Chapter 349 - 324: True Monarch Succession
Taixu Mirror Heaven.
On this day, the atmosphere in the Sect Sacred Land was completely different from usual.
High in the Celestial Vault, the flowing, iridescent clouds had all receded, revealing the true nature of the Mirror Heaven.
It was a crystal-clear, glazed firmament that continuously refracted the real starry sky and countless phantoms from the world outside.
Beneath this firmament, the many Master Dao Fields appeared more solid than ever before.
Thousand-year-old pines stood tall, exotic flowers and herbs pulsed with Spiritual Light, and cascading waterfalls resembled sashes of jade. Countless pavilions, halls, palaces, and Daoist Temples were built into the mountains, packed together in neat rows, standing silently amidst a solemn atmosphere.
At the center of the Mirror Heaven, a magnificent White Jade Dharma Platform, a thousand zhang across and rising above the sea of clouds, had appeared.
Atop the platform, the ancient, heavy Nine-Aperture Bronze Dharma Conch, though unplayed by anyone, vibrated of its own accord, emitting a long, desolate, continuous drone that pierced the very Divine Soul.
Each note stirred the vast Spiritual Mechanism within the Mirror Heaven, causing it to ripple and surge, transforming into visible, seven-colored ripples of immortal light that slowly spread out from the platform in all directions.
It illuminated every inch of space, and it shone on the face of every person in attendance.
The immortal light fell like rain, yet settled no dust.
It only served to deeply brand the scene with solemnity and dignity.
Below the platform, a dense, dark mass of figures stretched as far as the eye could see.
In the very front row stood all the registered Foundation Establishment Masters of the Holy Sect, regardless of whether they were in seclusion or not.
The newly promoted, those stationed outside, and even some reclusive faces who rarely showed themselves were all present.
They were all clad in the Sect's formal Magic Robes, though the colors and styles varied.
But their auras were all profound and vast, with faint traces of Dao Rhyme surrounding them. Though they intentionally restrained themselves, the invisible energies of several dozen Masters gathering together still caused the surrounding space to subtly distort and blur.
Qi Yun stood in the front rank of these Masters, dressed in a Deep Blue Daoist Robe. His expression was placid, his gaze profound. Amidst the celestial light and the drone of the Dharma Conch, he appeared exceptionally calm.
Behind the Masters were the even more numerous inner and outer sect disciples.
They stood in neat, solemn rows, arranged according to their lineage and cave residences.
Though their presence wasn't as imposing as the Masters', every one of them was full of Essence Qi, their eyes sharp.
At this moment, they all held their breath, their gazes fixed on the high platform.
Their faces were filled with reverence for the Sect's supreme authority and excitement at witnessing history in the making.
Despite the vast crowd, there was utter silence.
Only the drone of the Dharma Conch that pierced Heaven and Earth and the faint sound of flowing immortal light formed the sole background noise for this grand spectacle.
By the Holy Sect's tradition, a living True Monarch would serve as the Sitting Sect True Monarch in rotation, holding the Sect's authority for a term of five hundred years.
Today was the day the current Sitting Sect True Monarch—Desolate Halberd Splitting Sky True Monarch—would see his term come to a perfect end.
The entire Sect had gathered in the Taixu Mirror Heaven.
First, to respectfully send off Desolate Halberd True Monarch as he stepped down and to show gratitude for his five hundred years of service.
Second, to welcome the next Sitting Sect True Monarch—True Monarch of No Dao Extreme Law—as he ascended to power and began a new era.
DONG—!
A toll of a bell, seemingly from primordial times and so heavy it made the entire Taixu Mirror Heaven tremble slightly, echoed from the depths of the Taixu Main Peak, overpowering the continuous drone of the Dharma Conch.
The bell tolled nine times, its sound washing over the universe.
After the ninth toll, all fell silent.
Immediately after, at the center of the platform, at an infinite height, a speck of shattered gold light suddenly flared. At first the size of a bean, it expanded in an instant, transforming into a blinding, dazzling sun of shattered gold!
Within the great sun, a towering and majestic illusory Dharma Aspect, over ten thousand zhang tall, slowly materialized and solidified.
It was Desolate Halberd Splitting Sky True Monarch!
At this moment, he was not in his casual attire from the Red Mountain Forest, nor the Civil and Military Robe he wore when meeting with Wu Dao.
Instead, he had revealed the most formal Dharma Aspect of the Sitting Sect True Monarch!
He wore the Nine-Stream Heaven-Splitting Crown. Its Tassel Beads were not jade, but slowly rotating Supreme Yang Treasure Beads. He was dressed in a Profound Base with Golden Patterned Robe, upon which Dao Patterns outlined a vast and terrifying scene of heavens and stars shattering, void rifts spreading, and chaotic energy surging.
His face was shrouded in a hazy halo of shattered gold light, making it impossible to see clearly.
Only a pair of shattered-gold eyes, burning with eternal battle intent and endless majesty, looked down upon the hundreds of millions of disciples below like two miniature scorching suns.
He sat upon a massive Dark Gold Throne that had materialized from thin air.
His signature Sky-Splitting Halberd had transformed into a jet-black pillar of light that reached from the earth to the heavens, standing beside the throne.
The halberd's blade pointed toward the sky, exuding a supreme, domineering will capable of tearing apart eternity and pacifying the eight wildernesses.
With the True Monarch's Dharma Aspect revealed, the majestic presence of the Great Dao descended.
All the Masters and disciples, without needing a command, bowed in unison. Their voices merged into a torrent that shook the Mirror Heaven:
"We greet the True Monarch's sacred presence—!"
The wave of sound was filled with heartfelt reverence and gratitude.
Desolate Halberd True Monarch's five hundred years as Sitting Sect True Monarch were not peaceful times.
In the Northwest Demon Path, the forces were intricate and complex. The three major Demon Sects watched like hungry tigers, while the external Righteous Alliance and Overseas powers had never relaxed their pressure and infiltration of the Northwest.
However, during these five hundred years, Desolate Halberd True Monarch had acted many times, relying on his unrivaled, ferocious personal combat strength.
Sometimes with deterrence, other times with conquest, he had forcefully suppressed the three restless major Demon Sects, leaving them unable to even lift their heads.
Externally, he had also repeatedly repelled probing invasions, solidifying the Holy Sect's sphere of influence and even faintly expanding it.
Under his watch, the Wuji Holy Sect's prestige grew daily, showing signs of surpassing the other three major Demon Sects to become the number one powerhouse of the Northwest Demon Path!
Listening to the respectful shouts of the Sect's disciples, Desolate Halberd True Monarch's gaze pierced through the overlapping crowds below, landing steadily on the young, upright figure whose aura was harmonious and restrained.
Qi Yun.
This child was the biggest "surprise" of the final years of his term.
'Another one to reach the rank of Monarch...' Desolate Halberd True Monarch silently recalled what he had said to Wu Dao that day.
This was no empty boast, but a judgment based on his own perspective as a True Monarch.
'It's a pity... my term as Sitting Sect True Monarch is over.'
Atop the Dharma Platform, Desolate Halberd True Monarch's immense Dharma Aspect slowly rose.
With his movement, the Spiritual Mechanism of the entire Taixu Mirror Heaven rose with him. The pillar of light formed by the Sky-Splitting Halberd shone even more brightly, as if about to pierce through the glazed firmament.
He did not give a long farewell speech. His grand, vast voice, which had a resonant, metallic quality, simply rang out like a Celestial Constitution in the depths of every disciple's Divine Soul:
"I have been the Sitting Sect True Monarch for five hundred years. Thanks to all of you working with one heart and one mind, the Sect's fortune has grown daily."
"Today, my term reaches its end, and I shall return to rest."
"I hope that you will all strictly observe the Sect's rules, diligently cultivate the Great Dao, and ensure our Holy Sect... prospers for all eternity!"
As his voice faded, his final gaze, as if by chance, swept once more over Qi Yun's direction.
Within that gaze was expectation, warning, and an indescribable trace of complexity.
'I hope that when I return to the Profound Yellow one day, you... will still be standing here.'
That one glance seemed to pierce through time itself.
Immediately, Desolate Halberd True Monarch's Dharma Aspect threw his head back and laughed, his voice shaking the nine heavens!
"HAHAHAHAHA... I'm off!"
Amidst the laughter, the enormous shattered-gold Dharma Aspect, along with the Dark Gold Throne beneath it and the pillar of light that was the Sky-Splitting Halberd, suddenly transformed into a shattered-gold rift that stretched across Heaven and Earth, tearing a gash in the Taixu Mirror Heaven's glazed firmament!
The rift vanished in a flash, taking the last wisp of Desolate Halberd True Monarch's ferocious aura with it, disappearing completely without a trace.
The shattered gold light dissipated. Above the Dharma Platform, only the Nine-Aperture Bronze Dharma Conch continued its low drone as the ripples of immortal light gradually subsided.
An era of a True Monarch had thus come to an end.
The scene was silent for several breaths.
Then, the drone of the Nine-Aperture Dharma Conch suddenly changed!
It was no longer the desolate, lingering note of farewell, but had become sharp, urgent, and seemed to carry a kind of cold order and an irresistible summoning power!
At the same time, upon the clear, glazed firmament of the Taixu Mirror Heaven, boundless, ink-black clouds suddenly surged forth!
The clouds roiled, but they were not water vapor. They were shadows and deathly silence, so dense they could not be dispersed. In an instant, they devoured the sky full of immortal light, and the light within the Mirror Heaven dimmed abruptly, as if day had plunged into eternal night!
"We respectfully welcome—the True Monarch of No Dao Extreme Law—!"
Master Siyi's announcement rang out, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible tension.
Everyone's hearts leaped into their throats.
In the center of the roiling sea of black clouds, a pure black, slender pillar of inky light, seeming to absorb all light, descended silently, pierced through the clouds, and landed squarely in the center of the Dharma Platform.
Within the pillar of light, a figure slowly descended.
There was no ferocious, unrivaled Dharma Aspect like Desolate Halberd True Monarch's, no world-shaking pressure made manifest.
There was only a black-robed figure of ordinary stature.
The True Monarch of No Dao Extreme Law was still dressed in the simplest of pure black robes, his jet-black hair unbound, his face pale and indifferent.
He stepped barefoot onto the cold White Jade Dharma Platform. There were no phenomena of Spiritual Light around him; even his aura was so faint as to be almost nonexistent, as if he were merely a mortal who had stumbled into this place.
Yet it was precisely this ultimate "nothingness" and "stillness" that brought a heavier, more heart-pounding sense of oppression than even Desolate Halberd True Monarch's ferocious entrance!
Where he stood, even the light grew dim and distorted. Even the drone of the Dharma Conch seemed to be partially devoured, becoming intermittent.
All the Masters and disciples below felt a chill and a sense of stagnation originating from the depths of their Divine Souls.
The circulation of their own Magical Power, the very quickness of their thoughts, all became slow and difficult under the pressure of that black-robed figure.
He slowly raised a hand, his five fingers pale and slender. He made a gentle grasping motion at the empty air.
VMM...
The clamorous drone of the Dharma Conch instantly vanished completely.
The churning black clouds that filled the sky, as if smoothed by an invisible hand, transformed into a solidified, lightless expanse of dark firmament.
In that instant, the entire Taixu Mirror Heaven became utterly silent.
Only the black-robed figure standing silently on the Dharma Platform remained, becoming the sole center of this dead, dark world.
Then, a cold, flat, emotionless voice, in this absolute silence, rang out clearly in the perception of every living being, as if acting directly upon their souls:
"I am Wu Dao."
"Starting today, I will be the Sitting Sect True Monarch for five hundred years."
"All matters... shall remain as they were."
"Disperse."
'Remain as they were? What matters would remain as they were? The Sect rules? The old customs?'
As his voice fell, the solidified dark firmament and the absolute silence receded like a tide. The immortal light reappeared, the drone of the Dharma Conch ceased, and the Taixu Mirror Heaven returned to its former state.
However, everyone knew that the sky of the Holy Sect... had changed.
The new Sitting Sect True Monarch—True Monarch of No Dao Extreme Law—had, with his signature, bone-chilling entrance, announced the beginning of a new era.
Qi Yun stood at the front of the crowd, his expression calm from beginning to end.
Only in the deepest depths of his profound eyes did a flicker of extreme gravity and vigilance silently pass.
...