Make the Immortal Sect Great Again

A second later, Daoist Master Xuanxiao Yingyuan did not hesitate in the slightest. Acting purely on instinct, he raised his hand and struck at the multicolored light beside him.

"Danyang, do not blame me."

This was a time-honored tradition of the Immortal Gate: if you are well and I am well, then everyone is truly well. If you are well and I am not, then no one gets to be well!

Rumble!

In an instant, the mighty power of a True Person that had been forcefully anchoring the fading Heavenly Frost Cave Abode to the mortal realm completely vanished.

Forced to single-handedly fend off both Daoist Master Xuanxiao Yingyuan and Arhat Shengle, Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang no longer had the strength to interfere with the broader situation inside the Eight Trigrams Furnace. The outcome appeared set—at the very least, upon seeing this, Xianfu's expression visibly relaxed.

Meanwhile, in the Cosmic Deep Space.

"Well done!"

Tianxing had completely lost his composure, clapping vigorously for Xianfu. If he were inside the Eight Trigrams Furnace, he probably would have rushed up to kiss him.

"Great Shun has fallen!"

With the fall of Great Shun, even if Dashun Taizu could cling to life, his associated karmic endeavor—the return of the human Nether Earth to the natural order of heaven and earth—would inevitably shatter!

No one could stop it!

Tianxing looked out and saw that as Great Shun's national destiny shifted, a boundlessly vast energy ripple was spreading outward from the Eight Trigrams Furnace into the Cosmos.

It was a stream of qi.

The Mid-Heaven Orthodox Origin Blended Harmony Qi.

The human Nether Earth.

The qi of heaven and earth's former disharmony now entirely retreated behind the scenes, reproducing the imagery of Matchmaking between heaven and earth. Wherever it passed, the pure and impure clearly separated, coalescing to birth all things.

This transformation was not confined to the Eight Trigrams Furnace or the Cosmic Deep Space. Across countless star worlds, every spiritual material, cultivator, and even magic power, Divine Power, and destiny form associated with this primal qi of heaven and earth—an entire orthodox lineage—underwent a drastic upheaval because of this shift!

Tianxing danced with joy at the sight. "Excellent, excellent! Earth Yang Fire has been eradicated, the Mid-Heaven Orthodox Origin Blended Harmony Qi is now returning to the human position, and the involved True Persons are keeping each other in check."

"This is the very moment for me to attain the true Dao!"

Before his voice even faded, Tianxing prepared to leap out and open everyone's eyes to his greatness.

Then Mingyou grabbed his sleeve, violently yanking him back. A backhanded strike of heavenly light smashed down, sobering him up a bit.

"Calm down."

Mingyou said steadily, "The destruction of Earth Yang Fire and the return of the human Nether Earth are already set in stone. They are not going anywhere. Why are you in such a rush to get involved?"

"Makes sense!"

"Don't worry, I'll listen to you."

Tianxing nodded immediately without another word. His admiration for Mingyou flowed endlessly like a surging river. Was this what it meant to follow the will of heaven?

From beginning to end, he had not actually done much. He had merely followed Mingyou's pointers, providing a tiny bit of insignificant help in insignificant places.

And yet, everything had fallen into place!

Thinking of this, Tianxing patted Mingyou's shoulder, laughing loudly. "That's my Mingyou! Nobody has a belly full of dirty schemes quite like you!"

Mingyou shot Tianxing a sidelong glance.

"What the hell do you know? What 'dirty schemes'? This is called micromanagement. It's Dao attainment! If I didn't have at least this much skill, how do you think I survived until today?"

"Ah, right, right, right..."

Tianxing nodded again, completely agreeing.

Mingyou, however, had no interest in paying him any more attention. Instead, he turned his gaze back toward Wang Ping. 'I'm afraid the situation isn't that optimistic yet,' he thought.

He understood Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang.

A True Person capable of single-handedly forging Dao Proving Mountain, ranking it among the ten great Grotto-Heavens, and collecting a qi destiny tax from the entire Immortal Gate—his methods could not possibly end here.

'The return of the human Nether Earth benefits me too, though the eradication of Earth Yang Fire is a slight loss... But whatever. I've already shifted my focus to the Martial Dao anyway. No matter what the True Person does next, Wang Ping at least cannot die. If he dies, the Martial Dao inheritance will be destroyed, and I'll definitely be screwed.'

Just then.

Rumble!

Suddenly, a heaven-shaking explosion shattered the quiet. The various True Persons and the arhat who had been keeping each other in check stopped their fighting and once again lowered their eyes to the mortal realm.

"This is... hmm?"

"Danyang, is this your doing?"

"Well done!"

Down below, alongside the Heavenly Craft Cave Abode and the Heavenly Frost Cave Abode, a third bright arc of light had suddenly manifested. It was actually a third Great Rebellion heavenly abode!

Looking over, Wang Ping saw a towering cave abode gradually coming into focus within the arc of light. It propped up the sky and braced the earth, surging with an intense intent of immortality. Merely looking at it seemed to increase his lifespan by the time it took for an incense stick or two to burn. This instantly made him realize the root of this qi.

It was Earth Yang Wood, the Heavenly Pillar Immortal-Bearing Undecaying Qi.

Yang wood rooted in the earth served as beams and pillars. It was the flourishing timber of the ground, the structural wood of the mortal realm. When used to bear the Immortal Dao, it was like installing a pillar within a wall—possessing the profound marvel of preserving life and extending years!

"How is this possible..."

This sudden change instantly drew Xianfu's gaze, his expression shaking with shock.

Wang Ping, on the other hand, quickly recovered from his own astonishment. He let out a sigh and looked down at the Magical Treasure in his hands.

The Water-Fire Striking Profound Maces.

This very item fell precisely under the governance of Earth Yang Wood!

At the same time, from within that slowly materializing third heavenly abode—the Heavenly Pillar Cave Abode—a blurry figure strolled out at a leisurely pace.

Crack!

A second later, the blurred figure shattered. It had not actually entered the Eight Trigrams Furnace. Wang Ping saw it clearly—it was that strand of the True Person's will.

The very same one that had been trapped inside the Heavenly Frost Cave Abode!

So that was it! Although he had been trapped in the Heavenly Frost Cave Abode, he never intended to facilitate its manifestation in the world at all. Instead, he had poured all his efforts into breaking open the third heavenly abode!

The Heavenly Frost Cave Abode was merely a springboard, a smokescreen.

His true target was the Heavenly Pillar Cave Abode, and the medium was the Water-Fire Striking Profound Maces in Wang Ping's hands. As for the reason behind choosing this particular heavenly abode...

Realizing this, Wang Ping snapped his head up.

He saw that Daoist Master Xuanxiao Yingyuan and Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang, who had just been locked in combat, were now standing together again, as close as brothers.

'That's it. That's the reason!'

The Heavenly Pillar Cave Abode corresponded to Earth Yang Wood. If Earth Yang Wood returned, then the Wood Qi orthodox lineage could continue without needing Xianfu or his human-yang wood!

That was why Daoist Master Xuanxiao Yingyuan had changed his stance again.

Clearly, if the Heavenly Pillar Cave Abode truly managed to manifest smoothly and bring about the return of Earth Yang Wood, he would completely ignore whether Xianfu lived or died!

'So, early on, when he took this item out and handed it to me, he had actually already considered the possibility of Xianfu taking on the Great Rebellion identity from me...'

'Danyang's hidden hand... was Xianfu!?'

"...Impossible."

On the other side, though Xianfu maintained his composure, his face had visibly paled. He clearly hadn't anticipated this twist.

In truth, even Daoist Master Xuanxiao Yingyuan was deeply surprised by this. He even shot a somewhat complaining look at Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang. 'You of Biyang's, why didn't you pull this trump card out earlier? Making me fight you for nothing—were you trying to test our bond?'

'As if our bond could withstand testing!'

'Honestly, it hurts our harmony too much!'

A second later, the twenty-four-colored radiant light shuddered. Yet Danyang did not look at Xianfu, nor did he look at Wang Ping. Instead, he pointed directly at the deeply concealed Water Qi.

'Impossible?'

There was no such thing as impossible. He truly had not expected Wang Ping's Water Qi Divine Power to allow a triple evasion, since that was a Divine Power tailor-made by a True Monarch.

But the issue with Xianfu was not hard to guess.

Daoist Master Xuanxiao Yingyuan was an ancient cultivator who had not been awake for long, but Danyang had personally lived through the era of the Great Rebellion and was extremely proficient at using the false to cultivate the true.

Thus, he knew better than anyone:

Between heaven and earth, outstanding talents always emerged in endless streams. Generation after generation of immortal cultivators—how could anyone who reached the rank of third True Transmission not be wholly devoted to the Immortal Dao? How could they willingly submit to remaining beneath others?

Ever since he learned of Daoist Master Xuanxiao Yingyuan's absolute control over Xianfu, and that Xianfu cultivated human-yang wood—the Profound Firmament Governance-Bestowing Talisman-Wielding Qi—he had been absolutely certain that Xianfu would defect. The only question was what method he would use. With that foundation established, everything else was simple.

He only needed to put himself in Xianfu's shoes.

Imagine what would best expand his stature, elevate his imperial qi, and benefit his cultivation, and the answer became effortlessly clear.

"Nothing other than the Great Rebellion!"

That was exactly why the Water-Fire Striking Profound Maces existed, and why this layer of preparation had been made.

In fact, even if the Water Qi True Monarch had not intervened, Danyang would have secretly assisted. He would have turned Xianfu into a backup piece bearing the Great Rebellion identity, held in reserve just in case.

After all, Wang Ping vehemently rejected the Great Rebellion identity, and Danyang had lost the Immortal Decree needed to directly interfere with the Eight Trigrams Furnace. Heaven only knew what kind of chaos might break out. Therefore, he had to prepare a substitute in advance—someone who could bear the intent of the Great Rebellion at the critical moment, preventing a total loss of the board just because Wang Ping folded...

It was just as he had told Daoist Master Xuanxiao Yingyuan earlier: "When using the false to cultivate the true and laying out schemes in the mortal world, how can one fixate on the victory or defeat of a single piece? If this piece loses, you simply find a way to win it back with another."

The twenty-four-colored radiant light flared brilliantly.

"My Lord, how is this piece of mine?"

Pivoting his attack to Earth Yang Wood to trigger the Heavenly Pillar Cave Abode, manipulating Xuanxiao back into an alliance with him to slay Xianfu—he could still destroy the Great Rebellion intent just the same.

In fact, it was even easier!

Compared to that, the Water Qi True Monarch secretly guiding Xianfu and helping him receive the identity and karmic endeavor of the Great Rebellion had merely ended up doing all the hard work for Danyang's benefit!

As Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang's voice faded, he saw that the surging Water Qi flowing with a murky luster offered no response. Instead, it sank deeper into the shadows. He immediately let out a loud laugh. This was not because he believed he had won a piece against the other party, but because he was absolutely certain that since the other remained silent, there must be an even more exquisite scheme waiting!

"Good, good, good!"

In this moment, Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang felt a long-lost thrill of excitement rise within him. Since he had attained the Dao through cultivation, how many years had it been since he had felt such an emotion?

What kind of hidden hand would the Supreme True Lord play?

Would he be able to counter it?

Could these mortal falsehoods, these ant-like lowly cultivators, still exceed his expectations?

At this thought, this True Person of the Immortal Gate felt not a single shred of anxiety for his future path or the current overarching situation. Instead, he laughed out loud: "Battling wits with others truly is an endless joy!"

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