Chapter 485 - 458: Ancient God’s Word Spirit

By the shores of Mingjing Lake, the scholars were all speculating and grumbling that Lu Bell’s rank had not risen further.

As they scrutinized Lu Bell’s battle record, they felt that despite the brevity of the description on the list, they could already imagine his transcendent spirit and peerless bearing at that moment.

And to think they had actually met such a Celestial Pride, calling each other "brother." This was something they could brag about for the rest of their lives!

No, what was a lifetime?

This was something that could be written into the family genealogy, to be bragged about for countless generations of descendants!

The scholars gathered around Zhou Zhongqiu. Amidst the crowd, a small, weak voice asked, "Brother Zhou, how can you be so sure that the Brother Lu we spoke with... is the same Lu Bell from the Celestial Pride List? After all, it’s not strange for people in this world to share the same name..."

This timid question, however, was decisively refuted by Zhou Zhongqiu. "Impossible for it not to be him! It must be. I felt back then that Brother Lu’s presence was extraordinary. He had to be an unparalleled master. My feeling can’t be wrong!"

The other scholars all agreed. Everyone was incredibly excited. Who could accept it if you insisted that this Lu Bell wasn’t *that* Lu Bell?

Such a speculation could never be true!

The scholars just kept praising him. "Brother Lu truly deserves to be a first-rate Celestial Pride of our time. His spirit is heroic and sublime, far above the mortal world, yet he can lower himself to associate with us common folk. The realm of a Celestial Pride is unlike the secular world. It truly inspires awe and admiration."

After the praise, there was still a sense of injustice.

"For the top few ranks on the Celestial Pride List, without a direct confrontation, I suppose even the list’s creators can’t just arbitrarily decide the placings, right? What a pity. I really want to witness a battle between Brother Lu and Tushan Jing with my own eyes!"

"But this way, on the Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List, the Human Race now occupies eight spots, while the Demon Race is left with only Tushan Jing in first place and Ao Feng in tenth!"

"Whether they fight or not, it’s a great victory for the Human Race! How delightful! How splendid!"

The crowd cheered.

On this day, cheers echoed across the Nine Provinces Land.

And amidst such cheers, Zhou Zhongqiu held the Celestial Pride List, shouting again and again in excitement, "The Nine Provinces are vast, with countless mortals and few Celestial Prides. Yet I, who have idled away half my life, actually got to meet such a peerless Celestial Pride. Brothers, do you remember that Lu Celestial Pride once praised me?"

Had Lu Celestial Pride praised Zhou Zhongqiu?

To be honest, no one really remembered.

After all, when they met, it was mainly because Zhou Zhongqiu’s storytelling was so captivating that it had even drawn Lu Celestial Pride over to listen.

So, presumably, Lu Celestial Pride had indeed praised Zhou Zhongqiu.

Perhaps for telling a good story?

The scholars all nodded.

Zhou Zhongqiu stated with even more certainty, "Lu Celestial Pride praised me too, so I must have a promising future! Everyone, how can the tides of this world turn without me, Zhou Zhongqiu? After more than ten years of arduous study, today is the day I shall receive the Spiritual Light!"

"I refuse to be a frog in a well, a bird in a cage, here in Mirror Platform City, letting all my hard study come to nothing."

"I too shall raise my eyes and witness the vastness of the world, the Nine Provinces Universe, and the tides of history!"

As his voice fell, a vast and righteous Spiritual Light descended from the heavens.

Everyone on the bridge, under the bridge, and along the long street, looked up, stunned.

On this day, the Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List changed, and in Mirror Platform City, a scholar, his spirit stirred by the deeds of Lu Celestial Pride on the list, drew down a Celestial Spiritual Light!

The Spiritual Light was vast and mighty, like a celestial river pouring down in boundless waves. It finally landed on Zhou Zhongqiu’s hand, forming the word "Observe."

And from the top of Zhou Zhongqiu’s head, three feet of Talent erupted.

Not the three inches of Talent of one just entering the Qi Nourishing Realm, but a full three feet of Talent.

It turned out that Zhou Zhongqiu’s long accumulation of learning had finally burst forth. He had directly entered the Vast Qi Realm thanks to this Celestial Spiritual Light!

One could only say that this added another anecdote, another touch of legend, to the recent changes on the Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List.

But for people at a certain level, none of this really mattered.

Different echelons saw completely different things in the same list.

Some saw gossip and excitement. Some were swept up in thrilling emotion. Some felt a shared sense of honor. But a very small number of people focused on the four words on the list: "Ancient God’s Word Spirit"!

「On this day, in the Capital, within the Imperial Palace’s Taiji Hall.」

Just as the Emperor was about to adjourn the morning court, the new Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List was presented to him.

The Chief Eunuch, Chu Wanyun, read from the list: "Lu Bell. Battle Record: Defeated a Celestial Pride Level, Golden Core Stage Immortal Seeker who possessed the power of the Ancient God’s Word Spirit..."

He had not yet finished this sentence—or to be more precise, just as Chu Wanyun read the four words "Ancient God’s Word Spirit"—he seemed to sense something, and a sudden tremor went through his heart.

His voice, as he read the list, grew imperceptibly strained.

But Chu Wanyun was, after all, a master of the Innate True Self Realm, equivalent to a Top Level Celestial Immortal among Cultivators. He could not allow himself to fail to finish reading a list.

Chu Wanyun forcefully suppressed the tremor in his heart and the strain in his voice, and fully articulated the four words: "Ancient God’s Word Spirit."

The next moment, the Emperor, who had been sitting high on his throne in his formal court robes, suddenly opened his mouth and violently spat out a mouthful of blood!

The Emperor had spat blood!

How could something so inconceivable happen?

One must understand that His Majesty’s Cultivation was rumored to be on the verge of breaking through to the True Immortal realm.

Even if he hadn’t broken through, with the blessing of the nation’s destiny, it should have been impossible for anyone to harm the Emperor within the Nine Provinces World, within the Imperial Palace.

Yet, the Emperor spitting blood had happened anyway. Not only had it happened, but it had happened during the grand court assembly, under the watchful eyes of all.

Before the crowd even had time to react, they watched helplessly as their Emperor, after spitting blood, suddenly lowered his head and pitched forward.

THUD!

Just like that, the Emperor tumbled from his throne!

His head hit the ground first, and he tumbled like a rolling gourd.

The absurd scene made all the civil and military officials in the court almost suspect they had fallen under some terrible Illusion Technique.

Of course, they would rather have been under an Illusion Technique than be witnessing this scene for real.

Chu Wanyun finally reacted—

It wasn’t that his reaction was slow; a powerful master-servant seal existed between the eunuch and the Emperor.

The very moment the Emperor fell, Chu Wanyun, who had just read out the four words "Ancient God’s Word Spirit," also felt a sudden tightness in his chest and a lump in his throat.

The metallic taste of blood surged into his throat, but Chu Wanyun forced it back down.

Only then did he shout, "Court is adjourned!"

As the call to adjourn was heard, the Yulin Army surged in from outside Taiji Hall.

All the civil and military officials remained silent, standing fixed in place with their heads bowed. As for whether telepathic messages were flying back and forth in secret, that was anyone’s guess.

The Emperor was hustled away to the rear hall, surrounded by palace attendants.

The civil and military officials of the grand court assembly remained in Taiji Hall for the entire night.

Until the night was deep, the dew was heavy, and the third watch had sounded.

And the four words "Ancient God’s Word Spirit" were mulled over countless times in the hearts of all the officials, high and low.