Xue Hanyi and his sister, along with Mu Binghua from Heart Moon Lake, after arriving in Tiandu, also chose to stay in Pei Xuanjing's Taoist Temple. This includes Mr. Wu, who had returned from the Imperial City, and several holy monks from the Buddhism School.
One could say that, right now, nearly a quarter of the powerful individuals in the Daming World choose to stay in Pei Xuanjing's Taoist Temple.
"The great unified imperial dynasty!" exclaimed Mr. Wu.
A great unified imperial dynasty at least needs to receive recognition from most of the world's prominent forces. Otherwise, it couldn't possibly attract the heavenly will.
The forces in the Sky Wasteland are mainly split into two types: one type includes the Holy Lands and sacred lineages, while the other type includes the ancestral lands of the imperial dynasties and ancient kingdoms. None of these powerful ancient countries and empires has ever managed to unify their ancestral lands, and hence, they can't attract the heavenly will.
Even after their arrival in the Sky Wasteland, while they have abundant Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, the competition is much greater. No faction has ever been able to dominate and attract the Heavenly Will from start to end.
Pei Xuanjing's faced remained calm as he took careful note of these matters they discussed. After a moment of pondering, he figured out many things.
He seemed to have some conjecture as to why Xue Hanyi and the others had come.
Even though the Divine Continent has just begun to revive its Heaven and Earth, and even with a great unified imperial dynasty, an innate limitation makes the powerful imperial dynasties in the Divine Continent not strong compared to the forces in the Sky Wasteland.
If they could seize this opportunity to make early preparations, and even take over others' nests, they could gain control of the great unified imperial dynasty in the Divine Continent, receive the favor of the heavenly will, and get the blessing of Qi Luck.
However, he just smiled and didn't join their conversation, nor did he uncover Xue Hanyi's intention.
Because, by this point, if their plots were indeed as speculated, then they would already have failed, and their plans would never be realized.
The continuous influx of Qi Luck into the Divine Continent resulted in major changes in the Luck Golden Dragon in Tiandu, as well as significant changes in other major cities within Daming. More and more Heaven and Earth Essence Qi came pouring in from all directions toward the Divine Continent.
This phenomenon lasted for more than half a month before it gradually subsided. At this point, Pei Xuanjing felt that his strength, which was originally limited by the Heaven and Earth, had increased somewhat. If he were to exercise his strength to the limit, he should be around the fifth level of the Spirit Realm.
One month later, on the auspicious day chosen by the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, the weather was fine, clear, and cloudless.
In Tiandu, a multitude of soldiers enforced martial law throughout the city, each performing their duties and seizing control of various places.
In front of the Ninety-nine Layers of Heaven altar, which was ninety-nine feet tall, the civil and military officials solemnly stood. The strong individuals from all over were also standing in their respective positions, their expressions solemn, and their eyes intensely focused on the Emperor of the Great Dynasty.
Zhu Houji, dressed in imperial robes and adorned with an imperial crown, was holding the jade seal in his hand, quietly standing at the lofty altar stairs.
This staircase has a total of nine thousand nine hundred steps, each hundred steps being one foot high. Once the stairs are ascended and the altar is reached, it is as if they have ascended ninety-nine feet into the Nine Layers of Heaven.
"Your Majesty, the time has come. Please ascend to the altar and perform the Heaven and Earth ritual." The voice of Yan Song, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, echoed.
Zhu Houji took his steps and ascended the towering sky stairs whose sight followed everyone's movements slowly.
By the time Zhu Houji reached the top of the Heaven and Earth altar, the figures of Pei Xuanjing, Daoist Qingxu, and that mysterious Mr. Wu appeared before Pei Xuanjing.
Pei Xuanjing and Daoist Qingxu had experience in presiding over the Enthroning Gods ceremony on Taihe Mountain, so they were naturally today's ritual hosts. As for Mr. Wu, he volunteered to help. After weighing the options, Pei Xuanjing and the others made up their mind and took a risk to let his counterpart ascend the altar together with them.
Behind the three of them, on the altar, lay the corpse of the Howling Moon Gray Wolf that Pei Xuanjing had killed. Even after such a long time, the beast king's body hasn't deteriorated and is still fresh. It was placed on the altar, to serve as the main offering of the ritual.
"Your Majesty, please!" Daoist Qingxu started, indicating the emperor to begin.
Even though they had rehearsed these steps countless times and knew them by heart, when the actual moment arrived, the Emperor of Daming, Zhu Houji, still felt quite excited.
He carefully placed the royal jade seal on the ceremonial table altar and then used his skill to control the Qi Luck of the Daming dynasty to inject it into the royal jade seal.
Buzz!
The royal jade seal emitted a soft hum and a gentle light burst out in an instant, sweeping in all directions, enshrouding the whole of Tiandu within moments, and continued to expand towards the surrounding areas.
At the same moment, the Qi Luck cloud appeared again above Tiandu, with the Qi Luck Golden Dragon roaring loudly, its Dragon Roar Sound reverberating through Heaven and Earth.
Simultaneously, numerous lights soared into the sky from various parts of the Daming Dynasty, its territories, including both the regions previously belonging to the Divine Continent and the newly added territories outside the border with vast grasslands. These lights connected all the areas.
In an instance, it seemed the entire region under the control of the Daming Dynasty was engulfed in this light.
The sound of the Golden Dragon Roar reverberated, even the ordinary people could hear this ear-shattering sound.
Pei Xuanjing's aura burst out explosively, the terrifying aura shocked the three people around him. Even though Pei Xuanjing hadn't intentionally targeted them, they couldn't help but feel their hair stand on end on this small ceremonial altar.
They felt as if they were weak prey animals who had wandered into the territory of large carnivores like tigers, leopards, and lions, facing the danger of losing their lives at any moment.
However, this feeling didn't last for long. Pei Xuanjing made a hand seal, condensing a talisman in front of him.
He belted out, "Decree!"
The talisman soared into the sky, reaching the clouds, splitting into countless pieces, spreading in all directions.
In an instant, silently, the appearance of the sky above Tiandu began to change. The whole sky gradually darkened, and in the blink of an eye, the bright and sunny midday turned into a dark and gloomy sky. Winds were howling around, much like the cries of ghosts and wolves.
Dark clouds gathered heavily around the city, on the verge of ruining the city, an oppressive atmosphere arose in everyone's heart, shocking countless people.
This oppression didn't come from anywhere else, but directly from the Heaven and Earth. It seemed as though their actions had enraged the Heaven and Earth, bringing about the wrath of Heaven and Earth. Everyone couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive due to this.
At this moment, the sound of dull thunder began to echo in the horizon, as if it was coming from a far-off place.
The next moment, a bright and dazzling electric light cut through the sky, bringing a hint of brightness to the originally dark and gloomy sky.
Boom!
A massive thunderbolt ruptured the arched sky, reminiscent of the chaotic divine thunder that created the heavens and earth from the chaos.
A magical moment appeared, countless dazzling stars appeared in the sky, dangling strings of starlight in a scattered yet orderly manner.
Upon seeing this, the Qingxu Daoist clasped his hands, murmuring words. He then threw several seals onto the Howling Moon Gray Wolf's body located at the centre of the altar. The wolf's body erupted with terrifying energy, rising to the sky and soaring straight into the clouds.
The boiling Blood Qi turned into wisps of cloud smoke, with half ascending to the sky, and the other half flowing down the stairway of Nine Layers of Heaven, and directly integrating into the earth.
The method of blood sacrifice, the sacrifice to Heaven and Earth.
Then, a change occurred in the sky. Starlight disappeared, and the sky became half dark and half bright, resembling the Tai Chi in chaos.
"Your Majesty!" Mr. Wu called out.
Zhu Houji, who had been lost in previous awe, immediately understood that it was time for him to act.
He once again held up the imperial jade seal, devoutly clasping it in his chest, lifting it high, and kneeling in homage to Heaven and Earth.
"A bow to the Heavenly Emperor…"
"Again, a bow to the Earth…"
Unknown ancient words filled with an ancient and wild sense flowed out from Mr. Wu who stood beside him.
After Zhu Houji's triple kneeling and nine bows ceremony was completed, he stood up, holding the imperial jade seal above his head, and loudly proclaimed:
"The Great Ming Dynasty sacrifices to the Heavenly Emperor and Earth. I, Zhu Houji, the Emperor of the Great Ming, prays for the Heavenly Mandate's favor, to rule all beings and the people, to spread peace throughout Heaven and Earth, to report…"
The carefully crafted worship text written by countless scholars was recited word for word, and with each word spoken, thunder shook the sky as if in response from Heaven and Earth.
With the reading of the worship text, infinite Qi Luck gathered, more and more, gradually dyeing the sky golden as if the entire Tiandu city was shrouded in golden Qi Luck.
Seeing such a majestic sea of golden Qi Luck, everyone was excited. They knew clearly, the more Qi Luck you gather, the greater the chance of success.
By now Zhu Houji had recited the worship text to its final stages, he called out loudly: "Today, the Great Ming Dynasty performs a sacrifice to Heaven and Earth. I, Zhu Houji, Emperor of Great Ming, pray for the Heaven and Earth's grant, to elevate to the Heavenly Dynasty and fill Great Ming with prosperity and wealth…"
Boom!
The moment these words were uttered, Heaven and Earth trembled. In the sky above, a thunderous sound resounded, echoing throughout the Divine Continent, and this earth-shaking rumble filled everyone's ears.
Boom!
Thunder constantly resounded in the sky, and the earth trembled, seemingly in response to his words.
Whoosh…
The next moment, countless golden lights fell from the sky, pouring down freely like rain. It first fell on the altar, then melded into the altar. Guided by the Qi Luck, the golden light flowed into the imperial jade seal held aloft by Zhu Houji, making the seal radiate with a dazzling golden luster.
This golden light wasn't just above Tiandu, but fell down across every piece of sky within the entire Great Ming Empire. At this moment, the Divine Continent had almost turned into a sea of gold, covered in a layer of golden light.
The golden light fell on the ground, disappeared immediately, sinking deep into the earth, and likewise vanished without a trace on people.
But everyone who bathed in the golden light felt tremendous changes in their bodies upon contact.
The ordinary folk, upon contact with the golden light, saw their sicknesses vanish, the lame were able to walk, the blind could see, the humpbacks straightened their backs, the mute could speak, the deaf could hear the outside world, and even the elder seemed much younger…
Martial Artists experienced the same, feeling their injuries disperse, their bottlenecks loosen, and some of them who were on the cusp of breaking through even advanced their realm on the spot. Especially those stuck at the peak of the first-grade, struggling to break through the Spirit Realm, they seemed to see a glimmer of hope to break through.
Powerful beings like Zhao Baiyang, who were at the Spirit Realm, benefitted the most. The golden light appeared incredibly mysterious to them, allowing them to understand the principles of Heaven and Earth more clearly…
The golden light in the sky grew increasingly dense. Above the altar, a dark bottomless hole seemed to have formed, attracting innumerable golden lights to converge around it, and emitting a mysterious atmosphere.
"The Golden Book and Jade Scroll are condensing, it seems that the promotion of Divine Dynasty is completed, but I wonder which grade of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll will be formed?" Mr. Wu looked at the sight, pondering in his heart.
From the moment he saw the Golden Book and Jade Scroll begin to condense, he knew that he had made the right bet. But as for which grade of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll would eventually form, no one could say for sure.
High, middle, and low grades each represented a vast difference. The cost to upgrade in the future would be extremely difficult.
Originally, according to some clues he knew, the level of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll was determined by the strength of the imperial dynasty. The stronger the dynasty, the greater the chance of obtaining a high-grade Golden Book and Jade Scroll.
By conventional logic, the Great Ming Empire, which was the most powerful force in the world at this time, should have a high chance of obtaining a high-grade Golden Book and Jade Scroll, or at least a middle-grade one.
However, at this moment Heaven and Earth had not yet recovered. The Great Ming Empire was strong, but there were not many strong individuals. Their strength was incomparable to those of the imperial dynasties that had ascended to the Divine Dynasty in the past. If it weren't for the changes in Heaven and Earth, their strength would not have been enough for the promotion to the Divine Dynasty.
So at this moment it was uncertain what level of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll they would obtain. Even a worldly-wise man like Mr. Wu was not completely sure.
"Well, seeing as I've already given so much, this isn't much more." He heaved a sigh, and between his hands there appeared an object.
A ball of Xuanhuang Qi, like a dense mist of mysterious yellow colour, hovered in the palm of his hand. It had no definite shape and was filled with a chaotic and ancient aura.
If any worldly-wise figure in the Sky Wasteland saw this object in Mr. Wu's hand, they would undoubtedly be shocked, because this was Xuanhuang Qi.
Xuanhuang Qi was said to be an extraordinary substance produced at the dawn of the Heaven and Earth, possessing miraculous properties. Whether used in refining tools or integrated into the body, it yields great benefits.
The original Xuanhuang Qi had already been used up during ancient times. Now, the substance referred to as Xuanhuang Qi is obtained by the strongest cultivators from the Nine Layers of Heaven through refining bizarre divine objects within chaos.
The main use of Xuanhuang Qi isn't anything else, but to open the Forbidden Place's Blessed Land, which for a cultivator is an extremely valuable divine object.
Therefore, this object, even in Sky Wasteland, would belong to the most top-notch divine items, that even the strongest beings from Nine Layers of Heaven would be moved by.
Nobody would imagine that such a divine object would be held by a seemingly ordinary Third-Level Spirit Realm Mr. Wu, and that he would take it out at this moment.
If people like Xue Hanyi saw it, they would certainly be stunned and more curious about the origin of the mysterious Mr. Wu who possesses such divine objects.
"You all must remember my sacrifice today." He chuckled towards Pei Xuanjing, without hesitation he tossed the Xuanhuang Qi into the golden light that was condensing the Golden Book and Jade Scroll.
This moment, it was like pouring oil on a mighty fire. The Xuanhuang Qi falling into that place caused the golden light to thrive even more, and the ancient desolate aura could no longer be concealed. Its transmission surprised countless people.
Pei Xuanjing and the others were initially shocked by Mr. Wu's actions, thinking he would destroy it. However, after hearing his words and seeing that the consolidation of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll was not disrupted but sped up, they immediately understood that he meant well.
Pei Xuanjing chuckled and nodded at Mr. Wu, acknowledging his sacrifice.
"Thank you, sir, I will never forget today's events!" Zhu Houji also promised out loud.
Today, it could be said that Zhu Houji benefitted the most. As the emperor of the Great Ming Empire and the one with the most Qi Luck, he had just experienced a surge of Qi Luck. Countless gold lights entered his body, reinforcing his muscles, bones, skin, organs, and marrow. He instantly broke through from the fourth-grade Mortal Realm of the Path of Qi Refinement to the third-grade Grandmaster Realm. Nothing could stop him from comprehending the true essence of martial arts required for a Grandmaster.
What's more mysterious is that his Divine Soul naturally transformed into a Yin Spirit. The Thunder Tribulation that was supposed to follow the transformation of the Yin Spirit disappeared without a trace. At this moment, he who was favored by Heaven and Earth would not experience the Thunder Tribulation.
In an instant, Zhu Houji felt as if he had merged with Heaven and Earth. Every word and action he took felt like the will of Heaven. Representing Heaven and enforcing the Heavenly Mandate, he felt an unprecedented strong power as if everything was under his control.
However, when his gaze turned to Pei Xuanjing, the pride in his heart vanished instantly. Even though Pei Xuanjing was simply standing there, he still gave Zhu Houji the impression of being unfathomably deep.
"I made such great gains by leveraging the ascension of the Divine Dynasty. What about Master Pei? His strength is far superior to mine, did he gain even more?" The thought floated up in Zhu Houji's mind.
Pei Xuanjing felt Zhu Houji's fleeting gaze but didn't think too much. Instead, he was carefully examining the changes in his own body.
Indeed, he had gained a lot from bathing in the golden light.
Firstly, with the baptism of the ascension of the Divine Dynasty, he successfully promoted his Yin Spirit Realm and broke through to the Spirit Realm Third Level.
Apart from that, the golden light re-refined the Primordial Qi in his body, making the connection with Heaven and Earth more intimate. This also allowed the Path of Qi Refinement to break through to the Spirit Realm Fifth Level.
As for his own body receiving the baptism, although it did not allow the Way of Essence Refinement to break through again, it only made the acupoints in his body stronger and the Blood Qi overflow again. Nevertheless, Pei Xuanjing was satisfied. After all, the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm is a significant realm. After stepping into this stage, in any era, it could be said that you are standing on the peak. It's not so easy to break through.
Moreover, he still had the most important thing to do. If the Way of Essence Refinement breaks through again this time, the balance of his incarnate essence, Qi, and spirit that he had just caught up with might be broken again. Thus, his path to the Golden Core Dao would be delayed again. This was the result that Pei Xuanjing didn't want to see.
Just as Pei Xuanjing was carefully considering his subsequent cultivation and waiting quietly for the Golden Book and Jade Scroll to consolidate completely, he was interrupted by a sudden voice.
"I thought the Ancestral Land had long been in decline, even after the resurrection of Heaven and Earth, it is just a bunch of weak people. The so-called Divine Dynasty Plan on the ground was just a fanciful dream."
"But I didn't expect this Golden Book and Jade Scroll to actually be consolidating. In that case, the ground Divine Dynasty Plan has really succeeded! I am so lucky. It seems that I am destined."
A group of people in shiny armor suddenly appeared outside the Tiandu city. The extraordinary aura emanating from their armor indicated these were not mere items. Furthermore, these people could stand in the air, which showed that they were at least in the Spirit Realm.
The leader was a strapping young man in a silver-white armor, standing in mid-air, holding a spear, his eyes burning with desire. The words just heard were clearly from him.
"Protect the Golden Book and Jade Scroll, these people are likely to have ill intentions," whispered the Daoist Qingxu.
The Golden Book and Jade Scroll is a heavenly gift, the treasure conferred by Heaven and Earth to the Divine Dynasty.
However, this does not signify that it necessarily belongs to the Divine Dynasty; it can be robbed, even by fellow imperial courts. If the Golden Book and Jade Scroll are plundered, they can utilize the vast Qi Luck.
Therefore, the silver-armored man covets the Golden Book and Jade Scroll. If he could seize it, it would surely be a considerable harvest.
"Where does this madman come from? So arrogant!" Zhu Yousong, the Prince of Xiang standing at the foot of the altar, leaped into the air, shouting angrily.
At this moment, as the emperor, Zhu Houji naturally couldn't speak first. But as both the royal family and the imperial court present in Tiandu under the gaze of everyone, have yet to speak, Pei Xuanjing and others, as outsiders, also didn't find it proper to interfere. Among the many powerful people present, it was only Zhu Yousong who was best suited.
Zhu Yousong, having leveraged the golden light of the Divine Dynasty's ascension, also stepped into the Spirit Realm Third Level. He was full of vigor and believed that as long as the Divine Dynasty continued to bless him with Qi Luck over a long period, he would be able to make further advancements in his cultivation journey.
However, a stranger suddenly popped up and wanted to steal the Golden Book and Jade Scroll from the Divine Dynasty. This was practically ruining Zhu Yousong's cultivation; how could he not be irate?
The valiant-looking silver-armored man glanced at Zhu Yousong, who had stepped forward, but did not bother to reply. A mere third level of the Spirit Realm, merely a cultivator who just broke through, was not worth his response.
One of his black-armored guards angrily retorted, "Ignorant fellow! You dare to offend the prince, go find death!"
The black-armored guard even drew his sword, swinging it down at Zhu Yousong without pause. The freezing sword aura spread all over, like a galaxy pouring down from the sky.
Having made such a move, he showed no signs of concealing his momentum; he was utterly dismissive of everyone, not even caring for the lives of ordinary citizens of Tiandu.
His attitude angered many powerful people in Tiandu, as he was being too arrogant.
Zhu Yousong was also irritated by his dismissive attitude. As a prince of the Great Ming Empire, aside from the slightly embarrassing fight he had with Pei Xuanjing, whether it was against Zhao Baiyang or Xue Wuheng, he was fearless.
The dictatorial and dismissive attitude of the man was making Zhu Yousong angry. Normally, he was the one treating people like this, never had someone treated him the same way.
Bang!
Zhu Yousong exploded all his momentum. The surging river of Blood Qi rose to the sky, and with a punch, serial bursts of sound echoed in the air, as if the air itself was going to be blown apart.
With a punch, the force of the punch seemed to transform into a roaring golden dragon. Carrying the imperial aura of a ruler to who all beasts kneel, it strived to suppress all.