LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 18: Era of Quasi-Saints
The establishment of Violet Manor, otherwise known as the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, sent ripples through the Great Desolation. The Titan Tribe and Demon Clan had already shown signs of becoming overlords of the world, and now a third force has joined their ranks. For those that had lived through the Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation, it reminded them of the deadlock of the three past overlords.
Strangely, the Great Desolation entered a time of peace. All three forces were content to stay in their own territories and accumulate their strength. But all this was just the calm before the storm; one tiny spark could explode into war.
However, none of this bothered the Three Purities. After picking up the three Ninth-Ranked White Lotuses of Purification, they returned to Kunlun Mountain. Compared to Fangzhang Immortal Island, Kunlun Mountain felt more like home.
Yuanshi also expanded Three Purity Palace. Now, instead of just one grand hall and several rooms, the grand hall became the Three Purity Hall, and he added three additional side halls. Namely, the Grand Purity Hall, Jade Purity Hall, and Supreme Purity Hall.
He also built a specifically prepared alchemy chamber where Laozi could concoct pills and nurture spiritual herbs and roots. Planted in the center of all of this, with an array constructed by Tongtian to gather Kunlun Mountain’s essence, was a pond formed from an elixir created from Threelight Divinewater and other precious truewaters.
Three green lotus seeds and three red lotus seeds had taken root inside the pond. In the thousands of years since the second sermon at Violet Heaven Palace, the six lotus seeds had sprouted. Now, each had a bud above the water, green for the green lotus and red for the red lotus.
They should bloom into first-ranked lotuses within a thousand years. And afterward, Laozi would slowly nurture them, bringing their ranks up until they reach the ninth rank. None of the Three Purities were particularly in a rush for the lotuses to mature since they were still finding the three thoughts that made up their Three Corpses. Well, except Tongtian.
Inside the Supreme Purity Hall, Tongtian sat on the Twelfth-Ranked White Lotus of Purification. A silver river splintering into different branches appeared behind her, and above the river bloomed three flowers. Slowly, the flowers turned into magnolia flowers.
Silver light emerged from the river and condensed on the left flower. The light condensed into a humanoid figure with no distinct features sitting in a lotus position.
The Ninth-Ranked White Lotus of Purification appeared in front of Tongtian. She formed a seal with her hand.
"SEVER!"
The silver humanoid jumped out of the magnolia flower and into the Ninth-Ranked White Lotus of Purification. Once the white lotus fully merged with the silver humanoid, it began to hum and radiate light.
Like when the Three Purities entered the Quasi-Saint Realm, an immense pressure spread far and wide to the surrounding lands. It easily reached thirty thousand li and continued to spread until it stopped at sixty thousand li.
All the life within the sixty thousand li that did not possess enough strength knelt in reverence for Tongtian's supreme might. The Demon Clan and Titan Tribe who felt this all increased their efforts to minimize the widening gap between the two forces, Taiyi especially.
When the light disappeared, the Ninth-Ranked White Lotus of Purification transformed into a white-robed man in his early twenties. Despite appearing young, he had a calm and mature air to him. His hair hung freely over his shoulders, and despite not having exquisite features, his face was perfect, and one could gaze at him for eternity.
In other words, he was the perfect specimen for a boyfriend or husband.
Tongtian already had an urge to cave in her Evil Corpse's face with her fist. She sighed and motioned for him to return, and he flew onto her left magnolia flower and sat on it.
She closed her eyes and sensed the changes. Her Evil Corpse already had the cultivation of an early Quasi-Saint, while her own cultivation had improved to the Intermediate Quasi-Saint Realm. But the most important improvement was the heightened clarity in which she perceived the Law of Time.
A hundred years later, Tongtian exited Supreme Purity Hall and came to Three Purity Hall, where her two brothers waited for her. Yuanshi was the first to speak. "Third Sister, how is it? How do you feel? Is anything wrong?"
'What are you, my mother?' Tongtian thought, but she still explained all the changes and miraculous effects of cutting a Corpse.
Hearing this, Laozi sighed. "As expected of the Dao Ancestor. No wonder he could become the first Saint in the Grand Desolation."
Yuanshi nodded in agreement. "Yes, tell us how you discovered your evil thoughts so quickly."
A sinister smile graced Tongtian's lips. "It's simple."
Both Laozi and Yuanshi unconsciously leaned in.
"Just become a woman."
Laozi and Yuanshi's thoughts froze on their faces. An ominous aura emanated from Tongtian's body. "My evil thoughts are formed from my resentment of turning out this way while you two were male. That's why my Evil Corpse turned out to be a perfect man. So much so that I want to destroy him myself."
Tongtian turned her gaze to her two brothers. "Tell me, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, do you want me to help you devise a technique to change your gender? I'm sure you two can just as easily cut off your evil thoughts as I did."
"My way is that of inaction, to let all things develop naturally. I thank Third Sister for your offer, but I must decline," Laozi said, perhaps a bit too quickly.
"This is Third Sister's fortune. Second Brother can envy but not replicate," Yuanshi said, just as quickly.
Tongtian snorted. It was a cute little snort, almost coy. At least in Yuanshi's opinion.
She stood up. "Alright, I won't bother Eldest and Second Brother anymore. I'm going to wait at Fangzhang Immortal Island for a chance to grab the Kunlun Mirror when Violet Manor falls since I won't be able to cut off my second corpse in a short amount of time."
"Violet Manor has the backing of the Dao Ancestor, it should not fall," Laozi said.
"I feel the Dao Ancestor's meaning in setting up the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance should not be simple. Why would he support Dong Wanggong and Xi Wangmu right after giving Di Jun his consent?"
Laozi went silent. He also found the manner behind the establishment of Violet Manor suspicious. Actually, Tongtian was just gambling on the legends she learned from her memories as a human.
According to legend, Dong Wanggong, the master of Violet Manor, perished. Many generations later, he was reincarnated as Lu Dongbin, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty and later became the leader of Eight Immortals.
"What if Violet Manor decided to attack you?" Yuanshi asked.
"No worries, even if I can't defeat them, I can defend or run away with Fangzhang Immortal Island. As for the Ten Thousand Immortal Array, they can't set it up without long preparation, more than enough time for me to escape," Tongtian said.
"Let me come with you. I'm worried," Yuanshi said as he followed Tongtian out of the hall.
Laozi watched this and sighed. He returned to Grand Purity Hall and started to meditate. At this rate, Yuanshi should be able to cut off his good thoughts soon. Although Tongtian had a unique circumstance regarding her Corpse Severing, Laozi didn't want to fall too far behind either.
Five thousand years later, a pressure originated from Kunlun Mountain again that reached sixty thousand li. Everyone nearby couldn't but sigh in envy, jealousy, and hate at the good luck of the Three Purities.
Everyone else, including Taiyi, was still trying to eradicate the Nine Worms in their body, while the Three Purities were already severing their three thoughts. Some had more success than others, such as Jieyin and Nuwa, but they were still some distance away from completely dispelling all Nine Worms.
Another five thousand years later, a pressure that reached sixty thousand li emanated from Fangzhang Immortal Island. Yuanshi had severed his good thoughts and condensed his Good Corpse.
The news that all Three Purities severing off a Corpse spread throughout the Great Desolation. The Titan Tribe, Demon Clan, and Violet Manor felt the greatest pressure. As forces with the ambition to dominate the Great Desolation, a rogue power like the Three Purities brought unneeded variables into their eventual rule.
If they could, they might have already killed the Three Purities.
After stabilizing her realm, Tongtian realized that she could detect the invisible Karmic Luck in the world. It was faint as if hidden by heaven, but she could still make out some secrets.
In her eyes, she and Yuanshi had an immense amount of Karmic Luck, condensed almost solid. It didn't grow or shrink, but it was always following them.
In contrast, the Karmic Luck of the Violet Manor was like a large pillar of gold. It was faint, almost transparent like air. Furthermore, most of it was concentrated on Dong Wanggong, whose luck took the form of a golden flower, and Xi Wangmu, whose luck appeared like a silvery-blue peach.
However, although the luck of the Violet Manor seemed glorious, it was without foundation. At the base, the pillar of light dissolved into a pale mist. It was like the Violet Manor, without solid support.
Right now, it seemed strong, but most of those immortals only gathered due to the Dao Ancestor's words, not because of Dong Wanggong's or Xi Wangmu's charisma. Such weakness would fade with time, but the question was whether Di Jun would miss such an opportunity.
While Tongtian was meditating on the Law of Time and trying to discover her good thoughts and obsession, a pressure emanated from Penglai Immortal Island. She stopped to pay close attention. The pressure didn't originate from one person but two. Tongtiang could feel the essence of yin and yang within the pressure. Dong Wanggong and Xi Wangmu had broken through at the same time.
Solitary yang does not flourish; lone yin does not prosper.
'Did Dong Wanggong and Xi Wangmu dual cultivate?' Tongtian maliciously thought.
Regardless of what she thought, the Violet Manor instantly gained two early Quasi-Saints and propelled them to the number one spot of the three forces. With the increase of their strength, the foundation for their pillar of luck stabilized a bit. It would need further accumulation for it to stabilize completely.
The Demon Clan went from the strongest force to the second strongest force, and the Titan tribe was even worse. They were placed in third, with no signs of any of them breaking into the Quasi-Saint Realm.
A few hundred years later, Nuwa broke through into the Quasi-Saint Realm. A thousand years later, Di Jun also broke into the Quasi-Saint Realm restoring the Demon Clan to its previous position.
The Titan Tribe entered an even more awkward situation after this.
Di Jun was in a good mood. He had severed his Good Corpse using the Golden Sun Wheel, increasing his strength. He would have preferred Nuwa enter the Quasi-Saint Realm later than him, as that would be more conducive to his rule over the Demon Clan.
Luckily, Fuxi was too busy deciphering the formation contained within the Celestial River Diagram to cultivate. Di Jun was broken out of his thoughts when a demon reported that Fuxi wanted to meet him.
Fuxi had never met Di Jun since gaining the Celestial River Diagram. Di Jun's hopes couldn't help but rise as he quickly invited Fuxi. "Daoist Fuxi, did you...?"
Fuxi appeared haggard with bloodshot eyes and bags under them. However, he had a small smile on his face. "I did not disappoint Your Majesty."
"The formation is called the Starry Sky War Array. With the Supreme Yang Star and the Supreme Yin Star at the center, the formation utilizes the power of the three hundred and sixty-five major stars and forty-eight thousand minor stars."
Hearing this, Di Jun frowned.
"You need Golden Immortals of the Great Firmament to command the two supreme stars and the major stars. And profound immortals to command the minor stars. The stronger the immortals commanding them, the stronger the formation."
Di Jun’s head ached now. Forget the profound immortals; the Demon Clan didn't even have three hundred Golden Immortals of the Great Firmament. Unfortunately for Di Jun, Fuxi wasn't done.
"You also need to extract the essence of each star and refine them into flags. This way, you don’t need to be on the stars themselves to set up the array. Although it is called an array, it can unleash its power anywhere where the starlight shines," Fuxi finished.
Di Jun's eyes lit up. If that was the case, that eliminated the greatest weakness of arrays. Arrays were stronger than formations, but they couldn’t move, unlike some formations.
"Dispatch the demons to collect the star essence as soon as possible," Di Jun ordered. He sent Bai Ze to supervise the operation and gave Fuxi time to rest.
Two thousand years later, Bai Ze came to report to Di Jun. "Your Majesty, we discovered a suitable place for the Demon Clan's new headquarters."