This power had already reached the level of an Immortal King's origin Great Dao.
If Chen Jiuyang had not reached the Dao Integration stage, subtly beginning to return to simplicity and integrate laws, he would not have sensed it.
Chen Jiuyang immediately modified his soul's karmic wheel, adjusting it to the thirty-thousand-year level, disguising himself as an old monster reincarnated from the Immortal Alliance.
Meanwhile, Chen Jiuyang sat on the spiritual脉泉眼 to cultivate, feigning complete ignorance. Of course, he quickly put away the immortal artifact 'Boundary Crossing'.
The power of the origin Great Dao scanned Chen Jiuyang back and forth several times, lingering for about half a day before the scrutinizing old monster calmly retreated.
"Thus..."
Chen Jiuyang finally breathed a sigh of relief: "I can be considered completely out of suspicion from the major forbidden lands."
Now that the Golden Age had descended, the major forbidden lands would surely be searching for prodigies related to the Book of Life, those with heaven-defying destiny.
"From now on, you old fossils within the forbidden lands will die one by one..."
Chen Jiuyang sneered.
Cen Lao Village, Yuan Yan Town, Chong Ming Sea, Zang Di Mountain, Wu Ming Palace, Qi Tian Sect, Dong Huang Sect, Jiu Guang Sect, Ni Shi Hui.
These nine major forces, totaling eighty-one individuals.
"Still need to count... Wu Shuang'er from the Nine Nether Myriad Tombs..."
"The ultimate chess game, the player in the lower realm."
"Still want to control the Book of Life and transcend to the Heavenly Realm? Dreaming."
"Let's eliminate the ones with lower cultivation first... cultivate while eliminating..."
"However, this action will inevitably expose that the Book of Life is already controlled and revived, forcing them into a corner. They will suspect the Five Great Holy Lands and the Immortal Realm are causing trouble, and might appear prematurely, killing their way into the Immortal Realm."
Chen Jiuyang's thoughts were very clear.
"However, there seems to be another method, sacrificing life to eliminate them, forcing their cultivation to fall..."
"This is one way..."
Chen Jiuyang had now exposed his Dao Integration stage cultivation, so his several confidantes would have to make a choice. Even if they didn't make a choice now, with the chaotic times approaching, they would make a choice after encountering setbacks.
Thus, Chen Jiuyang continued to cultivate low-key in Qing Zhu Village, and so more than a year passed.
During this more than a year, his several confidantes took turns visiting Chen Jiuyang's parents, and the atmosphere was no longer as stiff.
Chen Jiuyang's cultivation advanced to the middle stage of the Dao Integration stage.
Possessing a spiritual脉泉眼, and locked by formations, the spiritual energy was incredibly dense.
In this more than a year, Fang Bahua finally broke through to the Nascent Soul stage. Afterward, he became the sect leader, and Deng Zun became the deputy sect leader, establishing the Qing Yun Sect beside Qing Zhu Village.
This small sect had only a handful of disciples. Chen Jiuyang provided them with cultivation techniques, magical artifacts, and spiritual fields, allowing them to cultivate with focus.
Gradually, Qing Zhu Village also began to change and prosper. A marketplace was established, built by the Qing Yun Sect.
And in this year, Chen Jiuyang's relationship with his several confidantes finally had a substantial breakthrough, engaging in dual cultivation in turns.
Chen Jiuyang was already in the Dao Integration stage and could live for tens of thousands of years, while their cultivation was still relatively low.
During this more than a year, Chen Jiuyang spent nearly ten thousand years of his lifespan to eliminate those he harbored hatred for.
Those with lower cultivation could no longer progress in their daily cultivation, and some even showed signs of regression. Those with higher cultivation also began to feel uneasy.
Everyone in the major forbidden lands realized it.
The Book of Life and Death they had plotted for hundreds of thousands of years had been taken control of, and someone was attempting to eliminate them.
But there were too many prodigies with strong destiny in the Golden Age.
Thus, they could no longer hold back, bestowing destiny and incense, preparing to emerge.
When Chen Jiuyang heard that the major forbidden lands were preparing to emerge, he immediately knew that the world was about to descend into chaos. He quickly summoned Yao Zixuan.
Yao Zixuan, dressed in a moon-white palace dress with bamboo patterns, appeared as aloof and ethereal as an immortal. She walked out of 'Boundary Crossing' and looked at Chen Jiuyang, who was coiled on a large rock, absorbing spiritual energy: "What is it, husband, that you would personally summon me here?"
Chen Jiuyang beckoned with one hand, pulling her into his embrace, and said, "The chaotic times are approaching. The Yu Hua Sect within the Immortal Alliance where you are will be in danger. I want you to leave the Yu Hua Sect."
"Is this a suggestion or an order?" Yao Zixuan looked at Chen Jiuyang.
Chen Jiuyang gently stroked her soft waist and said, "For so many years, I have never interfered with you. But this time, you must listen to me."
Yao Zixuan's eyes became complicated, and she said, "Even if I want to leave, my master, True Monarch Yu Hua, will likely not agree."
"As long as you agree, I will personally go and speak with him," Chen Jiuyang replied. "It will merely involve compensating him with some resources."
Once the major forbidden lands appeared, they would likely unite to destroy the Five Great Holy Lands first, suspecting them of controlling the Book of Life.
Yao Zixuan looked at him and said, "Just this once?"
"Yes," Chen Jiuyang said. "Just this once."
"Can I still stay in the Yao family?"
"That is your home, of course, you can."
"Alright, then I will return to meet my master and explain the situation."
Yao Zixuan hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed to Chen Jiuyang. She believed Chen Jiuyang would not harm her, as they had already shared intimate moments.
Moreover, Chen Jiuyang's cultivation was far superior to hers, and his foresight was greater. Chen Jiuyang's concerns were not unfounded.
A few days later, Chen Jiuyang arrived at the Yu Hua Sect to meet True Monarch Yu Hua.
True Monarch Yu Hua was a cultivator who appeared as a young man, with an ethereal aura, like a true immortal who had attained the Dao. He cupped his fists and said, "Greetings, Daoist Jiuji."
"Daoist Yu Hua," Chen Jiuyang said calmly, "We should have met long ago."
True Monarch Yu Hua also had a complex expression: "As the saying goes, one mountain cannot accommodate two tigers. I did not expect Daoist Jiuji to be willing to conceal his identity and live in seclusion."
"When the great edifice is about to collapse, how can one not seek seclusion for self-preservation?" Chen Jiuyang said with a smile.
True Monarch Yu Hua looked pained. He had finally discovered Yao Zixuan, a promising talent, and thought he could cultivate her well, only to find that the prize had already been claimed. Now that Chen Jiuyang had come knocking, he could only let Yao Zixuan leave: "Regarding Zixuan, I will announce that she is in seclusion, and then we will make plans based on the situation."
"Good," Chen Jiuyang nodded slowly, then took out a spatial ring. "This is compensation for Daoist Yu Hua."
True Monarch Yu Hua accepted it without pretense.
Then Chen Jiuyang gracefully departed, returning to Qing Zhu Village to continue cultivating. He also kept his bookstore open. Two years passed, and the commotion had subsided. Most people had given up on finding him.
In the Golden Age, every moment was precious. In two years, Chen Jiuyang's ranking as the number one in the world had long since fallen, dropping to the hundreds.
This was because the major forces of Cen Lao Village, Yuan Yan Town, Chong Ming Sea, Zang Di Mountain, Wu Ming Palace, Qi Tian Sect, Dong Huang Sect, Jiu Guang Sect, and Ni Shi Hui had officially emerged to recruit disciples.
The waters of this world had completely muddied.