Chapter 666: Taiyi

In the outer realm of the Yuanqiong Boundary, several hundred ships gathered. They were all wooden vessels resembling sailboats, yet exceptionally sturdy, able to withstand the erosion of starlight. Their broad sails could also attract the radiance of star power, converting it into an endless source of propulsion.

At this moment, on the largest of these ships, Youjue the Perfected gazed coldly ahead at a 'Middle Thousand World' that was steadily drawing closer to the Yuanqiong Boundary. Within it lay sixteen million square kilometers of land and twice that area of ocean. By any standard, it qualified as a Middle Thousand World.

What Youjue the Perfected was looking at was the southwestern side of this world. There stood a giant mountain, fully twenty-two thousand meters high, and both inside and out, it was filled with surging sword qi.

Notably, at the foot of the giant mountain stood a stone tablet a thousand meters tall, inscribed with only two enormous seal-script characters: Yuan Huang!

"So this sword formation has stumped you?"

Youjue the Perfected's expression began to soften. As a 'Taiyi True Immortal', he naturally recognized the power of this sword formation and knew its might.

"The Shenxiao Sect, is it? They do have some extraordinary qualities."

"It's not entirely that. This Yuan Huang Tomb has its own protective formations, very well preserved, which resonate with the sword formation inside and out, leaving us no opening to exploit."

One of the three white-robed elders behind Youjue spoke: "The key issue is the realm's rejection. This 'Yuan Huang Realm' was originally one with the 'Yuanqiong Realm', so all members of the Shenxiao Sect are unaffected here. They have many experts, over ten Celestial Immortals, and their sect leader, Situ Jingyu, is a True Immortal-level female immortal. With the aid of the realm and the sword formation, none of us could match her. Previously, my fellow disciples Xiuming and Xiuyuan were both wounded by her hand."

"In that case, it is indeed not your fault. Our sect underestimated them. I never expected that this lowly lower realm would harbor such a powerful sect."

But Youjue the Perfected still had doubts: "Strange! Since the Yuan Huang Realm has such variables, Mingjing the Perfected should have divined this long ago."

None of the three True Immortals present could answer this question. One of them said uncertainly: "It is indeed very strange. When we arrived, they had already seized the advantage, yet we found no omen in our divinations. We speculated that the Shenxiao Sect might possess some treasure or secret art to conceal the heavenly mechanism, or perhaps there is something else within the Yuan Huang Tomb besides those 'Star Source Essences'. This so-called Yuan Huang, since he had the power to shatter a world on the verge of becoming a 'Great Thousand', must have been a Golden Immortal at his peak, perhaps even having touched the threshold of Taiyi. Leaving behind something—"

"Taiyi? Xiuming, you overestimate them. The reason this realm could be shattered is mostly due to too many cultivators consuming excessive heavenly earth primordial force."

Youjue the Perfected let out a scoff, full of disdain: "In my view, the formations within the Yuan Huang Tomb are only on par with the sword formation outside. But in terms of structure, they fall far short of that sword formation, and their true intent and dao rhyme are quite inferior. They retain some power only by virtue of 'geographical advantage'. This shows that the cultivator's cultivation was not that strong, at most Taiyi. If not for the rarity of the 'Source Essence', I wouldn't even deign to look at this place. As for that sword formation, its grand architecture and exquisite precision make it seem truly not like a lower realm inheritance. Does the Shenxiao Sect have any other background?"

"After we were blocked here, we investigated thoroughly. Although the Shenxiao Sect has dominated this realm for several thousand years, just a few decades ago they didn't have a single immortal. The realm's spiritual energy had long been exhausted, preventing even the most talented cultivators from advancing. It wasn't until their former sect leader, 'Wenjian the Perfected', broke through the realm as a Mahayana cultivator and found opportunities in the outer realm, breaking through to the immortal realm, that things changed. It is said that when he returned last time, his cultivation was at least at the True Immortal level. Because of this, the Shenxiao Sect gained further opportunities. In recent years, at least twenty cultivators have broken through to the immortal realm, and they even had the strength to repair the realm."

"The former sect leader of the Shenxiao Sect must have been exceptionally talented. He was known as invincible in the Yuanqiong Boundary, suppressing the entire realm single-handedly, slaying Heavenly Demons at the Mahayana level. However, he returned as a True Immortal less than ten years ago. I suspect his current cultivation is at most approaching Taiyi True Immortal. With some external objects and secret arts, he might match a Taiyi True Immortal. Our sect has been investigating his movements in the outer realm, but so far without results."

"Moreover, like our sect, they venerate 'Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun' as their patriarch. However, the Jie Sect, transmitted by the Grand Supreme Patriarch, has billions of branches across the myriad heavens. The Shenxiao Sect is likely a distant offshoot many generations removed."

"Also, the people of this realm mostly worship the 'Shenxiao Heavenly Mandate Taiyi Immortal Lord', with extremely flourishing incense offerings. I have checked carefully; this so-called Taiyi Immortal Lord is actually the former sect leader of the Shenxiao Sect, Wenjian Taoran. Yet he has no divine domain in this realm, and I don't know where the incense offerings go."

"Shenxiao Heavenly Mandate Taiyi Immortal Lord? Wenjian the Perfected?"

Youjue the Perfected pondered for a moment, then shook his head slightly: "Forget it—"

At this moment, the void around him began to warp and fluctuate. Though he still stood there and continued speaking, the three behind him knew that he had already departed.

"Better to resolve this matter quickly. Our sect's star ships have been here long enough. As they say, delays breed changes. Lingering here will inevitably attract attention."

The three True Immortals did not hesitate either, following closely behind as they stepped into the void.

The next instant, they arrived above the stone tablet inscribed with the characters 'Yuan Huang'. Youjue glanced down at the tablet, let out a light snort, and then the stone tablet, which had a history of at least three hundred thousand years, split into over a thousand pieces under an inexplicable force.

"A frog at the bottom of a well dares to call itself emperor?"

His body floated in the air as he continued forward. Suddenly, from all directions, above and below, hundreds of millions of lightning-wreathed, sharp sword qi and thousands of deep purple thunder pillars appeared.

Yet upon seeing this, Youjue the Perfected didn't even blink.

"Impressive in声势, but all show and no substance!"

He simply reached out and grabbed. The sword qi uncontrollably gathered in his hand, coalescing into one. An increasingly powerful and dangerous aura gradually formed.

Behind him, the three white-haired elders all smiled, their eyes filled with admiration.

"As expected of Uncle-Master Youjue! This technique of 'gathering, receiving, transporting, and releasing' can be considered the foremost in our sect."

"That's an overstatement. Uncle-Master is still slightly inferior to the Patriarch. But in my view, he is only a hair's breadth away from the Golden Immortal realm. If he crosses that step, he will become the fourth Golden Immortal of our 'Taixuan Sect'."

Only one of them showed a hint of worry: "Uncle-Master's ability is certainly awe-inspiring, but isn't this too arrogant? He didn't wait for our sect's star ships to follow. What if the Shenxiao Sect has hidden cards? I'm afraid—"

"Worrying unnecessarily! Uncle-Master knows his limits. A small lower realm sect having a True Immortal is already surprising enough. What hidden cards could they have?"

Another spoke carelessly: "I have already ordered that within a quarter-hour at most, all star ships can enter the realm."

At this moment, under the gaze of the three, Youjue the Perfected, braving the millions of sword qi, descended oppressively upon the summit of Yuan Huang Mountain.

"I am Youjue. Where is your sect leader? Have her come see me immediately!"

With these words, Youjue the Perfected pressed his hand down slightly. The massive sword qi gathered in his hand instantly erupted, splitting into millions and sweeping in all directions. It not only sheared off a full thousand zhang of the mountain peak, made of Xuanxue rock, but also shattered the surrounding sword formation into pieces, sending vast clouds of dust rising into the sky.

At this time, Wei Jianyi, seated at the mountainside and commanding the center of the sword formation, furrowed his brow deeply.

This outer realm immortal was far too powerful for him to handle, treating the 'Shenxiao Ten Thousand Thunder Sword Formation', which they had meticulously improved, as if it were nothing.

Wei Jianyi was not panicked, however. He had known earlier that his master had returned from the outer realm. This unknown Taiyi True Immortal before him did not seem much stronger than his master when he last returned to the Yuanqiong Boundary.

Wei Jianyi felt quite fortunate. If his master had returned a little later, he might have ended up as bones. But his master himself mastered fate and fortune; this might be one of his abilities. The so-called power to suppress qi fortune was just like this.

Thus, Wei Jianyi remained very relaxed. He regarded this battle as an opportunity to hone his swordsmanship and dao foundation, patiently sparring with this Taiyi True Immortal on the mountaintop.

By now, it was not only the 'Shenxiao Ten Thousand Thunder Sword Formation' but also the immortal formation within the Yuan Huang Tomb that he had mobilized. Beams of dazzling white light, each of terrifying power, shot toward this person one after another.

"Trivial tricks!"

Youjue simply reached out again, causing those dazzling beams and the漫天 sword qi to gather in his palm, without causing him any harm at all.

But the next instant, the dangerous aura gathered in his hand suddenly erupted uncontrollably. The power of solar flame instantly raised the temperature within a meter to the extreme, shining like a small sun in all directions. At the same time, a vast sword light, swift as lightning and sharp as a blade, burst forth from within.

The millions of sword qi that Youjue had forcibly gathered in his hand, under Wei Jianyi's control, merged into one, unleashing an irresistible sharpness that nearly broke through the protective aura around Youjue the Perfected.

"Now that's a bit interesting!"

Youjue's eyes narrowed slightly, showing a hint of seriousness. With a casual wave of his large sleeve, the seemingly extremely sharp sword light and the sun that could burn everything were all erased and eliminated, as if they had never existed.

Then, he leisurely walked down from the mountaintop, heading straight for the center of the sword formation. With each step he took, the mountain inside and out emitted earth-shattering sounds. Along the way, runes, spirit stones, and sword artifacts all disintegrated and collapsed without resistance.

This figure walking on the mountaintop seemed even heavier than the entire mountain itself. Not only did it cause the whole mountain to sink, but it also sent sand and stones cascading from the summit and the mountainside.

"Not bad. Although you relied on external objects to reach the Celestial Immortal level, your sword dao and sword intent are quite impressive. But how much does your Shenxiao Sect look down on people? Your sect leader still refuses to appear? Do you think that with just this sword formation and a few Celestial Immortals, you can stop me?"

At this moment, beads of cold sweat the size of beans appeared on Wei Jianyi's forehead. The hundred or so Shenxiao Sect disciples sitting around him, controlling the sword formation together, also had pale faces.

The immense pressure borne by the 'Shenxiao Ten Thousand Thunder Sword Formation' had been transmitted to them. The shattering of runes and sword artifacts also caused violent fluctuations in the mana within their bodies, nearly shaking their internal organs.

Everyone's primordial energy was being consumed rapidly. The fully operational sword formation was continuously drawing power from their bodies. Including Wei Jianyi, everyone's mana was exhausted, and they could only convert their life essence to keep the entire sword formation from collapsing immediately.

But no matter how hard they tried, they could not stop the man's advance. His posture seemed leisurely, but his steps, though appearing slow, were actually fast, and he had already reached within a thousand zhang of the sword formation's center. This sword formation, which had consumed nearly all of the Shenxiao Sect's resources, had been torn open with a huge gap.

At this point, Youjue the Perfected looked with interest into the formation: "Interesting! At the Spirit Immortal realm, yet possessing the power of a Celestial Immortal. Is it because of those things on you? I've seen power armor a couple of times, but a living thing like clothing—I've never seen or heard of it."

His gaze grew even sharper: "Why haven't you summoned your sect leader, that female cultivator named Situ Jingyu? For the sake of both being branches of the Daoist path, I have already shown mercy. But if you remain stubborn and resist obstinately, what harm is there in annihilating you?"

As the last word fell, the light, thunder, and sword qi blocking Youjue the Perfected, along with the runes and sword artifacts within eight hundred zhang, exploded violently. All matter within that range was blasted into dust.

Wei Jianyi's scalp tingled. He had exhausted all variations of the sword formation and used every ability he had, yet he could not hinder Youjue the Perfected even half a step. Whenever he managed to deliver sword qi and thunder light before Youjue, the latter only needed to wave his sleeve to erase them all.

Was this a Taiyi True Immortal? The power this person displayed seemed even greater than his master's on that day. Considering that when this person descended into this realm, his power would be reduced by three to five tenths, it was even more fearsome.

He wondered if his master could handle it?

Wei Jianyi was not worried that his master could not deal with this Youjue the Perfected. What truly made him wary was the 'Taixuan Sect' behind this man. From the contact over the past two months, it was undoubtedly a sect with vast influence, and its experts were certainly not limited to this Youjue alone.

"You are distracted!"

Youjue the Perfected's words rang directly in Wei Jianyi's ear, causing him to tremble all over and change color in shock. He found that this person had somehow arrived beside him. The vast mental pressure and sharp killing intent nearly crushed his divine soul at that moment.

The man's finger had also reached before him, only a hair's breadth from his brow.

"Since you refuse to speak properly, then you need not speak at all."

But the finger did not actually touch Wei Jianyi's brow. Youjue the Perfected sensed an unexpected resistance, then his expression shifted slightly as he looked toward the void ahead.

As space twisted there, several figures stepped in from the outer realm. First a man and a woman, then several men in Shenxiao Sect attire.

The woman was undoubtedly Situ Jingyu, the sect leader of the Shenxiao Sect, but Youjue's attention was more focused on the man. He was the youngest-looking among the seven, like a youthful youth, and the only one whose depth he could not fathom.

"That is the technique of 'Sleeve Universe' and the method of 'Gathering, Receiving, Transporting, and Releasing'!"

As Li Mochen walked forward step by step, he also explained to his disciple: "This person's foundation is not bad, and his methods of transport and void are quite impressive. That you could hold him off for this long is already very good."

He had seen similar techniques from Ahura Mazda. Although the foundations of the spells were not the same, Ahura's method of gathering was not inferior even to the legendary Zhenyuan Daxian, who had perfected the 'Sleeve Universe'. The truth-level 'Inclusion' and pseudo-truth-level 'Chaos' would still give Li Mochen a headache if he encountered them now.

Indeed, that was one of the divine kings Li Mochen found most formidable; he might not be able to break through the chaotic universe Ahura had derived.

As for this Youjue's practice of 'Sleeve Universe', he had indeed grasped its essence. Although it was not impressive in Li Mochen's eyes, among 'Greater Gods' and 'Taiyi True Immortals', Youjue would have few opponents.

Yet Wei Jianyi, relying on the sword formation, had been able to contend with him for nearly a quarter of an hour. Despite the Taoist's seemingly relaxed and composed demeanor, Li Mochen could see that he had already used eighty to ninety percent of his abilities.

This showed that Wei Jianyi's skills had grown considerably over the past few years, even surpassing Situ Jingyu in progress. He had learned from his shame and become brave, which pleased Li Mochen greatly.

At this moment, Youjue's pupils contracted slightly, and his aura changed, becoming unprecedentedly cautious.

"You must be the legendary Wenjian Daoren of this realm? The so-called Shenxiao Heavenly Mandate Taiyi Immortal Lord? You come at the right time. I am Youjue of the Taixuan Sect, from the Shiyuan Realm. Today, I have a matter to discuss with the two of you."

At this moment, Youjue's mana had already penetrated deep into the ground, shattering the central hub of the 'Shenxiao Ten Thousand Thunder Sword Formation' beneath Wei Jianyi.

He greatly disliked the condescending tone of the other party, yet he knew that the other's strength had likely also reached the realm of Taiyi True Immortal. Thus, he dared not be careless, nor did he think he could confront him head-on in an environment surrounded by sword formations.

But contrary to Youjue's expectations, the man opposite did not stop him; instead, he looked at him with a half-smile: "Wenjian was my former Dao name, but now you must call me 'Tianming'."

When the words 'Tianming' were uttered, Youjue felt countless electric currents suddenly surge through his entire body, every hair standing on end.

This was not only due to the dangerous aura emanating from the other, but also because of the slight changes occurring in this heaven and earth. Youjue sensed that the core of this world was vibrating slightly, and the net of laws surrounding this medium-sized world was shifting its form, as if responding to the two words 'Tianming' spoken by this man.

Was this his own illusion? Or did this fellow before him truly possess the ability to alter heaven and earth? Or was it merely a coincidence? The net of laws in a medium-sized world was not stable, and its world core was very weak; even a slightly larger void storm from the outer domain could trigger tremors in the world.

And while Youjue was in a state of shock and uncertainty, Li Mochen had already arrived before him. Just as when he had faced Wei Jianyi earlier, it was without any warning, ghostly and unfathomable.

"You were distracted!"

Li Mochen also spoke the same words Youjue had just used, with the same leisurely and composed demeanor, handling matters with ease.

"The so-called matter for discussion—is it about the cluster of stellar source matter in the tomb? My Shenxiao Sect refuses to give it, so you intend to take it by force, is that it?"

He did not make a move, but a sharp gleam flickered in his eyes, and a formidable and unimaginably vast sword aura suddenly burst forth around him, locking onto Youjue True Person's spirit and soul, crushing and冲击.

At that moment, Youjue's consciousness and physical body were completely paralyzed, and his heart turned icy cold, sinking to the bottom.

If earlier he had only been vigilant and guessing, now he could be certain that the 'Tianming' Daoist before him was the most dangerous and powerful enemy he had ever faced in his life.

The other's magical power was far beyond that of a Taiyi True Immortal! It was definitely superior to his own, and as deep as the starry sky, vast and boundless!

"How dare you!"

A trace of blood spilled from Youjue's lips; the primordial spirit technique he possessed allowed him to break free from the other's mental suppression at the most critical moment, restoring a brief instant of freedom to his soul and body.

Then the sword behind him suddenly unsheathed, like a bolt of rainbow light, slashing down at the opponent before him. This sword tore open most of the net of laws in this place, also allowing Youjue True Person to shake off his shackles and restore most of his strength. A layer of blood light also covered Youjue True Person's body.

Although he knew the other's strength was far beyond his reach, Youjue would rather die than endure such humiliation. The other party was clearly intending to return everything he had inflicted on the Shenxiao Sect disciple beside him, in full measure!

However, just as the sword's momentum and power had risen to their peak in less than three hundred thousandths of a finger snap, and the light and shadow had just reached the opponent's front, they froze under the gaze of that 'Tianming' Daoist.

Youjue's eyes also showed uncontrollable surprise! He was confident that the power of this sword, even a true Golden Immortal, would need to go all out to deal with it, or even retreat!

But at this moment, the other party merely 'looked' at it, and his sword could not advance an inch, unable to continue!

This gave rise to a thought in Youjue's mind that he could not believe, nor could he comprehend.

Could it be that this so-called 'Tianming' Daoist before him, the former sect master of the Shenxiao Sect, had already attained the Great Luo? But isn't that a fantasy? A cultivator from the lower realm who only broke through to the immortal realm within the last twenty years—could he have achieved the Great Luo Dao in such a short time?

"Boom!"

Just as Youjue True Person's mind was filled with chaotic thoughts, his sword, forged from a large amount of top-grade spiritual materials and nurtured and refined for three hundred years, suddenly exploded! At the same time, it scattered into countless metal powders that surged back in a reverse tide. Youjue was shocked, and immediately activated the technique of 'Sleeve Universe', trying to absorb all these metal powders into the void within his sleeve. He indeed succeeded; as his sleeve flickered, the powders carrying sharp energy disappeared before his eyes.

But the Daoist opposite shook his head slightly: "This spell of yours is performed by relying on external objects. It might fool junior cultivators, but how dare you show off in front of me?"

Sure enough, as he spoke, Youjue True Person's right sleeve also exploded with a bang, revealing a bare arm and a black gem embedded in it.

This gem, containing a large amount of void energy, then also burst apart, and the void energy released from it nearly tore Youjue True Person's arm to pieces.

The latter was already terrified; after being pushed back three hundred zhang by the explosive force, he stared at his opponent with a look of obsession and fear, and he almost squeezed the words out from between his teeth.

"Sir, have you attained the Great Luo?"

These two words 'Great Luo' also shocked everyone present. The group of Shenxiao Sect disciples led by Wei Jianyi all cast sidelong glances at Li Mochen, and then their expressions became extremely excited.

Only Situ Jingyu and the others who had accompanied Li Mochen remained relatively calm. They had already been excited; earlier, when they saw him addressing each other as fellow disciples with the legendary Zhenwu Emperor, they had realized that their Supreme Sect Master had entered a realm beyond their reach.

Great Luo is the highest and broadest heaven among the thirty-six heavens of Daoism, meaning 'without prior' and 'without superior'. The realm of Great Luo is also the highest realm that cultivators can achieve.

Although above it there is still the realm of 'Hunyuan Wuji Taishang Daluo Jinxian', that too is an extension of the Great Luo Golden Immortal, a realm that cannot be reached through normal cultivation and requires special opportunities to attain.

And among all the inherited Daoist scriptures of their Shenxiao Sect, only a little over twenty Great Luo Golden Immortals are recorded!

All of them were beings that were one with the Great Dao, identical to nature, embodying the void, moving without form, emerging and entering without existence, immortal and indestructible, omnipotent, omniscient, and all-pervading!

"In the Eastern cultivation world, I have indeed now attained the position of 'Great Luo Golden Immortal'."

Li Mochen stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Youjue True Person with a gaze that held both mockery and warning.

"With your Tai Xuan Sect acting like this, even if I were to kill all of you here today, others would have nothing to say. However, considering that you have not harmed anyone, and that we both originate from the same Dao lineage under Grand Supreme Patriarch, I can be lenient. As long as you compensate for all the losses of my sect, all of you may leave safely today."

He was not usually so easygoing, but the Zhenwu Emperor who visited today had some connection with the Tai Xuan Sect.

Moreover, Youjue had indeed exercised restraint; even when breaking the formation at the end, he only intended to stun Wei Jianyi, with no intention of harming him. And during the two months of conflict and stalemate between the Tai Xuan Sect and Situ Jingyu's group in this realm, both sides had held back, with no casualties. It seemed that although the Tai Xuan Sect considered themselves immortals from the upper realm and were accustomed to bullying others, their sect's conduct was actually quite good—at least they were more reasonable than the Shenxiao Sect.

Out of respect for Zhuanxu Emperor, Li Mochen did not want to go too far.

At this moment, Youjue the True Person was on the verge of collapse under the mental pressure of Li Mochen. His face was bloodless, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

He was ready to apologize and beg for mercy; there was no hesitation in this, nor did Youjue the True Person feel any anger or shame. If he were being oppressed by a cultivator of the same rank, it would naturally be a great humiliation. But if the other party was a Daluo Golden Immortal, wouldn't that be only natural?

However, the secret art he had just performed had left Youjue's spirit weak and powerless, and under the mental pressure of the opponent, which had nearly doubled, he simply could not speak.

At that moment, a huge fluctuation of spiritual power came from the void beyond the mountain. One after another, star ships shuttled in from the outer realms. They formed an array and poured vast amounts of qi into Youjue's body. At the same time, they disturbed heaven and earth, condensing massive bolts of light and thunder, turning the world a blazing white.

"No!"

Youjue's pupils contracted, and anxiety appeared in his eyes. At this moment, he was extremely regretful, regretting his decision to use his primordial spirit secret art to struggle. He hated his several junior nephews—damn Xiuming, damn Xiusong—could they not see the power displayed by the person before them?

But then he realized that these three junior nephews, who were only at the True Immortal realm, were probably also unable to move under the mental pressure of the Daluo Golden Immortal opposite.

Immediately after, he saw Li Mochen across from him give a light, carefree laugh: "It seems that today, I cannot avoid using my sword."

The next moment, the Tianming Sword hidden in Li Mochen's sleeve was drawn. In the cloudy sky, this red-gold sword light made a horizontal slash without any trace of worldly fire, and instantly the hundreds of wooden star ships shattered and completely disintegrated.

Youjue's heart tightened, nearly stopping. But then he let out a long sigh of relief—only the star ships were shattered; the disciples of the Taixuan Sect on board were all unharmed.

At this moment, Youjue suddenly understood that this was likely intentional on the other's part, still meaning to teach them a lesson.

This Daluo Golden Immortal, who had risen from the lower realm, was clearly not a broad-minded person—

※※※※

Li Mochen paid no further attention to the subsequent handling of the Taixuan Sect people. After sealing their cultivation, he directly handed them over to Situ Jingyu. Li Mochen believed that his disciples had enough wisdom to handle the matter properly.

After that, Li Mochen directly entered the 'Yuan Emperor's Tomb.' The various prohibitions inside were as good as nonexistent to a Daluo Golden Immortal; Li Mochen could break them with a wave of his hand.

Of course, what hindered Situ Jingyu and the others from collecting the 'Star Source' was not just the immortal array in the tomb, but also the 'Yuan Emperor' himself.

When Li Mochen led the group into the innermost burial chamber of the tomb, a middle-aged Daoist in purple robes, surrounded by immortal qi, suddenly flew out from the four-meter-long jade coffin and flashed before them.

But before this person could make any move, he was controlled by Li Mochen, fixed in place, unable to act or mobilize the surrounding elemental energy.

Just like Youjue before, the entire web of laws in the realm rejected it.

The reason for calling it 'it' was that this 'Yuan Emperor' had no intelligence at all; the whole person looked no different from a zombie—with sharp claws and pale skin.

—This was a corpse fiend with the rank of Taiyi True Immortal that had yet to generate self-awareness.

The secluded true immortal was not mistaken either; the so-called 'Yuan Emperor' was merely a Taiyi True Immortal during his lifetime.

"Incorrigible!"

Li Mochen glanced at the talisman array structure surrounding the core tomb chamber and let out a cold laugh.

After shattering the Yuanqiong Realm, this 'Yuan Emperor' still sought to continue extracting the spiritual essence of this broken world, intending to reverse life and death and resurrect himself.

Yet this weakened world could no longer support the 'Yuan Emperor's' delusion, and the will of heaven and earth had grown utterly disgusted with him. Thus, the secret ritual arranged by the 'Yuan Emperor' had no chance of success, and ultimately it nurtured the corpse fiend 'Yuan Emperor' before him.

Nevertheless, this monster was still quite useful. Li Mochen planned to modify it slightly and use it as a guardian artifact for the Divine Thunder Sect in the future.

Although this person's cultivation and attainments were quite mediocre, his physical body was not weak, equivalent to an ancient god with a divine rank of fifteen. Li Mochen only needed to use his mastery over the authority of life and death to modify it slightly, supplemented by external materials, to grant the Divine Thunder Sect a formidable combat power approaching the Golden Immortal realm.

Li Mochen knew that his true origins would eventually be exposed, so the security of the Divine Thunder Sect required advance preparation. This corpse fiend, originally from the Yuanqiong Realm, could ensure the sect's safety in most situations.

Next, Li Mochen's gaze was drawn to a star-sparkling object within the jade coffin.

It was indeed a mass of stellar source matter! And its quantity exceeded Li Mochen's previous estimate.

"I must apologize to you all. This mass of stellar source matter is useful to me and cannot be left with the sect."

If Zhuanxu's warning came true, then his path to enlightenment in the Bright World would be extremely perilous. At this moment, any increase in leverage was precious.

Moreover, for his 'Zhou Tian Thunder Fire Star Core Sword Array,' this stellar source matter was truly indispensable, and the more, the better.

"Let the master decide as he sees fit!"

Sima Jingyu answered without hesitation: "This is originally the master's possession. If not for the master, this mass of stellar source matter would have been taken by the Tai Xuan Sect long ago. How could it remain until now?"

The few standing behind her also had no objections. Some even frowned deeply, speaking with dissatisfaction: "Your disciple dares to speak bluntly, thinking that the master's words are inappropriate. Are you distancing yourself from the Divine Thunder Sect? Our sect and the master are one, sharing honor and disgrace. If you find this object useful, why ask?"

"Brother Li is absolutely right."

Sima Jingyu chuckled: "We juniors rely on the master's care. If anyone in the sect dares to disobey, I will naturally make them understand reason."

She clenched her fist, clearly prepared to convince others through force.

"Good!"

Li Mochen then ceased his pretense and directly stored the mass of stellar source matter into his sleeve.