Becoming a god starts from planting a Bodhi tree.

Chapter 482 The Hidden Palace: Who is the Rightful Heir?!

Youhai had already formally accepted and recognized Ji Jingqiu. According to Haila and Wuzhou, it was only because his cultivation level was too low and his Dao techniques were not advanced that Youhai would have already semi-recognized him as its master.

Now that his cultivation has officially entered the Heavenly Venerable realm, it is unknown how much of the Nether Sea's power he can now command.

It's no exaggeration to say that Youhai is his territory.

With the help of Youhai, even if a True Saint were to pursue him, as long as the difference in strength wasn't as vast as heaven and earth, he could escape unscathed.

The three stood in the Boundary Sea, waiting for Yin An to return.

"This is a bit tricky."

After bidding farewell to his old friends, Yin An hurriedly returned, his expression solemn.
"Even the forces from the Western Boundary Sea have come this time. Top True Saints from all sides are present, so there are quite a few conflicts. It's manageable in the short term, but as time goes on, tensions will inevitably rise and conflicts will intensify. The situation in the Netherworld is not optimistic."

"From what I just learned, the ancestral lineages and the pseudo-transcendent sects born in this era have already had a real fight, and the conflict has escalated to a fever pitch."

Yin An looked at Ji Jingqiu and said, "Your battle just now was somewhat accidental. I estimate that the tension in the Netherworld is already quite high."

Ji Jingqiu frowned and said, "Is the Netherworld about to become a battlefield between the two sides?"

Currently, the conflict between the true transcendent practice centers left by the ancestors and the false transcendent sects is intensifying as the "this shore" becomes rampant.

Yin An nodded: "The Netherworld is considered half of the Great Dao Ancestral Land, and it is indeed an excellent battlefield for True Saints. Putting aside everything else, if the Netherworld is eventually destroyed, all parties will be happy to see it happen and can rightfully divide the Netherworld among themselves."

"Aren't they afraid of the mysterious powerful figures hidden in the Netherworld?"

"This is another key reason why they haven't started fighting yet," Yin An said in a deep voice. "During this period, many top experts have been probing the Netherworld. Some have disappeared without a trace, while others have gradually tested the Netherworld's bottom line!"

"What's the bottom line?"

"As long as you don't touch the two long rivers of time and destiny, or provoke the Sea of ​​Bitterness of the Yanhuang Federation, you won't trigger a warning from an extraordinary power—the latter should be the Eye of the Sea of ​​Bitterness you mentioned earlier."

Ji Jingqiu seemed to be deep in thought.

Has the Eye of the Sea of ​​Bitterness also become a taboo?

Who is protecting the Federation? Is it the Wood Master or the He Master?

It seems that Master He is in charge of the long river of time, which suggests that there are indeed problems in the fate of the Netherworld.

"be prepared."

Yin An emphasized to Feng Ming,

"When there are too many people, it becomes troublesome, especially for you. You've caused a lot of trouble in the past. Back when the patriarch was alive, no one dared to touch you, but things are different now."

Feng Ming narrowed his eyes slightly. Even he felt a sense of unease, and a thought crossed his mind: it seemed he had made quite a few enemies back then...

The most outstanding experts from various sects gathered together. Whether it was their Taoist techniques, supernatural powers, divine weapons, or combat awareness, they were all at the pinnacle of transcendence from the Boundary Sea, and were "true gold" forged over countless years.

Even he wouldn't dare say he could block several people at the same time.

In this situation, even if Honglian and the other two came, they wouldn't dare to claim invincibility so easily; they would still have to run.

"Furthermore, there are rumors that the one from the Heavenly Prison Palace suffered a great loss and will certainly not give up. It's only a matter of time before he makes a comeback. The news that the Netherworld contains the Eye of the Bitter Sea has also been released, so the Crimson Lotus Realm Lord will likely arrive as well."

Yin An paused, then shook his head and said, "It's only because the [Old Heavenly Court] has reappeared that the three from [This Shore] would have gathered in the Netherworld this time."

"The Old Heavenly Court?" Kukai frowned. "Just who is that 'Heavenly Emperor' on this shore? He's so arrogant, daring to call himself the 'Heavenly Emperor'."

“Two rumors,” Yin An shared the information he had just heard. “First, like Hong Lian, he is suspected to be a person from the Guizhen Earth; second, he is a remnant of the previous era, a successor of the former [Heavenly Court].

"Not the [Old Heavenly Court]?" Feng Ming asked casually.

“It has been confirmed that the word ‘old’ was added later,” Yin An said succinctly. “The existence of the Heavenly Court has been confirmed. According to the exploration there, it can only be confirmed that it is a divine sect.”

"A transcendent sect that follows the path of the gods?" Feng Ming's eyes narrowed. "That's quite rare."

There is a long history in the Boundary Sea where only a handful of people have attained transcendence through divine means.

It is also worth mentioning that both of them were based on the divine path, but neither of them were the Great Dao Ancestor.

In the Boundary Sea, those who have embarked on the path of divinity are not a minority.

Therefore, some people have long suspected that in the more ancient lost era, there existed powerful beings who pioneered the divine path and became the progenitors of the Great Dao.

Ji Jingqiu was pondering why the word "old" was added before the words "Heavenly Court".

Could it be that a new Heavenly Court was later established, which is why the old place was abandoned?
“Just now, the fellow Daoists from the Pantheon invited us to go together,” Yin An mentioned. “Right now, not to mention the entire Netherworld, there are quite a few conflicts within our own sects. The Pantheon hopes that our Yuan Chu Palace can support them in temporarily taking control of the situation.”

Feng Ming disagreed, saying, "How can we agree to that so easily? Let's discuss it again."

Although Yuan Chu Palace did not intend to take sides, it was not something they could easily decide which faction to side with. They needed to relay the decision back to the sect and ask Luo Shi and Wu Tian to make the final decision.

In any household, there needs to be someone who can fight, someone who can manage affairs and make decisions; Fengming and Kukai belong to the former category.

"Let's go and meet with our fellow Daoists first." Kukai nodded in agreement. "It's been decades since we last met. I wonder how many of my old friends are still alive."

"Junior Brother Ji, why don't you come with us? It would be good to introduce you to the many transcendent sects in the Boundary Sea."

The three looked at Ji Jingqiu. Feng Ming wanted to introduce Ji Jingqiu to the various families, which could also be considered as a statement from Yuan Chu Palace.

If any family wants to make a move against Ji Jingqiu in the future, they will first have to consider the retaliation from Yuan Chu Palace.

Ji Jingqiu thought for a moment and said:

"Not for now. My senior brothers are going to meet with the top experts from all sides, and I also have my own matters to attend to. Remember to let me know if there's any news."

"After all, the Netherworld is my homeland. If a great war is truly unavoidable, I need to prepare in advance."

“Okay.” Feng Ming said succinctly, “Keep in touch. We’re both in the Netherworld. If anything goes wrong, we can get there right away.”

The four decided to leave and complete the final leg of their journey, arriving at the "gate" that had opened in the Netherworld Cave.

As they passed through the Netherworld Gate, a Netherworld Heavenly King stood guard at the "main gate," staring at Ji Jingqiu with a strange look in his eyes.

Such an important passage is guarded only by a Heavenly King, which seems to confirm the rumors that the powerful beings of the Netherworld have completely surrendered, allowing forces from outside the realm to take over.

Ji Jingqiu's thoughts were in turmoil, unaware of the current state of affairs within the universe.

"Could it be Senior Ji Jingqiu of the Yanhuang Federation?"

The gatekeeper asked politely and respectfully, "We are communicating telepathically."

The accomplished come first. Although Ji Jingqiu was much younger than him, the scene of so many powerful figures from various families fleeing into the Netherworld after the battle was too shocking. He could not compare Ji Jingqiu to the one from decades ago.

Ji Jingqiu nodded slightly and asked which family he belonged to.

"I come from Saint..."

The gatekeeper's eyes lit up with excitement. Just as he was about to introduce himself, Ji Jingqiu crossed the boundary membrane and officially entered the Netherworld.

"Um?!"

The gatekeeper's gaze faltered slightly as he stared in Ji Jingqiu's direction, his eyes gradually filling with fear.

The expressions of Fengming and the other two changed drastically.

Ji Jingqiu, who entered the Netherworld with them, vanished from their perception range in an instant, without a trace.

Most importantly, even they didn't realize how Ji Jingqiu disappeared!

"Who?!"

The phoenix cried out in alarm and anger, manifesting its Dharma form in the heavens and earth, its Dao body overwhelming the universe, forcibly merging with the heavens and earth where it resided, gathering the power of the Great Dao into its own body.

He instantly displayed his strongest form, roaring with awe-inspiring power and sharp edge, his aura even stronger than when he suppressed the withered bones!

Kong Hai and Yin An's expressions changed as they used their respective supernatural abilities to trace Ji Shidi's whereabouts.

“The mark I left on Junior Brother Ji is still there, but I can’t pinpoint its location,” Kong Hai said in a deep voice.

"To be able to sneak away from the three of us and stealthily abduct Junior Brother Ji..." Yin An frowned, his expression extremely grim.

There was no way to guess the final answer, but both Fengming and the other person could understand what he meant.

Even if the three invincible beings of this shore came, they couldn't have done it so without leaving a trace! The opponent definitely possesses power beyond this level!

"Let's go! Yin An, lead the way!" Feng Ming said decisively. "Let's meet up with the Pantheon first. If they really are the masterminds behind the Netherworld, then we'll agree to the Pantheon's demands!"

at the same time.

Fengming imprisoned and suppressed the withered primordial spirit within the inner universe.

The original plan was to temporarily suppress the situation and see if the other party would pay a "ransom".

But now he forcibly searches the skeletal spirit, disregarding the possibility of being crippled for the "ransom," to confirm whether the one who made the move was related to the forces behind him.

……

……

Between heaven and earth, a long, surging river stretches across the land, its shimmering waves washing over everything, never to return.

At the source of the river, a tall and imposing figure stood calmly and serenely. Just his silhouette alone brought a sense of peace, as if he had shielded people from all calamities.

"Master He!"

Ji Jingqiu had just opened his mouth—

"He Donghuang, how much longer can you stop me? After all these years, the backlash from the river of time must be nearing your limit."

Indifferent words fell into my ears from an infinite height.

Ji Jingqiu looked up and saw a wide-sleeved robe hanging down, as if it could swallow all things and restore the universe!

Such power is far beyond what either the skeleton or Senior Brother Fengming can match!

The large sleeves descended, plunging Ji Jingqiu's vision and senses into absolute darkness, until a glimmer of light appeared, silently and gradually increasing, like fish leaping out of the river, carrying the clear glow of time and disturbing the surrounding light and shadow.

The darkness receded little by little, and the large sleeve that had been lowered returned as if played in reverse.

Ji Jingqiu gasped. It was Master He who had made his move, reversing time and making the opponent's attack return to the moment before it was launched.

He Donghuang raised his hand, and the River of Time surged and roared. A long sword, encompassing the outline of the river and resembling condensed light, leaped out from the river and landed in his palm.

Come and don't go indecent.

He gripped the hilt of the knife and casually slashed out.

Endless blade light stretched out, flowing down the surging river, slashing towards a certain place in different times and spaces, as if countless He Donghuangs were at different points in time, in the same "location," questioning their opponents!

Witnessing this scene, Ji Jingqiu was shocked. Was this a clash between those above the True Saint level?

They clash in the long river of time, spanning various historical periods. Every moment can cause numerous changes in timelines, leading to the demise of a civilization, only to be put back on the right track in the next instant.

Civilizations and creatures throughout history may have perished and then resurrected without anyone noticing.

Is this a technique from the True Saint realm, or something even higher?!
Ji Jingqiu quickly asked Wu Zhou and Hela in his mind.

“You’ve got it wrong. They’re not affecting ‘time’ itself, but the ‘river of time.’ That’s a completely different meaning in some ways.”

Wu Zhou slowly said:
"I don't need to repeat the special nature of the Netherworld. In most realms within the Boundary Sea, the flow of time and the River of Destiny are only equivalent to the initial stage of True Sainthood. Therefore, True Saints can easily reverse the flow of time and change the past. But this also means one thing—"

"The time and fate of beings who are only at the initial stage of the True Saint level cannot affect beings at a higher level. The ancient ones can completely get rid of the influence of the weak time and fate."

"Ordinary True Saints have no chance to fight back against them! Even those at the Supreme Rank can only withstand a few more blows!"

Hela raised an eyebrow: "Has He Donghuang reached this level? Is this his full power?"

After examining the situation for a moment, Wu Zhou said, "He currently dominates this River of Time, which should be due to the [One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones] technique. This River of Time is his home turf, so it's not surprising that he possesses such power. On the contrary, it's the person opposite him who..."

Wu Zhou paused for a moment, then said in a low voice:
"The other party is very likely a true...transcendent being!"

Ji Jingqiu asked, "What is this 'backlash of time' he mentioned?"

As they talked, it was as if countless eras were connected between heaven and earth, and the tributaries of the long river of time began to merge.

Standing in the long river, He Donghuang's figure appeared ethereal and hazy, as if separated by thousands of mountains and rivers.

He wielded the Xuan Yi sword, its light piercing through the dark river, extending to different points, engaging in an unseen yet extremely dangerous battle with his opponent.

Their figures appeared in different eras, causing vast ripples in the long river of time, only to be smoothed out in the end.

Hela sneered, "The turmoil in the river caused by their battle is all a 'price,' and He Donghuang will ultimately have to bear the consequences. The other party is deliberately wearing down his cultivation!"

"Judging by cultivation level, the other party is clearly above He Donghuang. Are there truly complete transcendent beings in the Netherworld?" Wu Zhou muttered to himself. "One of the reasons He Donghuang failed to break through back then was that Heaven and Earth did not tolerate him, and the Boundary Sea Covenant left by the ancestors is still in effect..."

Ji Jingqiu keenly grasped the information revealed by Wu Zhou.

Are the boundary sea agreements left by our ancestors still binding the birth of transcendent beings in later generations?

slam-la-

The sound of water arose, and in the misty, illusory river, a figure of He Donghuang appeared before Ji Jingqiu.

The war in the long river of time did not stop, but He Donghuang sent an avatar to see Ji Jingqiu.

"Master He!" Ji Jingqiu cupped his hands and said with burning eyes.

“You shouldn’t have returned at this time,” He Donghuang said succinctly. “The one in the river of fate has already set his sights on you.”

"Who exactly is he?" Ji Jingqiu pressed. "Why is he targeting me?"

"There are some things you are now entitled to know. This realm is formed from the ruins of the former Netherworld, and the Netherworld..."

He Donghuang did not rush to answer, but instead introduced the origin of the Netherworld to Ji Jingqiu.

“Master He, I already know all of this, including the deeds of that Lord of the Netherworld,” Ji Jingqiu said solemnly.

"Oh?" He Donghuang was somewhat surprised. "Ji Tianxing told you?"

Ji Jingqiu shook his head: "I have never faced Commander Ji head-on."

He Donghuang narrowed his eyes. He was not surprised at all that Ji Tianxing would go to see Ji Jingqiu, but the fact that Ji Tianxing had not seen Ji Jingqiu yet surprised him.

After a moment of silence, He Donghuang suddenly said:
“There are some things that we only recently learned, such as the fact that the Netherworld is a prison, and that the person in the River of Fate and I are both reincarnations of the Lord of the Netherworld.”

Ji Jingqiu was stunned on the spot.

Wu Zhou and Hela were also too shocked to speak; their pupils shrank and they fell silent.

"Is Master He the reincarnation of Lord You?" Ji Jingqiu murmured, confirming again.

“Strictly speaking, it’s just that one of that person’s souls has been mixed into the three souls and seven spirits.” He Donghuang paused. “Now it’s seven spirits.”

As he said this, his expression remained unchanged, as if it didn't matter at all, and he didn't care about this matter.

"Seven Souls?" Ji Jingqiu looked slightly bewildered.

"Ji Tianxing did it," He Donghuang said calmly.

A true picture suddenly formed in Ji Jingqiu's mind, and he murmured:
"The Seven Marshals... each representing a fragment of the Netherworld Lord's soul? The Wood Master is the same? So... the Federation is the inheritor of the Netherworld?"

He suddenly understood many things, such as what Qin Shuai had once said—

They do owe Zhang Tiancheng's lineage a debt, but they have no intention of repaying it.

Putting aside what they owed each other, the seven marshals all carried a fragment of the soul of that Netherworld Lord, so calling them reincarnations might be a stretch...

But if you really want to say something, that's fine too!
From this perspective, even if we owe Zhang Tiancheng and the Youfu lineage, so what?

Who is the rightful heir is hard to say!
"So we're also from the Youfu lineage? Would I be considered a legitimate direct descendant, a second-generation member?" Ji Jingqiu murmured. "Is our Federation considered legitimate?"

and many more……

At the summit of Wuwang Mountain, the plaque above the gate, which resembles neither a temple nor a temple, bears the words "burn incense" in federal script. Is this also related to this matter?

Ji Jingqiu felt as if his Ren and Du meridians had been opened, and he suddenly understood everything!
(End of this chapter)