Chapter 564: Holy Master Tian Yan, have you reached the Great Ascension yet?
“Finally, here they come.”
Holy Master Dao Xuan saw the moment and charged straight into the air. No more hiding his strength—his spiritual power at the Great Ascension stage surged toward Divine Monarch, billowing like a thunderstorm.
But in the blink of an eye, some other Great Ascension-level cultivator also charged out from the Divine Monarch’s side, and their spiritual energies collided. The surrounding mountain walls and vegetation instantly turned to powder as the shockwaves rippled outward.
“Old Stone Freak, you’re still alive?”
“Your old deadheads haven’t kicked the bucket yet, so why would I go first?” The Divine Monarch dressed in black burst into a sinister laugh. Then he took to the skies, tossing out a parting remark, “Hey, Holy Master Dao Xuan, you think you can fight here without holding back? How about we take this somewhere else?”
“Sounds good to me.”
Dao Xuan nodded sharply. In the next instant, both shot up into the sky and vanished from everyone’s sight.
“That Dao Xuan guy really takes off fast. I don’t get it—how does a pill-refiner have such a temper?” the Holy Master Tai Chu muttered, half-scolding. He then grabbed Bai Feng’s shoulder briskly, urging him back. “Bai Feng, let’s hide over there.”
But as they retreated, a furious rush of spiritual energy swept over—obviously, the Divine Monarch wasn’t just at the Great Ascension stage; he was ready to make a mess. Soon, the spiritual waves tore into the surroundings, shaking the landscape to bits.
When the chaos subsided, the Great Ascension cultivators from the Divine Monarch’s side practically flew into the air together, fleeing from the surging power. The Holy Land’s cultivators followed close behind—not because they wanted to duel with honor, but because they had to get away from the increasingly dominant divine consciousness of the Immortals. Even though they were at the Great Ascension stage, they still bore the divine seals of the Divine Monarch inside—they knew if the divine consciousness decided to devour them to restore its strength, they’d have zero chance.
Some of the Divine Monarch’s own Great Ascension cultivators even wished to wipe out the divine consciousness of the Immortals outright. After all, without the Immortals, they’d be the mightiest cultivators in this calamity-crossed realm. But with the divine consciousness? They’d be like disposable pawns—fodder, or even livestock ready to be slaughtered.
‘This battle is surprisingly harmonious.’
Bai Feng noticed it too. Thought he’d expect a chaotic melee when the Divine Monarch showed up, but instead everyone just ran to different places to fight independently.
Just then, a senior Divine Monarch landed in front of Tai Chu and Bai Feng. “Holy Master Tai Chu, long time no see.”
Tai Chu’s face grew cold. Recognition dawned, and he said, “Yang Hong? No—Golden Lion?”
“Yeah, that’s me,” the Golden Lion sneered—an expression filled with malicious intent. “Never thought you’d be at Great Ascension too.”
“All thanks to you,” Tai Chu said tersely. “If not for you, I wouldn’t have found such a perfect place.”
The Golden Lion chuckled grimly. “Oh, so you’re still the same reckless power chaser.”
“Hah, what’s wrong with chasing power?” Golden Lion cackled. “Come on, show me how much you’ve improved since the last time. Don’t tell me you can’t take even one of my moves now?”
Tai Chu shot a glance at Tian Yan, the Holy Master of Tian Yan sitting beside Bai Feng, then nodded. “Perfect. I want to see how much progress you’ve made since your obsession with strength.”
With that, both erupted with their Great Ascension powers and shot into the sky.
Watching the spectacle, Bai Feng stroked his chin and muttered, “Something’s fishy here.”
“They do know each other.” Tian Yan, smiling without a trace of worry, explained softly. “But that was before Tai Chu joined the Holy Land. Apparently, the more talented Golden Lion failed to pass the test, and his childhood friend—Tai Chu, who’s less gifted—got in instead.”
“So, did Tai Chu then pity his friend and share some cultivation resources? But Golden Lion saw it as humiliation and went to join the Divine Monarch instead?”
Hearing Bai Feng’s guess, Tian Yan’s expression slightly changed. “You heard about that?”
“No, I just guessed,” Bai Feng said, barely suppressing a smirk. Wow, Tai Chu’s background is pretty d*mn cliché—so much soap opera material!
“It’s pretty much what you guessed,” Tian Yan nodded gently. “Yang Hong, always competitive, stumbled upon some fortunate chance, joined the Divine Monarch, and rose to his current position. That’s why they became enemies. One of the reasons Tai Chu has been so aggressive in fighting the Divine Monarch is because of this old grudge.”
“I see. By the way, Tian Yan, I see Tai Chu and the others are already at Great Ascension. Have you reached it yet?”
“Our Tian Yan Holy Land’s cultivation path has always been harder than others,” Tian Yan said with a smile. “Or maybe you should try applying the techniques we use on me instead? Perhaps that would push me past the threshold into the Great Ascension.”
“…Uh, I think I’ll pass.”
Bai Feng instinctively shook his head, recalling the things he and Tian Yan had done—definitely not something he wanted to revisit.
Tian Yan rubbed her chin thoughtfully, a playful grin on her face. She had meant it as a joke, but Bai Feng’s reaction piqued her curiosity. Could Tian Yan be using more than just Bai Feng’s destiny to cultivate? She was eager to uncover secrets—though she knew if she pressed, Tian Yan would definitely be mad. Better to leave it alone. As the Tian Yan Holy Master, controlling her curiosity was key to longevity.
Suddenly, Bai Feng reminded, “Tian Yan Holy Master, the Divine Monarch’s remaining people are rushing over too.”
“I saw that,” Tian Yan drew several copper coins from her pocket. “Stop watching and start using those plans of yours. Don’t let them get close to the divine consciousness of the Immortals.”
“Understood.”
Bai Feng snapped his fingers, activating a medium-sized array that trapped the advancing Divine Monarch cultivators. Bai Yu Mo, Yun Yue Yao, Tian Yan, and others appeared beside him—though Bai Yu Mo and the others stayed put, guarding Bai Feng. Only Zuo Qiu charged ahead, but that one was already enough. His merged divine body, infused with immortal fire’s remnants, easily subdued the magic-energy-absorbing demonic cultivators.
As anticipated, those trapped in the array couldn’t hold out long—within seconds, the ferocious flames engulfed them, incinerating the demonic energy and leaving only blackened corpses.
Tian Yan cast an appraising glance at Bai Feng. “Where did he hide all these people?”
Suddenly, a boom snapped everyone’s attention back. Bai Feng spun around—an ominous figure built from demonic energy hovered above an ancient array. A terrifying spiritual force, mixed with demonic energy, instantly shrouded the sky. The valley was plunged into darkness.
Next, a mid-Calamity stage cultivator plummeted from the sky under the pressure of spiritual power and demonic energy, crashing into the ground with a deafening bang. That single move showcased just how terrifying the divine consciousness of the Immortals could be—even three Calamity-stage experts struggling to withstand it.
