Chapter 244 - 138: True Thunder Subjugates Celestial Permanence, Mingjing Strikes Dianxing

Chapter 244: Chapter 138: True Thunder Subjugates Celestial Permanence, Mingjing Strikes Dianxing

However, in the next instant, a boundless, brilliant light suddenly erupted from Xuzhuang, instantly illuminating heaven and earth. It slammed into a speck of starlight that had appeared out of nowhere, annihilating it in a flash. Its momentum undiminished, the light struck Star Pointing Zhenren, who actually disintegrated on impact!

The heaven-shaking strike came so suddenly that none of the Celestial Permanence Sect members could even react. Blasted by the aftershock, they began dropping from the sky like flies. Some even let out a final cry, and it was unclear whether they were dead or had merely been knocked unconscious.

Xuzhuang felt as though he were waking from a dream, a bead of cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

Xuzhuang had dared to challenge the Celestial Permanence Sect and refuse Star Pointing Zhenren, but it wasn’t because he was arrogant enough to think he could fight a Grotto Heaven Zhenren.

After speaking with Yang Bijie and formulating a plan, he had sent another letter to his sect. Daochen Zhenren’s reply was still just a single, short sentence: the True Form Temple in the Celestial Waterfall Realm was now under his provisional command, and he was free to act and make his own decisions.

With this single sentence, Xuzhuang’s heart was set at ease.

This was how the Tai Su Orthodox Sect operated. Nascent Soul True Disciples were sent out to establish and manage temples, a method for cultivating the skills needed to one day lead the sect. The sect would not hastily judge a True Disciple’s decisions. If one performed poorly and died at the hands of outsiders, the sect would not even intervene.

However, this policy only applied to conflicts and contests among peers of the same cultivation realm. If anyone dared to use their superior status to bully a junior, the Tai Su Orthodox Sect was not to be trifled with.

Even within the Profound Yellow Realm, there were precedents for this: if a True Disciple handled matters poorly and offended a Primordial Spirit True Man, they often wouldn’t be casually struck down. Instead, the offended party would have to approach the Tai Su Orthodox Sect to seek justice.

Therefore, ’making his own decisions’ certainly didn’t mean the sect was abandoning him to life or death; it represented a degree of support! Xuzhuang knew without having to guess the extent of this support: as long as he was victorious at the Celestial Waterfall Dharma Assembly, not even the combined power of the three sects’ Grotto Heaven Zhenrens could touch him.

However, Xuzhuang hadn’t known when the sect had placed this protective measure on him, and he wasn’t one to bet his life on the sect’s protection arriving at some unknown moment.

The reason he’d dared to refuse Star Pointing Zhenren was that he possessed a protective talisman, the Primordial Treasure Lotus Parasol. He was confident it would allow him to hold out for a short time against a Grotto Heaven Zhenren. And if that failed, he still had the Chaotic Celestial Talisman to escape back to the Profound Yellow Realm.

But in that instant Star Pointing Zhenren forced him to face death, he had a realization. ’Perhaps my journey has been too smooth ever since I formed my Golden Core. Or maybe my soaring cultivation and rapid progress in Daoist arts have made me overconfident.’

Xuzhuang couldn’t help but mutter to himself, "So this is the Divine Technique of a Grotto Heaven Zhenren..."

"Hardly impressive." A clear, cold voice suddenly cut in, making Xuzhuang choke on his words. ’A Grotto Heaven Zhenren’s Divine Technique is already powerful beyond the imagination of any Nascent Soul Cultivator,’ he thought. ’If that’s ’hardly impressive,’ what in the world counts as formidable?’

Xuzhuang’s heart skipped a beat. He looked up and saw a handsome man in snow-white robes step out from the brilliant light that had crushed Star Pointing Zhenren. The man said nonchalantly, "It seems Grotto Heaven Zhenrens aren’t all that remarkable."

With a start of realization, Xuzhuang raised his hands in a formal bow. "May I ask which Ancestor Grandmaster has graced us with your presence? This disciple has been remiss."

"Ancestor Grandmaster?" The handsome man raised an eyebrow, a slight smile playing on his lips. "I am Mingjing. I don’t belong to the usual generation. You can call me Junior Martial Uncle, or you can call me Zhenren."

Xuzhuang was slightly taken aback, but a guess instantly formed in his mind. He responded, "Yes. This disciple greets Junior Martial Uncle Mingjing."

Mingjing Zhenren gave a slight nod in acknowledgment. After a moment’s thought, Xuzhuang asked, "Dare I ask, Junior Martial Uncle, as for Star Pointing Zhenren...?"

"I shattered that old Daoist’s manifested body. His vital energy must have taken a serious blow," Mingjing Zhenren answered. His gaze swept over an indiscernible point in the sky as he added pointedly, "I just wonder if there are any other blind fools who’d also like to be taught a lesson."

Xuzhuang’s expression grew solemn. He looked up and, sure enough, a middle-aged Daoist in a plain Daoist Robe materialized in response to Mingjing’s words. With an unreadable expression, he clasped his hands in a formal bow and said, "I am Zhengquan. May I ask where fellow Daoist Mingjing hails from?"

Mingjing Zhenren replied, "I come from the Tai Su Orthodox Sect in the Profound Yellow Realm."

"The Profound Yellow Realm... the Tai Su Orthodox Sect," Zhengquan Taoist repeated under his breath. He then asked, "Why does your esteemed sect seek this realm’s Grotto Heaven?"

"Seek your realm’s Grotto Heaven?" Mingjing Zhenren said coolly. "This is merely a matter for our sect’s Lower Institute."

Zhengquan Taoist fell silent for a moment. Mingjing Zhenren spoke again, "Do you have anything else to say, fellow Daoist? If you want to make a move, just say the word."

Zhengquan Taoist sighed. "I had no intention of stopping your esteemed sect... of stopping the True Form Temple from replacing the Celestial Permanence Sect. It’s just that the Celestial Permanence Sect is, after all, the legacy of an Earth Immortal Ancestor Grandmaster, and the Celestial Permanence Grotto Heaven was also left behind by him. If the True Form Temple is willing to continue venerating the Earth Immortal Ancestor Grandmaster in its hall, I will have no objections."

"Hmph..." Mingjing Zhenren scoffed. "You can burn incense and send a message right now, and if that Earth Immortal Ancestor Grandmaster of yours still answers, ask him this."

"Ask him if he dares to enter the Ancestral Hall of my Tai Su Orthodox Sect to be worshipped by us."

"What?" Zhengquan Taoist’s expression finally changed. "Aren’t your words a bit too arrogant, fellow Daoist?" he replied in a heavy voice.

A look of disdain crossed Mingjing Zhenren’s face. He was about to speak again but suddenly paused, frowning in thought for a moment. He then turned his head and called to Xuzhuang, "Martial Nephew, the affairs of the True Form Temple are your sole responsibility. You handle this with him."

Xuzhuang froze for a second. As Zhengquan Taoist’s gaze fell upon him, he mulled it over for a few moments before replying, "Our True Form Temple is a Lower Institute of the Tai Su Orthodox Sect, so it would be illogical for us to venerate another sect’s grandmaster. However, we respect the Earth Immortal Ancestor Grandmaster’s virtue in bringing enlightenment and spreading the Dao to this realm. We can erect a statue in his honor outside our main gates, ensuring that his worship in this region does not cease."