Chapter 1840: Healing the Sect, Winds Arise

The Mortal World

Wan Zhenren finally understood the critical importance of this battle for the Altar and dared not persuade his Martial Uncle to retract his decision. He knew he couldn't shoulder such a significant responsibility; only a highly respected Great True Man like his Martial Uncle could undertake it. Even after reducing his own cultivation, his Martial Uncle's power was far beyond their comparison. If this battle concerned the conflict of the Divine Court, then his Martial Uncle wouldn't be the only Great True Man to self-impair his cultivation and enter the Ju Mountain Altar.

Next, Wan Zhenren saw the old Daoist priest pick up a golden brush from the table, dip it in cinnabar, and swiftly draw a talisman on a paper. A spiritual light flashed, and the talisman paper transformed into a white crane. It stretched its neck, let out a high cry, and spread its wings as if ready to fly. After hovering briefly before the old Daoist, it shot out of the hall like an arrow from a bowstring, gradually fading into nothingness until it vanished into the clouds.

"Ju Mountain Altar was the first among the four separate altars to be developed and should have been the most expansive. However, it was also the first to bear the brunt of the anomaly, suffering the most severe destruction. Initially, the Ju Mountain Altar's Ducal Seal should have been the most solidified and closest to completion among the four altars. But due to this change, it shattered into pieces. Large swathes of territory, including the altars, that our Daoist ancestors painstakingly developed over their lives, once again became Lands of Malevolence, where the Six Heavens Ancient Qi ran rampant..." The old Daoist priest put down the golden brush and began walking towards the hall entrance, speaking as he went.

Wan Zhenren bowed slightly and respectfully followed behind. His expression stirred upon hearing this, as another one of his doubts was resolved by his Martial Uncle. After a moment of consideration, he asked, "Even with the power of the Daoist Court back then, solidifying the Ducal Seal wasn't easy?"

Having been born and raised there, Wan Zhenren had long found it strange why Ju Mountain Altar, despite being a dilapidated altar, had such a vast territory. In Daoist scriptures, the complete Ju Mountain Altar was even larger than the combined territories of the other three altars. It turned out to be related to the Ducal Seal.

The Ducal Seal connected to the Divine Court and communicated with heavenly deities. Whether it was the Daoist Court's Ritual Altars, Purification Altars, Grand Altars, Branch Altars, or the Sect Altars of various factions, all could only confer talismans by inheriting the authority of the Ducal Seal. Only by submitting petitions to the Divine Court through the Ducal Seal did the talismans possess power.

From his Martial Uncle's words, the more solidified an altar's Ducal Seal, the wider its territory. Ju Mountain Altar's territory was now limited to south of Star Island Immortal Lake because its Ducal Seal had been shattered. He wondered how large the territory of an altar with a fully completed Ducal Seal would be. The Ju Mountain Altar's current state must be related to that great upheaval. However, since Ju Mountain Altar still existed and various demon nations and sects could still confer talismans, the Ducal Seal must not have been completely destroyed. He estimated that the fragments were likely held separately by the Daoist Court and the Ghostfang Nation, thus creating a situation where cultivators and demon nations were governed separately.

As Wan Zhenren pondered these thoughts, he heard his Martial Uncle say, "Indeed. The Ducal Seal can petition the Divine Court above and transmit doctrines and confer talismans below. It is truly the foundation of an altar and our reliance for establishing ourselves in the Lands of Malevolence! For an altar, only with a fully completed Ducal Seal can it be considered a true governing entity. The Divine Court has the ability to stabilize the Four Directions and Eight Extremities, and to pacify the Six Heavens Ancient Qi. Due to the Divine Court's disappearance, the connection between the Ducal Seal and the Divine Court is unprecedentedly weak. Not only can it no longer be solidified, but it must also be constantly enshrined in the Altar and maintained by the True Monarchs. Its power has also been greatly affected; the higher one's cultivation, the more obvious the impact. Once a Great True Man leaves their altar's territory, they face the risk of their talisman altar becoming unstable and their divine generals unsettled within the Lands of Malevolence. What are called 'heavenly manifestations' are actually signs of our unstable foundation, due to being impacted by the Six Heavens Ancient Qi."

Hearing these secrets, Wan Zhenren felt a shock no less profound than before. No wonder Great True Men always caused heavenly manifestations when they acted. No wonder True Monarchs were so elusive, like dragons whose heads are seen but not their tails. Even someone of his official rank had never seen the True Monarchs' faces. No wonder his Martial Uncle would rather harm his own cultivation than ask the True Monarchs to intervene. The foundation of the Daoist sect was not only the Ducal Seal but also the True Monarchs of the two courts who maintained it, allowing no room for error!

Wan Zhenren disregarded the etiquette of a disciple, stepped forward, and repeatedly pressed, "Why not ask Senior Ling to come out?" Senior Ling was the spirit of a Post-Heaven Spirit Treasure from the North Pole Exorcism Court. He had once been fortunate enough to be permitted to enter the Sea of Malevolence under Senior Ling's protection. He had never heard of spirit artifacts receiving talismans, but the Post-Heaven Spirit Treasure had not triggered any heavenly manifestations in the Sea of Malevolence.

"Artifact spirits are hidden within their main bodies, which can block the Six Heavens Ancient Qi. However, once they act with full power within the Ju Mountain Altar, the consequences are the same as for us. If they restrain themselves, they are no different from mere spirit treasures. The various illusions within the Altar are mostly remnants of ancient mighty powers' divine abilities. After countless years of evolution, some have temporarily fallen dormant, while others balance each other, maintaining a fragile equilibrium. Once power exceeds a certain limit, it will provoke the divine abilities to retaliate on their own, inevitably causing great chaos. If any hard-won clues are destroyed, we would never be able to atone for it!" The old Daoist priest sighed as he walked out of the main hall and stood in the courtyard. He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the sky, his back to Wan Zhenren. Wan Zhenren's expression was complex. He secretly wondered what his Martial Uncle was looking at: was it the legendary Divine Court, or was he 'gazing' at the Great Dao itself? Putting himself in his Martial Uncle's shoes, self-impairing his cultivation would undoubtedly be an extremely difficult sacrifice.

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly, winds rose and clouds surged. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth throughout the entire Purification Altar surged, flowing like a tide, rushing frantically towards this courtyard deep within the Altar. The Daoist priests within the Purification Altar felt the change in spiritual energy, becoming startled and uncertain. Those with higher cultivation quickly understood the reason. Even the lower-ranking immortal officials, who were unaware of the specifics, could infer some truths by recalling records and legends from ancient texts. There had long been rumors that a Great True Man had a temporary residence within the Purification Altar and often came there for quiet cultivation. It turned out to be true. For a moment, Daoist priests one after another stepped out of their residences and looked towards the courtyard.

Before long, the winds calmed and the waves settled. The Daoists waited for a long time but saw no further changes. Unaware of the true reason, they merely gained a new topic for future conversations.

Inside the courtyard, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered, coalescing into a Dharma body. Its appearance and demeanor were almost indistinguishable from the old Daoist priest. The Dharma body hovered above the main hall, gazed at its true form, and then descended from the sky. When it was about ten feet above the ground, the Dharma body paused in mid-air. Amidst flickering green light, its body suddenly turned ethereal, as if spiritual energy was dispersing.

At the same time, a Talisman Altar appeared above the old Daoist priest's head. Seeing his Martial Uncle's Talisman Altar, admiration and regret appeared in Wan Zhenren's eyes. Within the Talisman Altar, the Northern Emperor Talisman resided in a key point, manifesting as the familiar Nine Heavens Military Talisman, which was almost solidifying into a physical form. Previously, Wan Zhenren had not understood the meaning of the Nine Heavens Military Talisman, but now he did. This was the credential for summoning terrestrial deities, a military talisman for commanding ghost soldiers of the underworld and government soldiers of the mortal realm!

"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

The Talisman Altar's gate had not yet opened, but roars echoed from within, each filled with solemn sorrow. Suddenly, a silver light flew into the courtyard, transforming into a silver spirit bird. It continuously circled the old Daoist priest, emitting mournful cries, as if expressing regret. The old Daoist priest's face turned slightly pale, and he grunted. Where the Dharma body dissipated, a point of green light fell, entering through the crown of his head.

The next moment, the old Daoist priest's aura rapidly weakened, instantly dropping below the Five Talisman Dharma Rank, settling at the peak of the Cavern Profound Late Stage. The Talisman Altar and the Nine Heavens Military Talisman within it immediately dimmed. Similar scenes occurred not only in this Purification Altar but also in the White Stone Altar, the Central Abundance Altar, and even the Ghostfang Nation. For a time, alarm spread like wildfire. Great chaos was about to erupt!

***

Ju Mountain Altar.

Deep within the illusions of the Ju Mountain Altar, Qin Sang was isolated from the outside world, completely unaware of everything, and continued to explore inward. Qin Sang believed that within the Altar, apart from these mysterious illusions, few enemies could threaten him. Especially after his *Heavenly Demon Refinement* made another breakthrough and his Wandering Cloud Sword became a Spirit Treasure, he was even more confident in his strength. He could never have imagined that Void Refinement stage cultivators would self-impair their cultivation to enter the Altar.

"It's getting clearer and clearer..." Qin Sang meditated in a narrow strip of auspicious clouds between illusions, spreading his palm to sense the talisman print. He explored repeatedly, returning from failures again and again, gradually approaching his target. The auspicious clouds were thin. It was quite difficult to find a region of auspicious clouds here. Qin Sang made a note of this place, considering it as a potential transit point for the future.

Soon, Qin Sang's strength was fully restored. He stood up and looked ahead. Through the perception of the talisman print, Qin Sang guessed that he was no more than three illusions away from his target. The terrain here was too complex; various illusions were intertwined, making every step difficult. If he took a detour, it might cost him several or even tens of times more time and energy. Fortunately, he had the talisman print guiding him, so he wasn't worried about getting lost.

"It's best to push through in one go," Qin Sang thought to himself, carefully observing the illusion before him. The edge of the illusion was less than three feet from him, a scene of bleak white. Qin Sang could almost feel the biting cold wind sweeping towards him. It was a realm of blizzards and biting winds. Having passed through so many illusions, Qin Sang already had a well-established process. He habitually summoned his Azure Luan Dharma Form, integrating it into himself, though he wouldn't activate its power yet. Then, he activated the Great Vajra Wheel Seal, transforming into a Vajra Glazed Body. His Wandering Cloud Sword also flew out from between his eyebrows, its blade suspended upside down above his head, its sword aura flickering, ready to strike at any moment. Due to the scene before him, Qin Sang took two additional precautions this time: he activated the Nine Nether Demonic Flames with his spiritual sense, forming fiery armor for protection, and awakened the Vermillion Bird Young Spirit, ready to activate the Solar Divine Bird at any time. With preparations complete, Qin Sang took a step forward, entering the wind and snow.

In an instant, a chill permeated his body, piercing straight to his bones. Even with Qin Sang's robust physique, he couldn't help but shiver. However, Qin Sang could still bear it. After calming himself slightly, he observed his surroundings. Before him lay only goose-feather snow and a thick layer of snow on the ground. The snow layer undulated, seemingly covering mountains and basins below, but all were obscured by the heavy snow. Peculiarly, the heavy snow was endless, yet the snow layer on the ground neither increased nor decreased. Qin Sang glanced at his feet; walking on the snow left footprints, but they were immediately filled by the falling snow after he lifted his foot.

It seemed there was no danger, yet when Qin Sang was about to move forward, he felt an inexplicable unease in his heart. He frowned and stopped, unable to pinpoint the source of the unease. He chose to exit the snow realm the way he came. This was an experience from his time exploring the Altar: never being overconfident had helped him avoid many dangers. After waiting outside for a moment, Qin Sang re-entered the snow realm. The same unease reappeared, and several attempts yielded the same result, but he still couldn't tell where it came from. He summoned a puppet, which quickly froze not far into the snow realm, then visibly turned white before Qin Sang's eyes. It wasn't covered by snow; rather, the puppet itself became snow, eventually turning into snowflakes that merged with the swirling blizzard.

Qin Sang was slightly startled but not flustered. He pondered deeply, the scene of the snow realm reflected in his eyes. Watching the falling snow and the raging cold wind, Qin Sang had an idea and took out the Four-Mounted Teng Snake Seal. Four Teng Snakes detached from the seal's head and rushed into the snow realm. They seemed to instantly become excited, swimming around in the heavy snow. Qin Sang ordered the Teng Snakes to exhale mist and unleash cold flames, which were noticeably stronger than outside the snow realm. After a brief contemplation, Qin Sang re-entered the snow realm and commanded the Teng Snakes to direct their power at himself. Clusters of cold flames merged, enveloping him without leaving any gaps. Qin Sang seemed to be frozen inside an ice ball, and the unease in his heart surprisingly vanished.

"That simple?" Qin Sang found it a bit hard to believe, but he still decided to try. His pace was not fast, and the footprints behind him were immediately covered by the heavy snow, leaving no trace. The four Teng Snakes circled above his head, like four guardian spirit beasts. The lone man and his 'four beasts' advanced silently across the snowy plain, their figures exuding solitude, matching the desolate expanse. Qin Sang's mind remained constantly vigilant, his gaze sharp as a knife. He continued until he had traversed the snow plain and reached its end, surprisingly encountering no danger. He had encountered similar situations before. When illusions were masterless, if one found the correct way to deal with them, they could be traversed easily, and he possessed a wide array of methods.

Qin Sang looked back, secretly marveling. He hadn't expected to encounter such luck so close to his destination, saving him a lot of time. The snow realm was likely formed by a great divine ability of the path of ice. It was a pity that the avatar was gone; otherwise, meditating here might have yielded some insights. Exiting the snow realm and putting away the Four-Mounted Teng Snake Seal, Qin Sang's pupils slightly constricted at the sight before him.

Ahead was pitch darkness, where two blades of light intersected, like open scissors or a guillotine about to close. He could feel that this dark domain was not large, and it seemed safe to pass through the 'guillotine.' So, he flicked his finger, releasing a bird-shaped puppet. To assist Qin Sang, Mo Xingdao had crafted various puppets to handle different situations.

"Whoosh!" The bird flew through the center of the 'guillotine.' The two blades of light flickered slightly, and the bird was instantly sliced into two halves. It continued to rush forward before finally falling, turning into dust.

Qin Sang stayed for several days, testing with various methods. Finally, he came alone to the 'guillotine,' where his Phoenix Wings spread open behind him, giving a powerful flap.

"Crackle!" A thunderclap exploded, and dazzling lightning tore through the darkness. At this moment, Qin Sang held nothing back. His Dharma Form activated the Azure Luan's primordial lightning power, and his Lightning Evasion technique was pushed to its peak. The evasion speed in that instant was enough to astonish any Nascent Soul cultivator and make even Void Refinement cultivators cast a glance of surprise! Lightning streaked through the 'guillotine.' The blade lights only struck down after the lightning had passed. Qin Sang appeared on the other side of the 'guillotine,' completely unharmed. He smiled faintly, then flew out of the darkness without looking back, immediately spotting a colossal ancient mirror.

The ancient mirror was circular, its surface angled towards Qin Sang. It stood ahead, almost solid but not a physical object. Perhaps due to bad luck, Qin Sang had been exploring the Altar for so long but had not encountered any true treasures. Reflected within the mirror's surface was a familiar sight: the Scarlet Gold Spirit Needles! Qin Sang gazed for a moment, then slightly turned his head and saw the Scarlet Gold Spirit Needles, obscuring the sky and emitting an incredibly dangerous aura. The reality was as simple as he had previously guessed: the Scarlet Gold Spirit Needles were reflected into the mirror, which then projected an image, somehow traversing the Altar's space and appearing in the outer regions. The actual scene here was even more complex and mysterious than what was shown in the mirror. Qin Sang looked up and found an inverted continent above him, with mountains and rivers just like the outside world. Looking down, he saw blue skies and scattered white clouds. Heaven and earth were inverted here, causing dizziness.

The Scarlet Gold Spirit Needles originated from two inverted mountain peaks. There were no people in the mountains, nor any array formations. Approaching slightly, Qin Sang felt an aura several times more dangerous than its reflection, daring not to act rashly. There were no scenes of the 'Ascension Path' described by Mo Xingdao here, indicating that this was not yet the end. Qin Sang continued to make probes, noting all the nearby sights. He planned to either ask Mo Xingdao about them upon his return or bring him here himself. Having accomplished this objective, Qin Sang retreated as planned, returning to his cave for rest.