Chapter 4138: Ancestral Flame Daylight, Orchid and Mugwort Burn Together
Eternal Heavenly Kingdom.
Qishier Pin Lian walked out from a golden-tiled temple situated above colorful clouds, holding prayer beads in her hand, her hair tied up at the temples, a green lotus mark on her brow, her features bearing a striking resemblance to Xuanyuan Lian.
Now, she was perpetually surrounded by ancestral Dao Sanskrit characters, visible only to those at the Indestructible Infinite level.
She gazed down at the starry sea universe beyond Lihentian, her eyes falling upon the Heavenly Court.
It was as if she could see the sorrowful and mournful scenes of the gods within the Heavenly Palace.
She was very calm, neither sad nor joyful.
Then, she looked toward the distant Tianhuang.
"Shua! Shua! Shua..." The gods of the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom were rushing toward her temple like a meteor shower.
The True Arbiter and...
By the time the gods arrived, Qishier Pin Lian had already left.
The Divine Martial Envoy "Wu Ying" surveyed the empty temple, a thought rising in his mind that even he found absurd: "She didn't go to Tianhuang alone, did she?"
He knew that Qishier Pin Lian and Hao Tian were Dao partners.
Soon, he dismissed this thought. For someone like Qishier Pin Lian, even the closest kin of the White Clothes Valley were ignored, and she could slaughter them without hesitation. How could the death of Xuanyuan Taihao stir her heart enough to make her rush recklessly into danger?
This was a woman who had severed all desires and all bonds, living for only two things: cultivation and revenge.
Logically, severing desires and bonds should lead to extreme rationality.
But why, in the face of hatred, was she so extreme?
Such a contradictory being—cultivating Buddhist nature while creating endless slaughter—Wu Ying simply could not understand.
Fate Divine Domain.
After returning from the North Marsh Great Wall, the Demon Ancestor Ridge and the Fate Divine Mountain had merged together.
The Parasol Divine Tree had taken root in the Five Realms Heaven where the "Past Divine Palace" and "Future Divine Palace" were located, simultaneously absorbing nutrients from Lihentian and the Real World. Its branches and leaves covered the entire divine domain, showering down a rain of light.
With the enhancement of the Demon Ancestor Ridge and the Parasol Divine Tree, the cultivation environment of the Fate Divine Domain far surpassed its former state, rivaling even the Heavenly Court.
Coupled with the defection of a large number of demon clan cultivators and the constant activation of the Sundial, the number of gods under the Fate Divine Temple had increased rapidly, returning to the level before the campaign against the North Marsh Great Wall.
Now, Feng Tian was even colder than the former Death God Venerable, as if she no longer possessed any emotions.
She stood at the center of the divine temple, communicating across time and space with Void Heaven through divine thought, hoping he would return to the Fate Divine Temple to hold the fort, while she led the army of gods to the Biluo Pass.
One of the three half-ancestors of the Fate Divine Temple had to remain. Regarding Bore and the Pure Land World, Nutian Shenzun had already made his stance clear—he must go, with no room for negotiation.
Because, separated by a single line of defense, the Abyss of Darkness was undergoing a terrifying upheaval. Ancestral divine light continuously erupted from it, and no one dared approach the entrance.
No one knew where the fate of the Twelve Ancient Clans would lead.
"Boom!"
A change occurred.
The originally dim temple became as bright as daylight.
A River of Time and a Styx River simultaneously manifested out of thin air, like two majestic divine dragons, winding through the hall, tearing apart the formation inscriptions and rule divine patterns within.
Feng Tian stared at the temple gate.
Qishier Pin Lian crossed space, appearing within the gate, breaking through the order and protective divine light before Feng Tian at an unimaginable speed.
Closer and closer...
"Kong Fannin!"
In Feng Tian's pupils, the figure of Qishier Pin Lian grew clearer. She released the Gate of Death, placing it between herself and Qishier Pin Lian. She did not know why Qishier Pin Lian was attacking her, but in the Fate Divine Temple, Feng Tian not only had the blessing of Fate Esoterica and Death Esoterica but could also mobilize the power of the Demon Ancestor Ridge and the Parasol Divine Tree.
Below the Ancestor level, she feared no one.
Qishier Pin Lian was clearly aware of this, which was why she used the power of time and space to launch a sudden attack, denying Feng Tian the chance to mobilize external forces.
She would not even give Feng Tian the chance to fully mobilize her own power.
"Hua!"
Qishier Pin Lian broke through the Gate of Death with her physical body, closing the distance to Feng Tian to within one zhang.
At such close range, the half-ancestor energy storm tore everything apart.
"Your cultivation has reached the peak of the half-ancestor realm?"
The Gate of Death was the crystallization of Feng Tian's lifelong cultivation. To break it so quickly, Kong Fannin's cultivation must be at least two levels higher than hers. Qishier Pin Lian's expression was cold, and she reached out her hand, the five-fingered shadow gradually enlarging, "I need to borrow something from you."
Too fast, it took almost no time.
With such a sneak attack, even a cultivator of the same realm could be severely wounded in one blow.
Feng Tian indeed had no time to mobilize the Esoterica or the power of the Demon Ancestor Ridge, but she could mobilize the ancestral flame within her body. This was the flame of the Demon Ancestor, sent to this era by the Demon Ancestor through the Parasol Divine Tree's divine ability.
Even an existence like the Chongming Ancestor was instantly incinerated by the ancestral flame.
Feng Tian struck out with a palm. Her jade-white, snow-like fingers gradually sharpened, and her arm grew colorful phoenix feathers. Strands of ancestral flame surged from within her body, colliding with Qishier Pin Lian's palm.
The collision of two half-ancestor-level forces did not produce a thunderous roar but was instead silent.
"What I want to borrow is the ancestral flame." The Nine-Headed Ancestor Mark appeared in Qishier Pin Lian's palm, slowly rotating, drawing strands of ancestral flame from Feng Tian's body.
This Nine-Headed Ancestor Mark was cultivated by the Nine-Headed Stone Man, the Dao foundation of an Ancestor.
The reason Qishier Pin Lian's cultivation could advance by leaps and bounds, reaching the peak of the half-ancestor realm, was largely due to her complete mastery of the Nine-Headed Ancestor Mark.
This was the theft of the Nine-Headed Stone Man's Ancestor Dao!
"Hua!"
The Sundial flew out from somewhere in the temple, smashing heavily toward Qishier Pin Lian.
But, still several zhang away, it was blocked by an invisible wall of space.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God stood atop the Sundial, his eyes sharp and cold: "Qishier Pin Lian, you won't even spare Feng Caiyi? You've truly lost your mind. Have you completely forgotten the bonds of the past?"
The three who were once closest were now completely on opposite sides.
"Boom!"
The Sundial and Feng Caiyi were sent flying by an overwhelming wave of spatial force.
The Sundial embedded itself into the wall on the east side of the temple, and Xiu Chen Heavenly God's physical body nearly exploded.
Feng Tian retreated dozens of steps, all the way to the end of the temple space. Then, she immediately activated the Victory Crown on her head, unleashing an extreme burst of Radiant Divine Prowess and Fate Divine Light.
But Qishier Pin Lian had already vanished into space, leaving no trace.
"She only took the ancestral flame, not the Victory Crown. What exactly is she planning?"
Xiu Chen Heavenly God found it strange. With the perfect opportunity created by the sudden attack, Qishier Pin Lian could have easily taken the Victory Crown.
Was the ancestral flame more valuable than the Victory Crown? Xiu Chen Heavenly God suspected that if Qishier Pin Lian wore the Victory Crown, she could contend with an Ancestor.
White Clothes Valley.
Inside the Kongming Hall, top-tier gods including Chan Bing, Jue Miao Chan Nu, Yan Shu Chan Shi, and Wolf Ancestor had gathered. Additionally, two outsiders from the Sword Realm, A Le and Zhang Gushen, stood in a corner.
"After I leave, Jue Miao will be the master of the White Clothes Valley. Until she fully matures, Senior Sister Bing, you must assist her well," Nutian Shenzun instructed.
Chan Bing asked, "Is the danger truly that severe?"
It was a redundant question!
With Hao Tian and Yan Huanyu having fallen, and Heavenly Mother having gone and not returned, the danger of Tianhuang and the urgency of the situation absolutely surpassed any previous moment.
The Corpse Nightmare was in the Abyss of Darkness. So who was in Tianhuang went without saying.
To go, one must be mentally prepared not to return.
The other gods of the White Clothes Valley might still harbor some illusion that Nutian Shenzun's journey would only be dangerous. But A Le knew that once Nutian Shenzun went to Tianhuang, he would definitely not return.
Because he had already handed the Cause Qin to Nutian Shenzun.
The strongest divine ability left by the Great Venerable, "Orchid and Mugwort Burn Together," once used, would incinerate both the Cause Qin and the caster. Nutian Shenzun was going to Tianhuang to perish together with the Nether Ancestor, avenging the Withering Death Art.
He would burn the grudges and entanglements of over ten eons together, making an end of it.
Yan Shu Chan Shi let out a long sigh, his lips moving, but in the end, he bowed and said heavily, "Father... take care..."
Hearing the word "Father," even Nutian Shenzun, with his steady mind, felt a surge of warmth in his chest.
But he only looked over and nodded slightly.
He did not want this single "Father" to shake his unwavering will, nor did he dare to harbor attachment and reluctance. Going to Tianhuang with attachment and emotion would surely lead to failure.
"Oh?"
Nutian Shenzun sensed something and quickly walked out of the Kongming Hall.
The others immediately followed.
Standing at the temple gate, Nutian Shenzun looked down the long stone steps at the beautiful figure in white Buddhist robes standing below.
The setting sun cast a glow, the sky's edge a crimson red.
A cold wind gently stirred the incense smoke.
Qishier Pin Lian closely observed the candle flame in the half-man-tall incense burner, lost in thought. Clearly, she was not looking at the candle flame but at the memories once contained within the firelight, searching for something.
Nutian Shenzun alone walked down the stone steps step by step.
He had waited for her return for many years.
Now, seeing her back, he felt both the profound emotions of time's passage and a strong sense of vigilance.
The last time she returned, she had created mountains of corpses and seas of blood in the White Clothes Valley.
Nutian Shenzun once thought he could tolerate all her willfulness and mistakes, but now he realized that the past was truly past. No matter how beautiful the childhood memories, they had been worn away completely by repeated disappointments.
She was no longer the little girl who blinked, made funny faces, and stuck out her tongue.
"When we were children, we used to play and chase around this incense burner, didn't we? Was it you or me who bumped into Yutian Buddha? I can't remember!" Qishier Pin Lian suddenly spoke.
"It was you. You were holding a handful of incense sticks pulled from the burner and bumped into Yutian Buddha's arms, almost setting his kasaya on fire. But back then, who knew he was the famous Yutian Buddha? We thought he was some wild monk."
Nutian Shenzun walked to the opposite side of the incense burner, separated by the firelight, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar face across from him. He added, "But that incense burner was destroyed long ago. I had an identical one cast and placed here."
Qishier Pin Lian immediately lost interest in looking further. "Give me the Cause Qin," she said.
Her tone was flat but carried an undeniable will. The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Without hesitation, Chan Bing immediately worked with Yan Shu Chan Shi to activate the defensive formation of the White Clothes Valley, preparing for a half-ancestor battle.
Nutian Shenzun's eyes grew heavy. "How do you know the Cause Qin is in my hands?"
Qishier Pin Lian looked up at A Le and Zhang Gushen standing at the temple gate above. "In recent years, it was I who attacked Chi Yao, Chi Kongle, and Zhang Gushen. Among all of Zhang Ruochen's sons, Zhang Gushen is on par with Chi Kunlun, with extraordinary talent. Killing him would force Zhang Ruochen to show himself and cut off a highly promising bloodline of the Zhang family."
"It was A Le who used the divine ability 'Gui Qu Lai Xi' from the Cause Qin, left by the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable, to save Zhang Gushen from my hands and bring him to the White Clothes Valley."
"In fact, I had long suspected that Zhang Ruochen would leave the Cause Qin with you. Who else is more suitable than you to go and burn together with the Nether Ancestor, orchid and mugwort alike?"
"As the son of the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable, perfectly aligned with the divine ability he left behind, and sharing an irreconcilable hatred with the Nether Ancestor, you would be willing to die."
After a long silence.
Qishier Pin Lian's eyes were no longer so sharp. She lowered her voice, "Actually... there is someone more suitable. Me!"
Nutian Shenzun did not trust her. "Which faction do you truly belong to? The Nether Ancestor Faction, or have you sincerely joined the God Realm?"
Hearing this, Qishier Pin Lian knew how deep the rift between them was, with no trust left.
Qishier Pin Lian said, "What do you think we are in the eyes of the Immortals? Join the God Realm? Join the Nether Ancestor Faction? The word 'join' is the greatest irony. We are merely pieces on the chessboard, manipulated at will, with no initiative whatsoever."
"I once joined the Nether Ancestor Faction to wipe out the Zhang family, striving to sever ties with the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable, but I never gained the trust of the Nether Ancestor or the Corpse Demon."
"Even the Dark Lord, a crippled Immortal, only used me to do his bidding, like a slave or a hunting dog."
"The God Realm... I have yet to be deemed worthy of meeting the Immortal of the God Realm!"
"Everything you do, no matter how much you accomplish, is merely the result of the chess player's will in their eyes. The more actively you act according to their expectations, the greater their sense of achievement."
"Only when their sense of achievement is great enough, when they are complacent enough to believe everything is under their control, might they reveal a flaw, giving us pieces a chance to strike back."
Nutian Shenzun stared intently at Qishier Pin Lian, trying to discern the truth of her words.
Qishier Pin Lian said, "Now is the best chance to kill the Nether Ancestor, perhaps the only one."
"Do you think you can kill the Nether Ancestor?"
Nutian Shenzun felt that Qishier Pin Lian knew some deep secrets.
Qishier Pin Lian said, "Leifa Heavenly Venerable once told me before his death that the Nether Ancestor has a core secret hidden in Tianhuang, likely his only weakness. I don't know how Leifa Heavenly Venerable learned of this, but the fact that Hao Tian and Yan Huanyu went to Tianhuang and died there proves that Leifa Heavenly Venerable's words hold some truth."
Nutian Shenzun said, "Can I trust you?"
"You can choose not to trust me, but if you carry the Cause Qin to Tianhuang, you will never be able to use 'Orchid and Mugwort Burn Together' in front of the Nether Ancestor. Because you yourself are of the Nether Clan, with the blood of Nether Clan creatures flowing in your veins. The Nether Ancestor can suppress you far too easily."
Qishier Pin Lian added, "The Styx River has been refined into your divine realm world, which is an even greater variable. It is part of the Nether Ancestor's divine realm world!"
"These two reasons are secondary."
"The most important thing is: do you truly believe the Nether Ancestor is an ordinary Ancestor? Can your fervent passion break through his will suppression?"
Nutian Shenzun said, "If I cannot, can you?"
Qishier Pin Lian said, "The reason I believe 'Orchid and Mugwort Burn Together' might kill the Nether Ancestor—or at least create an opportunity to kill him—is that this divine ability incinerates both the Cause Qin and the caster, stacking three forces together."
"To ensure the success of the technique, one must not only cultivate 'Orchid and Mugwort Burn Together' and understand its true essence but also cultivate 'Ancestral Flame Daylight.'"
"'Ancestral Flame Daylight, Orchid and Mugwort Burn Together.' That is the complete phrase, recorded in the Bell Tower Canon of the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom."
Nutian Shenzun stared at her deeply, a renewed sense of trust rising within him.
Just as she said!
To use "Orchid and Mugwort Burn Together," the caster would surely die.
If she did not have a death-defying resolve, why would she bother to learn these details and secrets?
Qishier Pin Lian said, "'Ancestral Flame Daylight, Orchid and Mugwort Burn Together.' It was originally prepared by the God Realm for the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable, intending to use him to perish together with the Nether Ancestor. Unfortunately, the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable saw through it! No matter how sacred the God Realm portrays itself, it cannot hide the fact that without devouring others, one cannot achieve immortality."
"My hatred for the Zhang family has not diminished to this day. My killing intent toward the Nether Ancestor has never wavered."
"This hatred and killing intent prevent my mind from ever reaching perfection, keeping me in eternal torment. I have tried countless times to redeem myself, to reconcile with my heart, but I cannot. There is no turning back. The Ancestor Realm... I can never hope to reach it in this life!"
Qishier Pin Lian's eyes were no longer cold or sharp. They were complex and sorrowful as she looked at Yan Shu Chan Shi and Jue Miao Chan Nu in the distance. "You still have family to care for. You can pursue a happy and fulfilling remaining life. But I no longer wish to continue suffering! Let me have this opportunity!"
Nutian Shenzun felt that his heart had been tempered a thousand times, as hard as gold and iron, yet at this moment, it could not withstand her gaze.
He took out the Cause Qin, holding it in his hands.
While Nutian Shenzun was still hesitating, Qishier Pin Lian had already taken the Qin. In an instant, she seemed to become a different person, calm and indifferent to the extreme. "Tell Feng Caiyi and Xiu Chen that Qishier Pin Lian is not Kong Fannin. Kong Fannin died long ago!"
Qishier Pin Lian slung the Qin over her back and walked dozens of steps, slowing down with each step. When she was about to disappear from Nutian Shenzun's sight, it seemed as if some irresistible force from heaven and earth struck her. Countless thoughts surged within her, impossible to suppress.
She stopped with difficulty, not turning around.
"Brother... I'm leaving!"
Leaving these words behind, she no longer hesitated and vanished into space.
Nutian Shenzun was left alone, gazing for a long time at the setting sun disappearing below the horizon, tears in his eyes that he could not stop.