Chapter 561: Vast Sky Campaign Part One

Emperor Jade, utilizing the Heavenly Dao for insights and dispatching Dong Mugong for years of secret searches, finally secured a 'primordial exotic beast' that was barely adequate, and it found its way into Li Changshou's hands.

As expected, it was the Howling Celestial Hound.

This Howling Celestial Hound was quite unique, not an ordinary creature. Their race was not formed by the heavens and earth; they were specifically born to assist powerful individuals. They possessed strong innate talents and divine abilities, capable of acting as fierce beasts in combat or transforming into treasures and weapons. However, their own cultivation required constant guidance from other beings; otherwise, they couldn't even develop intelligence. The Celestial Dog race was, in fact, a "masterpiece" created by primordial beings using their divine powers in ancient times.

After much deliberation, Li Changshou gave the Howling Celestial Hound, which was still just a "furry ball," to Princess Longji, asking her to secretly deliver it to Yang Jian as a gesture of goodwill. Fairy Yunhua and Longji were already very familiar with each other, making Longji a reasonable choice for this task. Simultaneously, Longji's covert appearance to show goodwill would also convey a message to Yang Jian, making him feel that his mother's imprisoned life was incredibly miserable, thus putting more pressure on him. More importantly, Longji was Yang Jian's cousin. By befriending Yang Jian and showing him goodwill beforehand, she could later help alleviate his emotions once he completed his final trials, preventing an irreconcilable outcome.

Longji's mission to deliver the Howling Celestial Hound went smoothly, and her meeting with Yang Jian caused no stir. After this encounter between the cousins, Yang Jian began to push himself even harder, leaving a trail of blood-soaked battles across various Great Thousand Worlds. The Eight-Nine Arcane Art possessed boundless wonders.

All of this seemed to be within Li Changshou's control, but just as the Grand Dao has fifty and the Heavenly Dao forty-nine—meaning even the Heavenly Dao cannot be perfectly complete without flaws—Li Changshou certainly couldn't either. Ninety-eight percent was not just a casual figure.

Only a few years after Longji's visit to Yang Jian, an unforeseen variable, one Li Changshou had never considered, suddenly appeared. Yang Jian's cultivation speed dramatically increased, with repeated breakthroughs occurring within months!

Inside the Grand White Palace, Li Changshou, maintaining the appearance of an old immortal, frowned as he stared at the scene reflected in the bronze mirror. To his right, Emperor Jade's avatar, Quantong, dressed in battle armor, sat in a round-backed chair; behind them stood Princess Longji, Ao Yi, and Jin Peng. Because this "knowledgeable Heavenly Emperor" had let slip his identity, the three of them now knew Quantong's true nature and were extremely respectful. Longji, in particular, stood meekly behind her father, not daring to even breathe loudly. This was also because Emperor Jade had become more open-minded: as long as this avatar didn't wander around, didn't inspect heavenly soldiers and generals, didn't conduct regular assessments, and didn't flirt with the Moon Palace fairies, there would be no overall impact. In fact, it allowed him to openly do things he wanted to do, such as openly slack off.

These five figures, along with Ling'e—the "off-field audience" observing the scene from Little Qiong Peak using Cloud Mirror Art—all watched the images displayed in the bronze mirror. In the ethereal, star-dusted void, streaks of blue divine lightning struck down furiously, and gusts of heavenly wind howled incessantly. A figure, somewhat small before the lightning of the Heavenly Tribulation, now stood against the wind and thunder. His physique, only slightly more robust than an ordinary person's, now possessed the profound weight of a mountain! It was Yang Jian! He had completely assimilated that drop of Gonggong's primordial essence blood and was now forcefully undergoing the Golden Immortal Tribulation!

"How many years has it been? Yang Jian's cultivation speed is astonishing." Li Changshou sighed softly, and Quantong, beside him, deeply resonated with the sentiment. After all, for the past fifty years—the fifty years since Yang Jian left Mount Yuquan for his trials—His Majesty Emperor Jade, when idle, had been slacking off in the Grand White Palace, watching the bronze mirror. In fact, he had been so engrossed in watching the "live broadcast" earlier that he even bestowed a celestial dog as a reward. Time had truly flown by, and no change was perceived. However, the price of His Majesty Emperor Jade's slacking was that Li Changshou, a mere powerful deity, had to toil and exhaust himself.

In recent decades, His Majesty Emperor Jade had even developed a habit of casually asking about everything. "Chang Geng, what's your opinion?" "How else can I see it? Haven't I always been sitting and watching?"

With the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation approaching, Li Changshou could not neglect his own cultivation. Despite his busy Heavenly Court affairs, he still had to dedicate seventy percent of his energy to cultivation. Additionally, he had to regularly meet with his junior sister, chat with her, explain some Dao principles, and relax his tense nerves, giving her a small reward. It was about balancing work and rest.

Outside the Heavenly Court, there were indeed many matters that required his attention. The wars between the Immortal Alliance and the Incense God Kingdoms flared up every few years. Parts of the Three Thousand Worlds had entered an era of chaotic warfare, and the Netherworld had repeatedly sought aid from the Heavenly Court, requesting temporary support of civil officials, as even their judges were insufficient. The casualties among living beings were quite severe.

The only thing that comforted Li Changshou was that both the Chan and Jie Sects had remained very restrained, and consequently, the situation in Central Divine Continent remained relatively stable. Although there were constant frictions between immortal sects, direct conflicts between immortal sects under the two doctrines had not occurred, which was still considered normal chaos for a great tribulation. The Primordial World seemed to be gradually descending into chaos, but Li Changshou could sense that within this chaos lay a hidden order—the order established by the Dao Ancestor and the Six Sages. As long as the Sages remained still, the heavens and earth would not descend into complete chaos.

Of course, the only other thing that truly pleased Li Changshou was that Ling'e had been diligently cultivating over the years, her desire for longevity growing ever stronger. This always gave Li Changshou a subtle feeling that enduring more hardship outside was worth it. After all, in this world, only he and his junior sister could truly depend on each other; Little Qiong Peak, guarded by his junior sister, had become the resting place for his Dao heart—the pure and sacred kind.

Looking at the bronze mirror, the lightning gradually faded, and the Heavenly Tribulation had passed. Yang Jian's figure flew off into the distance. He didn't linger to comprehend the insights gained after the tribulation but swiftly departed from this remote and barren land, showing commendable vigilance. The scene in the bronze mirror shifted accordingly, as True Immortal Yuding had secretly followed him.

Emperor Jade's avatar solemnly said: "The Eight-Nine Arcane Art, the primordial essence blood of the Ancestral Witch, divine weapons forged by Grand Supreme Elderly Lord, and skills acquired through chaotic battles with demons... Chang Geng, when do you plan to conclude this scheme? And how will you do it?"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this humble deity has long been prepared." Li Changshou took a scroll from his sleeve and respectfully handed it over; Emperor Jade's avatar's eyes lit up, and he held the scroll, reading it intently.

Li Changshou glanced at Jin Peng, Ao Yi, and Longji behind him, then sighed: "I originally intended for Yang Jian to undergo trials for a hundred years, but given the current situation, I must intervene early to slow down his cultivation progress. At this point, such obsession will gradually cause his Dao heart to falter. If the obsession isn't removed and his Dao heart remains unstable, the higher his cultivation level, the more likely he is to fall into the demonic path."

Hearing her master's words, Longji couldn't help but show concern. Having recently met Yang Jian, she was quite concerned about her cousin. She softly asked, "Master, do we need to warn Yang Jian about this?"

Li Changshou pondered for a moment, then asked, "When you went to deliver the dog for him, *cough*, the primordial exotic Celestial Hound, how many times did Yang Jian mention his mother in total?"

"Once." Longji recalled carefully before answering, then added, "He seemed to ask it only casually, without showing much emotion."

"Then it's indeed time to conclude the scheme," Li Changshou said, his eyes devoid of hesitation. He fumbled in his sleeve and produced a row of jade talismans, which floated before him. Seeing Ao Yi and Jin Peng looking puzzled, Li Changshou proactively explained: "Yang Jian's temperament is somewhat reserved. The more he feigns composure, the deeper he has buried this matter, and the heavier its impact on him. After all, if someone truly lets go of many things, they wouldn't be overly cautious; at the very least, they would ask a few questions about Fairy Yunhua's recent well-being."

On the other side, Emperor Jade's avatar, Quantong, holding the scroll, had a look of realization. Quantong asked, "Chang Geng, what is all this written on it? Never mind, just proceed, I'll observe from the side!"

"Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty!" Li Changshou cupped his hands, looked at the row of jade talismans floating before him, and smiled: "Then, I shall begin the arrangements."

Quantong made a gesture to proceed. After careful identification and confirmation, Li Changshou simultaneously crushed the three jade talismans on the left. At the same instant, a jade talisman shattered at True Immortal Yuding's location and another at Bai Ze's. Bai Ze opened his eyes from deep within the main hall of the Proximity Heaven Palace. With a command, dozens of waiting shadowy figures appeared before him, and Bai Ze activated the great shifting array beneath him. They had been waiting for a long time!

True Immortal Yuding, in a certain Great Thousand World, slightly frowned. He looked at Yang Jian, who was hundreds of miles away in a mountain forest, sitting cross-legged in meditation, assimilating the insights from his tribulation. His eyes showed a trace of worry. Subsequently, True Immortal Yuding proactively took Yang Chan away from the area, planning to send a communication talisman to Yang Jian three days later to guide him to a specific location.

Meanwhile, in a corner of the Three Thousand Worlds, the Western Sect's Sage disciple, Xubodhi, who appeared much gaunter than he had decades ago, slowly opened his eyes. Xubodhi looked at the jade talisman gently glowing in his hand, then scrutinized the words that surfaced in his mind, unable to suppress a cold snort. "An unnecessary move..." Having said that, Xubodhi's figure gradually faded, preparing to seek out Yang Jian's whereabouts three days and three hours later.

In the Five Continents of the Primordial World, Heavenly Court's Grand White Palace. Li Changshou's palm swept over the large bronze mirror before him. The image on it gradually blurred, then quickly became clear, displaying three distinct areas and three scenes: First, Bai Ze was leading people to arrange something in a mortal village. Second, Yang Jian was quietly cultivating in the forest, though the "camera angle" had clearly changed compared to the previous footage provided by True Immortal Yuding. Third, above the East Sea, one hundred thousand Heavenly River Water Army soldiers, under the command of Bian Zhuang, were drilling new Bean Soldier battle formations.

Li Changshou closed his eyes in contemplation, meticulously reviewing his entire plan. Yang Jian's growth trajectory along the way, the opportunities and trials Li Changshou had arranged for him repeatedly, and the hardships Yang Jian himself had encountered, all projected onto Li Changshou's mind. The test questions had been set; it now depended on whether he could pass. Yang Jian. Grand White Golden Star.

In a relatively remote Great Thousand World within the Primordial Realm, a humble mortal village. In the quiet of deep night, candle shadows flickered in the village, and faint sounds of laughter could be heard. Yang Jian, who had just finished eradicating demons here and was preparing to leave, did not reveal himself to receive the mortals' praise and worship. He waited half a day on the hillside outside the village, ensuring no demons had escaped.

At this moment, Yang Jian stood still beneath the myriad stars, gazing up at them, and couldn't help but begin searching for the legendary star. The timing seemed off; it was only shortly after nightfall. By his feet, a white hound, only half a foot tall, was gently nudging his cloth boots. Yang Jian smiled gently, pulled the small dog into his palm, transformed it into a jade pendant, and placed it in his bosom. Then, he leaped up, soaring towards the horizon. Without relying on white clouds or magic artifacts, traversing the cosmos with such speed purely by physical body, Yang Jian, who had just passed the Golden Immortal Tribulation, had indeed made another leap in strength.

*Whoosh—* A beam of green light shot out from the void. Yang Jian focused his senses and proactively met the green light, extending his hand to retrieve a jade talisman from within. He then cupped his hands and bowed to the talisman. The only one who could find him was... his master, who had always been hiding nearby. Although Yang Jian couldn't be certain, and he had survived several near-death experiences on his own over the years without his master appearing, Yang Jian could actually sense that his master was not far from him. Moreover, some opportunities that seemed perfectly reasonable at first glance, and even upon closer inspection, had nothing amiss, Yang Jian still felt he had obtained them too smoothly. It was as if many benefits had already been placed along the path he walked. Who would do such things? It probably wasn't his master; his master always acted alone and only had one or two friends like Uncle Master Taiyi. To arrange these opportunities for him would likely require countless manpower. It must be those forces that wished for him to rise quickly to achieve some objective. He wasn't a fool; how could he not know that from birth, he had been embroiled in the struggles between the top powers of this world?

Thinking this, Yang Jian activated the jade talisman in his hand and saw its contents: In a certain Great Thousand World, demons were causing havoc, seemingly using mortal souls for cultivation. He was needed there immediately. The content was not much different from the previous talismans his master had given him. Without hesitation, Yang Jian conjured his three-pointed, double-edged spear behind him and traversed the void, rushing towards the direction his master had indicated.

But this time was different from the previous ones. When Yang Jian arrived, the demons had already abducted the people and livestock from a remote village. Only faint traces of demonic aura remained in the empty village, dissipating with the wind... Yang Jian searched meticulously but found no trace whatsoever, concluding only that the demon's ability to conceal its tracks was incredibly powerful. He searched within a radius of several thousand li for half a day. Everywhere was peaceful, and there were also many Qi practitioners in the area...

Left with no choice, Yang Jian returned to the village. This time, however, he saw two children lingering at the village entrance. He approached and questioned them, learning that the two mortal children had been playing in the mountains and thus escaped the calamity. Immediately, Yang Jian took them to a nearby town for settlement, spending some spirit stones to accommodate them in an inn frequented by Qi practitioners, and also giving the innkeeper a bit of a fright. After taking the siblings to a room, Yang Jian raised his hand to pat their heads, instructed them not to wander off, left a jade talisman imbued with his aura, and then turned to leave.

Just as he stepped out of the room, Yang Jian heard the younger girl inside sobbing. "Brother, what should we do now...? Did Father and Mother abandon us?"

"It's alright, brother will protect you. Didn't the immortal go to help us find Father and Mother?"

Yang Jian paused, his expression growing somewhat somber. He slowly closed his eyes, wanting to calm his Dao heart, but those few images he had deliberately buried deep within his mind kept resurfacing. On the street, two small figures huddled together in a blanket, enduring a sleepless night. With a bitter smile, Yang Jian shook his head and continued his search for the whereabouts of the demon his master had mentioned.

But... He couldn't find them, nowhere. The faint demonic aura seemed to deliberately agitate his mind. Every time he thought he had found a clue, pursuing it proved to be in vain. Yet, those images in his mind kept reappearing: the tragedy of the Yang residence, the splashing blood when the Heavenly Soldiers shattered the figure protecting him... After several fruitless searches, a hint of ferocity appeared in Yang Jian's eyes. He let out a low roar, stomping his left foot, and the desolate mountain beneath him crumbled, solid rock shattering into dust!

In the dust and smoke, Yang Jian stood suspended in the air, closing his eyes, trying to calm his mind. Suddenly, a somewhat familiar voice reached his ears: "Yang Jian, you finally couldn't hold back."

The old Daoist of the Western Sect? Yang Jian opened his eyes to see an almost transparent figure standing before him, which was naturally a manifestation of Xubodhi's divine sense.

"Get lost."

"Hehehe," Xubodhi's divine sense drifted lightly. "Do you truly wish for this poor Daoist to leave? Then why don't you raise your spirit spear against this poor Daoist? Yang Jian, you are a clever man; surely, you also harbor the thought of acting by leveraging power. But now, this poor Daoist needn't exert much effort; I only need to tell you one thing, and you will undoubtedly rush headlong, unable to wait, to the Heavenly Court to rescue your poor mother. The Heavenly Court, it seems, intends to erase your mother."

"Nonsense!" Two beams of divine light burst from Yang Jian's eyes. "How could I be deceived by you!"

"Is it truly deception?" Xubodhi's voice penetrated directly into Yang Jian's Dao heart, its echo reverberating throughout Yang Jian's spirit platform. "Think carefully: your mother is nominally a Heavenly Princess, the sister of the Three Realms' ruler, yet she was merely a mortal sibling during Emperor Jade's tribulation. She secretly married a mortal, bore a son and a daughter. More ironically, this mortal was already married and had offspring. What is this? A disgrace! Countless Qi practitioners openly mocked Emperor Jade back then; it was incredibly lively! If you hadn't become True Immortal Yuding's disciple, a Chan Sect member, causing the Heavenly Court to be wary, could your mother have lived until today? But now it's different again, Yang Jian."

Yang Jian's fists clenched tightly, veins bulged on his neck, and his forehead pulsed with a dark red glow. Xubodhi continued: "Now the Heavenly Court has gained power, and the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation is for the Heavenly Court's prosperity. You, a third-generation disciple of the Chan Sect, are no longer regarded by them. Let alone you, what about your master? These past two days, rumors have been circulating throughout the Heavenly Court about your mother being moved to the mortal realm for suppression. If, during this process, some accident occurs, with a few demons suddenly appearing and some heavenly soldiers and generals dying, it wouldn't matter. Your mother would die in the chaos, and Emperor Jade and Grand White Golden Star would shed a few crocodile tears, gaining some reputation..."

Yang Jian's long spear thrust forward without warning, instantly shattering Xubodhi's divine sense! Xubodhi merely left behind a soft sigh, unable to say anything more as his divine sense completely dissipated.

Yang Jian stood in the night sky, dark clouds obscuring the moon, stars dim. His chest heaved continuously as he suppressed his Dao heart. The Western Sect clearly harbored ill intentions. He had to consider the Chan Sect's legacy and his master's position; he couldn't make things difficult for his master, he couldn't...

Yang Jian slowly exhaled, retracted his spear, and turned to head towards the town where the siblings were. However, after only two steps in the air, he abruptly turned around, knelt down facing the night sky, and kowtowed three times fiercely. "Master! Your disciple is unworthy! Please, Master, ensure those children are settled!" With that, Yang Jian rose to his full height, blood-red light surging in his palm. His figure transformed into a cloud-piercing azure eagle, shooting towards the Five Continents!

In the direction Yang Jian had just knelt, True Immortal Yuding stood with his hands behind his back, frowning, and couldn't help but sigh softly. "Teacher," Yang Chan asked with full of worry, "My brother, he..." Yuding calmly said, "There's no need to fear." With that, Yuding flicked his sleeve and departed from the area with Yang Chan. The children would be settled by Bai Ze's people; and the villagers of that mountain village returned to their homes a few days later.

'Mother.' 'Heavenly Court!' As he sped along, these words churned in Yang Jian's mind. Within his Dao heart, winds and clouds surged. He tried his best to suppress them and maintain his calm, but the images of his childhood, like a mountain flood, breached the dam he had built for years! He cultivated the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, and while his aerial speed was not slow, it was ultimately limited. The path to the Five Continents seemed far too distant.

Calm down. He had to remain calm now. With his current strength, he still couldn't shake those great powers and divine abilities. He had to find a way to use everything he could to negotiate with the Heavenly Court. But what could he use? Without his master's protection, he was just a lone individual with a long spear and a suit of armor.

Gradually, despair welled up in Yang Jian's heart, but this despair instantly transformed into fury, becoming the driving force to push forward! Seven days later, he saw the Five Continents bathed in the sunlight, and only one thought remained in his mind: Charge in! To the Heavenly Court! Even if it cost him everything, he would pull her out from under that mountain!

East of the East Sea, at the very ends of the earth, a streak of crimson light rapidly traversed the area, shooting upwards into the high heavens. But the streak of light had barely flown a few thousand li when a transparent barrier appeared in the sky, forcibly stopping it. With a roar, Yang Jian's figure immediately retreated. His gaze remained clear, and he was relatively calm. He looked at the azure sky ahead: the light barrier he had cracked, and the rows of silver-armored Heavenly Soldiers slowly appearing behind it... A trap?

Yang Jian's pupils constricted. He suddenly realized that the Heavenly Soldiers appearing here to stop him were merely corroboration of the Western Sect elder's words! The Heavenly Court had Grand White Golden Star, who planned flawlessly and balanced the heavens and earth. He was probably already targeted by Grand White Golden Star... The matter of his mother being erased was not false!

The Heavenly Soldiers withdrew their weapons, the light barrier dissipated, and a golden-armored Heavenly General stepped forward, announcing loudly: "Is the newcomer the Chan Sect disciple, Yang Jian?"

"Indeed!" Yang Jian replied coldly.

The golden-armored Heavenly General said, "We are here by the command of Star Lord Grand White to stop you. The Star Lord advises you not to ruin yourself and to cherish your future prospects..."

Yang Jian retorted coldly, "What if I insist on ruining myself today?"

The golden-armored Heavenly General remained expressionless, raising his treasured sword high, streams of golden light shimmering. Above the East Sea, ripples appeared in the cosmos. Row after row of 'Heavenly Soldiers and Generals' emerged, mostly burly men with shields or female immortal soldiers with bows and arrows. No, they weren't living beings, but divine power soldiers! Yang Jian immediately recognized the identity of these figures. The Heavenly Soldiers and Generals who had just stopped him swiftly retreated. The sky was now filled with Dao soldiers, completely surrounding an area of several tens of li. These Dao soldiers even arranged themselves into battle formations, firmly locking onto Yang Jian. Among these Dao soldiers were powerful-aura beings, seemingly similar to the Dao soldiers, yet they exerted a faint pressure on Yang Jian. He had fallen into such an ambush without even realizing it...

The golden-armored Heavenly General retreated a thousand li away, his voice drifting back: "Disobeying the Star Lord's command, your life and death will be hard to determine. Yang Jian, I'll give you one more chance to retreat today."

"Give my mother back to me..." Yang Jian whispered, then his expression turned fierce. He gripped his spear tightly, his gaze piercing a thousand li, making the golden-armored Heavenly General instinctively take half a step back. "Give my mother back!"

The golden-armored Heavenly General roared, "Form the array!" Beams of light lit up above the East Sea, forming a cosmic cage! Yang Jian knew there was no turning back today. His eyes blazed with fury, and his body was about to shoot into the sky!

"Wait!" Another soft shout was heard. Yang Jian paused, and the Dao soldiers, controlled by the Heavenly Soldiers from afar, also halted their movements simultaneously. Yang Jian slightly frowned, a look of disbelief on his face, and turned to look behind him. There, a young Daoist with a refined appearance, dressed in a long robe, slowly approached, carrying a long spear. Qianyuan Mountain, disciple of Taiyi, Lingzhuzi!

Yang Jian's eyes held a hint of astonishment. He quietly asked, "Senior Brother, are you going to stop me?"

"Yes," Lingzhuzi pressed his lips together, gripping his spear tightly, seemingly unwilling to utter another word. Yang Jian also fell silent, gazing at Lingzhuzi's figure. He clenched the shaft of his three-pointed, double-edged spear several times, then loosened his grip on the spirit spear again.

"Why?" Yang Jian's voice trembled slightly.

Lingzhuzi said, "By Master's command."

"My actions today have no connection to the Chan Sect."

"You are inherently a Chan Sect disciple. How can there be no connection?"

Yang Jian closed his eyes, exhaled softly. He didn't loudly proclaim his difficulties or utter another word about his beliefs. His long spear was gripped tightly, his eyes now devoid of any hesitation, only resolute determination. "One battle."

*Whoosh—* The Fire-tipped Spear in Lingzhuzi's hand ignited with blue-white flames, and his figure shot straight up, bursting forth with his utmost speed almost instantly! Yang Jian immediately shifted sideways, narrowly dodging Lingzhuzi's spear. He had deliberately yielded an attack. Subsequently, Yang Jian left behind an afterimage, his figure vanishing with a *swoosh*, only to reappear ten *zhang* in front of Lingzhuzi, like a sky eagle swooping down, raising his spear and striking fiercely! Lingzhuzi's body was enveloped in firelight, his movements swift as a phantom. He didn't dodge at all, confronting Yang Jian head-on! The countless Dao soldiers around them shouted in unison, and the cage array grew ever more solid...

After a fierce battle for a moment, Lingzhuzi's figure flew backward out of the array's range, his face pale, eyes closed, a bloodied hole in his shoulder, which was largely caved in. Defeated, out of the fight. But then, those Dao soldiers lost all reservations. Hundreds of "experts" hidden among them swarmed forward, completely surrounding Yang Jian, trapping him from all directions! Yang Jian raised his spear and charged into the pile of Dao soldiers. Explosions echoed continuously, and one Dao soldier after another was smashed into gray powder, but their numbers were endless, showing no sign of depletion. And those "special experts" interspersed among the Dao soldiers constantly hindered Yang Jian, preventing him from truly charging back and forth.

Heavenly Court, at the East Heaven Gate. Rumbles of drums echoed for tens of thousands of li. Teams of Heavenly Soldiers swarmed in, setting up Dao soldier defense lines outside the Heavenly Gate. Inside the Grand White Palace, Li Changshou smiled slightly, flicked his whisk, and, along with several figures behind him, rode clouds out.

Li Changshou said, "Longji, you go to the East Heaven Gate first and wait. If Yang Jian manages to reach you, just say what I, your master, instructed."

"Understood," Longji cupped her fists in salute, then, holding her treasured sword and activating her divine abilities, hurried towards the East Heaven Gate. Behind Li Changshou, Ao Yi, Jin Peng, and Xiong Lingli stood quietly. Except for Xiong Lingli, whose small face was filled with tension as she tried to look fierce, Ao Yi and Jin Peng were both composed. They would simply obey.

Yang Jian was caught in a bitter struggle. He had thought long and hard on the way here, reflecting deeply. Finally, he resolved himself, knowing that a bitter battle was unavoidable today and that his chances of winning were slim. He didn't believe in miracles or so-called fortune; the only thing he believed in was the long spear in his hand, and that he would fight his way to his mother's side. But Yang Jian had never imagined that merely facing the Heavenly Court's Dao soldiers would leave him in such a sorry state.

The great array suppressed and quelled all the aftershocks of his attacks. The Dao soldiers fought fearlessly, surges of immortal power impacting his stable arcane body. Especially those "experts" skilled in combined attacks, hidden among the ordinary Dao soldiers, caused him considerable trouble, even inflicting numerous injuries on his arcane body. The Eight-Nine Arcane Art excelled in defense, its physical body like a spirit treasure. Qi practitioners of the same realm, without powerful treasures, had almost no chance of breaking through it. This clearly indicated that the combined power of the opponents' attacks was truly formidable.

Figures, figures, still more figures. The Dao soldiers were endless, inexhaustible, but his own vitality and strength were constantly being depleted by them. A cultivator primarily focusing on the physical body found it difficult to recover strength through elixirs. Yang Jian continuously calculated and pushed forward, carrying the myriad figures and the flying dust exploded from the Dao soldiers, gradually approaching the East Heaven Gate!

Finally, after an unknown period, the path before Yang Jian suddenly cleared. Had the Dao soldiers retreated? Yang Jian, already somewhat numb, immediately charged forward for several hundred *zhang*, but was quickly blocked by a light barrier, and another large group of Dao soldiers swarmed him. After one wave was defeated, another appeared. Night and day, continuously alternating. The great battle raged for over ten days and nights, startling experts from all directions, but no one could approach within tens of thousands of li of the Heavenly Court's East Heaven Gate. Large numbers of Dragon Race experts, lying in wait beneath the East Sea, also projected their powerful aura far and wide in all directions.

Throughout the continuous battle, Yang Jian's figure never fell. His robes were not stained with blood, but they were torn everywhere; his long spear showed no cracks, but his palm trembled slightly. Advancing little by little, swinging his spear repeatedly, Yang Jian finally reached the East Heaven Gate, only a thousand *zhang* away from the white jade archway. Behind him lay the thirty-nine Dao soldier defense lines he had breached and over sixty great arrays he had personally shattered.

The figures before him suddenly cleared. Yang Jian's taut nerves relaxed only slightly, when he suddenly staggered. He propped himself up with his spear, struggling to stay upright, not falling from the sky. But his footing was unsteady, his legs gradually bent, and he slowly lost strength. His limit... This was his limit. Yang Jian sighed softly in his heart, but his gaze and Dao heart showed not the slightest waver. He propped himself with his spear, took a breath, and tried to stand again, but only managed to arch his back slightly.

"Yang Jian!" An urgent shout came from ahead. What Yang Jian's nearly depleted immortal sense perceived was Longji, whom he had met once before, approaching on a cloud, a treasured sword in her hand. Was she also here to stop him?

A large number of Dao soldiers were about to encircle from behind, so Longji immediately shouted softly, "All retreat!" Groups of Dao soldiers, like wooden figures, stood motionless on the cloud path. Yang Jian let out a bitter smile in his heart; he had, after all, implicated others. Longji stepped forward, intending to help him, but Yang Jian raised a hand to stop her. He hung in the air, panting heavily, searching for any remaining strength within himself.

"Yang Jian, why go through all this hardship?" Standing three *zhang* away, Longji called out with a trembling voice, "Many things you haven't seen, haven't heard, don't understand the inside story. You are merely being used."

"Used..." Yang Jian closed his eyes, then slowly opened them. His forehead glowed with a pale red light, and his posture shifted from hunched to kneeling. His right hand gripped the three-pointed, double-edged spear tightly, and his voice, initially weak, gradually grew stronger. "In this... in this world... both the weak and the strong among living beings are manipulated by a certain power. The Heavenly Dao, the Heavenly Court, or perhaps what they call destiny, fate. Living beings inherently face many hardships. Some are born to confront a cruel hell, but they must move forward, pushed onward by that power. I am like this."

"Yang Jian..." Longji wanted to step forward again to help Yang Jian, whose body swayed but still struggled to stand firm. However, she paused, instinctively stopping several *zhang* away. Yang Jian propped himself up with the three-pointed, double-edged spear. From his previously depleted arcane body, wisps of power began to sprout. The power of living beings' origin. He went from lying prostrate to being hunched, then slowly tried to straighten his back; the tremor in his hands became fainter, but his hoarse voice remained coherent.

Yang Jian said: "This power might be hatred, or longing for my mother, it's the deepening self-reproach in my heart, it's the calculations of the so-called great sect struggle, it's the grand tribulation of the heavens and earth. They seem to constantly tell me—'Go quickly and save your mother, go quickly and save your mother.' But they completely disregard my own will. They merely use me as a chess piece, pushing me forward, holding me back, constantly manipulating. This is this Primordial World, a Primordial World long devoid of vitality!"

Longji didn't know how to respond and could only watch the figure before her, seeing him straighten his chest and step forward, one step at a time, once more. Ahead, the East Heaven Gate was distantly in sight, but vast swathes of gray clouds swept in. Yang Jian gritted his teeth, strands of primal energy squeezing out from his limbs and bones. The pain was no less than scraping bone and stripping marrow! But his expression remained normal; he didn't even grunt, only moving forward and growling softly. His voice grew stronger, his words more urgent. Gusts of wind surged from his whole body, and the clouds beneath his feet solidified once more!

"Ahead, there might be a mountain of blades and a sea of fire, it might be Yang Jian's hell! There might be continuous battles, and I will exhaust all my strength! Perhaps I will give my all only to step into another hell. But today! Today! Even if there's no light ahead! Even if I die before the mountain that suppresses my mother, allowing those schemers behind the scenes to succeed!"

Yang Jian's eyes were filled with light, and a vertical slit seemed to appear on his forehead, from which streaks of blood-red light surged, illuminating his handsome yet pale face with a chilling sternness! Longji's Dao heart trembled slightly as she gripped the treasured sword in her hand. Yang Jian held his long spear reversed behind him, raised his head and chest, looking forward at the vast gray clouds pouring out from the East Heaven Gate. His figure had already moved past Longji. He seemed to be speaking to Longji, yet also shouting at the Heavenly Court ahead.

"Reaching this point is my own decision! The path is chosen by me, the Heavenly Court is what I will breach! The hell is what I will enter myself! The power pushing me forward can only be the choice I make myself. No one can interfere! I, Yang Erlang, Yang Jian! Today I have come to this place, intending to bring my birth mother back, and to seek justice from the Heavenly Court for my father's tragic death! All who wish to block me are my enemies."

As his words fell, thunder exploded in the sky! Drumbeats reverberated from all directions, and layers of dark clouds flew in—upper three, middle three, lower three! Countless Heavenly Soldiers and Generals appeared on the clouds, their gazes and immortal senses locking onto Yang Jian. Yang Jian said nothing. The red glow on his forehead receded. He craved power, summoned power, squeezing it from his arcane body and primordial spirit!

*Rumble, rumble—* That was the sound of the Heavenly Soldiers beating their drums, and various phenomena appeared everywhere. Yang Jian silently took out the only item his father had left behind: a scholar's cloth headwrap, which he tied around his head. At this very moment, amidst the thunderous sky, a golden light streaked across the sky, and a powerful pressure descended from above, stirring up gusts of wind that made Yang Jian's torn robes flutter backward. The golden light coalesced, revealing the figure of the white-haired, white-robed old Daoist. He held a whisk, sat cross-legged on a cloud, his eyelids half-lowered, his gaze cast downwards.

"Yang Jian, do you know your crime?"