The Dark and Mysterious Realm is the small world of the Mysterious Heaven Pavilion. The True Gang Sect's "Gang Dou World," the Great Zen Temple's "Qiankun Bag," the Creation Dao's "Creation Gourd," the Supreme Dao's "Eternal Kingdom," and Yang Pan's "Creation Boat" are all small worlds. However, worlds vary in size and strength; some can be carried around, while others are fixed in place.
"Hehe, you're no good, Ba. I'll leave this Xuan Tian Pavilion Master to you. If I don't obtain the Dark Star, this man will serve as your furnace for repairing the Heavenly Demon God-Slaying Technique. Heavenly Serpent King, I wish to cooperate with you!" Jiang Liu said with a light smile, looking at those eyes full of stars.
"You..." The Xuan Tian Pavilion Master was about to speak when the demonic ape grabbed him and took him away with a sinister grin.
The Heavenly Serpent King sighed and looked at Jiang Liu, saying, "I hope you keep your word, and I hope that after you obtain the Dark Star, my husband will be safe and sound."
"A person cannot stand without integrity. I wouldn't even look at someone who has just undergone a minor fifth-level tribulation. Please!"
With a simple "please," Jiang Liu grabbed the Heavenly Serpent Dynasty and headed towards the Yunmeng Empire. The Xuantian Pavilion was the Yunmeng Empire's premier holy site.
Jiang Liu, Qingdi, and Shifo went together, which was enough to show respect to that Dark Emperor Daoist!
With the Heavenly Serpent King leading the way, they went straight into the interior of the Xuan Tian Pavilion. They passed through countless layers of forbidden spells and mazes until they entered a hall shrouded in the power of faith.
Looking at the vast and majestic temple, the Heavenly Serpent King said, "This is the entrance to the Dark and Mysterious Realm, guarded by the Four Great Gods. To enter, one must first pass the test of the Four Great Gods, and I am no exception!"
"We haven't disturbed the gods of Xuantian Pavilion, Heavenly Serpent King, thank you, let's go in!" The Azure Emperor smiled lightly, then stretched out his lotus-root-like little hand and pushed open the heavy door of the temple.
Throughout the hall, statues of deities were carved, including Mahakala, the Destroyer, Lakshmi, and Ullambana.
In the very center is a Taoist priest, the form of which is unknown. He is pitch black and surrounded by a thick black light, and only his vague shape can be seen.
Below the Taoist priest, there is a memorial tablet with the two characters "Xuantian" on it.
"This is the fundamental Dao Venerable of the Xuantian Pavilion, the Xuantian Dao Venerable."
The Azure Emperor stared intently at the Daoist Venerable, seemingly sensing something. He too cultivated the path of becoming a god through incense offerings, making him extremely sensitive to the power of faith. In an instant, five halos appeared behind his head, rippled slightly, and enveloped the entire temple.
Strange syllables were uttered from the Azure Emperor's mouth, and then a beam of azure light pierced through the black-glowing Daoist.
"Haha... The faith that Xuantian Pavilion has accumulated over thousands of years is indeed powerful. I have condensed another halo, but... alas! I can only condense the Dark Rules now. The Rules of Withering and Flourishing that I need will have to wait until later... condense!"
In an instant, another halo appeared behind the Azure Emperor's head, dark and deep, covered with strange patterns and characters.
"This seed of supernatural power is called Xuan!"
Xuan means black! This circle of light emanates from the source of darkness, which devoured and digested the faith power of Xuantian Pavilion. In an instant, the Azure Emperor comprehended most of the divine abilities of Xuantian Pavilion.
Chapter 216 The Dark and Mysterious Realm
"Who is gathering the power of the Xuan Tian faith!"
A violent and ferocious voice suddenly appeared in the temple, and then the grotesque Black Heaven Demon God came to life.
Immediately afterward, Jixiangtian and Youletian also appeared, their brows furrowed and their eyes cold as they looked at the crowd in the hall. Only Zizaitian's God of Destruction did not appear; he had been destroyed by Qingdi's "Seven Kills." Although he was formed from faith and had no physical body, the power of the Seven Kills penetrated directly into his soul, destroying even his divine soul.
Although one can be resurrected through faith, it takes time to reassemble. Moreover, even if one is successfully reborn, one will no longer be the same great god of destruction as before, since the soul of the previous god of destruction has been destroyed.
That auspicious goddess was a plump, fair-skinned girl with two pairs of pure white wings on her back, a halo above her head, and an incredibly cute appearance. Upon seeing her, one immediately felt a sense of good fortune, peace, and happiness. However, her power far surpassed that of the God of Destruction. A goddess who bestows peace and happiness naturally gains more faith than a god of death. And the amount of faith one receives directly determines the strength of one's power.
Youletian, on the other hand, is a four-armed woman, holding a zither, a drum, a flute, and a bell. This woman is exquisitely beautiful; with the slightest vibration of her instruments, she produces endlessly beautiful sounds. Within this dreamlike music lies immense power.
Who are you?
"Heavenly Serpent King, you have betrayed the Xuan Tian Dao Venerable! You actually led outsiders to the Ancestral Temple..."
The Black Demon God was shocked: "You actually absorbed most of his faith! Damn it, we are no match for him... Quickly pass this information to the Dark Emperor Daoist!"
"We can't leave!" On the Qingdi's childlike face, the dark, incomparably smoky aura of the Xuantian Daozun appeared.
"The Dark Mandala Womb Realm Barrier?!" Jixiangtian's chubby face was filled with shock.
The Azure Emperor immediately unleashed the Xuan Tian Pavilion's strongest sealing technique, a divine power he gained by absorbing the faith of the Xuan Tian Dao Venerable. Now, the Xuan Tian Pavilion, one of the six holy lands, was laid bare before the Azure Emperor, revealing many of its secret techniques and divine abilities. Furthermore, the Dark Mandala Womb Realm Great Barrier was a supreme Dao technique on par with the Supreme Dao Cosmic Extreme God Bell and the Tower of the Universe, no less powerful than the Three Scriptures of the Past, Present, and Future.
When this kind of Taoist technique is used by a powerful figure like the Azure Emperor, it is brought to its fullest potential.
The Heavenly Serpent King closed his eyes in anguish, gritting his teeth as he said, "I've let a wolf into the house. Without the four great deities guarding it, the Xuan Tian Pavilion is now a dead body..."
The Azure Emperor withdrew the "Dark Mandala Womb Realm Barrier," condensing it into a black mandala flower in his palm. Sealed within were the three deities. He laughed, "Don't worry, I won't let the Xuan Tian Pavilion be destroyed. My Qianlong Temple is still lacking a branch in Yunmeng. Why not join the Qianlong Temple? These three deities are sealed by me. Once we obtain the Dark Star, we will release them."
Then, with a flick of his finger, a point of black light enveloped the river and the stone Buddha, and the three of them disappeared into the temple.
Then, the three stepped into a vast, pitch-black world. This was the Lesser Thousand Worlds of the Xuan Tian Pavilion, the Dark and Mysterious Realm!
As soon as it appeared, a powerful magical force seemed to sense Jiang Liu and his group and scanned them. However, the Azure Emperor used a clever trick to hide himself in the darkness, and the magical force, not sensing anything unusual, withdrew.
"The Dark Emperor's aura! In that direction! I killed his clone with a single blow earlier, and I sensed the aura of his true form." The Stone Buddha sniffed and grinned maliciously.
This world was devoid of any light, only endless, dense darkness; the eyes could see nothing. Even extending one's divine sense felt like falling into a pool of ink, unable to perceive anything.
This is a truly dark land, a dark world created by the ancient Yang God powerhouse "Xuan," the foundation of Xuan Tian Pavilion, the source of power, and a sacred place for cultivation. Darkness is supposed to be evil, but the dense dark true energy permeating this place doesn't give people the slightest feeling of unease. Instead, it evokes a sense of peace, harmony, tranquility, and a place for recuperation.
"Yin gives rise to Yang, and Yang gives rise to Yin. This dark land is so dense that it nourishes the soul. The methods of the ancient Yang God Xuan are indeed powerful." In a daze, Jiang Liu felt as if he had entered the primordial egg before the creation of heaven and earth, seemingly nurturing innate true energy and the primordial energy before heaven and earth.
"The six sacred sites are all extraordinary. There is a special mystery in this darkness. Legend has it that the universe was born from a single point, and then the Big Bang occurred, and the universe was conceived in the darkness... There is a feeling of the early days of the universe here!"
Jiang Liu quietly pondered for a while before speaking.
"The Abbot has gained another insight? The Three Realms Primordial Energy Cannon of the Primordial Energy God simulates the sound of an explosion when a planet's lifespan is exhausted. Now that this matter is over, we can take a look. Only the Abbot's innate Dao body can comprehend this great mystery of the universe's birth and collapse. I cannot comprehend it!" Although the Azure Emperor seized the Xuan Tian Faith and obtained the Dark Divine Power, he still found it difficult to comprehend this great mystery of the universe's birth.
"Let's go! Let's meet the Dark Emperor and see what Xuan's strongest magic weapon, 'Dark Star,' looks like."
Just as the three entered the Dark Mystic Realm, a powerful surge of magical energy swept across the darkness, seemingly sensing something amiss at the entrance and attempting to investigate. However, the Azure Emperor, possessing dark supernatural powers, immediately blocked it. The moment the three moved, that magical energy struck again.
“Master, once we make a move, we can’t avoid the Dark Emperor’s detection. I cultivate the supernatural powers of the Great Zen Temple, so I am considered a successor of ‘Zen.’ ‘Zen’ is a disciple of the ancient Holy Emperor ‘Yuan.’ ‘Yuan’ and ‘Xuan’ represent light and darkness, respectively. Today will be a battle between light and darkness. I can no longer suppress my fighting spirit…”
Jiang Liu also sneered and said, "Then let's fight... With the three of us going out together, are we afraid of the little Dark Emperor?"
"Fight!" The six rays of light behind the Azure Emperor's head expanded and contracted like breathing.
"Boundless light, boundless flames, the blazing sun burns the heavens!"
In an instant, scorching pure white flames erupted from the stone Buddha's body, the flames soaring into the sky, transforming into a divine Buddha in the endless darkness!
This deity no longer possesses the form of Vairocana Buddha, but rather a formless form, seemingly encompassing all gods and Buddhas. One could call it Amitabha Buddha, Tathagata Buddha, Maitreya Buddha, a river, or even a monkey.
As this Dharma image appeared, boundless light burst forth, dispelling the endless darkness! The once peaceful darkness immediately erupted in fury.
Light and darkness are always opposites; to merge them into one is extremely difficult. Even in the Tai Chi symbol, where white contains black and black contains white, the distinction between them remains clear. Darkness can envelop light, and light can dispel darkness, but true fusion can only occur in the primordial chaos before the birth of heaven and earth.
Heaven and earth separated, and light and darkness have been eternally opposed.
Waaaaaah... Waaaaah...
Water and fire are incompatible, light and darkness cannot coexist. In an instant, a huge dark vortex appeared in the void, condensing into countless yakshas, demons, asuras, demon gods, black knives, black spears, black arrows, black snakes, black wolves, and other ferocious beasts and weapons, surging and rushing forward, emitting eerie laughter that rose and fell, trying to completely devour the radiant stone Buddha.
"You worthless demons and monsters, disperse!"
With a roar, the violent blood energy swept out along with the boundless light, and the yakshas and demons exploded and dissipated.
As the power of the stone Buddha was unleashed, the entire world was finally revealed to the eye.
Darkness remained darkness, but within it, a star appeared—the supreme treasure of the ancient Yang God, "Xuan," known as "Dark Star," was revealed before them! This was a pitch-black star, rotating on its own like a planet. There were no rivers, no flowers, no trees, only dense darkness upon the entire star.
However, the darkness on the stars, once it emerged, formed thick black clouds like land, capable of supporting and inhabiting people, allowing them to cultivate and live on it, essentially a small middle-thousand world.
This star, though called a star, is actually quite small. It's larger than any planet, even a satellite. It's a star shrunk countless times, a miniature star, the size of only one province. On this dark star stand rows of pitch-black palaces, seemingly real yet unreal.
"Dark Emperor, come on, let's have a showdown! Let's see if you can withstand one blow from my staff!" The Stone Buddha roared, raising his stone staff.
In an instant, a Taoist priest with flowing sleeves and a dark gold crown appeared before the palace on the "Dark Star." He wore a robe of darkness and stood on the dark clouds of the "Dark Star," seemingly merging with the entire star and becoming one with the "Dark Star."
"It's you! That monkey who destroyed my clone, how dare you come to my Dark Mystic Realm! You're courting death! Where is the Great Black Heaven?"
There was complete silence in the darkness, not a sound to be heard.
"Youletian, Jixiangtian!" the Dark Emperor Daoist shouted twice more, but no one answered.
"Dark Emperor, no need to call me 'little brother' anymore. I've already captured them all!" A dark mandala appeared in the Azure Emperor's palm, containing the images of the three great deities: Black Heaven Demon God, Youle Tian, and Jixiang Tian. However, they were sealed and unable to escape.
"Ah... Dark Mandala Womb Realm Barrier! You actually used the divine power of my Xuantian Pavilion to seal the Xuantian God..."
The Dark Emperor Daoist didn't waste any more words. Rolling black clouds surged, and ancient and long incantations emanated from his body.
"Mysterious Demon of Xuandu, eternal darkness, eternal night spirit! Come forth!"
The Eternal Night Primordial Spirit is not merely a divine soul or thought; it is essentially the same as the primordial spirit cultivated by Jiang Liu, sharing a similar essence. When the Xuan Tian Daoist arts are refined to their ultimate level, the qi, blood, physical body, and soul unite, completing a transformation that results in an unparalleled divine power. If the "Eternal Night Primordial Spirit" were to truly condense into a physical form, it would become a "Yang Spirit."
Chapter 217 One Blow Destroys the World
Dark Star!
The Primordial Mysterious Heavenly Dao Venerable's natal magic weapon, even the Primordial Emperor was extremely wary of this dark star.
"Yuan" and "Xuan" are mortal enemies, two great Yang God masters who are almost irreconcilable. One is light, the other darkness, naturally opposed. Although "Xuan Tian Dao Zun" has never been a Holy Emperor, his magical power is by no means weak, and he is even on par with Pan Huang.
If this "Dark Star" were driven by a powerhouse at the Yang God realm, it would truly be unstoppable, killing gods and Buddhas alike. Unless it were a king of divine artifacts like the Creation Ship or the Eternal Kingdom, no one could stand in its way.
It's a pity that even at his peak, the Dark Emperor only possessed the strength of the eighth level of the Thunder Tribulation. Thousands of years ago, he perished alongside the God of War, "Shang." Now, he has only been able to regenerate his soul by borrowing the dark power of the "Dark Star," and he cannot actually control the "Dark Star" at all; he can only wield these dark true energies!
Even so, the Eternal Night Primordial Spirit, wielding layers of darkness, was able to contend with the boundless light emanating from the stone Buddha, subtly exerting a sense of oppression.
With the right timing, location, and people, the Dark Emperor Daoist possessed the advantage of location, allowing him to freely utilize the boundless dark power of this "Dark Mysterious Realm," which was inexhaustible.
However, the timing and the people's support were on Jiang Liu's side. In terms of timing, the Dark Emperor Daoist had just been revived by the "Dark Star," possessing only his soul and not yet possessing another body. His clone had been killed by the monkey's staff, leaving him with no way to escape. Moreover, he was all alone, so he naturally lacked the support of the people's support.
The monkey raised his large club, a sneer appearing on his pointed, monkey-faced maniac: "Dark Emperor, show me your true skills, or I'll send you to the Western Paradise with one blow!"
"Arrogant monkey, as long as the Dark Star exists, I will not perish. As long as darkness endures, I will live forever." The Dark Emperor Daoist didn't waste any more words, and runes accompanied by mysterious and ancient incantations emanated from his body.
"...Thus have I heard. At one time, the Xuan Tian Dao Venerable preached the Dao at the edge of the Dark Ancient Universe during the Cambrian Era, spreading darkness..."
On the Qingdi's youthful face, his brows furrowed, and then he actually withdrew the sixth dark halo, exclaiming in shock, "This is the Xuandu Secret Demon Great Dark Curse. I have only heard of it. It can mobilize all dark power. I am not as good as him in the cultivation of dark power. The dark halo will be controlled by him. Withdrawing it will make it harmless."
The Dark Emperor Daoist was a disciple of the Yang God "Xuan," an epic among epics, a master among masters, comparable to the philosophers of the Middle Ages. His methods were endless, and he wielded divine powers with ease. With a single move, even the Azure Emperor was wary of him.
Before they had even truly clashed, he had already broken through thirty percent of the Azure Emperor's magical power. The Azure Emperor, however, was using his magical power to suppress the halo, preventing the power of darkness from being taken away.
Seeing that the monkey was about to start a big fight, Jiang Liu stopped him, saying, "Stone Buddha, wait a moment. I have just mastered a new sword technique. Let's test it out on him."
In an instant, Jiang Liu flicked his sleeve, sending out five sword pellets. As soon as the pellets were released, sword energy filled the sky, with the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, and the five colors and five lights, filling the void.
"The five elements alone cannot harm you; witness my five elements united as one, endlessly regenerating. Condense!"
With a shout of "Condense," the five sword auras merged together, condensing into a chaotic aura, within which sword energy crisscrossed.
"go!"