The tremors on Ten Karma Mountain reverberated throughout the realm. In front of the great hall, chaos erupted.
“What are you trying to do? My magnetic holy light counters the five elements. If you fight me, you’ll have no strength left for others!” Yuan Ang shouted.
“Did you think about me standing behind her when you hit my sister? Die!!!” Mu Zhan Ting roared back.
According to Nan Yan, her brother wasn’t exceptionally powerful, but in terms of ferocity and recklessness, you couldn’t find his equal across all the States.
Nan Yan looked up to see flames and magnetic light flying everywhere, curses and wails intermingling. In an instant, red and white blurred together in a horrific scene.
At one point, Mu Zhan Ting’s flame spear went astray, hitting the plaque above the Mountain Sea Hall. Yuan Ang seized the opportunity to retreat, darting into the hall with Mu Zhan Ting in hot pursuit.
Just then, the hall began to shake violently again, as if a fierce battle was raging inside. The stone skin of the plaque cracked, revealing blood-colored engravings beneath.
“…Feng Mo Hall,” someone read aloud before turning sharply to Mo Xing Zheng.
“Mo Xing Zheng, doesn’t your Dao Sheng Tian have any explanation?!”
“YeAh the statue on Ten Karma Mountain is clearly of your Dao Zun. What exactly is Dao Sheng Tian planning?”
A subtle sense of panic spread as Mo Xing Zheng remained silent. Understanding the situation clearly, he addressed the confused and suspicious cultivators:
“I can’t explain the strange occurrences in this realm. Ten Karma Mountain keeps shaking; if it collapses, we’re all in danger. Fellow Daoists, please join me in activating the jade rings to return to Dao Sheng Tian for answers.”
The situation on Ten Karma Mountain was indeed perilous. As people hesitated, a furious shout came from inside Feng Mo Hall:
“We can’t return to Dao Sheng Tian! They know we’ve seen Dao Zun’s connection to this place. They’ll silence us for sure!”
The crowd exploded: “Mo Xing Zheng! Explain yourself, or we’ll kill you and search your soul!”
“Yes, kill him and search his soul! He must know the truth!”
However, some righteous cultivators who had arrived late, especially Prince Zhen Heng from Nan Yan’s Mao State, tried to mediate: “Everyone, calm down. Let’s first ask Brother Mo and the others what they saw in the hall.”
As Mo Xing Zheng hesitated, Ten Karma Mountain shook violently for the third time. The cultivators who had chased after Nan Yan’s primordial essence into Feng Mo Hall suddenly fled in panic, some already activating their jade rings.
“What happened?”
“Run! There’s a monster inside!!!!”
As the speaker burst out of the hall, white chains like snakes flew from behind, wrapping around his head. With one pull, his neck snapped, and the corpse was dragged back inside.
…A chilling chewing sound echoed from the darkness.
Everyone’s hearts raced. After the chewing, there was a series of clanging noises. Then, two pale, jade-green hands reached out from the hall, grasping at the air before clutching the doorframe. An old man’s giant face filled the entire doorway.
Mo Xing Zheng’s pupils constricted: “Dao Zun—”
The face was indeed the Dao Zun statue Nan Yan had seen inside the Demon Lord statue. Now, his eyes burned with ghostly green fire, his expression cycling through joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure. As his eyes rolled, they fixed on Nan Yan through the crowd.
Instantly, Dao Zun’s expression froze in “joy,” as if he’d spotted an irresistible meal. He seemed about to break free.
But suddenly, chaotic light flashed behind him. Nan Yan heard Mu Zhan Ting’s Pan Ya Heavenly Fire explode, followed by a clear shout from within:
“Dao Sky Heart Technique: Soaring to the Stars.”
In a flash, cloud light enveloped the doorway, forcefully blocking Dao Zun’s advance toward Nan Yan.
“Ah Yan, go!”
Recognizing Ji Yang’s voice, Nan Yan realized this likely involved the Reverse Cycle Mirror. She nodded hastily, said a quick word to the Mao State people, and leaped onto Song Zhu’s flying sword to escape Ten Karma Mountain.
Looking back after flying out of the hall’s range, she saw Mo Xing Zheng rushing towards the Dao Zun statue. As he raised his sword, several seals around his body dispersed, releasing a Nascent Soul stage aura.
“Dao Sky Heart Technique: Cosmic Chant.”
The two Dao Sky Heart Techniques combined, and the thick clouds in the sky seemed to respond, forming a yin-yang Dao seal.
Among the retreating crowd, someone asked, “The Dao Sky Heart Technique is never taught outside direct disciples. Who’s inside?”
No one answered, but most had a vague guess.
Ten Karma Mountain was in chaos, with ghosts flying everywhere. However, these ghosts didn’t hinder them, also fleeing for their lives as the giant Dao Zun peak began absorbing all the souls.
“…It’s the same in the Lower Spring Ghost Abyss of my Wei State. Every few years, there’s such an upheaval, but I don’t know how the master deals with them.”
Sword cultivators were the fastest among all practitioners. The scenery on both sides retreated rapidly, with powerful fleeing ghosts occasionally brushing past. Soon, they saw the city wall pressing on Ten Karma Mountain’s waist.
Just as they were about to cross the wall into demon territory, Song Zhu suddenly frowned, clutching his chest. “This is bad,” he muttered.
“What’s wrong?” Nan Yan asked.
“Venerable, do you feel your Dao heart affected by Dao Zun’s statue?” Song Zhu inquired.
Although weakened from her soul blood loss, Nan Yan concentrated and shook her head. “My Dao’s heart is fine. What’s troubling you, Fellow Daoist Song?”
“Though Dao Zun’s statue has fallen to the ghostly demonic path, it still has Dao Zun’s foundation. Its every move can summon the Great Dao. The paths that Mo Xing Zheng and I cultivate are within Dao Sheng Tian’s prescribed Great Daos. I fear we may not be able to suppress our cultivation and might directly form Nascent Souls.”
Only those below the Nascent Soul stage could enter the Mountain Sea Forbidden State. Forming a Nascent Soul inside was too dangerous; success or failure would result in automatic expulsion.
Knowing they had suppressed their cultivation for over a decade for this opportunity, Nan Yan said, “I want to wait for someone. We can’t return to Dao Sheng Tian yet.”
Song Zhu, struggling himself, replied, “You might not be able to face these dangers alone.”
“It’s alright. I have this,” Nan Yan said, taking out the Vermilion Bird Sky-Crying Dress from her storage ring. The warmth of the phoenix gold thread slightly revived her spirit. “I know my background will likely cause trouble. I didn’t want to burden others, but with so many eyes watching, exposure seemed imminent. If necessary, I’ll teleport back. If possible, please return to Dao Sheng Tian first and inform Elder Jian Xiong of everything. If anything happens, ask him to come for us?”
Her expression was extremely complex as she spoke. Seeing her take out a wedding dress, Song Zhu suddenly became nervous, misunderstanding the situation: “Ah? Are you ready to meet my master? I’m not prepared.”
Thinking of Southern Fragrant Lord’s matter, Nan Yan sighed, “I do have something important to tell him. It might be abrupt, but I don’t know if you—”
Song Zhu gasped, almost losing control of his sword: “Venerable, have you… decided?”
Knowing Dao Sheng Tian wouldn’t let go of her Buddha-bone Zen heart, Nan Yan only thought of seeking Meng Xiao Lou’s help to send her back to Fan State to find her sealed birth father. She said, “I might have a troublesome brother to trouble your sect with. Is that a problem?”
…She want to bring her family too?
“No… no problem. More people are… appropriate,” Song Zhu nodded like a pecking chick, his mind in chaos. “Then I’ll… go report to my master first?”
“Mm, just drop me off near the eastern demon territory.”
After landing in a secluded spot, Nan Yan, having regained some strength, watched Song Zhu teleport away, looking back repeatedly.
Given the current situation, the worst possibility was Dao Zun’s statue awakening and fully wielding the true Mountain River Sea Crown—or rather, the Feng Mo Tian Prison Lord Imperial Crown—to send all the evil ghosts from Ten Karma Mountain after her and the Reverse Cycle Mirror.
She couldn’t teleport back to Dao Sheng Tian either. Due to her soul blood loss, her Buddha-bone Zen heart was continuously repairing her soul power. Appearing in Dao Sheng Tian, filled with Nascent Soul cultivators, would quickly expose her.
Nan Yan punched a nearby dead tree, feeling more powerless now that she knew everything.
—Past grudges left no room for resolution; it was simply the way of victors and losers.
As she calmed herself, a powerful demonic aura approached rapidly from afar. Beast roars echoed through the dense forest, suggesting an ongoing battle.
Unable to run far, Nan Yan released her bloodbees to scout the demon tribe. Soon, the roars ceased, and the bees led seven or eight majestic, lion-like beasts with golden wings toward her.
…What a terrifying aura.
Nan Yan sensed a strong demonic aura similar to the Silver Moth Queen’s, but much more powerful—a true Nascent Soul level presence at its peak.
“I hear you’re a descendant of the Chongming Bird clan?” The central, golden-glowing lion approached her majestically. “I am the Golden-winged Xuan Cang Hou, lord of the Western Calamity Sea. Come onto my back.”
Nan Yan had an ominous feeling: “May I ask what this is about, senior?”
The great lion shook its shimmering golden mane proudly: “I heard the Nine-colored Deer has been looking for a mate to continue your bloodline. Since you can’t find one yourself, come with me to the demon territory to awaken your demon bloodline. You’ll choose a royal Hou clan member as your mate. We must leave behind offspring before Ten Karma Mountain collapses.”
Nan Yan: “???”