Chapter 1251: The Saint Emperor Steps into the Salvation Sect
Chapter 1251: The Saint Emperor Steps into the Salvation Sect
Although the pond appeared unremarkable, a primal instinct told the Stone Slab that it concealed a secret.
The Stone Slab walked slowly to the edge of the pond. The clear water reflected the image of a scholar, causing it to pause for a moment in surprise.
Then, shaking its head, its appearance shifted in an instant.
"I am rather curious about what you originally looked like," the faceless Saint Emperor Li Ping remarked from behind it.
"Heh, I can hardly remember myself," the Stone Slab said with a self-deprecating laugh.
It then turned its full attention to observing the pond.
The water was not deep; a single glance revealed everything at the bottom.
"Hmm?"
It turned to look at Li Ping.
Li Ping offered no explanation. Instead, he asked a seemingly pointed question, "Before the great calamity in the Xuanhuang Realm, numerous immortal treasures existed. Now, after more than ten thousand years, these treasures have all vanished. The very existence of immortal artifacts has become the stuff of legend, rarely even mentioned in the idle talk of cultivators."
"Fellow Daoist, do you have any knowledge of the whereabouts of these immortal treasures?"
The Stone Slab's expression remained unchanged. "Immortal artifacts? I've never concerned myself with such things..."
Halfway through its sentence, it seemed to realize something and sharply turned its gaze back to the fishing pond.
After a moment of contemplation, its features shifted once more.
In an instant, the figure of the Fisherman Elder, clad in a straw raincoat and carrying a fish basket, stood before Li Ping.
With a flash of green light in its hand, the Stone Slab, now in the guise of the Fisherman Elder, cast out its fishing rod.
The next moment, its body froze solid.
Without reeling in the line, the Stone Slab stood motionless on the spot, as if encased in ice.
A long while later, it took a step back, breaking free from the vision that had ensnared it.
"What was that?" the Stone Slab demanded, staring directly at Li Ping.
"What was what?" the Saint Emperor asked, feigning ignorance.
"The pond? The starry sky?" the Stone Slab pressed on.
Li Ping shook his head slightly. "That was the bait."
"The bait?" The Stone Slab was momentarily baffled.
"The angler is also the angled," Li Ping stated, his tone chilling.
"Even if you saw all the treasures of the cosmos and remained unmoved, what if your path to liberation was involved? Could you remain so calm then?" Li Ping's voice was haunting.
The Stone Slab had existed in the Xuanhuang Realm for far too long and had witnessed far too much.
After hearing Li Ping's words and pondering them for a moment, it quickly grasped his meaning.
"The path to immortality is severed. The Star Sea beyond the Xuanhuang Realm should be nothing but ruins by now. Unless..." A flash of understanding crossed the Stone Slab's eyes.
"What, do you wish to go out and have a look?" Li Ping asked.
The Stone Slab denied it. "The affairs of the world are all much the same. Even if it were another world, what difference would it make? I only wish to cast off this heavy stone on my back and finally get some sleep."
It steered the conversation back to the fishing pond. "I don't know when this thing arrived in the Xuanhuang Realm, but I am certain it was after the great calamity."
"To be more precise, it was after the Dharma Spreader reappeared and founded the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance."
The Saint Emperor was even more direct. "In other words, this fishing pond was likely implanted into the Xuanhuang Realm along with fragments of other cultivation worlds."
"That should be the case... but immortal treasures are beyond our comprehension. One cannot be certain," the Stone Slab said, leaving some room for doubt.
"The path to liberation you speak of... you don't mean for me to take this bait, do you?" the Stone Slab asked, its expression rather strange as it looked at the Saint Emperor.
Li Ping admitted it freely. "Precisely. Are you not in great agony, fellow Daoist? You and the Creation Stone Slab are one. In all the world, I believe only an immortal treasure, something that surpasses the power limit of a cultivation world, could separate you from it."
"As for what fate awaits you after being hooked by the power behind the fishing pond, that is something I cannot guarantee."
The Stone Slab wanted to say, "I have no quarrel with you, fellow Daoist, why do you wish me harm?"
But the words died on its lips.
It was clear this faceless venerable being bore it no ill will. Otherwise, he would not have laid out his plan so openly.
On the contrary, the Stone Slab found him to be remarkably candid.
Moreover, a familiar aura emanated from the other's body, which gave it an inexplicable sense of security.
"I am merely weary of living and wish to be free of this burden. I do not wish to die," the Stone Slab said, politely declining the Saint Emperor's offer.
"If you are merely troubled by the ceaseless flow of information from the Creation Stone Slab, then the matter is easily solved." It was only then that Li Ping revealed his true purpose.
"Oh?" The Stone Slab's eyes were clearly filled with doubt.
"Do you recognize this, fellow Daoist?" Li Ping extended his hand, and a brilliant blue crystal floated quietly in his palm.
"A Transformation Dao Stone. I know of it, of course. Are you thinking..." The Stone Slab shook its head.
"To be honest, fellow Daoist, I have tried all manner of methods to alleviate my suffering. I even attempted the Tai Yan Sect's secret art of Divine Transformation Dao. However, the Creation Stone Slab is the very embodiment of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao's authority. The Heavenly Dao is supreme, looking down upon all things. After merging with me, it will tolerate nothing else..."
"That was then. Times have changed," Li Ping interrupted bluntly.
The Stone Slab was slightly taken aback.
"Besides, I can help you."
As he spoke these words, the aura around the faceless Saint Emperor changed.
Above the Daoist temple, clouds gathered and winds stirred. A peculiar rhythm manifested from thin air, resonating with the Saint Emperor.
The feeling of familiarity and closeness in the Stone Slab's heart grew even stronger.
"You are...?!"
Despite having lived for tens of thousands of years, it could not help but cry out in astonishment.
"The Xuanhuang Great Heavenly Venerate?!"
But it quickly denied its own conclusion. "No, that's impossible. And besides..."
The Stone Slab looked up, gazing at the sky. Its expression shifted from shock to gravity.
The authority wielded by the Xuanhuang Great Heavenly Venerate was independent of, yet superior to, the Creation Stone Slab.
While the Stone Slab would still record the Great Heavenly Venerate's deeds, they were but a few brief strokes, containing only the vaguest of outlines.
But as the Stone Slab sensed the aura emanating from the faceless Saint Emperor, it was clearly different from the Xuanhuang Great Heavenly Venerate recorded in its memory.
"The Xuanhuang Great Heavenly Venerate wields the Jun Tian Dao. Although he has countless ties to the Heavenly Dao, he is more like a separate entity. Yet with a certain blessing, he can command the laws of the Heavenly Dao as if they were his own limbs. But this one before me..."
An idea spontaneously arose in the Stone Slab's mind.
"An avatar of the Heavenly Dao?"
Though it seemed incredible, it was the most logical explanation.
Li Ping, as if sensing the Stone Slab's thoughts, ceased displaying his connection to the Heavenly Dao.
He did not offer a direct explanation.
Instead, he returned to their previous topic. "With a Transformation Dao Stone to help you bear the burden and sort through the events unfolding in the Xuanhuang Realm, you should find some relief."
"But a Transformation Dao Stone alone is not enough."
The Stone Slab's gaze narrowed slightly, waiting for the other's next words.
"The Salvation Sect. You should be familiar with it, fellow Daoist," Li Ping asked.
Hearing these three words, the Stone Slab's expression turned somewhat grim.
"The Salvation Sect's World Observing Divine Eye is remarkably similar to the Creation Stone Slab. Paired with their endless paper figures, that Calamity Crossing Book can also record everything they monitor."
"The Calamity Crossing Book, plus a Transformation Dao Stone, should be enough to roughly counteract the side effects of the Creation Stone Slab. As for what remains, I imagine that with the resilient will you've cultivated over tens of thousands of years, dealing with it should not be a major issue," the faceless Saint Emperor said slowly.
The Stone Slab fell silent, contemplating the feasibility of the suggestion.
"First, the quality of this Transformation Dao Stone in your hand is somewhat insufficient..." the Stone Slab began after a moment.
"No matter, I can find a better one," the Saint Emperor said directly.
The Stone Slab paused, then continued, "Second, the Salvation Sect angered the Dharma Spreader back then, and the entire sect was sealed away, their location unknown. Because of the cultivation technique they practice, the Eternal Calamity World, they can even interfere with the perception of Heaven and Earth. And since it was the Dharma Spreader who acted..."
"I know where they're hiding," the Saint Emperor said flatly.
The Stone Slab was stunned into silence.
"It seems this one is even more powerful than I imagined."
Since the other party had put it so plainly, the Stone Slab naturally wouldn't hesitate any longer.
"I ask for your aid, fellow Daoist," it said with genuine sincerity.
This was the sentence Li Ping had been waiting for.
"Follow me."
His figure flickered, reappearing on the horizon in an instant.
The Stone Slab followed in a single step.
They left behind a thoroughly bewildered Ou Shangtian.
He had not heard the conversation between the Saint Emperor and the Stone Slab.
From the moment Li Ping had pointed at the fishing pond, Ou Shangtian had lost all perception of the two powerful beings.
Only now, as they departed one after the other, did he sense them again.
"Didn't Master come to deal with that Stone Slab? Why did they stop fighting?"
"Don't tell me it's going to join our Saint Dynasty, just like that ancient earth-vein tree?"
A bad feeling instantly welled up in Ou Shangtian's heart.
Meanwhile, Li Ping and the Stone Slab had already arrived outside the Salvation Sect, at the site of the Dharma Spreader's seal.
Watching Li Ping skillfully dissolve the seal, the Stone Slab grew more and more puzzled.
"This is a seal left by the Dharma Spreader himself. Even an avatar of the Heavenly Dao shouldn't be able to break it so easily, right?"
"Or could it be that after all these years, the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao has recovered to the point where it can contend with the Dharma Spreader?"
Li Ping paid no mind to the Stone Slab's thoughts, leading it directly into the Salvation Sect's grounds.
Up the mountain, down the mountain, an endlessly repeating courtyard...
It all flashed by before them, and finally, the main hall of the Salvation Sect appeared before the two.
"Go in."
The Stone Slab followed him inside, only then confirming that this was indeed the former location of the Salvation Sect.
It could feel countless paper figures, seemingly hovering between life and death, concealed within the gloomy hall.
"They were one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects of the Xuanhuang Realm, enjoying the cultivation resources it produced. Yet when disaster struck, they chose to flee and hide. Just like those so-called World Observing Divine Eyes, they are truly parasites upon the Xuanhuang Realm," Li Ping's words were ice-cold, his condemnation merciless.
The Stone Slab narrowed its eyes, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
"Eternal Calamity World, cultivating through the world's calamities. This technique itself is a scourge upon heaven and earth. If the world were prosperous and without disaster, I'm afraid these people would stir up trouble just to create calamities. A sect like this should have been exterminated long ago," Li Ping continued.
As if hearing the Saint Emperor's words, a cold wind suddenly blew through the grim hall.
"They think that by turning themselves into paper figures, they can escape everything..."
A golden chain emerged from within the Saint Emperor's body.
Without a sound, it shot into the deep darkness of the hall.
Like mist being stirred, the blackness within the Salvation Sect's hall rippled like water.
The Stone Slab studied the golden chain, a trace of astonishment flashing in its eyes.
Then, within Li Ping's body, the phantom of a golden vortex slowly took shape.
Myriad chains shot out, following the vortex's rotation.
Thud, thud...
As they flew into the darkness, they seemed to collide with something, producing a continuous series of muffled impacts.
The Saint Emperor's presence was so overwhelming that even the Stone Slab had to take a step back.
The Stone Slab was secretly alarmed. "This one's strength is considerably greater than what is commonly understood as the Longevity Realm."
"And..."
"It doesn't seem to be just the power of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao."
Creaking and groaning sounds echoed throughout the hall.
As the golden vortex nebula within the Saint Emperor spun in reverse, the golden chains retracted.
It was as if something in the darkness was bound by the chains and was being forcibly dragged out.
If an ordinary cultivator were to witness this scene, they would surely be terrified.
The Stone Slab, however, felt a rare flicker of excitement.
When a paper figure with a somewhat terrified face emerged from the darkness, the Stone Slab's eyebrows shot up.
So it was these guys!
The paper figure brandished its limbs, still trying to struggle.
The end of the chain binding it erupted in a dazzling light, and the paper figure instantly went limp, as if struck by lightning.
Fear, mixed with listlessness—it was truly strange how its blank paper face could display several different expressions at once.
Li Ping reached out and crushed the paper figure in his palm.
Around the Saint Emperor, thousands of golden chains danced continuously, dragging more and more paper figures out of the darkness.
The hall began to shake violently, and even the entire Salvation Mountain seemed to be on the verge of collapse.
"Hmph!"
Li Ping stomped his foot hard, and a golden ring of light spread out from beneath him.
The space, which had been on the brink of shattering, froze solid as if flash-frozen.
Li Ping lowered his head, his faceless gaze locking onto the paper figure in his hand.
With a slight squeeze, a wail suddenly escaped from the paper figure.
"Gently, fellow Daoist, gently..."
"We bear you no grudge, why must you be so cruel!"
The paper figure stopped playing dead and quickly spoke.
"Fellow Daoist? You think you are worthy?!" Li Ping's tone was filled with contempt as he squeezed his hand again.
Simultaneously, the thousands of golden chains around him flared with brilliant light.
Instantly, the sounds of pained cries rose and fell throughout the hall.
"Mercy, Your Excellency, mercy!"
The circumstances were against them, and the paper figures finally stopped being stubborn, begging for mercy repeatedly.
Li Ping, however, did not stop immediately.
The vortex nebula continued to spin, retracting the chains.
Only after gathering all the paper figures of the Salvation Sect into one place did he cease the torment.
"So this is the infamous Salvation Sect of old?"
Li Ping stared at the pile of crumpled paper figures before him and spoke in a deep voice.
"We are not worthy of being called infamous, not worthy..."
"We are only trying to survive."
Amidst the wails of the paper figures, one voice was particularly distinct.
(End of Chapter)
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