The world was shaken.
After ascending to the Imperial Realm, this individual had not rested for a moment.
First, they went to the entrance of the forbidden Liuxian Clan to intercept Lotus Birth Mother.
Then, they recaptured the Supreme Demonic Sect.
Now, after only a few days of rest, they had once again ventured alone to the Shaolin Temple, killing the abbot and vanquishing the Buddha. Even a living Arhat could not do anything to him.
This person was already a peerless prodigy, and now, as the Human King Sword Master, it was truly adding splendor to brocade, enough to roam the world unimpeded.
But soon, everyone learned the reason for this person's assault on Shaolin. The war between the righteous and demonic factions, what did it have to do with Shaolin? Yet, they used the Book of Changes for divination.
Of course, this person's intentions were also clear. Currently, if I cannot move the Five Great Sacred Lands, can I not move Shaolin Temple and Longhu Mountain?
This is personal grievance.
Many people predicted Chen Jiuyang's next move, with winds gathering and converging, heading to the Taoist Longhu Mountain to await a grand spectacle.
Taoism had many branches and lineages, but since ancient times, Longhu Mountain had been its core, and the position of Heavenly Master was always at the Taoist Longhu Mountain.
The current Heavenly Master of Longhu Mountain was an ancient reincarnated Old Heavenly Master, with the Taoist name 'Faqian'!
He appeared to be in his teens, a handsome and elegant young man, clad in ancient and beautiful Heavenly Master robes. Within the main hall, there were many highly cultivated Taoist priests.
In the past, the end of the Dharma era descended upon the Dragon Kingdom. After signing the Immortal-Mortal Covenant, the legitimate Heavenly Master lineage sought out the Immortal Alliance and made a deal, hoping to perform a secret technique to enter the cycle of reincarnation and return when the great era revived.
Upon hearing the news of Chen Jiuyang's attack on Shaolin Temple, the entire Longhu Mountain was in a state of solemnity.
The geographical location of Longhu Mountain and Shaolin Temple was somewhat awkward. It was not to the west or north, but precisely within the edge of the demonic forces' territory.
The first and second battlefronts of the righteous-demonic war were ahead, while they were in the rear. Even the hands of the Five Great Sacred Lands could not reach this far.
In these years, without Chen Jiuyang's permission, the demonic forces had also not harassed them.
"Heavenly Master, many people have arrived near Tianshan," a Taoist priest reported.
Everyone knew that person would come to Longhu Mountain, and many had come to watch the excitement.
Would Longhu Mountain, like a monkey or a dragon, engage in a fierce battle with that person, or would it be abused and slaughtered like a monkey?
'Faqian' frowned upon hearing this, "Presumptuous!"
"If that impudent Qianyang dares to come to my Longhu Mountain, I will surely unleash the Heavenly Master's technique and annihilate him!"
The expressions of the people varied. Most of them were old Taoist priests who had reincarnated with 'Faqian'. Only a small portion were current prodigies who had ascended and could attend this council.
Longhu Mountain had sought the Immortal Alliance's help in the past. Now, the Immortal Alliance was asking them to deal with the demonic path, and now the demonic Chen Jiuyang had ascended to the Imperial Realm and was coming to trouble Longhu Mountain.
Truly, karma cycles, and no one could escape.
And this trouble fell squarely upon the Heavenly Master 'Faqian'. Only he had pushed the Taoist magic to its extreme, possessing the ability to seek and divine. They, at most, could infer through his karma.
'Faqian' said, "Issue an order, set up the great formation. If the demonic lord Qianyang comes here, let him perish here, so that the world may know that no one can bully the Taoist Longhu Mountain."
If the military path was for warriors to temper themselves to their peak and borrow the power of heaven and earth, then the Immortal path of the Heavenly Master lineage was precisely the same.
This was 'Faqian's' confidence and assurance.
Those who had not walked this path to its peak could not achieve this at all.
"Yes, Heavenly Master," everyone cupped their hands in salute.
...
In the mountain forest.
Chen Jiuyang stood in a state of Myriad Forms Unification, with Taoist rhymes flowing at all times. After stepping into the Imperial Path, he could control his state.
The furnace connecting to the Celestial Staircase could be controlled and activated at will. The God of the Taoist Scriptures stood atop the Celestial Staircase, causing immortal light to flow through his limbs and bones.
Celestial Staircase...
Truly a peculiar existence, it must be the greatest mystery of the human body.
As he walked, Chen Jiuyang, like the Yan Emperor of those years, began to ponder.
How to ascend to the next level of the Celestial Staircase.
After stepping into the Imperial Path, it was no longer like other realms where one could simply improve their cultivation by circulating their techniques and absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to enrich themselves.
Peering internally at the massive 'Martial Dao Furnace', only one Heaven and Earth imprint was carved upon it, the character 'Yuan', belonging solely to Chen Jiuyang.
There was no clue in a short period of time, how to ascend to the next stage of the Celestial Staircase.
Chen Jiuyang walked towards the Taoist Longhu Mountain.
...
"This is going to be the death of me..."
In the mountain forest, Yang Zijian was fleeing at high speed.
He had joined the True Demonic Sect several years ago. From an outer disciple of the Golden Core realm, he had relied on his Divine Sight to associate with people of prosperous destiny. Finally, last year, he ascended to the Nascent Soul stage. After two lives of cultivation for two hundred years, he had finally stepped onto the Great Dao.
After closing himself in for half a year to stabilize his cultivation, he was transferred from the sect's outer and inner disciple positions to the front line, participating in the fierce battle between the sacred and the false.
However, he was now fleeing frantically. A female cultivator from the righteous path was relentlessly pursuing him.
Behind him, sharp killing intent was locking onto him. This area was already outside the first and second battlefronts of the sacred-false war, belonging to the rear free zone. As far as the eye could see, it was all mountain forests.
Besides facing the enemy head-on, both the righteous and demonic paths were contemplating how to do something in the enemy's rear.
Suddenly, Yang Zijian felt the sharp killing intent behind him disappear.
And he had also rushed into a dense forest. Relieved for a moment, he realized something was wrong.
This dense forest had no sounds of insects or birds, it was frighteningly quiet.
Just as he stood still and used his Divine Sight to investigate...
His expression suddenly changed drastically...
He saw a terrifying demonic aura emerge in his eyes.
A group of great demons, who had already transformed into human form but retained their unique demonic attributes, appeared before him.
"Thump!"
Yang Zijian's face turned pale. How could transformed great demons appear here?
Were the demons of the Ten Thousand Races not within the Immortal Falling Cliff? Were they not guarded by wardens?
A majestic middle-aged great demon at the forefront looked at Yang Zijian expressionlessly, "Demonic cultivator?"
For the demon race, it was necessary to reach the Supreme Realm and come into contact with the Dao to transform into human form, and the most common were peerless great demons.
Just as Yang Zijian was sweating profusely, the five great sacred land female cultivators who had been chasing him suddenly appeared. They looked at the group of peerless great demons before them and bowed gently:
"I did not expect the Myriad Races Forest to send out troops so quickly."
Yang Zijian's face was filled with horror, "The Five Great Sacred Lands... are colluding with... with the demon race!"
He had witnessed something incredibly significant!
A long time ago, the demons of the Ten Thousand Races descended upon the mortal world, causing disaster, which led to the Immortal-Mortal Covenant. Later, martial arts rose, and the Human Emperors ascended to the throne with martial arts, forcing the demons of the Ten Thousand Races to unite.
Anyone who dared to collude with the demon race was a traitor to humanity!
Though Yang Zijian could die, this matter had to be reported!
He suddenly burned the sect's communication talisman in his hand, sending it soaring into the sky.
However, the leading middle-aged great demon reached out a hand from afar and grabbed the communication talisman, extinguishing it. He looked at the female cultivators of the Five Great Sacred Lands and said calmly,
"My Ten Thousand Races' Crown Prince wishes to contend for the position of Great Emperor in this era. The wardens are encircling the Immortal Falling Cliff and are not deploying us old soldiers who guard forbidden lands. What other demons are available?"