Chapter 1362: Natatou Worships Immediately

Zixiao Palace, located at the end of the Path of Sacred Virtue, was entirely grayish-blue with eaves like wings. It lacked carved beams, painted pillars, or lingering spiritual light, appearing ordinary, yet it exuded an ancient and majestic aura that seemed to have existed since time immemorial. The only difference compared to the Zixiao Palace Chen Mobai had seen before was the absence of stairs and platforms representing the Three Thousand Great Daos.

His divine consciousness quickly arrived before the palace. This Sacred Virtue treasure, embodying the will of the Dao Venerable, stood quietly amidst golden waves. As Chen Mobai attempted to approach, the palace gates suddenly lit up with layers of restrictions.

"After all, this is Zixiao Palace; it couldn't possibly be haunted," Chen Mobai thought. "The one waiting for me in this Sacred Virtue treasure was, in all likelihood, Dao Venerable Zixiao."

Faced with this situation, Chen Mobai had a sudden realization and performed the Azure Lotus Seal, which he had been taught in Zixiao Palace. As expected, as soon as the seal was cast, the endless restrictions melted away like ice and snow. With a resounding sound, the palace gates opened, revealing a series of meditation cushions inside.

Chen Mobai sighed in relief at the familiar sight, but his body soon tensed, and his eyes widened in shock as his gaze fell upon the innermost Azure Lotus Stone Platform. This was because, to the left of the Azure Lotus Stone Platform, which used to be empty, now stood a black-haired, purple-eyed youth. His face was shrouded in chaotic energy, appearing indistinctly, but a golden gleam on his brow, like a great hanging sun, shone brilliantly.

Encountering this situation, Chen Mobai bowed immediately without any hesitation. "Disciple Chen Mobai greets Master."

The black-haired, purple-eyed youth was somewhat taken aback by Chen Mobai's actions. After a moment of hesitation, he waved his hand, manifesting Sacred Virtue clear light, and helped Chen Mobai up. "No need for such formality," he said. "I am not Grand Elder."

"Since he refers to Dao Venerable Zixiao as 'Grand Elder,' it's clear that the Teacher has departed, and he is likely the artifact spirit of Zixiao Palace," Chen Mobai thought.

"Before he left, Grand Elder left me in this universe," the youth explained, "to oversee Sacred Virtue and enlighten all beings. However, all First-tier True Immortals capable of refining me have been suppressed by the Demon Lord and cannot emerge, which is why I haven't found a suitable wielder until now."

However, as an innate supreme treasure, all Zixiao Palaces are integrated, so everything the Palace Artifact Spirit (Chen Mobai) did inside the palace, the artifact spirit had witnessed. "Zixiao Palace permeates past, present, and future," the artifact spirit stated. "If a scene were missing from the past, I would also know." This statement from the artifact spirit made Chen Mobai freeze on the spot. Upon seeing this, Chen Mobai instantly broke out in a cold sweat, realizing that the Turtle Treasure had already been exposed. The artifact spirit's seemingly casual words greatly shocked Chen Mobai. Chen Mobai was filled with doubts, especially concerning the Turtle Treasure's teleportation exit, and wondered what the Zixiao artifact spirit thought of it.

"Senior," Chen Mobai asked, "how do you know Teacher taught me the Pure Yang Scroll?"

"Since Master passed on the Pure Yang Scroll to you, you are naturally his disciple." The artifact spirit frowned, finding Chen Mobai's question utterly perplexing. Hearing this, Chen Mobai's eyes widened even further.

"May I ask, Senior," Chen Mobai inquired, "am I considered a disciple of Dao Venerable Zixiao?"

"However, you mustn't be too complacent," the youth continued. "Our Teacher preached throughout the heavens, enlightening all beings, and had countless disciples who received teachings and methods. Yet, only those who achieve eternal Dao Integration can be considered truly initiated and address me as Senior Brother. Although you now have the opportunity of Sacred Virtue, if you fail to achieve Dao Integration even after my reincarnated self has grown, I will not be polite and will directly reclaim Zixiao Palace."

"If you die of old age without achieving Dao Integration, it means you are not worthy of wielding Zixiao Palace, and I will naturally reclaim it when I return after reincarnation." In response, the Zixiao artifact spirit glared, showing no courtesy, and said something that choked Chen Mobai. Upon witnessing this, Chen Mobai could no longer hold back and wished to first ascertain his standing.

"After all, I haven't achieved Dao Integration yet, and my lifespan is limited," Chen Mobai earnestly pleaded. "If I were to be sealed and die of old age, wouldn't that betray your expectations, Senior? Thank you, Senior, for the teachings. However, my cultivation is still shallow. Once you reincarnate, I fear I won't be able to protect this supreme treasure of our Master's teachings."

The artifact spirit, however, told Chen Mobai not to worry about life or death. "You possess the Azure Lotus Seal, so once I reincarnate, you can truly refine Zixiao Palace and, at any time, draw upon the Sacred Virtue Great Dao. You will be immune to all Dharmas; even a True Immortal Dao Lord can only suppress or seal you. You don't need to worry."

(Chen Mobai's internal monologue) "If I were to contend with the Sacred Virtue treasure's artifact spirit for control, I couldn't imagine any possibility of success. I have witnessed the Tai-Xue Measuring Heaven Ruler in action in the Sky River Realm; as long as it has an artifact spirit, it can at least exert first-tier power. If Zixiao Palace protects me, I won't need to fear ordinary True Immortal Dao Lords anymore."

"Coincidentally, not long after, you entered Zixiao Palace," the youth continued. "Now that you have already stepped onto the Path of Sacred Virtue, I might as well hand this over to you." The Zixiao artifact spirit's words immediately filled Chen Mobai with a sense of urgency.

"I wish to leave this universe and journey into the Sea of Chaos to seek Grand Elder," the artifact spirit continued. "However, before that, I need to cultivate to the Creation realm. To do so, I must break free from the shackles of this Sacred Virtue treasure and undergo reincarnation. If an accident that threatens my life or death occurs during the reincarnation process, I can only abandon the attempt and re-invoke Zixiao Palace's power to protect myself. Because I am inherently the master of the Sacred Virtue Great Dao, as long as you have not achieved Dao Integration, even if I am in reincarnation, I can always integrate with the Dao of Sacred Virtue."

"The Demon Lord is still lurking here," Chen Mobai quickly thought. "Should that one reappear, your reincarnated self would undoubtedly be the first target for annihilation."

"Can those Senior Brothers and Sisters return?" Chen Mobai asked again.

Hearing this, Chen Mobai, who had risen with the momentum, instantly breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, the youth spoke again, continuing: "That's hard to say. I don't know. But I quickly thought of something..." He sighed. "Senior Sister Guiling tragically perished when she attempted Fourth-tier Creation, and Senior Sister Tianhai hasn't returned. It's likely they won't be coming back."

"Then you don't need to worry about that," the artifact spirit assured him. "After Senior Sister Tianhai achieved Fourth-tier Creation, the other Senior Brothers also wished to follow suit and accompanied me, leaving the Zixiao Universe to open up new universes in the Sea of Chaos. So, their innate Great Daos have become vacant. However, to avoid causing chaos, they have all been concealed by Brother Tai-Xue, but all of these cannot be hidden from me. For you, the good news is that once I mature, the path of Sacred Virtue will no longer be my primary choice."

Hearing the artifact spirit's words, Chen Mobai sighed in relief, but new doubts quickly surged into his mind. "Most of the innate Great Daos in this universe have already been occupied by our Senior Brothers and Sisters, leaving few available," he thought. "Which two Great Daos does Senior plan to choose?"

"The Demon Lord's path to Primordial Realm was blocked by me through Sacred Virtue," the youth explained, "which is why he can never achieve the 'Primordial Realm'." He continued, "Because the path of Karma has been occupied by the Demon Lord, although Sacred Virtue can still oppose other innate Great Daos, only by being opposite to Karma can one use it as a foundation to fuse the Three Thousand Great Daos and achieve Fourth-tier Creation."

Instantly, the entire Zixiao Palace shone brilliantly. Below were various scenes of enlightenment: ancient people tying knots to record events, sages casting cauldrons with inscriptions, and even a grand panorama of civilization's embers spreading through the starry seas, conquering the cosmos. These were all records of the brilliance of Sacred Virtue, inscribed when Zixiao Palace spread its teachings throughout the universe. Very quickly, all the scenery of that golden long river was reflected within Chen Mobai's primordial spirit.

"When Senior Sister Tianhai achieved Fourth-tier Creation, it signified that this universe's evolution had reached completion, and the seeds of civilization had already been sown. Even without my preaching throughout the heavens, life would continue perpetually." The Zixiao Palace that descended upon Diyuan Star was one such instance.

So, Dao Venerable Zixiao had already departed. Ten thousand years later, the Xuan Palace perished, resulting in the simultaneous disappearance of Saint Ancestor Guiling and the great powers of the Zixiao Universe who were present.