Chapter 434: Five Elements!

Everyone was waiting for this exact moment.

Since the very beginning of this scheme, a Tribulation Transcending cultivator's life tribulation had meant nothing to them; it was merely bait used to force the Master of Secret Traces onto the board.

After all, what suspense could there possibly be?

As for the absolute fairness of destiny, that depended entirely on one's choices. Make the wrong choice during a life tribulation, and even the greatest fairness would devolve into an unsolvable dead end.

And in the eyes of the vast majority, Wang Ping had chosen wrong from the very start. Back in the Unchanging Non-Action Dao Field, he never should have chosen to break through and become a Qi Refining practitioner. Instead, he should have sat back and watched the sanctuary's destruction. That way, the Profound One Calamity-Crossing Ring would never have bound itself to his life.

If he had done that, he wouldn't necessarily have to die.

Furthermore, at that time, the preparations of Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong and the Fire Qi faction had been far from complete. Rushed as they were, flaws were inevitable—and where there were flaws, there was a chance for survival.

Add to that the fact that he could resurrect.

Therefore, if he had only steeled his heart and resisted the temptation of a momentary realm advancement, there was a high probability he could have retreated unscathed. Yet Wang Ping had chosen to break through anyway.

When the first step was wrong, every subsequent step would only stray further off the path. Even if his nine qi manifestations had reached perfection in the end, it would only elicit a mild surprise from Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong and draw a fleeting glance from interested observers. It could not change anything. After all, no matter how much of a genius he was, he was still just a Qi Refining practitioner.

Without Cultivating Truth, everything was ultimately an illusion.

Mortal falsehoods—no matter how high the talent, no matter how great the combat prowess—held no value whatsoever as long as one had not Cultivated Truth. For there was not a single speck of truth in them.

"Truth."

Ever since cultivators established their lineages, this was the sole path verified to hold a chance at immortal ascension, thus becoming the supreme manifest Dao of the current age.

Even in the Great Rebellion and the Immortal Gate's orthodox conflict between Qi Consumption and Qi Refining, neither side had elevated the dispute to the level of "Truth." They had merely hovered around the level of "Qi." This was because "Truth" had long since become unshakable. Even the Bodhisattva positions fashioned by the Living Buddha essentially borrowed the authority of the Eight Trigrams.

It was nominally called Brahma cultivation, holding distinctions between arhats and Bodhisattvas.

In reality, it was still Cultivating Truth; it had never truly transcended those bounds.

If it had truly transcended, the Living Buddha and the Fire Qi immortal wouldn't have passed away back then. Instead, the Living Buddha would have beaten the Fire Qi immortal into dust, and everyone would have cultivated the Brahma path together.

Why had the ancient cultivation lineages within the Star Grave Sand Sea fallen to such a state, eliminated one by one? In the end, the underlying reason was remarkably uniform.

They could not Cultivate Truth.

Eight Dao lords, yet not a single True Person among them—that was enough to explain the problem. They were long-faded embers of a bygone era, left with no choice but to huddle together for warmth.

That was right, which meant the path of the Dao Lord had no future, and neither did the Brahma Nation's Bodhisattvas. Only Cultivating Truth—solely Cultivating Truth—was the one and only path to seek the Dao and ascend to immortality.

Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong moved.

This was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. The Master of Secret Traces was about to kill Wang Ping, while the two True Monarchs of Metal Qi and Fire Qi joined forces to suppress the Dao lords within the Dao Tomb.

The only one who might possibly intervene to stop him was the Water Qi faction's Profound One Primordial Monarch Mingdu. However, he knew very well that the probability of this female monarch striking was not high.

Because Water Qi specialized in concealment.

Once she acted to stop him, her presence would be too conspicuously revealed, and she could no longer stay hidden. The other True Personages would never allow this notoriously infamous she-devil to continue hiding either.

Of course, even if Profound One Primordial Monarch Mingdu truly stopped at nothing to thwart him, he had a backup plan. That was the Heaven Defiance Palace currently pressing down upon the Star Grave Sand Sea. By threatening to detonate that colossal Grave Star, no one at the True Monarch level would be willing to shoulder the resulting karma.

Especially the Water Qi True Monarch.

Thinking up to this point, Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong turned back and glanced at the twenty-four-colored rosy light that continuously coiled around him, showing no intention of leaving.

Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang.

This person was treacherous and unpredictable. It was unknown what exactly he wanted to do; precautions still had to be taken.

Even so, he was entirely fearless. After successively triggering two ultimate cosmic positions and linking with the Bodhisattva position, he was terrifyingly powerful at this very moment.

Although he was still far inferior to a True Monarch, he was confident that Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang alone was not enough to affect his plans and cause his ambitions to fail on the verge of success.

Thinking of this, he immediately tossed aside all misgivings. The hand hidden within his sleeve finally reached out, forming a hand seal with the middle and ring fingers tucked into the palm while the thumb, index, and pinky fingers stood upright. Holding the seal before his chest, he spoke softly with a slightly complicated tone, "The Emperor's mandate shall not be defied; sacred reverence ascends day by day."

In this split second where time itself nearly stood still, as if it could stretch on into eternity, the qi aura around this ancient Dao Lord shifted for a third time!

This time, the target of his resonance was no longer Earth-Fire Mingyi, nor was it Lake-Fire Ge. Rather, it was an entity that no one had anticipated.

Heaven Defiance Palace.

Over the course of tens of thousands of years, ever since this relic of the Great Rebellion emerged, an unknown number of cultivators had attempted to resonate with it—among them no shortage of individuals who had inherited legacies of the Great Rebellion.

Yet not a single one had succeeded.

Thus, when Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong suddenly made his move and established a resonance with Heaven Defiance Palace, nearly everyone whipped their gazes toward his direction.

"To think such a thing is possible..."

Not far away, Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang's eyes burned bright. It was as if he had beheld something incredibly novel, an irrepressible look of anticipation leaking from the depths of his gaze.

As a True Person who had once meticulously researched the Great Rebellion's legacy exploits, all for the sake of deciphering them and thereby proving his path to Mountain-Wind Gu, his familiarity with the numerous deeds of the Great Rebellion could be described as knowing them like the back of his hand. Because of this, he instantly recognized what Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong was doing.

In fact, he had done something similar himself.

That was exactly what he had done when he pit-slaughtered that nameless arhat inside the Eight Trigrams Furnace. Using such a deed as nourishment had allowed his cultivation base to surge dramatically.

The same was true for Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong.

Only, compared to him, this Dao Lord was taking it a step further. He had borrowed the Fire Qi's layout, using Earth-Fire Mingyi to nearly revolutionize one of the Brahma Nation's Bodhisattva positions.

What was a Bodhisattva?

In Brahma Nation cultivation, forming four marks made an arhat. Only when all thirty-two marks were complete did one possess the opportunity to become a Bodhisattva. Therefore, damaging a Bodhisattva position meant breaking the thirty-two marks.

"And breaking the thirty-two marks is exactly a Great Rebellion Exploit!"

"He's using the 'Breaking the Thirty-Two Marks' legacy to resonate with Heaven Defiance Palace, all to extract something related to the Great Rebellion from within!"

So the question was, what was he trying to extract?

The Great Rebellion's backup plan?

"Danyang, stop him."

The ethereal, profound voice drifted over from the Fire Qi faction, from the direction of that True Monarch Zhaoxuan Jinming who was like the sun at high noon. Yet Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang turned a deaf ear to it.

This True Person was currently grinning, letting out a soft chuckle.

Why should he stop him?

The act of "Breaking the Thirty-Two Marks" in and of itself was still degrading the Brahma Nation's Bodhisattva position. To him, it would only enhance his concept of Bringing Order Out of Chaos.

Even if he wanted to stop him, he had to wait until Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong finished the deed and drew out the Great Rebellion's hidden trump card. Only then could he maximize his own benefits.

First eradicate the Brahma Nation, then destroy the Great Rebellion.

If he could gather both of these great exploits together, his proving of Mountain-Wind Gu would be practically set in stone. Thus, rather than stopping the other party, he was actually anticipating the Dao Lord's success!

The remnants of the Great Rebellion still had some ambition, after all.

This sudden, unexpected turn of events completely exceeded his predictions, but it also changed his view of Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong, prompting him to offer a secret word of praise in his heart.

Before this, he hadn't really thought much of this ancient Dao Lord. After all, from start to finish, the Dao Lord had been walking a path arranged by others, schemed against time and again by the Water and Fire factions, ultimately only able to settle for being a Brahma Nation Bodhisattva. How utterly foolish. Yet now, he had changed his mind.

This caused his attitude to undergo a complete shift.

Even though they had just been locked in a magical duel, acting like mortal enemies, Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang now unhesitatingly chose to stand by and watch.

It went even further than that.

It was right when True Monarch Zhaoxuan Jinming redirected his radiance, attempting to strike at Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong while simultaneously suppressing the Dao Tomb.

This True Person actually took the initiative to step forward, blocking the brilliant light of the Fire Qi on the Dao Lord's behalf. He allowed the other to continue unleashing his abilities without being disturbed by external forces.

This was the true Immortal Gate.

There were never any eternal enemies or promises. The situation changed in the blink of an eye; enemies could become friends, promises could be betrayed. Everything was temporary.

At this moment, even the Master of Secret Traces cast a sidelong glance. The movement originally intended to instantly execute Wang Ping paused slightly. It was as if he were deliberately coordinating with Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong. After all, any variables emerging on that side would draw away the other True Monarchs' attention, thereby granting him far more chances of survival on his end.

It was exactly as Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong had calculated.

This was the most perfect opportunity. It was the very goal he had waited countless years for, feigning compliance and dealing with the Brahma Nation, the Fire Qi, and the Water Qi across numerous lineages.

"Come out..."

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Finally, summoned by Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong, it seemed something in the deepest depths of Heaven Defiance Palace was responding to his actions.

Soon, as a mingling radiance of purple and gold seeped out from Heaven Defiance Palace, all the True Monarchs and True Personages witnessed a fleeting, ephemeral image.

It was a quiet meditation room.

Inside the room sat a long bronze desk. And atop this desk, a seal woven of black and yellow colors flowed with brilliant luster.

Perched atop its handle was a ferocious True Dragon, brandishing its fangs and claws. Its dragon head was reared high, and beneath every scale, the illusory shadows of mountains, rivers, the sun, and the moon swirled. Its jaws were parted, holding a thumb-sized cluster of light that flickered like a candle flame, pulsing bright and dim like a beating heart.

The face of the seal was perfectly square, prominently carved with eight ancient seal script characters:

"Receiving the Mandate from Immortals; The Emperor's Legacy is Eternal"

Each of the eight ancient characters possessed a distinct profundity. Faintly, they were remarkably similar to the Heavenly Exalted's true mantra of "Tribulation Transcending, Qi Refining, Cultivating Truth to Ascend as an Immortal".

A supreme treasure!

The Human Emperor's supreme treasure!

In an instant, an unknown number of entities—even those True Monarchs and True Personages who were not participating in this battle—turned their gazes toward this direction.

"It is the Great Rebellion's seal..."

"To think it didn't vanish alongside the Human Emperor, but was left here by him instead. Furthermore, it can still resonate with the outside. It seems to still be in an awakened state?"

"The Great Rebellion's fortune has not yet dissipated?"

Astonished thoughts wove together in a higher dimension as they watched the seal materialize. Yet, as a participant in the board, Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang felt puzzled. "Is this all there is?"

The Human Emperor's supreme treasure was undeniably precious and certainly held earth-shattering secrets, but this treasure was deep inside Heaven Defiance Palace—it was utterly impossible to take it out.

Even if he could bring it out, having an extra supreme treasure in hand would, at most, increase his combat prowess by a bit. What significance would it hold for his actual cultivation?

"To use such a perfect opportunity just for this meager harvest? Absolutely impossible... Therefore, his goal cannot be this seal. This item is still merely a medium," he muttered.

In the spark of a flint, Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang experienced an epiphany.

The seal, the seal.

Since it wasn't for the seal itself, it had to be for something the seal had once stamped. A Human Emperor's immortal decree... was there one that slipped through the net back then?

At this moment, the sounds of the Dao chimed.

The brilliance of Heaven Defiance Palace rapidly dissipated. However, Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong had already obtained what he wanted. In this instant, a look of wild ecstasy appeared on his face.

Relying on the concept of "Breaking the Thirty-Two Marks", as well as the secret technique imparted to him by the Human Emperor in the past, he successfully resonated with the Human Emperor's seal in the deepest depths of Heaven Defiance Palace. Then, using it as a medium, he linked up with what was very likely the last surviving Human Emperor's immortal decree currently residing in Cosmic Deep Space.

At this moment, the gazes of millions fell upon him.

"Which immortal decree is it? To think it wasn't destroyed back then, but remained preserved without us ever discovering it... Good, very good! The Great Rebellion indeed left a backup plan!"

"Where is it?"

Facing the stares of countless immortals and True Personages, Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong's eyes were calm, but the corners of his mouth quirked upward. He then slowly reached his hand toward an ultimate cosmic position.

Lake-Fire Ge.

In this instant—right within the Star Grave Sand Sea where time was practically frozen and only True Personages and True Monarchs could maneuver their thoughts—a lower cultivator suddenly woke up.

Wang Ping.

He blinked. He saw the Master of Secret Traces in close proximity, saw the battle of the True Monarchs in the distance, and witnessed the myriad changes unfolding before him.

Of course, he couldn't comprehend them.

Let alone the distant clash of True Monarchs, even the Master of Secret Traces right before his eyes was beyond his perception. He couldn't clearly see the other party's true Brahma form at all; he could only make out a silhouette.

However, that was enough.

Because what had jolted him awake wasn't the True Monarchs' battle unfolding before him. Rather, it was something on his own person. Aside from the Profound One Calamity-Crossing Ring, there was another karmic object related to the higher cultivators. It was precisely because this object's karma was suddenly activated—boiling over, even—that he had regained his clarity.

Unchanging Non-Action Profound Bow.

A former ritual vessel of the Great Rebellion, bestowed by the Human Emperor upon Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong. The Dao Lord had once wielded this bow, shooting down the thirty qis of heaven and earth to offer as a tribute to the Human Emperor.

In Wang Ping's mind, thoughts spun wildly.

He knew. Back when he obtained this profound bow in the Hundred Treasures Great Abundance Granary, he had learned of the profundity and origins surrounding this ritual vessel.

Although this object was merely a Spiritual Treasure, when the Human Emperor forged it back then, he had struck at an ultimate cosmic position, snatching a wisp of its concept.

He had forged the Spiritual Treasure with it.

And that ultimate cosmic position was precisely Lake-Fire Ge.

'That was merely a smokescreen.'

Wang Ping intuitively understood: back then, the Human Emperor absolutely did not strike the ultimate cosmic position of Lake-Fire Ge merely to forge a trifling ritual vessel.

'He did one other thing!'

That's right. With a concept extracted from it, Lake-Fire Ge theoretically should have suffered some damage. Yet in reality, after this ultimate cosmic position actually appeared, there was clearly no major change to it.

What did this prove?

'It proves that at the same time the Human Emperor extracted a concept, he also stuffed something else inside... This is the backup plan left behind by the Human Emperor, by the Great Rebellion during its absolute peak!'

Wang Ping's awakening naturally couldn't be hidden from the True Monarchs. Similarly, the Unchanging Non-Action Profound Bow in his hand, and the near-boiling karma radiating from this ritual vessel, were all taken in by their eyes. The things Wang Ping could deduce, they naturally grasped with the utmost clarity, and they even discovered much more.

"It is a lineage."

"The Human Emperor used an immortal decree to trace your lineage, then hid it inside Lake-Fire Ge—hid it inside the ultimate cosmic position! No wonder it was never found..."

"What brilliant means!"

Amidst the continuous gasps of astonishment, Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong simply cradled Lake-Fire Ge in his palms, manifesting a supreme brilliance from within it.

Jinjiang Smoke, Sunken Valley Field, Divination Staff Coin, Forest Bell Fullness, Firefly Bank Willow. The lineage he had lost for countless years, which had been broken and incomplete for just as long, now unexpectedly emerged one by one from within Lake-Fire Ge, prominently engraved upon a slowly unfurling scripture scroll.

In this moment, his brows completely unfurled in relief!

The hair that had fallen out when he submitted to the Brahma Nation instantaneously grew back. But it was no longer a pallid white; instead, it was pitch-black and supple, surging with unimaginable vitality.

His back and waist stretched out anew, no longer bearing a decrepit appearance. He was no longer the old man forced into a clumsy disguise, intentionally faking the appearance of a youth when he met with Yi Xuangong. He had truly shed his age and returned to his youth; every wrinkle on his face vanished, restoring him to his peak condition from his younger days.

"Haha, hahaha!"

The Dao Lord threw his head back and laughed!

To him, this move back then was merely a casual play. After all, the Great Rebellion had been at its peak, and he never could have anticipated a time when he would be reduced to such destitution.

Therefore, what was sent into Lake-Fire Ge initially was merely a profound copy of his lineage. Although complete, it was incredibly weak, possessing virtually no power.

However, after the Great Rebellion was annihilated and his lineage was carved up by the Brahma Nation until it almost entirely fell apart, this lineage—once a casual play engraved into Lake-Fire Ge—became his only hope of retrieving his foundation. Yet the situation at the time absolutely did not allow him to execute this maneuver.

Because he could not resonate with Lake-Fire Ge.

After all, with the Great Rebellion dead, the deeds of revolution could not be sustained. Lake-Fire Ge wouldn't spare him a single glance, let alone allow him to retrieve the ancient profundity of his lineage from within it.

Moreover, the primary goal of the Human Emperor and him leaving this casual piece behind was actually to let the lineage assimilate into Lake-Fire Ge and replace its original concept.

This was an operation that could only be carried out upon Lake-Fire Ge, because this ultimate cosmic position fundamentally favored revolution and allowed itself to be changed. In other words, it was to play the cuckoo in the dove's nest: hijacking the shell of Lake-Fire Ge to elevate the Five Elements lineage he created into one of the ultimate cosmic positions.

To seize the very fortune of heaven and earth!

However, achieving such a result inevitably required a vast expanse of time, and Lake-Fire Ge back then was far from being ready to be altered.

Thus, after deliberating over and over again, Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong chose to endure. He hid away in the Star Grave Sand Sea, sitting in withered meditation for ten thousand years after ten thousand years.

"He's quite ruthless to himself..."

On the other side, Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang likewise saw through all these changes and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. After all, this was no ordinary endurance.

Over the course of tens of thousands of years, Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong had essentially sat back and watched himself weaken bit by bit. He had watched his own lineage continuously head toward extinction, all just to wait for the lineage profundity planted deep within Lake-Fire Ge by the Human Emperor to successfully usurp this ultimate cosmic position.

Simultaneously, he was also waiting for the right moment.

Over these myriad years, he had likely strategized countless times, pondering what exactly he had to do to logically draw out the presence of Lake-Fire Ge.

'It wasn't the Water and Fire Qis scheming for him to cultivate Lake-Fire Ge.'

'The truth is the exact opposite. He was the one scheming against the Water and Fire Qis! He hijacked the plots of their two lineages to force Lake-Fire Ge—which originally shouldn't have responded to him—to manifest!'

'He had his eyes set on the Master of Secret Traces from the very start,'

The more Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang pondered, the more astonished he became.

He knew of the grudges between the Master of Secret Traces and Profound One Primordial Monarch Mingdu. He also knew that the Fire Qi would definitely fall out with the Brahma Nation; a battle between the two sides was inevitable.

'Therefore, he needed to drag himself into this grudge. Only by embroiling himself in it would the Water and Fire Qis factor him into their schemes.'

'Right, the Four Great Wisdom Kings!'

Of course, the rebellion of the Four Great Wisdom Kings was initially definitely beyond Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong's expectations. However, he turned it around and took advantage of their rebellion.

Beat them at their own game!

'Because of the Four Great Wisdom Kings, Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong was dragged into the grudge between the Water and Fire Qis and the Brahma Nation. This gave him the qualifications to sit at the table.'

'From this, it can be seen that even if the Water and Fire Qis hadn't roped him into this plot, he probably would have volunteered himself, using the Four Great Wisdom Kings as a perfectly logical excuse to participate... It was just that the Water and Fire Qis taking the initiative to invite him allowed him to operate from the shadows with an even more concealed posture.'

Then, came the waiting.

Waiting for one of the two factions, Water or Fire, to offer him the path of Lake-Fire Ge, aiding him in executing the deeds of revolution so that this ultimate cosmic position would manifest.

Was this a gamble?

A gamble that one side would definitively propose the path of Lake-Fire Ge?

Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang's eyes shut tight as he rapidly deduced Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong's actions up to this point. In the end, his eyes suddenly snapped open.

"That wasn't it," he murmured.

He had absolute certainty! Yes, he was absolutely certain that one faction would offer him the path of Lake-Fire Ge. He had calculated the Fire Qi's mindset to death!

For countless years, he had sat by and watched his own lineage crumble piece by piece just so he could align with the concept of Earth-Fire Mingyi. Seeing this, and associating it with the Master of Secret Traces, the Fire Qi would definitely birth the idea of having Earth-Fire Mingyi fall into the Bodhisattva position to shake the Brahma Nation's foundation.

Even if they hadn't, he would have proactively suggested it himself.

'However, the demonic Daoists of the Fire Qi have always been insatiably greedy. They wouldn't be content merely dealing with a single Master of Secret Traces; they'd want to completely cripple the entire Brahma Nation.'

With just Earth-Fire Mingyi alone, the Brahma Nation could still sever ties and cut their losses like a warrior severing a bitten wrist. Therefore, the Fire Qi needed a new Master of Secret Traces.

'Thus, Lake-Fire Ge became absolutely imperative!'

The Fire Qi's schemes were indeed exquisite, but all of these calculations only truly began after the Dao Lord had proactively made himself align with Earth-Fire Mingyi.

"What brilliant means!"

Such machinations not only capitalized on the hoarding, ravenous nature of the Fire Qi's demonic Daoists, but also utilized the conceptual shifts of the ultimate cosmic positions. Cultivation profoundness and deep shrewdness were both indispensable for this.

It also required a strain of utter ruthlessness.

After all, not just anyone could sit back and watch themselves march step-by-step toward ruin, doing absolutely nothing, all just to truly reap the fruits of their labor at the very end.

However, he had succeeded.

Tens of thousands of years of polishing and accumulation allowed the profundity the Human Emperor had once tossed into Lake-Fire Ge to successfully play the cuckoo in the dove's nest, becoming the very core of this ultimate position.

Originally, ascending to Lake-Fire Ge would have required him to replace the Master of Secret Traces, completing the changing of the guard. Yet who could have imagined that the innards of Lake-Fire Ge had long been usurped by his lineage's profundity? The greatest deed of revolution was already complete. Consequently, the conditions were no longer so harsh.

He only needed to slay the Master of Secret Traces!

In this way, he successfully avoided the path of becoming the new Master of Secret Traces, being treated as an enemy by the Brahma Nation, being ruthlessly controlled by the Fire Qi, and ultimately being reduced to their puppet.

Simply put.

He took all the benefits the Water and Fire Qis gave him, but he completely refused to do the job. He even absconded with the funds, and as it happened, absolutely no one could do anything about it!

After all, as long as he finally slew the Master of Secret Traces, he could not only fully seize control of this ultimate cosmic position hailed for revolution, but also restore his once-destroyed lineage. Out of the depths of misfortune came bliss. He could even leap up to become one of the most apex True Monarchs. Even the Water and Fire Qis would have no choice but to swallow this bitter pill in silence!

Moreover, while laying out his schemes, he had left leeway for both the Water and Fire Qis.

Firstly, the Fire Qi had achieved part of their goal in the end; Earth-Fire Mingyi had still fallen into the Bodhisattva position, only he wouldn't be the one to become that new Bodhisattva.

Secondly, with the death of the Master of Secret Traces, the Water Qi's objective had also been accomplished.

If one absolutely had to point out an unexpected variable, it would be the Metal Qi.

The intervention of the Divine Weapon Courtyard's True Monarch Fengxian Daozheng was outside his expectations. However, after several bouts of observation, he had actually begun to somewhat understand it.

'The Metal Qi is targeting the Master of Secret Traces not for the sake of the Brahma Nation, but purely because of the Master of Secret Traces himself. It seems he dug up the foundation of the Divine Weapon Courtyard's Hundred Treasures Great Abundance Granary, and the Metal Qi wants to snatch it back, which is why they joined this killing trap. It poses no conflict to me,' Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong mused to himself.

From this, it could be seen that his breakthrough was actually beneficial to the Metal Qi.

After all, for the sake of his Dao path, he was also dead set on killing the Master of Secret Traces. And an extra portion of combat strength meant an extra probability of thoroughly slaying the Master of Secret Traces.

Therefore, the Metal Qi had no reason to stop him, either.

Everyone had a beautiful future ahead of them. The Water and Fire Qis suffered a minor loss, but their fundamental interests were not damaged. Conversely, if they stopped him, they would only fail on the verge of success.

"I will definitely attain the Dao!"

In this instant, Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong was incomparably certain. And the outcome was indeed exactly as he had expected: everyone was merely watching, not a single person making a move.

Only one person was moving.

The Master of Secret Traces.

This Bodhisattva had seemingly misjudged the situation once again. He had assumed that an Immortal Gate True Monarch would move to stop Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong, which was why he had deliberately slowed his speed.

He had planned to wait for a True Monarch to be distracted before instantly slaying Wang Ping. Then, he would see if he could seize the resulting glimmer of hope to escape. Yet as it turned out, no one intervened. They all seemingly tacitly approved of Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong taking a step further, continuing to focus their attention entirely upon the Bodhisattva. Thus, he could finally sit still no longer.

Rumble!

The finger that had been paused for so long once again circulated its profundity, pressing down toward the center of Wang Ping's brow. A terrifying might, meant to thoroughly extinguish life, gathered on the fingertip.

Wang Ping, at this moment, conversely closed his eyes.

He seemed to have resigned himself to fate, yet it also looked as if he were still struggling. The nine qi manifestations around his body surged madly, doing their utmost to draw upon the karma linked to the Master of Secret Traces.

On the other side, the True Monarchs of various factions also focused their attention. Supreme, cosmos-filling might coalesced around each of them, preparing to deliver a certain-kill blow to the Master of Secret Traces.

They were only waiting for Wang Ping to die.

Bang!

In the next second, Wang Ping's glabella was pierced through by the Master of Secret Traces. The lethal radiance that extinguished life explosively erupted from within him, illuminating his Dharma body until it was brilliantly transparent.

Immediately after, it violently exploded!

Wang Ping died!

Almost simultaneously, the two profundities that had been waiting for a long time prominently manifested. On one side was still the sword light of Heaven-Lake Lü, while on the other was a blazing sun.

Within the radiance released by the blazing sun, countless images were faintly reflected. There were giant flying squirrels blocking the path and swarms of demons entrenching themselves. Beneath the seemingly glorious colors, everything was filled with the treacherous, dark dealings of evil demons. It revealed another layer of gloom, yet this gloom was masked by the bright luster. Finally, it smashed heavily onto that Brahma form.

Boom!

The Brahma form, which was already densely covered in cracks, collapsed even further at this moment. Almost half of its head and shoulder dissolved and disintegrated, no longer possessing its solemn and majestic appearance.

The sword light followed closely behind.

And its target was precisely the half of the body that had just been dissolved. It instantly caused the Master of Secret Traces to suffer injury upon injury. The Brahma form finally showed signs of being unable to hold on.

Thus, the Zen chanting abruptly ceased.

The cosmos returned to tranquility. Upon the heaven-spanning Brahma form, a distinct crack bloomed at the chest, followed by it being cleanly and immaculately sliced in two at the waist!

It seemed that only at this moment had the two True Monarchs finally gotten serious. With merely two full-powered strikes, they had directly torn open the Master of Secret Traces's Brahma form!

As the Master of Secret Traces's Brahma form shattered, a supremely pure, exceedingly righteous position—surging like a great, overflowing river—prominently rose in its place. It was an existence utterly distinct from the ultimate cosmic positions, one that did not rely on hexagram images. Yet, its concept was staggering. Its profundity manifested, ultimately revealing a physical form that was a crown.

This was an extremely unique crown.

Looking from afar, it was starkly encircled by five skulls. Only in the very center was a Buddha statue embedded, raised high above the five skulls, its hands forming the earth-touching demon-subduing mudra.

This was the Bodhisattva position.

The five skulls appeared evil and eerie, but they actually corresponded to the five poisons of the Brahma dharma: greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt. The embedded Buddha statue in the center signified using the Living Buddha to subdue these five poisons.

In the next second, this Five-Skull Crown faintly trembled. It immediately surged with profundity and ignited with golden light. The previously shattered Brahma form rapidly began to reassemble.

Naturally, a Bodhisattva wasn't so easy to kill.

The shattering of his Brahma form was merely a minor injury for the Master of Secret Traces. For existences akin to True Monarchs and Bodhisattvas, their fundamental essence was long since beyond anything ordinary.

The physical body, the sea of consciousness, the soul, the true spirit—these mortal, worldly falsehoods had long been dissolved by them bit by bit, transformed into the purest, most unadulterated immortal truth.

What truly sustained their existence was the ultimate position they sat upon, and the legacy exploits they had accomplished through their cultivation thus far. As long as these exploits that maintained their ultimate positions still circulated in the world, and as long as destiny still etched their achievements, then death to them was merely a temporary rise and fall.

Of course, there were distinctions of high and low among them.

At the very least, compared to the ultimate cosmic positions wielded by the True Monarchs, the Brahma Nation's Bodhisattva position was a notch weaker. A subtle flaw would always appear during its resurrection.

Normally, this kind of flaw would be insignificant.

Because the Bodhisattva position only favored one person, outsiders had no way of interfering. Even if there were a flaw, no one could seize it. A flaw that could not be seized was equivalent to no flaw at all.

However, today was different.

Because at this very moment, more than one person had formed a connection with the Master of Secret Traces's Bodhisattva position. The favor originally belonging to a single individual had been divided.

Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong naturally wouldn't let this once-in-a-millennium opportunity slip by.

To deal with the Master of Secret Traces in his complete state, he certainly lacked the ability. However, with only a Bodhisattva position remaining, he possessed a method to strike.

Just like Wang Ping before him.

'As long as I deepen my connection with the Master of Secret Traces's position, I can squeeze out his share within the position, causing its profundity to wane and pushing him closer to death!'

Thus, heaven and earth brightened.

Within the pitch-black Cosmic Deep Space, five brilliant lights were successively ignited. Presenting the five colors of cyan, yellow, red, white, and black, they each manifested different concepts and profound sceneries.

Five Elements.

Borrowing the shell of Lake-Fire Ge, the ancient lineage that should have long been eliminated prominently reappeared in this moment, displaying the supreme elegance it possessed during its absolute peak.

Thus, heaven and earth responded.

The Twenty-Four Qis of heaven and earth—regardless of yin and yang, regardless of the three talents, categorized solely by the five elements—the qis of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth all simultaneously answered this Dao Lord's call.

Bearing the brunt of it was Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang. The Gen Trigram and Xun Trigram he wielded were drowned out on the spot by this five-colored radiance.

The five radiances condensed together, ultimately forging a heaven-spanning, earth-piercing Great Dao visible to the naked eye. Looking closely, there was no longer a single hexagram entrenching the cosmos. All that remained was the purest qi of heaven and earth surging and churning, circling around the Great Dao and linking together with the corresponding radiances of the five elements.

Looking from afar.

It was like a towering tree rooted in the cosmos. The Great Dao of the Five Elements was its main trunk, and the Twenty-Four Qis were the branches extending outward.

No, it was more than just the Twenty-Four Qis.

Faintly, one could even see six illusory qis of heaven and earth spreading out from the Great Dao of the Five Elements. Though they lacked physical substance, their existence was real.

Thirty qis in total.

Thirty branches clung to the main trunk of the Five Elements, and at the tip of every single branch, faint clusters of light were gradually coalescing.

As if they were thirty fruits.

Even though this transformation was not fully realized—existing merely as a prototype—even so, it still displayed an extraordinary might.

"What a magnificent Five Elements."

In the distant cosmic firmament, Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang silently materialized, making a judgment in his heart: 'It is still inferior to an ultimate cosmic position, yet it far exceeds ordinary hexagrams.'

And the reason it was inferior to an ultimate cosmic position was that the Master of Secret Traces wasn't dead yet. At this moment, Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong hadn't truly ascended to Lake-Fire Ge. As long as he ascended to it, the Five Elements would seize the nest like a cuckoo, stealing the position of Lake-Fire Ge. Its power would then undergo an explosive surge.

"Truly uncanny workmanship."

This True Person hidden within the twenty-four rosy lights couldn't help but marvel. He could scarcely imagine just how the Human Emperor had accomplished such a feat back in the day.

However, the more he marveled, the more he sneered ceaselessly.

Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong might have believed that he had pushed everything to the absolute limit. He would be able to become a True Monarch, and he wouldn't offend any single faction too severely.

Therefore, in his quest to attain the Dao this time, his success was surely beyond a doubt.

Yet Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang's thoughts were completely different. In his eyes, Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong's actions were actually no different from courting death.

'Stealing an ultimate cosmic position...'

If he truly managed to pull it off, the realm of Cultivating Truth would likely usher in enormous upheaval. It might even influence the life and death of the Human Emperor!

After all, this was an incredibly immense legacy exploit.

While Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong was undeniably the executor of this entire affair and his calculations were profound, the Human Emperor was the true underlying reason that allowed all of this to be implemented.

With such a legacy exploit added to his body, just how great of an enhancement would it be for the Human Emperor?

What was important was whether it could allow the Human Emperor to shatter the shackles of time ahead of schedule and resurrect to return. On this matter, the True Personages and True Monarchs of the Immortal Gate actually all shared a consensus.

The Human Emperor was only missing, not dead.

Or rather, the fall of the vast majority of True Personages and True Monarchs could all be defined as "missing." They had merely been buried in the depths of the long river of time.

This included the current slaying of the Master of Secret Traces. No one was thinking of thoroughly erasing this Bodhisattva. It was more about striking him into nirvanic silence first, and then wiping away his legacy exploits and traces across the cosmos bit by bit. This way, even if he resurrected and returned one day, he would not possess his former might.

The same applied to the Human Emperor.

By destroying the legacy exploits of the Great Rebellion and erasing the traces of the Human Emperor, even if he did return from the river of time, he would inevitably lack the magnificent power he wielded back when he helmed the Great Rebellion.

Originally, the Immortal Gate had executed this perfectly.

Over the tens of thousands of years, the Great Rebellion had essentially been entirely wiped out. All that remained was a handful of words placed within the Daoist canon, alongside two of the most core legacy exploits.

But what about now?

If Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong truly succeeded in adding another legacy exploit to the Human Emperor, it was highly likely that the Immortal Gate's years of effort would all go down the drain.

Based solely on this point, Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang concluded that the Immortal Gate would not be happy to see Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong attain the Dao. This wasn't merely about the interests of the Water Qi, Fire Qi, Metal Qi, or any single faction; it was about the interests of the entire Qi Refining lineage. No one wanted to see the dead ashes of the Great Rebellion reignite!

As for why no one had made a move yet?

'So that's how it is...' Recalling everything he had experienced before, Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, finally understanding the true reason why that exalted lord had laid out such a scheme.

'He knew all along.'

He knew the secret within Lake-Fire Ge.

Right. He had always cooperated with the Great Rebellion, and he himself was the True Monarch most skilled at "Hiding." The Human Emperor's movements might have been kept hidden from others, but they couldn't be kept from him.

In that case, what he ought to do next was very simple. Thinking of this, Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang's figure rapidly vanished from the cosmos.

On the other side, that Five Elements Great Dao tree, which connected the thirty qis of heaven and earth, took root in Cosmic Deep Space just like that. Its profundity fully unspooled, with one end linking to Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong, while the other end extended infinitely, ultimately sinking into the crown that the Master of Secret Traces's position had transformed into.

Boom!

Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong's train of thought was very simple: to use the Five Elements as a guide, making the ultimate cosmic position of Lake-Fire Ge clash against the Bodhisattva position.

Lake-Fire Ge governed the deeds of revolution. As the two collided and their concepts influenced each other, it would inevitably exacerbate the Master of Secret Traces's destabilization upon his Bodhisattva position.

It was a very correct judgment.

However, in the next second.

Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong, who had been confident and certain, acting as if everything were in his grasp, suddenly froze in place as he stared at the Bodhisattva position before him.

It was as if he had seen something entirely unbelievable. He couldn't help but widen his eyes; the excessively unexpected image even caused his thoughts to grind to a halt.

The reason was very simple.

As the Five Elements Great Dao sank into the Five-Skull Crown symbolizing the Master of Secret Traces, he was also able to clearly see the true scenery within this Bodhisattva position.

"...It's empty?"