86: Chapter 86: On the Dao, Drawing Lots

Huaguo Cultivators refused, and those countries ravaged by Sadako couldn't wait for rescue and could only figure out a way themselves.

You ask if they are angry? Of course they are angry, but what can be done about it? They can't win by fighting, nor can they win by arguing.

However, they didn't just sit and wait for death either; their think tanks weren't idiots, so they started reviewing how those countries that completed the mission did it.

Especially those few guys who lucked out and completed the mission—the think tank started reviewing it frame by frame, and they actually found the reason.

"It's the videotape! As long as you don't watch that videotape, you won't be targeted by that monster!!"

"Idiots, who still watches videotapes nowadays? It will definitely appear directly on the internet in the form of a video."

"That's right, everyone shouldn't watch videos casually from now on, otherwise the consequences will be very serious."

"This time it's another 10% reduction in National Destiny and Physique. If this goes on, I really fear that one day I'll suddenly die of weakness on the street!"

"We can only pray that in the next National Destiny Game, the new Chosen Ones will be strong. We don't ask him to be as powerful as Huaguo's Ye, as long as he can complete the mission."

"Let's hope so."

Soon, the think tank team passed on their research findings, and the countries that failed the mission began entering an era of not watching videos. Although it was a bit boring, it was better than losing their lives.

Time passed day by day, and soon, the Grand Ritual of Luotian was held.

Early in the morning, in front of the Shangqing Sect's mountain gate, voices were boisterous, and Spiritual Qi billowed up like clouds.

People coming and going were endless; some were participating in the Dao discussion, and others were here to sightsee and watch the commotion. Because of the era of universal cultivation, everyone in Huaguo had more or less cultivation on them.

Master Yuanxin did not refuse onlookers. Soon, CCTV's live broadcasting team also arrived, and they obtained permission to live broadcast the situation on-site.

The camera swept across the entire immortal mountain, and the footage was clearly transmitted to the eyes of hundreds of millions of viewers nationwide.

Sect Heads and Disciples of various factions from the Daoist, Buddhist, and Demonic Paths stood quietly to the side.

At the front of the crowd, a figure in purple Daoist robes slowly stepped onto the heaven-sacrificing altar.

It was none other than the Shangqing Sect Leader — Master Yuanxin.

Standing atop the high platform, the noisy voices within a radius of a hundred zhang instantly subsided. Everyone consciously restrained their breath and stood quietly, awaiting the opening of the grand ceremony.

Holding a whisk and wearing a solemn expression, Master Yuanxin presided over the sacrificial ritual of the Grand Ritual of Luotian according to the millennium-old Daoist rites.

Burning incense, paying homage to heaven, chanting scriptures, and praying for blessings.

Clear and heavy Dao sounds resounded through the mountains, and the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth flowed, fluctuated, and converged with the Dao rhyme.

Streaks of faint golden light rose from the heaven-sacrificing altar, shrouding the entire Shangqing Immortal Mountain, protecting Huaguo's living beings and stabilizing the Luck of the mountains and rivers.

The live stream chat room was completely flooded with barrage comments, full of awe across the screen.

[This is the Grand Ritual of Luotian, so solemn!]

[Daoist Yuanxin's Dao rhyme is so reassuring!]

[The Grand Ritual of Luotian, the Legacy of the Daoist Sect—the sense of ritual is maxed out!]

[This golden light must be the Luck of heaven and earth, right? Just looking at it is exhilarating!]

[As expected of a grand gathering of the Daoist Sect, solemn and respectful, making people look upon it with reverence.]

Viewers from various overseas countries watched with trembling minds across the screen. Their nations were still deeply trapped in the haze of Sadako's ravages, and the entire country did not dare to click on any videos.

National Destiny and universal Physique continued to plummet sharply. Yet Huaguo still calmly held the Daoist grand ceremony, with flourishing Luck and prosperous Dao techniques. The huge gap filled them with sourness and powerlessness.

The entire sacrificial ceremony was solemn, complete, and accomplished in one go.

When the final blessing ceremony concluded, the incense smoke curled upwards and the Dao sounds gradually ceased.

Master Yuanxin's gaze swept across the tens of thousands of Cultivators below the stage, and his clear voice spread across all directions:

"The sacrificial ritual is complete, and the Great Dao is within reach."

"Today at the Grand Ritual of Luotian, we shall first discuss the Dao and comprehend techniques, and then take the stage to spar! Disciples of all Sects and Cultivators of the world are welcome to fully display what you have learned and contend for the Dao!"

As the voice fell, the silent scene instantly boiled over!

The Dao Discussion Platform opened, and countless young Cultivators who had been building up momentum for a long time finally ushered in their moment of contention.

As the voice fell, the entire Shangqing Maoshan became completely lively.

As soon as the cheers rang out, a wave of spiritual power vibration came from mid-air, and everyone instinctively looked up.

Three inverted Peaks steadily hung amidst the sea of clouds, with layers of Formations hidden within the mountain bodies. Formation patterns such as protective shields, gathering Spiritual Qi, and suppressing and killing each performed their own duties.

The entire suspended arena was vast in area, enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people sparring simultaneously. Looking up from the foot of the mountain, the scene was exceptionally spectacular.

Everyone present was dumbfounded. Previously, they had only heard that Ye Qingxuan wanted to modify the venue, but having seen the arena formed by moving mountains with their own eyes, only amazement remained in everyone's hearts.

Celestial Master Zhang and Wudang's Sect Head Wang watched grinding their teeth; with just the scale of this arena, they were directly compared into oblivion.

Oh you old Daoist Yuanxin, relying on having a good Disciple, huh? Doing things like this, huh?

The other Sects of the Daoist path were also speechless. Will future Grand Rituals of Luotians all follow this specification? They didn't have mighty figures to move mountains, set up Formations, and build arenas!

Abbot Kongming wore an even more bitter expression. After the Grand Ritual of Luotian ended, Buddhism's Water and Land Dharma Assembly was also going to be held. What should they do about this? If the scale was small, wouldn't they be laughed to death by this group of Taoists?

Master Yuanxin stood on the heaven-sacrificing altar, looking at the high-altitude arena with a normal expression; after all, he had seen it long ago. As for what he was thinking in his heart, no one knew.

The live broadcast camera immediately aimed at the mid-air arena, and the barrage comments in the live stream room came one after another.

[This venue is too awesome, now we don't have to worry about not having enough space anymore!]

[Daoist Ye's move is truly different; he directly moved three mountains to serve as the arena.]

Overseas viewers stared at the screen, their moods becoming increasingly depressed.

And Huaguo not only steadily held the Grand Ritual of Luotian, but also had a powerhouse like Ye Qingxuan sitting in command. Comparing the two, there was only full of helplessness left.

In the front row of the crowd, Qingming, Qingyun, Qingmo, and Qingling looked towards the high altitude with calm expressions. Little Nine, lying on Qingling's shoulder, also put away its usual playful antics.

Before long, Ye Qingxuan's figure appeared on the clouds to the side of the arena.

He was still wearing that moon-white Daoist robe, with his aura completely restrained, yet that sense of oppression still caused the atmosphere of the entire audience to subconsciously quiet down.

The tens of thousands of Cultivators present cupped their fists in salute one after another, and no one dared to make a casual ruckus.

Heavenly Demon Palace's Yun Huan looked at Ye Qingxuan's figure with infatuated eyes, while Yaowang Valley's Lin Yao was so excited she wanted to jump up, only to be held down firmly by her Master.

Zhang Yuzhuo and Duyuan wore expressions of admiration, while Zhou Wei's expression was complex—there was fear and admiration, just no jealousy and hostility.

The images seen by the soldiers of the Northern Military Region earlier were now also circulating across the entire internet. Everyone knew that this mighty figure was decisive and neat when moving mountains, and now seeing him appear, the awe in their hearts grew even stronger.

Under the blessing of his magic power, Master Yuanxin's words resounded through the entire venue: "The arena has been prepared. Today's grand ritual will proceed with Dao discussion and martial arts competitions in order, with the assistance and garrison of my Disciple Qingxuan."

Ye Qingxuan nodded slightly, his clear voice spreading across the entire Maoshan: "The Formations have all been activated. Fighting within the arena will not harm outsiders and the mountain body. Everyone, feel free to discuss the Dao and spar."

As the voice fell, he stood quietly among the sea of clouds like a calming sea needle. With him garrisoning here, everyone put down their concerns.

The atmosphere at the scene was completely ignited. Someone stepped onto the nearby Dao Discussion Platform first, and Cultivators from various Sects took turns stepping forward to exchange cultivation insights and analyze the essential meanings of Dao techniques.

And the giant suspended arena in mid-air became the center where everyone's gaze converged.

Many young Cultivators rubbed their hands and clenched their fists, flying towards the mid-air arena one after another.

In the era of universal cultivation, talents emerged in large numbers. Over thirty thousand Cultivators above the Qi Refinement Stage level 5 gathered here, and a large-scale sparring competition officially kicked off right here.

After the Dao Discussion Platform was fully opened, the atmosphere at the scene instantly reached its Peak.

People rushing in from all over the country, whether they were Sect Disciples or Loose Cultivators self-cultivating among the folk, were all eager to try.

This Grand Ritual of Luotian was completely different from the past.

In the past, it was only an internal competition of the Daoist Sect, with a small scale and high threshold.

Now it is the era of universal cultivation. As long as the cultivation reaches Qi Refinement Stage level 5, everyone can take the stage to spar.

Coupled with the participating contestants from the Elf Race and Dwarf Race, a full thirty-thousand-plus people participated in the competition, making the scene unprecedentedly grand.

On the Dao Discussion Platform at the foot of the mountain, Cultivators had already stepped onto the stage one after another.

Some talked about their cultivation insights, some shared experiences of breaking through Bottlenecks, and quite a few people debated the Dao and corrected each other.

The Cultivators off the stage listened very intently, and from time to time someone would have a sudden realization, stabilizing their cultivation on the spot or even achieving a minor Breakthrough.

CCTV's live broadcast camera followed and filmed the whole process, and the number of viewers in the live stream room instantly broke 100 million.

The barrage comments rolled densely, all of which were sighs of emotion from the compatriots.

Looking at the thriving cultivation prosperity at home and comparing it with the tragic state abroad, everyone felt incomparably at ease in their hearts.

Netizens from all overseas countries could only stare at the screen aggrievedly.

Everyone in their country did not dare to click on any videos, living in fear and trembling all day long, afraid that Sadako would suddenly appear to claim their lives.

National Destiny continued to decline, the universal Physique became worse and worse, and various small-scale natural disasters broke out continuously.

Even if the think tank found a way to avoid it, they could only eke out a living, with no opportunity for development whatsoever.

At the Peak of Maoshan, a group of Elders looked at the grand occasion below the stage and nodded repeatedly.

No one expected that in just a few short months, the mortal world would directly transform into a great world of cultivation.

Over thirty thousand Cultivators above Qi Refinement Stage level 5 were completely unimaginable in the past, but now they were just the basic cultivation force of Huaguo.

The three inverted giant mountain arenas in mid-air floated quietly.

The Three Talents Formation setup was incomparably stable, with layers of Formations hidden within.

The protective shield isolated all aftermath of the fight, and the Spirit-Gathering Formation continuously nourished the Cultivators throughout the venue.

Whether it was small brawls of the Qi Refinement Stage, Peak duels of the Nascent Soul Stage, or even Soul Transformation Stage bouts, everyone could fight to their heart's content.

Over a hundred people of the Elf Race stood on one side of the arena, waiting quietly.

Lilith had a serious expression; she knew very well that this competition was a true competition on the same stage for all races.

The Elf Race excelled in elemental magic and had super-strong perception, but they were not good at close-quarters combat. They could just take this opportunity of the grand gathering to make up for their weaknesses with their strengths.

The group of strong men from the Dwarf Race were full of Battle Intent.

Their Physical Bodies were formidable, and almost all of them possessed natural Divine Power. One by one, they rubbed their fists and wiped their palms, intending to make a name for the Dwarf Race on the martial arts stage and let the Seniors of Tiangong Pavilion see that besides craftsmanship, the Dwarf Race's strength was not bad either.

Everyone knew how terrifying the rewards of this grand competition were.

Even the worst participation prize, the Zaohua Pill, was a High Grade Spirit Pill, equivalent to having an extra life.

Not to mention top-tier rewards like Spiritual Artifacts, butian pills, and world Origins—any single one of them could allow a Cultivator to reach the skies in a single step.

Quite a few folk Loose Cultivators had red eyes.

They didn't have Sect resources and relied entirely on their own exploration and cultivation. This Grand Ritual of Luotian was the best opportunity for them to defy the heavens and change their fate.

Master Yuanxin stood on the heaven-sacrificing altar, quietly overlooking the audience.

The entire grand gathering was in orderly conduct; Cultivators of all races coexisted harmoniously without disputes or conflicts.

And above the clouds, Ye Qingxuan stood quietly in the corner.

His aura was completely restrained, not hogging the limelight or participating in the grand gathering, just silently garrisoning the entire venue.

But all high-tier Cultivators knew it in their hearts. With this Return to Void mighty figure present, the entire Maoshan was as solid as gold; no one dared to make trouble or act presumptuously.

This was also the greatest confidence for the smooth and secure opening of this Grand Ritual of Luotian.

The Dao discussion continued, with Cultivators continuously stepping onto the stage to communicate, and people continuously gaining enlightenment and making progress.

When the Dao discussion session accumulated enough atmosphere, the Battle Intent and Dao Hearts of all Cultivators in the audience were mobilized to their Peak.

Master Yuanxin finally raised his hand, his voice spreading across the entire Maoshan:

"Discussing the Dao and comprehending the Dao is to illuminate one's original mind. Next, Cultivators of all ranks, take the stage to spar!"

"For the sake of fairness, opponents will be chosen by drawing lots."

As the voice fell, the gazes of over thirty thousand participating Cultivators instantly became fiery, poised and ready.

The first top-tier grand competition belonging to the era of universal cultivation officially opened the prelude to slaughter.