348 - It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists

**Title**: The Real Protagonists, Chapter 348 **Author**: ccc The assembly of priestesses, praying devoutly before the goddess statue, slowly lifted their heads, eyes filled with a mixture of awe and fear. This statue, depicting the first goddess of the Southern Wilderness's sacred grounds, was steeped in legend. It was said that she had ascended to the celestial realm after achieving enlightenment, existing beyond the mortal world. Generations of priestesses had prayed faithfully before her—yet, never had the statue reacted so intensely. Deep within the cathedral, an effigy of an evil deity opened its eyes silently, gazing profoundly in a particular direction. After a pause, it inhaled deeply and murmured to itself, "The coordinates of the path to enlightenment... they lie within the Two Instruments Sect." --- **Scene**: Two Instruments Sect, Tianhe Courtyard. Yao Meng, who was in meditation, sensed something and opened her eyes, her green gaze focusing on the direction of the Two Instruments Peak, a glimmer of uncertainty flashing across them. Could it be that the path to immortality has emerged...? Moreover... Yao Meng squinted slightly, seemingly feeling an eerily familiar aura within this path to immortality. **Chapter 316**: The End of the Immortal Path... is Mu Zhian! From ancient times, the concept of the Celestial Court has circulated among cultivators. Many only know it as the realm of immortals, unaware that the Celestial Court and the Immortal Realm are one and the same place. Most cultivators dedicate their lives to this pursuit, aiming to ascend and step into the Immortal Realm. The reason is simple: in the Nine Provinces, only one cultivator can achieve union with the Dao per generation, but in the Celestial Court, multiple beings can coexist in this enlightened state per era. Moreover, even when two great powers achieve such unity, the world’s laws remain unchanged, allowing others to continue their cultivation. The spiritual energy in the Celestial Court is incredibly dense too. For ordinary people, survival is difficult due to the potent mix of energy in the air, which they cannot assimilate, nor can they breathe it. The Celestial Court is thus a paradise for cultivators but an intimidating place that mortals dare not tread. The first demon emperor spent his life seeking to enter the Celestial Court, but ironically, it was only after his death that the immortal path appeared. To put it differently, the emergence of the Celestial Era — heralded by the demise of the first demon emperor — allowed the immortal path to manifest. Only amid the age of immortals could the path to ascend emerge. At this instant, within the Two Instruments Peak, a faintly glowing celestial stairway appeared in their sight. Upon hearing the news, numerous cultivators gathered, eyes burning with fervor at the sight of this path to enlightenment. The pursuit of this path is the lifelong goal for innumerable cultivators, yet here it was, materializing right before their eyes! Were it not for the shred of reason holding them back, someone might have already rushed onto the path. "Is there someone at the end of this path?" a voice wondered aloud—a voice laced with surprise and disbelief, yet beneath, hidden awe and reverence. The speaker was Lin Yuan, a sacred son of the East Continent Xuan Yin Palace, shrouded in a subtle black mist, possessing an extraordinary demeanor. As a genius of Refining Spirit at the seventh rank, he hadn't spent more than a quarter of an hour in any recent duel and was a formidable contender in the Ascension Tournament. Yet now, his face could not conceal its astonishment. For Lin Yuan, the appearance of the Immortal Path couldn't have come at a more opportune time. Truthfully, he was not confident of claiming the tournament's top prize. However, if he could secure a celestial opportunity on this path, even without entering the Celestial Court, he would have the confidence to win. Rumor has it that entering the Immortal Realm grants a natural ascension—to even touch upon such wisdom would be beneficial. Moreover, it would allow others to see that the Sacred Son of Xuan Yin Palace clearly surpasses that outsider Mu Zhian... His strength alone can overpower him. Upon Lin Yuan's soft contemplation, others noticed the man at the path's end. Upon raising their heads, they indeed saw a majestic figure dressed in a black robe. This realization stirred a wave of astonishment among the gathered cultivators. "There's someone at the end of this Immortal Path?!" exclaimed another elder from an ancient power in the East Continent, peering towards the path’s end with a furrowed brow. "In the past, I heard the Celestial Court had a master equal in strength to those in union with the Dao. Could this be... the Lord of the Celestial Court?" "Indeed, the end of the path leads to the Lord of the Celestial Court!" someone else surmised excitedly. Had their elders not held them back, many would have rushed forward, eager to claim enlightenment. However, even in this charged atmosphere, none made a move forward. The dozen or so land deities present, all highly perceptive, sensed something peculiar about this Immortal Path. Despite its divine allure and otherworldly spiritual energy, something felt amiss. Historically, the Immortal Path had appeared several times, drawing countless cultivators, with many virtual return land deities never heard from again after stepping foot on it. The warning, "The path of the immortal is littered with bones," was not made lightly. Yet now, there seemed to be no hint of danger—an abnormality unsettling in itself. Among the observers, the Southern Wilderness's saintess looked on with calm composure, knowing that for one in the Refined Spirit Realm, stepping onto this path would mean certain death. Lan Feiying narrowed her eyes, also focusing on the path, or rather, the black-robed man at its end. Her enchanting eyes held a trace of peculiar insight, as if perceiving something hidden. "Since everyone is so cautious, allow me to take the first step!" declared an elder from an ancient family, unable to restrain himself any longer. With a hearty laugh, he transformed into a streak of light and dashed up the ascending staircase. The path, encircled by white mist, emanated a holy aura. Boom! Not long after the elder stepped onto the path, a deafening noise erupted from its end. Shortly, a horrific cry echoed—a cry of terror and despair. "Why are there so many skeletons here?! This dense spiritual energy is rejecting my cauldron!" Every eye turned skyward, watching as the elder, though a virtual return cultivator, failed to emit any spiritual energy once on the tower, appearing as an ordinary mortal. Gradually, his body began to decay until it decayed completely, vanishing into the wind. The scene plunged the audience into an eerie silence. Among the younger, more self-assured, a cold sweat trickled down their spines, silently grateful for their elders’ intervention. This Immortal Path perhaps didn’t lead to the Immortal Realm after all, for entering might mean vanishing eternally. Or perhaps it was the man at its end rejecting intruders? With the first bold elder's demise, many turned their gaze to the young man at the path’s end, shrouded in mystery—his intentions as unfathomable as his purpose for unveiling the path. Unbeknownst to them, the young man didn’t face them because he was musing over whether the Celestial Court’s regulations should be revised. For instance, replacing the nirvana-spun stockings with ordinary ones... High standards are overrated... Mu Zhian surveyed the surrounding environment, his black robe majestic and solemn, with subtle gold threads adding an air of nobility. His handsome features seemed shrouded in mist, his dark eyes tranquil. If anyone were beside him, they might see the contemplation on his serene face—a solitary figure, like an immortal sovereign overlooking the world. The power of setting truly amplifies significance. Should the outside world know that the supposed Lord of the Celestial Court at the path's end was actually at the fourth rank of Refining Spirit, pondering not enlightenment but aesthetic guidelines for celestial beings, one wonders what thoughts might surface. Yet, Mu Zhian paid no mind to others' thoughts, nor did he indulge in such trivialities. His mind was preoccupied with why he was a regulator—perhaps due to the cherubic deity’s protection? His gaze drifted toward the silver-haired facetious figure nearby—a sweet smile on her face but, paradoxically, harboring the allure of a mature woman. By all rights, cuteness should pale before allure, yet Yu Lou flawlessly melded these two qualities. From the beginning, no matter what questions were posed to her, she remained silent. Mu Zhian pondered briefly and said, "You claim I am the rule-maker of the Celestial Court, suggesting that everything here operates under my decision?" "You have the power to rewrite the rules, but the Refining Spirit Realm still cannot fully control this Celestial Court," Gween Luo nodded slightly. Mu Zhian raised his gaze to the open bronze gate, reflecting deeply before asking, "What's the difference between the Celestial Court and the Nine Provinces?" The young girl tilted her head, seemingly contemplating Mu Zhian's question. After a moment, she replied in a crisp and pleasing voice, "If you must differentiate, the spiritual energy in the Celestial Court is several times denser than in the Nine Provinces, and there are numerous unique cultivation techniques and medicinal herbs that the outside world lacks." "So, if I channel the Celestial Court’s spiritual energy into my innate cauldron, could I then share it with others?" Mu Zhian inquired. "You can," Gween Luo affirmed, giving him a definitive answer. Mu Zhian fell into pondering. Although he had suspected this was feasible, hearing it confirmed still brought a pleasant surprise. By absorbing the Celestial Court's spiritual energy into the innate cauldron, he could benefit others while also cultivating himself in this place. "The spiritual energy here is exceptionally dense, but you can't cultivate here indefinitely. Given your current constitution, staying for more than two hours daily is beyond your limit." As if foreseeing Mu Zhian’s thoughts, Gween Luo suddenly spoke. "However, because you are the rule-maker of the Celestial Court, once you reach the state of Divine Conversion, you can extend your time for absorbing spiritual energy here," she continued. Listening to the divine young girl's explanation, Mu Zhian slowly understood the set-up of the Celestial Court. This Celestial Court, the so-called immortal realm, was the ultimate pursuit for all cultivators—residing here implied eternal life. And he was its rule-maker. As for why... the divine force hadn't elaborated, but Mu Zhian speculated that the 'Heavenly Protection' in his personal interface was the reason. This Celestial Court was intricately linked with the new Heavenly Dao; she had been waiting here for the appearance of the rule-maker, or rather, the master of the Celestial Court. Based on past experiences, Mu Zhian knew he had to keep the secret of being the Celestial Court's master to himself. Revealing it to the outside world would not be beneficial. In truth, he could accept this arrangement. Even merely affording two hours of daily cultivation in the Celestial Court would tremendously bolster his future practice. Moreover, the spiritual energy here carried no realm restrictions. During meditation, he could draw this spiritual energy into his innate cauldron, benefiting him immensely. This energy could even aid empresses in the Dao Condensed State significantly. Mu Zhian sat cross-legged before the bronze gate, his hair swirling around as he began to draw the Celestial Court’s spiritual energy into himself. Given his limited time, maximizing it by meditative practice was the obvious choice. Meanwhile, the surrounding spectators did not anticipate that this back-turned young figure was actually a participant in the Ascension Tournament. Still shaken by the recent demise of the elder from an ancient family, they hesitated to step into the Celestial Court. They lingered because the truly powerful hadn’t yet arrived. Refining Spirit and virtual return cultivators could not enter, but what of those in communion with the Dao? In the Two Instruments Sect right now, there were four such figures! “The Azure Emperor has arrived!” Someone exclaimed, filled with awe and a hint of admiration as they looked upon a figure advancing slowly across the sacred path. This was the first saintess of Yaocchi Sacred Ground, her ethereal presence like that of a celestial maiden, pure and untouched. Her footsteps floated over the void as if treading on air, approaching the immortal path. An enigmatic mist enveloped her form, her silken garments crafted from nirvana fibers, glinting with soft light and capturing all eyes. A quietness fell over the assembly as their attention then turned to another regal woman in a white dress. This was Yuzhou’s Empress, an adept alchemist of heavenly rank, Luo Tan! Suspended at the Immortal Path's threshold, Luo Tan gazed at Yao Meng standing at its forefront, her lips parting gently. “From past to present, the Immortal Path has appeared less than four times, and who would have thought it would manifest so unexpectedly in this era,” she mused, inadvertently glancing at Yao Meng, a hint of doubt in her eyes. Unlike those in the virtual return realm, she could clearly sense the dangers of this path that had rejected other cultivators, causing the previous elder to meet his demise upon attempting entry.