitor Tingyou’s head, coalescing into a beam of Dharma Light and generating new karmic links. At that moment, all the Perfected Lords across the world who were observing this scene received a sudden, inexplicable revelation:
Youdu Xuanming Prefect!
「At the Sword Pavilion in the South, upon Zenith Cliff.」
"How could this be..."
Watching this scene, True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde nearly ground his teeth to dust. Beneath his boundless resentment lay a fear he could not conceal.
This was because it was no simple Honorary Title. It was a title Lü Yang had specifically bestowed upon Progenitor Tingyou, using the Fruit of Celestial Fire to answer the call of Fate and elevate his conceptual manifestation.
Henceforth, Progenitor Tingyou’s Fruit of Sorrowless Heaven would be empowered by the Position of the Fruit of Celestial Fire. Not only would its power be vastly augmented, but in a pinch, he could even borrow a trace of the Fruit of Celestial Fire’s manifestation. This alone was enough to make Progenitor Tingyou’s combat prowess comparable to that of an Orthodox True Monarch.
In other words—
’If before, I couldn’t kill Tingyou, but he couldn’t kill me either, then now... He truly has a chance of killing me!’
This was precisely the source of True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde’s fear.
Not to mention, his own time was short, and he was about to reincarnate. If he died now, with Progenitor Tingyou keeping an eye on him, what hope did he have of returning to his former Position and becoming a Perfected Lord once more?
’I cannot let this happen...’
At this thought, True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde’s gaze grew sinister. As if having come to a decision, the Qi trace around him gradually retracted, ceasing its fluctuations.
Meanwhile, the upheaval in the West continued.
After Progenitor Tingyou, Empress Xiao also stepped forward. The Incense Fire Divine Light radiating from her illuminated the heavens, eventually forming a pure, round moon that hung behind her head like a halo.
"I am Xiao Ru, and today I shall establish the Imperial God Platform!"
As her voice fell, torrents of Incense converged above the Wu Ghost Secret Realm, coalescing into a high platform to preside over the divine path and command all the Incense Fire Gods of the world.
A moment later, the light of the Fruit of Celestial Fire descended.
"Nghh~!"
Empress Xiao closed her eyes, a soft moan escaping her as she allowed the fiery light to course over every inch of her body. Finally, it converged above her head into an Honorary Title:
Su Yao Dongyin Yuanjun!
In the Dao Court in the East, watching Empress Xiao’s expression of ecstasy, Emperor Jia You’s face went livid. Utterly powerless, he could only let out a low growl of fury.
Finally, it was Suo Huan’s turn.
As the only Orthodox True Monarch among the three, he had no need for Lü Yang’s empowerment. With a simple thought, the Fruit of Spring Water manifested high in the sky.
Then, a look of profound sentiment crossed his face.
"I am Suo Huan, and today, I shall reopen Huanxu Heaven."
As his voice fell, a Splendid Light rose from Suo Huan’s hands, revealing a Grotto Heaven. Within it swirled myriad phantoms of light—the very image of the homeland he had yearned for day and night.
The nature of the Fruit of Spring Water is to be an inexhaustible source of sustenance. The masses rely on it for their livelihood; eight families may dig a single well and drink from it together.
This Fruit was, by its very nature, one that bestowed grace upon all living beings and brought aid to the world. Suo Huan’s act of reviving Huanxu Heaven was in perfect accord with the concept and Magic Instrument of this Dao Fruit.
This was also one of the main reasons he had succeeded in Seeking Gold.
And at this moment, as Suo Huan re-established Huanxu Heaven, his Magical Power Mechanism unfurled completely, stirring the threads of karmic links. Once again, the Perfected Lords of the world received a revelation:
Profound Abyss Universal Relief True Monarch!
Only then did Lü Yang take a step forward. Forming a Daoist Hand Seal, the Splendid Light of the Fruit of Celestial Fire shone brilliantly, bringing all three Fruits under its dominion.
RUMBLE!
In an instant, a sea of crimson clouds surged, roiling with Illusionary Colors. It took the domains just established by Progenitor Tingyou, Suo Huan, and Empress Xiao and arranged them in a line. With the Wu Ghost Sect as the foundation, Huanxu Heaven in the center, and the Imperial God Platform at the peak, they merged with a thunderous roar, completely refining them into a single, majestic Immortal Mountain!
The three domains were each independent, yet interconnected and mutually supportive.
Only now was the foundation of the Righteous Qi Dao truly laid. Within the Sect, three Dao Lineages of the mountains were established, all under the command of the Sect Leader, who unified them into a single, orthodox whole.
"Now that we have our domain, we also need a sect gate."
The quality of the sect gate determines the first impression the Sect gives to others. So Lü Yang deliberated again and again, and decided to take out his most precious Artifact to use.
"Myriad-Soul Banner!"
In the next instant, a Banner that blotted out the sky descended with a deafening roar. It transformed into a great, bannered gateway outside the domain, becoming the main entrance to the Righteous Qi Dao.
’This way, any Cultivator who walks through this gate into my domain can be considered to have voluntarily entered the banner...’
Thinking of this, Lü Yang rubbed his hands together with some excitement.
After ten lifetimes of arduous cultivation, he had finally reached the Peak of the mortal realm and attained the rank of Perfected Lord. To be honest, he couldn’t wait to become one with the Lower Cultivators!