All preparations had proceeded steadily according to their plans, yet the divine fetus about to be born within now harbored immense malice towards them. That unabashed malice penetrated deep into the soul, felt not just by Pei Xuanjing, but even the Qingxu Taoist and others sensed it.
"National Preceptor, what should we do…" There was a hint of panic on Qingxu Taoist's face.
The matter was of the utmost importance, and the unexpected turn of events shocked the usually composed Qingxu Taoist, causing him to become somewhat flustered.
He could not understand what had gone wrong, but the deity that was supposed to be safely born, the True Martial Emperor deity, why would it harbor such malice towards them.
Such a deity, possessing strong malice against them, and with such formidable strength, might not only fail to be True Martial Sect's reliance and aid them in ascending to the heavens, but it could also bring about an immense disaster and calamity to True Martial Sect, leading to its destruction.
To be honest, at this moment, feeling the terrifying aura and strong malice emanating from the divine fetus, if not for the fact that True Martial Sect had invested too much into it, practically exhausting all their resources, and with Pei Xuanjing, a powerhouse, suppressing it by their side, Qingxu Taoist would have been tempted to destroy it then and there.
He looked towards Pei Xuanjing, hoping that he might have some method or solution.
After all, if it wasn't absolutely necessary, Qingxu Taoist was not willing to destroy it, knowing it represented not only their immense sacrifices but also the future development of True Martial Sect. He still felt reluctant unless it was a last resort.
Certainly, Qingxu Taoist also possessed the courage and resolution to make a painful sacrifice for survival. If Pei Xuanjing also had no solution, he would choose to accept it and destroy the divine fetus to avoid future troubles.
"Do not worry; continue as you are, nothing is affected," Pei Xuanjing, sensing the increasingly intense malice, showed no fear and spoke calmly.
His surprise was not at the strength displayed by the divine fetus but at why it harbored such intense malice.
Indeed, the divine fetus, after being nourished by such an abundance of divine power, was growing increasingly powerful, already hinting at approaching the eightfold Spirit Realm.
But what of it? A deity of the Spirit Realm eightfold might be an insurmountable threat for True Martial Sect and many other forces between Heaven and Earth, but not for Pei Xuanjing.
Not to mention the current Pei Xuanjing, who had already broken through to be amongst the strongest in the nine layers of the Spirit Realm, even the Pei Xuanjing of the past, before his breakthrough, could easily suppress a mere deity of the Spirit Realm eightfold.
While the adversary, an Innate God, indeed wielded Heavenly Authority and was blessed by the Will of Heaven and Earth, Pei Xuanjing, who held the Divine Position of Jade Purity True Monarch, similarly wielded authority. That force of Heavenly Earthly Force was a threat to other cultivators, but it was negligible to Pei Xuanjing.
Even if the deity nurtured within the divine fetus reached the peak of the Spirit Realm eightfold as Pei Xuanjing had anticipated, or even if it went a step further, crossing the Heavenly Chasm and leaping into the Nine Realms of Spirit, Pei Xuanjing was not the least bit frightened and was confident he could suppress it.
Truthfully, the stronger the divine fetus, the better; Pei Xuanjing was eager to witness for himself the Divine Abilities and power of this Innate God.
Although Pei Xuanjing harbored such thoughts, the True Martial Emperor deity was, after all, nurtured by True Martial Sect, and it wasn't appropriate for him to intervene without proper reason.
Now, it had provided Pei Xuanjing with a sufficient reason to truly witness how powerful this Innate God was.
"Good!" Qingxu Taoist nodded vigorously without any hesitation.
For him, the concern was solely the birth of the Innate God and whether anyone could contend with it if it truly became hostile. Now that Pei Xuanjing was confident, he would not refuse.
"`
Pei Xuanjing's brilliant battle achievements had given Qingxu Taoist enough confidence. As one of the very few cultivators in this world who possessed the ability to suppress the strongest beings, if even Pei Xuanjing wasn't confident enough to overpower his opponent, then Qingxu Taoist might start doubting whether they were actually capable of destroying the divine fetus.
"Continue accelerating the conversion of divine power," Qingxu Taoist instructed the elders and disciples of the True Martial Sect.
Everyone had clearly felt the intense malice emanating from the divine fetus just now, so during his communication with Pei Xuanjing, those elders and disciples had unconsciously slowed down the pace of converting divine power.
After receiving a guarantee from Pei Xuanjing, these people heard Qingxu Taoist's command and did not hesitate in the slightest; they resumed their previous actions and began to rapidly convert divine power.
As the Power of Incense Fire incessantly transformed into divine power and surged into the divine fetus, its aura grew ever stronger, and the malice intensified, almost as if it would materialize into something tangible.
Feeling this malice, the ordinary disciples and elders of the True Martial Sect began to feel increasingly suffocated as if fear had taken root in their souls and couldn't be eradicated.
Upon seeing this, Pei Xuanjing gently caressed the Sanbao Jade Ruyi in his hand, and with a flicker of light from it, the malice that originally lingered in the hearts of the elders and disciples and could not be dispelled disappeared without a trace.
However, this was all he did, not because Pei Xuanjing lacked the strength to completely eliminate the malice but rather out of concern that if the Sanbao Jade Ruyi's unleashed power was too terrifying, it might startle the divine fetus.
As time flowed, another month passed, and Pei Xuanjing discovered that the divine fetus's absorption of power had reached a limit. The speed at which it was absorbing divine power started to decline, and he knew the divine power was sufficient; the divine fetus was about to be born.
"All of you should retreat now; otherwise, there might be danger," Pei Xuanjing's voice gently rose.
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately turned their gaze to Qingxu Taoist, who naturally could discern the seriousness of the situation. He nodded, signaling everyone to leave.
After waiting for everyone to leave, only Pei Xuanjing and Qingxu Taoist remained, along with the divine fetus at the very center of the Zhenwu Array. The divine power operated autonomously within the formation, continuing to circulate and slowly surge toward the divine fetus, revolving around it.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
…
The intense sound of a heartbeat rhythmically rose, growing louder and louder, almost reverberating through the entire valley.
"National Teacher?" Qingxu Taoist asked tentatively with a doubtful look.
A hint of mocking smile appeared on the corners of Pei Xuanjing's mouth as he said, "No need to rush; let's see what other tricks this deity has."
The two men and the divine fetus stood in opposition, with neither of them making a move. The only sound atop the mountain peak was the robust and rhythmic beating of a heart.
Boom!
A thunderous boom shook the heavens and the earth.
Atop the mountain peak, a sudden thunderous boom echoed, startling the heavens and shaking the earth, followed by a divine light that burst forth, illuminating the entire world with a terrifying presence that rushed towards them.
Even for a cultivator like Qingxu Taoist, who was about to solidify his Taoist Foundation and step into the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm, his body shook uncontrollably, and he shuddered without feeling cold.
Pei Xuanjing, however, remained unmoved and unaffected. With a light flick of his sleeve, Qingxu Taoist felt as if a spring breeze had caressed him, and all discomfort dissipated. His gaze was fixed intently on the distance, at the core of the Zhenwu Array, where the divine embryo resided.
At that moment, divine light shone brightly, with misty auras swirling around, seemingly obscuring everything from view.
But in the dark, the Qingxu Taoist could sense something terrifying being born within, even his Yin Spirit trembled.
Qingxu Taoist knew that this was the deity cultivated by their True Martial Sect over nearly a hundred years and at an untold cost – an Innate God, a deity of worship, the True Martial Emperor.
However, the intense malice and murderous intent emanating from it led Qingxu Taoist to reject the name of True Martial Emperor in his heart, at least he believed the legendary True Martial Emperor, who subdued demons and protected the masses, was not supposed to be so terrifying and violent, almost as if wanting to destroy everything.
"What a pity, what a pity," Pei Xuanjing muttered as he gazed upon the deity born from the divine embryo, shaking his head slightly with a look of regret on his face.
"Indeed, it's a pity. Our True Martial Sect has paid such a price only to cultivate such a ferocious deity. Without the National Master here, if it were to leave, it would surely bring disaster upon the people and wreak havoc upon heaven and earth," Qingxu Taoist expressed, his face also filled with regret.
Nearly a hundred years of arduous planning gone down the drain. Even if this fiendish deity is suppressed today, the True Martial Sect has completely lost the opportunity to ascend to the heavens in a single step; it would hardly be possible to reach the peak again, thus becoming an ordinary force among heaven and earth.
"It is not so," Pei Xuanjing shook his head, saying, "I feel some regret because, after such a great expense and with my help, the deity that was born ultimately only reached the peak of the Spirit Realm Eightfold level and did not truly break through to the Nine Realms of Spirit to become a Supreme Strong."
If Pei Xuanjing's words were to spread, they would probably make all the cultivators in the world die of envy. Ascending through the Nine Heavens of Spiritual Realm is no easy feat, with each level of cultivation being difficult.
And though Pei Xuanjing's breakthrough seemed so simple, and so many cultivators had broken through their limits to become Supreme Strong in the past twenty years, actually, the Heavenly Chasm of this path is incredibly difficult to cross. If not for the imminent ascension of heaven and earth, it would be impossible for so many Supreme Strong to emerge despite the great sacrifices made by various forces.
And this evil deity, having reached the peak level of power in the Spirit Realm Eightfold in just a hundred years, was already a shocking feat. If it took the opportunity to directly cross the Heavenly Chasm of Spirit Realm Eightfold and become a Supreme Strong, it would indeed cause great envy among others.
"…" Qingxu Taoist's expression froze, and his mouth opened and closed without saying a word for a long time.
He had originally thought that Pei Xuanjing regretted the waste of the True Martial Sect's century-long efforts, but he hadn't expected the other's regret was for such a reason; for a moment, he did not know what to say, swallowing all his previous emotions.
"Here it comes!" Pei Xuanjing's voice rang in Qingxu Taoist's ear.
In the distance, the misty aura dissipated, and a deity with disheveled hair, barefoot, dressed in a black robe, golden armor, and jade belt, wielding a sword and with an angry look, stepped forward with a turtle and snake underfoot and a halo above his head. The deity, surrounded by divine power and with eyes as sharp as lightning, had a dignified expression on his face, and approached Pei Xuanjing and Qingxu Taoist, stopping not far from them.
"I am the Zhenwu Devil Vanquishing Heavenly Venerable, Xuántiān God. You mortals behold my presence, yet fail to kneel and pay homage." The voice of the deity who emerged from the divine womb resonated, his voice seemed to carry an oppressive force upon souls, compelling one to submit to him as if defying him was akin to defying heaven and earth itself.
However, the difference was that Pei Xuanjing's status was not inferior to the other's, and naturally, he was not affected by the oppression. Under the protection of Pei Xuanjing's divine light, the Qingxu Taoist was also unaffected.
Because they were not influenced by the deity, they could clearly feel that this self-proclaimed True Martial Emperor lacked the majesty inherent to deities, instead, he was imbued with a strong murderous intent and demonic attributes.
"I have come to understand the reason behind this," Pei Xuanjing suddenly had an epiphany, realizing why the deity was as such.
"Ah, is it because of what?" the Qingxu Taoist quickly asked.
He was more curious than anyone about the reason, and whatever his plans were, they remained the same; at least he wanted to know what exactly happened that led to this change.
"It's all because of Master Sanfeng's True Spirit."
"The true spirit of our ancestor?" The Qingxu Taoist grew even more puzzled. Could there be something wrong with the ancestor's true spirit?
Pei Xuanjing explained, "Hundreds of years can change many things. The divine sword is a weapon of slaughter, inherently containing supreme murderous qi. And with Master Sanfeng's True Spirit residing on it for such a long time, it was natural for it to be tainted by this aura of slaughter."
Slaughterous aura is what most Divine Weapons carry, and indeed, how could a blade that lacks such an aura deserve the title of Divine Weapon?
Even though Master Sanfeng was not a man who reveled in killing, the divine sword that had accompanied him throughout his life had vanquished countless foes. And those worthy of being slain by Master Sanfeng's Divine Weapon would not be weaklings, therefore, the sword was undoubtedly filled with a slaughterous aura.
If it were Master Sanfeng's true form, naturally, he would not be influenced by this mere aura of slaughter. However, what remains now is a residual True Spirit that, after hundreds of years, has grown weak and fused with the Divine Weapon, naturally being tainted by the slaughterous aura.
Then this True Spirit merged with the Innate Gods. An originally neutral deity, when influenced by the aura of slaughter, naturally transformed into a malevolent god.
"So that's how it is!" A deep remorse flashed through Qingxu Taoist's eyes. He had not anticipated such an error at this step, which filled him with regret. Had he known, he would have first transferred the ancestor's True Spirit and then dispelled this aura of slaughter.
"You mortals, to be so insolent before me, truly seeking death." The malevolent god, seeing Pei Xuanjing and his companion making no move and conversing as if he did not exist, immediately became enraged and brazenly attacked.
"Haha, there's no need for regret. Now that we know the cause, I have a method to resolve this, but it remains to be seen if you, Sect Leader, are willing to accept it," Pei Xuanjing said with a smile at the corner of his mouth, ignoring the malevolent god's attack and instead addressing the Qingxu Taoist.
The Qingxu Taoist, who had been filled with regret, heard these words and a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes as he hastened to say, "Please enlighten me, National Teacher."
Having thought that all was lost, they were pleasantly surprised to find light at the end of the tunnel. Pei Xuanjing's words could not have been without foundation, so hearing that there was a chance for remediation, he naturally did not want to miss it.
Boom…
The heavens were astonished, the stars swayed, the firmament trembled, and the momentum was overwhelming.
As an innate deity cultivated by the True Martial Sect over a hundred years, gathering the power of countless gods and drawing upon the Power of Incense Fire from all beings' faith in the True Martial Emperor, it had yet to ascend to the Nine Realms of Spirit, the Strongest Realm. But born with Heavenly Authority and the peak power of the Spirit Realm Eightfold, it held the qualification to contend even with ordinary Supreme Strongs of the Spirit Realm Ninefold.
At this moment, the mere act of its intervention shook heaven and earth.
In the instant that the malevolent deity who proclaimed himself Zhenwu Devil Vanquishing Heavenly Venerable, Xuantian God, made a move, not only Taihe Mountain but cultivators within tens of thousands of miles felt a terrifying presence descend, penetrating their souls.
The entire Taihe Mountain range was, in an instant, shrouded in darkness with violent winds causing sand and stones to fly, leaving countless cultivators with expressions of horror as they looked up at the sky, witnessing a swath of divine thunder and fire rain piercing through the sea of clouds.
"You who show no respect to the gods, shall be punished!" The evil god's voice echoed between heaven and earth.
"Indeed, these methods are truly commendable, a befitting result of the True Martial Sect's years of sacrifice," said Pei Xuanjing with a smile, "But that's about it!"
Indeed, the potency of such methods was immediately evident, showcasing the dreadful power of the evil god infused with Master Sanfeng's True Spirit, probably also drawing upon some of Master Sanfeng's cultivation insights and combat experience. Such might was enough to dominate across the world, as long as it didn't encounter a Supreme Strong. From this perspective, the True Martial Sect's plan indeed didn't have much of a problem.
Unfortunately, the target of the evil god's move was none other than Pei Xuanjing, an Overlord who possessed the power to suppress Supreme Strongs before even advancing to the Spirit Realm Ninefold, let alone now.
If the opponent were to be called an evil god, then Pei Xuanjing, who currently bore a smile, would exude an even more terrifying and violent aura when he truly made his move.
"Sect Leader, please step back for now. Wait for me to suppress this evil god, and then we'll have a talk," said Pei Xuanjing as he gently waved his sleeve, enveloping the Qingxu Taoist with a soft force and sending him away.
It's true that Qingxu Taoist's strength was among the best of his peers, and even though he was only at the Spirit Realm Sixth Level, he had the power to battle against Cultivators of the Spirit Realm Seventh Level.
But that was all. The current battlefield between these two combatants was not something he could partake in.
Boom!
With a single step from Pei Xuanjing, the Sanbao Jade Ruyi in his hand shone brightly, and a dreadful might instantly filled the sky.
This might that appeared out of nowhere seemed to originate from the same source as that of the malevolent deity who called himself Zhenwu Devil Vanquishing Heavenly Venerable, Xuantian God, yet Pei Xuanjing's power was tinged with even more uprightness and was more fearsome.
As one of the Six Imperials, the Jade Purity True Monarch, Emperor of Longevity who ruled the divine court, not only was he ranked above the self-proclaimed Zhenwu Devil Vanquishing Heavenly Venerable, Xuantian God, but Pei Xuanjing's power also towered above his. With the power to call forth Wind and Rain, command Thunder and Lightning Gods and Demons, and control the crucial pivot of all living beings' fortunes and misfortunes, Pei Xuanjing's authority had continuously strengthened. After opening the Longevity World, the Heavenly Authority granted to him increased. Then, after experiencing the last life simulation world, where Pei Xuanjing established a Divine Court and ruled over the gods with the authority of the Jade Purity True Monarch, Emperor of Longevity, his rank and Authority were once again perfected, incomparable to the present evil god.
With a light wave of the Sanbao Jade Ruyi in his hand, he tore through the sky, and the radiance suppressed everything below.
Bang!
The malevolent deity, as if struck by a heavy blow, was smacked by the Sanbao Jade Ruyi, and then its divine light dimmed a few notches, its form wobbling.
Though this evil god appeared powerful and its majesty overwhelming, in reality, it had not been born for long and lacked experience in magical combat. If it relied on its authority and divine might to suppress those less powerful than itself, even against opponents of the same level, it might have had some chance of victory.
But it just so happened to encounter Pei Xuanjing, who surpassed the other in status, authority, Realm strength, divine powers, and combat experience. So, despite possessing terrifying strength, before it could even make a move, it was already defeated by Pei Xuanjing.
"You…" The evil deity, self-proclaimed as the Devil Vanquishing Heavenly Venerable, had a flash of horror in its eyes.
It never imagined that the seemingly ordinary mortal before it was actually a formidable deity in disguise, with both status and authority above its own.
Although recently born, having absorbed part of Master Sanfeng's True Spirit experience, along with the instincts of a living being, the deity, when faced with an overwhelmingly powerful opponent like Pei Xuanjing, decided not to continue fighting and instead chose to flee.
"How could I let you escape, dream on!"
Pei Xuanjing naturally saw through the malevolent deity's intention to escape right away, and he was not about to let it flee easily.
A slender hand reached out, and with a flick of his fingers, countless sword energies burst forth. In an instant, the sword energies spanned the eight directions and lingered for a long time without dispersing.
The sky filled with sword energies soared to the heavens, enveloping the Eight Directions, merging Qian and Kun, shaking Xun, uniting Kan and Li, Gen to Dui, forming the imagery of the Eight Trigrams.
In a moment, a pattern composed of sword energies formed an Eight Trigrams diagram in the sky, with sword energies from each direction complementing and restraining one another, mutually promoting and continuously cycling in an endless flow.
Second Sword · Eight Extremes!
This sword technique, originally created by Pei Xuanjing, grew increasingly powerful as his strength continually rose.
This sword technique was essentially a trapping method, using the Eight Trigrams to simulate eight spatial zones as a Magical Domain to bind his opponent. Having experienced the formation of the Divine Kingdom, the elevation of Mystical Land of Blessings, the evolution of Cave Heaven, and the Opening the Heavens and Splitting the Earth within the minor thousand worlds, Pei Xuanjing had a clearer understanding of space, making the technique even more potent.
At that moment, the Eight Trigrams formation fell from the firmament, enveloping the malevolent deity, self-proclaimed as the Devil Vanquishing Heavenly Venerable.
"You underestimate me too much!" The malevolent deity roared in anger, finding it arrogant to believe that a mere formation could contain it.
Clang!
With a fervent slash of its divine sword, the dreadful edge tore through space, and its fierce sword energy, cutting through heavens and earth, led the stars to flicker and the universe to resonate.
The space formed by the Eight Trigrams formation vibrated, fragmented, reformed, and just as it shattered, the malevolent deity seized the opportunity to break free in an attempt to escape.
Regrettably, at the instant the malevolent deity tried to fly away, eight forces converged around it—Heaven and Earth, Wind and Thunder, Water and Fire, Mountain and Marsh. These eight forces entangled it, and with each step it took, the forces kept pace.
Impossible to dispel, to sever, to isolate, to wear away, as if they had merged with the malevolent deity itself.