CHAPTER 327: CHAPTER 242: THE SECOND CELESTIAL DAO_2

Underneath the seventeen Immortal Islands, countless Cultivators traversed the Spirit Mountains between the cave heavens.

Amid the Spirit Mountains, countless Spirit Veins surged forth like awakening dragons, with thousands of Spiritual Rhymes soaring to the sky, transforming into endlessly flowing waterfalls of Spiritual Qi.

Some of these Cultivators walked in the air, with clouds forming and dissipating at their feet, capturing the abundance of Spiritual Rhymes in the sky. Others rode Flying Swords, with sword lights like lightning slicing through the Illusion Realm of Spiritual Rhymes. Yet others sat cross-legged atop the Spirit Peaks, with Spiritual Qi coiling around them like dragons, breathing in and out Spiritual Rhymes, causing a resonation with heaven and earth.

Lu Yan noticed that these Cultivators without exception, all possessed cultivation above the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Just the Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators before his eyes numbered in the tens of thousands, a truly vast number even in the world of Cultivation tales.

However, in this post-apocalyptic version, this cave heaven could accommodate so many Cultivators, demonstrating the immense scale of the All Immortals Alliance.

Before Lu Yan could approach the cave heaven world, five Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators on Flying Swords separated from the cave heaven world, flying towards Lu Yan.

The five Cultivators wore distinct uniforms, evidently from different sects; displeasure was clearly written on their faces as they left the cave heaven world.

Evidently, Lu Yan’s arrival was not a welcome event for these Cultivators, who were here to receive the outpour of Spiritual Rhymes.

The leader was a Sword Cultivator in white, whose initially angry face softened slightly upon seeing Lu Yan’s extraordinary demeanor, and he earnestly inquired:

"The Heavenly Paradise Spiritual Rhyme Gathering is rare; the quota for collecting Spiritual Rhymes is limited, and all sects need verification to enter.

This fellow Cultivator seems unfamiliar, please show your Identity Token for verification."

"I do not have an Identity Token."

As soon as Lu Yan spoke, the white-robed Sword Cultivator was momentarily taken aback, and the Cultivator in a yellow robe behind him had a dramatic change in expression, immediately questioning in a deep voice:

"No Identity Token? Where are you from, spy?"

Pausing in speech, the yellow-robed Cultivator made a salute towards the white-robed Sword Cultivator, saying:

"Senior Brother Wu, this person is breaking the rules by trespassing the Heavenly Paradise, surely with ulterior motives, he must be thrown into the Spirit Prison for interrogation!"

With these words, the other three Cultivators also voiced their agreement.

"How can a Cultivator from the All Immortals Alliance not have an Identity Token?"

"At ordinary times it’s one thing, but appearing at the Heavenly Paradise during the Spiritual Rhyme Gathering is definitely suspicious."

"Capturing a spy during the Spiritual Rhyme Gathering could be considered a significant achievement."

Senior Brother Wu’s face showed hesitation; Lu Yan not having an Identity Token was indeed suspicious, yet he also understood that the other Cultivators were annoyed by Lu Yan’s interruption during their Spiritual Rhyme collection, and thus wanted to use this as a pretext to teach Lu Yan a lesson.

Lu Yan was merely a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, and lacking an Identity Token certainly meant he wasn’t from the top ten orthodox sects or the seven demon sects. According to the rules, even throwing him into the Spirit Prison for interrogation was acceptable.

But for some reason, Senior Brother Wu felt a vague unease when facing Lu Yan, which prevented him from making a decisive decision.

Senior Brother Wu’s hesitant attitude immediately provoked the dissatisfaction of the yellow-robed Cultivator.

Just as he was about to speak again, one of the seventeen Immortal Islands above the cave heaven world began to slowly descend, with celestial light falling like rain and forming a Golden Rainbow Bridge.

"It’s the Taiyi Sect!"

"This Spiritual Rhyme Gathering is hosted by the Taiyi Sect."

"It’s said among the seventeen superior sects of the All Immortals Alliance, Taiyi Sect’s True Disciplines are the most powerful. But I wonder which Taiyi True Inheritor is responsible for hosting this Spiritual Rhyme Gathering."

As everyone was discussing, a Cultivator stepped onto the Golden Rainbow Bridge, appearing atop the Immortal Island.

Everyone was stunned, as they could clearly see that the Cultivator in front of them, dressed in the Taiyi True Inheritor’s purple robe, was merely at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment, with a very shaky foundation, even inferior to some core disciples of major sects.

"How can this be?"

"An Early Stage Foundation Establishment Taiyi True Inheritor?"

"Does the Taiyi Sect have no one else, actually allowing a Foundation Establishment Stage to take on the True Successor Position and even host the Spiritual Rhyme Gathering."

"Silence! The Taiyi Sect’s True Disciples have their own decisions, you mustn’t make noise!"

Amidst the discussions, only Lu Yan showed a hint of surprise.

The one hosting the Spiritual Rhyme Gathering was none other than He Dongsheng, someone quite familiar to Lu Yan.

As a True Disciple of the Taiyi Sect, not even a hundred years old, He Dongsheng naturally appeared with the version update in the Great Collapse version, and even became a high-level member of the All Immortals Alliance by virtue of his True Successor Position.

In the sky above Immortal Island, He Dongsheng felt the hostile gazes of tens of thousands of Foundation Establishment Cultivators below, and his face couldn’t help but turn slightly pale.

Since becoming a disciple of Mu Chunqiu, He Dongsheng had always encountered smooth sailing, even using Lu Yan’s help to advance to the Taiyi True Inheritor.

Within the Taiyi Sect, there were many who criticized He Dongsheng’s advancement, all believing that He Dongsheng, who relied on luck, was not worthy of sitting on the True Successor Position.

If not for the insistence of the Tenth True Disciple back then, He Dongsheng might have been stripped of his True Successor Position during the True Disciple Assembly.

Entering this trial land, without the protection of his master Mu Chunqiu, and with Lu Yan nowhere to be seen, He Dongsheng, with only the name of a True Disciple, found it even more difficult to gain respect at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment.

Within the Taiyi Sect, it was slightly better because He Dongsheng had received recognition from the Tenth True Disciple, and even personal teachings from the First True Disciple, so at least the major True Disciples would not openly target He Dongsheng.

But here, it’s not the Taiyi Sect’s word of law, outside the Taiyi Sect, among the top ten sects of the Xuanmen and the seven major Demonic Dao sects, countless cultivators seek to make a name for themselves by stepping over He Dongsheng, hoping to gain a chance to advance to True Disciple.

According to He Dongsheng, this time, while hosting the Spiritual Rhyme Conference, it was orchestrated by someone from the Red Lotus Demon Sect, intending to use He Dongsheng as a stepping stone to fame.

Many within the Taiyi Sect were already dissatisfied with He Dongsheng, as the resources available to the True Disciples of the Taiyi Sect were the most abundant among all Immortal Sects, their strength universally acknowledged as supreme.

He Dongsheng’s inclusion among the True Disciples had tarnished the reputation of the Taiyi True Inheritor, and so many silently approved of the Red Lotus Demon Sect’s setup, wanting to help push He Dongsheng off the True Successor Position.

"To be a True Disciple pushed to such an extent, perhaps only I am."

A bitter smile appeared in He Dongsheng’s heart, but he could only brace himself and through the sound transmission array, said:

"The Underground Spiritual Rhyme erupts once every three years. This time, the Spiritual Rhyme Conference will be hosted by me to handle the allocation of the Spiritual Rhyme."

As soon as the words fell, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator immediately retorted:

"You, merely at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment, what qualifications do you have to host the Spiritual Rhyme Conference?"

"Quickly bring the real Taiyi True Disciple."

"I didn’t expect that even the Taiyi Sect, known for its stringent disciple selection, would produce such a social-climbing scoundrel."

"Get off! Get off!"

Under normal circumstances, even if the Foundation Establishment Cultivators present were dissatisfied, they would not dare to confront a Taiyi True Disciple directly.

But as those insidious whispers rose from the crowd, the emotions of anger and hatred spread swiftly like a virus, transforming into a surging roar that swept across the land.

The anger of tens of thousands of Foundation Establishment Cultivators stirred his Heart Demon, causing He Dongsheng to freeze, unable to react despite having a plan.

"Red Lotus Demon Sect’s Burdened with Karmic Obstacles Divine Technique!"

The Burdened with Karmic Obstacles Divine Technique can turn the resentment in people’s hearts into obstacles. Even a Golden Core being facing this would experience mental turmoil and an unsettled True Spirit, with the slightest mistake leading to madness.

He Dongsheng, merely at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment, struggled to resist the divine technique, even with protective treasures.

As time passed, He Dongsheng’s face grew even paler. At that moment, on another Immortal Island, an extraordinary young man in red descended from the sky, exuding the pressure of a mid-stage Golden Core.

The young man in red looked at He Dongsheng’s pale face and asked softly, smiling:

"It seems Junior Brother He isn’t familiar with such grand occasions. If that’s the case, why not allow me to host this Spiritual Rhyme Conference instead? What does Junior Brother He think?"

He Dongsheng opened his mouth, but he was utterly powerless to rebut.

And at that moment, a familiar figure appeared before He Dongsheng.

Among the thousands of people present, none could see how Lu Yan appeared.

Lu Yan looked up and down at the young man in red before slowly raising his right hand, flicking his index finger.

A trace of the aura of World Destruction Rules swirled around Lu Yan’s finger. In a trance, the young man in red seemed to see an entire thriving Realm collapsing at Lu Yan’s fingertips, life, order, and time all falling into silence in an instant.

Golden Core treasures, divine techniques, and protective Spiritual Light shattered layer by layer, and the young man’s body crashed heavily onto the Immortal Island where the Red Lotus Demon Venerable resided.

An indomitable mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator was as insignificant as a mosquito flicked away by Lu Yan’s casual gesture.

Afterward, a nonchalant voice echoed through the heavens and earth, as if the might of heaven and earth surpassed the voices of the tens of thousands of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

"You, what do you even count as?"