Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme-Chapter 1174 - 706: Inquiry
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The Heavenly Emperor has returned, the Demon Catastrophe has ended, and the Mystic Yellow has thus been restored.
No more Sky-reaching Tower, no more Ten Thousand Demon Abyss, no more Lords and their domains, Heroic Troops, changed natural laws and world laws; as the Azure Star Realm is restored, so are they.
While some reminisce about the past, this is inevitably unchangeable, as all citizen Lords equally engage in the cultivation of Heavenly God and Earthly Spirit Skills, Heroic Troops, Experience and Reputation, territorial buildings, and weaponry equipment; behind these things lies the precious Heaven and Earth Origin, which even the Great Thousand World should not squander thoughtlessly.
Previously, with the two realms intersecting, the Heavenly Emperor and Demon Ancestor contended within the Great Dao; there was no choice but to spend recklessly in pain.
But now, with Mystic Yellow victorious and the Demon Catastrophe vanished, there is no longer a need for war; if we continue to maintain the Data Law and Lordly wars, even Mystic Yellow, as part of the Great Thousand, would one day be drained of resources.
Hence, returning to the right path is inevitable.
Though after returning to the right path, people can still cultivate, it’s no longer practical to hope for rapid and direct enhancement of Cultivation Realm or Magical Powers through "monster-slaying for experience."
No more Heaven-Connecting Coins, no more Experience and Reputation; the days of leveling up with a single click are gone forever. To improve one’s Cultivation Realm and Cultivating Skills Divine Magic, one must explore on their own, persist through tough training,
The restored world, the changed rules, will become an important sieve, sorting out the essence like waves filter sand, using fewer resources to gain more.
Concerning this development, some are reluctant and even resentfully blame others; but no matter what, the outcome is unchangeable. The time of opportunity has passed, and people must either adapt to the trend, change, and catch the next one, or cling to the remnants and be annihilated.
Thus...
In Daluotian, Miluo Palace.
"Qingyang pays respects to Emperor Venerable!"
Xu Yang came to Miluo Palace for his first audience with the Supreme Heavenly Emperor Qiong Gao.
"Taoist, please, no need for such formalities!"
Qiong Gao, not at all surprised by his arrival, helped him up with a gesture: "Did that Taiqing Fruit provide assistance to you?"
Xu Yang nodded with a smile: "It was of great help, thank you, Emperor Venerable."
"That is good, that is good."
Qiong Gao nodded, invited him to sit down, and got straight to the point: "Taoist, your visit comes for..."
"It is about the Mara matter!"
Xu Yang, being straightforward, responded: "Emperor Venerable should know, Qingyang is not a native cultivator from Mystic Yellow."
"The path is divided into good and evil, not by realms and territories!"
Qiong Gao said with an unchanged expression and a light chuckle: "No matter which realm you hail from, you are our Mystic Yellow’s Supreme Daoist."
"Your admiration flatters me, Qingyang feels ashamed!"
Xu Yang shook his head, moving to the main topic: "My own realm too has suffered a Demon Catastrophe, suspected to be the work of the Desire Realm..."
Speaking thus, he laid out the whole story to Qiong Gao—how the Blue Star was invaded by the Desire Realm, how Boxun impersonated as a Golden Immortal Demonic Fruit, and how the Tri-Aspect Gods and various Taoist Masters are suspected to be tainted by demons.
A tall order needs a tall man to shoulder it!
Although he had always played this tall man’s role, this time the situation seems worrying; the Heavenly Immortals of the Azure Star Realm, and the suspected Golden Immortal Demonic Fruit transformed by Boxun, relying on him alone, may be too much to withstand.
Therefore, he was looking for external support, to see if he could get assistance from the Azure Star Realm.
If Mystic Yellow could help Blue Star, then the issue could be resolved easily; nowadays, the Heavenly Emperor, if not a Golden Immortal, is at least a Half-step Golden Immortal, and for the Azure Star Realm, which at most contains Heavenly Immortals, it would almost be like an overwhelming force. Just eliminating that Golden Immortal Devil Fruit could save the people of an entire realm and eradicate the menace of Boxun.
Killing two birds with one stone!
But...
"So it is, so it is!"
After listening to Xu Yang’s narrative, Qiong Gao came to a realization.
Xu Yang raised an eyebrow: "What has the Emperor Venerable realized?"
"Ha!"
Qiong Gao laughed, not hiding anything: "The reason for Mara’s defeat!"
"Oh?"
Xu Yang showed curiosity: "Where does this reasoning start?"
Qiong Gao shook his head: "Taoist, do you know that Mara is an Innate Sacred, nurtured within Chaos before the world was even formed, and although he did not come into being innately, it’s not something an ordinary cultivator can compare with."
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"I am different, born as a post-celestial being. Although I managed to luckily survive through numerous tribulations and was elected by the Immortals as the Xuanhuang Emperor, I still fell short compared to Mara. Thus, in the initial battle of Xuanhuang, I was defeated by him."
"After the defeat, even though I wandered through various heavens and found an opportunity related to the power of a Golden Immortal, I realistically had no chance of defeating Mara, not even the confidence to confront him."
"But at this crucial juncture..."
Qiong Gao paused, then said solemnly, "The situation took a turn for the better!"
"Oh?"
Xu Yang raised an eyebrow: "What kind of turn?"
"For some unknown reason, the Golden Immortal Power of Mara weakened somewhat."
Qiong Gao smiled: "I initially thought he was bluffing, but after several tests, I found it to be true; hence I immediately led the saintly beings to counterattack Xuanhuang, which led to the later creation of the Sky-reaching Tower and the Ten Thousand Demon Abyss."
"I see!"
Xu Yang’s gaze became firm: "So, Mara’s power waned because he split off that Golden Immortal Power to create a Devil Fruit and sent it to another realm?"
"Exactly!"
Qiong Gao nodded: "If it weren’t for that, with my abilities, I would never have the chance to snatch back the long-fallen Xuanhuang from his hands." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
"From this, it can be said that the Golden Immortal Devil Fruit was not a backup left by Mara, but a chess piece he had sent out early?"
Xu Yang murmured, then looked at Qiong Gao again: "If that’s the case, can the Emperor Venerable make a move to completely eliminate this threat from Mara?"
"Fellow Taoist, I fully understand your concerns!"
Upon hearing this, Qiong Gao shook his head: "But indeed, I wish I could help but am truly powerless."
Xu Yang frowned, puzzled, and asked: "Why is that?"
"Not to hide it from my fellow Taoist!"
Qiong Gao shook his head and explained, "Neither Mara nor I have attained the Golden Immortal Dao Fruit. It’s just that by a stroke of fate, we each possessed a share of the Golden Immortal Power."
"When I counterattacked Xuanhuang, I used this to fight a great battle with Mara. In the end, it was a stalemate, so we gambled both our Golden Immortal Powers and used the beings as a chessboard, starting a gamble, which later resulted in the Sky-reaching Tower and the Ten Thousand Demon Abyss."
"Although with the help of fellow Taoists and saintly beings, I managed to win, the victor did not claim all. The Sky-reaching Tower and the Ten Thousand Demon Abyss opposed each other for several tens of thousands of years, countless battles were fought, and the consumption was enormous. Not only did Mara’s and my Golden Immortal Power decline, but the origin of Xuanhuang was also greatly depleted. Eventually, I had to supplement it with my Golden Immortal Power."
"Moreover, after my victory, calling back the saints to confer titles was yet another great expense..."
Towards the end, even Qiong Gao could not help but show a wry smile: "Just like that, I, the Heavenly Emperor, may be revered within the realm, but once outside Xuanhuang, without the support of heaven and earth, I am nothing more than an ordinary Heavenly Immortal. Your realm is beyond my reach, and I am simply whipping a long but ineffectual bull."
"So there was such a reason!"
Xu Yang’s frown deepened, then eased as he bowed to Qiong Gao: "In that case, Qingyang has been presumptuous."
These words were not mere courtesy, but sincere.
Although he was not a Golden Immortal and still couldn’t touch the level of the origin of heaven and earth, he could still imagine how horrifying it must be to maintain the Sky-reaching Tower and the Ten Thousand Demon Abyss, millions of lords and countless Taoist Soldiers, as well as all the architectural wonders and their war consumption, for tens of thousands of years.
Thus, he believed Qiong Gao was truly willing but powerless; otherwise, with the enmity he and Boxun had incurred, it was impossible for him to allow the Desire Realm to contaminate the Blue Star and for Boxun to make a comeback.
"My fellow Taoist’s words truly make me feel ashamed of my inadequacy!"
Qiong Gao shook his head: "Although Xuanhuang is in ruins at the moment, with the hands of the saints and the power of the Immortals combined, rebuilding is not a difficult task. Once Xuanhuang is restored, I will do my best to assist you!"
"Emperor Venerable’s great kindness, Qingyang will remember it in my heart!"
Xu Yang nodded and stood up: "Then I shall take my leave now."
"Wait!"
Qiong Gao raised his hand to stop him: "There’s one more thing I need to tell you."
"Oh?"
Xu Yang showed a look of surprise: "What is it?"
Qiong Gao looked outside the palace and said: "Do you know why Mara was so eager, without completely digesting the victory over Xuanhuang, to divide the Golden Immortal Power and turn it into the Devil Fruit?"
"This..."
Xu Yang’s brows knitted together in shock and curiosity: "Please enlighten me, Heavenly Emperor!"
"Have you ever heard of..."
Qiong Gao murmured, his tone suddenly grave: "The Great Catastrophe of the Heavens!?"
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