Chapter 555

Angry Squid:

The Dharma-Spreading Celestial Venerable died.

When Qiao Sidao realized he had been reborn into an ancient cultivation world—a time when the Ten Immortal Sects dominated the land and the New Law had yet to emerge—a bold idea surfaced in his mind. He decided to follow the Dharma-Spreading Celestial Venerable and become one of the very first propagators of the New Law!

Though the Ten Immortal Sects were currently at their zenith, Qiao Sidao, who knew the future's trajectory, was well aware that this seemingly eternal rule would be utterly vulnerable before the surging tide of the New Law. Soon, the vast army of New Law cultivators, who plundered the heavens and seized the earth and cultivated at terrifying speeds, would, under the Dharma-Spreading Celestial Venerable's leadership, sweep away and annihilate the Ten Immortal Sects, establishing the great Myriad Immortals Alliance that would unify the Xuanhuang Realm for countless ages.

And no merit was greater than that earned by joining a rising power. If he pledged allegiance to the Dharma-Spreading Celestial Venerable before his rise to prominence, then in the future, after the Dharma-Spreading Celestial Venerable's spirit ascended beyond the heavens, he would surely secure a seat on the Dharma Council, the Myriad Immortals Alliance's highest governing body!

This was what Qiao Sidao had initially thought, and it was what he did. Abandoning the inner disciple status he had painstakingly gained in the Seven Stars Sect, he trekked through mountains and waters from the heartland of the Immortal Continent to Congyun Marsh in the remote borderlands. After more than a decade of patient waiting, he finally welcomed the great Dharma-Spreading Celestial...

No, he should still be called the Dharma-Spreading Immortal Venerable for now. The news of the Immortal Venerable bestowing the Dharma had recently spread throughout the surrounding regions. But at that time, the Immortal Venerable's renown was not widespread. Suddenly claiming to spread a new law and benefit the world, how many would truly believe it?

Before him stood only a dozen or so cultivators who had come upon hearing the news, merely intending to join the commotion. Qiao Sidao quickly snagged the central spot in the front row, hoping to make himself known. He surveyed his surroundings, and his heart rate quickened as he considered that these very people would one day be the major Dharma propagators wielding power in the Myriad Immortals Alliance. When the Dharma-Spreading Immortal Venerable cast his gaze upon him, Qiao Sidao's heart seemed to stop, and he immediately reined himself in. He dared not look around anymore.

Three days later, only a little over thirty cultivators had gathered on a small island in Congyun Marsh. The Dharma-Spreading Venerable, however, paid no mind. He sat on the ground and began to discourse profoundly on the Dao. From the Xuanhuang Realm and the principles of immortal law, to the mysteries of the human body and hidden reserves of vital energy, and further to the various connections between the world and all living beings. He narrated eloquently, captivating every cultivator present, who listened with rapt attention.

As the Dharma-Spreading Immortal Venerable continued his discourse, various auspicious phenomena appeared in the sky. Surging purple qi rolled in from the horizon, appearing sacred and extraordinary under the illumination of golden light in the sky. Even at night, purple and gold qi continuously emanated from Myriad Immortals Island, visible from hundreds of miles away.

Consequently, more and more cultivators were drawn by the sight of the Immortal Venerable spreading the Dharma. They spread the word, constantly flocking to the island. They dared not act presumptuously before the Dharma-Spreading Immortal Venerable. The front rows were already occupied by layers of cultivators, so they had no choice but to find spots one by one in the back. Once they immersed themselves in the Immortal Venerable's discourse, they all became immensely regretful. They regretted not having come earlier, thus missing so many profound and brilliant explanations.

More and more cultivators gathered on the island, eventually reaching over ten thousand. It was then that the Dharma-Spreading Immortal Venerable finally spoke:

"Why should we, in our quest for immortality, seek it from the heavens? If the heavens do not grant it, we can take it ourselves! To follow Heaven is to be mortal; to defy Heaven is to be immortal! Therefore, the path of immortality is:

Absorb the essence of heaven and earth to control its qi;Borrow the wonders of heaven and earth to build the Dao foundation;Gaze upon the laws of heaven and earth to refine the Golden Core;Seize the essence of heaven and earth to form the Nascent Soul;Extract the marrow of heaven and earth to attain its spirit;Sacrifice the soul of heaven and earth to merge one's body with the Dao;Defy the principles of heaven and earth to prove longevity!"

After stating his core doctrine, the Dharma-Spreading Immortal Venerable then elaborated on the details of each cultivation realm. This left all the cultivators on the island speechless with shock. So this was how one could cultivate immortality! Qiao Sidao, in particular, felt his blood surge with excitement. He knew that these very cultivators present, relying on this New Law of plundering the heavens and seizing the earth, would eventually overthrow the Ten Immortal Sects and establish the great Myriad Immortals Alliance. As if personally caught in the great tide of history, Qiao Sidao felt he had become a part of history itself.

However, something completely unexpected happened. Just as the Dharma-Spreading Celestial Venerable was at a crucial point in his discourse, speaking of defying the principles of heaven and earth, a cold snort suddenly reverberated throughout heaven and earth, interrupting the Venerable's speech.

"Heretical words misleading the masses! Heaven and Earth nurture all beings; it is already bad enough that cultivators do not think of repaying this, but instead resort to such wicked acts of plunder. How are they any different from beasts?"

The voice, like a thunderclap, echoed continuously. Abruptly interrupted, the cultivators listening on the island were naturally both startled and enraged.

"From where did this reckless cultivator appear?" Qiao Sidao, meanwhile, adopted a mindset of watching a good show. He knew that the Dharma-Spreading Celestial Venerable had dominated the world for thousands of years, virtually unrivaled. Wasn't this person, who dared to provoke him, simply seeking death?

However, a scene he inadvertently glimpsed filled him with a subtle unease. At that moment, the Dharma-Spreading Immortal Venerable suddenly stood up. His face was etched with a grave expression.

"May I know your esteemed name, fellow Daoist?"

"The Dao has three thousand paths..." The Venerable cupped his hands and was about to speak, but he was rudely interrupted again by the other party.

"More words are useless! Under the rule of the Ten Immortal Sects, those who spread heretical doctrines... Die!"

With a furious roar, the speaker revealed himself. He appeared to be a boy of only ten years or so, clad in shining golden armor, with a red ribbon tied around his head, and wielding a silver spear. More like a mortal general than a cultivator.

"Remember, the one who takes your lives today is Wu of the Creation Sect!"

Even as his words faded, the silver spear descended from the sky.

"You mere stripling..." The Dharma-Spreading Venerable scoffed coldly, lightly extending two fingers of his right hand, intending to stop it.

But to his surprise... The silver light, like lightning, instantly pierced through the Dharma-Spreading Venerable's body. Its momentum then remained undiminished, brutally smashing into the ground.

Boom!

Before the Dharma-Spreading Venerable's disbelieving eyes, the entire Myriad Immortals Island was instantly reduced to dust. The colossal silver shockwave not only pulverized the island but also continued to sweep across Congyun Marsh. Just a few breaths later, not a single living creature could be seen in the vast Congyun Marsh. Only silver 'snakes' of energy, still raging, pulsed in the void.

"Utterly pointless!"

Before his consciousness faded, Qiao Sidao only heard Wu's cold snort and the slowly vanishing figure of the Dharma-Spreading Celestial Venerable.

When he awoke again from complete darkness, Qiao Sidao was surprised and delighted to find himself back at the very beginning of his rebirth. The outer disciples of the Seven Stars Sect were painstakingly preparing for the inner disciple assessment. But at this moment, his mind no longer cared about becoming an inner disciple. His heart was filled only with countless questions.

Why? How could the Dharma-Spreading Celestial Venerable have fallen so easily? And who was that Wu? Why had he never heard of him?

Countless doubts flooded his mind. Several days passed, but Qiao Sidao still struggled to find a reasonable explanation. But since the world he was reborn into differed from the historical trajectory in his memories, he would have to carefully consider his future. With a powerful figure like Wu present, the Myriad Immortals Alliance surely wouldn't rise to prominence, would it? Though he felt some regret, a wise person adapts to the times. In this life, Qiao Sidao decisively chose to align himself with the Ten Immortal Sects.

Then, something else he hadn't anticipated occurred. Wu, who had ended the Dharma-Spreading Venerable's life with a single spear in the previous timeline, did not exist at all in this timeline. Without his grand feat on Myriad Immortals Island, the New Law spread like a prairie fire throughout the entire Xuanhuang Realm within a few years. It was mighty and unstoppable. In the war against the Myriad Immortals Alliance, Qiao Sidao, as cannon fodder for the Ten Immortal Sects, once again lost his life.