Chapter 1037: Heavenly Dome Holy Lord
“What’s going on?” The Qi Training cultivators in the outer layer were dumbstruck.
The ground shook, and mountains trembled.
“What happened?”
“No idea. I’ve heard that forebears had discovered the Crimson Heaven Ancient Domain over two hundred thousand years ago, but no one has ever reported anything like this.”
It wasn’t just the Ancient Stone Hall; the entire ancient domain was shaking. Fear swept through the crowd. Unsure whether this signified fortune or disaster, everyone stopped fighting and abandoned their struggle for the ancient Foundation Establishment Grass.
The two at the epicenter of the incident were equally clueless.
The final mass of chaotic energy dispersed, revealing an ancient coffin. The coffin shook incessantly, wisps of terrifying aura seeping out.
“C-corpse reanimation?” Yu Youlan stared at the coffin, trembling.
Inside the Qingfeng Sword’s small world, Lu Yang’s head was full of question marks. Wait, who gives themselves away as a reward?
As Xinding’s and Yu Youlan’s heartbeats quickened, a skeletal hand suddenly shot out from the coffin and gripped its edge.
The skeletal hand pushed upward. The coffin lid burst open with a crash. It somersaulted twice through the air before landing, smashing a large crater in the ground.
“A grand dream, empty and fleeting; sorrow and joy pass through the gut, though they weigh not on the mind. Who would have thought that one would see the light of this world again?”
The white skeleton rose to its feet, its eye sockets hollow, save for the two flickering green ghost flames within.
As it got up, the Transcendent Tribulation aura came under control, and the ancient domain ceased shaking.
The white skeleton looked coldly at Xinding and Yu Youlan and asked, “These two juniors, what year is it? Which fellow Daoist rules this world?”
Xinding and Yu Youlan exchanged bewildered looks. The white skeleton was speaking in the ancient language, and they couldn’t understand anything.
The ancient words Xinding had used to control the specters in the Li branch hall had been taught to him on the spot by Lu Yang.
The Heavenly Dome Holy Lord frowned slightly. Strange. Why are these two not reacting? Did I frighten them witless?
Just as the Heavenly Dome Holy Lord was feeling puzzled, he saw Xinding lower his head and then raise it again. In an instant, Xinding seemed to have become a different person. His gaze was deep, as if he had witnessed the vicissitudes of life, with everything in the world nothing more than transient clouds.
“Heh heh, Mystic Doyen, I never expected to find you here. It appears that your concealment method went awry. Your physical body could not withstand three hundred thousand years of time’s cleansing, leaving you nothing but this skeleton.”
Xinding was also speaking in the ancient language!
The Heavenly Dome Holy Lord was taken aback. Having been reduced to bones, he hadn’t expected someone to recognize him and know his name. He asked politely, “Fellow Daoist, who are you?”
He must be some fellow Daoist from ancient times.
“Who is this esteemed one?” Xinding laughed twice, though it was unclear whether he found the question truly ridiculous or was mocking the Heavenly Dome Holy Lord for having no eyes to recognize a true immortal.
“Zhu Tian treats me with utmost deference. Little Ling and Lianyi call me ‘senior brother.’ The Heaven Mandate Immortal calls me a ‘friend.’ Who do you think I am?”
A storm of emotions surged in the Heavenly Dome Holy Lord’s heart. How is this possible? Just what kind of expert is this person?
If what he said is true, it means I’m not even worthy to address him as a “fellow Daoist!”
“You don’t believe me?”
“Fair enough. Mere words are no proof. It’s normal for you not to believe me. How about this then?”
The Tofu Heavenly Sovereign chuckled softly. Behind Xinding, a terrifying aura rose, and only the Heavenly Dome Holy Lord could perceive it.
An immortal!
Sensing this aura, the Heavenly Dome Holy Lord’s face twisted in terror, and he staggered back several steps.
One’s identity can be faked, but this aura... there’s no faking it!
Only then did the Heavenly Dome Holy Lord notice the Qingfeng Sword wrapped in coarse cloth on Xinding’s back.
Although he didn’t recognize the Qingfeng Sword, having lived in ancient times and frequently attended the Heaven Mandate Immortal’s lectures, it only took him one glance to recognize that it was a bona fide immortal artifact.
“This senior...” The Heavenly Dome Holy Lord was filled with trepidation, not daring to slight the other party.
“This esteemed one is the Tofu Heavenly Sovereign.”
The Heavenly Dome Holy Lord racked his brains, trying to recall which of the Four Ancient Immortals had ever used the title “Tofu Heavenly Sovereign.” But after going through them all, he came up empty.
This naming style doesn’t seem like any of the Four Ancient Immortals.
Even if I don’t know the Tofu Heavenly Sovereign’s identity, I still have to observe proper etiquette. “I, Mystic Heaven Doyen, pay respects to the Tofu Heavenly Sovereign!”
“Tell me about yourself. Why did you choose to remain in slumber until now?”
“To answer Senior, actually, I never planned to preserve my physical body. My soul is now attached to this skeleton. This has always been my intention.”
“Oh?”
The Heavenly Dome Holy Lord smiled bitterly. “Senior, with your cultivation, you probably cannot understand the frustrations of a junior like me. My cultivation is low, only at the Advanced Transcendent Tribulation Stage. In the ancient era, it was difficult for me to rise to prominence. Even when I concealed my identity, I would easily encounter fellow Daoists who did the same, which was always awkward. If I met a half-immortal, it was even more embarrassing.
“I am truly ashamed that I was unable to put the Heaven Mandate Immortal Venerable’s teachings into practice.
“However, I thought of a brilliant plan—slumber for hundreds of millennia, then revive as a remnant soul within a fledgling young cultivator, guiding their cultivation and using him to display my might before others.
“In any case, my lifespan is limited, less than two thousand years. I also have no lingering attachments. That was why I chose to slumber in this secret domain, awaiting a fated young cultivator to reach the inner hall.
“Never would I have expected to encounter you here, Senior.”
Lu Yang. “...”
Can you ancient cultivators do something proper? Like learn from that person who...
Lu Yang drew a blank. It seems there were no good role models in ancient times. The Five Ancient Immortals led the way in playing.
“I am bound by countless karmic entanglements and need to attach myself to this junior to erase them. Though his aptitude is average, his temperament is excellent. He will surely achieve great things in the future. After this esteemed one departs, you may take my place and attach yourself to him.”
Lu Yang had asked the Everlasting Immortal Fairy about the Heavenly Dome Holy Lord’s character. Her appraisal was favorable—he was an honest, good-natured person.
Lu Yang genuinely believed that Xinding was a promising talent. Xitian Temple has been blind and never recognized his potential. With proper guidance, such talent will surely achieve no small success.
I’m helping Xitian Temple groom a talent. They ought to be grateful to me.
“Thank you, Senior!” The Heavenly Dome Holy Lord was overjoyed.
This is exactly the kind of person I need. Someone with overly high aptitude would be less interesting.
Besides, the Tofu Heavenly Sovereign’s evaluation of him is so high. Nothing can be wrong with choosing him.
“Until then, wait in the secret domain.”
“Yes!”
With matters concluded, Lu Yang withdrew into the Qingfeng Sword’s small world and returned Xinding’s body to him.
Yu Youlan stood frozen, unable to calm her emotions for a long time.
What just happened? Xinding faced the Heavenly Dome Holy Lord without a trace of fear and spoke with him in the ancient language. Though I couldn’t understand their conversation, judging by the Holy Lord’s bow, Xinding’s identity is likely more terrifying than I’d imagined!
As expected of the man I’ve taken a fancy to.
Xinding snapped back to reality. He hadn’t understood what the Tofu Heavenly Sovereign had said either, but seeing the Heavenly Dome Holy Lord’s deferential attitude, he was convinced that the Tofu Heavenly Sovereign hadn’t been lying to him. Transcendent Tribulation juniors are indeed mere juniors before him.
This only reinforced his belief that he must never reveal the Tofu Heavenly Sovereign’s existence, lest he bring catastrophe upon Xitian Temple.
“Benefactress Yu, let’s go.”
Lu Yang did not have Xinding choose a legacy. With the Heavenly Dome Holy Lord around, all the legacies in the secret domain will eventually belong to Xinding anyway.
