197: The Gate to the Divine Realm, the Test of the Five Virtues

A thousand years passed in the blink of an eye. Under the governance of the Righteous Path Alliance, the Nine Heavens Immortal Realm presented a scene of unprecedented peace and prosperity. Spiritual Veins were revived, Cultivators lived in harmony, low-level Cultivators found protection, and high-level Cultivators displayed their talents. The "Immortal Realm Code of Order" became deeply rooted in people's hearts. Lu Chen, Yu Lan, the Sea Cultivation Saintess, the Ice Clan Saintess, and the Immortal of Luo Water—the five of them—had all reached the Peak of the Mahayana Stage. Their bonds grew deeper through the tempering of time; the Five Directions Unified Heart Formation could now be operated with ease, and the Primordial Divine Refining Art had reached a state of Perfection.

On this day, the most important deployment in a thousand years was taking place within the Alliance's meeting hall—the expedition plan against the remnant forces of the Extraterritorial Evil Clan Mother Star. Core members from the Lingxiao Sect, Jade Pool, the Sea Cultivator Tribe, and Loose Cultivator forces gathered, yet they had reached a stalemate regarding resource allocation and tactical arrangements.

“My Lingxiao Sect has already provided seventy percent of the spirit boats and Medicinal Pills required for the expedition. The Loose Cultivator forces should send more elites instead of just sending some low-level Cultivators to make up the numbers!” The Lingxiao Sect Grand Elder's face was solemn, his tone filled with dissatisfaction. The leader of the Loose Cultivators immediately retorted, “We Loose Cultivators are inherently short on resources. Being able to gather three thousand Cultivators is already our limit. The Lingxiao Sect sits upon immortal mountains and Spiritual Veins; why begrudge this bit of manpower?”

On the other side, the Sea Cultivator Tribe proposed using the power of astral water to protect the spirit boats, but this clashed with the Jade Pool's purifying immortal light in terms of technique coordination. The surprise attack tactics formulated by the Ice Clan Saintess were questioned by some Elders for being too aggressive. Although the various factions were united in their fight against evil, subtle frictions remained due to long-standing differences in operational styles and interests.

Lu Chen sat in the main seat, his expression calm yet naturally authoritative. “Fellow Daoists, the expedition to the Evil Clan Mother Star cannot be accomplished by one party alone. The Lingxiao Sect has a deep foundation and should take on more responsibility for resources. Our Loose Cultivator brothers have rich combat experience and can serve as the vanguard. The techniques of the Sea Cultivators and Jade Pool—one focusing on defense and the other on purification—can be rotated. Bing'er's surprise attack tactics need to be paired with Yu Lan's Sacred Word Art and Water Immortal's immortal light for cover.”

His fingertip traced across the star map on the meeting table, gold and black spiritual light outlining a clear deployment. “Resources will be allocated according to the size of each faction, with the Alliance treasury covering any deficits. The offensive will advance in three directions; each will have its own duties but can reinforce one another. We are here to protect the Immortal Realm. We must cast aside selfishness. If there is any more shirking of responsibility, it will be handled according to the Code.”

His words were powerful and resonant, clearly defining the responsibilities of each party while using the Code as a basis to settle the disputes. Yu Lan timely produced a copy of the Code, explaining the details of resource distribution. The Immortal of Luo Water, in the name of the Jade Pool, promised to provide an additional hundred furnaces of Purifying Pills to support the Loose Cultivators. The Sea Cultivation Saintess and the Ice Clan Saintess demonstrated their technique coordination on the spot, dispelling everyone's doubts. Under Lu Chen's coordination and the assistance of The Five Women, the hidden conflicts were quietly resolved.

Just as the deployment was about to be finalized, a thunderous alarm suddenly sounded outside the hall. A beam of black evil light sliced through the sky, heading straight for the core of the Alliance's Spiritual Veins—the main Peak of Lingxiao Mountain. “It's the Extraterritorial Evil Clan vanguard!” a scout Cultivator's roar echoed. “The leader is the Evil Clan Thunder Fiend General, leading three thousand evil soldiers. Their target is to destroy the Spiritual Vein!”

Everyone's expression changed drastically. The tacit understanding they had just reached was instantly put to the test. The Lingxiao Sect Cultivators instinctively protected the direction of the main Peak, while the Loose Cultivator forces were somewhat panicked. The Cultivators from the Sea Cultivators and Jade Pool had not yet completed their technique synchronization. Lu Chen made a split-second decision: “Water Immortal, lead the Jade Pool Cultivators to set up the purification formation to protect the Spiritual Vein! Sea Cultivation Saintess, draw the astral water to surround the main Peak and form a barrier! Yu Lan, use the Sacred Word Art to freeze the evil soldiers' formation! Bing'er, follow me to strike the Thunder Fiend General! Loose Cultivator brothers, flank them from both sides and wipe out the remaining evil soldiers!”

The moment the command was given, the five of them simultaneously activated the Five Directions Unified Heart Formation, and five-colored spiritual light soared into the sky. The Immortal of Luo Water's Jade Pool Immortal Light transformed into a massive screen of light, enveloping the Spiritual Vein. The Sea Cultivation Saintess summoned the water of the heavenly river, forming a circular wall of water to withstand the impact of Evil Energy. Yu Lan's sacred word soundwaves spread out, causing the three thousand evil soldiers to freeze and their Divine Souls to tremble. The Ice Clan Saintess turned into an icy phantom, rushing toward the Thunder Fiend General alongside Lu Chen.

The Thunder Fiend General was clad in black battle armor, surrounded by purple-black lightning. His Evil Energy aura far surpassed that of Mo Tian from years ago; he was clearly an elite from the Evil Clan Mother Star. Seeing Lu Chen charging, he gave a cruel laugh. “Lu Chen, you brat, a thousand years have passed and you've grown quite plump! Today I shall take your head, destroy your Spiritual Vein, and leave the Immortal Realm with no power to resist!”

“You think you're worthy?” Lu Chen's holy spirit sword unsheathed, its gold and black spiritual light carrying Hongmeng Purple Qi as it clashed with the Thunder Fiend General's lightning Evil Energy. The Ice Clan Saintess took the Opportunity to freeze his feet. The Thunder Fiend General roared as he broke free, only to be imprisoned again by Yu Lan's Sacred Word Art. Lu Chen seized the opening and pierced through his armor with a single sword strike. Hongmeng Purple Qi poured in, purifying the Evil Energy within his body.

“No! The Lord will not let you off!” the Thunder Fiend General roared as he attempted to self-destruct, but he was enveloped by the Sea Cultivation Saintess's Star Water Power. He only exploded into a faint mist of evil, which was then completely purified by the Immortal of Luo Water's immortal light. Under Lu Chen's tactical guidance, the Loose Cultivator forces on the flanks cooperated perfectly and quickly wiped out the remaining evil soldiers.

The battle concluded with the Spiritual Vein unscathed. As the various factions looked at the smoke and dust on each other, their previous estrangement vanished. The Lingxiao Sect Grand Elder cupped his hands and said, “The Alliance Leader is wise. Had it not been for your proper deployment, we might have made a grave mistake.” The leader of the Loose Cultivators also sighed in admiration, “Alliance Leader Lu's leadership is truly a blessing for the Immortal Realm.”

At that moment, a golden light suddenly split the sky, and a towering stone gate slowly manifested. The words "Divine Realm" were carved onto the lintel, and a majestic divine essence power poured down, causing the Spiritual Qi of the entire Immortal Realm to tremble—the Gate to the Divine Realm had finally opened!

A Gate-Guarding Divine General clad in golden armor stepped out from the gate. His stature was grand and his aura unfathomable, far exceeding that of a Mahayana Stage Cultivator. “Lu Chen and your five Dao Companions, your Karma is in Perfection. You may undergo the Trial of the Five Virtues. Those who pass shall ascend to the Divine Realm; those who fail shall remain in the Immortal Realm, losing the Opportunity forever.”

As soon as the divine general finished speaking, five streaks of spiritual light flew out from the Gate to the Divine Realm, transforming into five trial light screens corresponding to "Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom, and Trust."

The first light screen showed phantoms of the living beings of the Immortal Realm—the Cultivators and commoners who had been displaced during the Evil Clan invasion. “The trial of Benevolence lies in protection,” the divine general's voice rang out. Lu Chen thought of the countless lives the Alliance had protected over the millennium and the original intention he had always upheld. Spiritual light surged from his fingertips, and the phantoms of the commoners in the screen broke into smiles, turning into a golden light that merged into his body—the trial of Benevolence, passed!

The second light screen displayed scenes of the five of them fighting side by side, from the Myriad Immortals Secret Realm to the Corpse Soul Valley, from the battle of Lingxiao City to today's vanguard strike—sharing life and death, never abandoning one another. “The trial of Righteousness lies in staying together.” Yu Lan and the other four women stepped forward together, holding hands with Lu Chen. The light of the Five Directions Unified Heart Formation resonated with the screen, and golden light flashed—the trial of Righteousness, passed!

In the third light screen, representatives of various factions bowed to the five of them. The five returned the bow with humility, without a hint of arrogance. “The trial of Propriety lies in respecting others.” Lu Chen and The Five Women had always treated others with modesty, respecting every faction and every Cultivator. The light screen shattered at the sound—the trial of Propriety, passed!

In the fourth light screen, the words spoken by the Thunder Fiend General before his self-destruction appeared, along with the hidden layout of the Evil Clan Mother Star, which concealed a conspiracy against the Divine Realm. “The trial of Wisdom lies in breaking the deadlock.” Lu Chen recalled the special runes on the Thunder Fiend General's body and, combined with the previous Evil Energy fragments, instantly saw through this as the Evil Clan's probe, intended to figure out the Alliance's strength and the opening time of the Gate to the Divine Realm. The light screen then dissipated—the trial of Wisdom, passed!

The fifth light screen showed Chu Feng's figure, specifically the scene where Lu Chen had promised to "definitely return to the Lower Realm to visit after pacifying the Evil Clan." “The trial of Trust lies in fulfilling one's word.” Lu Chen murmured in his heart. Although he had not returned immediately, he had always paid attention to the Lower Realm over the millennium, ensuring the Alliance continued to support the Star Fortress. This promise had never been betrayed. The light screen turned into golden light and merged into his body—the trial of Trust, passed!

All five trials were passed. The Gate to the Divine Realm shone brilliantly, and the Gate-Guarding Divine General handed out six golden passes. The runes on them perfectly matched the mark on Lu Chen's forehead, radiating an aura of the highest authority. “Possessing all five virtues, the Great Dao is in Perfection. Follow me to ascend to the Divine Realm.”

Lu Chen took the passes and looked back at the Immortal Realm below, murmuring in his heart, “Chu Feng, until we meet again.” Yu Lan and the other four women stood by his side, their eyes full of anticipation and reluctance. A thousand years of persistence and countless battles had finally earned them the Opportunity for Ascension.

The divine general turned to lead the way, and Lu Chen and the others stepped toward the Gate to the Divine Realm. Before leaving, Lu Chen keenly perceived that the runes on the Thunder Fiend General's body had a faint connection with the aura of the Gate to the Divine Realm. The core conspiracy of the Evil Clan seemed to concern not just the Immortal Realm, but the safety of the Divine Realm as well—this foreshadowing would await their discovery in the Divine Realm.

Golden light enveloped the five figures as they slowly stepped into the Gate to the Divine Realm. Behind them, the Cultivators of the Nine Heavens Immortal Realm looked up at the sky, cheering and jumping for joy. Before them, the scenery of the Divine Realm was faintly visible, with divine essence swirling and immortal mountains even grander. A new journey was about to begin.