Free Web NovelChapter 438: Chapter 73: The Auspicious Day Is Over, Time for Bloodshed
The Celestial Realms stage is so named because once a being reaches this level, they can spread their imprint across infinite worlds, giving birth to an "other self" in each one.
By the same token, as long as these "other selves" are not all extinguished, even if one’s true body perishes, they can return through one of the remaining selves.
In other words, upon reaching this stage, unless every "other self" of a Celestial Realms being is killed across all infinite worlds at the exact same moment...
...a being of the Celestial Realms is undying.
At this very moment.
A spectral Jade Ruyi appeared, stretching across the annals of time to envelop all realms and worlds.
In the Great Realm where Lu Xiuyuan had been reincarnated, a broken and ancient Jade Ruyi descended under the horrified gazes of countless great figures, crushing the skull of the Dynasty’s Grand General who governed the North.
In an ultra-modern world, a Star Thief Leader sitting in his Starship looked up in terror just in time to see a Jade Ruyi fall. This great bandit who had dominated the Star Sea was smashed into a pulp.
In an old world where Ancient Gods held sway, inside the grand cathedral of a True God Church, countless worshippers watched in horror as the statue of the ’God of Slaughter and Punishment’ suddenly collapsed. A Jade Ruyi fell from the northern sky, and an Ancient God died, its divine corpse plummeting to the world below.
Similar scenes played out simultaneously across all worlds and realms. A Jade Ruyi fell into every single realm, and the skull of every single "other self" of True Saint Tianpeng was crushed at the same instant!
The myriad realms trembled. A Great Divine Power User at the Celestial Realms level had utterly and completely fallen, with no possibility of ever returning!
「The Current World.」
The True Saint’s corpse smashed through the heavy clouds and fell into the ruins of a collapsed mountain peak. It lay sprawled across the earth, Celestial Venerable Blood gushing out and flowing in all directions.
This Jade Pool Fragment, which enveloped the entire Kongtong Mountain Range, fell into a deathly silence.
The two warring Ancient Buddhas stopped their fight. The Giant Bull and the Golden-Winged Great Peng froze, stunned into paralysis. The heavily scarred True Phoenix was utterly dumbfounded!
Only the spring breeze blew on, unchanged.
’This... this can’t be real, can it??’
The Little White Dragon and Sha Wujing’s expressions were wooden. A tingling numbness spread through them as they stared blankly at the massive, torn-asunder corpse. They wanted to say something but were rendered speechless by the immense shock.
Up in the clouds, the Sandalwood Merit Buddha gripped his Nine-Ringed Alms Staff, terror visible in his eyes.
The Great Strength Ancient Buddha, the Golden-Winged Great Peng, and the others beside him were in no better state. Their earlier, lofty arrogance had vanished completely. They were all trembling, a deathly chill creeping up their spines.
This was especially true for the old Taigong standing on the mountain peak, his hair and beard completely white. Others might not have recognized it at first glance, but how could he not know the Three-Bejeweled Ruyi?
Jiang Ziya’s throat felt utterly parched, and his heart sank like a stone. With trembling lips, he suddenly bowed his head.
"Your disciple, Jiang Shang... greets you, Master." freёwebnoѵel.com
His voice was not loud—it was even hoarse and low—but it struck the minds of the beings at the Celestial Realms and Immortal stages like a heavy hammer.
Jiang Shang’s Master...
The Jade Void Palace, the Yuqing Primordial Heavenly Venerate, the Ancestor of Heaven Opening, the Cause of All Fruits, the Beginning of All Things!!!
While the vast majority of guests were still looking around in confusion, Shen Gonghu trembled and collapsed to the ground. The Little White Dragon and Sha Wujing felt their heads spin.
At that moment, the middle-aged Daoist expressionlessly retracted the Three-Bejeweled Ruyi. Cupping it in his hands, he stared coldly at Jiang Ziya, who was prostrated on the ground.
He asked:
"Why?"
Jiang Ziya remained prostrate on the ground and closed his eyes.
"Any explanation would be a mere excuse. I ask Master to mete out my punishment. I ask Master to grant me death."
’He didn’t understand. Why would Master appear here?’
’Aren’t those with a Dao Fruit unable to enter the Current World?’
’And... why did it have to be Master??’
’If it were even Supreme Laojun standing here, he could have grudgingly understood!’
As Jiang Ziya thought this, he let out a bitter laugh.
The world fell into a dead silence once more. The middle-aged Daoist closed his eyes and remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking in a flat voice:
"Jiang Shang, a Jade Void’s Disciple, has attacked a fellow disciple in violation of our sect’s rules. I hereby decree that he be expelled from Jade Void, his Divine Techniques revoked, and his Cultivation completely severed."
"Furthermore, he shall receive five strikes of the Jade Void Clear Thunder. His survival is not a concern."
Shen Gonghu shuddered violently. ’The Jade Void Clear Thunder... a single ordinary strike is enough to slay an Immortal and severely injure an Upper Celestial Venerable or an Ancient Buddha.’
’Five strikes of the Jade Void Clear Thunder, on a Jiang Shang who has been stripped of his Divine Techniques and had his Cultivation destroyed...’
’That was a certain death sentence. For even a sliver of his True Spirit to remain would be a sign that his Master was showing mercy for old times’ sake!’
’But...’
’Isn’t that Jade Void rule meant for conflicts between fellow disciples?’
’During the late Shang Dynasty, the Jade Void Lineage and the Biyou Lineage nearly beat each other’s brains out, and that wasn’t considered a violation of this rule, was it?’
’Unless...’
’As Shen Gonghu puzzled over this, he suddenly recalled that during Junior Brother Lu’s wedding, when performing the ceremonial bows, he had seemed to call out... "Second Master"??’ freewebnovel.cσ๓
He sucked in a sharp breath.
At that moment, Jiang Ziya, still prostrate on the ground, opened his mouth and let out a heavy sigh.
"Jiang Shang, the cast-out disciple of Jade Void, thanks the Great Celestial Venerable for his grace!"
He rose with a desolate air, bowed deeply once more, and then summoned the Celestial Blade. He severed all his "other selves" across the Celestial Realms, shattered his Dao Foundation of the Celestial Realms, and destroyed his Immortal Golden Form.
In the span of a single breath, Jiang Ziya lost his transcendent, immortal bearing. He aged completely, and the signs of the Celestial Human Five Declines appeared upon him.
His hair withered, sweat beaded on his body, his clothes became soiled...
This little old man, his lifespan nearly exhausted, resolutely turned and stepped onto the clouds. Immediately, five seemingly unremarkable bolts of clear thunder descended.
The first severed his soul; the second extinguished his spirit; the third destroyed his body; the fourth sundered his nature; the fifth annihilated his very destiny.
Another Upper Celestial Venerable at the level of the Celestial Realms had died.
Another wave of disturbance arose throughout the Great Cosmos and even the Celestial Myriad Realms. The universe itself seemed to want to keen in great sorrow and weep tears of blood, but then the middle-aged Daoist’s brow furrowed.
Great sorrow was replaced by great joy; the weeping of blood transformed into a song of praise.
The rain of blood that had covered all worlds transformed into Immortal Flowers and iridescent light, drifting down gently.
Today, only auspicious fortune was permitted.
The Daoist let out a faint sigh.
