Chapter Ninety-Three: A Thousand Voices Raised in Song
“This object has stirred celestial calamity and deserves annihilation!”
In Old Yuan’s palm, divine light surged forth, firmly restraining the three shrines without allowing the slightest movement.
After a moment of contemplation, he said, “However, the origin of this object and the cause of the turmoil remain unclear. I shall keep it for now and present it to the Divine Envoy upon our return to the Primordial Sect.”
With a flick of his hand, Old Yuan sealed away the shrines. Then, smiling gently at the gathered crowd, he asked, “Do any of you have objections?”
“None,” replied Zhao Heilong and the others promptly. Under the power of divine sound, in mere moments, they had developed a sense of belonging to the Primordial Sect, even feeling sincere admiration and complete surrender. To them, the words of Old Yuan and the Little Bald One were no less than an imperial decree.
Observing this, Pure Yang Zi immediately cupped his fists respectfully and said devoutly, “Sir, your acceptance of the shrines and quelling of the chaos is a deed of immeasurable merit.”
The Little Bald One rubbed his belly and let out two rumbling growls, feeling unbearably hungry. He said, “Do you have any good food here? We have traveled far across the star sea and are extremely fatigued. We wish to rest a while.”
Old Yuan coughed, slightly embarrassed. Having just taken these people in, this was the prime moment to assert the prestige of the Primordial Sect; asking for food and drink so soon seemed inappropriate.
Pure Yang Zi quickly bowed and said, “Pure Yang’s spiritual provisions are quite plentiful. If you do not mind, please follow me this way.”
“Good,” the Little Bald One chuckled, rubbing his belly.
...
In the Pure Yang Grand Hall, a long table carved from rare blue star jade was laden with all manner of spiritual delicacies: Purple Sunfire rice, golden grilled spirit beast meat, silver moon fruit...
The Little Bald One was devouring the food without any concern for decorum.
Old Yuan, the peak existence of the Light Lord, attended carefully nearby while the Pure Yang Sect’s chief and a large group of elders stood respectfully at a distance, not daring to disturb the young master’s feast.
“Burp~” After wolfing down the meal like a whirlwind, the Little Bald One let out a series of satisfied burps, then casually grabbed a jar of green spirit spring fruit brew and gulped it down.
Full and tipsy, he rubbed his belly, his cheeks flushed with a rosy glow and a hint of drunkenness. With spirits high, he jumped off the table and eagerly beckoned a group of Pure Yang elders, “Come, I will lead you in chanting the Primordial Sect’s sacred teachings!”
The Pure Yang disciples hurried to follow.
Old Yuan stroked his beard and smiled faintly. The young master had been studying the sect’s teachings for over half a year, and now, upon arriving in the Ancient Prime Star Domain, he understood the importance of leading by example.
Excellent.
This trip back, the young master’s conduct would give Master Dan Ya a satisfactory report.
---
In the open mountain land, a Dao platform radiated shimmering light, towering like a celestial peak fitting for a divine backdrop. The Little Bald One stood atop it, overlooking the multitude below.
Tens of thousands knelt reverently, gazing at the luminous, radiant figure on the high platform with fervent anticipation and zeal.
Among the crowd were even the Star Fiends, who, setting aside past grudges, gathered with the Pure Yang Sect to listen together.
Clearly, all had been subdued by the Primordial Sect’s divine sound. As fellow disciples, they all had the right to hear the recitation.
“Lord Zhiqian, we are ready,” came the call.
“Yes, sir, please begin.”
Seeing the sea of followers, brimming with enthusiasm, the Little Bald One’s spirit soared. Under Old Yuan’s encouraging smile and somewhat intoxicated, he loudly began to chant:
“Master Dan Ya, eternal and everlasting... peerless elegance!”
At once, the tens of thousands erupted in excitement, roaring along with him. The sound waves rolled like vast ocean tides, thunderously echoing through the heavens and earth: “Master Dan Ya! Eternal and everlasting! Peerless elegance!”
Was this line truly part of the teachings?
Old Yuan wiped his brow, sensing something amiss.
After a moment’s thought, he relaxed. Regardless of whether this line was originally in the scripture, it praised Master Dan Ya, and the unified voices of ten thousand people held great grandeur.
The Little Bald One was very pleased. Clearing his throat without hesitation, he continued:
“Young Lord Zhiqian, destined for valor, charming and refined!”
Everyone, including those few formidable Reverse-Slaying warriors, without questioning whether this phrase belonged to the Primordial Sect’s teachings, shouted at the top of their lungs:
“Young Lord Zhiqian! Destined for valor! Charming and refined!”
For a time, their cries shook the heavens. The surrounding spiritual peaks and grand halls trembled with a powerful rhythm.
“Pfft!”
Old Yuan nearly stumbled and fell, stunned as he watched the Little Bald One, brimming with poetic inspiration, head held high, face flushed with pride, seemingly swelling with self-satisfaction at the crowd’s cheers.
“The young master... this... this...” Old Yuan gaped in shock, eyeing the Little Bald One’s playful grin anxiously, fearing he might utter yet another shocking phrase. If Master Dan Ya discovered the young master’s self-crafted teachings, punishment was inevitable!
Though not exactly slandering the Primordial Sect, it did cast a certain shadow upon it.
The Little Bald One puffed out his small chest proudly and boldly sang on:
“Childhood sweethearts, a match made by heaven and earth!”
“Childhood sweethearts, a match made by heaven and earth!”
The tens of thousands shouted in perfect unison, faces red and throats raw, shaking the Pure Yang Sect’s forest. Leaves rustled and fell in torrents. Many spirit beasts guarding the mountain gates shrank away in fright.
---
“That line of teaching...”
Several Reverse-Slaying members of Pure Yang exchanged glances, their expressions strange. If the first two lines praised the Primordial Sect’s master and Young Lord Zhiqian, then the meaning behind this last line was indeed worthy of contemplation.
“Good heavens!”
Old Yuan hastily unleashed his light power to clamp the Little Bald One’s mouth shut. At the same time, the solemn and proper Primordial Sect scripture began to resound thunderously across the land:
“Primordial Divine Sect, commanding the star sea, glorious forever!”
The tens of thousands paused briefly, then once more shouted in unison to the firm rhythm. Their mighty voices continued to shake the Pure Yang Sect, echoing for a long time without fading.
The Little Bald One struggled as Old Yuan covered his mouth and pulled him back.
“What are you doing?”
The Little Bald One, indignant and just getting into the spirit, was interrupted and angrily waved his small arms, tapping Old Yuan’s forehead.
Old Yuan forced a wry smile.
“Young master, if Master Dan Ya finds out, she will surely be angry and punish you.”
...
A mysterious woman in robes white as snow stood beneath the starry sky, her flowing garments billowing like clouds, radiantly beautiful beyond compare. She gazed thoughtfully at the elder and youth within the Pure Yang Sect.
Her pair of stunning autumn-waters eyes fixed not on them, but on the silver sword sheath behind the Little Bald One.
The black sword within, battered and worn, as ancient as the cosmos itself, lay silently inside the scabbard.
“The Cosmic Anomaly Sword.”
Her presence ethereal and graceful, wrists like frost and snow, fingers dripping with crystal dew, as if amidst a light mist, she had just parted her rosy lips to speak the name of the blade.
After a moment of hesitation, she extended a delicate jade-like hand, mysterious energy swirling as if to grasp it.
Yet the slender hand froze midair, and she gave up.
“Forget it. It’s already in the hands of the Primordial Sect... Roaming the nine universes unfaltering, with a hundred Dao Lords, nine great divine crossings, and two grand inheritor saints—the foundation is inconceivably strong.”
The mysterious woman sighed softly, a beautiful sound.
Then, in a flash, her figure vanished like the wind, as if she had never appeared at all.