Chapter 528: True God's Mission, Battle at the Mountain Peak

Before Dazhou's migration plan could even start, another power in the Xuanling Starfield immediately commenced its own.

In the seventeenth celestial year of the Barren Realm's Third Era, Grand Elder Feng Chen of Scholar City announced that the city would be relocated to Taigu Hill. Originally, the Crimson Star Empire was Feng Chen's first choice. Its environment, economy, and large population of cultivators would have made research more convenient for scholars. However, with the Great Emperor absent, safety became an issue. Since incidents of artifact spirit attacks had even occurred in the Primeval Realm, how could Scholar City ensure its absolute security?

The Origin Celestial Palace was initially the second choice, but its territory was too small and its controls too strict. Scholars required extensive research and experimentation to advance, and a small venue simply wouldn't suffice. Thus, Feng Chen set his sights on Taigu Hill for the migration.

"Taigu Hill boasts the Three Realms and Twelve Mountains, offering vast space and guaranteed security," he said. "The Origin Celestial Palace already bears the heavy burden of fending off Evil God invasions, so it is most suitable for Scholar City to temporarily reside in Taigu Hill."

On Crystal Island, Venerable Hongshan conjured an earthen golem and discussed important matters with Zhao Xing. "Since the Era Worm problem is still not fully resolved, no one dares to use mechanical communication right now," he explained. "Different Dao Soldier systems have led to different artifact spirit systems. The mechanical systems inherited by the major ancient kingdoms, demon races, and various factions are all distinct. Moving Scholar City to Taigu Hill will allow them to research this very issue."

"What kind of impact does that have on Taigu Hill?" Zhao Xing asked.

"The impact is relatively minor," Venerable Hongshan replied. "We don't usually use artifact spirits to control formations or barriers. The rebellious artifact spirits are mainly Dao Soldiers like tunneling shuttles and earth-penetrating boats."

Zhao Xing nodded. In truth, the Sinong faction had little need for mechanical Dao Soldiers. For instance, in the Primeval Realm, when Zhao Xing participated in the Primordial Assembly, he traveled using instantaneous flowers and void vines. His study of secret arts relied on the Three Thousand Dao Seeds and the Primordial Dao Canon inscribed within the root system of the Primordial Divine Tree. If not for the Great Emperor's mechanical experimental products in the Primeval Realm, such as the Crimson Star Celestial Soldiers and Grand Luo Divine Weapons, the Primeval Realm's own system, even with artifact spirit rebellion, would only experience issues with individually used Dao Soldiers, not affecting the entire system. It certainly wouldn't have led to the destruction of Seaweed City. Seaweed City was destroyed by the Great Emperor's mechanical Dao Soldiers. Taigu Hill did not possess a mechanical Divine King as powerful as the Great Emperor, so such an event as seen in the Primeval Realm was impossible here.

"The Three Realms and Twelve Mountains also contain many divine artifacts, but the artifact spirits of our most powerful divine artifacts are mostly our Taigu Hill predecessors," Venerable Hongshan continued. "They are not the systematic, group-formed, post-natal consciousnesses like those created by the Great Emperor."

Zhao Xing nodded in understanding. The empire's mechanical artifact spirits were systematic, managed from top to bottom. For example, the Da Yan Divine Weapon's artifact spirit, located far in the empire's center, could control the desperate Great Wall, the Four Seasons Celestial Gates, and the Demon Suppression Pass on the border. The name Da Yan Divine Weapon itself encapsulated the characteristics of the Great Emperor's mechanical divine path. The Era Worms did not directly burrow into the Da Yan Divine Weapon initially, nor did they directly affect its primary system; instead, they targeted its sub-systems. The artifact spirits in Taigu Hill's divine artifacts were more akin to the Ma Yi Divine Seer. Zhao Xing hadn't observed any artifact spirit rules that the old man was forced to obey; all his actions seemed to be at his whim, and he could behave differently with different masters.

"Senior, what brings you here this time?"

Venerable Hongshan responded, "With the Great Emperor absent, the empire's security has greatly diminished. Therefore, Taigu Hill hopes you will return and not remain in the empire for now."

Zhao Xing questioned, "Senior Gu has broken through to the Divine General rank, and the Primordial Divine Tree still exists in the Primeval Realm—"

Venerable Hongshan shook his head. "Upon reaching the Divine General rank, he will be preoccupied with many more matters and likely won't have time to look after you. Furthermore, staying by his side would be even more dangerous. Sending you to Taigu Hill is also his wish." The Era Worms dispatched by the Evil God faction immediately attacked Gu Luohao after taking control of the Grand Luo Celestial Soldiers and Generals, clearly indicating he was a primary target.

Zhao Xing felt a touch of emotion. The Geo-Advantage Faction truly was reliable, always remembering their 'Exiled Saint Son.'

"When do I leave?"

"The sooner, the better."

In the final solar year of the Luo Emperor Era, the 1043rd celestial year, on the unique temporal-spatial territory known as Frost Island, eight azure rivers surged forth in waves from eight blue caverns on the island. They twisted upwards, disappearing into the void. Surrounding the caverns were mountain ranges composed entirely of books. Within the azure rivers, forty-eight thousand points of light shone like suns. They seemed like fixed anchor points; the rivers flowed, but the suns remained stable in the rivers' centers. Eight gigantic insect-beasts roared in the rivers, ceaselessly traversing one dazzling light point after another. Each time they passed a light point, more figures joined them, surrounding the insect-beasts. The destinations of each insect-beast and figure differed, but most pointed to a specific temporal-spatial location: the first solar year of the Barren Realm's Third Era.

The azure rivers moved, but everything on the island—flowers, trees, and people—remained still. Until, at a certain moment, the only two remaining figures on the island stirred. One of them looked up and observed; as their gaze fell, the azure rivers abruptly contracted.

"Why have only five divine worms reached the Barren Realm's Third Era?"

"Those sent to Crimson Star died so early."

A woman, radiating a pale blue glow and crowned with a ruby diadem, spoke. Her skin was as white as snow, and her hair was silver, making her resemble a queen of ice and snow. "Xue Qing, don't waste time, send another divine worm," she said, extending her palm towards a stout man sitting cross-legged beside her. On her palm lay a wiggling, worm-like creature.

"Zi Yin, don't be in such a hurry," Xue Qing did not take it. "I haven't decided who to send to Taigu Hill yet."

"Send Earth Official Kuang Chuan," Zi Yin suggested, "He's originally from Taigu Hill."

"Kuang Chuan?" Xue Qing conjured a book from the air, filled with names. Her gaze fell upon one of them: Kuang Chuan, a sixteenth-tier demigod. Before his induction, he served as the Dizang Administrator of Mengchuan Mountain in Taigu Hill. He was inducted from Nether Ancient Mountain in the Seventh Era before the Barren Realm.

"Why send him?" Xue Qing asked, curious.

"It's the No-Book Divine King's decree," Divine General Zi Yin said. "The struggle for the Mountain Head position in Taigu Hill is about to begin, and he is the most likely to defeat the other contenders."

"I see," Xue Qing nodded, then sat down. An ancient zither appeared on her lap, its music soaring. The insect-beast in Divine General Zi Yin's hand flew into the sky and descended into the azure river. Simultaneously, a figure appeared in the river; he bowed towards Zi Yin and Xue Qing, then lay prone upon the insect-beast.

In the twenty-fifth celestial year of the Barren Realm's Third Era, after arranging Dazhou's migration affairs, Zhao Xing's main body traveled to Taigu Hill. He left only three clones within the empire to serve as teleportation jump points. All other clones were recalled and accompanied his main body to Taigu Hill.

In the thirty-fourth year, Zhao Xing and Venerable Hongshan accepted the task of escorting Scholar City's relocation as part of their journey. As two powerful demigods, they were to ensure the safety of one of the Scholar City's migrating contingents. Since Scholar City was relocating as a whole—not just people, but vast cities, lands, palaces, and artifacts—it involved a colossal undertaking. Most items could not withstand spatial changes or be stored in inner worlds or spatial rings. For example, the World-Transmitting Pagoda, itself a powerful spatial and karmic divine artifact, could not be contained within another divine artifact. Furthermore, the immense "Dao Enlightenment Realm," accumulated by generations of Scholar City's predecessors and built within Scholar Dao City, needed to be physically moved on the Image Manifestation Layer, otherwise it would suffer varying degrees of damage.

Being able to read scriptures, gain favor with scholars, and accumulate contribution points—why wouldn't he? The contribution points for Old Qing's warning incident had not yet been disbursed, so accumulating more was always better; after all, no one complained about having too much money. Thus, Zhao Xing accepted these escort missions.

In the fifty-second celestial year, Scholar City was attacked. A Divine General and two Divine Weapon-tier experts dispatched by Taigu Hill were escorting the World-Transmitting Pagoda when they reached the Purple Xuan Ancient Kingdom. The Purple Xuan Ancient Kingdom bordered the Black Sky Barren Region, and seven Evil Gods, leading a multitude of their followers, launched a surprise attack. Taigu Hill's escorting Divine General repelled the Evil Gods, and while the ambush was unsuccessful, it resulted in approximately three thousand scholars being wounded or killed.

In May, July, and September of the same year, attacks occurred frequently. Due to the ongoing Era Worm crisis, the chaos in various countries had not subsided, coupled with intermittent spatial-temporal shocks. Taigu Hill had to strengthen its escort capabilities for Scholar City's relocation to continue. Perhaps it was good fortune, or perhaps Zhao Xing's escort targets were not valuable enough, but after eight consecutive round-trip escorts, Zhao Xing's team encountered no anomalies or attacks.

In the fifty-third celestial year, a massive spatial-temporal shock occurred, leading to the most severe attack yet. This time, it targeted the contingent escorted by Zhao Xing and Venerable Hongshan. In mid-July, Zhao Xing and Venerable Hongshan were escorting the forty-sixth partial relocation of Scholar City. This escort included one of Scholar City's Nine Classics Pavilions, a disassembled portion of the "Dao Enlightenment Realm," and the colossal realm-ship fleet of the Seventh Dharma Realm. The fleet was dragging a pavilion, a transparent, glowing barrier filled with countless flying books, and the Seventh Dharma Realm itself, which had no physical form but was hidden in the ninth layer of the Dao Manifestation Layer, pulled by nine chains.

On this day, Zhao Xing was reading in the Medical Scripture Pavilion within the Nine Classics Pavilion. Suddenly, his brow began to twitch, as if something ominous was about to happen. He immediately put down his book and walked out of the pavilion, surveying the realm-ship fleet before and behind him. At that moment, Venerable Hongshan also flew out from another realm-ship.

"You feel it too?" Venerable Hongshan was already in his eight-armed demon god state. He belonged to the Extreme Earth Giant God Stream, commonly known as the Martial Sinong school. The fact that he had already activated his Demon God Earth Transformation Art clearly indicated he, too, sensed the crisis. The last time Zhao Xing saw Venerable Hongshan transform was when they were trapped in Stacked Realms Mountain.

"Yes, something feels off," Zhao Xing said, donning his Time-Space Valley Rain Robe and taking out his Heaven Transformation Divine Needle.

"You take the bow, I'll take the stern; we'll check separately," Venerable Hongshan said, then bypassed the Nine Classics Pavilion and headed straight for the rear of the realm-ship fleet. Zhao Xing pondered for a moment, then began deploying numerous Primordial Clones to guard the Seventh Dharma Realm, the Dao Enlightenment Realm, and the Nine Classics Pavilion. Only then did his main body begin to investigate individually.

Shortly after he and Venerable Hongshan acted, eight Scholar City elders, led by the Seven Realms Scholar Yan Chuan, suddenly appeared in the Nine Classics Pavilion area. Zhao Xing's clones immediately detected an anomaly.

"Elder Yan, is something wrong?"

Yan Chuan did not answer Zhao Xing. He and the seven Scholar City elders behind him gazed with sorrow and fury. The next moment, the aura of all eight scholars changed simultaneously, radiating towering killing intent! Zhao Xing's pupils contracted. When scholars corrupted their innate spiritual foundation, their aura would change significantly. Since the Bowie incident, scholars' potential had greatly increased. Seven Realms Scholars were already at the demigod realm, and Yan Chuan was an eleventh-tier scholar. The seven individuals behind him were all at the eighth-tier Emperor Monarch level. When they actively released their restrictions for combat, everyone's cultivation realm in Zhao Xing's panel instantly leaped dramatically, though their lifespans rapidly dwindled. Ultimately, Yan Chuan's true spirit strength reached an astonishing fourteenth tier, while the other seven also reached the thirteenth tier.

"Elder Yan! Stop! What are you doing? Have you forgotten me, forgotten the purpose of this journey?"

"Zhao Xing, you're helping forces like Taigu Hill and the Origin Celestial Palace carve up my Scholar City's assets, and you have the audacity to ask me why?!" Yan Chuan's gaze at Zhao Xing was icy cold. "Generations of Scholar City individuals have poured their heart and soul into cultivating talent for the entire human race, yet you killed Elder Bowie and arbitrarily altered the Path-Following Plan. Now, you even intend to carve up Scholar City itself!"

"You—" Zhao Xing immediately understood that the temporal-spatial memories of these eight Scholar City elders, led by Yan Chuan, were in disarray. In Yan Chuan's perception, he had become an accomplice to the super-factions. And Taigu Hill's assistance in the relocation of Scholar City had been twisted into Taigu Hill and other super-factions trying to carve up Scholar City.

*Swoosh!*

When Venerable Hongshan appeared and saw the astonishing aura of Yan Chuan and the other seven, his expression also changed. Scholars were normally gentle, but when they decided to burn their lives for one final battle, they were the most terrifying. These eight individuals, led by Yan Chuan, within a few words, shattered the limitations of three tribulations, reaching an astonishing level of power. Zhao Xing watched the data on their panels continuously change: Golden Body of One Hundred Eight Thousand Extremes; Seven Fate Palaces; Nine-Revolving Zither Heart; Limitless Sword Gall; Eight-Revolving Spiritual Conduit; Boundless Wandering Spirit Palace; Progenitor Core; Green History Rivers, Green Satchel Medical Texts. North Wind Hundred River Array, Mandate Calamity Art, Eight-String Divine Technique, Heaven and Earth Sword Art, Reincarnation Altar (Spiritual Void Version), Beast Spirit Transformation, Taiyi Heavenly Poison Elixir Art—a consistent universal template.

When Yan Chuan drew the longsword from his back, even Zhao Xing couldn't help but step back. He wasn't afraid of scholars cursing, but he was terrified of scholars drawing their swords. When a scholar took out a weapon other than a book, it meant he intended to kill, and it was when his combat power was at its peak.

"Hongshan Seal, go!"

Venerable Hongshan knew that Yan Chuan and these people could not be saved or corrected. Unless the Xuanling Historical Records could be brought here immediately to rectify their temporal-spatial memories. These eight individuals, led by Yan Chuan, were determined to shatter rather than surrender, intending to destroy even the Nine Classics Pavilion rather than let Taigu Hill have it. Yan Chuan's longsword flew out, striking directly at Venerable Hongshan's natal Dao Soldier.

*Clang!*

The base of the mountain and the sword tip collided, creating a deafening sound. The pale blue longsword shimmered with cold light, and an icy blue plane formed in the void at its tip. The base of the Hongshan Seal actually began to freeze, and the dense earth veins struggled to circulate smoothly. The sword was tiny, negligible compared to the massive Hongshan mountain body. Yet, the Hongshan Seal could not be pressed down. Yan Chuan, with just one sword, held back Venerable Hongshan.

"He's truly monstrous!" Zhao Xing cursed inwardly. Facing this situation, he too had no choice but to go all out.

*Puff, puff, puff, puff, puff, puff, puff!*

The Heaven Transformation Divine Needle pierced his body, instantly completing his transformation. Simultaneously, over a hundred Primordial Grass Golems blocked the Medical Scripture Pavilion, holding back the seven elders. However, Zhao Xing's attention was primarily on Yan Chuan, for Yan Chuan posed the greatest threat.

"Blazing World Divine Eyes!"

Zhao Xing's eyes reflected Yan Chuan's figure, and two beams of fire shot towards Yan Chuan. The dark void was torn by the two fiery lines, and the twisted void sealed Yan Chuan's escape path. Yan Chuan cupped his hands together, and suddenly a large volume of black water currents appeared beneath his feet. Simultaneously, wisps of void wind emerged.

"North Wind Hundred Rivers Array? No, it's the North Wind River God Array!"

Yan Chuan possessed an inner world, and within it were experimental heavy waters—a Sinong method. Heavy water forming rivers and creating a formation—this was a method of array masters among mechanical engineers. The void wind was not his own wind technique but borrowed, which was a Priest's method. Above the hundred black rivers, a phantom image of a god appeared. This was likely an Evil God whose cognition had also changed along with Yan Chuan's altered memory. Yan Chuan paid no heed to the two fiery lines emanating from Zhao Xing's eyes, even though their power was at the peak of the fourteenth tier.

*Whoosh, whoosh!*

The two wisps of Blazing World Flames burned through the void, but upon entering the North Wind River God Array, their power significantly diminished, and the origin of fire began to twist. After destroying a hundred river god phantoms, their power had fallen below the tenth tier.

*Om!*

Yan Chuan's ordinary scholar's robe was incinerated, but golden light erupted from him. It was the Primordial Ancestor's Reincarnation Golden Body protecting him, directly ignoring the damage.

"He's practically invincible in a short time. Hmm? What is he doing?" Zhao Xing's expression suddenly shifted. Yan Chuan's feet rose into the air, his robes fluttering, and the seven scholars beside him no longer tried to attack Zhao Xing's clones. The seven surrounded Yan Chuan, setting up layers of defensive barriers, seemingly protecting Yan Chuan's spellcasting. Yan Chuan's fingertips gently plucked.

Outwardly, nothing seemed to happen, but Zhao Xing's Grand Sun Sea sensed that the stars within sight were moving rapidly. Nearby solar stars, along with lunar and other celestial stars, rotated, their light connecting to form vast luminous membranes.

"With celestial stars as strings and fate palace scales, this is the Mandate Calamity Art!" Yan Chuan used the Yin and Yang twin stars as a foundation to play the Five Tones and Twelve Divine Scales. This piece was a perfect fusion of the Priest, Fate Master, and Musician Daos, named "Mandate Calamity." Its ultimate goal was to manipulate a vast range of cosmic stars to create a tribulation ground. Once Yan Chuan finished playing, everyone within this range would involuntarily trigger their True Spirit Tribulation!

Zhao Xing naturally recognized this piece. It was a Musician's divine skill, famously known as the "Funeral Divine Melody." He was a Sacrificial Musician!

"Damn it, Yan Chuan intends to send both Venerable Hongshan and me off!"

"I knew the Priest Dao needed to be curtailed!"

Zhao Xing felt as if he and Venerable Hongshan had been placed on a cosmic altar. As soon as the piece concluded, he and Hongshan would uncontrollably trigger their next True Spirit Tribulation. The greatest music has no sound, and though he had not yet heard the music, Venerable Hongshan's nerves were already taut.

"Hmph!" Venerable Hongshan's eight demonic arms blurred into afterimages, each arm imbued with eight demonic talents. The sky was filled with afterimages, relentlessly striking the formation barriers.

*Puff, puff, puff, puff, puff!* All seven scholars, except Yan Chuan, began to vomit blood. Old Hong, as a Mountain Head of his generation, certainly possessed remarkable abilities. But it was still not enough to break through the formation's defenses. Yan Chuan was multitasking, not only interfering with his spellcasting through mental will to reduce its power, but also manipulating his flying sword to contend with the Hongshan Seal. Though it made the seven scholars vomit blood, it could not stop Yan Chuan's performance.

Zhao Xing recalled all his clones into his body, his main body standing motionless on the steps before the Medical Scripture Pavilion. Of course, he hadn't given up resisting and was not waiting to be sacrificed. He was waiting. Waiting for Yan Chuan to pour all his remaining lifespan and energy into this single piece, leaving no time for a next attack.

Halfway through the piece, Zhao Xing closed his eyes. The Abundant Sun Blazing Sea within his body surged, reflecting all the stars of the Saint Wing Ancient Kingdom. Yan Chuan indeed possessed many spells, but he lacked the Heavenly Time Faction's divine-tier secret arts. Zhao Xing's Grand Sun Sacred Body began to vibrate, the boundless sea boiling, and countless stars began to tremble. A new rhythm of vibration joined the piece. Zhao Xing began to use the Heavenly Time Art to seize control of the Yin and Yang twin stars.

*Chirp!*

Yan Chuan's fingers tapped and vibrated the void with increasing speed, his body trembling, and his musical scales became chaotic. When "Mandate Calamity" reached two-thirds completion, it was utterly in disarray.

*Boom!*

In the distant void, numerous barren planets exploded, colliding with each other and losing their luster, like a fireworks display blooming across the universe. Yan Chuan's fingers shattered inch by inch, and he looked up at Zhao Xing in disbelief.

"You... how did you do that?" In his final moments, Yan Chuan's scholarly nature shone through, and he asked with immense curiosity.

"Heavenly Time Divine Art," Zhao Xing answered, fulfilling his last wish.

"Zhao Xing, your talent in spellcraft is extraordinary, and your two treatises are truly magnificent—but why do you help them harm Scholar City?" Yan Chuan shakily rose, tears welling in his eyes, and posed this soul-searching question to Zhao Xing. With that, he and the seven Scholar City elders disintegrated into dust, their essences carried away by the void wind, scattered across the universe.

"Alas—" Zhao Xing sighed. When he had convened the Annihilation Star Dharma Assembly, Yan Chuan had been present as a witness. Yan Chuan remembered him and those experiences, but some crucial memories had become distorted. Cognition stems from countless life experiences; when memories deviate, cognition also becomes warped. He remembered Zhao Xing but did not remember that Scholar City's migration was ordered by Grand Elder Feng Chen, nor could he distinguish between good and bad.

"How many more people will have their memories twisted and cognition confused by spatial-temporal shocks?" Zhao Xing sighed again. It was evident that scholars like Yan Chuan had been specifically targeted by Evil Gods. The source lay in the Backwind River God that Yan Chuan had just summoned.

Without time for sorrow, Zhao Xing immediately began performing "Cognitive Identification" on everyone in the realm-ship fleet. He ultimately discovered that fourteen more Lord-tier scholars had severe memory confusion. To prevent a repeat of the Yan Chuan tragedy, Zhao Xing sealed these fourteen individuals with mana and then used the Dream Desire Art to put them into a deep slumber. After repeatedly screening the group several times, Venerable Hongshan and Zhao Xing finally sat down together again.

They remained silent for a long time before Venerable Hongshan spoke. "Zhao Xing, please perform a Cognitive Identification on me." He then added, "Divine General Dreamchuan can't make it in time; the team escorting the Myriad Dao Tree was attacked."

The Myriad Dao Tree and the Nine Classics Pavilion were among Scholar City's most important treasures. Both the Nine Classics Pavilion and the Myriad Dao Tree possessed protective functions similar to the Xuanling Historical Records. However, their scope was much narrower; only creators whose treatises and classics were inscribed in the Pavilion or on the Dao Tree received protection. This attack, specifically targeting the Myriad Dao Tree and the Nine Classics Pavilion, was far more precise than previous widespread, indiscriminate attacks, aiming directly at the elite human cultivators of the current era.

Zhao Xing extended a finger, and a water screen appeared, displaying a series of images as he performed Cognitive Identification on Venerable Hongshan. At the same time, he inquired about Divine General Dreamchuan's situation.

"The Myriad Dao Tree wasn't stolen, was it?"

"No," Venerable Hongshan shook his head. "Divine General Dreamchuan is a self-attaining Divine General of the mind path; he is as renowned as the empire's Heart Divine General Qiluo. My grand-uncle is skilled in defense, and Divine General Qiluo is skilled in offense. Evil Gods attempting to internally corrupt memories would find it very difficult to succeed against him."

Zhao Xing also breathed a sigh of relief. If the Myriad Dao Tree were lost, the damage would be immense. If the imprints on the Myriad Dao Tree were erased, the human cultivation system in the Xuanling Starfield would regress. This wasn't a matter of backups; erasing imprints through the Myriad Dao Tree, much like the Moon God Palace Master initially used the Xuanling Historical Records to block the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom incident and sever the Sacrificial Dao, would cause numerous magical theories to be forgotten.

The contention between gods was never about how many people were killed. No matter how many were killed, as long as it wasn't outright extinction, the divine realms of the Barren Realm Era could quickly cultivate another batch of powerful individuals. Essentially, True Gods and Evil Gods vied for the assimilation of beliefs and ideals. It was just that some Evil Gods employed violent methods, like the River God who just appeared. Others were relatively gentle, like the Boundless True God; fifty years had passed, and Zhao Xing had observed no signs of activity from the Boundless True God, nor had he received any instructions.

"That's about it. You seem fine," Zhao Xing quickly concluded the Cognitive Identification on Venerable Hongshan.

"Now it's your turn to identify me."

"No need," Venerable Hongshan waved his hand. "Your two treatises are both inscribed on the Dao Tree, and the Dao Tree hasn't been lost. If even you were to experience memory confusion and cognitive deviation, then our era would have no hope; we might as well be destroyed."

Zhao Xing nodded. Having one's treatises inscribed on the Dao Tree provided a very strong layer of protection. The Xuanling Historical Records covered the entire domain, while the Myriad Dao Tree protected elites; their levels of power were, of course, not comparable.

The realm-ship continued its journey, leaving the territory of the Saint Wing Ancient Kingdom. Upon entering Taigu Hill's domain, a new notification appeared in Zhao Xing's Star Mirror, indicating that his escort mission was successful: the Medical Scripture Pavilion, the Dao Enlightenment Realm, and the Seventh Dharma Realm had all arrived safely. He received approximately thirty units of contribution points.

Name: Zhao XingCultivation: Twelve Tribulations DemigodProfession: SinongIdentity: Primeval Emissary / Taigu EmissaryTotal Contribution Points: 2,652,300Remaining Contribution Points: 651,350Contribution Rank: 78,546

At this point, the Star Mirror had recovered some of its functions, and demigods of Zhao Xing's tier could use it safely. However, he still couldn't access areas like the City of Mind, and while exchanges in the Xuanling Treasure Vault were possible, deliveries wouldn't be as timely. As for the warning's contribution points, they had not yet been approved. Based on Zhao Xing's experience with missions, he estimated they might have to wait until the Era Worm turmoil passed, so the higher-ups could make an overall assessment and distribute rewards accordingly.

"Hahaha, wonderful news!" As they landed near Vesta for a rest stop in a star city, Venerable Hongshan suddenly entered Zhao Xing's room, visibly excited.

"What wonderful news?"

"Hahaha, Venerable Kuang Chuan has returned!" Venerable Hongshan exclaimed with a laugh.

"Venerable Kuang Chuan?" Zhao Xing was perplexed.

"Venerable Kuang Chuan is the senior disciple of the Dreamchuan Mountain lineage and the chief disciple of Divine General Dreamchuan," Venerable Hongshan explained. "Among our generation, he was the most brilliant. If he hadn't disappeared, Venerable Meishan likely wouldn't have become the Mountain Head. But ever since the Seventh Era before the Barren Realm, he was ordered to explore the Black Sky Barren Region and disappeared. At the time, we thought he had died."

"Doesn't that mean he was gone for nine eras?" Zhao Xing felt no joy; instead, a hint of wariness stirred within him. "Senior Hongshan, don't you feel there's something amiss?"

Venerable Hongshan shook his head. "I just learned that Senior Disciple Kuang Chuan returned fifteen years ago. After his return, he underwent scrutiny from three Divine Generals, and he passed all three times, so there's certainly no problem."

"That truly is good news," Zhao Xing said with a smile. He didn't dwell on it; after all, such things weren't particularly rare. If even divine beings felt it was fine, why should he worry?

"Senior Disciple Kuang Chuan discovered the existence of Nether Ancient Mountain; he was originally tasked with exploring that legendary paramount mountain," Venerable Hongshan continued. "Junior Disciple Lushan said that Senior Disciple Kuang Chuan's return this time brought back much of Nether Ancient Mountain's soil, and even a complete Nether Ancient Earth Vein." Zhao Xing's brow raised. Nether Ancient Mountain, the largest mountain in the known universe territory. Yet it had only existed in legend—and now it had truly been found? And he brought back an entire earth vein? Venerable Kuang Chuan's contribution was immense!

"Currently, Senior Disciple Kuang Chuan is in seclusion, compiling the 'Nether Ancient Mountain Law Treatise'," Venerable Hongshan said, greatly excited. "My Taigu Hill is truly blessed by the Extreme Earth! First, you, Zhao Xing, authored the Earth Era Transformation Theory of the Stacked Realms Mountain, and now Senior Disciple Kuang Chuan has discovered Nether Ancient Mountain—"

Seeing Venerable Hongshan so happy, Zhao Xing indulged him for a while. However, after not long, Zhao Xing found an excuse to leave.

*Swoosh, swoosh!*

After several consecutive spatial traversals, Zhao Xing entered the Dao Ancient Layer. The White Jade Five Tombs Ship floated amidst the primordial storms of the Dao Ancient Layer. Zhao Xing entered a room within, where a statue of the Boundless True God was enshrined. Compared to the small statue he initially received from the Nymph of the Wind, this one was now much larger. The statue glowed red, indicating a decree from the Boundless True God.

"Just like that, he appears. It seems even the Boundless True God can't sit still anymore," Zhao Xing murmured. "But my second-tier mission isn't finished yet. What's the situation now?" Zhao Xing put on his Dao Enlightenment Golden Circlet, then stepped inside. He lit incense, prayed, and then bowed, chanting, "Your subordinate respectfully requests the True God to manifest." A wisp of red light burned within the incense cauldron before the statue, and then a face appeared within the flames.

"Zhao Xing, what era are you in now?" the Boundless True God inquired.

Zhao Xing was slightly taken aback. Could it be that the statue's power was inferior to an avatar's, unable to even discern the time? "To the True God, I am in the fifty-third celestial year of the Barren Realm's Third Era."

"Oh, then there's still time. I thought you had already received the reward for slaying the Era Worms and had gone to other temporal-spatial realms to challenge the Divine Gates."

"Does the True God know about my affairs?"

"Haha," the Boundless True God laughed heartily. "The news of Qing Yuzi using the Marquis Transformation Art to deceive Heaven and cross the sea, disguising himself as a Divine General under the No-Book Divine King to steal classified information, has already reached the eighth solar year of the Luo Emperor Era. He is renowned throughout infinite temporal-spatial realms; is there any god who doesn't know of this?"

Zhao Xing's heart trembled. So that's how Old Qing got his intelligence? Old Qing was truly audacious! Last time, he stole the Divine Evolution Stele from the divine temple; this time, he stole critical classified information. "Renowned throughout infinite temporal-spatial realms?" Even Master Zhao would be envious of such a display.

"Old Qing's sneaky nature hasn't changed," Zhao Xing thought sourly. "What 'Qingyu Divine Being'? He's a 'Stealing Divine Being'!"

"However, fame comes at a price. Qing Yuzi is merely a Divine Weapon. Even if he can rival Divine Generals in certain aspects, his power is ultimately limited." The Boundless True God continued, "His current notoriety means he faces intense pursuit. He's likely a stray dog, frantically fleeing for his life, and whether he survives is still up in the air. Zhao Xing, you must not accept his messages anymore, lest you get implicated."

Hearing the Boundless True God say this, Zhao Xing recalled the incident of Old Qing's statue weeping and shattering. Sure enough, Old Qing was beaten to tears! "Many thanks for the True God's warning! Your subordinate will bear it in mind!" Bear it in mind, yes, but how he acted upon it remained to be seen. Still, Zhao Xing was surprised that the Boundless True God would care for him so much, even risking coming specifically to warn him?

As it turned out, Zhao Xing was mistaken. The Boundless True God merely mentioned Qing Yuzi in passing; he had a mission to assign. "Zhao Xing, the struggle for the Mountain Head position in Taigu Hill will likely be significantly moved up. I want you to win the Mountain Head position and prevent this authority from falling into others' hands."

Zhao Xing was startled. The struggle for the Mountain Head position in Taigu Hill was supposed to be in about three or four thousand years, wasn't it? Was it being moved up? Zhao Xing had previously benefited from the warning incident, which would bring him at least hundreds of millions of contribution points in the future, so he hadn't pursued the Mountain Head position much. But now that the Boundless True God mentioned it, he became interested. He just didn't understand why the Boundless True God wanted him to take this Mountain Head position.

"True God, my strength is meager; I may not be able to win it," Zhao Xing said tactfully. He felt that the Boundless True God might not reveal his true intentions, so he decided to ask for some benefits first.

"Your strength is indeed a bit low," the Boundless True God assessed. "How about this: when you have time, make a trip to the Black Sky Barren Region. Summon an avatar of my divine power, and I will grant you a fortunate encounter."

"Your subordinate obeys," Zhao Xing immediately agreed. In any case, he was an undercover agent, so he felt no guilt in accepting it; he wasn't afraid of others knowing.

"To what extent does the True God wish me to succeed?" Zhao Xing began to inquire about the mission details.

"It would naturally be best if you could win the Mountain Head position," the Boundless True God said. "Previous Mountain Heads have had the qualification to enter the Ancient Taigu Realm, Primeval Realm, and Dao Manifestation Realm. They also wield the three great Geo-Advantage Divine Artifacts of Taigu Hill. My intention for you to win the Mountain Head position is simply to observe the power of these divine artifacts. I am a Divine General of Array Formations whose Dao is attested by Heaven and Earth; the divine artifacts of Taigu Hill would benefit my Dao. If you can allow me to observe them then, I will not treat you unfairly."

The Boundless True God actually revealed his purpose so directly, and Zhao Xing truly admired his frankness. This "Evil God" was surprisingly righteous.

"True God, if I fail to win, what should be the second objective?" Zhao Xing asked again.

"Then you must not allow Kuang Chuan to take that Mountain Head position," the Boundless True God stated.

"Kuang Chuan?" Zhao Xing's eyebrow twitched. "True God, do you mean that Venerable Kuang Chuan has a problem—" This made him even more confused. Even if Venerable Kuang Chuan had a problem, he should be part of the Past Faction. Why would the Boundless True God want to stop him?

"Hmph, even those who live in the past are not all True Gods like myself," the Boundless True God scoffed. "Some disguise themselves as True Gods but are actually Evil Gods who oppose the True God's ideals! Such Evil Gods have their own set of external heresies, and they are even more detestable than those ignorant Evil Gods!"

Hearing the Boundless True God's tone, Zhao Xing roughly understood. Even in the past, multiple factions existed, hostile to each other. No wonder the Barren Realm Era faction, though significantly weaker, had not been completely annihilated. The Xuanling Starfield, the Crimson Star Great Emperor, the Moon God Palace Master, and the Samsara Divine Palace, while distinct powers, shared common ideals and acted in unison. The Xuanling Treasure Vault was an example. If they hadn't shared ideals, how could such a treasure vault have been created? The current era, though weaker overall, was absolutely united. The past era, though stronger, was fragmented and warring amongst themselves. This created a space for the Barren Realm Era faction to survive.

"If you can become the Mountain Head, you must eliminate Kuang Chuan; if you cannot, you must eliminate Kuang Chuan even more."

"In short, Kuang Chuan cannot live."

After the Boundless True God finished speaking, the flames extinguished. Stepping out of the divine hall, Zhao Xing couldn't help but click his tongue. "How exactly did Venerable Kuang Chuan and the Evil God behind him offend the Boundless True God?"

"If he wins, eliminate him; if he loses, eliminate him."

"He has no way to survive in the Boundless True God's eyes."

Zhao Xing didn't understand, but he was profoundly shocked. This demand from the Boundless True God finally carried a hint of an Evil God's nature. "Regardless of who Venerable Kuang Chuan is, since he has sided with an Evil God, and even the Boundless True God despises him so much, he is likely unacceptable in the current era. However, I also need to consider if I can even defeat him."

Zhao Xing decided not to immediately claim the Boundless True God's gift. He first needed to check Venerable Kuang Chuan's strength using his panel. Once Zhao Xing returned to the area adjacent to Vesta, his escort mission concluded. Soon, a figure emerged from the soil; it was Lord Lushan.

"Zhao Xing, your clone has just emerged from seclusion. You can go to Meishan to retrieve it."

"Oh? Out of seclusion?" Zhao Xing's heart swelled with joy. His Primordial Clone, left in Meishan to study, had been learning for three thousand years. "I wonder what ultimate arts of Taigu Hill it has mastered. Once the fragmented souls merge, he will gain a comprehensive understanding of everything." Zhao Xing immediately cast the Earth Escape Art and began traversing with Lord Lushan.