Daoist Ancestral Court.
Two Daoists stood at the edge of a magnificent jade pavilion, overlooking the mortal realm. Both were young, appearing to be in their early twenties. One possessed an extraordinary demeanor, radiating an ethereal and boundless aura, while the other was slightly younger.
"Senior Brother," the younger Daoist frowned. "Uncle-Master keeps going back and forth between the Ghost Realm and the Human Realm. What's the point? If he truly only wanted to break the Nine Nether Dragon Court's arrangement, wouldn't it have been better to sneak in and eliminate Qi Lian Dao, that root of trouble, with his powerful techniques directly?"
"It wouldn't have been."
The elder Daoist sat casually on the jade balustrade, exuding an air of detached grace and immortal bearing. He chuckled, "The grand momentum of the Heavenly Dao cannot be defied. Qi Lian Dao's scheme for the Nine Nether Dragon Court is secondary; the changes within the Nine Nether Dragon Court are what's important. Moreover, the threads of fate are already woven by destiny; no one, not even Uncle-Master, can alter Qi Lian Dao's possession."
"..."
The younger Daoist pondered for a moment. "What if one were to defy the heavens?"
"Hmph..." the elder Daoist smiled. "There are indeed those who defy the heavens. Wasn't Mr. Qin in the past a sage who defied the heavens? And what was the result? He met his end for the sake of one person."
"But the influence of what Mr. Qin did far surpasses mere immediate gains!" The younger Daoist argued with conviction. "Senior Brother, why did our Daoist sect remain inactive back then? We only secretly retrieved the Yin-Yang fish. Compared to Mr. Qin, our actions seem quite inadequate. Are we truly content with just cultivating non-action?"
"Alas..." The elder Daoist sighed. "The Daoist Ancestral Court has also undertaken many actions. However, the ancient sages in the Sea of Heavens are too numerous. If we were to truly defy the heavens, even the Daoist Ancestral Court might not escape ruin. It's not that we fear trouble... Our Daoist sect has never feared trouble, but we also don't wish to incur too much karma. If we cannot even save ourselves, how can we save others?"
The younger Daoist, half-understanding, asked, "Will Uncle-Master succeed this time? If not, then what?"
"What else?" The elder Daoist laughed. "Your Senior Brother is a Dao Sage officially recognized by heaven and earth. If Uncle-Master fails, I will personally descend to the mortal realm. In terms of combat prowess, I am no match for the God of War, but the God of Medicine, the God of Painting, the God of Calligraphy, the God of Wine, the God of Tea, and the Grand Master of the Mohists, all combined, are no match for your Senior Brother alone!"
The younger Daoist narrowed his eyes, gazing at the world beyond the jade pavilion, and smiled without speaking. His Senior Brother's greatest talent was undoubtedly his boasting.
...
Early morning, the Ghost Realm.
In the late autumn season, wisps of mist condensed into water droplets, trickling from the tips of leaves onto the grass, creating a pitter-patter sound like a light morning rain. Outside the woods, a Ghost Realm army was assembling. Countless ghouls, monstrous specters, and undead cavalry gathered. Behind them, towering Bloodweeping Giants beat drums, their thunderous beats signaling the army's departure.
Under Tan Xin's command, a vast army of over half a million Ghost Realm troops marched towards a forbidden ghost territory in the southwest.
In the sky, sixteen ghost cultivators of the Middle Five Realms stood upon the firmament, carrying a sedan chair adorned with red silk ribbons. At the bottom of the sedan chair was a coffin, and within it sat a stunningly beautiful maiden in a qipao – the twelfth-realm Ghost Realm Empress, Tan Xin. She reclined lazily in the sedan chair, gazing indifferently at everything in the Ghost Realm, her expression listless. Only when she looked at the distant figure of the National Teacher did a smile grace her lips.
On the ground, Ding Chunqiu and others rode their warhorses, marching with the army.
"The mission has appeared." Ding Chunqiu looked at the mission list, his brow furrowed. "Expedition to the Nine Nether Dragon Court, an SSS-level top-tier mission. If the expedition to the Nine Nether Dragon Court is successful, we'll all be living the high life. Master will truly become the co-lord of the Ghost Realm, and we'll all benefit greatly. In the Ghost Realm, the mountains are ruled by Master's ghost army, but below the mountains, it will be up to all of us evildoers to decide."
"Indeed," Qiu Qianren grinned. "After all, the boss is now the legitimate young lord, hehehehe~~~"
"Be wary of that Daoist, Qi Lian Dao," Ju Mo Zhi frowned. "This person is suspiciously attentive. From the moment he approached Old Ancestor, I suspected this scoundrel had ulterior motives. Later, as he gradually gained Old Ancestor's trust and even her heart, I became even more suspicious that Qi Lian Dao had his own agenda."
Ding Chunqiu's expression tensed slightly. "What do you mean? What do you think Qi Lian Dao is after?"
"That..." Ju Mo Zhi pondered. "I can't quite put my finger on it."
"What else could it be?" Qiu Qianren's thoughts were simpler. He chuckled, "It's nothing more than greed for fame and fortune. Before joining Old Ancestor, Qi Lian Dao was just a smelly Daoist, a veritable charlatan, a rat that everyone wanted to kill. Now, he's the National Teacher of our Ghost Realm, truly second only to one person. Even the Ghost Kings have to bow to Qi Lian Dao, let alone us. Wealth and status must be his primary goal. As for his second goal..." He grinned, lowering his voice to speak to Ding Chunqiu, "He wants to usurp your Master..."
"My rn-"
"What deeper meaning?" Cao Yan frowned. He was solely focused on refining swords and truly didn't know.
The great cultivator Ran Qing waved his hand gently. "What the old gentleman means is that Qi Lian Dao is plotting to possess the remains of the True Dragon's reflection?"
"Precisely. Ran Qing, you are indeed a clever one."
"But what does this have to do with our Neon Sky Realm?" Ran Qing narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Even if Qi Lian Dao succeeds in possession, he'll at most be a fourteenth-realm cultivator infinitely close to the fifteenth. Can he, on his own, overthrow our Neon Sky Realm?"
"Alas..." Old Daoist Wang shook his head. "Your intelligence is limited."
Instantly, Ran Qing felt a surge of anger, but he dared not express it.
The Demon Emperor smiled. "If the old gentleman has something to say, please speak frankly. We cultivators on the mountains of the Neon Sky Realm are direct people. There's no need to hide anything from us."
"Fine." The old Daoist struck the ground again with his walking staff. At once, centered on the mountaintop, visions of mountains and rivers rose around them, conjuring an image of a mortal realm. The old Daoist pointed his staff towards the Nine Nether Dragon Court in the Ghost Realm. "Once Qi Lian Dao obtains the remains of the True Dragon's reflection, he will inherit a large portion of the True Dragon's destiny and abilities. However, Qi Lian Dao is, after all, the previous Ghost Emperor. To possess the True Dragon's body with his Yin Spirit, he must infuse it with a massive amount of vital energy to balance the physical form."
As he spoke, he gently drew on the landscape of mountains and rivers with his staff, and lines emerged, like flowing streams, originating from the Neon Sky Realm, passing through the Demon Realm, and most recently flowing into the Ghost Realm. The old Daoist smiled, "The Yin-Yang currents of this realm are as you see them. As long as Qi Lian Dao remains in the Nine Nether Dragon Court, he can drain the vital energy of the Human, Demon, and Monster realms. By then... all three realms will become part of the Ghost Realm."
"What?!" A group of great cultivators from the Neon Sky Realm were stunned into silence.
The Demon Emperor gritted his teeth, turning back abruptly, and with a sweep of his hand, he probed the currents throughout the Neon Sky Realm. The next moment, the result left him dumbfounded. "When did the currents of our Neon Sky Realm change?!"
Everyone was speechless. To alter the Yin-Yang currents of an entire realm – what divine power was this?
...
The Ghost Realm.
A dark mountain range stretched for dozens of miles, resembling a colossal dragon lying dormant in the desolate wilderness. This place was barren, devoid of any life. Only the occasional ghost cultivators flying through the air served as proof of living beings.
In the wind, a bloody lotus seat emanated a bewitching glow. Standing upon the lotus seat was a level 141 Ghost Cultivator Mage, Ling Ren Fa Zhi. He was extremely infuriated, all thanks to Lin Zhao. If he hadn't been killed by him so many times, he might have already had the opportunity to reach level 150 and undergo his third rebirth. Truly detestable!
Just then, the sound of war drums rumbled from the earth, and a Ghost Realm army approached from the north.
Ling Ren Fa Zhi hurriedly lowered his body, landing on a mountain peak and concealing himself within the dark summit. After hiding himself, he turned and looked behind him. To his rear lay a long-dormant volcano. From above, it seemed as if a pair of golden eyes were staring intently at him. Those eyes were terrifying beyond measure!
"Ah?!" Ling Ren Fa Zhi's heart constricted. Immediately, a voice rang out—
"Ding!"
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