Chapter 006

However, the three orbs that Xuanxiao took out were recognized by everyone; they were the Water, Fire, and Thunder spirit orbs from the Five Spirit Orbs, an ancient treasure. Moreover, Xuanxiao had already refined them completely. Such ancient treasures are not easily claimed by anyone. As soon as Xuanxiao uses them, although he would gain immense power, he would undoubtedly face death. When Ta Qing gave the Water Spirit Orb to Xuanxiao, it was merely for him to utilize, and there was absolutely no intention for him to refine it.

It was an ordinary day, the Zhu Lu Mountain Range still stood majestically and endlessly. This place, which has nurtured countless people and is regarded as a sacred mountain, seemed as tranquil and peaceful as ever. However, in an instant, the sky was engulfed in flames, turning the entire heavens crimson, with thunder crashing down intermittently, creating a terrifying spectacle that shook the earth and mountains. A bold hunter looked up and seemed to see figures moving in the sky, but they were moving too quickly for him to discern any details. When he returned to share this with others, fear spread among them, and they speculated whether it was deities fighting. After several days, the villagers, emboldened, ventured up the mountain only to discover that the main peak of the Zhu Lu Mountain Range and the surrounding nine peaks had become desolate from halfway up, all turned to scorched earth. Moreover, the higher they climbed, the more intense the heat became. Unable to endure it, the villagers fled down the mountain, and thus the legend of an unprecedented battle among deities in the Zhu Lu Mountain Range began to circulate. Over time, this tale was embellished with numerous versions, and dedicated narratives emerged, but that is a story for another time.

Xuanxiao has already been afflicted by the Yang Flame, and he does not possess water attributes. He is always worried about returning to Wangshu... The legendary cold weapon can indeed suppress the Yang Flame, but it places too much burden on the body... Zong Lian has clearly been contemplating this issue for the past few days and has finally reached a conclusion: "For the time being, the only solution is to encase him in ice. If Qionghua successfully ascends and Xuanxiao achieves an immortal body, then there will be no problem."

Since he learned the term "Qi Yun," he felt as if he had grasped the key to understanding everything, yet he still needed an experiment. Fortunately, it is a rule that cultivators cannot interfere with the secular world, so he went directly to the imperial palace to find his emperor brother. He recounted how he had been betrayed and severely injured, hoping to see if there were any dusty treasures in the national treasury that could assist him. This younger brother had been raised by the emperor as a son since childhood, posed no threat to the throne, held a significant position in Qionghua, and most importantly, the Empress Dowager was still alive. Therefore, the emperor opened the treasury without hesitation and asked where Su Yu and Yun Tianqing's families were, intending to deal with them. After persuading his brother, Ming Xijue headed straight to the place in Xuanxiao's memory... because he had discovered that the Fire Spirit Pearl seemed to be there while watching Xuanxiao's memories as if they were palace intrigue dramas during his boredom, unexpectedly also taking away the Thunder Spirit Pearl... As for whether he would die? Wasn't there still the main god? The main god had not mentioned anything about victory or defeat penalties, so Ming Xijue treated this as a side quest and a library task, resulting in a successful gamble, but he was also nearly at death's door.

Ming Xijue stood with his hands behind his back, facing away from those present, remaining silent. The jade crown that held his hair had turned to ashes in this fierce battle, and the contrast between his black hair and white attire was striking.

Why do they admire him? Because although cultivators live in a world where the weak are preyed upon by the strong, they place great importance on cause and effect, understanding the significance of good relationships. Xuanxiao now bears all the responsibilities, saving the majority of those who should have perished in battle. This has also earned him favor among the various sects, ensuring that for a hundred years, no sect will touch Qionghua in the slightest. Even if only one person remains in Qionghua, this will still hold true. Moreover, they will assist in the reconstruction of Qionghua. This is the reason why Xuanxiao is willing to make such sacrifices. However, it is easier said than done. Which cultivator would willingly obliterate their own soul for the sake of their sect when they possess exceptional talent and a smooth path to ascension? Such individuals will always be respected by everyone.

The crowd was astonished, feeling that he was being overly arrogant. Not to mention that the Blood Demon Lord in the Transformation Stage might not even be contained, did he think that the Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators by his side were mere corpses? As long as they eliminated the one controlling the formation, its power would be reduced by at least half. They could still break through if they joined forces, so it would be better to bring more people along.

Zhongguang lowered his head, lost in thought, while Qingyang remained silent.

It can only be this way. Su Yao sighed

Ming Xijue coldly said, "No matter how many people I bring, they are just a burden. I can go alone, and that is enough." Then he took out three radiant and powerful beads, saying, "These are my reliance."

Everyone fell silent, knowing that Xuanxiao was not prepared to survive this time

Even Qingyang and Chongguang, who are extremely dissatisfied with Xuanxiao, must admit that Xuanxiao deserves the respect of everyone

The plan was executed perfectly, but three errors occurred. First, he unexpectedly broke through during the battle, achieving the Divine Transformation stage. Second, these three spirit pearls, which are treasures of fortune, surprisingly withstood the punishment of the Heavenly Dao. Third, he changed his core; the difference in soul attributes resulted in his continued existence

The power of Xihe is excessively domineering. During this period, without the moderation of Wangshu, Xuanyao has frequently resorted to using Xihe, often putting himself on the brink of life and death. Despite his body and meridians being nourished by the Water Spirit Pearl and numerous heavenly materials and earthly treasures, he is nearing his limit. Every time Elder Liyou discusses this, he cannot help but sigh repeatedly, saying, "Even if Wangshu were to return now, it would be of no use; you all know how rapidly Xuanyao's strength is increasing..."

In the Qionghua Sect, due to the overwhelming excitement from their victory in battle, and in an effort to alleviate the sorrow from the numerous casualties among the disciples, Su Yao made an exception and allowed the disciples to celebrate for a day, resulting in a lively atmosphere in Qionghua. However, keen observers noticed that not only was the legendary Master Xihe absent, but even the Sect Leader and the various Elders were nowhere to be found

All of this was planned by Ming Xijue.

The Demon Sect and the Book Sect employed tactics of delay and ambush, inflicting heavy losses on the Righteous Path. At this moment, Ming Xijue proposed a suggestion: to set up the top-tier formation "Red Lotus of Distinction" in the Zhulu Mountain Range, a formation capable of annihilating everything. Furthermore, he suggested layering it with the "Purple Dawn Divine Thunder Formation". Under the pretext of a decisive battle to determine the ownership of the dragon vein of the world, they would lure the experts of the Demon Sect over. In reality, various sects would launch separate attacks on the Demon Sect's strongholds, striving to eradicate the Demon Sect's lineage.

It must be said that this is a crazy plan, but there is a very obvious premise: that the levels of the righteous path and the demonic sect are roughly equal. In that case, those who remain in the Zhulu Mountain Range will be doomed. Moreover, to maintain this formation, it requires many individuals with exceptionally strong cultivation to delay the situation. At this moment, Ming Xijue, who proposed this suggestion, uttered a statement that shocked everyone: "None of you need to go; I alone am sufficient."

It is well known that the height of one's cultivation is determined by various factors such as talent, comprehension, and perseverance. A single attribute is referred to as a heavenly spiritual root, which is evidently the best kind of seed. Such individuals are extremely rare in this vast land. In contrast, there are more dual-attribute earthly spiritual roots and mutated attribute otherworldly spiritual roots. For instance, Yun Tianqing possesses the wind of an otherworldly spiritual root, Xuan Zhen has the thunder of an otherworldly spiritual root, Su Yao embodies the ice of an otherworldly spiritual root, and Su Yu represents the water and thunder of an earthly spiritual root. All of these possess exceptionally outstanding qualities, but when compared to Xuan Xiao, they pale in significance. Xuan Xiao is the fire among heavenly spiritual roots and is also quite rare in this vast land. Moreover, he was born in a year, month, day, and hour of the Yang fire, possessing the unique body of the *Diagram* and *Book*. Furthermore, his innate divine consciousness is dozens of times greater than that of others, and after cultivating martial arts, this gap expands to nearly a hundred times. However, this also limits him to only practicing things related to fire. Although he can use advanced spells from other systems, he must not overuse them; otherwise, it would disrupt the balance of his body.

Everyone's gaze turned towards Zong Lian, as he was the one who forged the twin swords and had reached the pinnacle of sword-making techniques among the ten generations of Qionghua. When it comes to matters regarding the twin swords, he holds the most authority to speak.

Many years later, in the vast area of the Zhulu Mountain Range, there remains a legend.

Moreover, everyone is well aware that the Zhulu Mountain Range is not only the location of the Dragon Vein but also a place where the fortunes of the land of Shenzhou are concentrated. Any damage inflicted there will surely invoke the punishment of the Heavenly Dao. Xuanxiao's intention to go alone clearly indicates that he is willing to bear the burden by himself, which would completely eliminate his chances of reincarnation, as a mere primordial spirit cannot possibly contend with the Heavenly Dao. Throughout history, how many extraordinary talents have unfortunately fallen due to a lack of fortune? Even the exalted Emperor Fuxi places great importance on fortune, which illustrates the dire predicament Xuanxiao has placed himself in. Thus, everyone immediately felt a sense of admiration and agreed to this request.

Fortunately, Qionghua is the foremost sect in the world, and there are still plenty of spiritual medicines available. As a result, it was not easy to save his life, but the diagnosis provided by Elder Liyou was far from optimistic

Though alive, one may find existence worse than death

Forbidden area

Is there really no way? Su Yao asked