21: Chapter 21 The Ancient God's Legacy Appears! She Offers Immortal Scriptures, and the Sect Master is Overjoyed!

Boom!

The final, earth-shaking peal of thunder finally ceased.

The smell of scorching still hung in the air, that terrifying pressure that made one's heart tremble slowly dissipating.

The original meditation chamber was gone, not even ashes remained.

On the ground, there was only a massive, deep pit shimmering with a crystalline, glass-like light.

In the center of the pit, a figure bathed in golden light stood up.

It was Shang Ruoni!

Her clothes were tattered, her hair slightly disheveled, her face pale, utterly exhausted.

But her eyes were frighteningly bright.

An aura of immense power, far surpassing the Golden Core Early Stage, emanated from her, causing the sparse surrounding Spiritual Qi to swirl.

Lying haphazardly around the edge of the pit were several Hehuan Sect Elders, each with ashen faces, blood at the corners of their mouths, their Magic Treasures cracked.

Her beautiful Master was directly sitting on the ground, regulating her breathing, seriously injured.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

A white-haired Elder struggled to sit up, looking at Shang Ruoni in the pit with a mix of shock and joy, his voice trembling.

"It succeeded! It truly succeeded! Heavenly Dao Golden Core! What the ancient texts recorded was actually true!"

"Heaven blesses our Hehuan Sect!" Another Elder was so excited he could barely speak coherently.

"To think I would see a Heavenly Dao Golden Core in my lifetime! Disciple Shang... no, Elder Shang! How... how do you feel?"

He hurriedly corrected himself.

Achieving Foundation Establishment already made one an Elder, let alone the legendary Heavenly Dao Golden Core. She was destined to be an Elder of an even higher rank in the future.

Everyone, including her Master who had just opened her eyes, stared fixedly at Shang Ruoni.

Shang Ruoni took a deep breath, focusing on the object within her Dantian.

It was no longer just a Golden Core. It resembled a tiny star, its surface covered in incomprehensible runes. With each rotation, the surrounding air seemed to tremble.

She gently clenched her fist.

Boom!

Without exerting any physical force, merely with a thought, an invisible pressure violently erupted!

By the pit's edge, the white-haired Elder who had just steadied himself paled drastically, staggering back several steps before regaining his footing, nearly vomiting blood!

The other Elders also felt as if their throats were being constricted, finding it hard to breathe.

They felt they were facing not a junior who had just formed her Core, but a mountain capable of crushing them to death!

One Elder's voice was full of shock, "This... this power?! A Golden Core Early Stage Cultivator, using mere pressure alone, makes me, a Golden Core Late Stage Cultivator, unable to withstand it?!"

"Unable to withstand it? That's an understatement!" A Golden Core Middle Stage Law enforcement Elder's face turned green.

He had just tried to probe her with his Divine Sense, but it felt like crashing into a meat grinder, his Divine Soul aching sharply!

"Her spiritual power is bottomless! Domineering! Carrying the true intent of the Great Dao! My Divine Sense vanished the moment it entered! This is absolutely not what an ordinary Golden Core Peak should possess! Her current strength... I'm afraid she could contend directly with a Nascent Soul!"

"Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment! Heavenly Dao Golden Core!"

Her beautiful Master looked at her Disciple with a mix of relief, awe, and an indescribable complexity.

"Ascending to the heavens in a single step, each step a legend! Ruoni, you've done well!"

Shang Ruoni herself was startled.

She quickly withdrew her pressure, flashing to the edge of the pit in a single step, respectfully bowing to the Elders and her Master.

"Disciple Shang Ruoni thanks the Elders and Master for their life-saving grace! Without you all, I would have turned to ashes long ago!"

"Rise, rise quickly!" Her Master hurriedly made a motion to help her up, her eyes proud yet filled with worry.

"Heavenly Dao Golden Core... this is a Heaven-Defying fortune, its blessings and calamities unpredictable. Today's commotion was too great. I fear it may attract unimaginable consequences!"

Before she could finish speaking, several streaks of intense light *whooshed* overhead.

The leader's aura was unfathomably deep—it was none other than the Hehuan Sect Master!

The Sect Master's gaze swept like lightning over the devastated Peak and the injured Elders, finally landing on Shang Ruoni, whose aura was extraordinary.

He was stunned for a moment, then his expression turned extremely solemn, a flicker of intense heat flashing deep in his eyes.

"Heavenly Dao Golden Core! Shang Ruoni, you are good! Very good indeed!"

He said 'good' twice, clearly shaken to the core.

"This is the first time since the founding of the Hehuan Sect!"

"Issue the command: The main Peak of Danxia Peak is designated a Forbidden Ground. Those who trespass will die!"

"Effective immediately, Shang Ruoni is enrolled in the Grand Elder's personal Disciple sequence, entitled to the highest level of support!"

"Today's events are the highest secret. Anyone who dares to leak a word will have their form and spirit annihilated!"

"We respectfully obey the Sect Master's decree!"

After announcing the orders, the Sect Master's gaze returned to Shang Ruoni, a questioning look in his eyes. "Disciple Shang, your achievement is world-shaking, defying common sense."

"Might I ask what Opportunity allowed you to consecutively break through the barriers of Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment and Heavenly Dao Golden Core?"

Shang Ruoni's heart skipped a beat, remembering Duan Gujin's warning.

Steadying her mind, she spoke according to their prearranged story:

"Reporting to the Sect Master, this Disciple was simply fortunate."

"Some days ago, in a dangerous Secret Realm, I accidentally stumbled into a ruin protected by ancient Restrictions."

"In the center of the ruin, I saw a dilapidated, ancient-looking divine statue."

"Although the statue was broken, its pressure remained. I could barely even approach it."

"Just as I was about to collapse, feeling my Divine Soul on the verge of being crushed, the statue seemed to come alive!"

"An extremely ancient Divine Thought, one that seemed to contain the true intent of the Great Dao from the very beginning of heaven and earth, directly surged into this Disciple's mind."

"That Divine Thought was vast and chaotic. I only managed to grasp the true intent regarding Foundation Establishment and Core Formation within it, along with one Cultivation Technique."

She paused, observing the reactions of the Sect Master and the surrounding Elders.

Everyone's eyes lit up, holding their breath. Even her severely injured Master wore a look of astonishment and doubt.

An ancient deity's Legacy!

This was far more shocking than any Heaven And Earth Treasure!

This could explain how she achieved Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment and Heavenly Dao Golden Core!

Only the true intent of the Great Dao from an ancient god could be so Heaven-Defying!

"At the time, I felt my head was about to explode. The sheer volume of information nearly overwhelmed my consciousness."

"Fortunately, that Divine Thought seemed merely to be fulfilling a task. After imprinting the information, it fell silent, and the divine statue completely shattered."

"I lay unconscious in the ruin for who knows how long. When I awoke, the spiritual power within my body had already begun circulating on its own, ultimately resulting in Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment."

"As for this Heavenly Dao Golden Core... if not for Master and the Elders risking damage to their Origins, even shattering their Lifebound Treasures to shield me from the Heavenly Tribulation, I would have turned to ashes under the Lightning Tribulation long ago."

"Although the ancient god's Legacy pointed the way, the level of danger far exceeded imagination!"

Having said that, she decisively retrieved a Jade Slip from a hidden compartment. It was neither metallic nor jade, shimmering with a chaotic light.

As soon as the Jade Slip appeared, an ancient, profound aura, as if concealing the ultimate principles of the world, spread out,

causing every Cultivator present at the Golden Core Realm and above to feel their minds tremble!

"This Jade Slip is the only complete item I obtained from that ancient god's Legacy."

Shang Ruoni raised the Jade Slip respectfully with both hands.

"This Disciple knows this item is of immense importance, far beyond my ability to comprehend."

"Today, I was fortunate to form my Core, all thanks to the Sect's protection."

"I am willing to offer this Cultivation Technique to the Sect, to repay the Sect's kindness!"

Everyone's gaze instantly shifted from Shang Ruoni, firmly locking onto that chaotic Jade Slip!

Their eyes were filled with greed, shock, desire, disbelief...

A complete Cultivation Technique of an ancient deity!

This item was enough to make the entire cultivation world fight tooth and nail!

The Sect Master's perpetually stern face finally cracked.

The fervor in his eyes suddenly intensified, but he quickly suppressed it, restoring his profound demeanor.

Slowly raising his hand, an invisible force lifted the chaotic Jade Slip, drawing it into his palm.

The Jade Slip felt cool and strange to the touch.

The Sect Master carefully extended a wisp of his Divine Sense to probe it.

The chaotic light on the Jade Slip's surface suddenly accelerated its flow. A grander, more mysterious, and seemingly fundamental fragment of intent surged forth.

Though only a tiny glimpse was revealed, it made even the Sect Master, a powerhouse of the Mahayana Realm, feel dizzy, as if he had glimpsed the boundless Laws of the starry sky!

This sensation was countless times more profound than any top-tier Cultivation Technique he had ever encountered!

"Good! Good!"

As soon as the Sect Master withdrew his Divine Sense, he was overwhelmed with excitement, uttering two heavy "goods."

This time, they had truly found a treasure!

The contents of the Jade Slip, that Dao resonance and the true script of the Great Dao, left him utterly awestruck!

Especially the four-line summary at the beginning, which struck his heart like thunder:

"To become an immortal among immortals, first be one within the tribulation;

Burn away all worldly passions, only then obtain the truth within the flames."

No doubt about it! This was a genuine Immortal Scripture!

The name of the Immortal Scripture was *The Mortal World's Tribulation Fire Immortal Scripture*!

No wonder Shang Ruoni could consecutively break through the barriers of Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment and Heavenly Dao Golden Core!

This girl had been squarely hit by a pie of immortal fate falling from the sky!

Looking at Shang Ruoni again, the Sect Master's gaze instantly became extremely gentle, even carrying a touch of reverence, as if looking at a priceless treasure.

"Disciple Shang, you... you are excellent! Not only are your talents exceptional and your luck overwhelming, this is practically bearing a heaven-sent Immortal Opportunity!"

"What's even rarer is your heart is with the Sect, loyal and sincere! Offering this scripture is a monumental, world-shaking achievement! The Sect owes you a great debt!"

Those previous minor suspicions? In the face of this genuine Immortal Scripture Jade Slip, they had long since crumbled to dust.

What could better prove the ancient god's Legacy wasn't fabricated than a genuine Immortal Scripture named *The Mortal World's Tribulation Fire Immortal Scripture*?

"You've just formed your Core, your Realm is unstable, and you've been struck by lightning. You must consolidate immediately; there must be no delay."

"Danxia Peak's main Peak will be your territory from now on, and also the Sect's highest Forbidden Ground!"

He carefully held the Jade Slip, feeling as if he held the entire Sect's future.

"The contents here are too profound. This Sect Master will personally seek out the Grand Elder to study it in seclusion."

"You focus on Cultivating here, solidifying your foundation."

"Today's matter is the Sect's highest secret. Anyone who dares utter half a word will have their form and spirit annihilated!"

"We respectfully obey the Sect Master's decree!" All the Elders, including Shang Ruoni's Master, hurriedly bowed in agreement.

Their gazes towards Shang Ruoni were filled with awe, envy, and a touch of jealousy.

Grand Elder's personal Disciple sequence! Possessing a Heaven-Defying Immortal Opportunity!

This newly promoted Elder Shang's status had already skyrocketed, becoming a predetermined candidate for the Sect's future pillar!

Shang Ruoni bowed respectfully once more, her posture humble.

"Thank you for the Sect Master's generous rewards! This Disciple will certainly spare no effort, not failing the Sect's nurturing nor betraying the trust of this Immortal Opportunity."

She lowered her eyes, hiding the complex emotions within them.

The crisis was temporarily glossed over!

Wrapped tightly in the halo of this Immortal Scripture, the lie was concealed. Status and resources were also secured.

And Duan Gujin had previously told her that the Immortal Scripture he provided was a real one!

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In the distance.

Duan Gujin prayed in his heart, "I hope this strategy is correct this time! Please, let there be no slip-ups!"