txolops Chapter 2600 Unveiling the Astrological Chart
Chapter 2600 Unveiling the Astrological Chart
Chapter 2600 Unveiling the Astrological Chart
After the Yang God left, the void continued to tremble. After a while, the tremors gradually subsided, but the surface of the Purple Pool remained unstable.
Qin Sang knew that absorbing so much water from the Purple Lake was already the limit for the Small Grotto-Heaven. If she didn't stop now, it would be a huge loss if it caused the Small Grotto-Heaven to collapse. Qin Sang didn't know what she could do with the water from the Purple Lake. It was only because it was something left behind by the Celestial Master of the Daoist Court that she was tempted by greed.
After confirming that there was nothing unusual around them and that the waters of Purple Lake remained peacefully in Purple Pool, Qin Sang left the Little Cave.
The Yang God used black and white chess pieces to scoop up water from the Purple Lake and present it to the Dharma Body. Because the quantity was small, it resembled a wisp of purple mist.
After leaving Purple Lake, Qin Sang tried to contact it again. This time, he did not feel the grand imagery he had before, but rather an indescribable Daoist charm that attracted him to explore the secrets hidden within.
"The Daoist rhythm..."
Qin Sang recalled what she had seen and felt before.
The chaotic purple aura, gathering and dispersing unpredictably, and existing in a way that was neither quite a thing nor quite a thing, reminded him of the scenes described in some ancient books when heaven and earth were first created and all the energies were not yet separated.
Of course, no one has actually experienced the beginning of the spirit world; much of the content is the author's imagination.
However, this purple aura involves a Celestial Master of the Daoist Court, so it's no wonder Qin Sang would make such a connection. She remembered that Master Ning once said that Mahayana cultivators can open up small grotto-heavens!
Could what he saw and heard in Purple Lake be a reflection of some kind of scene that appeared when he created the small grotto-heaven?
This doesn't mean that the small grotto-heaven opened by Master Lu is inside Purple Lake, but Qin Sang feels that the water of Purple Lake may have some connection with the grotto-heaven opened by Master Lu, or even some kind of treasure that Master Lu took out from his own grotto-heaven.
It was this very conjecture that drove Qin Sang to steal the water of Purple Lake.
Although Qin Sang knew that the goal of the Mahayana realm was related to creating his own grotto-heaven, he had no clue how to do it, simply because his realm was insufficient and his understanding of the Great Dao was not deep enough. But he would eventually have an epiphany, and perhaps then the water of Purple Lake could help him.
Next, Qin Sang stayed on the shore, exploring the secrets of Purple Lake. After some time, she finally sensed Yuan Zhenjun's aura.
Qin Sang stood up, put away the Yang God and the Yin-Yang Chess Pieces, and went outside to greet Yuan Zhenjun, who looked very serious.
"Yuan Zhenjun has been gone for so long, I wonder what Zhang Tianshi has to say?" Qin Sang could guess a few things from his expression.
This Purple Lake must be of great importance. If Zhang Tianshi hadn't been trapped in the Western Sea, he probably would have come here in person.
"This humble Taoist wishes to attempt to retrieve something from the lake. I would be grateful if Lord Qin could protect me," Yuan Zhenjun said in a deep voice, bowing respectfully.
In this small world, there were only the two of them, cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage. A group of juniors, whose cultivation level was no higher than the Void Refinement stage, dared not approach them at all. There was no need for Qin Sang to personally protect them.
Qin Sang understood the underlying meaning: Yuan Zhenjun didn't want her to get involved, which also proved that this Purple Lake was very important to the Dao Court!
He suppressed his doubts, nodded, and withdrew to the edge of the space, summoning the Taiyin Spirit Sword and assuming the posture of protecting Yuan Zhenjun.
Yuan Zhenjun walked slowly to the lakeside, and a green jade gourd appeared in his hand. There was a cluster of green flames at the mouth of the gourd, which was not as faint as ordinary flames, but rather like a seal that sealed the mouth of the gourd.
Yuan Zhenjun gently shook his palm, and the cluster of blue flames spread out. The sound of water came from inside the jade gourd. Then he turned the jade gourd over, and a stream of blue flame flowed out.
Flames swirled around Yuan Zhenjun, rapidly spreading outwards. Yuan Zhenjun was enveloped in the azure light of the flames, his figure becoming somewhat blurred.
At first, Qin Sang was a little confused, but she quickly understood the purpose of these blue flames.
His and Yuan Zhenjun's cultivation levels exceeded the carrying capacity of the minor world. In order to avoid causing a disaster, they had to suppress their cultivation levels, which greatly restricted them.
The same was true when they investigated Purple Lake. Therefore, Yuan Zhenjun ordered the spirit talisman avatar to only defend and not attack. However, Purple Lake was not subject to this restriction and could devour spirit talisman avatars comparable to those of Nascent Soul cultivators without causing the small world to collapse.
The effects of these green flames allow Yuan Zhenjun to act without restraint and unleash his full power.
Yuan Zhenjun always manages to produce some good things, and Qin Sang can only sigh that the Dao Court's foundation is still very deep!
As Yuan Zhenjun set up the Azure Flame Domain, his aura changed, and a flash of spiritual light appeared. A tall altar was suspended in the air, which was Yuan Zhenjun's talisman altar.
Within this altar, the energy is complex and varied. At the center of the altar, a jade-white seal, almost solid, is inscribed with the four characters "Announce to all spirits"!
"It's actually the Proclamation Seal of All Spirits?"
Qin Sang remembered meeting Yuan Zhenjun in Baishizhi. Back then, Baishizhi was in charge of the Beiji Exorcism Institute under the rule of Wei Zhenjun. The magic talismans of the Beiji Exorcism Institute were eventually printed as the Nine Heavens Military Talisman. Baishizhi's talisman-granting office also worshipped Houtu Huangdiqi. Unexpectedly, Yuan Zhenjun granted the talisman of the Tianshu Institute.
However, Qin Sang quickly realized that it was just a play staged by the Daoist court to cooperate with him back then, and that Yuan Zhenjun might actually have come from Zhong Maozhi.
The proclamation of the Myriad Spirits Seal shone brightly, and with a resounding drumbeat, the altar burst open, and Taoist soldiers filed out.
Row upon row, column upon column, their banners blotting out the sky!
Yuan Zhenjun is a legitimate successor of the Daoist lineage, and indeed he cultivates the Bingma Altar!
However, Yuan Zhenjun's troops were somewhat peculiar. Although they had demonic forms and occasionally included divine beasts, tigers, and leopards, they had no demonic aura whatsoever.
A look of surprise flashed in Qin Sang's eyes. These Dao soldiers were not Dao soldiers at all, but talisman soldiers!
In the world, cultivators who have achieved the Integration Realm, unless they are legendary geniuses who have suddenly attained enlightenment, are essentially built up by a massive amount of cultivation resources. However, the consumption of resources in the Dao Court's Military Altar is particularly high, and many Dao Court cultivators dare not practice the 'Military Altar Securing' method.
Crafting so many talisman soldiers is no simpler than training demon soldiers.
Creating weapons with talismans requires not only the effort of crafting so many talismans, but also the immense resources expended to make them lifelike and work seamlessly together.
This should also be one of the reasons why Zhang Tianshi appointed him to be in charge of Gengchuzhi.
Unlike demon soldiers who need shouts to boost morale, Yuan Zhenjun's Dao soldiers acted silently and on command. Judging from their actions, it seemed that they were helping Yuan Zhenjun summon divine generals.
A phantom image immediately appeared on the altar, which was Yuan Zhenjun's guardian deity. This deity was solemn and magnificent, wearing a dazzling star crown, vermilion shoes, and a robe of crimson clouds and cranes. A white jade pendant hung on his chest, a seven-star golden sword hung at his waist, and he held a jade tablet. Flames seemed to appear as his robes fluttered.
"So it was the Fire Star Lord, Yinghuo!"
Although Qin Sang did not possess the Divine Guide of the Divine Division, he was quite familiar with the Daoist Court and recognized the identity of this divine general as the Fire Star Lord, one of the Five Virtue Star Lords.
He didn't remember if the temple of the Fire God was still there when he broke into the Divine Court. However, the Fire God should be the talisman god of the River Chart. Even the Thunder Ancestor had recovered some of his power, so it was no problem for the Dao Court to repair the Fire God.
Most of the guardian deities of the Daoist temples are consistent with their respective positions, but Qin Sang is an exception.
As the Dao soldiers moved, like a great formation in motion, the figure of the Fire Virtue Star Lord gradually solidified.
Qin Sang felt a sense of familiarity from these Dao soldiers. They were all talisman soldiers, which were essentially transformed from spiritual talismans. They did not have the vigorous vitality of demon soldiers. The Golden Seal Altar was also composed of various lifeless spiritual materials. There were some similarities between the two, as if a complete Golden Seal Altar had been disassembled.
It is clearly the Terrace of Soldiers and Horses, yet it also resembles the Golden Seal Terrace. It is unclear whether this has existed since ancient times or whether the Taoist court made a compromise for reality in order to preserve the Terrace of Soldiers and Horses.
In this day and age, it is impossible for the Daoist court to tame demon soldiers. The demons of the Ghost Kingdom alone are clearly not enough to support the cultivation of so many Daoist True Monarchs. Thus, the method of using talismans to replace demons has emerged, and perhaps there are also puppet Daoist soldiers.
As for whether this method has any shortcomings compared to demon soldiers, it is not yet apparent from Yuan Zhenjun.
As Yuan Zhenjun commanded his Dao soldiers, the ritual was nearing its end. Strangely, Qin Sang did not sense the aura of the Divine Court. However, Yuan Zhenjun was about to complete the transformation into a god, and the Dao soldiers were possessed by divine generals, each transforming into a deity and greatly increasing their strength.
Seeing this, Qin Sang realized that this was the reason why Yuan Zhenjun had taken so long to report back!
Zhang Tianshi used some unknown method to allow Yuan Zhenjun to summon divine generals out of thin air. Was he doing this to prevent others from finding this small world through the connection of their qi?
In a flash, Qin Sang saw Yuan Zhenjun transform into the Fire Virtue Star Lord, his figure slowly rising. He held a jade bamboo slip in one hand and drew the Seven Star Golden Sword in the other, pointing it at the Purple Lake.
Where the sword tip pointed, a dazzling fire was seen, and a ball of flame appeared out of thin air, then transformed into a large star, its starlight almost as bright as the sun, illuminating the Purple Lake.
A large star hung high above the Purple Lake, and then the starlight gathered like a cluster.
Qin Sang saw a beam of starlight descend from the giant star and fall towards the center of the lake. Immediately, she felt the surrounding space shake, and the surrounding blue flames also vibrated at the same frequency, dissipating the impact force.
The aftershocks were blocked by Qin Sang's sword domain and did not spread to the outside world; otherwise, the sea would have been devastated.
He stared at the source of the tremor, but could not see it clearly.
The waves in Purple Lake were noticeably more violent than before, and something in the center of the lake seemed to be stirred by the large star, being pulled outward by the starlight.
'Boom!'
The giant waves were like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down. It seemed that the Purple Lake had been angered by Yuan Zhenjun, or perhaps it was an impotent rage. It never broke out of the Purple Lake's range and managed to harm Yuan Zhenjun.
The starlight, persistent and unwavering, draws the object in the heart of the lake, causing it to rise slowly.
Finally, something was indeed drawn out by the starlight. Yuan Zhenjun exhaled a breath of turbid air and immediately brought it to his front, carefully putting it away.
With a fleeting glance, Qin Sang vaguely saw that the object resembled a pouch, with a gold rope wrapped around its mouth and the body woven from purple-gold threads, forming intricate patterns that were exceptionally exquisite.
After the treasure pouch left, Purple Lake returned to its original state.
Even after putting away the treasure pouch, Yuan Zhenjun did not stop. He saw that the large star split into endless flames, covering the sky and the earth, from which streaks of fire shot out and shot towards the surrounding area of Purple Lake, taking root in the void.
Dozens of fire ropes hovered above Purple Lake, but they did not cause the lake to riot. The flames spread along the fire ropes and eventually formed a huge fire talisman that sealed Purple Lake inside!
Seeing this, Qin Sang secretly rejoiced that she had acted quickly enough.
The Daoist court values both the Purple Lake and the treasure pouch equally, even sealing the Purple Lake away. If they miss this opportunity, they fear they'll have a hard time entering again. This also shows that the Purple Lake's water has an extraordinary origin.
Having finished all this, Yuan Zhenjun summoned back his Daoist soldiers and altar, landing beside Qin Sang, and the protective talismans spread outwards. At this moment, only a sea of fire could be seen here; the aura of Purple Lake could no longer be sensed.
Before Qin Sang could ask, Yuan Zhenjun said urgently, "This humble Taoist must rush back to Gengchuzhi immediately. Before leaving, I must obey Zhang Tianshi's order to reseal this realm. I wonder what Qin Tianjun's plans are?"
"So rushed?"
Qin Sang was startled again. He intended to travel south and would not return with Yuan Zhenjun, but he could not stay in this realm any longer.
He knew that Yuan Zhenjun intended to return the treasure pouch to the Dao Court, and only with the Gengchu Zhizhi Altar and the Dugong Seal intact could this be accomplished. Unexpectedly, bringing back the treasure pouch was not enough; he also intended to seal this realm again.
"What exactly is the origin of that purple lake?" Qin Sang couldn't help but ask.
“Master Zhang has strictly ordered me not to make any mistakes,” said Yuan Zhenjun.
At this moment, Qin Sang had a startling conjecture: "Could it be that Master Lu did not perish?"
Qin Sang was well aware of the capabilities of Mahayana cultivators.
Looking back at the Storm Realm, powerful beings like the Ghost Mother, Qilin, and Qingluan all possess methods of resurrection.
When the Daoist court was at its peak, it was able to contend with an entire realm. How could all the Celestial Masters have died in battle?
Perhaps there are still Celestial Masters alive who have secretly contacted Zhang Tianshi. Or perhaps, like the powerful figures of the Storm Realm, some Celestial Masters are waiting for an opportunity to be resurrected.
Yuan Zhenjun remained silent, but her eyes revealed an expectant look.
Thinking of this possibility, Qin Sang was genuinely happy for the Dao Court. They were now in a situation where they shared both prosperity and adversity. The stronger the Dao Court was, the more secure his backing would be.
After sealing off Zihu Lake, Qin Sang and Yuan Zhenjun returned to Yuxian Valley, where Yuan Zhenjun summoned Zhen Yin to his side.
He had already decided to take on a disciple, so he asked Zhen Yin if she would be willing to go to the Spirit Realm with him. As long as she passed the test, she could enter the Dao Court and cultivate the Dao.
Zhen Yin was extremely excited and almost unable to control himself. This was a genuine expression of his feelings, as he had been on the verge of despair before.
Seeing this, Qin Sang couldn't help but sigh. If he had been guided by an immortal when he was trapped in the Storm Realm, he would have been just as overjoyed as him.
Yuan Zhenjun only intended to take Zhen Yin with him, as only this person could meet his standards. The other cultivators in this realm still needed to be trained. After taking the pouch and sealing the Purple Lake, the heavenly tribulation in this realm would return to normal. If those cultivators continued to be as lax as before, they would be reduced to ashes in the next heavenly tribulation.
As for Qin Sang, she did not intend to return with Yuan Zhenjun and decided to leave this realm to explore the route south.
"If this realm is not far from Xunzhou and the East Sea, I will leave a mark so that communication between the two places can proceed without hindrance..."
Qin Sang explained his plans, which were approved by Yuan Zhenjun. After a careful discussion, Yuan Zhenjun, eager to return and report, took his leave.
Before leaving, Yuan Zhenjun gave Qin Sang a compass-shaped treasure. Instead of writing, it was inscribed with stars of varying sizes, with a ray of spiritual light hanging above it.
"This treasure is called the Star-Unveiling Compass, which can help Qin Tianjun determine directions in the Xunfeng Sea..."