Chapter 1281: 遗念隐残魂

The message from the Heavenly Dao of Xuanhuang was not entirely clear, but Saint Emperor Li Ping had largely understood its intent.

"The position of Grand Heavenly Venerate..."

"Might lose connection with me?"

Li Ping frowned and fell into deep thought.

"No new Grand Heavenly Venerate of Xuanhuang has taken office for thousands of years, and now, at this very moment... who could it be?" The Saint Emperor sensed a hint of conspiracy. The Saint Emperor could currently only monitor a small portion of the Xuanhuang Realm, with most areas remaining in blind spots. Various faces flashed rapidly through his mind, but he failed to identify any suspicious subjects.

"Although, theoretically, anyone who passes the Grand Heavenly Venerate's trial should side with me to confront the Transmitted Law... still..."

While appeasing the Heavenly Dao of Xuanhuang, the Saint Emperor's eyes revealed a resolute glint: "It seems the plan needs to be advanced."

"We just need to force the Transmitted Law out when the anomaly in the Sea of Stars arrives."

A beam of starlight flew out from the Saint Emperor's throne.

The Great Qi of the Holy Dynasty, a war machine long in preparation, began to operate swiftly.

Sun Erlang, who was conducting the final tests on the protective capabilities of the Holy Army puppets, was somewhat surprised to receive the Saint Emperor's decree. However, upon seeing the vast array of puppets in the testing ground, scattered like stars and stretching endlessly, he quickly became excited and eager.

"An army trained for a thousand days is used for a single battle. It's time to let the decaying Myriad Immortal Alliance witness the elite forces of the great Holy Dynasty!"

Just as he was about to leave to handle expeditionary affairs, Sun Erlang seemed to recall something and swiftly moved to the deepest part of the testing ground's underground.

The surging power of the earth veins, dense and almost tangible, seemed to be constantly pounded and squeezed by some immense force, its original earthy yellow color now a magma-like crimson. The earth veins roared as they flowed, striking a black boulder in the center.

No matter how violently the power of the earth veins raged, the boulder remained steadfast and unmoving. In fact, each strike from the crimson earth veins made the boulder's luster shine even brighter.

Above the black boulder, a beam of starlight poured down from a constantly rotating cosmic vortex, shining directly onto the boulder.

Under the illumination of the starlight, the black stone seemed to breathe. As it continuously inhaled and exhaled, specks of starlight were drawn into it.

Artisan Jushi was in mid-air not far away, intently staring at the black boulder amidst this strange phenomenon. At the same time, he seemed to be continuously calculating something, controlling and adjusting the power ratio between the incoming earth veins and starlight.

"Senior Artisan, the great war might start earlier. Senior Tianyang, he..."

Artisan Jushi seemed to have already received the decree. His gaze never left Tianyang's body as he calmly stated, "Don't worry. When the time comes, I'll definitely give the Myriad Immortal Alliance a huge surprise. Those scoundrels absorbed a lot of my source energy over the past few years..."

"Oh, right! Since a great war is imminent, those from the Heavenly Spirit Sect can also be put to good use." Artisan Jushi patted his head, then closed his eyes to report to the Saint Emperor. Afterwards, he issued a command, which drifted remotely towards the puppets in Jiushan State.

A hint of triumph flashed in his eyes, and Artisan Jushi's attention returned to Tianyang, who was undergoing the dual tempering of earth vein currents and the power of the Sea of Stars.

Artisan Jushi could clearly sense the immense power brewing within the black boulder.

His body trembled slightly, and a hint of madness flashed in Artisan Jushi's eyes: "This puppet is the pinnacle of my crafting skill. Even in the former Heavenly Mystery Realm, no one could surpass it. Shangguan, just you watch. The disciple you disregarded will surely surpass you by far..."

Artisan Jushi ignored Sun Erlang, who was still standing by, and mumbled to himself. His hands occasionally formed incantation gestures, which floated over Tianyang's body.

Seeing this, Sun Erlang tactfully retreated.

While the Great Qi army and civilians were busy preparing for war, two individuals within the Holy Dynasty, completely at ease, left their pocket dimension and returned to the Xuanhuang Realm.

It was Xu Ke and Elder Yin.

Elder Yin squinted, looking up at the sky, seemingly unaccustomed to the sunlight of the Xuanhuang Realm.

Xu Ke, meanwhile, was orienting himself.

They intended to infiltrate the Divine Treasure Museum before the war began.

"This Emperor Sanmo is quite interesting," Elder Yin said with a sneer. "Despite being one of the Three Beast Emperors, he joined a human cultivation sect. Then, when disaster struck, he unhesitatingly chose to defect to the New Myriad Immortal Alliance..."

Xu Ke shook his head and explained, "Grandpa San is enigmatic; no one truly understands what he's thinking. After all, it was puzzling enough that he didn't leave the Xuanhuang Realm with Emperor Yi back then. Furthermore, his actions aren't really a betrayal of the Beast Taming Sect, are they? The entire Beast Taming Sect flourished almost entirely because of the methods he introduced. He bestowed a favor upon the Beast Taming Sect, rather than the sect bestowing one upon him."

Elder Yin sneered, "I don't care about anything else. If he jumps out to stop me when I retrieve Mr. Bai's skull, I won't be polite. As for you, you won't switch sides when the time comes, will you?"

Xu Ke said seriously, "Fellow Daoist, rest assured. I have already made arrangements in advance, sending Qing and Hong to the Spirit Void Realm. By mimicking the Beast Taming Wheel, combined with the Beast Taming Sect's current cooperation, we should be able to lure Grandpa San out. Even if the plan fails..."

"I will show no mercy."

"That's good," said Elder Yin, who, having received Xu Ke's assurance, smiled, his expression returning to normal.

The two followed the plan, stealthily making their way to the vicinity of Sky City in Tianyu State, within the Myriad Immortal Alliance territory.

"This should be it, the Heng family of Tianyu State," Xu Ke said, observing and looking around.

"If you ask me," Elder Yin said, rubbing his scalp impatiently, "any family with permission to enter the Divine Treasure Museum would do. Why did we have to come all this way here?"

"The original plan was like that," Xu Ke explained. "But the Saint Emperor suddenly sent a message earlier, saying that something seemed to have changed on the Myriad Immortal Alliance's side. Entry and exit management for the Alliance headquarters suddenly became stricter. As a result, not many cultivators still have permission to enter the Divine Treasure Museum. Among them, the Heng family of Tianyu State is the most suitable target."

"The family is prominent, entirely due to their ability to weave laws," Xu Ke explained via telepathy. "Their strength isn't particularly great, and they also act discreetly, with a relatively low public profile..."

Elder Yin's gaze pierced through the Heng family's defenses, and he revealed a cold sneer: "The easiest targets should be those two young women, right? A mother and daughter, no less..."

"Indeed, it's them: Heng Ruoshui and He Xinxin. We just need to wait until they go out, capture them, and then assume their identities."

"The Saint Emperor cautioned that if unnecessary, we shouldn't harm anyone," Xu Ke added.

Elder Yin replied, "Don't worry, such delicate skin and tender flesh don't suit my taste. But us two, changing into women? Can we pick different targets?"

Xu Ke scoffed, "Are you still concerned about superficial appearances?"

Elder Yin waved his hand. "That's true. I'm too lazy to run around, let's finish this quickly. I'm rather impatient to see Mr. Bai's skull."

The Heng family mother and daughter did not make the two wait too long.

One day later, He Xinxin slipped out to play and was quietly subdued by the two.

Two days later, Heng Ruoshui seemed to have received an invitation and left her dwelling, only to be captured by the two in an instant.

Looking at the bound and unconscious Heng family mother and daughter, Elder Yin stroked his chin: "The methods taught by the Saint Emperor are truly effective. The Dao text compass within this little girl is quite extraordinary. It has the ability to seek good fortune and avoid disaster, as well as deduce predictions. It could be considered half a Heavenly Marvel, perhaps reborn after an ancient immortal artifact disintegrated..."

"However, with the Heaven-Shrouding Secret Art bestowed by the Saint Emperor, this little girl had no inkling of the impending crisis."

Xu Ke smiled, "Perhaps it's because neither of us harbored any ill intent. Let's proceed quickly."

From the foreheads of the Heng family mother and daughter, they each extracted a drop of vital blood.

Xu Ke took it and pressed it into his glabella.

Elder Yin, however, was much more crude: a slit opened in his scalp, and his innate Dao foundation swallowed it.

With a rustling surge of flesh and blood, in the blink of an eye, Xu Ke and Elder Yin had transformed respectively into the likenesses of Heng Ruoshui and He Xinxin.

Their appearance, aura, and even soul fluctuations were almost completely identical.

"The wondrous methods transmitted by the Holy Dynasty are truly extraordinary," Xu Ke exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.

Elder Yin, meanwhile, closed his eyes in contemplation: "The self that follows the heart is the true self. Ever-changing, unfathomable to gods and ghosts..."

After hiding the mother and daughter, Xu Ke and Elder Yin, now in disguise, flew towards Tianyu Sky City.

Cultivators applying to visit the Divine Treasure Museum must apply through their local Administration Hall to the Immortal Alliance headquarters.

Only after approval from the Immortal Alliance headquarters would a special reception cultivator come to guide them in.

In Tianyu State, a face like Heng Ruoshui's was the best pass.

And bringing younger family members to visit the Divine Treasure Museum was also a perfectly normal matter.

The journey was smooth, and the application was quickly sent to the Immortal Alliance headquarters.

The Immortal Alliance headquarters' response efficiency was not as quick. It was not until seven days later that a final response came.

The powerful and influential figures of Tianyu State seemed utterly insignificant in front of the Immortal Alliance reception cultivator.

The black-clad reception cultivator, with an indifferent expression, casually gave a few instructions about what to pay attention to when entering the Immortal Alliance headquarters.

He led the two to Tianshu Sky City, which surrounded the Immortal Alliance's center, and then, in a room deep within the Administration Hall, opened a teleportation gate to the Immortal Alliance headquarters.

After stepping into the light circle, a deluge of illusions rushed forth.

Even with the current strength of Elder Yin and Xu Ke, they could not stop them.

But Xu Ke recovered instantly, because Heng Ruoshui, whom he was impersonating, was not visiting the Immortal Alliance headquarters for the first time.

He Xinxin, whom Elder Yin was impersonating, trembled slightly, and then, after a moment, opened her eyes.

The reception cultivator, as per custom, explained the reason for the illusions. Then he casually asked, "What did you see?"

Following the Saint Emperor's instructions, Elder Yin said, "A Heavenly Venerate's Dharma Aspect, towering between heaven and earth, transmitting the Dao to all living beings."

The reception cultivator nodded and asked no further questions.

Along the path in the void, on their way to the Divine Treasure Museum, Elder Yin and Xu Ke secretly communicated via telepathy.

Elder Yin: "Interesting. I saw the figure of the Transmitted Law, floating outside the Xuanhuang Realm. From a top-down view, looking at Xuanhuang. The Xuanhuang Realm was far smaller than it is now; it should be a scene from shortly after the Transmitted Law attained immortal Dao."

"What did you see?" Elder Yin asked.

Xu Ke immediately transmitted a vision.

It seemed to be in a chaotic void, with no way to discern the exact location.

Two figures stood opposite each other, their faces unclear.

"Who are you?"

"I am you."

"You are me..." The voice was slightly hesitant.

After a brief silence, he slowly shook his head: "No. I am... different from you."

The other voice laughed, with a hint of mockery: "This is your destined mission. You cannot refuse. Face reality; sooner or later, we will merge into one."

"I told you, I am Xuanyuan Tuo. Not..."

At the crucial point, the vision shattered abruptly.

Elder Yin was stunned for a moment and inadvertently looked at Xu Ke.

Xu Ke also looked somewhat helpless: "I only saw this much. The crucial parts afterward are indeed missing."

Elder Yin watched the segment again: "A bit interesting. After we return, we must tell this information to the Saint Emperor. He should know something."

While the two were communicating, they soon arrived before the Divine Treasure Museum.

It stood on a floating continent, entirely black, solemn and majestic.

Its towering and narrow entrance filled every visiting cultivator with a sense of reverence.

After another identity confirmation, the reception cultivator led the two inside the museum.

The first mandatory exhibit to visit was the massive orb of light named "The Beautiful Era."

Within the orb