Chapter 166: Chapter 143: Sage King, Radiant Sovereign, Yin Celestial Emperor

The tall figure condensed from that Furnace Fire Life was wreathed in endless plumes of green smoke, its pained grunts turning into a desperate howl!

The thunderous psychic sound swept out in all directions, startling the nearby Yin Mangs and Yin Jiaos, which hastily retreated into the thick, dark clouds.

After about twenty breaths, the tall figure had been burned increasingly thin. Like an incense stick burning to its end, it could no longer maintain the form of its Divine Sense.

POOF! It exploded into scattering ash!

"He’s dead?"

"He’s lost half his life, more or less. A grievous injury to one’s Divine Sense is far more severe than damage to a Cultivation Furnace!"

"Begging the Stove Lord to grant fire? Then using his Divine Sense as incense? Why would he do that...?"

On the Eighteen-Layered High Platform, the numerous Divine Senses were all shocked, yet utterly bewildered and unable to comprehend what had happened.

They were all baffled by the ancient temple that had suddenly appeared, and by the tall figure’s earlier act of begging for fire.

"The Stove Lord?"

"The ghost or god enshrined in this temple is actually the ’Stove Lord’?"

"The Stove Lord isn’t a ghost or god, he’s a ’True God’ canonized by the Immortal Dao! He’s one of the countless incarnations of a Daoist Monarch, worthy of being worshipped and receiving sacrifices from All Cultivators..."

"Why is there a ’Stove Lord Temple’ in Fengdu?"

"You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"

Jiang Yi was also completely baffled. But if he were to beg the Celestial Book now, he might not get an immediate response.

Just as he was hoping some "old-timer" on the high platform would step forward to explain things, the figures formed from Divine Sense and Life Qi all unexpectedly turned to look at him in unison.

’Why is everyone looking at me?’

Jiang Yi paused for a moment, thinking to himself:

’I’m the newcomer here, a total rookie! How would I know the inside story!’

So he simply chose to ignore them and remain silent.

This was a lesson from his past life: when you’re not sure about something, stay quiet and pretend to be an expert.

But in everyone else’s eyes, this bearer of an Emperor’s Life clearly couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge them.

"As expected of a top-tier Dao Material from an Ancestral Sect Dharma Lineage!"

"That aloof bearing alone is extraordinary!"

"You have a point..."

A few of the Divine Senses shamelessly sent out their thoughts in loud voices, intending to curry favor with this mysterious, high-ranking disciple of an Ancestral Sect.

This fawning behavior earned the contempt of others, but some were also secretly annoyed, hating that they hadn’t thought fast enough to be the first to suck up.

’Have they mistaken me for some kind of big shot?’

Jiang Yi quickly figured it out. ’Could it be because of my "Jiang Shang" identity?’

Ever since he inherited the Yang Qi Taiyin Heaven, the "Jiang Shang" identity, originally listed as the lowest-grade Grass Seed Life, had risen in status. In just three to five days, it had shot all the way to the top of that wide stone wall.

At first, Jiang Yi had been full of anticipation, thinking that with his luck at its zenith and his promotion to a First-class Life, it would surely bring about some changes.

But in the end, no heaven-sent Opportunity appeared, no Magical Treasures acknowledged him as their master, and no divine beasts came to his side. None of those wonderful things happened.

’Cat Master also said that one’s destiny isn’t of much use in the Qi Cultivation Realm. Before reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm, it’s impossible to grasp something so ethereal and illusory—like trying to scoop the moon from the water...’

Jiang Yi mused, ’It seems this "Jiang Shang" persona is proving useful for now.’

’But should I really twist myself into an incense stick and offer myself up to that temple?’

His Divine Sense stirred slightly. Deep within the immeasurably vast image of the sun’s radiance, a faint golden light flickered.

’When in doubt, ask the Celestial Book!’

...

...

「In the Exquisite Magic Tower.」

Fu Lizi drank the Jade Dew freely and offered his commentary:

"Though the Furnace Flame Life is ranked fifth-class, his luck was ultimately lacking. He couldn’t hold on for long.

Without firewood to sustain it, how could he withstand being calcined by the Six Ding True Fire?"

Lou Zhenxiao nodded slightly. As a True Monarch of the Immortal Dao, Gong Rong naturally revered the Tai Yang. The "Six Ding True Fire" Great Divine Technique he had comprehended was refined from Bing and Ding qi, balanced both internally and externally, and tremendously powerful.

Its most fearsome aspect was that the Six Ding True Fire governed both the civil and martial, sorted the clear from the turbid, and specialized in burning one’s Life Essence, damaging their very Primordial Essence!

One must understand that when a Cultivator undergoes Flying Foundation Establishment to become a True Master, their Life Essence has already fused to Perfection. After they pass the Three Calamities and advance to the Golden Position, their Life Essence becomes even more condensed. Even numerous tribulations would find it hard to destroy, and they could be reborn even if their soul were to scatter.

Unless someone were to use a supreme Great Divine Technique to forcibly shatter the Golden Position suspended in the great void, completely destroy their Dao Fruit, and erase all their past karma and connections.

But such a terrifying method is difficult even for a Great Power Cultivator to achieve.

"If a Foundation Establishment True Master is touched by this fire, the blessings of five generations of their lineage would be severed in an instant. Even if they undergo corpse liberation and reincarnate, they will be bound by the confusion of the womb.

A True Monarch would fare slightly better, but they would still have to endure the agony of ’oil running out and the lamp dying,’ losing at least twenty percent of their Life Essence Cultivation."

Lou Zhenxiao gazed deeply at the ancient temple. The almost endless, thick black clouds couldn’t hide the raging golden flames, which revealed its massive silhouette.

"The reason that ’Profound Law Nvqing True Monarch,’ who is closely tied to the Ghost Dao, cannot leave the Profound City Central Palace is twofold. First, her Daoist Lineage collapsed, so she is bound by the Heavenly Laws and cannot appear in the mortal world.

Second, she is afflicted by the ’Zhengshuo Mingyang Radiance,’ and her foundation has been burned by the ’Six Ding True Fire,’ leaving her completely unable to move an inch.

To be honest, to be able to survive under the hand of Tai Yang for five thousand years, and even outlive Gong Rong, her mortal enemy who sought to exterminate the Ghost Dao—

if you look across the entire Yanfu Vast Land, you probably couldn’t find more than a handful of people who could do the same."

Fu Lizi nodded in agreement.

"If we’re talking on a ten-thousand-year timescale, Lady Xuan’nv could be considered a renowned Lord True Monarch.

After all, throughout history, the number of ghosts and yin creatures that have successfully attained the Dao can be counted on two hands."

Lou Zhenxiao stared at the water mirror. Within Fengdu, Life Qi was as dense as a forest, and Luck was flourishing.

He didn’t know how many Disciples and Dao Materials from the Grand Sect and Ancestral Sect Dharma Lineages had already secretly rushed here to gather.

On Brother Fu Lizi’s Daoist Register, besides the one with the Emperor’s Life whose name contained "Shang," there were many other mysterious individuals concealing their origins.

"Brother, this move of yours might just be a brilliant stroke of blind luck."