506: Chapter 516 All True Lords Gather!

"Who on earth is trying to harm me?"

Looking at the devastated Grotto-Heaven world, Taishu Yichen only felt a stifling weight in his chest.

Er, although he had caused all of this with his own hands, and although he had sacrificed the Grotto-Heaven's Origin to ensure his own safety, this deal was absolutely worth it in his mind.

But Qingwei Heaven was, after all, the foundation he had painstakingly cultivated; it was not only his private sanctuary for evading the Heavenly Dao, but in a sense, it also represented his own dao attainment.

The deeper the dao attainment, the stronger the Grotto-Heaven; and the more stable the Grotto-Heaven, the more confidence he had when facing the Heavenly Dao and those several Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

But now, having suffered this calamity, the Grotto-Heaven was severely damaged, and he feared it could no longer be hidden.

Sure enough, at this thought, Taishu Yichen seemed to sense something and abruptly raised his head, looking deep into the Void Realm.

Indeed, six gazes were already descending from an immeasurably distant height.

Those gazes were lofty and ethereal, yet heavy as mountains, each carrying the unique pressure of a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

They were precisely the Nascent Soul True Monarchs from the six great Grotto-Heavens who had been drawn by the commotion here.

The gaze of True Monarch Chiyan Yinglei from Zixiao Grotto-Heaven was filled with schadenfreude.

The gaze of Six Desires Heavenly Demon True Lord from the Six Desires Demonic Sect was thoughtful.

The Demon Lord Hunyuan of the Hunyuan Demon Cave maintained a posture of watching the fun and not minding if the trouble grew.

Meanwhile, the gaze of True Monarch Yuji Sitian of the Yujing Dao Court was as calm as an old well, like a pool of stagnant water from which nothing could be discerned.

One of them was the most magnificent, as majestic as the great sun in the sky, illuminating ten thousand miles.

There was no hostility in that gaze, but rather a detached, condescending scrutiny.

That was True Monarch Taixuan Huangshi of the Taixuan Immortal Sect, the person with the highest cultivation in the Xuanzhen Domain at present, possessing a cultivation of Nascent Soul Perfection!

It could be said that once the Heavenly Dao released its suppression, this person would be the most likely to become a Dao Venerable of Spirit Transformation.

Differing from True Monarch Taixuan Huangshi was the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord of the Soul Devouring Demonic Sect.

His gaze was cold and slimy, like a venomous snake, the greed in his eyes almost overflowing as he swept unashamedly over the now-dilapidated Qingwei Grotto-Heaven.

Sensing the emotions within, Taishu Yichen's eyelids twitched violently.

If it were in the past, he wouldn't have had to worry at all.

After all, death matches rarely occurred between Nascent Soul True Monarchs; if they went all out, they would also consume their own Origin.

This kind of "killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of one's own" was something almost no one would do unless they were irreconcilable enemies.

Furthermore, with the Grotto-Heaven's isolation, as long as the true body didn't descend, he didn't fear the other party prying into his true state.

But now, the barriers of the Qingwei Heaven Grotto-Heaven were shattered, and its dao rhyme was leaking out.

Like a defenseless courtesan after getting drunk, with her clothes half-undone and her hair in disarray, anyone could catch a glimpse of her charms.

His weakened state was almost nakedly exposed under those six gazes.

If someone wanted to strike now, it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Just as Taishu Yichen raised his vigilance to the maximum, prepared to respond to any potential attack at any moment.

One of the gazes began to materialize.

The Qi of the Great Sun descended from the Void Realm, condensing into a figure above Qingwei Heaven.

The man was dressed in a moon-white Daoist robe, with hair as white as snow and an ancient face; his eyes were like stars that had weathered ten thousand years of wind and frost.

It was indeed True Monarch Taixuan Huangshi of the Taixuan Immortal Sect.

Following closely behind were the six phantoms of Zixiao, Six Desires, Hunyuan, Soul-Devouring, and Yujing, descending simultaneously.

Six distinct Law auras intertwined and collided above Qingwei Heaven, causing the Void Realm to tremble and the spiritual energy to become chaotic.

The Disciples who had luckily survived trembled under this pressure, and none dared to look up and face the phantoms of the True Lords.

In their current state, anyone who looked would truly explode.

True Monarch Taixuan Huangshi stood in the Void Realm with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the devastated Grotto-Heaven, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

Then he spoke first, his tone very flat.

"True Lord Qingxu, what happened here?"

Hearing that it was True Monarch Taixuan Huangshi asking, Taishu Yichen did not dare to be negligent.

Although they were all fellow practitioners and addressed each other as Fellow Daoists.

But anyone who was aware knew how vast the gap was between a Nascent Soul Perfection and him at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.

To put it bluntly, even at his peak, he wouldn't dare to provoke this person, let alone now when he was in his weakest period.

Otherwise, why would the arrogant and overbearing Demonic Path have been suppressed for so many years!

So, when True Monarch Taixuan Huangshi asked, Taishu Yichen recounted the entire sequence of events.

From the initial whim to the abrupt eruption of the Omen of Heaven's Abandonment within his body, followed by his discovery that his own Laws were being severed by the Heavenly Dao, forcing him to use Medicinal Pills for self-preservation, and finally using the Grotto-Heaven's Origin to sustain his life.

Taishu Yichen did not hide anything, nor did he embellish; he simply stated the facts calmly.

But after the six heard this, they all fell somewhat silent.

Those who didn't know better would think they were listening to a fairy tale.

What did "the Omen of Heaven's Abandonment abruptly descending" mean?

At their level, they naturally knew what the Omen of Heaven's Abandonment was.

They were even more aware of what kind of consequences it would bring.

But precisely because they knew, they found it hard to believe.

Because there was only one possibility to trigger such an omen, and that was a Breakthrough in Realm.

But you, Taishu Yichen, have been a Nascent Soul True Monarch for nearly ten thousand years; how on earth did you provoke the descent of a tribulation?

Could it be that this fellow had been quietly working hard to break through the Nascent Soul Late Stage Bottleneck, only to provoke the sanctions of the Heavenly Dao?

Although there is a stage called "Nascent Soul Transformation" during a Breakthrough, no one had ever heard of having to undergo a tribulation to break through a minor Realm.

Therefore, the True Lord of Zixiao Grotto-Heaven was the first to ask a key question.

"The Omen of Heaven's Abandonment... are you sure it was a tribulation personally sent down by the Heavenly Dao?"

"Uh..."

Taishu Yichen was stumped by this question.

In truth, he didn't know who was trying to harm him either.

But theoretically speaking, the Heavenly Dao didn't have the capability, nor did it have a reason to suddenly act against him.

But besides the Heavenly Dao, who else could have such means and ability...

Taishu Yichen's gaze subconsciously swept across the phantoms before him, finally resting on a figure dressed in dragon robes with an incomparably majestic aura.

"True Monarch Yuji Sitian" of the Yujing Dao Court stood in the Void Realm.

His face was like polished jade, his brows like distant mountains, and his tiger-like eyes were slightly lowered.

The five-clawed golden dragons embroidered on his dragon robes swam slowly in the spiritual light.

Sensing Taishu Yichen's gaze, his eyelids twitched, but in the end, he said nothing.

There was no anger, nor any defense.

It wasn't that he was guilty; it was just that True Monarch Yuji Sitian was too tired to explain anymore.

Ever since the Dao Court Edict appeared and tore a hole in the Secret Realm, the old fellows from the six great Grotto-Heavens had been sticking to him like poultices, asking about everything.

Clearly, they had attributed the matter of the Secret Realm to the Yujing Dao Court.

Although the Yujing Dao Court had been strenuously denying that the matter had anything to do with them from the very beginning...

...few believed them. Thus, over time, he had gradually lost his patience, and now he couldn't even be bothered to waste his breath.

Let them suspect if they wanted; anyway, no one could do anything to him.

However, True Monarch Yuji Sitian still had a knot in his heart.

He had been pondering who exactly was responsible for the Secret Realm incident.

Could it be Zhongli Yuan? Heh, that fool didn't have the guts.

Moreover, it was highly likely that something had happened inside, and the Edict Jade Talisman he had left him was intercepted by someone else.

But the problem was that the jade talisman could only be activated by a Cultivator who practiced the Dao Court system or had a sufficiently high cultivation.

It wasn't something just anyone could pick up and use.

But who could it be?

True Monarch Yuji Sitian was reflecting here, but this appearance seemed somewhat guilty in Taishu Yichen's eyes.

Seeing this, Taishu Yichen's brow arched.

Could there really be something going on? Had he stumbled upon the truth by accident?

However, the other six did not find it strange either.

Anyway, they were already used to him playing dead when he couldn't defend himself.

And indeed, there was nothing they could do to him.

But that was their previous thought.

Although the Secret Realm incident had involved the Heavenly Dao, it wasn't a major issue in the end; even if the Yujing Dao Court had done it, they would have just turned a blind eye.

But this time was somewhat different.

Looking at the devastated scene of Qingwei Heaven and then at Taishu Yichen, whose dao attainment was severely damaged, everyone's gazes became somewhat strange.

If this matter really wasn't the work of the Heavenly Dao, then it was man-made, which was even more terrifying!

If such means could be used against True Lord Qingxu today, could they be used against them tomorrow?

Thus, as the atmosphere became somewhat heavy, Six Desires Heavenly Demon True Lord suddenly spoke.

"Speaking of which, have you found out who that fellow was who tore through the barriers and triggered the Heavenly Tribulation in the Secret Realm?"

His tone was nonchalant, but both his expression and his words were full of hidden implications.

Clearly, he wanted to pin the blame for the Qingwei Grotto-Heaven incident directly on True Monarch Yuji Sitian.

"Hehe, that person certainly has some guts, but how could a Nascent Soul be so easy to break through!"

"With such recklessness, he was likely in a hurry to break through before his dao foundation was stable, only to end up with his dao extinguished."

Six Desires Heavenly Demon True Lord's scheme to sow discord was all too obvious, but that didn't stop it from being an overt ploy.

As long as the seeds of suspicion were sown, it would more or less affect the Alliance relationship between those great Grotto-Heavens.

After all, the great Grotto-Heavens had always been closely linked, while the three demonic Grotto-Heavens had always been suppressed, which made the Hunyuan Demon Ancestor somewhat unhappy.

Having an opportunity to kick someone while they were down, he naturally wouldn't let it pass.

Since he had nothing to lose anyway, the Demon Lord Hunyuan followed suit and chimed in.

After finishing, the Demon Lord Hunyuan also turned to look at the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord, signaling with his eyes for him to say a few words as well.

As a result, the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord only gave him a cold look and said nothing, leaving the other man completely bewildered.

At this moment, the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's expression was extremely ugly.

A bunch of fools—what did they want him to say? Curse his own incompetence?

He remembered everything his descent body had experienced in the Secret Realm.

He, a dignified Nascent Soul Late Stage Great True Lord, using a descent body to take the opportunity to break through to Nascent Soul, had actually failed!

If word of this got out, it would be a laughingstock.

And yet these two fools had to bring up exactly what he didn't want to talk about, insisting on making an issue of it; wasn't that just stabbing him in the heart?

So he had no intention of responding and chose silence.

Although the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord didn't speak, the words of the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Lord and the Demon Lord Hunyuan still reached the ears of the others.

Regardless of how the others were, True Monarch Taixuan Huangshi was thinking about something else.

Usually, things were peaceful and without ripples.

But recently, there had been a series of incidents, and the targets were both Yujing and Qingwei.

It could be said that two parties of the Righteous Path had been hit one after another; Qingwei Heaven was even more directly crippled this time, and Taishu Yichen had almost been lost as well.

He subconsciously cast his gaze upon the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord and the others.

Could it be that these factions were secretly plotting to take the opportunity to weaken the strength of the Righteous Path?

Hmm, it seemed not entirely impossible.

They had the strength and the motive!

This time, they even jumped out directly, inducing them to suspect the Yujing Dao Court and wanting them to engage in internal strife.

Hmph, the Demonic Path is the Demonic Path; their intentions are truly nefarious!

Thinking this way, True Monarch Taixuan Huangshi's gaze toward the several Demonic Path True Lords became somewhat unfriendly.

This immediately caused the already displeased Soul-Devouring Demon Lord to bristle.

"Old ghost Taixuan, what are you looking at? Are you suspecting me?!"

True Monarch Taixuan Huangshi did not speak, maintaining a consistent cold shoulder.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord sneered: "If I had the ability to cripple Qingwei Heaven, the first one I'd hit would be your Taixuan Immortal Sect."

He said this with full confidence because it truly wasn't his doing.

The Secret Realm was indeed a mess he had created, and the Dao Court was indeed framed by him.

But this damn Omen of Heaven's Abandonment really wasn't his work.

However, after this interruption, the Righteous Path also shifted its attention to the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord.

And on the Demonic Path's side, because the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord hadn't cooperated just now, those two also turned a blind eye to it.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the arena was very strange, with several gazes clashing in the Void Realm, filled with suspicion and mutual probing.

Just then, however, a light suddenly lit up in the eastern sky, piercing through the clouds and soaring straight into the Nine Heavens.

Its momentum was so grand that it even affected the boundary wall between the Inner and Outer Domains and reached the Inner Domain Grotto-Heavens, instantly drawing the attention of the several people.

Centered around the pillar of light, the earth for ten thousand miles around began to vibrate, and golden light gushed out from the cracks in the ground, turning into golden lotuses blooming in the Void Realm.

The petals were layered, each engraved with mysterious dao patterns, emitting an intoxicating fragrance.

These golden lotuses rose from the ground to mid-air, to the clouds, and up to the Nine Heavens, reflecting the entire sky in a wash of gold.

Then, nectar fell from the sky—it wasn't rain, but droplets condensed from Spiritual Qi, drifting down from the heavens.

Each drop of nectar contained pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi; falling on withered wood, it brought forth spring.

Falling on barren land, it gave birth to flowers.

Falling on Cultivators, old wounds healed and hidden ailments vanished.

Countless Cultivators stood dazed at this moment, reaching out to catch the falling nectar, feeling the surge of magic power within them, and all laughed excitedly toward the heavens.

That was a gift from heaven and earth, a feedback given by the Heavenly Dao to this world when a Nascent Soul True Monarch breaks through.

However, the phenomena had not yet ended.

At this moment, phantoms of a Dragon and Phoenix suddenly circled within the pillar of light.

The phantoms of the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise appeared simultaneously, guarding a blurred figure in the center of the pillar of light.

Accompanied by the Black and Yellow Qi descending from the Nine Heavens like a giant waterfall, the figure was enveloped within.

The figure in the pillar of light became clearer and more solid.

Finally, the figure of a young and handsome, even extraordinary, Daoist appeared.

Without any apparent movement, with just a wave of his hand, the pillar of light dispersed.

As the last wisp of Black and Yellow Qi merged into his body, the four phantoms let out a long cry toward the heavens and dissipated into streams of light, and the world returned to silence.

True Monarch Taixuan Huangshi stood in the Void Realm, looking at the now-dissipated pillar of light, and remained silent for a long time.

"It seems we are to have one more Fellow Daoist."

After a long while, he finally spoke slowly.

Although his tone was gentle, his gaze was extremely cold.