Chapter 496 - 438: A Whole Bunch of Venerables!

"BUZZ..."

"SWISH SWISH SWISH—!"

"RUMBLE..."

Just half a day after Qi Yun destroyed the World Honored One’s avatar and covered the sky with a wave of his hand, the Celestial Vault and surface of the West Sea had completely transformed.

In the East, where the morning sun rose, the rosy clouds were torn apart by countless Escape Lights of varying colors. Sword Cultivators rode their Flying Swords, transforming into a meteor shower of cyan, silver, and gold. They tore through the vast sky, the howling of their swords converging into a chilling metallic storm.

Buddhist Cultivators stepped on lotus platforms or rode golden kasayas. With faint Brahma Chanting echoing around them, their Buddha Light connected into a peaceful, warm-colored ribbon of light. Confucian Cultivators rode on cloud boats and Scrolls formed by the Vast Righteous energy. The clear sound of their reciting intertwined with the noise of piercing the air, naturally exuding an aura of majestic righteousness.

The South, where water vapor billowed, was the domain of the Water Race and numerous Overseas Loose Cultivators. Great Demons of the Sea Race, such as flood dragons, giant kuns, and black turtles, stirred up monstrous waves and rode the water. Cultivators of all shapes and sizes stood atop the crests of the waves.

Countless oddly-shaped flying boats, tower ships, and even moving islands—inlaid with various rare treasures and offensive Arrays—broke through the clouds and mist, roaring as they sailed forth. Their sails and banners fluttered in the wind. The auras of the Cultivators aboard were a mixed bag, but their numbers were astonishing.

In the sky, on the sea, within the clouds, and even inside temporarily opened void rifts... As far as the eye could see, there were nothing but Cultivators!

A surging tide of humanity—a true tide composed entirely of Cultivators, encompassing almost every known cultivation system and race in the Profound Yellow Realm—poured out from every corner of the Profound Yellow Origin Realm and every Secret Realm across the four seas and eight wastelands. In a mighty, unending procession, they surged toward the West Sea, making a beeline for the majestic Celestial Court suspended between the Broken sea and sky!

The Escape Lights looked like an inverted milky way, and the flying boats were like dotted stars. The roars of Demon Beasts sounded like rolling thunder, while the booming of Magical Artifacts was like an Earth Vein turning over. Various energies—Spiritual Qi, Demon Qi, Demonic Qi, Vast Righteous energy, and Buddha Light—collided and mixed with one another. They formed a multicolored ocean that even triggered changes in the astronomical phenomena, bringing about howling gales and looming thunderclouds.

Ten thousand Cultivators coming to pay homage was nothing short of this!

At this moment, a lone figure in deep blue stood tall in front of the South Heaven Gate of the majestic Celestial Court.

Qi Yun.

His black hair, stained with pale golden blood, hung messily over his forehead, fluttering slightly in the chaotic air currents. His originally flowing Deep Blue Daoist Robe now bore the torn marks of Sword Qi and Buddha Light on its sleeves and hem. His face remained pale, and a heavy, lingering exhaustion settled between his brows.

However, when one’s gaze met his slightly raised eyes, any impression of weakness would melt away in an instant!

What kind of eyes were those?

Despite having gone through a bloody battle and being completely exhausted, two clusters of bright, searing divine flames that could illuminate the origin burned in the deepest depths of his eyes!

He watched quietly, looking at the vast sea of humanity before him, formed by hundreds of millions of Cultivators, whose mixed auras pierced the heavens. His calm gaze swept over faces that were greedy, excited, terrified, or bewildered. It swept over the Escape Lights shooting into the sky and the massive flying boats. He was neither moved by this grand, globally rare spectacle, nor worried about his own severe injuries and weakness. He just watched quietly.

Just at the moment when the boiling sea of humanity and intertwining destinies reached a certain critical point—

The Daluo Ten Thousand Laws Dao Foundation deep within Qi Yun’s Purple Mansion suddenly trembled!

Behind him, the void collapsed silently. The vast and boundless phantom of the Daluo Heaven, seemingly containing a newly-opened world, unfurled with a mighty roar on its own!

The moment the Daluo Heaven manifested, in the unseen world, it produced a profound and mysterious connection and resonance with certain "entities"—which shared the same origin but possessed different qualities—scattered throughout this vast sea of humanity!

That was... the aura of the Venerable lineage!

The Venerable Dao Foundations originated from the same source, yet each had taken a completely different path to the absolute extreme. Normally scattered across the vast sea of humanity and the myriad heavens and worlds, they were difficult for one another to sense. But at this moment, stimulated and made active by the external momentum, Qi Yun’s own Daluo Dao Foundation caused the Daluo Heaven to spontaneously manifest its Dao Rhyme. Guided by this Dao Rhyme, and within the special field formed by the clashing, mixed auras of hundreds of millions of Cultivators...

That subtle yet clear resonance appeared!

"Found them!"

Divine light flared intensely in Qi Yun’s eyes, entirely suppressing his look of exhaustion with a sharp glint. His Heart Thought moved like lightning. Following the faint yet fundamentally connected palpitations transmitted by the Daluo Dao Foundation and Daluo Heaven, his Divine Sense spread out overwhelmingly like the most precise Compass. Ignoring distance and the massive interference from the numerous Cultivators’ auras, he directly locked onto the sources of that ethereal calling!

One, two, three... eight!

In an instant, eight unique auras—belonging to the Venerable sequence, though extremely faint and hidden exceptionally deep—clearly reflected in the perception of his Heart and Spirit like eight faint fireflies in the dark!

Eight Venerable Dao Foundations!

He thought, "Still missing one..."

Qi Yun frowned almost imperceptibly.

The perception of his Heart and Spirit poured out like quicksilver, repeatedly sweeping over the hundreds of millions of Cultivators below, and even extending into the distant void and the bottom of the sea. However, he consistently failed to capture the slightest aura of that ninth Venerable Dao Foundation.

He thought, "It seems this final Venerable Dao Foundation is largely like the Grand Emperor Dao Foundation, lost in some forbidden land..."

With his Heart Thought spinning like lightning, Qi Yun quickly made a judgment. He didn’t dwell on it too much; a gleam of satisfaction flashed across his eyes.

"However, to be able to find eight Venerable Dao Foundations at once... I’ve already made a massive haul on this trip," he thought.

Since the targets were locked, he no longer hesitated. Qi Yun slowly stood up straight. Facing the vast sea of humanity below and the eight locations locked by his Divine Sense, he gently waved his large hand. The movement was casual, as if he were merely brushing non-existent dust off his sleeves.

"BUZZ!" "BUZZ!" "BUZZ!"...

Eight streams of Magical Power—formless and intangible, yet containing the Power of Domination of the Daluo Heaven—instantaneously passed through the layers of space and the barriers of the crowd, wrapping themselves around those eight Cultivators with absolute precision!

"What?!"

"What’s going on?!"

"Who is it?!"

The complexions of those eight people drastically changed almost simultaneously, and unbelievable horror and fear erupted in their eyes! They had no idea what was happening. They only felt a terrifying, irresistible force instantly descend upon them. Their Magical Power, Divine Sense, and even their connection to their own Dao Foundations were completely locked away! Let alone resisting, even making a sound became difficult!

In the next instant, this Magical Power gently pulled.

"SWISH!" "SWISH!" "SWISH!"...

Under the blank, astonished gazes of the surrounding Cultivators, these eight individuals floated into the air involuntarily like marionettes. Tracing eight trajectories, they moved as fast as lightning yet completely silently, shooting straight toward the South Heaven Gate. They sank into the vast, slowly rotating phantom of the Daluo Heaven behind Qi Yun and vanished.

This bizarre scene occurred in a flash. Many Low Tier Cultivators didn’t even see clearly what had happened; they merely felt a blur before their eyes. Only a small number of experts and the Great Masters—who had kept their nerves taut and focused entirely on Qi Yun—took in this entire scene. The chill in their hearts grew even more intense.

They wondered who he was capturing and what his intentions were.

Having collected the eight people, the phantom of the Daluo Heaven behind Qi Yun slowly retracted and ultimately vanished. He raised his eyes again, his gaze slowly sweeping over the boundless, still-roaring sea of Profound Yellow Cultivators before him. A majestic presence—a blend of the residual might from his recent defiance in slaying the True Monarch’s avatar and the vast Dao Rhyme of the Daluo Heaven—quietly rippled out from him like a water wave.

This presence was not domineering, but it carried an unquestionable majesty. Wherever it swept past, the clamor involuntarily quieted down significantly, and countless gazes once again focused solely on him.

Taking a deep breath, Qi Yun slowly spoke. His voice was not loud, yet it bizarrely drowned out the sky-filling winds, thunder, and clamorous voices. It rang clearly in the ears and Heart and Spirit of every Cultivator. His tone was peaceful, but every word carried the weight of a thousand pounds:

"Cultivators of Profound Yellow, quietly listen to my words.

"This Celestial Court is indeed a place of supreme Creation. However, fortune and disaster lie side by side. Within it lurks the root of a great tribulation. The danger is unpredictable and has incredibly broad implications. At any moment, it could bring about the disaster of overturning the Profound Yellow Realm and bringing calamity to all living beings!"

He paused slightly. His gaze, sharp as lightning, swept over the Cultivators showing expressions of shock and suspicion as he continued, "In order to protect the peace of the Profound Yellow Realm and avoid this tribulation, the various True Monarchs of Profound Yellow have already deliberated and resolved to join hands. They will travel outward to investigate and seek a method to resolve the root of this tribulation. This is a major matter concerning the destiny of our realm, and it must not be treated lightly.

"Therefore, during this period of investigation, to prevent any unforeseen events and stop lowly scoundrels from trespassing during the chaos and triggering uncontrollable disasters..."

Qi Yun’s voice suddenly rose, carrying a resolute and decisive undertone, "From this day onward, the Celestial Court is temporarily closed! Anyone who approaches without authorization will be treated as colluding with the tribulation and will be executed immediately without pardon!

"The True Monarchs’ departure to break the tribulation will require sixty years of time. When the tribulation is resolved and the True Monarchs return, that will be the day this Celestial Court reopens. At that time, opportunities will naturally reveal themselves. Those who are fated may all enter to seek Creation."

As his voice fell, the echoes reverberated between the Heaven and Earth of the West Sea, bearing an irrefutable tone.

A brief moment of dead silence.

Immediately after, an overwhelming uproar and wave of dissatisfaction erupted from the vast sea of humanity below!

"What?! Close the Celestial Court?!"

"A sixty-year cycle?! We have to wait another sixty years?!"

"On what grounds?! The emergence of the Celestial Court is an opportunity presented by Heaven and Earth, and it belongs to the virtuous! How can it be closed based on the words of just one person?!"

"The True Monarchs went out to break the tribulation? Why were there no signs of this previously? Could it be an excuse?!"

"I don’t believe it! You definitely just want to hog all the Creation in the Celestial Court for yourself!"

Anger, suspicion, unwillingness, resentment... All sorts of emotions exploded in the hearts of the hundreds of millions of Cultivators, transforming into a sky-piercing clamor and a restless aura!

Many Cultivators had eyes flashing with red light, their auras billowing. They clearly couldn’t accept seeing their guaranteed prize slip away. There were even those secretly inciting the crowd, itching to make a move. The atmosphere instantly became extremely dangerous, as if a single spark could ignite this powder keg filled with boundless greed and disappointment!

However, right at this volatile juncture when the crowd was surging and on the verge of erupting, a deep, majestic, and cold shout fell like an iceberg smashing into boiling oil, instantly overpowering most of the clamor.

"Silence!"

Led by Black Mountain Master, Lady Jiu Li, Master Revolving Wheel, and the East Sea Dragon Crown Prince, a dozen or so Profound Yellow Great Masters stepped forward in unison without a hint of hesitation, almost as soon as Qi Yun’s voice fell. These were the same experts who had previously been intimidated by Qi Yun, having witnessed him slay the World Honored One’s avatar with their own eyes and knowing full well his terror and the weight of the Holy Sect backing him.

Facing that figure standing in front of the South Heaven Gate—who, despite being weak, stood as steady as a deep abyss and a towering mountain—they bowed and paid their respects! Their movements were uniform and incredibly respectful.

"We respectfully obey Qi Master’s decree!"

"We will definitely discipline our subordinates and notify all directions. We absolutely will not dare to disobey!"

"We wish the various True Monarchs a swift and successful resolution of the tribulation! We will quietly await the good news of the Celestial Court reopening!"

Their voices were loud and their attitudes respectful, even carrying an imperceptible hint of fear and fawning.

With them taking the lead, the Cultivators from Sects and factions that were originally subordinate to them or on good terms with them instantly felt as if they were grabbed by the throat. The clamor abruptly halted, and they looked at each other in dismay. In the end, they could only follow suit, bowing and paying their respects while chorusing, "We respectfully obey the decree."

Following closely, like a domino effect, other factions and Loose Cultivators that lacked the backing of a Great Master or were slightly weaker saw that even these Great Masters—who normally sat high above and dominated regions—were bowing their heads and taking orders so decisively. No matter how much dissatisfaction and suspicion they held in their hearts, it was extinguished by cold reality and fear.

Even the Great Masters had obeyed... What right did they, these ants, have to say no?

"Forget it... Forget it... It’s only a sixty-year cycle, we can afford to wait..."

"Since the True Monarchs have already made their decision, they must have their reasons..."

"Let’s go. This is no place to linger..."

"Sigh, damn it, a wasted trip..."

Whispers replaced the angry roars. Disappointment and helplessness were written all over the faces of countless Cultivators, but they ultimately didn’t dare to act out again. People started turning their Escape Lights around, while others steered their flying boats. Like a receding tide, they slowly and silently dispersed back the way they came.

Although there were still a very few who gritted their teeth in secret, unwilling to concede, under the general trend of events and the gaze of those icy eyes in front of the South Heaven Gate, they could only bury that unwillingness deep within, drifting with the current and retreating dejectedly.

The surging tide of humanity that rolled in eventually transformed into a resentful, retreating flood.

Standing with his hands behind his back in front of the South Heaven Gate, Qi Yun watched the sky-filling Escape Lights gradually thin out and retreat, and his eyes slowly relaxed a bit.

The great tribulation... had been quelled.

...