Chapter 648: God's Eye View

After leaving the area where the coffin rested, Wang Sheng swam upward through the emerald expanse of the spiritual lake. He continued until he reached the highest region of this jade-like realm, found a spot with a pleasant view, and sat down cross-legged.

What other benefits could this life-saturated primal qi offer other than healing?

he pondered.

Can soaking here for a while grant me several hundred extra years of lifespan?

Wang Sheng smiled and shook his head. Afterward, he took out the bronze mirror to observe the surroundings while allowing his Dao Body to absorb some of the primal qi.

After all, it was a valuable resource.

The vitality-rich primal qi flowing through his Dao Body felt no different from ordinary primal qi. At most, it made him more energetic. It couldn't refine the quality of his Pure Yang Immortal Power, forcibly raise his cultivation, or deepen his Daoist realm.

He let the matter go. It was better to remain here and observe the situation across the grand array.

Holding the mirror, Wang Sheng felt as though he stood outside the board, viewing everything from a godlike perspective. He could observe every cultivator attempting to break through.

The outer array had four entrances. From each of them, cultivators streamed into this small world.

The omnipresent restrictions within the array annihilated most of those who charged in first, leaving behind nothing but harrowing carnage. Those who followed later could see the bloodstains and corpses that warned them of danger, yet casualties continued to mount, and chaos engulfed the entire place.

Meanwhile, some had already begun to lie in ambush, striking at those breaking through and trying to take advantage of the chaos.

Streaks of light chased one another across the field, often colliding with restrictions. Lightning, heavenly fire, raging wind, or surging true water instantly consumed those who tumbled out. As though possessed, dozens or even hundreds also fought fiercely near certain treasure-bound restrictions, revealing their vicious nature before the restrictions could even be breached.

By rough estimation, tens of thousands of cultivators had already rushed into the array. All were at the Heavenly Immortal Realm or True Immortal Realm. However, nearly two-thirds had fallen. Most died to the array's restrictions, while a smaller number perished in clashes between cultivators or to ambushes.

The ugliness of human nature was laid bare without restraint.

Yet Wang Sheng knew he had no right to judge them. Had their positions been reversed, he might have also risked his life scheming for treasures, alchemical pills, and a chance to rise beyond his limits. Not all evil stemmed from malice, nor was human nature inherently corrupt. Circumstances and the depth of one's desires shaped it.

Before long, Wang Sheng noticed that at each of the four entrances, small groups were pushing ahead of the rest. Some moved alone, others traveled in pairs or trios, and a few advanced in groups of more than ten.

They ignored all treasures and herbs along the way. Among them were Heavenly Immortals skilled in array arts, leading their companions straight toward the barrier of the second great array.

Their objective was clear: Qinghua's Daoist heritage.

They're traveling in groups?

Wang Sheng frowned. If more than ten Heavenly Immortals reached this place at the same time, he would struggle to deal with them.

The groups had difficulties advancing, though. Those traveling together encountered even greater trouble than solitary cultivators. Across the outer, middle, and inner regions, numerous killing and trapping arrays moved constantly. They stopped or outright killed many of those at the front.

After watching for a while, Wang Sheng finally understood the nature of the black clouds: they were a form of illusion array. He saw them drift above certain cultivators, flash with green lightning, and cause those beneath to turn on one another in frenzied slaughter.

Wang Sheng observed for a while longer, discerning several of their traits.

First, they prevented cultivators from flying overhead. Clusters of black clouds immediately rushed over and enveloped anyone who rose more than twenty or thirty meters into the air. Those caught within were either killed or grievously injured.

Second, the larger the group, the more likely they were to attract the clouds. Solitary cultivators rarely drew their attention. Third, the further ahead one pushed, the greater the chance of encountering them. Qinghua had designed these arrays as though based on a standard of extreme mortality, where survival meant overcoming odds of one in ten, or even one in a hundred.

Wang Sheng could not help but feel puzzled.

If Emperor Qinghua intended to pass on his Daoist heritage, why create such an ordeal? Why deploy so many killing arrays? He could simply have established an array, announced its presence across the Eastern Sky Region, and allowed only those who met his criteria to enter.

Why lure countless cultivators here only to subject them to relentless trials and slaughter most of them? Emperor Qinghua cultivated the Great Dao of life. He couldn't have been so bloodthirsty.

Sensing his doubts, Spiritless trembled softly, and Yaoyun telepathically explained, "

Emperor Qinghua was always proud. He likely did not wish his heritage to fall into the hands of mediocrity. Though this array is harsh, those who ultimately reach the tree either possess great skill and careful minds, have powerful treasures and formidable backing, or are blessed with an extraordinary fate.

"

From what I know, many ancient experts selected their successors this way. One in ten thousand survives, grasping a supreme Dao fruit through desperate struggle.

"

Wang Sheng shook his head. "

How can such a method ensure that whoever inherits his Dao is truly virtuous?

"

Spiritless fell silent for a moment, then transformed back into Yaoyun.

She softly remarked, "In the eyes of many cultivators, virtue holds little value. Do not dwell on it. Even days of debate would yield no answer. Anyway, let me keep an eye on the mirror. You should cultivate. This place is a rare treasure ground, and opportunities like this are scarce."

"Alright." Wang Sheng handed her the mirror. "Mark those who stand out too clearly. If there are too many of them, we'll launch a preemptive strike."

Yaoyun nodded gently. "

Mm.

"

Holding the mirror, she sat beside him and began to study the outer layers of the array with care.

Wang Sheng planned to ponder the purpose of this vibrant vitality. However, just as he was about to close his eyes and begin cultivating, Yaoyun suddenly called out, "Look."

She had already discovered something?

Wang Sheng turned his head. Yaoyun was sitting right beside him, still in the celestial gown that was commonly seen in the Heavenly Court. The design leaned toward the bold side, walking a fine line between revealing and restrained. A wave of emotion stirred in his heart.

My sword spirit's... Ahem. Her hands really are beautiful.

Yaoyun snorted softly but did not scold him. Wang Sheng swiftly shifted his focus to the bronze mirror. It displayed the scene outside the grand array, its images rapidly changing according to Yaoyun's will.

Beyond the array was a sea of people. At every nearby crossroads, clusters of countless cultivators gathered. In the starry space above, streaks of light continued to shoot in endlessly.

Soon, Wang Sheng spotted the banners of the North-River Sword Sect and over a thousand sword cultivators beneath them. Like the other major factions, they seemed to be observing for now, showing no urgency to enter.

Such powers usually preferred to first ascertain the internal arrangements before dispatching two elite teams of Heavenly Immortals. One group would test whether they could obtain Qinghua's Daoist heritage, while the other would be responsible for sweeping up any treasures and precious materials.

Everyone wanted to gain the greatest benefit at the smallest cost.

Those rushing into the array first were mostly unaffiliated practitioners. In truth, most of them were nothing more than expendable pawns for the great powers.

Wang Sheng softly remarked, "It seems the real trouble lies ahead."

Yaoyun muttered, "Well, this is Emperor Qinghua's Daoist heritage, after all. The North-River Sword Sect hasn't fully approached the entrance, and based on their array, they are clearly prioritizing defense. That means there are sects here of comparable strength, as well as formidable beings they dare not provoke. Look at these."

The image in the bronze mirror zoomed out, locking onto a distant stretch of empty space. Three elderly men in splendid robes sat in the area, sipping tea and discussing the Dao in relaxed comfort.

Yaoyun did not dare linger too long. She swiftly shifted perspectives, changing the view more than ten times in succession. Over twenty cultivators of extraordinary bearing were revealed, ranging from old to young.

"All of these can be considered great masters of divine abilities," she said. "I have even met one of them before."

"Immortals of the Heavenly Court?" Wang Sheng asked.

Yaoyun smiled bitterly. "He was one of the powerful enemies who blocked our return from the Realm of Exiled Immortals to the endless space. If I recall correctly, he is a true Grand Dao Golden Immortal. With a flick of his sleeve, several stars would fly forth, and the universe within his sleeve was a terrifying divine ability. If he's openly showing himself here, then there aren't many top-tier Heavenly Court experts here."

Wang Sheng fell silent for a moment, then patted his cheeks. "These are not the opponents we should be worrying about right now. Relax. Considering this array uses the Apricot-Yellow Banner as its core, only those as strong as the Three Pure Ones can break it. Anyway, I will cultivate for a while. Keep an eye on things for me."

Wang Sheng closed his eyes and steadied his spirit as he began to sense the vitality contained within the surrounding primal qi. Earlier, when the Apricot-Yellow Banner had struck him twice, his Dao Body seemingly became even more durable.

This was no exaggeration. It had truly improved.

Now that he had thought about it, he had experienced something similar in the past. His cultivation was still shallow back then. After breaking his leg, he used spiritual herbs, which slightly strengthened his bones.

At the time, he had joked that if one day he shattered all of his bones and reconnected them with supreme elixirs, perhaps his Dao Body would be greatly reinforced. That joke turned out to be accurate; he could truly use such a method to strengthen himself. However, the process was far too agonizing. He had no intention of tormenting himself like that.

So what use does this vitality have for me? To stabilize my foundation and nourish my qi? To accumulate primal qi?

He and his senior sister had no plans of having children anytime soon, and if he pursued that path, he would suffer terribly.

Forget it. Better to simply see if it could merge with my Pure Yang Immortal Power.

Wang Sheng took a soft breath, cleared his mind of stray thoughts, and began to slowly absorb the surrounding primal qi. Unfortunately, he was already at full capacity. The incoming qi could not be converted into immortal power; it could only leave behind faint threads of vitality power.

Still, he guided the threads of vitality through his body, letting them drift and wander as he tested where they could be of use.

***

Mountain gate of the Qiling Immortal Sect.

The sect had fully activated its grand array. Wensheng and several Golden Immortal Realm elders stood outside, welcoming visitors and seeing them off in a lively scene. People arrived incessantly to question them about Qinghua's Daoist heritage. The Qiling Immortal Sect only offered a single explanation.

The hidden realm had originally been a medicinal garden that they had discovered by chance. However, since it was covered in restrictions that made investigation impossible, it was listed as a forbidden zone. No one knew why it had suddenly opened on its own and created such a spectacle.

The explanation had no glaring flaws. Combined with the sincerity of the sect's experts and their deliberate gifts of alchemical pills as gestures of goodwill, no great powers or major sects deliberately made things difficult for them.

In the back mountain valley, numerous pill refiners remained as busy with work as usual, if not even more so.

Zhuge stood before a landscape painting in his pavilion. His gaze was clouded, as though lost in distant memories. After a long while, he sighed softly toward the painting.

"Your Majesty, with these arrangements, how can we truly judge right from wrong?"