Chapter 1142: Refine My Flesh, Purify My Mind

The older a thing was, the more it brimmed with a rotting, eerie aura.

Take this Altar, for instance. No trace of it existed in any historical text or record. During the years when demonic cultivators ruled, that segment of history had seemingly been wiped clean. Whether done by the Righteous Path or the demonic cultivators, the erasure was intentional.

This left everyone at a loss when faced with today's sudden upheaval.

Since ancient times, Tianji Mountain had looked after the world. In times of peril, they always appeared before the cultivators to hold up the collapsing sky. Now, the eyes of all the Immortal Sects turned to this sect that had stood for untold ages.

When that Immortal Sword took to the sky, it signaled that conflict was unavoidable.

Tianji Mountain issued an emergency summons to all its disciples, both within the sect and abroad.

The moment the sect's ancient Bell tolled.

High in the boundless sky, thousands of cultivators stood upon Immortal Swords, looking down at the magnificent sea of churning clouds. Sword light flashed, ringing with a world-shaking metallic clamor. At a single command, the Sword Immortals fell into formation, rising into the heavens as one.

Sword Qi gathered, stirring up wind and thunder. The thousands of cultivators pierced the firmament, tearing through the clouds, as steady as mountains.

Thousands of swords flew in unison, dancing in the air. Sword Qi wove like shuttles, stirring up roaring winds and surging clouds as the blades danced across the vault of heaven.

They headed for the place where demonic energy and death aura were rising, moving to stop the anomaly brewing between heaven and earth.

...

Within the Yellow Springs.

Chen Changsheng raised his hand, and the churning currents of the Yellow Springs swirled around him.

He sat cross-legged there.

Chen Changsheng brought his palms together and murmured softly,

"Deep pools of the Netherworld, wrapped in shadowy mists; the Gate of the Yellow Springs swings open, where ghostly figures creep."

"The freezing waters of the Yellow Springs, vapors rising high; churning through yin and yang, sending ten thousand souls to their next life."

"Demons and monsters, wreathed in smoke; forged into spirits of the Yellow Springs, forever by my side."

"Dim yellow flames, burning away mortal dust; washing the soul clean, transcending Reincarnation."

"With blood as an oath, with the soul as honor; honing the will, tempering into an immortal."

"Refine my primordial spirit, reshape my soul; reborn through the fire, listening for the divine decree, refine my flesh, purify my mind."

He tapped his finger lightly, and the waters of the Yellow Springs surged toward Chen Changsheng's divine sense.

What he needed to do now was use the laws of the Yellow Springs to refine himself. Although he held the green jade, he was ultimately not a departed soul, nor was he the true master. By washing himself with the Yellow Springs now, his next steps would yield twice the result with half the effort.

His physical body, floating upon the Yellow Springs, slowly sank, merging seamlessly with Chen Changsheng's soul.

At that moment, the untamed laws within the Yellow Springs began to resist.

One cyan, one yellow—two laws clashed against each other here.

In an instant, the laws of the Yellow Springs fell into utter chaos. The normally placid waters whipped into massive, crashing waves, and whirlpools tore open across the surface.

The lingering dead souls around them shrieked as they were entirely sucked into the vortexes and dragged deep into the Yellow Springs, their ultimate destination unknown.

Chen Changsheng raised his hand, drawing out his Immortal Swords.

"Listening to Rain!"

"Taiqing!"

"Wine Gourd!"

Two Immortal Swords and a Gourd flew out from Chen Changsheng's person.

The three objects manifested their divine essence. Yin-Yang Qi burgeoned at this moment, lending its power to the three Dharma Instruments.

"Suppress!"

The single word rang out, yet the raging Yellow Springs failed to calm. Instead, the turbulence grew even more violent.

Chen Changsheng raised a brow. With a wave of his hand, he traced several ancient characters.

"Immortal might of the ancient characters, help suppress the dusk!"

Twelve ancient characters were drawn by Chen Changsheng's hand. A humming resonance immediately followed, pressing down and gradually forcing the whirlpools in the Yellow Springs to dissipate.

Surging streams of Yellow Springs power coiled around the world's Yin-Yang Qi, rushing straight toward Chen Changsheng.

At this moment, the laws of yin and yang circulated to their very limits.

Through a heavenly cycle, it seeped into his limbs and bones, flowing right into his dantian sea of qi.

Chen Changsheng's face instantly flushed deep red. He immediately realized something was wrong.

"Trying to burst This Chen to death?"

Unhurried, Chen Changsheng closed his eyes. He drew upon a sliver of yin and yang power to form Binding Chains, engraved them with ancient characters, and wrapped them around his body.

"Manifest the Ritual Cauldron, refine this yin and yang!"

A Ritual Cauldron manifested around Chen Changsheng. Raging fires ignited, encircling him completely.

The Yin-Yang Qi pouring into the space slowly calmed down. The overflowing Yin-Yang Qi in his limbs and bones was refined by the cauldron, and Chen Changsheng's flushed complexion finally settled.

...

The emperor paid respects to heaven and earth, proclaiming it to the world.

A handful of yellow earth was scattered, mixed with the rainwater in his palm.

He raised a wine cup, tipping his head back to toast the heavens.

It signified the Heavenly Dao's acknowledgment.

The human dao qi fortune flourished once more, and the nation's fortune surged higher at this very moment.

On the banks of the Tongtian River.

Beneath the darkening sky, the river waters began to churn.

Second Crown Prince Ying Yuan guarded the riverbanks, stabilizing the surging currents, with the old Dragon Lord personally standing watch to protect the process.

Rising from the Tongtian!

A white flood dragon let out a piercing cry, surging up from the river's depths.

The waters rose, the fortune surged!

"Why isn't that brat here yet?" the Old Dragon King cursed.

Ying Yuan paused and said, "Father, Big Brother might have been delayed by something."

The Old Dragon King snorted coldly. "He's been wandering outside so long he's forgotten his home. For such a momentous occasion, he still hasn't returned early."

Ying Yuan smiled helplessly and changed the subject. "Little Sister is about to traverse the waters. Father, let's leave that aside for now."

"Mhm."

As the river roiled, the Dragon Lord, unwilling to let his daughter's tribulation bring disaster to the common people, had long since requested the Mortal World's water demons to guard every direction and stabilize the currents.

Not a single stretch along the way was left unguarded.

"The dynasty's fortune has risen!"

"The water traversal begins!!"

The Turtle Prime Minister shouted loudly. In that exact moment—

Roiling dark clouds surged in the vault of heaven, accompanied by the roaring rumble of thunder rolling in.

The thunder tribulation brewed. It would follow along this water traversal, whipping up the currents all the way until she merged into Jianghai, triggering a great tribulation.

The white flood dragon thrashed in the Tongtian River. Drawn by the national fortune, the aura radiating from her body began to rapidly skyrocket.

The surrounding river waters churned, the wind and waves endless.

The water demons on both banks displayed their Divine Abilities, holding back the surging currents to prevent them from endangering the Mortal World.

The sudden rise of the Tongtian River also sent tremors through the surrounding rivers and streams.

In the Demon Market, Lan Ting looked over and saw the celestial phenomena in complete chaos, as if everything had suddenly converged at once.

Her expression was complicated as she muttered, "With so many disturbances... I'm afraid the heavens won't have time to handle it all..."

"Clang."

The sound of forging iron came to a halt. Yu Hongdou wiped a handful of sweat from his brow and turned to look.

"Mister Lan, did something happen outside?"

Lan Ting said, "Quite a lot is happening. A flood dragon is traversing the waters of the Tongtian River, a Human Sovereign is ascending the throne in Shangjing City, the Yin-Yang Qi between heaven and earth is in chaos, and demonic energy is plaguing the world. None of these are small matters."

Yu Hongdou blinked, looking a bit bewildered by it all.

Lan Ting set her book down and said, "It doesn't concern us. We just need to stay out of it."

Yu Hongdou nodded and went back to forging.

He felt he was getting close. Soon, very soon, he would forge a sword that Mister Lan would acknowledge.

For the past several years, he had held this as his sole goal, never once stepping foot outside the Demon Market.