The great powers between heaven and earth were all filled with admiration, for the hundred and eight thousand steps were not something anyone could ascend!
Rolling spiritual energy from the Primordial World, ten thousand miles to the east and another ten thousand miles to the south, surged towards Qing Ling. His three flowers gathered atop his head and his five vital energies coalesced, his auspicious cloud expanding from ten acres to twenty, then thirty, and eventually to a hundred acres.
A hundred acres of auspicious cloud was a realm even ordinary Grand Unity Golden Immortals of the fifth heaven could not reach.
Qing Ling’s primordial spirit was vast. As he looked at heaven and earth, and then back at the myriad beings, he suddenly felt that everything in his sight was incredibly small.
Heaven and earth grew larger in his eyes, while beings became smaller. The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths seemed within his reach.
The magnificent giant tree behind him truly began to bear the duty of propping up the sky at this moment. The colossal Jianmu’s summit connected with the Nine Heavens’ gale winds of the first heaven.
The Jianmu’s roots were incredibly thick, spanning tens of millions of miles in width, far wider than the peaks of Spiritual Mountain.
Even a sliver of the sky’s weight, when shared, caused the entire Du Guang Plain, with the Jianmu’s roots as its center, to instantly sink by a hundred zhang.
Qing Ling pushed out his palms, and the spiritual roots and treasures of the four directions rose, emanating innate indestructible spiritual light. Layers of innate Dao prohibitions transformed the Du Guang Plain into a world, using the world’s power to bear the sky’s weight.
The Jianmu’s colossal body slightly hunched, for the sky was truly too heavy and too high. Even a mere wisp of it was heavier than ten thousand mountains and a thousand oceans.
But because of this, the Jianmu received the blessing of heaven’s power.
It was born extraordinary, an object for Qing Ling’s path to enlightenment.
As long as it stood there, even the most powerful beings would not dare to attack the Jianmu.
It was not constrained by human will, but by heaven and earth!
For at this moment, a wisp of heaven’s power had been mobilized from the peak of Buzhou. If the Jianmu were to break, the heavens might collapse, incurring too great a karma and even greater karmic debt.
The aura on Qing Ling’s body receded, his Dao image retracted. Within him, the Cycle of Life and Death realm slowly circulated, his spiritual energy generated intrinsically, his world inextinguishable, his Dharma power unending, his life ceaseless.
To the north, the Golden Immortal Venerables of the Serpent Clan prostrated themselves one after another, their excitement bordering on roars.
“Greetings, Ancestor!”
“Greetings, Ancestor!”
“Greetings, Ancestor!”
Not only that, but within the ten million li tribal lands of Xi Mountain, nearly a hundred million spirit snakes bowed down, celebrating the Ancestor’s attainment of Dao!
Qing Ling had cultivated for thirty-four Yuanhui before finally becoming a Grand Unity. A smile appeared on his face as he retracted his great power and said in a gentle voice, “You may all rise.”
North of Du Guang, the Golden Immortals finally suppressed their excitement, but their faces were still full of joy.
In the Eastern Desolation, amidst the shifting winds and changing clouds, only the Four Great Upper Clans stood tall. Xi Mountain had survived arduously in the crevices, with countless clansmen perishing on the borders. Some upper clans had even shown disdain and indulgence, allowing the Black Lizard Upper Clan’s forces to advance over countless corpses.
And today, Xi Mountain had ascended to the ranks of the upper clans. Xi Mountain, which had only been lacking a Great Power to guard it, now possessed a status that allowed it to stand as an equal to the Four Great Upper Clans, no longer a mere alliance of near-subservience.
Qing Ling turned his head and finally looked at the visitor from the heavens.
Above the clouds, Qu stood in the firmament, his zither already put away.
Qing Ling sighed in his heart; he was truly helpless in this situation.
Qu’s single musical note had, by chance, vibrated Ancestor Tai Geng’s Tai Xu Divine Bell. As the Tai Xu Divine Bell and the Myriad Serpent Ancestral Seal shared a close origin, he was able to be awakened by the Myriad Serpent Ancestral Seal, thus escaping the assimilation with heaven and earth.
In other words, Qu had merely played a single note, yet he had incurred a debt of gratitude for assisting his path, even a life-saving debt.
No matter how he tried to conceal it, this karma could not be insignificant.
And he, of all people, could not kill Qu. Even though Qing Ling had now become a Grand Unity, Qu had also entered the fourth heaven of Grand Unity Golden Immortals.
“Many thanks for your assistance in my path, fellow Daoist!” Qing Ling could only accept it.
Qu stood in the firmament, his expression devoid of joy or sorrow. His imposing aura swept down, and he said loudly, “Green Snake, I never expected you to reach the realm of a Great Power.
But you have suppressed a Great Power of my clan, thus offending us. Today, I fear this cannot be resolved peacefully.”
Qing Ling was surprised. Just as he was about to speak, his primordial spirit suddenly felt a fluctuation. It was Qu’s secret transmission.
“Fellow Daoist, please do not be angered. I am also here on the Ancestor’s orders to rescue someone. It is possible that Qing Luan is watching us both at this very moment, hence my rudeness.”
Qing Ling’s expression froze. He hadn’t expected such a facade, putting on one face in front of him and another behind his back. He truly hadn’t expected that the future illustrious Demon Emperor would also have a day of appeasement.
Since Qu desired this face, what harm was there in giving it to him? Letting him go was merely a matter of releasing someone.
A smile played on Qing Ling’s lips, and he said leisurely, “Since fellow Daoist has come, and in consideration of our shared hardships in the past, I shall release the person.”
With a sweep of his sleeve, the Jianmu’s roots extended from the ground. Chongming, who had been suppressed for five Yuanhui, woke up groggily.
“Very well, Daoist Chongming. Your Phoenix Clan is powerful, and I cannot afford to offend you. Our past grievances are now settled.”
Chongming was astonished. “You… you’ve actually become a Great Power!”
Qu sighed, “Elder Chongming, let us not dwell on this any longer. Return to our clan with me.”
Upon seeing Qu’s arrival, Chongming’s expression flickered. “How about we join forces to take him down today?”
Qu shook his head. “Let alone you and I, even Ancestor Qing Luan would not dare to provoke him. His Jianmu has already borne the power of heaven and is undertaking the duty of propping it up.”
Qing Ling chuckled, “Daoist Chongming, have you not had enough time underground? Shall I invite you in for another visit?”
The other party’s pupils constricted, and he shivered. He quickly said, “No, no, this old man suddenly remembers that the Ancestor’s command has yet to be responded to. I shall take my leave now!”
With that, the old man Chongming transformed into a divine bird and flew away at full speed, not daring to look back.
Qu let out a wry laugh, then said to Qing Ling, “Fellow Daoist, you should avoid provoking my clan in the future, otherwise, even the Dragon Clan’s territory would not be without recourse for my Phoenix Clan.”
The fiery light that shot into the sky vanished as Qu flew away.
However, a sentence reached Qing Ling’s ears, leaving him lost in thought for a long time.
Qu had actually said such a thing, it was almost unbelievable.
Qing Ling regained his senses and looked at the assembled members of his clan. He smiled and said, “Du, it has been a long time.”
Below, Du’s expression was slightly awkward. He bowed and said, “Many thanks for your remembrance, Ancestor.”
He and Qing Ling were of the same generation. Their former fellow clansmen had now become his elders. For a moment, Du felt as if he were in a dream.
But a voice from beside him broke his awkwardness. “Junior Jiang pays his respects to the Ancestor!”
A young boy with pure white pupils emerged. As a Grand Unity cultivator, he was also an elder of the clan.
A seductive young woman emerged, exuding charm, and bowed gracefully. “Chi pays her respects to the Ancestor.”
A muscular man emerged, as weighty as a mountain, and said in a deep voice, “Wei pays his respects to the Ancestor.”
A middle-aged Daoist emerged, with a detached and ethereal aura, and respectfully said, “Junior You pays his respects to the Ancestor.”
An agile maiden emerged, with a giant puppet accompanying her in sync, and respectfully said, “Junior Di Wu pays his respects to the Ancestor.”
All those of the same generation as Qing Ling used different forms of address, as they were once peers within the clan. The younger generation, on the other hand, all presented themselves as juniors and adopted humble attitudes.
Qing Ling’s smile deepened by three points. “Although I have not been in Xi Mountain, seeing all you elders assures me that Xi Mountain has not retreated.”
In front of him alone, there were six Grand Unity cultivators. If one were to include Qi, Ke, Granny Hua Geng, Elder Chi Li, Elder Yu, and even other elders he was unaware of, Xi Mountain had more than ten Grand Unity cultivators alone!
Qing Ling waved his hand and said with a smile, “All of you, come with me back to the clan!”
The Golden Immortals and Grand Unity cultivators below responded in unison.
Qing Ling beckoned, and the vast Mi Tian Suo transformed into a Sumeru, collecting his clansmen.
Even Qi was taken in along with them.
He then waved his hand, scanning the surroundings. His Eye of Life and Death swept through a void, and he declared loudly, “Esteemed elders, esteemed fellow Daoists, I am the Divine Assistant under Ancestor Azure Dragon. I have now attained the Grand Unity realm and must return to the clan before proceeding to the East Sea to pay respects to Ancestor Azure Dragon. Surely, esteemed elders and fellow Daoists will not wish to stop me?”