Yellow Court Daoist-Chapter 341 - 321: The Two-Year Period Arrives, Zhenyuan Mountain Opens!

Cloud Platform Peak.

Xuan Ning, Xuan Cheng, and the six disciples, along with Sinier, watched intently. The appearance of the Five-Colored Divine Light that brushed away Nehem's shield and weapons surprised them all.

"This is the Five-Colored Divine Light, which can cleanse all within the Five Elements in heaven and earth!"

Lu Qingfeng spoke out.

Without caring whether his six disciples could understand or not, he wanted them to witness the might of various Immortal Dao Methods. Lu Qingfeng sent Nehem flying, continuing his actions without pause.

"Hut!"

He tossed the Purple Gold Bowl into the air.

It changed mid-air, suddenly enlarging.

Two streams of golden jade-like Sword Qi emerged like dragons sucking water, flying out from the mouth of the bowl and suspended high in the sky. Extremely fierce, these two streams converged and tangled, securely sucking in Nehem who had just regained his footing in the air.

"You can't trap me!"

Nehem roared furiously, struggling wildly as if he could break free.

Seeing this, Lu Qingfeng acted unruffled, removing a golden ring from his wrist.

Horace, who had witnessed this, blurted out first, "It's the Demon Suppressing Golden Ring!"

When Horace first saw Lu Qingfeng, it was with this golden ring that he had subdued the Purple-eyed Bone Dragon, leaving a deep impression on him.

"Indeed."

"This treasure is known as the 'Demon Suppressing Golden Ring', and it has the power to subdue demons and evils. The bowl in the sky is called the 'Purple Gold Bowl'; let Flying Swords, Magical Artifacts, and Thunder Fire fly about—it shall not advance. Whether human, demon, specter, or ghost falls into it, they will be sucked in and rendered unable to move."

"Used together, these two treasures can suppress all evil demons."

Far away, the Demon Suppressing Golden Ring turned into golden light and fell.

Nehem was about to break free from the Purple Gold Bowl's grasp when another layer of the Demon Suppressing Golden Ring arrived, binding him tightly and leaving him unable to exert his strength, powerful as he was, trapped by the twin dragons and locked tight by the golden light.

Bang, bang, bang!

He struggled wildly, causing the Demon Suppressing Golden Ring to emit banging noises, with the golden light sometimes concentrating, sometimes scattering, as if it would break apart.

"What a mighty Eclipse Duke."

Lu Qingfeng silently commended in his heart.

Worthy of an Abyss Duke comparable to a Golden Core Expert, Nehem's strength was so overwhelming that the combined force of the Demon Suppressing Golden Ring and the Purple Gold Bowl almost failed to restrain him.

However,

Even though they were merely Fifth-Order Magical Artifacts, against Nehem who had no Magical Artifacts by his side, despite appearing perilous, he had no hope of breaking free no matter how much he struggled.

"It's just a waste of effort."

Before the thought even vanished, he saw blood light flooding Nehem's eyes, his consciousness seemed to be eroded by slaughter. A wild aura surged up from the depths of his soul.

A sign of bad omen rose in Lu Qingfeng's heart.

He didn't dare hesitate.

With a wave of his hand, an eight-layered palace transformed in the air, growing to a hundred zhang high and capturing Nehem along with the Purple Gold Bowl and Demon Suppressing Golden Ring into the Eight Sceneries Tower.

Just as he reeled them in,

Boom!

A thunderous noise erupted from within the Eight Sceneries Tower. Lu Qingfeng's expression turned slightly grim, his gaze sweeping toward the first layer of the tower, the Golden Dawn Realm, only to see the Demon Suppressing Golden Ring shattered into three pieces in all directions. The Sword Qi from the Purple Gold Bowl was torn apart in the air.

"Die, die, die!"

Nehem fell into a rage, screaming wildly within the Golden Dawn Realm, his power causing the hundred-zhang high Eight Sceneries Tower to tremble incessantly.

A grand array arranged by ten thousand swords struck Nehem, only eliciting 'ding ding dang dang' sounds. This Eclipse Duke's body was solid as refined iron, immune to any damage from Sword Qi, as insignificant as mere tickling.

"Such a formidable physical body, truly indomitable!"

Lu Qingfeng had a thought.

He threw Nehem into the third layer, the Four Seas Realm, without activating the Heavenly Yi Ice Array, simply allowing Nehem to rage within the Four Seas Realm.

The seas accept all rivers.

Nehem's fierce power that could shatter mountains and divert rivers, within the Four Seas, could only be dissipated into nothingness.

Lu Qingfeng spread his palm open, and the hundred-zhang-tall Eight Sceneries Tower in the air shrank to a height of three feet and fell into his palm.

His gaze shifted slightly, peering into the deep darkness of the rift valley abyss.

In the darkness, there seemed to be a fleeting flash of light. Lu Qingfeng looked over, and in an instant, it was gone.

"He's quite fast at running."

Lu Qingfeng shook his head, holding the Eight Sceneries Tower.

With one step, he arrived atop Cloud Platform Peak, in front of Sinier and the others.

The two 'Duke Guangyuans' meeting made Xuan Ning, Xuan Cheng, and the other six disciples' eyes widen, while Sinier and the other two secretly marveled.

Lu Qingfeng focused his thoughts and retracted his Divine Soul.

...

Cloud Platform Stone Lotus.

Lu Qingfeng sat cross-legged, eyes closed, meditating on his cultivation. In front of him, the three-foot-tall Eight Sceneries Tower floated up and down, with continuous roaring sounds coming from within. Lu Qingfeng paid no heed to these, engrossed in his own cultivation.

The surrounding changes after his descent had not allowed him to fully consume the thirty million Experience Value.

This time, having slain Augustine and captured Nehem, finally managed to intimidate the Abyss, earning some respite. He could use this time to convert all thirty million Experience Value into cultivation progress.

With Experience Value aiding him, Lu Qingfeng's cultivation soared step by step.

Time passed.

Early stage of Void Core.

Middle stage of Void Core.

Late stage of Void Core.

The Cultivation Technique was thoroughly mastered, having been practiced many times before. Cultivating again in this life felt like a walk in the park, without a single halt, which gave Lu Qingfeng a long-missed sensation of comfort.

Beyond cultivation.

He visualized the Golden Saber Soul Slaughter, with the notion to slice through demons in mind.

Inside the third layer of the Eight Sceneries Tower, in the Four Seas Realm.

"Guang Yuan!"

"Let me out, damn it!"

Waves surged, and the roars of Nehem came through from time to time. His frenzied state had long subsided, making his voice sound rather weak.

All of a sudden.

From above the Four Seas, a streak of golden light appeared, arriving swiftly.

It didn't give Nehem any time to respond.

Fiercely it descended!

"A mere Golden Saber wants to kill me?!"

Nehem laughed brazenly.

His physical body was robust, and in his frenzied state, even Augustine couldn't trap him. This time, although he was captured by Lu Qingfeng using the Eight Sceneries Tower, he was confident that he would escape eventually. All kinds of attacks, in front of his iron-cast body, were nothing but weaklings.

However, in the next moment—

"Ah!"

The Golden Saber fell, not cutting through the physical body but seeming to pass directly through Nehem's body like an illusion. The Golden Saber Soul Slaying caused Nehem's soul to suffer excruciating pain like dismemberment, making him unable to suppress an agonized roar from the depths of his soul.

"Soul attack!"

Nehem's eyes showed terror as he stretched out his hand, pieces of armor falling into his grasp, feeling both pain and alarm, "It can even penetrate the Divine Armor!"

This was a soul defense magical device.

Worn upon the soul, it could immunize against all kinds of curses and soul attacks. But when the Golden Saber fell, it directly shattered the 'Divine Armor'.

Nehem looked up.

Seeing no second Golden Saber coming, he had just breathed a sigh of relief when the scenery around him changed. From being surrounded by the vast ocean in the Four Seas, he abruptly found himself in an endless Fire Domain.

From the third layer to the fourth layer.

Planting lotus in the True Fire Realm!

The roaring True Fire burns without pause, refining Nehem who is still panicked and unsettled within.

"Ah, ah, ah!"

Even with Nehem's sturdy physique, the pain of being burned is unbearable, and his screams are incessant.

Lu Qingfeng executes a strike of the 'Golden Saber Soul Slaughter Method,' casting Nehem into the True Fire Realm thereafter.

He cultivates on one side.

From time to time, envisioning the Golden Saber, he fiercely slashes down.

Refined by True Fire, the Golden Saber slays souls.

Nehem's suffering is unspeakable.

Time flashes by, and in the blink of an eye, two years pass.

...

In ordinary times,

the span of two years would be insignificant to the eternal Heavenly Punishment Abyss.

But the past two years have seen tumultuous changes.

Duke Guangyuan rose abruptly, first slaying Duke Jingji Augustine, and then occupying the Thorny Rift Valley, establishing Zhenyuan Mountain, and proclaiming his presence to all directions.

Countless humans, countless Abyss Clans, countless Abyss Creatures are curious.

They rush towards Zhenyuan Mountain one after another.

Not only cultivators, not only mighty creatures.

Within a hundred thousand miles, even common folks hearing the Xuan Music hurry towards their heart's Zhenyuan Mountain. Step by step, they traverse the vast Abyss Land.

Nobody knows how many commoners die of exhaustion on the way.

Nor how many are lost to the mouths of various demons.

Yet still, there are those unwilling to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, advancing towards Zhenyuan Mountain.

Cultivators travel fast.

But within a hundred thousand miles, speeds vary. Even Official Mages or Official Warriors at Foundation Establishment level find it challenging to cross this distance.

Only those who have reached the level of a Great Mage can have a modicum of confidence.

Great Mages of the Earth, Sky, Stars, Silver Moon, and Arrogant Sun at Fifth-Order possess power not inferior to that of a Spirit Void Practitioner; unable to burn mountains and boil seas, yet they can disregard the attacks of ordinary Abyss Demons.

However.

Traveling a hundred thousand miles still remains perilous.

Only those at Lord Level can truly be considered stable. It is possible for a Lord Level powerhouse to emerge only within a radius of a thousand or several thousand miles. So long as they avoid prolonged battles, even the lowest-ranking Baron is hard to kill.

Especially when they are wholly focused on fleeing.

Whether out of curiosity.

Or with intentions of allegiance.

One after another, Lord Level powerhouses converge towards Zhenyuan Mountain.

A hundred thousand miles of land falls into unrest. With Zhenyuan Mountain as the center, dozens to hundreds of Human Clan cultivators or other racial members and common folks gather every day.

The Dutian Xuanming Strategy of Sixth Rank in hand.

Refining Augustine and the ten thousand Abyss Army under his command, the aura of Dutian is rich, elevating the power of the Ghost General Yin Soldiers to their pinnacle.

Seventy-two Dutian Ghost Generals, each comparable to a Golden Core Expert.

Three thousand six hundred Xuanming Yin Soldiers, all not weaker than the peak of Spirit Void.

Suppressing all directions.

This is the presence of seventy-two Dukes, even seventy-two Grand Dukes, with an overbearing momentum that makes even Lord Level powerhouses dare not overstep the boundary of the Thunder Pond. Until the two-year period has ended, Duke Guangyuan has not given permission, not daring to step into the hundred-mile radius of Zhenyuan Mountain.

Three thousand six hundred Xuanming Yin Soldiers, at the peak of Spirit Void, equivalent to the Arrogant Sun Great Mages from the Barbarian God Realm.

In Lu Qingfeng's eyes.

Lord Level barely counts as anything, and Great Mages are nothing but ants.

But looking at the whole First Layer of the Heavenly Punishment Abyss, a Great Mage is also a power player. Capable of establishing an independent Mage Tower. Dominating a realm of dozens or hundreds of miles in diameter, they are unquestionably mighty.

A Lord rules over a thousand miles.

A Great Mage holds sway over a hundred miles.

The deterrent force of an Arrogant Sun Great Mage, although not matching a Lord, is for the common Abyss Practitioner, nonetheless formidable.

"Having so many strong beings under his command, just what is the background of this Duke Guangyuan?!"

"These strong followers, no wonder he could kill Augustine and take over the Thorny Rift Valley."

"Duke Guangyuan is much more amiable than Augustine, if one could submit under his command and receive his guidance, perhaps ascending to Lord Level is possible!"

Outside Zhenyuan Mountain, countless thousands from the Abyss Hundred Clans, whether they have waited a long time or just arrived, look up at the over three thousand strong who have stood in the sky for two years, with hearts filled with shock, perplexity, and expectation.

"Seventy-two Dukes!"

A White Jade Skull appears, its eye sockets flickering with ghostly fire, clearly belonging to the Dead Spirit Clan. Its arrival draws much attention, but with Duke Guangyuan's presence and the Ghost General Yin Soldiers enforcing order, no one dares to make a move.

Over two years.

Anyone who fights within a thousand miles of Zhenyuan Mountain is punished by the Ghost General Yin Soldiers. In severe cases, they are even killed on the spot.

Within a thousand miles, the atmosphere suddenly turns harmonious.

The White Jade Skull looks up, towards the seventy-two Dutian Ghost Generals and the three thousand six hundred Xuanming Yin Soldiers in the sky, sensing an atmosphere that is both familiar and alien.

"Dead Souls?"

"It doesn't seem so."

The ghostly fire within the White Jade Skull trembles slightly, as if contemplating something.

Suddenly.

The sky roils as thirty-six Dutian Ghost Generals lead one thousand eight hundred Xuanming Yin Soldiers descending, arranged in front of Zhenyuan Mountain. The clouds that have shrouded Zhenyuan Mountain thus far now part from all sides, revealing thirty-six immensely wide cloud paths.

Like stairs ascending to heaven, they unfold.

From within the clouds to the outer edge of Zhenyuan Mountain.

The clouds churn.

The Heavenly Ladder unfolds.

Such grandeur causes a stir outside Zhenyuan Mountain.

Immediately following.

From within Zhenyuan Mountain, a melody as profound as the sounds of the universe, a Daoist voice sings aloud—

"Wearing a simple scarf adorned with cyan, two ends fluttering behind like leaves,

Forehead marked with three points reflecting cosmic lights, head encircled twice distinguishing Sun and Moon.

Dao robe of jade green follows Yin and Yang, waist tied with a magic knot from the Queen Mother.

Feet in a pair of cloud-stepping shoes, walking with ease amid the stars in the dark of night.

No need for steeds or boats to voyage, wander the Four Seas and Five Lakes at will.

Arriving in an instant through the vast world, rock may shatter and pine may wither as seasons fall.

Ascending the mountains, tigers bow in submission, while in the seas, dragons present themselves in homage.

With a heart relieved of the Dao's worries, hands mend the imperfections of the heavens and earth."

The profound and vast music reaches the ears.

Behind the dissipating clouds deep within Zhenyuan Mountain,

A Daoist clad in a Yin Yang Dao robe of the sun and moon appears indistinctly, sitting cross-legged atop the Cloud Platform Peak, emanating waves of Daoist charm. Breath flowing like a dragon, clouds moving with him, his voice resounds like the Yellow Bell Great Lv, stirring and billowing forth—

"Two-year term has come, Zhenyuan Mountain shall open."

"All those destined may enter my sect!"

The Array that enveloped the mountain dissipates, and the world stands in solemn awe.