Chapter 478
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Chapter 478: The Difference Between Immortals and Mortals
Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock.
On the official road, dust was flying as two magnificent horses galloped by, their hooves making a rhythmic sound.
This caught the attention of many passersby, who praised them in admiration.
Both horses were pure white, running like the wind, with no trace of any other color, clearly indicating their high value; their riders were either rich or noble.
The two riders were the Founding Emperor Yan and the young Emperor Wuping, who had changed into casual clothes for the journey.
"Ancestor… why are we choosing this moment to go to the Great Dao Sect?" Emperor Wuping asked, looking a bit nervous.
For many years, during the powerful Immortal Gate, he had hardly left the royal city, let alone traveled from the Imperial Capital.
During Emperor Yonghe’s rule, the Immortal Gate was a prestigious guest, and even princes had to be careful during outings; and now that he was on the throne, the conflict between immortals and mortals had flared up again, making it even harder to leave the palace.
This experience of being taken out of the palace by Founding Emperor Yan is the first time.
Founding Emperor Yan’s expression was cold as water.
After talking with Qiao Shuangtu several times, he fully understood the other’s feelings.
So after that drink, he took Emperor Wuping out of the palace.
"Qiao Shuangtu is at the peak of martial arts in the world, regarded as the strongest human. In the past six months, wherever he goes, even the Immortal Gate must retreat and hide from his sharpness."
Founding Emperor Yan said:
"The Great Dao Sect was once the leader among the Nine Immortal Gates, and now it is the last Immortal Gate in Jiu Province."
"After six months, Qiao Shuangtu suddenly decided to visit the Great Dao Sect, which clearly had a purpose: he must have a way to deal with the Great Dao Sect’s Mountain Protection Formation."
"So… regarding the next matter."
He turned his head and gazed at his descendants, many generations removed:
"The peak of martial arts in the human world has come to the last Immortal Gate; the outcome of this battle, whether victory or defeat, will dramatically change the landscape of Jiu Province."
"The peace of the past six months will either be completely shattered starting today or perhaps there will be another chance… it all depends on this day."
"Child, since you are the Emperor, you are the ruler of Jiu Province."
Founding Emperor Yan slowed his tone and said seriously:
"Even if you cannot go to the battlefield, you should still see and witness it with your own eyes."
Emperor Wuping’s face turned slightly pale, and he instinctively tightened his grip on the reins, clearly feeling a wave of anxiety rising within him.
He had not practiced martial arts when he was still a prince.
Due to his high status, he did not need to practice martial arts, and besides, practicing would ultimately be of no use.
Only after inheriting the throne did he begin to practice martial arts under the watchful eye of the great warrior, Founding Emperor Yan, and after a few years, he barely managed to develop some internal strength.
So he also knew that with his martial skills, even just watching from afar on the battlefield would be a great risk… even with Founding Emperor Yan watching beside him.
He only moved his lips a few times but ultimately said nothing.
"Since our ancestor has said this, then I should take a good look," Emperor Wuping replied seriously.
Founding Emperor Yan made a small sound of approval, his gaze slightly appreciative.
He knew that if Emperor Yonghe or any other princes of Emperor Yonghe came, even with him guarding, they would not personally take the risk.
"You do have some spirit… but you must remember, just because I didn’t ask you to come, doesn’t mean you have to."
Founding Emperor Yan spoke.
At this moment, more shapes appeared on the official road ahead, all showcasing their lightness of foot, gently touching the ground with their toes as they swept past on the journey.
Among them, there are quite a few skilled martial artists, their speed comparable to that of a fine horse.
"These must also be martial artists from Jiu Province who have come after hearing the news," said Founding Emperor Yan casually.
"The Qiao family member’s actions have not gone unnoticed; when the sky shows an extraordinary sight with a rainbow spanning the sun, it is only normal for people to come after hearing the news—no need to pay too much attention to it—"
As soon as he finished speaking, Founding Emperor Yan’s gaze sharpened as it landed on a small hill. He raised his hand to pull the reins, slowing his horse’s pace.
Founding Emperor Yan was once the leader of martial arts three hundred years ago, and even in the present day, he is a dominant figure in the martial arts world. Ordinary martial artists do not attract his interest.
What catches his special attention is certainly not ordinary martial artists…
The group on the small hill was different from the other wandering heroes; their aura was distinct.
There were those dressed in long scholar robes, some with skin like stone and standing over two meters tall, and others with a single eye opened in the middle of their forehead, gazing intently into the distance.
"Indeed, the rise and fall of the world cannot escape the watchful eyes of the Tide Listening Building. For such a grand event, the people from Tide Listening Building will naturally appear, but—"
Emperor Yan’s gaze shifted ahead of these people.
Standing at the front of the crowd in the Tide Listening Building was a handsome young scholar.
He was none other than Nian Chao Sheng, the owner of the Tide Listening Building.
"Is this the owner of the Tide Listening Building, Nian Chao Sheng?" thought Emperor Yan, feeling a stir in his heart.
The Tide Listening Building has existed longer than the Great Yan Imperial Court, and even he, a being of eternal life, has never seen the true face of the landlord of the Tide Listening Building.
This person is as elusive as a dragon, very mysterious, and has long stayed in the shadows.
Yet, at this moment, he finally made an appearance.
Emperor Yan had this thought.
At this moment, Emperor Yan’s heart suddenly tightened, and he looked up at the sky.
Suddenly, a thunderous sound echoed from afar, and the Great Dao Sect began to emerge from the thick mist.
The clouds in the sky twisted like a whirlpool, and a figure appeared above the clouds.
Such a strange phenomenon, even without a master like Founding Emperor Yan, could instinctively evoke a strong sense of danger and pressure.
"The Great Dao Sect still has a Supreme Elder at the Tao Achieving Stage alive?"
Nian Chao Sheng, the master of the Tide Listening Building, furrowed his brow quietly at this moment.
While the other martial artists were still confused, his figure turned into a wisp of smoke and disappeared in an instant.
"Did he leave?" Founding Emperor Yan also frowned deeply.
The guests from the martial world, aside from those in the Tide Listening Building, actually came because of the unbeatable Qiao Shuangtu.
These martial artists knew very little about the ways of immortal cultivators.
Only the landlord Nian Chao Sheng of the Tide Listening Building, unlike pure martial artists, revealed the identity of the figure in the sky with just one sentence…
"The Supreme Elder of the Great Dao Sect?" The Founding Emperor Yan’s brow furrowed.
………………..
"Ancestor….."
"Patriarch Lingyuan has finally appeared!"
"Our Great Dao Sect still has a foundation, still has a foundation! How can we let mere mortals run wild!"
When Patriarch Lingyuan appeared, the Great Dao Sect cultivators were almost in tears.
The past six months have been so difficult!
Members of the Qiao family must guard the entrance of the Great Dao Sect and cannot leave; those who leave cannot return.
It should be time to go into seclusion, but the incense offerings to the Daoist temple have been removed by the Qiao family, and the foundation has been hollowed out by them.
In the past six months, all they could do was watch their hard-earned spiritual power continue to fade away in the cave.
The experience of secluding oneself, like Elder Qingzhuo, from the Nascent Soul Stage to the Golden Core Stage, is something no one wants to try.
This experience truly makes these cultivators feel worse than death.
But now, it is different.
Patriarch Lingyuan is an ancient figure who appears only in the portraits of ancestors at the sect’s main peak.
Since the great upheaval of the heavens and earth, and the chaos of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, no Tao Achieving Stage cultivator has emerged from Jiu Province.
"Please, ancestor, take action and subdue the Qiao family demon!"
"Please, Patriarch Lingyuan, take action!"
Amidst the uncontrollable shouts of emotions, Qiao Mu also looked up at the sky.
His eyes widened slightly, and the corners of his mouth lifted instinctively, as if something inside him suddenly opened.
Qiao Mu stared with wide eyes and a broad smile, seeming even more eager and excited than the Great Dao Sect cultivators, striding confidently into the Great Dao Sect’s gate.
With each step, he seemed to grow taller and stronger, his solid muscles resembling armor wrapped around him, his figure gradually rising to three meters high.
"Well said!"
"Come! Let’s fight!"
He raised his hand and pulled.
Suddenly, his enormous hand tore down the Great Dao Sect’s sign, and in an instant, the bright light shattered, crushed by his grip.
"For the prosperity of this immortal path, I will slay Qiao Shuangtu!" he said with a grin.
At this moment, Qiao Mu looked up at the sky, and his eyes seemed to shine with a dazzling light.
The greatest mystery of the Immortal Gate finally revealed the ancestor from the Cave Heaven Small World.
This also means…
After experiencing more than ten thousand years.
At this moment, he finally saw where the end was.
At this moment, his true strength overflowed, and wherever he looked, the air twisted and burst with a sharp sword light.
"This young man…" Patriarch Lingyuan, who had just stepped out of the small world, appeared quite calm.
He slightly lifted his eyelids, and his robe shimmered, surrounding him with a treasure light that blocked the incoming sharp sword light.
He glanced at Qiao Mu and then at the nine flesh clones behind him, all looking very similar, and his expression rippled with surprise.
"Don’t rush," he said slowly.
"After the decline of spiritual energy, the Long Life Gate secretly guides a path for ordinary people in the world of martial arts, in order to create a new route to longevity."
"Qiao Shuangtu, you have practiced the path of ordinary martial arts to an unprecedented level in this world with thin spiritual energy, which is indeed quite remarkable."
"But you must also understand… the paths in this world are not just castles in the air; they are built on the shoulders of those who came before."
He paused and said slowly, "Under the heavens, there is nothing new."
"So what?" Qiao Mu squinted his eyes.
"Did you know…" Patriarch Lingyuan began to speak:
"In ancient times, there was actually another lineage of ancient Body Refiners in the realm of immortals, coexisting alongside us Qi Refiners."
"Body Refiners train the physical body, and some call them body cultivators, but this lineage is simply not common in this world." Patriarch Lingyuan continued:
"But whether one is a Body Refiner or a Qi Refinement person, they ultimately seek the same goal: the path to immortality."
"And you, along with your Qiao family members." Patriarch Lingyuan’s gaze fell upon Qiao Mu and the flesh clone and others.
"I have heard that mortals call us cultivators ‘inhuman,’ but to be honest…" Patriarch Lingyuan’s eyes landed on Qiao Mu’s towering figure, about three meters tall, and his gaze shifted as he spoke.
"Qiao Shuangtu, do you truly think you can still be called a mortal?"
"What do you want to say?" Qiao Mu listened with a blank expression.
"It is hard for mortals to live past sixty years; reaching a hundred marks them as extraordinary."
"And how could your unparalleled, invincible martial arts possibly be developed in just a few decades?" Patriarch Lingyuan smiled as he said.
"You have long surpassed mortals; if we are considered ‘inhuman,’ then how can you still be regarded as a mortal?"
"Qiao Shuangtu!" Patriarch Lingyuan suddenly shouted, his voice booming like thunder, echoing all around.
"Don’t pretend to be an ordinary person anymore; your true nature has long been different from these worldly beings. Where in this world are there ‘ordinary people’ who are three meters tall and can change their shape at will?"
This voice echoed around, sounding like rolling thunder.
It was not a metaphor; when he spoke, dark clouds had already covered the sky and the earth.
As the words were spoken, a twisting lightning split apart the heavy clouds, and the deafening sound of thunder shook the surroundings.
Not to mention Qiao Mu.
Even Elder Qingzhuo of the Great Dao Sect and the martial artists watching from afar outside the Great Dao Sect’s mountain gate felt in their hearts…
Well, this statement actually makes some sense.
Patriarch Lingyuan quietly watched Qiao Mu.
After returning to the human world, his power faded with each breath, yet he displayed a strange calmness and great patience.
"Qiao Shuangtu."
"Your martial arts skills, as a member of the Qiao family, truly have unique qualities. In this world where spiritual energy is thin, even the past Nine Heavenly Immortal Gates must avoid your brilliance." Patriarch Lingyuan said slowly.
"A member of the Qiao family is already unmatched by any Immortal Gate in the world, but… if you look further ahead, where will your martial arts journey take you? How will you cultivate, how will you achieve immortality, and how will you break through to ascend?"
As Patriarch Lingyuan spoke, a gentle smile appeared on his lips as he pointed casually.
The dark clouds transformed back into pure white, gathering as he pointed, forming step after step of a heavenly staircase, ending at Qiao Mu.
"Today’s Qiao family can become the tenth ‘Martial Immortal Gate’ beyond the Nine Heavens and stand side by side with us."
"At that time, you and I will both be friends on the path. Even the ancient texts left by the True Immortals among the Nine Heavenly Immortal Gates can be exchanged."
Upon hearing this, everyone was astonished.
Not only the wanderers of the martial world, but even the cultivators of the Great Dao Sect did not expect that those words would come from the mouth of Patriarch Lingyuan, who hailed from the small world.
Qiao Mu also showed a different color.
"My Qiao family has destroyed several Immortal Gates," Qiao Mu said with surprise.
"Many cultivators from the Great Dao Sect have also died at the hands of my Qiao family, including the current leader of your Great Dao Sect…"
Before he could finish speaking, Patriarch Lingyuan waved his hand to interrupt him.
"I have said before, under this vast sky, there are no new things. What has happened will happen again, and what has been done will be done again."
"Since ancient times, this world has seen as many as nineteen great Immortal Gates that have produced True Immortals."
"As time changes and the world transforms, the once Nine Heavens and Ten Earths have fought against each other in several upheavals, leading to the destruction of half of them. Among these, several Immortal Gates perished at the hands of my Great Dao Sect. In recent years, nearly half have also been destroyed… This is nothing new."
"Qiao Shuangtu, the mutual fighting between Immortal Gates is a normal state of affairs. The struggle for life and death has been an unchanging rule since ancient times."
Patriarch Lingyuan said slowly:
"Whether it is a sect or a family, the so-called ‘blood feud’ is merely a forced explanation by ordinary people. As extraordinary practitioners like us, why should we indulge in it?"
"Let go of attachments and desires, and hold only a heart directed towards the path; this is the way of cultivation for us practitioners."
"If we indulge in the desires of ordinary people, we will experience much joy and sorrow on the path of immortality. Why must we seek our own chains and set our own shackles?"
