Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Dao Patriarch Hongjun

Nan Luo stood within the World of Violet Spirits, gazing outward, where everything was awash in purple. The great violet sun hung high above the heavens, casting its radiant violet light, illuminating all of creation. Masses of violet clouds drifted around Nan Luo, floating gently with the wind. On the violet earth, countless rivers of purple surged, and innumerable violet mountains rose from the ground, soaring straight into the sky.

Nan Luo stood suspended in the air, his blue eyes reflecting all the wonders of the Violet Spirit World, the sights within growing ever more immense. Suddenly, he spat out a mouthful of golden divine blood, gravely wounded. “Such a powerful Violet Spirit World! Against its force of rejection, I have not even a shred of resistance,” Nan Luo smiled bitterly, sighing helplessly in his heart.

The violet sun, earth, clouds—everything in this realm rejected Nan Luo, an outsider. Even as a Primordial Divine Lord, Nan Luo was utterly vulnerable before the might of the Violet Spirit World. This single blow completely shattered the pride he once held. “In the presence of those supreme beings, I am still weak!” The golden blood at Nan Luo’s lips vanished on its own, his wounds slowly healing.

After that attack, the Violet Spirit World ceased its assault, as if it had forgotten Nan Luo’s existence. He knew it was not forgetfulness, but the protection of immortals shielding him. After this warning, the true master was about to appear.

From the vast sea of violet clouds, the mist parted to reveal a towering mountain of white jade, rising over nine thousand feet. The mountain radiated endless divine light, as if it were the very heart of the world, inspiring awe and compelling all living things to submit.

“Submission? Never!” Nan Luo fiercely cast aside the sudden urge to kneel, secretly vowing in his heart. A mighty beam of violet light shot forth from the white jade mountain, breaking through the sea of clouds to pierce toward Nan Luo. He stared at the approaching light without expression, making no move. In the face of absolute power, resistance was futile. Since that was so, he chose to wait calmly for events to unfold.

Of course, Nan Luo knew Hong Jun would not kill him, which was why he remained so steady and composed. Otherwise, he would have fought to the death, desperate and reckless.

The vast violet light arrived in an instant, gently descending before Nan Luo. He stepped forward, mounting the great beam of light, his gaze fixed on the white jade mountain amid the clouds. The violet light carried him swiftly across the sky, breaking through the clouds, and returned him to the mountain. Once Nan Luo was delivered to the summit, the light slowly faded away, leaving him alone.

Nan Luo stepped off the beam, his eyes flickering as he gazed at the jade platform atop the mountain, beginning his ascent step by step. Before long, he reached the peak of the white jade mountain, the Jade Capital Summit.

He drew in a deep breath of spiritual energy, calming his anxious heart, thinking to himself that he was finally about to meet the supreme master of the great wilderness—Hong Jun, the Dao Ancestor.

As Nan Luo set foot upon the Jade Capital Summit, he was immediately enveloped by an immense, sacred pressure that rooted him in place, making movement nearly impossible. “Truly worthy of being the Dao Ancestor Hong Jun; even the aura of a Saint Immortal leaves me unable to take a single step,” Nan Luo braced himself against the overwhelming force, inching forward toward Hong Jun.

The closer Nan Luo came, the more arduous each step became, as if he bore the weight of countless mountains and rivers; even his divine body began to tremble. He let out a low growl in his heart. Endless golden light surged from him, his divine form expanding from three feet to a ten-foot golden body, while his pure blue eyes transformed into majestic golden pupils.

Previously, Nan Luo had deliberately revealed a three-foot golden body and blue eyes to mislead the searching races, feigning that he was only at the peak of Divine King. Now, under the Saint Immortal’s pressure, he had to resume his ten-foot golden form and golden pupils, unleashing the power of a Primordial Divine Lord to resist the overwhelming might.

Relying on his strength as a Primordial Divine Lord, Nan Luo finally managed to stagger forward step by step, arriving before Hong Jun. His divine body went limp, collapsing to the ground, unable to move. At that moment, Nan Luo’s body was gravely wounded by the Saint Immortal’s pressure.

Hong Jun, clad in resplendent purple robes, his visage stern and lofty, looked down upon Nan Luo as though observing a feeble ant. After a long silence, Nan Luo sensed the oppressive aura had quietly dissipated. His divine body began to radiate endless golden vortices, greedily absorbing spiritual energy from the Jade Capital Mountain.

The violet aura of the mountain transformed into countless violet dragons, pouring into the golden whirlpools within Nan Luo, restoring his divine power and healing his body. The ceaseless flow of violet energy was quickly refined into threads of golden divine power, forming golden stars that filled the star domain within him.

A key marker of the divine realm was the amount of divine power within one’s body. The vessel carrying divine power determined one’s strength. True Gods, Lord Gods, and Divine Kings refined spiritual energy into drops of divine power, filling their internal lakes, rivers, or seas. Divine Lords surpassed Divine Kings in part because their divine power began to manifest as stars.

A thousand stars signified a lower Divine Lord; two thousand, a mid-level Divine Lord; three thousand, an upper Divine Lord. When three thousand stars formed a complete star domain, that was the perfection of Divine Lord. Three thousand drops of divine power became a divine lake; three thousand lakes formed a river; three thousand rivers became a sea; three thousand divine seas became a star.

Due to his rapid progress, Nan Luo, though nominally a lower Divine Lord, possessed two thousand stars within, already holding the strength of a mid-level Divine Lord. Yet, while his divine power recovered swiftly, the wounds to his divine body were not easily healed.

Hong Jun regarded Nan Luo impassively, gently waving his whisk. A beam of violet light struck Nan Luo, enveloping him and beginning to heal his divine body. Under its restorative power, his hidden injuries quickly mended, vitality returning to his form. In a short while, with the aid of boundless violet aura and holy immortal light, Nan Luo had recovered completely.

Nan Luo quickly rose from the ground, faced Hong Jun, and bowed deeply, respectfully proclaiming, “This humble god thanks the great immortal for saving my life!”

“Rise,” Hong Jun’s majestic voice resonated in Nan Luo’s ears.

“Yes, honored one!” Nan Luo stood, not daring to meet Hong Jun’s gaze lest he offend the ancestor’s dignity.

Seeing Nan Luo so mindful of etiquette, Hong Jun’s dissatisfaction lessened somewhat, and he asked in a solemn, calm tone, “Do you know who I am?”

“Replying to the great immortal, this humble god does not,” Nan Luo answered respectfully.

Hong Jun made no comment, his voice still dignified and tranquil, “You do not know me, but I know you.”

“Nan Luo!” Hong Jun’s sacred voice thundered like a muffled storm, shaking Nan Luo’s very soul.