Chapter 563
The statues emitted a beam of black light from their tops, shooting skyward and converging upon the figure of the Tianzun (Heavenly Lord).
Zheng Fa immediately sensed that the spiritual energy, which had been evenly divided by the Sun and Moon Bell, began to tilt towards the Tianzun!
Clearly, as a divine artifact, it was being influenced by these statues.
Or rather, these statues were likely one of the backup plans for the Tianzun's resurrection!
But that was not the only unexpected development.
In some households, tiny specks of black light began to flicker.
The source of this light turned out to be small, wooden or clay faceless statues.
Zheng Fa sighed inwardly. He had always known that the divine images in people's hearts had not yet been completely toppled; indeed, some were still secretly worshipping these idols.
Now, they had become nourishment for the Tianzun.
As these black lights appeared, the Sun and Moon Bell seemed to favor the Tianzun even more, distributing spiritual energy in a way that created a stark contrast between the two.
Sister Zhang's face turned pale in an instant.
She understood clearly that without the Sun and Moon Bell maintaining fairness between Zheng Fa and the Tianzun, Zheng Fa could never have been so relaxed as before; he would even be in danger of losing his life!
Not just Sister Zhang, everyone could see the reversal of strength between Zheng Fa and the Tianzun.
Zheng Fa felt a growing clarity in his heart, and his nerves tightened.
But then, he felt an incredibly warm aura spreading from his feet throughout his body.
Looking down, he was struck by a scene he would never forget.
In the mortal realm of the Jiushan Realm, countless homes were illuminated with golden light. From his perspective, the world seemed to be filled with a sky full of stars.
Following the source of the golden light, Zheng Fa discovered that it was also from statues or images.
But these were not faceless… they were of him.
Most of the statues were quite crude, with many features askew.
Some images were even painted on clay tablets, resembling childish doodles.
Even though these idols were so shabby and the images so ugly, many people were still worshipping them, chanting prayers with fervor.
It seemed that as they witnessed Zheng Fa falling into a disadvantage, more and more people took out their own statues.
These golden specks of light were like tiny fireflies, far less bright than those in the temples.
Yet, there were so many more of them than those temple idols.
Zheng Fa truly did not expect this.
He knew some families had his statues, but he never imagined there would be so many.
These twinkling lights gathered around him, causing the spiritual energy from the Sun and Moon Bell to surge towards him, instantly leveling the disparity between the two.
No, wait!
Zheng Fa could sense that although those statues had been reestablished, they were likely weakened due to his previous actions, like water without a source.
The golden light surrounding him was different; it was a continuous flow fueled by the prayers of the mortal people, gradually surpassing the Tianzun.
As the balance shifted, the Tianzun's spiritual energy not only failed to surpass Zheng Fa's, but it even struggled to maintain its own existence, the lightning around him dimming considerably.
Yet he seemed oblivious, merely lowering his faceless head and gazing at the mortals below for a long, long time.
After a while, he finally looked up at Zheng Fa, but remained motionless.
His spiritual energy slowly faded, and the figure of the Tianzun began to vanish. He did nothing but wait quietly, and at the very end, he nodded slightly at Zheng Fa.
Not a single word was spoken.
His dissipating form fell into the previous black stone tablet, which suddenly transformed into a point of light, rushing towards the Sun and Moon Bell, causing it to tremble and hum with a resonant sound.
The spiritual energy within the Jiushan Realm was stirred by this impact, surging like waves towards the Sun and Moon Bell.
On the Sun and Moon Bell, streaks of radiant light flashed.
Zheng Fa's mind reconnected with the Sun and Moon Bell, and he could even feel that this divine artifact was gradually growing stronger…
Or rather, becoming complete.
Zheng Fa had always known that the original Sun and Moon Bell was incomplete, and now, faced with this situation, he was even more certain:
With the Tianzun's figure disappearing, the previously hidden powers of the Sun and Moon Bell were finally revealed.
“Dao fruit artifact…”
Feeling the increasingly powerful aura of the Sun and Moon Bell, Zheng Fa couldn't help but feel joy.
Though the Sun and Moon Bell had been strong in the past, it was still akin to a divine artifact at the Transformation stage.
But at this moment, the Sun and Moon Bell felt entirely different, as if it had absorbed the last remnants of the Tianzun, quietly transforming into a Dao fruit-level artifact.
In Zheng Fa's perception, this bell was probably weaker than the Qingping Sword.
That was to be expected.
After all, the Tianzun and the Tianhe Zunren (Lord of the Heavenly River) had some disparity in strength.
Moreover, the Qingping Sword had been refined by the lineage of Xie Qingxue for generations.
The Sun and Moon Bell naturally did not have such favorable conditions.
Furthermore…
Jiao Wuji, holding the Wan Yao Banner, felt as if his most beloved treasure was trembling, seemingly suppressed by the newly born Sun and Moon Bell.
A sense of disdain arose in his heart:
The Tianzun is alive, and you’re being suppressed by the Sun and Moon Bell; the Tianzun is dead, and you’re still being held down by this thing…
“…”
He glanced at the Sun and Moon Bell, feeling a twinge of envy—
What cultivator doesn’t love powerful artifacts?
Though the Wan Yao Banner was his old flame, the Sun and Moon Bell felt like his new love!
But his new love quickly completed its evolution, carrying the legacy of its former master, and without pause, it dove into Zheng Fa's embrace like a fledgling returning to its nest.
The Sun and Moon Bell stood atop Zheng Fa's golden core, seemingly trying to nestle into the nascent soul within, side by side with the Zao Hua Yu Zhe (Book of Creation), but for a moment, it could not find its way in.
It grew anxious, circling around Zheng Fa's golden core three times, and suddenly, as if startled, it leaped away from the massive golden core.
What had frightened it was the anomaly of Zheng Fa's golden core.
The originally resplendent golden core was now shrouded in a layer of dim white light, misty and gray.
“Yin Fire Tribulation!”
Sister Zhang exclaimed, and only then did everyone remember that Zheng Fa was still undergoing the tribulation of the nascent soul!
The celestial and earthly energies surrounding the golden core ignited like a spark, burning fiercely.
The flames were pale, seemingly carrying a bone-chilling cold.
Because Zheng Fa's golden core was larger than others, resembling a small sun, this Yin Fire Tribulation was even more intense than usual.
For the first time, the Heavenly Palace's Jiudao, which had never known the four seasons, was greeted by its first winter.
Seeing Sister Zhang's worried expression, the Blood River Ancestor smiled reassuringly:
“Facing the Tianzun is nothing… the Yin Fire Tribulation should be…”
Sister Zhang glanced at him, then looked back at Zheng Fa, biting her lip before finally saying, “Junior Brother's spirit is somewhat depleted.”
The Blood River Ancestor was taken aback, turning to look at Zheng Fa.
Indeed, Zheng Fa's gaze was slightly dimmed.
“Though the Sun and Moon Bell has shared its spiritual energy with Junior Brother, his spirit has not had time to recover.”
The Blood River Ancestor nodded silently. He originally came from the Great Freedom Demon Sect, excelling in spirit techniques, and could naturally see that the sect leader's spirit, while not exhausted, was still greatly depleted.
Yet Zheng Fa's Yin Fire Tribulation, due to the strength of his golden core, made even this Transformation stage cultivator feel a sense of dread!
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 418: The Method to Avoid Disaster, Truly Breaking Defense
To speak of the Yin Fire Tribulation, everyone present had experienced it.
Even now, they still felt lingering fear. Uncle Huang had repeatedly emphasized during their “homework” that while this tribulation might not be as earth-shattering as the Thunder Tribulation, it was still extremely dangerous and should not be taken lightly.
But now, looking at Zheng Fa's burning golden core, they felt embarrassed to mention their own dangers during the Yin Fire Tribulation…
The pale flames enveloped Zheng Fa's golden core, causing the temperature to plummet, and the grass and trees on the playground faced a deadly frost.
Under Zheng Fa's feet, life was extinguished, and not even a whisper of wind could be felt, as if time and space had also fallen into silence here.
This stillness surged outward from Zheng Fa, like a tide.
Sister Zhang and the others sensed the danger and retreated further, finally standing far away with Uncle Huang, watching Zheng Fa.
“Fortunately, there’s no one left on the Ascending Immortal Island…”
Uncle Huang sighed softly, a hint of relief in his voice.
Sister Zhang said nothing, her gaze glued to Zheng Fa, as if nothing else could divert her attention.
Uncle Huang opened his mouth, looking at the Blood River Ancestor beside him, seeking advice: “Is Zheng Fa's spirit depletion serious?”
Upon hearing this, Sister Zhang also turned her head to look.
Among those present, the Blood River Ancestor, being a spirit body and a member of the Great Freedom Demon Sect, practiced the “Great Freedom True Method” and was an expert in this area.
However, the Blood River Ancestor remained silent, merely staring at Zheng Fa's burning golden core, his somewhat translucent face filled with apprehension.
Sister Zhang's eyes grew more anxious.
“I can’t say for sure.” The Blood River Ancestor finally spoke, seeing her expression. “I’ve never seen such a powerful Yin Fire Tribulation.”
“The spirit is most vulnerable to Yin Fire.”
“Though that Yin Fire didn’t touch my spiritual body, I still felt a… deadly crisis.”
Sister Zhang bit her lip in silence, while Uncle Huang shot a glare at the Blood River Ancestor.
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