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Chapter 203: Chapter 200: Moon State
Heavenly Dragon.
The ultimate creature cultivated by the Heavenly Master Lineage’s Beast Taming System.
Each one was powerful enough to confront an Earthly True Immortal.
Although the methods of cultivating Heavenly Dragons had been lost or sealed by the top forces, numerous ancient records still documented the glorious history of these legendary creatures.
The appearance of a Heavenly Dragon was a sensational event for any region.
Even the nearing Divine Sword Convention was overshadowed by the news of a Heavenly Dragon’s emergence in Moon State.
Upon receiving the news, Gu Jinlai took two days to arrange his many affairs. At that time, Lu Zhanfeng found him.
When he saw that Gu seemed to be packing his things, he quickly thought of something, "Venerable Daoist, have you heard the news of the Heavenly Dragon’s descent in Moon State?"
"Yes, I plan to make the trip,"
Gu Jinlai said.
"Such a grand event cannot be missed by a Heavenly Monarch such as yourself, Venerable Daoist,"
Lu Zhanfeng immediately added, "Upon learning of this in the sect, a group of Heavenly Masters and Great Heavenly Masters have begun preparations to accompany Venerable Daoist, carrying much information related to the Holy Land, Aries Star Lord, and Heavenly Dragon Wood, which should be of some assistance to you."
"Oh, is Venerable Daoist Liu not joining?"
"That... the Heavenly Dragon has ultimately descended in Moon State..."
Lu Zhanfeng somewhat awkwardly said, "Although it landed over a thousand miles south of Sanqing Hall, on the Sanqing Preaching Platform, which is still right under the Sanqing Hall’s nose, the leading Righteous Sect. As the examiner of the Heavenly Dragon Wood, Venerable Daoist Gu, you naturally don’t have to worry about your safety, and even the might of the Sanqing Holy Temple wouldn’t dare to cause trouble during the Heavenly Dragon Wood’s examination. But those non-Heavenly Master Daoists going deep into Moon State... may not receive the protection of the Heavenly Dragon Wood."
Understanding the situation, Gu Jinlai nodded in acknowledgement.
The Sanqing Holy Temple has always been domineering. Since the Heavenly Dragon Wood descended in Moon State, they could turn a blind eye to the incursion of the Ten Demonic Sects’ Heavenly Masters. But if the Primordial Spirit True Monarchs and Divinity Transformation Cultivators of the Ten Demonic Sects dare to strut around on their territory...
The Sanqing Holy Temple would not be averse to sending Devas to strike, diminishing the strength of the Ten Demonic Sects.
Not long after Gu Jinlai agreed to lead the Purgatory Sect’s Heavenly Masters, Star King Jiang Chongshan came in with several booklets.
"Heavenly Monarch Gu."
"Your Highness the Star King..."
While speaking, Gu Jinlai seemed to think of something, smiling at Jiang Chongshan, "I have yet to congratulate Your Highness for condensing the Yin God and stepping into the realm of Divinity Transformation Cultivator."
"It was also thanks to Heavenly Monarch Gu giving me the opportunity. I’ve achieved Refining God for over twenty years, and had reached the Refining God Peak more than a decade ago. But, having been confined to the Star King Mansion in Starlight City, I never encountered an opportunity to condense the Yin God - until I arrived at Lingxiao City. While riding with the Demon God Guards through the forests and hunting devils amidst bloodshed and slaughter, I released my spirit, ultimately allowing it to sublimate and solidify into the Yin God,"
Jiang Chongshan said with a smile.
Gu Jinlai looked at the Star King.
In this period, as he’d said, he dedicated all his time and energy to hunting devils, thoroughly considering himself a member of the Demon Hunters.
Not long ago, during a Demon God Guards operation to delve into the Yunqi Mountain Range and hunt devils, he was at the forefront of the charge.
Over the years...
The air about the Star King had significantly changed, taking on somewhat of a "hero" vibe.
"Having formed the Yin God, just refine a flying sword, and Your Highness the Star King will surely experience a great increase in strength. Congratulations,"
Gu Jinlai said with a smile.
"Indeed, I have been nurturing my flying sword for the past few days. However, upon hearing the news of the Heavenly Dragon’s descent, I knew Heavenly Monarch Gu would not miss such a grand occasion, so I specifically brought over some documents which might be of use."
Jiang Chongshan said, "These documents detail the involvement of the Imperial Family in six previous Heavenly Dragon examinations, and I hope they will assist Heavenly Monarch Gu."
After saying this, he paused briefly, "Although the risk associated with the Heavenly Dragon Wood’s examination isn’t great, still, in each instance, there are always one or two percent of Heavenly Masters who remain forever in the palace. Heavenly Monarch Gu, the situation in Star State and even that south of Tianhe may eventually require your intervention to rescue. Therefore, if the examination poses a real danger, please decisively prioritize your safety."
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness the Star King,"
Gu Jinlai nodded, "I will not joke with my own life."
Jiang Chongshan said no more.
He knew that the Heavenly Dragon Wood, bearing the palace of the former Aries Star Lord, was an opportunity that Heavenly Monarch Gu, as a celestial authority, would inevitably not miss.
Or rather, any Heavenly Master who had the chance would attempt it, possibly discovering some tremendous treasure that would lead to their ascension.
He knew that he could not stop Gu Jinlai.
Under these circumstances, all he could do was provide as much information as possible to ensure Gu’s safety during the examination.
...
After arranging various matters, Gu Jinlai and his entourage set off.
The protective force by his side consisted only of two teams of Demon God Guards headed by Gu Chifeng and Gu Qingmei.
As for the Heavenly Masters...
Besides him, Zhang Yukan, Si Tianyan, Guan Xingyun, Zong Heng, Qiu Shuiyue, and Zhou Mingshi were all present.
As Star King had speculated, no Heavenly Master would pass up such an opportunity as the descent of a Heavenly Dragon.
Zhang Lihuo, the Sect Master of Great Sun Heavenly Sect, was wholly focused on reconstructing the Great Sun Core, not even willing to attend the convention.
Ultimately, an entourage of about a hundred people set out, heading north.
In Starlight City, Xin Tianqi firmly insisted on letting Cheng Wanli, a Divinity Transformation Cultivator, lead the elite forces to accompany him and ensure the security of the surroundings.
As the head of the Meteor Star Guard Department in Star State, Cheng Wanli was a Cultivator not belonging to the Ten Great Demon Sects. Hence, even upon entering Moon State, there was no need to fear hostility from the Sanqing Holy Temple.
Upon leaving Star State’s borders, a group of more than twenty people from the Purgatory Sect had already been waiting, joining their larger contingent.
In this group of over twenty, there were nine Heavenly Masters, one of whom was a Great Heavenly Master.
The rest were guards, ensuring their safety.
The team swelled in numbers and continued to advance at a rapid pace.
Since the devils in Tianhe had all retreated to Champsosaurus Swamp, to avoid any conflict with these devils, the group had to take a detour.
Even so, as they neared Tianhe, they were still targeted by a few devils.
Fortunately, their team was strong in combat, and before the devils had a chance to disturb the accompanying Heavenly Masters, they were all killed one by one by the Demon God Guards. The essence blood from these devils even enabled some of them to increase their cultivation and allowed one person to develop an Upper Demon Body.
However, with the multitude of devils in Champsosaurus Swamp and the terrifying existence of the Champsosaurus King, Gu Jinlai did not dare to let the Demon God Guards hunt freely.
The group hurried across this area, and the vast Tianhe suddenly appeared before their eyes.
This was a surging river, averaging more than ten miles in width.
As the Divine Sword conference was imminent, the devils in Tianhe were forced to retreat, and several ferries near Canglang Mountain resumed operations. Gu Jinlai and the others crossed Tianhe by boat.
Gu Jinlai and his companions crossed Tianhe near Canglang Peak and first stepped into Green State Province.
The very Great State where the Human Immortal Palace was located.
The Human Immortal Palace and Earth Immortal Palace were sects that rose after the destruction of the Heavenly Immortal Palace.
Or, to be precise, they were forces formed by absorbing some of the elite that belonged to the Heavenly Immortal Palace after its demise.
Compared to Di Luo, the Saint, the lord of the Human Immortal Palace, who was only a Deva, did not have as much power as the Earth Immortal Palace.
But a starving camel is still bigger than a horse.
Even if they had absorbed less than a third of the Heavenly Immortal Palace’s forces after its collapse, the foundation that the Human Immortal Palace possessed was still far beyond what ordinary sects could compare with.
Gu Jinlai and his companions did not linger in Green State Province.
The descent of the Heavenly Dragon could open anywhere between one to three months.
The sooner one entered the testing ground, the greater the advantage one could gain.
After all, many of the tests were extremely time-consuming, and in the past, countless Heavenly Masters had missed out on precious rewards by just a fraction of time.
Gu Jinlai traveled northward, crossing six thousand miles, and finally entered the boundary of Moon State.
Another four hundred miles deeper and the Sanqing Preaching Platform would be within reach. 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝒑𝙪𝒃.𝒄𝒐𝙢
This was a large square located on the mountainside of Wudao Mountain.
Wudao Mountain was not a large mountain range, spanning less than a hundred miles.
This mountain became famous entirely because the three founding ancestors revered by the Sanqing Holy Temple once sat here to preach, and their teachings became known to the world.
Later, the Sanqing Holy Temple built a large square, over four square kilometers in area, named the Sanqing Preaching Platform, which became a well-known scenic spot within Moon State.
When Gu Jinlai arrived at the Sanqing Preaching Platform, the place was already bustling with noise.
At first glance, there seemed to be a crowd of a thousand people.
However, out of this crowd of a thousand, the number of Heavenly Masters was at most two to three hundred; the rest were escorts who had come to protect the Heavenly Masters.
As soon as Gu Jinlai and his group arrived, several sword lights pierced the void and descended.
Soon after, three Daoist figures, with robes fluttering, stood in front of them on swords in the void.
"They are the three Monarchs of Tianquan, Yu Heng, and Tian Shu from the Sanqing Holy Temple."
Cheng Wanli, who was following beside Gu Jinlai, whispered immediately.
"Is that the Supreme Elder Gu Jinlai from Purgatory Sect?"
Amon the three, the leading Primordial Spirit Monarch Tian Shu stepped forward, slightly lowered his glance at Gu Jinlai, "In your journey, you may only take part in the assessment for the Heavenly Dragon Wood and are not allowed to roam around, engage in fights, damage the environment here, or..."
He listed off more than a dozen prohibitions and finally added faintly, "I understand that you are all influential figures in your respective powers, but here in Moon State, you must act according to the rules of the Sanqing Holy Temple. With that said, should there be any violation, you must bear the consequences."
After the warning, he turned around and disappeared from Gu Jinlai and the others’ view.
The Sanqing Holy Land dared not provoke the Heavenly Dragon Wood and could not say much about its descent into Moon State, but for other powers...
"Truly fitting for the leader of the Righteous Sects, the number one power in Qiantian."
Gu Jinlai remarked, "Casually, they have sent three Primordial Spirit Monarchs."
"Not just that,"
Cheng Wanli said in a grave voice, "Due to the convergence of various powers, the Sanqing Holy Temple has dispatched Master Wusi to preside over this place."
As he spoke, he could not help but lower his voice, "This... is a true Deva."
"Deva!"
Gu Jinlai seemed to sense something and looked in a direction.
He could clearly see that the "Qi" of that area seemed to be peeled away from the rest of the world’s "Qi," distinct and separate.
"Truly befitting of the Sanqing Holy Temple,"
He thought of the number of masters from sects like Cold Moon Sect, Dragon Sparrow Manor, Purgatory Sect, Netherworld Sect, Yellow Sky Sect, and felt somewhat wistful, "Now I finally understand why many people directly use two standards to divide the powers in the world."
Cheng Wanli knew which two standards Gu Jinlai was referring to.
Powers with Divine Weapons.
Powers without Divine Weapons.
The disparity between these forces was like an entire great realm apart.
