Chapter 161: Heavenly Mystery Master

In the eastern waters of the Devil's Sea, a towering spire pierced straight through the clouds. The pagoda stood upon a floating island, and the entire landmass was shrouded in dense, billowing mist, imparting an air of profound mystery.

The apex of the tower terminated in a circular platform measuring merely three to four meters in diameter—a minuscule dot in proportion to the titanic scale of the monument.

Inscribed upon the platform was an intricate and wondrous magical array. The formation radiated a multicolored luminescence, seemingly pulsing with an exceptionally formidable energy.

The Heaven-Offering Pagoda: the sacred spire of the Heavenly Saint Palace. Legend held that this tower could bridge the divine realm, serving as the nexus of communication between gods and mortals.

At the very center of the formation atop the Heaven-Offering Pagoda, a young man clad in pristine white robes sat cross-legged with his eyes lightly closed. Swirling bands of multicolored light orbited and entwined around his form, radiating an aura of supreme sanctity.

"Three Holy Spirits, the Mandate God—the Heavenly Dao remains the Heavenly Dao; nothing can escape the grasp of fate. Alas..." The white-robed youth heaved a soft sigh, slowly opening his eyes to gaze up at the firmament.

The sky above the Heaven-Offering Pagoda was likewise awash with multicolored splendor, amidst which a colossal ideogram meaning 'Seal' hung conspicuously. The young man in white stared at the character, his expression laden with bitterness.

"The Heaven-Offering Pagoda... what is it truly offering sacrifices to?" The youth sighed deeply and slowly closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, in Flame City, ever since Cang Ling's return and her stern warning, the various factions had finally settled down one by one. The sheer mystery of Cang Ling's identity and the boundless terror of her might had struck an unshakeable awe deep into their hearts.

Within the Sky Phoenix Hall of Flame City, representatives from the five major sects and the Heavenly Saint Palace were gathered, every countenance grave and stern.

Zhu Wannian sat expressionless, bearing the weight of the majority's gazes. This scrutiny persisted for so long that the atmosphere within the hall grew oppressive and heavy.

Wang Xu sat at the highest seat, sweeping his gaze across the assembly before finally letting it rest upon Zhu Wannian. In a deep voice, he asked, "Brother Zhu, since you were the one who witnessed that person firsthand, could you recount the details for us?"

Wang Xu's tone was exceptionally solemn. Prompted by his inquiry, the eyes of the others grew even more urgent; after all, the psychological impact Cang Ling had left upon them was simply too terrifying.

Every single martial cultivator present still had Cang Ling's voice echoing within their minds. The higher one's cultivation realm, the more pronounced the effect—such a shock to the soul was formidable beyond measure.

Zhu Wannian gently shook his head and replied, "I am just as clueless as the rest of you."

"Valley Master Zhu, you cannot be so irresponsible with your words!" Duanmu Shenxu's expression turned gloomy, his tone utterly devoid of courtesy. "At the time, you were the only one who saw that person with your own eyes. Can you really wash your hands of this with a simple 'I don't know'? Do not forget why the five major sects are assisting the Heavenly Saint Palace this time! We cannot afford a single variable!"

The other sects murmured among themselves in low tones, their sympathies seemingly leaning toward Duanmu Shenxu.

Wang Xu gave a light cough, furrowing his brow as he said, "Brother Zhu, Shenxu is right. If you know anything, speak of it now. The Palace Master made it exceedingly clear before we set out: nothing must go wrong, or the entire Mainland of Martial Arts will plunge into an irrecoverable abyss. The mission of us martial cultivators is to maintain peace across this continent and protect its common folk. Brother Zhu, surely the ancestral precepts of your Fire God Valley dictate the same."

Zhu Wannian's expression shifted slightly. After a moment of rumination, he ultimately shook his head once more. "Elder Brother Wang, it is not that Zhu wishes to conceal anything. Regarding this matter, my knowledge is truly as limited as yours. At the time, my great-grandson and I were merely chatting when the space within the courtyard was suddenly ripped open, and two ethereal young women stepped forth. One of them possessed terrifying might. From what she uttered, she appeared to be acquainted with my Fire God clan's Patriarch Zhurong. Then, she unceremoniously cast me into a spatial rift. The magnitude of her cultivation was enough to chill one's blood!"

"Valley Master Zhu, have you truly never laid eyes on her before? This feels rather more complicated than you let on," Duanmu Shenxu remarked skeptically, a frown creasing his brow.

Zhu Wannian's countenance darkened abruptly. A cold snort escaped his lips as he retorted, "Sect Master Duanmu, you would do well to watch your tongue. This is not your Divine Wood Empire, and do not forget—in my eyes, your wood-attribute combat prowess is nothing more than firewood."

Duanmu Shenxu's expression soured as well. He took a single step forward, his entire body instantly suffused with blinding arcs of lightning as a violent, tempestuous aura erupted from his frame.

"Old Ghost Zhu, do you take me for a coward?" Duanmu Shenxu flared up as if provoked by gunpowder, his overwhelming momentum matching Zhu Wannian's blow for blow.

"The ultimate realm of the Azure Wood Thunder Technique—Thunder Forged by the Wood God!" Wang Xu cried out in astonishment, momentarily forgetting to intervene.

Zhu Wannian glared at Duanmu Shenxu and offered a frigid laugh. "An eighth-tier Martial Saint in the late stage. Old Ghost Duanmu, you've hidden your true strength quite deeply."

"Heh, and you haven't?" Duanmu Shenxu sneered. "You've perpetually projected the aura of an early-stage eighth-tier Martial Saint. Are you truly of such mediocre strength?"

As he spoke, a powerful fluctuation of martial energy radiated outward from his center, causing the entire Sky Phoenix Hall to tremble.

"Haha, excellent! If you are so eager to court death, who am I to deny you!" Zhu Wannian roared, a brilliant golden flame sigil materializing between his brows. Simultaneously, his fire-attribute battle energy multiplied at a geometric rate, his presence instantly eclipsing that of Duanmu Shenxu.

Shock gripped Wang Xu's heart, and he muttered under his breath, "The Fire God Incarnation... I never imagined he had reached this stage."

Surprise aside, seeing that the two factions were on the verge of exchanging lethal blows, Wang Xu knew he had to intervene. He emitted a cold huff that cracked like thunder.

"Enough! This is neither the time nor the place for a brawl. Your two nations of Fire and Wood have always claimed to be friendly allies, and the Divine Wood Sect and Fire God Valley are as close as brothers. Yet here you are, brawling like children—what kind of spectacle is this?"

In truth, Wang Xu lacked the absolute confidence to back up his words. As one of the Seven Saints of the Heavenly Saint Palace's Inner Cabinet, his own cultivation had merely reached the seventh-tier Martial Saint realm, placing him at a distinct disadvantage compared to the current Duanmu Shenxu and Zhu Wannian. Had it not been for his title as an emissary of the Heavenly Saint Palace, his words would not have carried an ounce of weight.

Duanmu Shenxu let out a cold grunt, the lightning dancing across his skin gradually fading until he appeared once more like an ordinary man. Meanwhile, Zhu Wannian laughed heartily, the roaring flames enveloping his body retreating back into the fire sigil between his brows.

The looks directed at Zhu Wannian by the surrounding crowd now carried a palpable trace of dread. The fact that he could suppress Duanmu Shenxu in raw combat prowess indicated that Zhu Wannian had already transcended the eighth-tier Martial Saint realm, leaping straight into the ranks of the ninth-tier Martial Saints.

A ninth-tier Martial Saint! While such figures might have been relatively common hundreds of thousands of years ago, ever since the God-Slaying Martial Emperor shattered the firmament and departed, individuals on this continent who attained the ninth-tier Martial Saint realm could be counted on one hand—to say nothing of reaching the legendary realm of a Martial God.

Now that Zhu Wannian had displayed the strength of a ninth-tier Martial Saint, it meant the status of the Fire God Valley would instantly vault to the number one position among the five major sects, second only to the Heavenly Saint Palace itself.

"Since Brother Zhu speaks thus, that mysterious woman undoubtedly possesses divine-grade strength, and she might genuinely be a denizen of the divine realm—even, perhaps... the Mandate God!" Wang Xu's tone turned eerie, instantly capturing the undivided attention of everyone present.

"Lord Emissary, do you know something more?" an elder of the Heavenly Earth Sect shouted aloud.

Wang Xu smiled faintly. "Naturally. Before my departure, Lord Tianjiji, the Palace Master of our Heavenly Saint Palace, bestowed this item upon me."

With that, Wang Xu produced a brocade pouch. Embroidered upon its surface was a striking, bold ideogram for 'Heaven'. An exceptionally gentle aura emanated from the pouch; though mild, the pressure it exerted upon the soul level could not be underestimated.

Wang Xu opened the pouch and extracted a rather ordinary-looking strip of white silk, handing it over to Zhu Wannian and the others. Simple though the silk appeared, the moment it was unveiled, every person's mind shook violently, as if a great bronze bell had tolled beside their ears, shocking both body and soul.

Zhu Wannian was the first to take the silk. The instant his fingers brushed against it, his soul jolted violently. Even with his cultivation having reached the early stage of the ninth-tier Martial Saint realm, he was suddenly seized by an overwhelming sense of his own insignificance.

"This was personally penned by the Palace Master and bears his soul imprint. I fear only the various Sect Masters are qualified to view it," Wang Xu said with a smile, the profound implication of his words hanging heavy in the air.

Zhu Wannian steadied his composure and scrutinized the strip of white silk. Inscribed upon it were merely a few sparse characters. Frowning slightly, he softly read aloud: "The Mandate God manifests, the Divine Seal emerges."

"The Mandate God? Could it be the very same legendary figure who perished a million years ago?" the elder from the Heavenly Earth Sect asked once more, suspicion and astonishment warring on his face.

"Not perished—dormant," Wang Xu corrected, shaking his head and speaking with utter calm.

"According to the secret records of our Heavenly Saint Palace, the Mandate God of that era was named Cang Ling. She fought the Five Emperors of the Martial Demon Realm in the Sea of Heavenly Demons. After slaying four of them, she was gravely wounded by Chi Xiuluo, the supreme Martial Emperor of the Demon Realm. Her five-decay period of heaven and man arrived prematurely, forcing her to use a divine spirit jade as a vessel to enter a state of slumber, awaiting the emergence of the next Mandate Successor. This matter exists in various legends across the Mainland of Martial Arts; I trust all of you have heard whispers of it."

"So the Mandate God is no mere myth. Why has she appeared once more?"

"Since Lord Emissary says this, does it not mean the Divine Seal is about to manifest?"

Discussions erupted among the disciples of the major sects, and the Sky Phoenix Hall was swiftly drowned in a sea of murmurs.

"Silence, everyone!" Duanmu Shenxu bellowed. The assembly instantly fell quiet, all eyes locking back onto him.

"Since the Lord Emissary puts it thus, Palace Master Tianjiji must have a countermeasure in mind. Can you share it with us to set our minds at ease?" Duanmu Shenxu asked with a polite smile.

Wang Xu nodded, retrieving a second brocade pouch from his robes. Emblazoned upon this one was a prominent ideogram for 'Earth'.

"The Palace Master gifted me three pouches: 'Heaven, Earth, and Man', instructing me to open them at the appropriate junctures. Now is the time to open the Earth Pouch." Smiling, Wang Xu unsealed the pouch, and an aggressive, tyrannical wave of soul energy immediately swept across the entire Sky Phoenix Hall.