Chapter 1020: Century Changes My Eight Venerable Experts, I Use My Order to Summon Divine Light

Cen Qiaofu was momentarily dumbfounded. He couldn't comprehend what possessed this individual to impersonate Cen Qiaofu right in front of the genuine article.

The real issue was... "What's so special about impersonating an old man like me?" Cen Qiaofu gazed at his doppelganger in the water sphere, utterly at a loss for words.

If you were to impersonate Bazun'an, it would be perfectly understandable. Bazun'an himself is present, and he likely wouldn't take much offense.

But I'm just an obscure Old Grand Elder, bearing no great sins and having achieved no remarkable feats in my life. Merely a common "one against a hundred in the Eight Palaces," or a simple "woodcutter who achieved the Dao overnight"... Impersonating a water ghost would be more promising than impersonating Cen Qiaofu, wouldn't it?!

Cen Qiaofu's mouth twitched. He almost spoke, then stopped, and finally, resigned, he looked towards the Water Ghost.

The Water Ghost also met his gaze. After a brief eye contact, they both suddenly burst out laughing.

"What are you two laughing at?" Xiu Yuanke detected the intense mockery in their laughter and instantly bristled with indignation. But before he could utter another word...

"Silence!" The Water Ghost raised a hand, and a water-element profundity array spiraled out from beneath his feet, preventing Xiu Yuanke from interrupting Bazun'an's spell.

Xiu Yuanke felt his heart seize, as if tightly constricted. Just as he was about to speak, he sensed a power from within the water sphere seep into his muscles and meridians, effectively sealing him. He was completely immobilized!

"What infernal ability is this...?" Xiu Yuanke was startled. He couldn't discern the nature of this power. However, the profundity array under the feet of the golden beast-masked figure earlier—that he had seen clearly! Water-element profundity? Is this person Yu Lingdi?

"???" Xiu Yuanke was dumbfounded. How had Senior Brother become entangled with Yu Lingdi, the Chief of the Spirit Department? This... this couldn't be happening, could it? Was Senior Brother actually a member of the Holy Divine Palace? Impossible!

That leaves only one explanation... Yu Lingdi, is he one of our own?!" This conclusion left Xiu Yuanke utterly flabbergasted. He dared not resist, fearing that any misstep on his part would invite even greater trouble.

Of course, most crucially, in this delicate situation, Senior Brother's strategy was clearly paramount, and he shouldn't complicate matters further.

His eyes darted about... Xiu Yuanke strained to glance in the direction of "Senior Brother." He was still writing something on that golden scroll...

Xiu Yuanke could clearly sense the surging power emanating from the scroll, even through the water sphere. "Holy Power..."

Oh, Senior Brother, what grander scheme are you plotting behind Canyue Immortal City's back?!

Elsewhere.

Bazun'an's attention was fully fixed on the Holy Emperor's Golden Edict. He was completely unaware of anyone approaching from behind. Yet, entrusting his back to others was a testament to Bazun'an's absolute trust in Cen Qiaofu and the Water Ghost's capabilities.

As more blood characters formed on the Holy Emperor's Golden Edict, the Holy Emperor's will manifested even more strongly. The golden light from Lonely Sound Cliff, which repelled all, practically pushed everyone else out of the surrounding area.

Cen Qiaofu, the Water Ghost, and Xiu Yuanke, still trapped in the water sphere, were all captivated by this development and fell silent. The trio was forced back by the golden energy, their eyes fixated on the "Bazun'an/Senior Brother," who was visible only from the back, as he painstakingly inscribed ancient characters.

Finally, as the last character was set... "Om!" The Holy Emperor's Golden Edict vibrated violently, seemingly infused with immense power, and pulsed with life.

Simultaneously, a surging Holy Emperor's power radiated from it, and the water sphere encasing Xiu Yuanke burst open with a "snap."

However, at this moment, Xiu Yuanke was utterly incapable of mischief. Like the Water Ghost and Cen Qiaofu, his knees trembled, and he was almost crushed by this terrifying Holy Emperor's power, nearly forced to his knees on the spot.

"By Imperial Decree!" Hearing this, the three struggled to lift their gazes. As far as their eyes could see, the "Bazun'an/Senior Brother," despite being of the Post-Heaven Realm, had defied gravity and was slowly ascending—this was clearly the Holy Emperor's power drawing up a person of high status. At this moment, though Bazun'an was more weakened from writing the edict, he was enveloped in the golden light emanating from the Holy Emperor's Golden Edict, appearing like a deity descending. Clouds swirled around him, and a gentle breeze accompanied him serenely.

Before long, guided by all things in heaven and earth, Bazun'an floated into the highest heavens. He held the golden edict with both hands, his gaze solemn. From his vantage point, he appeared capable of surveying the Five Domains and Four Seas, and commanding all creation.

"Go!" Without further delay, having ascended to the highest heavens, Bazun'an casually cast the Holy Emperor's Golden Edict. It transformed into a streaking light and merged into the Heavenly Dao.

"Boom!" The Yunlun Mountain Range trembled, and the heavens quaked. The sky, like a mirror, suddenly cracked. Before the eyes of countless onlookers, a golden speck bloomed, then blazed like a scorching sun. Following swiftly, an overwhelming pressure descended.

At this moment, whether they were the assailants vying for the Nine Great Dragon Veins, the trial participants scattered across the inner and outer regions seeking their own opportunities, or even the Dao Slicers and Grand Elder stowaways who had secretly infiltrated this world... All of them prostrated themselves, collapsing onto the ground in terror!

"It's... it's happening again...?" The trial participants were bewildered. How many times has this occurred?! Can the Royal City Trial ever proceed normally anymore?!

First, there was the battle of Saints and the Black Dragon suppressing the realm; then, the Seafarer and the Halberd that shattered the Sin Bow; now, this golden sun descends, forcing countless to their knees... Has Eastern Heaven Royal City committed some great sin?! Why do all these chaotic events consistently occur within the Yunlun Mountain Range?

The trial participants felt they had grown accustomed to the constant unexpected occurrences during this Yunlun Mountain Range trial. Yet, each unexpected event... No matter how one looked at it, was an unprecedented and astonishing development!

Even as they were pressed to the ground, everyone strained to lift their heads, gazing directly at the golden, blazing sun that hung in the highest heavens, seemingly close to all living beings.

"Is that... the sun?" Someone murmured in awe, reflecting that there was already a familiar sun in the distant sky that provided light. But now, directly overhead, hung a blazing sun that appeared capable of world annihilation! This was utterly not gentle! It seemed as though the Holy Emperor was enraged and intended to destroy heaven and earth!

"No!" "It's not the sun!" Suddenly, someone gazed towards the highest heavens and saw that the golden speck, once bloomed, transformed into a vast scroll that could cover the entire sky. Only then did they realize that the blinding, sun-like light was merely an accompanying manifestation of the Holy Emperor's power.

"What is that thing, a scroll?" "Look! There... there seem to be characters on it!"

The golden, unfurling scroll replaced the entire expanse of blue sky and white clouds. As it expanded, ancient, blood-colored characters, resembling talismans, became clearly visible upon its surface.

Everyone felt a divine miracle had descended. Even while prostrate on the ground, they strained to glimpse the blood-colored ancient characters, as if a single glance could grant them profound enlightenment and turn them into Saints overnight.

But the next second... "Ah—" "It hurts! My eyes!" "Damn this divine miracle, can it please stop descending on the Yunlun Mountain Range? I just want to make it into the top thirty-six on the scoreboard!" "If I've erred, let the trial official punish me, not destroy my eyes like this, boohoohoo..."

Throughout the Yunlun Mountain Range, the screams of countless mortals, who had dared to gaze upon the Holy Emperor's Golden Edict, filled the air. Amidst the widespread agony and torment, a captivating Daoist chant began to reverberate in the ears of all beings—a mesmerizing hum, a whispered incantation, like a hymn or a song.

As the sound of the Great Dao began, in an instant, all pain and clamor subsided, and the Yunlun Mountain Range fell into profound silence.

"Holy Secret... Buried World... A thousand thousand years..." The sound of the Dao, like a guiding melody, purified the heart. It began as a gentle spring breeze, then swelled into a startling thunder. This sound of the Dao, ringing like a great bell within the souls of the Yunlun Mountain Range trial participants, left many young people utterly bewildered.

What was different, however, was this: When this sound reached the ears of the stowaways, their eyes instantly blazed with fervor and madness. "The Holy Secret?" "The Holy Secret Void Island?" "This... this is a divine miracle belonging to the City of the Sky?!"

With just that single sound, countless individuals who knew the City of the Sky by its other name, "Holy Secret Void Island," instantly understood that something momentous was about to occur.

The Holy Emperor's power intensified after the Daoist chant. All beings were so oppressed they could barely breathe, yet countless still struggled to lift their heads, yearning to decipher the profound mysteries of the blood characters on the golden scroll and gain the "Holy Secret's" favor. Alas, they comprehended nothing.

The phenomenon intensified. Within Eastern Heaven Royal City, some individuals began to tremble and inexplicably fell to their knees. Before onlookers could mock, a continuous "thump-thump" filled the air, as knees slammed against the ground all around them. At this moment, no one dared to utter a sound. Some bowed their heads in prayer, others lifted theirs in defiance. Spirit Refiners, one by one, exhausted their techniques, desperately seeking a way out—or even an opportunity—from this "persecution."

After the Holy Emperor's Golden Edict appeared in the sky, no one could keep their eyes open to gaze upon its ancient characters. Yet, as the Daoist chant continued, the blood-colored edict characters lit up in correspondence, one by one. At this moment, even the most obtuse understood: there was no need to look; simply listening might grant them the power guidance of this holy edict. The Daoist chant paused, then resumed. What had been a prelude now became a resounding declaration.

"I... with my blood... shall bridge the past...!" After this powerful declaration, space-time rippled. Faintly, through the shifting mists, people seemed to witness a majestic ancient city floating in the clouds, high in the heavens, millions of years ago.

Immortal music resonated there, cranes and mythical birds chirped in unison, colorful mists swirled, and divine hymns echoed.

But then, the image flickered, and the mottled, ancient City of the Sky, hovering above Eastern Heaven Royal City, appeared. Decay, aging, moss, and rubble...

In an instant, everyone understood. The first image depicted the City of the Sky in its prime. The second image showed the City of the Sky in its current state.

And the City of the Sky, the subject of these visions, seemed to gain a soul and surging vitality after that powerful declaration. The ancient city broke free from the spatial fragments with a mighty "rumble," like an untamed wild horse. Even the colossal black chains of the Heavenly Dao, as thick as sky-supporting pillars, could no longer restrain it; it was poised to burst forth from spacetime and crash onto the Holy Divine Continent.

"Gods above..." The residents of Eastern Heaven Royal City were astonished. What kind of power was this? A single sentence, and the City of the Sky rises to your command?

Crucially, everyone keenly noticed the self-reference in that sentence: "I"! This implied that this divine miracle was not a manifestation of the Heavenly Dao, but rather someone summoning the power of the City of the Sky?

Those Spirit Refiners who had lowered their gazes, believing there was no need to look further, now lifted their eyes again and were astonished to find that the golden scroll, which had covered the sky, had expanded even further, unbeknownst to them. It was so immense that even people in Eastern Heaven Royal City and the Yunlun Mountain Range, looking directly upward, could only discern the merest fraction—a single stroke from one of the blood-colored ancient characters on its surface.

"What's happening?" Colossal objects invariably inspire dread. At this moment, the inhabitants of Eastern Heaven Royal City and the Yunlun Mountain Range were completely unaware that after those two declarations, the Holy Emperor's Golden Edict was no longer confined to their immediate vicinity.

Harnessing the resonant power from the Void Island, it expanded to encompass the entire Eastern Heavenly Realm, then further outward to the Eastern Domain's Sword God Heaven, and ultimately traversed the entirety of the Holy Divine Continent—extending over all Five Domains!

In the Central Domain's Four Tombs Mountain, the so-called "thunder tribulation" of the divine miracle was intercepted by the Holy Emperor's Golden Edict. Jinzhao, the Half-Saint Dragon Furnace, engrossed in alchemy, looked up in astonished, perceiving a subtly homologous power within the ancient characters of the edict, a power akin to the half Sky Tree Seed he had consumed years ago.

At Gui Zhe Holy Mountain, by the Screen Candle Ground. Hua Changdeng was half-reclined beneath the Broken Willow God, paying respects to the willow. Suddenly, a flash of alarm sparked in his compassionate eyes, and the flame of the dwindling candle on the table before him flickered. He paused. The Ghost-Hunting Blade flew into his hand. Hua Changdeng looked up at the sky, and the sword intent of Screen Candle Ground surged forth. But realizing it was the Holy Emperor's power from the golden edict in the sky, not an old acquaintance, he chuckled, shook his head with a sigh, and mused about mistaking shadows for monsters, then settled back down. What he had perceived was the power of sword thought.

Beneath the Four Seas. In a water prison, a woman, her limbs bound and clad in prisoner's garb, yet whose common appearance could not conceal her striking beauty, looked up. What she saw was the same light from the Holy Emperor's Golden Edict. Unlike everyone else, she saw neither power nor mere light. Instead, beneath the myriad rays, she saw a man with a beard, unkempt, and whose eyes had become considerably more clouded and yellowed.

Two lines of clear tears merged into the water prison. The woman's eyelashes trembled, and she silently closed her eyes, as if recalling beautiful memories from years past. An inexpressible smile touched the corners of her pale lips.

At this moment, all beings across the world looked up, finally discerning the figure beneath that radiant light. Even Jiang Shi the Half-Saint, Huang Quan, the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, and Rao Yaoyao, Xu Xiaoshou, Mu Lin, and others who were confronting each other deep beneath Lonely Sound Cliff, at the entrance to the Void Gate, were no exception!

The Holy Emperor's Golden Edict interrupted the world's natural course, compelling everyone in the present era to pause and heed the guiding words. "Holy Secret, buried world, a thousand thousand years, I with my blood, shall bridge the past..." Xu Xiaoshou was still contemplating this line, wondering how many months it would take him to reach a level where he could command such global attention and exploit everyone in the world.

High above the heavens, after Bazun'an's emphatic declaration, his weakened state vanished, and his eyes gained a sharp gleam not seen for decades. Simultaneously, the final two lines of ancient characters on the Holy Emperor's Golden Edict suddenly illuminated, echoing the Daoist chant in the ears of all, making everyone realize that this voice... was not divine, but had originated from a human!

"A hundred generations for me, Bazun'an; by my command, I summon divine light!" With a hum, a brilliant golden light erupted. The power of the Holy Emperor's Golden Edict, fully activated by the blood-colored ancient characters, transformed into a nine-colored divine light beam that descended from the sky, falling directly onto... Lonely Sound Cliff!

Bazun'an gazed into the void, his once clouded, yellowish eyes now clear. With a shift of his gaze, his eyes followed the divine light's point of impact: Lonely Sound Cliff. He took a deep breath, gestured with his sleeve in that direction, and softly commanded: "Void Island, descend."

Rumble, rumble, rumble! As soon as the command was given, the chains of the Heavenly Dao could no longer restrain the City of the Sky, shattering with explosive sounds. And that Void Island, which had hovered above Eastern Heaven Royal City for nearly a month, along with the majestic ancient city upon it... Finally, like the fabled Buzhou Mountain toppling, it tilted and began its descent towards Lonely Sound Cliff in the Yunlun Mountain Range.

At this moment, the sun and moon quaked, and the world paled!