Chapter 40 Something's Wrong

Before his voice had even faded, his Divine Sense swept across the ground below once more.

Hundreds of thousands of Cultivators knelt on the ground. Those old monsters at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage and Mahayana Stage were all deathly pale, desperately resisting his pressure, yet not a single one dared to flee.

The old man who had spread his arms, although his posture had frozen, still maintained the stance of welcoming him.

The anger on the Divine Messenger's face suddenly dissipated for the most part.

He narrowed those golden eyes, the corners of his mouth curling slightly upward.

"So that's how it is."

He thought to himself, "These indigenous people of the Lower Realm, although their cultivation is low, actually know how to read the situation."

"I have only just descended, and they have already arranged such a grand welcoming ceremony. This kind of discernment is rare even in the Upper Realm."

Thinking of this, the slight displeasure in the Divine Messenger's heart vanished in an instant.

He withdrew most of his pressure, and the golden light on his body softened a little.

Afterwards, he stood with his hands behind his back at the peak of the firmament, looking down at the masses, and nodded slightly.

"Not bad."

"I did not intend to make a big scene with this descent. Since you all are so sensible, I shall reluctantly accept this bow of yours."

Upon these words.

The hundreds of thousands of Cultivators kneeling below raised their heads in unison, their faces filled with confusion.

Huh?

What?

Descended?

Wasn't it an Ascension?

Old Ancestor Qingxuan's arms remained frozen in mid-air, the smile on his face becoming extremely comical.

His brain had completely crashed.

Divine Messenger?

Descended?

Not the Divine Light of Induction?

Old Ancestor Qingxuan's lips trembled as he slowly raised his head, looking at the phantom that appeared like a god before the halo in the sky.

That figure was absolutely not the Divine Light of Induction sent down by the Heavenly Dao.

That was… a living existence!

A living Immortal who had descended from the Upper Realm!

Old Ancestor Qingxuan felt the world go dark before his eyes, his legs went weak, and he nearly tumbled from mid-air.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found he couldn't utter a single word.

"What? Stunned with joy?"

The Divine Messenger looked down at Old Ancestor Qingxuan's dazed appearance, a smile curling on his lips once again.

He found this old man quite interesting.

At his age, to be so excited upon seeing a Divine Messenger from the Upper Realm that he couldn't even speak.

"I know that you Cultivators of the Lower Realm spend your entire lives hoping for the induction of the Upper Realm. Today, you have arranged everything so thoroughly, and I am very satisfied."

The Divine Messenger looked around, watching the solemn arrangements on the plaza, the flags, the high platforms, the incense tables, and the densely packed, kneeling Cultivators.

The more he looked, the more satisfied he felt.

This turnout, this Aura, even the welcoming ceremonies for Immortals in the great Sects of the Upper Realm were nothing more than this.

"You have a good eye for things."

The Divine Messenger raised his hand and pointed from afar at Old Ancestor Qingxuan, his tone approving, "I have descended to many Lower Realms, and I have never seen such a grand welcoming ceremony. What is your name?"

Old Ancestor Qingxuan stood dazed in place, his mind a complete blank.

He seemed unable to comprehend the current situation.

This… what on earth was going on?

Where was his Divine Light of Induction?

Where was the Opportunity for Ascension he had waited ten thousand years for?

How did it turn into an… Immortal descending from the Upper Realm?

"Qing… Qingxuan…"

In his confusion, Old Ancestor Qingxuan reported his name.

"Qingxuan, a good name."

The Divine Messenger nodded, "I have noted it down. Upon returning, I will naturally report it upwards and record a merit for you."

Record a merit?

Old Ancestor Qingxuan was even more confused.

What did he do?

How did he get a merit recorded?

He was just here waiting for his Divine Light of Induction!

He hadn't arranged anything!

Had this Immortal from the Upper Realm misunderstood something?

Old Ancestor Qingxuan opened his mouth, wanting to explain.

"That… Lord Divine Messenger, actually I…"

"No need to say more."

The Divine Messenger raised his hand to interrupt him, his gaze sweeping across the entire scene, his tone becoming increasingly gentle, "I know that it is not easy for you Cultivators of the Lower Realm to cultivate. Today, for you to have such awareness, organizing these hundreds of thousands of fellow daoists to welcome me with the highest etiquette, I will keep this merit in mind."

Hundreds of thousands of fellow daoists?

Highest etiquette?

Old Ancestor Qingxuan's eyelids twitched wildly.

He finally realized.

This Divine Messenger who descended from the Upper Realm thought that this scene today was specially organized by him to welcome an envoy from the Upper Realm!

But he was clearly…

Old Ancestor Qingxuan felt a tightness in his chest, his breath caught, and his old face flushed red.

He wanted to explain, "This is my Ascension ceremony! It's not to welcome you!"

But when he raised his head and saw the Divine Messenger's indifferent golden eyes, and felt the supreme pressure that seemed capable of crushing everything, all his words became stuck in his throat.

Old Ancestor Qingxuan shivered.

He couldn't explain.

He bit the bullet, squeezed out a smile, and bowed deeply to the Divine Messenger.

"Cough, Lord… Lord Divine Messenger, you flatter me."

"To be able to serve an envoy from the Upper Realm is… is my Qingyun Sect's good fortune."

The Divine Messenger nodded in satisfaction.

He felt that this old man was not only sensible but also humble, a talent worth cultivating.

Meanwhile, Old Ancestor Qingxuan had a change of thought; how was this not a blessing in disguise?

His Ascension ceremony had been ruined.

But looking at it from another angle, if not for this, had he just crashed into it, what he would have faced would not have been some baptism of Immortal Qi, but the thunderous wrath of an Upper Realm deity!

What would be the consequence of offending Heavenly Might?

Having his body and soul destroyed would be the lightest outcome!

Calculating it this way, hadn't he stumbled into saving his ten-thousand-year-old life?

Furthermore, his Ascension was a matter of time; it wasn't a rush for this moment.

Now, not only had he not died, but he had mistakenly pleased this Lord Divine Messenger, leaving him with an excellent impression of being "sensible" and "having a good eye."

This was simply a blessing falling from the sky!

Thinking of this, Old Ancestor Qingxuan completely let go.

That forced smile now became incredibly sincere, as if he were truly honored.

"That's right! Lord Divine Messenger!"

Old Ancestor Qingxuan puffed out his chest, his voice resonant and full of vigor.

"…This is precisely the welcome ceremony my Qingyun Sect, in conjunction with fellow daoists from the Five Great Provinces, specially prepared for you! Lord Divine Messenger, you have come from afar, traversing the boundary seas, and the journey must have been exhausting, you have truly worked hard!"

This shout caused the mountains and rivers to tremble.

The sycophancy overflowing the scene left everyone present stunned.

Pfft… Good grief!

The Five Saints of Zhongzhou watched, completely dumbfounded.

Saint Lord Leihuo's hand holding the teacup hung in mid-air, his mouth slightly agape.

A crack appeared on Wuji Sword Saint's icy face.

The Ancestor of the Wang Family's eyes twitched wildly, nearly crushing his armrest.

This Qingxuan is just too cunning, isn't he?

An Ascension ceremony is an Ascension ceremony, why claim it was specially prepared for the Divine Messenger?

That look of excitement where you were about to cry just now, do you think we are blind?

That line of yours, "I am off," shouted louder than anyone, do you think we are deaf?

This old thing, his skin is simply not ordinarily thick!

Although they were complaining crazily in their hearts, the Five Saints' actions were not slow at all.

They were all old foxes who had lived for ten thousand years; who didn't understand that this was the golden Opportunity to latch onto a powerful backer?

The moment Old Ancestor Qingxuan's voice fell, Saint Lord Leihuo set down his teacup, stepped out in one stride, his face filled with smiles.

"The arrival of the Lord Divine Messenger is truly the supreme glory of our Lower Realm! I am Leihuo of Zhongzhou, greetings to the Lord Divine Messenger!"

"I am Wuji Sword Saint, greetings to the Divine Messenger!"

"Ancestor of the Wang Family, greetings to the Lord Divine Messenger!"

The Five Saints were unwilling to fall behind, all fawning as they stepped forward, each more respectful than the last, each louder than the last, scrambling to introduce themselves.

The hundreds of thousands of Cultivators below, who had been struggling to breathe under the pressure, finally reacted at this moment.

Forget about Ascension or not, forget about Divine Light or not; what had descended from the sky was a living Immortal!

This was a rare, eternal spectacle more uncommon than watching an Ascension!

In an instant, the sound of welcoming, like a mountain collapsing and a sea roaring, resounded throughout the entire Peak of Qingyun.

"Welcome, Lord Divine Messenger!"

"Welcome the arrival of the Lord Divine Messenger!"

The Divine Messenger listened to these flattering words, which sounded like a mountain collapsing and a sea roaring, and was very pleased.

He hovered above the firmament, the halo behind him emitting a soft light, looking down at the fervent faces below, and an unprecedented sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart.

He thought to himself that the Lower Realm was indeed better.

He had just been transferred from the Divine Court of the God Realm to the Immortal Realm Law Enforcement Hall, and hadn't even officially taken up his post, having become a Deputy Hall Master of no great significance.

Above him were Hall Masters, Divine Generals, Divine Commanders, and even more, the high and lofty Her Majesty the Empress.

In front of those big figures, he only ever had the role of being subservient and cautious; where had he ever experienced the pleasure of being worshipped and revered by the masses like this?

This feeling of dominating everything, where his words became law, was truly intoxicating.

He nodded slightly, signaling for everyone to rise.

"My trip this time is to follow the decree of Her Majesty the Empress to come and induct Her Majesty's Personal Disciple. Where is she?"

Her Majesty the Empress's Personal Disciple?

The Cultivators in the entire venue were shocked, and immediately, countless gazes were cast toward the direction of the heaven-reaching tower.

Old Ancestor Qingxuan's heart skipped a beat, but he reacted extremely quickly, immediately stepping forward and saying respectfully: "Reporting to the Lord Divine Messenger, the one you speak of… must be Fairy Lin of Piaomiao Palace. Just a moment ago, the heaven-reaching tower opened, and she has already gone inside for training."

"The heaven-reaching tower?"

Hearing this, the Divine Messenger turned his gaze toward the giant tower that pierced the heavens and the earth, a flash of understanding crossing his eyes.

"Hmm, not bad."

"Since it is for training, let her go. The path of cultivation should naturally be one of courageous advancement."

"In that case, I will wait here for her to come out."

Having said this, he paid no more attention to the crowd and began to examine the entirety of the heaven-reaching tower with great interest.

The tower body had the Aura of Chaos flowing through it, and countless complex runes, numbering in the hundreds of millions, surged around the tower body.

The Divine Messenger examined it, and examined it, but his gaze suddenly froze, instantly drawn to a figure at the edge of the plaza.

It was a youth in white.

He did not know when he had walked into this venue and was strolling leisurely in the direction of the heaven-reaching tower.

At first, the Divine Messenger did not pay attention.

A Mortal of the Lower Realm, an existence like an ant, was not worth a second glance.

However, when his Divine Sense inadvertently swept across the youth, the indifferent expression on the Divine Messenger's face vanished in an instant.

His pupils constricted violently, as if he had seen something extremely incredible.

"Something is wrong…"

The Divine Messenger stared at the white-clothed youth, his golden eyes filled with suspicion.

That leisurely pacing, that irreverent gaze, made even him feel a trace of inexplicable palpitation.

"Hey."

The Divine Messenger withdrew his gaze from examining the heaven-reaching tower, and he extended a finger, pointing at the white-clothed figure who was still strolling.

He spoke coldly to Old Ancestor Qingxuan beside him:

"That kid with the strange Aura, make him come over!"