217: The 81 Tribulations of the Eastern Journey

Qin Jiang became interested upon hearing this; he had seen the Emperor Ancestor Dynasty mentioned in the Zhongyuan Atlas.

It was the overlord power of the Central Region and the only Dao Land, besides the Exquisite Dao Land, that occupied an entire region alone.

The current Emperor Ancestor Sovereign, like the Exquisite Immortal Lord, had reached the end of the Pseudo-Immortal King stage.

These two were also the strongest two people on the surface of the Zhongyuan Continent today.

If they were to join forces, provided that their fundamental interests were not violated,

then almost no power on the Zhongyuan Continent would be willing to offend them, and most would essentially give them Face.

"I wonder what kind of scheme it is?" he asked.

Hua An smiled lightly, set down his teacup, and with a gentle wave of his sleeve, a topographical map of the Zhongyuan Continent appeared in the hall.

The vast continent was crisscrossed with ravines and divided into five regions, with two red dots being extremely prominent.

One red dot was marked in the center of the Central Region, where the Emperor Ancestor Dynasty was labeled.

The other was located in the Eastern Region near the coast, labeled as the Exquisite Immortal Sect.

Between the two red dots was a winding red dashed line, and just past the one-third mark, there was a point of light.

The powers labeled around the point of light were the Chang Sheng Sword Sect and the Star Luo Immortal Sect.

"When the Emperor Ancestor Immortal King ascended to heaven, he left behind a Heavenly Decree, stating that a secret treasure was left in the Exquisite Dao Land. If anyone wished to retrieve it one day, they would need to wait for the birth of a Fated One.

This Fated One would travel east from the Emperor Ancestor Dynasty, undergoing Eighty-One Tribulations and accumulating immense Karma, before he could summon that secret treasure upon arriving at the Exquisite Dao Land."

As he spoke, he pointed toward the white point of light. "This white point of light represents the position of that Fated One, and right now, he has just reached the territory of my Chang Sheng Sword Sect.

Therefore, the spheres of influence of my Sword Sect and the Star Luo Immortal Sect have been sealed off to prevent any accidents.

During this period, many Heavenly Officials from the Emperor Ancestor Dynasty and the Exquisite Dao Land will be following in secret, and I cannot resist."

Qin Jiang couldn't help but smile upon hearing this. "Since it's about undergoing tribulations, why do they need people to accompany them? Wouldn't the so-called tribulations become a mere sham?"

With two super-powers that each occupy an entire region protecting them along the way, who would be so foolish as to dare cause trouble?

Hua An gave an embarrassed smile. "Uh, this... actually, if it were normal, these so-called tribulations would be encountered by the Fated One under the guidance of the Heavenly Dao and resolved by himself.

But the Emperor Ancestor Sovereign and the Exquisite Immortal Lord have attained such profound heights that they can deceive the heavenly secrets. So, in reality, most of the tribulations are designed together by us Immortal Sect Holy Lands.

And those who participate in these tribulations will be recorded. When the Great Undertaking is completed, they will naturally receive a portion of Karma, which is of great benefit to one's cultivation."

No matter how you look at it, this was a benefit gained for nothing. To the two Dao Lands, whether the Chang Sheng Sword Sect and the Star Luo Immortal Sect agreed or not didn't really matter much.

At worst, they could just change the route. If it wasn't easy to change, they could simply send a Saint Lord Level expert to wipe the two Immortal Sects off the map and prop up two new forces instead.

If one wasn't a Holy Land or a Saint Lord Level expert, they simply had no say in front of a Dao Land.

If they give you benefits, take them; otherwise, even your ancestral graves will be dug up and the ashes scattered.

"Deceiving the heavenly secrets? These two Immortal Lords truly have great skill," Qin Jiang chuckled.

At least he couldn't do such a thing; it wasn't just a lack of power, but more importantly, it required an understanding of Time.

Although he had gained some understanding of the Dao of Time from certain Immortal Arts, he was still far from being able to reach that step.

As expected of ruthless figures who each occupy an entire region; their strength is indeed extraordinary.

However, what he was more interested in was not this, but the so-called power of Karma.

"Sect Master, what exactly is this power of Karma?" Qin Jiang asked.

When he was in Shenzhou, he had also heard of things like Karma, but those were all illusory and ethereal concepts.

Hua An thought for a moment and then shook his head. "This power of Karma is mysterious and profound; I can't quite explain it clearly myself."

At this point, he pondered for a moment. "How about this: the Fated One will Face three tribulations in the territory of our two sects. The third tribulation at Black Wind Ridge still needs a guardian. Why don't you go, Fellow Daoist?"

Anyone who participates in the Eastern Journey will get a share of this Karma. Aside from the portion used to summon the secret treasure, most of the rest still belongs to the two Dao Lands.

What remains after that, when divided among individuals, is actually not much different.

Therefore, he was happy to do him a favor.

After all, he had already seen with his own eyes just how monstrous this person's talent was.

He knew exactly how difficult Long Hei Bai's Sword Dao was to cultivate. To be able to comprehend all the sword techniques in such a short time showed how terrifying his Comprehension Ability was.

Moreover, looking at him, the Sword Dao did not seem to be his primary cultivation path.

Perhaps he was about to witness the rise of an existence on the level of the Exquisite Immortal Lord.

Qin Jiang was somewhat surprised. "Me? Is that appropriate?"

"What's appropriate or not? If you don't mind, Fellow Daoist, you can take the title of Honorary Elder of my Sword Sect. Who could say it's inappropriate then?"

Hua An laughed heartily and took out a token, handing it to Qin Jiang.

Qin Jiang looked at the token and smiled, taking it casually. "Alright then, let me see what this Fated One is made of."

As he spoke, the Sword Pill in his hand rotated, releasing the sharp phantom of a divine sword.

Hua An's expression changed, and he quickly raised his hand. "Fellow Daoist, Fellow Daoist, there's no need for that, really no need for that!

That Fated One is a mortal monk from the Emperor Ancestor Imperial Capital. He has only been traveling for five years and is only at the Divine Martial Realm; he cannot withstand a single strike from you, Fellow Daoist."

This Fated One was the precious treasure of the two Dao Lands. If something really went wrong in the Sword Sect's territory, he wouldn't be able to explain it.

Qin Jiang nodded with some disappointment. "I understand. I will show restraint."

Hua An breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that Qin Jiang was somewhat disappointed, he thought for a moment and said, "That monk is named Tang Sanzang and has three disciples. One of them once caused a great scene at the Emperor Ancestor Sovereign's Feast of Immortals.

Although his Realm is only at the Early Stage of the initial realm, his mastery of the Vajra Staff is superb. The Emperor Ancestor Sovereign appreciated his talent and did not kill him, instead bestowing upon him a heavenly immortal staff.

With this Immortal Staff in hand, combined with his profound martial arts, his strength is not below the Peak of the initial realm."

At this point, Hua An waved his hand, and four humanoid light shadows appeared.

The leader was a bald monk with a smiling Face, wearing a half-draped cassock.

His exposed muscles were bulging, and he carried a Nine-Ringed Tin Staff on his right shoulder while holding a Skull Vajra Pestle in his left hand, looking every bit like a Buddhist powerhouse.

Behind him was a small figure, less than one and a half meters tall, grinning widely.

On his shoulder, he carried a huge staff about half as thick as his waist. Black immortal light swirled on the staff, giving off a feeling of Indestructible Golden Light.

Qin Jiang's eyes showed surprise; he recognized that this was a half-step Late-Stage Immortal Artifact crafted from an Immortal Grade Heaven-Reaching Tree.

It was no wonder this fellow could have combat power comparable to the Peak of the initial realm.

He looked at the other two. One was stout, over two meters tall, with an inverted cone-shaped upper body and a very fierce Face. His hair stood up like steel needles, and he held a Nine-Toothed Rake in his hand.

As for the last one, he was quite conspicuous, nearly five meters tall, like a small mountain.

He had an honest Face and wore a skull necklace around his neck. He carried a Water-Polished Zen Staff with luggage-like items hanging from it.

"This little fellow is the eldest disciple, named Sun Xingzhe. He wields a heavenly immortal staff and possesses impressive strength.

If you want to stretch your muscles, Fellow Daoist, you can kidnap the monk and have a fight with Sun Xingzhe before letting him go."