In the heavens, people become emperors by being bad.

Chapter 571 [Duan De Sees the Spiritual Treasure]

Really?I do not believe!
Since its birth, the most frequently uttered phrase by this old Golden Crow is that although it fought a bloody battle in the Nine Heavens in its first life, it did not become an emperor, did not have the time to be invincible in the universe for tens of thousands of years, and had not yet fully formed that egocentric and supreme Daoist heart.

On the contrary, since his birth, Di Jun has suffered repeated setbacks, his worldview has been shattered time and time again, and he has remained skeptical of everything.

Although the great emperors of the past never met each other and could not be distinguished in terms of superiority or inferiority, all living beings have their own scales of judgment. Throughout the ages, there have always been some special people who are extremely dazzling and obvious.

The Undying Emperor is worshipped by all races and is considered a god-like figure by many powerful clans, far surpassing the Primordial Emperor. He is a formidable opponent no matter how you look at it.

"Such an extraordinary opportunity makes me feel uneasy and ashamed to accept it."

Di Jun sneered and retorted, "Fellow Daoist Gai is no weaker than me and has the potential to attain Dao. Why doesn't the Heavenly Court seize the opportunities on the path to immortality?"

Of course, the concern is that the Emperor has not completely passed away and still has some strength left.

Even the old Golden Crow, after its rebirth, was able to break through the barriers and use the Great Emperor's Tribulation to threaten the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation. How much more so for a Heavenly Emperor, who might have some hidden tricks up his sleeve?

If we were to provoke a Heavenly Emperor-level Five-Colored Divine Phoenix, who would imitate the story of the Emperor and forcibly break through the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, things would get really interesting. It's likely that one strike would kill an old Supreme Being.

The four Heavenly Emperors were old, weak, sick, and disabled; the four Supreme Beings could not kill the Heavenly Emperor; the four top-tier Great Emperors might have some hope. Lin Xian considered the problem from the most prudent perspective, smiled calmly, and said coaxingly, "Senior Golden Crow, please do not be angry. As the saying goes, those who walk different paths cannot make plans together. The Heavenly Court is seeking the second Immortal Path, which opens once every million years. It is a path that was opened by the Desolate Heavenly Emperor in the past and can lead directly to the Immortal Realm."

"A second path to immortality?" The old Golden Crow raised an eyebrow, looked around, and sneered, "Only two or three people can become immortals in one lifetime. That's what the Heavenly Court says. But here alone, there are more than two or three."

Even if there were a second path to immortality, there wouldn't be enough spots available.

"If this era is not completed, there will be another. The Heavenly Court creates immortality in the mortal world, forging one path to immortality after another. The Azure Emperor wants to evolve the immortal realm in the mortal world. The future is promising."

Lin Xian remained calm and said meaningfully, "The path to immortality is only one path, not the whole story, such as the Ascension to Sainthood."

Old Golden Crow's eyes deepened as he thought of many things. His gaze toward Lin Xian grew increasingly solemn, and he said in a deep voice, "You had already foreseen this."

The Holy Spirit Longevity Method created by the Feathered Emperor is the key to breaking the deadlock.

The path to immortality appears only once every million years, but that's alright; the time it takes for a holy spirit to reach perfection is also extremely long.

Those who are confident in themselves can break through the barriers early, cultivate the art of mending the heavens, and ascend to immortality in the mortal world. Those who choose the next best path can attain enlightenment with the body of a Great Perfection Holy Spirit and seek the path to immortality for the next million years.

"The Heavenly Court is not a forbidden zone for life. The biggest goal of this trip is not Senior Emperor Jun. It is just a coincidence that we met here."

Lin Xian nodded in agreement and said, "The Heavenly Court's true target is Lingbao Tianzun."

“Lingbao Tianzun, he couldn’t possibly be alive?” Di Jun’s eyes narrowed. He had been in Nirvana here for thousands of years and would have discovered any clues long ago. Even if he hadn’t, an enlightened being from all ages is not someone to be trifled with.

"We must give it a try." Lin Xian said quietly, "Those who seek immortality in the mortal world find it difficult to live, and also difficult to die."

"What method do you have?" Old Golden Crow was quite concerned, because he had undergone Nirvana at Lingbao Immortal Platform for countless years. If the Celestial Venerable was still alive, it would truly send chills down one's spine.

"Please summon the Underworld Emperor," Lin Xian said decisively.

The old Golden Crow took a step back, his eyes filled with vigilance, and said, "The Heavenly Court has indeed fallen and is connected to the forbidden zone of life."

"The Underworld is a subordinate agency of the Heavenly Court, so how can it be considered corrupt?" Lin Xian corrected, "It is actually reclaiming territory."

Di Jun grinned menacingly. "Really? I don't believe it," the old Golden Crow continued to skeptically.

A moment later, the Underworld Lord Duan De arrived at the Heavenly Soldier Ancient Starfield. He surveyed the feng shui and explored the starry sky. He was very excited and shouted, "Where is the imperial tomb of the star that the Spirit Treasure Heavenly Venerable transformed into?"

"There it is." Lin Xian smiled knowingly, pointed in a direction, and led Duan De inside, saying, "There is a great treasure waiting for us inside, and we need an archaeological expert like you."

"A treasure of immense value?" Duan De swallowed hard and asked tentatively, "Could it be a supreme divine object?"

"It's even more extravagant than the Demon Emperor's Tomb, there are six of them in total." Lin Xian chuckled, standing with his hands behind his back, and said, "They're all yours, don't worry."

"All of it is mine?" After a brief moment of greed, Duan De tensed up instantly, looked Lin Xian up and down and said in a deep voice, "What grudge are you holding? This time, there will be no split."

The principle that Lord Lin never engages in unprofitable business is widely known in the archaeological community of the Eastern Wilderness.

"Enough with the rambling, just get in."

Lin Xian didn't waste any words and kicked Duan De directly into the Sendai Continent of Lingbao. The fat Taoist screamed and cursed, like a pig being slaughtered.

"Lord Lin, I believe you again! I am the Black Emperor!" Duan De cursed, immediately using the Devouring Demon Jar to protect himself, with thousands of dark lights descending upon him.

However, the expected killing intent of the imperial formation did not appear; instead, one gaze after another fell upon it.

"This is the Underworld Emperor!"

The Golden Crow Emperor's eyes shone with divine light as he used his Supreme Divine Eye to look over. He saw four marks appearing within Duan De's body, holy and dazzling, mysterious beyond compare, as if boundless celestial tribulations were emerging, or as if a world was reincarnating.

For a moment, the old Golden Crow trembled and looked back at Li Er, Shakyamuni, the Yellow Emperor, and the Yan Emperor. He sensed similar auras in the four supreme beings.

Di Jun thought of a terrifying legend: in the mythological era, a secret technique flourished that if a dead body was powerful enough, it could remain immortal for hundreds of thousands of years and form another life form.

In a sense, this is not a cycle of reincarnation. When a person dies, their primordial spirit is destroyed, but another spiritual entity is later generated within the body.

However, the underworld firmly believes that this is the immortality of the physical body, and calls this method of immortality "forming the reincarnation seal" and "the emperor's corpse communicating with spirits".

"A ghost!"

Despite being a member of the Sun race, Old Golden Crow felt icy cold all over, as if he were being eyed covetously by a group of old ghosts.

This place is nothing like the Heavenly Court; it's even more hellish than the Underworld. There are more spirit mediums among the Emperor's corpses than in the forbidden zones.

At this moment, the Golden Crow Emperor and the Spirit Treasure Celestial Venerable from countless ages ago were of one mind, and a thought arose in his mind: this corpse calamity is truly a terrible thing.

"Oh my god!"

Old Golden Crow was startled by Duan De, but Duan De was also scared half to death. Gai Jiuyou, Shakyamuni, Li Er, Xuanyuan, and Shennong were all top-notch experts in the Heavenly Court. He had never seen them before, but he had heard of them.

There was also a golden crow with thick eyebrows and big eyes, who had once been my sworn brother in the Heavenly Court, but now he stood shoulder to shoulder with the five supreme beings. Anyone with a brain would know that he was no ordinary person.

"Damn it, how come there are so many old zombies in the Heavenly Court? One after another."

Duan De was on the verge of tears, staring at the Six Venerables without daring to move. The Six Venerables looked at Duan De carefully, their expressions meaningful, and the scene fell silent.

After a long silence, Gai Jiuyou, who was not a spirit possessed by the Emperor's corpse, slowly spoke: "Fellow Daoist Underworld Emperor..."

"No, I am not the Underworld Emperor." Duan De revealed an expression that was more ugly than death, and said with a mournful face, "Senior Supremes, please be merciful. I am just a Great Saint who is not even a Quasi-Emperor. I really do not deserve this title."

"Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable, if all else fails, I'll kowtow to you a few times."

Six emperors were plotting against him; he wasn't exploring any imperial tombs, he was venturing straight into the deepest forbidden zone. "Is this really the Underworld Emperor?"

Jinwu Dijun was speechless. Like all the supreme beings who saw Duan De for the first time, a thought of doubt arose in his mind. If it weren't for the four bright and dazzling reincarnation marks as proof, he would never have believed that this fat Taoist was the legendary ruler of the underworld, the terrifying Lord of the Underworld.

"Perhaps it's a disguise, that no one believes he is the King of the Underworld, which is why he has lived for countless ages." Shakyamuni said thoughtfully, "Great loyalty appears as treachery, great wisdom appears as foolishness."

The several spirit mediums who were connected to the Emperor Corpse were concerned with Duan De's cultivation level, as he was a genuine Great Sage and did not possess the so-called Emperor-level physical body.

"The cycle of reincarnation, is it really like this?"

"Before reincarnation, one must sever one's own Emperor-level physical body."

"The fact that we were destined to attain enlightenment early on, but were unable to do so because of the constraints of our physical bodies, is enough to explain everything."

"Yes, yes, back then, Chi You fought us to a standstill and ultimately sought to be torn apart by five horses, cutting off his own imperial body in order to find a glimmer of hope."

"The physical body is severed, the soul is transformed, so how can one prove that one is oneself, and what supports the evolution of the Reincarnation Seal?"

People nowadays are either supreme beings or great emperors, with extraordinary vision. They quickly discerned the Seal of Reincarnation and gained much from it.

Duan De felt a chill run through his body, a sensation of being spied on, as if he had been stripped naked and stood bare between heaven and earth, utterly desolate.

"Fellow Daoist undergoing tribulation need not be nervous. I have come here today simply to invite you to meet an old friend."

Li Er smiled slightly, exuding an otherworldly aura, as if he were about to ascend beyond the realm and transform into an old immortal, his appearance identical to that of the former Daoist Venerable.

In terms of seniority, he is the only one who is roughly on par with the Heavenly Venerable of Tribulation Crossing, and is one of the nine Heavenly Venerables of the mythological era.

"I am truly not a Celestial Venerable who has transcended tribulations, and I do not know any old people from the mythological era," Duan De protested. However, no one believed him. If he was not a Celestial Venerable, where would he get so many reincarnation marks within him?

“You don’t know him, but he knows you.” Lin Xian’s voice rang out leisurely as he recited the Lingbao Duren Zhenjing (Scripture of Salvation through Spiritual Treasure).

The True Scripture of Salvation resonates throughout heaven and earth, connecting with the profound and mysterious power of Tao. It is not only about saving people, but also about saving gods, and even saving oneself.

His primordial spirit flowed with light and rain, imprinting itself on the void, without any killing power, merely serving as a witness.

[Accumulated Yang energy forms the spirit, and within the spirit lies form. Form arises from the sun, and the sun arises from the moon. Accumulated Yin energy forms the body, and within the form lies the spirit.]

[Hao Zheng Zuo Shi, Po Ni Sha Ling. Bei Zhao Jun Jiang, Ji Nan Jian Kui. Jing Yi Sun Guang, Hun Yuan Jue Yuan]

A faint Daoist voice resounded across the Immortal Platform, and in an instant, boundless essence surged forth. The remaining spiritual treasure elixir nourished the five secret realms of the Immortal Forest, making them glow brightly, yet no spiritual consciousness was visible.

This was not the end. Following this, Gai Jiuyou recited the Scripture of Salvation, and the Yellow Emperor, the Yan Emperor... eventually even Emperor Jun began to recite the Scripture, wanting to explore the profound meaning of the spiritual treasure.

"Clang!"

The void remained unchanged, but the spiritual treasures and imperial weapons were stimulated. The array diagrams rumbled and roared, and the supreme divine power surged. Each killing sword seemed to have devoured the blood of billions of living beings, and a tragic aura swept across the sky.

They are a single entity, containing only one deity, which is born within the four sword bodies, symbolizing destruction and slaughter.

The array diagram is the natal magic weapon of Lingbao Tianzun, symbolizing the supreme power of array formations and the secrets of defying the heavens. It is the source of his vitality. As for the killing sword, it was born only to kill immortals and to slay the Underworld Emperor!

"That damned Underworld Emperor!"

"Damn Hades!"

"The Eternal Dark Hand!"

"The root of all chaos!"

The four killing swords were enraged. After countless ages, when they met the Underworld Emperor again, they were determined to kill him. For a moment, even the Golden Crow Emperor did not receive such treatment.

The divine weapons of the Lingbao Emperor automatically revived, becoming invincible in heaven and earth. The bloody scenes of killing immortals on them were vividly recreated, with the laws of order descending and boundless Daoist energy swirling.

"Holy crap, I really didn't do anything."

Duan De let out a wail, summoned the Devouring Demon Jar, and used his life force to block the killing intent, shouting, "Holy Lord, save me!"

The ideal scenario did not occur; instead, the imperial weapons and deities revived, but the Heavenly Venerable was nowhere to be found.

"Has Lingbao Tianzun truly passed away?"

Jinwu Dijun sighed, feeling somewhat lost. The presence of the Heavenly Venerable's will made him uneasy.

However, if Lingbao Tianzun were to truly pass away, there would be no threat whatsoever. Instead, people would remember his achievements and their own chance to obtain Lingbao.

"Even the Underworld Emperor couldn't provoke the Celestial Venerable Lingbao, so what is his obsession?"

The Venerable Ones sighed, deeply disappointed. This shouldn't have been the ending. Even the Demon Emperor Xue Yueqing had her obsessions, so why didn't Lingbao? Had they been worn away by the passage of time?

That's unlikely. The Spirit Treasure Killing Sword is perfectly fine; who will erase the Spirit Treasure's obsession?

As Duan De screamed in agony, the gods were enraged, and the chanting grew louder and louder. Finally, with the blessing of the six deities, a lamp leaped out.

"It turned out to be him."

Shakyamuni said with some surprise, "The lamp is made of bronze and has a very strange shape. It has a human body and a ghost face, which makes people feel a little creepy. In particular, the little old man that the wick turned into has a very eerie smile."

The withered old man transformed into radiance, standing on the lamp as if seated on a lotus throne, resonating with the void, also chanting the sutra of salvation, making the lamp burn brightly, dispelling evil spirits, and calming the murderous aura.

The killing sword and the array diagram roared and reverberated, rotating around the bronze lamp. This was an extremely special imperial artifact, forged from three lifetimes of spiritual treasures, containing boundless compassion for humanity, for saving others and gods, and for saving oneself and others.

"It was that?"

Lin Xian was suddenly startled, then realized with a start, "It came so easily! That's it, that's it, the darkest place is right under your nose!"

Lingbao Tianzun not only lived two lives, but his imperial weapon was not only the Zhuxian Sword Formation, but also a beacon illuminating the way forward.

All the heavens chanted the Scripture of Salvation. On the Immortal Platform, the remaining immortal liquid flew over and turned into lamp oil to light it. The little old man slightly opened his eyes and smiled strangely, causing the Emperor Banner within Lin Xian's body to sway, and the divine thoughts within it were stimulated.

Only the Supreme Being can contend with the Supreme Being, and only the divine will can dispel the thoughts of the gods.

"Lingbao, Evil Thoughts, and the Sutra of Salvation."

Lin Xian seemed to be deep in thought. It was somewhat similar to the Blood Pagoda that trapped the thoughts of the Taiyin Human Emperor, and also had a touch of the charm of the Primordial Spirit Merging with the Dao Soldier.

Lingbao Tianzun, whose body is in harmony with Lingbao, sometimes the answer to a riddle lies right in the riddle itself.

(End of this chapter)