621: Chapter 611 Imperial Tutor (11)

The rain was still falling.

There were three holes in the roof of the dilapidated temple, and rainwater dripped down along the rotting beams, landing in a chipped clay basin with a ceaseless clanging sound.

Qin Yun stood on a wooden ladder, holding a newly found tile in his hand, preparing to patch the largest hole.

But his hand stopped in mid-air.

Inside the temple, a few children in ragged clothes were still reading by the fire.

The scent of ink mixed with the dampness of the rain was very faint.

However, Qin Yun's attention was no longer in the dilapidated temple.

In the distance, on the ancient battlefield of the Yuanhuang Heavenly Continent, an aura he thought had long since dissipated gently brushed past his mind.

Zhao.

That character was not just a name, nor was it an ordinary piece of jade.

It was the remnant soul left behind in the world by Xuan Zhao.

It was a trace of Karma from an old acquaintance that should have been completely swallowed by time, but had been preserved by him using the Origin of the Nine Heavenly Books.

At this moment, he was not the Old Revered Master.

He had returned to the very distant past.

That year, the Dark Turmoil was at its worst.

The world had lost its order; there was turmoil everywhere in the Nine Continents, and the black tide was constantly spreading from the borders.

The Xuanyang Heavenly Emperor had already passed away.

Xuan Zhao had inherited the Xuanyang Heavenly Palace, becoming the gentlest Lord of the Heavenly Palace of that generation, and the one least willing to abandon the Mortals.

Qin Yun remembered that when Xuan Zhao came to see him, he was already at the Peak of the Heavenly Emperor realm.

Yet, he brought no army from the Heavenly Palace, nor did he put on the airs of a Heavenly Emperor.

He was still like the youth in the dilapidated temple from years ago: respectful and restrained, yet his eyes revealed exhaustion.

"Revered Master, the Dark Turmoil has already pressed into the heartland of the Nine Continents, and the Xuanyang Heavenly Palace can no longer hold on."

"The cracks in the Heavenly Abyss are increasing, and the Green Lotus Seal is fading. If you do not take action this time, the Heavenly Palace... may be completely severed."

He was not begging for his own life; he was begging for the living beings of the Nine Continents.

Qin Yun remembered that his own answer at the time was very calm.

"I will not take action."

He was not being cold.

Rather, he knew that this turmoil was not the end.

If he personally suppressed it every single time, the Nine Continents would never truly grow.

If he exhausted his Origin to plug every crack, when the true great tribulation of the Heavenly Abyss arrived in the future, no one would be able to stop it.

He had to preserve his strength, and he also had to let the Nine Continents produce people who could stand up on their own.

Furthermore, Qin Yun still needed to focus on studying the path of the "Mortal World Immortal".

After hearing this, Xuan Zhao was silent for a long time.

He could understand this logic, but understanding did not mean it did not hurt.

Because what he saw was not the "overall situation of the Nine Continents," but rather person after person facing death, city after city burning, and those old subordinates in the Heavenly Palace who were willing to follow him.

In the end, Xuan Zhao did not beg again.

Before leaving, he simply bowed deeply to Qin Yun.

"Revered Master."

Qin Yun watched his back and did not try to stop him.

Only after he turned away did Qin Yun raise his hand and send an ancient piece of jade into his body.

There was only one character on the jade piece.

Zhao.

That was not a simple token, but a dao seed that Qin Yun had sealed with his own understanding of the Nine Heavenly Books, the Nine Heavenly Treasures, the Immortal Sutra, and the Supreme Scripture.

It could not directly allow Xuan Zhao to break the situation, but at the most critical moment, it could preserve the last thread of his remnant soul and Dao traces.

Qin Yun had also left behind a sentence.

But Xuan Zhao had not understood it at the time.

He thought it was just Revered Master reminding him to contemplate the Supreme Scripture.

He did not know that what Qin Yun had actually left behind was a contingency plan that allowed the Origin of the Nine Heavenly Books and the Supreme Scripture to echo with each other.

Later, Xuan Zhao returned to the battlefield and led the Xuanyang Heavenly Palace to defend the Heavenly Abyss crack to the death.

He burned his Emperor blood, Primordial Spirit, and the Dao fruit of his entire life, briefly stepping into the level of a Pseudo-Immortal.

It was not pushed by Qin Yun; it was he himself who, with the Dao of protecting all living beings, smashed open the Heavenly Emperor barrier.

He turned into a bridge of light that spanned the Heavenly Abyss crack, temporarily cutting off the source of darkness.

Finally, he filled the gap in the Seal with his own life.

The Dark Turmoil ended.

Xuan Zhao fell.

He should have suffered Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering.

But that "Zhao" character dao seed had taken effect.

At the same time, the Origin of the Nine Heavenly Books reacted; the remnant light of the book of life, death book, Dao book, Time book, and Fate book protected the last wisp of Xuan Zhao's remnant soul.

That wisp of remnant soul could not be revived, nor could it speak completely; it could only hide in the depths of time in the form of a "Zhao" character, waiting for someone in future generations who truly resonated with the Supreme Scripture.

The reminiscence ended.

Qin Yun in the dilapidated temple withdrew his thoughts.

The aura of "Zhao" in the distance had completely erupted.

Qin Yun said in a low voice.

"The Karma was formed after all."

On the ancient battlefield, Lu Xingzhou was besieged by a Quasi-Emperor and many enemies.

He had nowhere left to retreat.

Behind him were the friends, family, and old subordinates he had protected with his life.

"A bunch of weeds, throwing away your lives for a Loose Cultivator, how laughable."

As the Quasi-Emperor's voice fell, the lethal formation lit up once again.

Lu Xingzhou's close friend was pierced through by a palm Seal, leaving only one sentence before falling.

"Don't stop, become a Saint, and continue walking for us."

Lu Xingzhou's eyes were bloodshot.

He roared at the sky, gave up on Undergoing Tribulation, reversed the Saint Dao Laws that were about to form, and blasted them in reverse.

Boom!

The Quasi-Emperor was pushed back, and a gap opened in the lethal formation.

Lu Xingzhou himself suffered a backlash; his chest exploded, and cracks appeared in his dao foundation.

But he stood up, raised his sword, and stood in front of the remaining people.

"I will not become a Saint today."

"Today, I will protect them first."

As these words fell, the ancient battlefield suddenly shook.

A long-dormant will was awakened by his choice.

The ground split open, and a broken jade piece slowly rose, with an ancient character carved on it.

Zhao.

The jade piece ignored all blockades, turned into a streak of light, and went straight into the center of Lu Xingzhou's eyebrows.

Lu Xingzhou's body shook.

Inside his Sea of Consciousness, a scripture unfolded.

The Supreme Scripture.

For the first time, he touched the true depths of the Supreme Scripture and saw the remnant traces of the Origin of the Nine Heavenly Books buried within it.

The Origin of Body Scripture responded first.

His will to protect resonated with the "Bearing the Myriad Dao" within the Supreme Scripture.

"The people I want to protect, not one more can die."

As this thought arose, Lu Xingzhou broke through the barrier of the Saint realm.

The Lightning Tribulation was not important; his Dao Heart had already become a Saint.

He saw the evolution of ten thousand Physiques: Desolate Ancient, Tyrant Body, Saint Body, Emperor Body...

In the end, he did not choose any single Physique, but under the governance of the Supreme Scripture, he gestated his own Supreme Body.

His blood and bones roared, and the sleeping power within him awakened.

But even so, facing the Quasi-Emperor level pressure and the siege from multiple sides, there was still a huge gap between the two sides.

Lu Xingzhou was not invincible after breaking through.

His first priority was not to counter-kill, but to stand in front of his friends, family, and old subordinates.

The Quasi-Emperor's offensive shattered his bones, and he reconnected them using his Supreme Body.

The siege forced him back, but he stepped right back.

He stood there, not retreating, not yielding.

"No retreat."

He smiled bitterly inside.

"Unless I really get my legs beaten off."

Finally, Lu Xingzhou reached his limit.

The Supreme Body had not yet truly stabilized, his essence and blood were about to be exhausted, and his Origin was on the verge of collapse.

The fatal blow from the Quasi-Emperor fell, enough to wipe him and everyone behind him out.

Lu Xingzhou knew he could not stop it, but he still took a step forward, pressing all the power of his Supreme Body into his arms, intending to block it with his body.

It was at this life-and-death moment.

A Sword Intent slashed from afar.

The Sword Intent was not flashy, but it was steady, accurate, and fierce.

A single sword strike fell, directly blocking that fatal killing intent for Lu Xingzhou.

The power that had been pressing down on everyone, making them unable to breathe, was sliced open by the Sword Intent.

Lu Xingzhou propped up his body and looked up.

He first saw a pair of old cloth shoes.

Then he saw gray clothes.

Then he saw a familiar old face.

The Old Revered Master.

Qin Yun had no pomp; he was still in the appearance of the Old Revered Master, holding a dilapidated wooden ruler in his hand.

But Lu Xingzhou could feel that the world suddenly quieted down after he appeared.

It was not coercion; it was a feeling that all the Dao were actively making way.

He wanted to ask; he wanted to ask why the Old Revered Master had come, wanted to ask what "Zhao" really was, wanted to ask who had left the Supreme Scripture.

But before he could speak, Qin Yun spoke first.

Qin Yun looked at him, saw the budding Supreme Body on him, saw the Origin of Body Scripture, saw the faint light left behind by the final burning of Xuan Zhao's remnant soul, and also saw the shadow of Xuan Zhao from back then.

"Kid, do you want to learn the sword?"

Lu Xingzhou was stunned.

Qin Yun added calmly.

"The real sword."