A grand Daoist Palace spanned the heavens above the Thirty-Three Celestial Realms.

Two Children held Treasure Fans, languidly fanning the flames beneath the Eight Trigrams Furnace. The fierce Celestial Spirits they summoned, potent enough to extinguish an Immortal, merely stirred a gentle, cool breeze here, bit by bit nurturing the Divine Fire under the furnace.

As the Divine Fire blazed, the Eight Trigrams Furnace emitted a subtle hum. Inside, one world after another was incinerated and refined into Innate Treasure Liquid, shimmering with Spiritual Light and ribbons of immortal essence.

The old Daoist sat cross-legged before the Eight Trigrams Furnace. Every so often, his head would nod, his eyelids drooping as if he were dozing off.

Seeing this, the two Children slowed their movements, and the Celestial Spirits they fanned out became even gentler, afraid of disturbing the old Daoist’s slumber.

An unknown amount of time passed before a faint sound arose from the Human World. It first echoed up to the Thirty-Three Celestial Realms, then drifted higher, ringing clearly throughout the Daoist Palace.

The Children were slightly startled. They perked their ears to listen. The sound was muffled, but they could make out phrases like “sinned against humanity” and “abolish the Western Celestial Court,” leaving them utterly stunned.

They subconsciously looked up and saw that the Great Master had also awoken. He let out a yawn and stretched his arms, causing the void to collapse in layers, revealing several deep and boundless abysses.

“This little rascal…” the old Daoist chuckled. “All he does all day is mess around… but he actually managed to create a major variable. Interesting, very interesting…”

As he spoke, the old Daoist’s gaze grew profound. In the original timeline of history, there was absolutely no such thing as “deposing a Celestial Court.” Yet now, it was happening.

If this were a normal era, it would be no great matter. But this was currently a “past time node”—Haotian was dead, and the Emperors of the Four Directions Celestial Court were all grievously wounded…

The old Daoist’s expression turned a little strange as he murmured:

“How interesting. If he really succeeds in deposing them, little Gouchen will probably lose his mind. With the ensuing chain reaction, the grand course of history itself is about to change…”

As Golden Horned and Silver Horned fanned the Innate Celestial Spirits, they grew confused. ‘What is the Great Master talking about?’

The two exchanged a furtive glance. When they looked back at the Great Master, they found he had already slowly risen to his feet, a broad smile on his face.

The old Daoist mused to himself:

‘If little Gouchen makes a move against that rascal, should I intervene or not?’

‘According to reason, the Taishang Lineage should face its tribulations alone. I shouldn’t step in to protect him…’

‘No, that’s not right. Xiaoxuan is currently spreading my Dao on my behalf. If Gouchen attacks him, it’s an attack on me. Utterly insolent! Utterly insolent!’

At this thought, the old Daoist smiled with satisfaction. ‘Mhm, no problem there. This line of reasoning is perfectly sound. I am definitely not protecting a junior.’

‘Definitely not!’

……

The Four Directions Celestial Court, aside from the West Pole, all cast their gazes over from afar. The West Pole Celestial Court had dispatched three hundred thousand Celestial Soldiers and Generals at once, bearing two Decrees from the Great Emperor as they descended to the Lower Realm with menacing momentum.

As the three hundred thousand Celestial Soldiers and Generals marched, the sounds of weapons and slaughter rang out. The dull roar of war drums shook the entire Celestial Vault, and their steps churned the countless clouds into a roiling tempest!

Outside the Central Celestial Court, Thousand-Mile Eye and Shunfeng Ear, who were cautiously observing everything, glanced at each other and couldn’t help but swallow. The two had innately opened the Divine Communication Acupoints for Form and Sound, allowing them to see and hear everything from the highest heavens down to the Nine Nether. They were among the few Immortal Gods who could perceive the events in the Human World at that moment, yet their hearts trembled.

Shunfeng Ear spoke in a low voice:

“I think… I think I heard the voices of the Taibai Upper Immortal and the Pagoda-bearing Celestial King, right there in the Human World!”

Thousand-Mile Eye nodded gravely. “You heard right. The two Upper Immortals are indeed standing beside that altar… Just now, it seemed like His Majesty the Celestial Emperor also drafted a Decree. Why does this feel like a conflict between two Celestial Courts?”

“Hush! Watch your words!” Shunfeng Ear glanced around nervously and quickly warned, “No matter what, just pretend we saw nothing and heard nothing. The more you know, the faster you die!”

Thousand-Mile Eye shrank back and quickly closed his eyes, looking no more.

「At the same time, in the Human World.」

Lu Xuan’s gaze was profound as he felt the 4,300 portions of Human Dao Fortune that had temporarily gathered around him.

An illusion bloomed in his mind, as if most of the Human World’s lands and rivers were now under his control. A single thought could stir the tides of the world; a single word could move every mountain and river!

Experiencing the terrifying, immense power swirling around him, Lu Xuan seemed to have an epiphany. ‘It seems my act of deposing a Celestial Court has been acknowledged by the Human Dao—even revered by it!’

It seemed it wasn’t just the countless people and spirits who had long suffered under the Immortal Gods, but the magnificent Human Dao itself!

At this thought, Lu Xuan’s gaze grew even sharper. He looked up at the sky where the winds and clouds were shifting violently, triggering rolling thunder and all sorts of phenomena. He raised his head, his voice booming like thunder:

“Today, I abolish the station of the Western Celestial Court and strip its Immortal Gods of their honor! This is merely an announcement to the world, not a punishment. After I have spread my Dao throughout the world, I shall personally visit the Western Celestial Court to hold them accountable!”

The booming voice made the shadowy figures in the clouds stumble in fright. These Wandering Immortals and Gods were shaken to their core. ‘The Human World… when did such a figure appear?’

Below the high platform, Zhao Zheng stared blankly at the old man’s tall, upright figure. He was completely captivated, and in a daze, he murmured to himself:

“A true man… should be just like this!”

Duke Mu of Qin, Shang Yang, and the others were already shocked speechless. Beside them, Li Jing and Venus both swallowed nervously in unison, but after a glance at the Cyan Bull, they relaxed.

‘The Cyan Bull is with him…’

That being the case, it was no longer surprising whatever this Lu Zi, this successor of the Supreme, might do. With the one in Douluo Palace backing him up, it wasn’t impossible for him to actually depose an Emperor!

‘But…’

The two high-ranking ministers of the Celestial Court exchanged a look, a flash of terror in their eyes. A dreadful speculation arose in their minds: ‘Could Lu Zi’s actions be the will of the one in Douluo Palace?’

‘Does this mean that the Daoist Ancestor of Non-action in Douluo Palace, who never interferes in the affairs of heaven and earth, is about to intervene in the world’s conflicts?’

‘If so… does this mean the kalpic cycle is nearing its end, and another world-ending calamity is about to descend?’

The two Immortals didn’t dare to think further. The level of existence this involved was far beyond what they could ever meddle in.

Just then, the sound of drums suddenly erupted from the sky. The war drums thundered, and an aura of weapons and slaughter swept across the land for a hundred thousand li!

Within that hundred-thousand-li radius, all beasts and birds prostrated themselves on the ground. In Yong City, the citizens and soldiers felt their limbs turn to ice and found it difficult to breathe. Everyone subconsciously looked up at the sky.

They saw that the shadowy figures in the clouds had vanished at some point. The Wandering Immortals and Gods had all fled as if their lives depended on it. In their place was a golden light that illuminated the entire world!

On the high platform, the old man calmly raised his head and looked directly at the Celestial Vault. As the sound of war drums, filled with the intent of weapons and slaughter, drew closer, the figures of Immortals appeared in the clouds.

There was more than one.

Three hundred thousand Celestial Soldiers and Generals were arrayed in the sky, the weakest among them being Earth Immortals. The terrifying pressure they brought swept over the land. Duke Mu of Qin’s expression changed, Shang Yang’s face went pale, and the ministers of the Qin Kingdom fell into chaos.

In contrast, the younger Zhao Zheng held up better. His face was pale, but he stared at the three hundred thousand Celestial Soldiers in the sky, unconsciously clenching his fists.

At that moment, in the sky, the Marshal commanding the three hundred thousand Celestial Soldiers and Generals stood at the very front. He looked down upon the Human World with indifference, his body surging with the terrifying aura of an Upper Celestial Venerable.

He held a dazzling Divine Blade and stood amidst the clouds. Backed by the mighty shouts of the three hundred thousand Celestial Soldiers and Generals behind him, he spoke coolly:

“By order!”

Two brilliant golden Decrees appeared in the Upper Celestial Venerable’s hands, causing the color of the sky to change.

He said icily:

“By the Decree of the Gouchen Upper Palace Emperor, we have come to conquer the insubordinate in the Human World!”

With that, the Upper Celestial Venerable stared at the old man standing calmly on the high platform and demanded:

“Since you have seen the Emperor’s Decree, why do you not bow?”

The three hundred thousand Celestial Soldiers and Generals raised their Immortal Soldiers in unison and roared:

“Since you have seen the Emperor’s Decree, why do you not bow? Why do you not bow? Why do you not bow?!”

The tsunami-like roar, mixed with the terrifying might of three hundred thousand Immortals, first tore apart the wind, thunder, and clouds obscuring the area, allowing countless Immortal Gods of the Celestial Court to cast their gazes upon this place.

Then, the roar, carrying an immense and terrifying pressure, bore down heavily upon the old man.

Lu Xuan stumbled, but his right hand still gripped the Three-Five Evil-Slaying Sword as he stared coldly at the Celestial Vault.

“The Western Celestial Court has already been deposed. Why should I bow?”

“If I truly were to bow, could you possibly withstand it?”

All of Yong City fell deathly silent. Beads of sweat the size of soybeans rolled down the foreheads of Duke Mu of Qin and the others.

Meanwhile, the Cyan Bull beside them kept its eyelids slightly lowered, its two front hooves scraping against each other as if itching for action.

As for Venus and Li Jing, they glanced at each other, then looked at the Upper Celestial Venerable in the clouds as if looking at a dead man.

‘Making the Direct Lineage successor of the Supreme, who is accompanied by the Cyan Bull, bow… this old fool really has a death wish…’

The Upper Celestial Venerable in the clouds narrowed his eyes dangerously. His thoughts raced for a moment, then he glared furiously and roared:

“Pay your respects! Bow down! Receive the Decree! And accept your death!”

As he spoke, he raised the two Decrees in his hands, on which were written the words “Conquer” and “Conquer Again.” The brilliant golden Decrees erupted with infinite Immortal Light, illuminating the entire Human World!

The three hundred thousand Celestial Soldiers and Generals also raised their blades and roared:

“Bow down!”

“Receive the Decree!”

“Accept your death!”

The roars merged into a surging river of sound, making it somewhat difficult for Lu Xuan to breathe. Yet, he remained unmoved, not even calling for the Cyan Bull to act. A strange smile even flickered across his face.

“Then let’s give it a try…”

The old man stood against the terrifying pressure of three hundred thousand Immortals. Amidst the dead silence of Yong City, he raised his head, looked directly at the Celestial Vault, and said lightly:

“Let’s see if you can withstand a bow from half the Human Dao’s fortune.”

“Oh, and from this robe and this crown.”

As his voice fell, with the wind, thunder, and clouds having been torn away, under the watchful gazes of countless Immortal Gods from the Five Directions Celestial Court…

A simple, ancient Daoist Robe suddenly materialized on the old man’s body, and a grand Daoist Crown appeared atop his head.

The Daoist Robe and Hat looked plain, exuding an air of purity and non-action. Yet, they were also permeated with a supreme and profound Dao Rhyme, making them appear like an entire, magnificent Great Heaven and Earth, like all the heavens and all the lands.

The Taiqing is the vessel of all heavens and all lands. It is the process and the existence between something and nothing for all things, the fundamental root, source, and foundation of all that can exist.

With the Supreme Daoist Robe on his body and the Supreme Daoist Crown on his head, the old man instantly became immense and imposing. Five thousand one hundred portions of Human Dao Fortune swirled around him.

High in the Celestial Vault, an Immortal God spoke with shock and uncertainty:

“That Daoist Robe…”

They felt that this feeling was somewhat familiar, or rather, that the Daoist Robe and Hat were familiar. Their hearts trembled as they were reminded of a certain kind and benevolent old Daoist.

‘No, it can’t be, right??’

Beside the high platform, Duke Mu of Qin and the others had yet to react, but the moment the Daoist Robe and Hat appeared, the Cyan Bull respectfully prostrated itself on the ground.

Venus and Li Jing were initially as bewildered as the other Immortal Gods in the various Celestial Courts. But they knew more, and they quickly understood, their hearts seizing violently.

‘It’s… it’s the robe and crown of that Great Celestial Venerable?!?’

Li Jing’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground. Venus was no better off, also sitting slumped, panting heavily with a look of utter horror!!

「Meanwhile, on the high platform.」

The old man leisurely straightened his Daoist Robe and Crown. He planted the Three-Five Evil-Slaying Sword into the high platform, reached out, and gently stirred the terrifying Human Dao Fortune surging around him.

Then,

Amidst the roiling Human Dao Fortune, the old man felt the immense source of power from the robe and crown on his body. He slowly raised his head and looked directly at the three hundred thousand baffled Celestial Soldiers and Generals.

He looked directly at that great Celestial Venerable around whom entire cosmoses rose and fell, who reflected the Celestial Myriad Realms.

He spoke with a gentle smile:

“I am here. And I shall bow.”

With that, under everyone’s watchful eyes, Lu Xuan slowly performed a bow toward the three hundred thousand Celestial Soldiers and Generals in the sky.

Bowing along with him were half of the Human World’s fortune, and that Daoist Robe and Crown.

A very faint, crisp sound rang out—a soft POP!

The three hundred thousand Celestial Soldiers and Generals exploded into a firework on the horizon.

(Just finished writing and posted this early. There will be another chapter tonight.)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep