Madam, please ascend.

Chapter 435 The truth about ascension
Yunyi, it's you again!
Huangfu Song was so angry he wanted to retaliate, but Yun Yi took the initiative to come closer.

The smile on his face was utterly despicable.

"To create such a convincing imitation of Feng Mo, Lord Tianlang must have put in a lot of effort, right?"

Huangfusong did not reply, but just stared at the other party coldly.

The other Dao Integration Realm cultivators hiding in the arena were also on high alert, ready to break off all pretense of civility at any moment.

Yun Yi walked over to the disheveled fake Feng Mo and used his divine sense to examine him. He clicked his tongue in amazement and said, "Your body is completely depleted. If the Old Celestial Master were to really heal you, it would definitely take a huge toll."

The fake Feng Mo's eyes were slightly red, peering through his messy hair, as if he were about to devour someone.

"And that's not all. Once the Celestial Master helps you recover your cultivation, you'll likely launch another surprise attack. At that time, everyone will witness Feng Mo assassinating the Celestial Master, which will be another blow to the Righteous Qi Sect."

Yun Yi couldn't help but clap his hands and said, "What a brilliant plan! It's clear that Lord Tianlang truly hates the Righteous Qi Sect, otherwise he wouldn't have come up with such a method of annihilating the entire clan."

Huangfu Song said coldly, "Have you said enough?"

Yun Yi: "Of course not. It's rare to have so many people from the cultivation world gathered here today. Why don't we let the Overturning Heaven Pavilion come out into the open and make a proper appearance?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he quickly retreated and came to the side of the Old Celestial Master and the others.

The Celestial Master's Mansion was eerily silent, yet undercurrents of tension were palpable. Everyone present remained silent, lest they become the first to speak out.

"To talk about the Futian Pavilion, we must first start with the Tianzhu (Heavenly Pillar)."

"As we all know, the Three Realms are divided into Heaven, Earth, and Man. The Man Realm has nine provinces, each with a pillar supporting Heaven and Earth."

"As the name suggests, the people of the Overturning Heaven Pavilion are plotting to overturn the heavens and earth, wanting to shatter the nine heavenly pillars and bring the heavens down to the mortal realm."

"They will stop at nothing to achieve their goals, causing immense suffering to all living beings on earth, and sacrificing the lives of hundreds of millions of people to forge a weapon powerful enough to kill the Heavenly Dao."

"For this reason, the two major secular dynasties were secretly manipulated by him, and almost went to war. He also infiltrated both the righteous and demonic paths, attempting to start another war between the two.

"At the same time, in order to shatter the Heavenly Pillar, they have not hesitated to set up numerous conspiracies, and the Fuyou Sect and Fusheng Temple have suffered greatly as a result. Now, the Zhengqi Sect has become their last target."

Yun Yi's eyes swept over the crowd, pausing slightly each time he saw someone from the Futian Pavilion.

Someone asked, "What is the basis for your statement?"

Before Yun Yi could answer, Lu Ziwei suddenly said, "The Tian Shu Academy can testify that everything Yun Yi said is true."

As she spoke out, Boyue, Bu Nian, Lianxin, and others also came forward to testify.

As the mentors of these righteous disciples, Qiu Haoran, Daocheng, Abbot Huiming, and Fuqunren remained silent, but they also did not try to stop them.

The group exchanged glances with Zhang Guo, all realizing that the Righteous Qi Sect was about to face a great calamity.

Since there's no way to avoid it, we might as well let Yun Yi personally tear off the disguise of Futian Pavilion.

For most people, the Futian Pavilion was simply inconceivable, and therefore they found it difficult to accept at first.

Unexpectedly, Lan Zhenxin of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect quietly appeared and arrived at the Righteous Qi Sect at some unknown time. He laughed and said, "The righteous path has already tacitly accepted Yun Yi's words, and my Demonic Sect is now following his lead. Do you have to be on the verge of death before you believe it?"

Yun Yi looked at Lan Zhenxin with slight surprise, but then he realized that she was a restless person by nature, so it would be strange if she stayed obediently in the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect. He immediately understood.

He continued, "There are three Ascension Realm cultivators in the Overturning Heaven Pavilion who have been working for it, attacking the Heavenly Pillar everywhere. Now only one remains, named Tianlang. This man is cunning and has long been lurking in the Righteous Qi Sect."

"Lord Tianlang, now that the Overturning Heaven Pavilion's scheme has been exposed, and we both know the truth, why not show ourselves and have a talk?"

After waiting for a long time, no one answered.

Yun Yi laughed and said, "Since you want to destroy the Heavenly Pillar of the Righteous Qi Sect, it's not very convenient to always hide it."

"Or is Lord Sirius testing us to see if we can find you?"

Still, no one spoke.

Yun Yi shook his head and sighed, saying, "How about this, those who feel they have nothing to do with the Overturning Heaven Pavilion, please step back."

Most people were skeptical, but seeing the tense atmosphere and the solemn expressions of the sect leaders at the Dao Integration Realm, they all moved back a little.

In this way, it would be extremely conspicuous for more than ten people to stand still in place.

These people all exuded an extraordinary aura and arrogant demeanor. Although they did not utter a sound, they had already revealed their identities.

One, two, three... each and every one of them was at the Dao Integration Realm. Just what kind of behemoth is this Overturning Heaven Pavilion that it can command so many experts to serve it at the same time?!

The group began to have second thoughts, thinking that they had no reason to come to the Righteous Qi Sect and get involved in this mess. They hadn't gained any benefits and had even lost a generous gift.

Now it seems that even his life is in danger.

Compared to these dozen or so Dao Integration Realm cultivators, the five major righteous sects and the Demonic Sword Burial Valley stood together, intending to join forces to resist the enemy.

Thanks to the old master's "disciple-acceptance ceremony" which brought together many experts, along with Jiang Hongye, Feng Mo and Zhong Wanxin, their strength at first glance was not inferior to that of the Futian Pavilion.

Seeing that Tianlang still hadn't shown himself, Yunyi said, "Why are you hiding your face? Could it be that although the Futian Pavilion has mobilized all its forces, it doesn't actually intend to fight to the death?"

"That's right. With the grand plan about to succeed, why fight to the death now? If we die when the sky falls, wouldn't all our efforts be in vain?"

"But Your Excellency is incredibly powerful, even able to control the minds of Feng Mo and Jiang Hongye. You must have already thoroughly understood the Zhengqi Sect and even found the location of the Heavenly Pillar."

"Such constant hiding seems overly cautious. Moreover, although you are at the Ascension Realm, so is the Old Celestial Master. If they really wanted to find you, it wouldn't be impossible."

"It would damage the image of a sage, which would be undesirable. Why bother?"

As Yun Yi was speaking, Feng Mo quietly made a move.

Unbeknownst to them, Feng Mo, Jiang Hongye, and Zhong Wanxin had formed an encirclement, surrounding someone whom the entire Righteous Qi Sect had never expected.

It was none other than Yuan Lingguan, the Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain!

Yuan Lingguan, dressed in a yellowish-brown and crimson robe and wearing a Yuanshi crown, looked like a sage at first glance. At this moment, he smiled and said, "When did you realize it was me?"

Yun Yi replied, "I had only made some speculations before, but after seeing Master Yuan's detached attitude and his indifference even when the Righteous Qi Sect was facing a life-or-death situation, I am even more certain."

"It'll have to be made clear sooner or later, and I really don't have the energy to keep pretending."

"Since that's the case, why doesn't Sirius reveal his true abilities?"

Yuan Lingguan laughed and said, "Then so be it."

The next moment, he flashed away, breaking free from the encirclement of Feng Mo and the others, and arrived directly in the air above the Celestial Master's Mansion. More than ten Dao Integration Realm cultivators from the Overturning Heaven Pavilion also rose from the ground, each occupying a position and chanting incantations. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, and their positions were not random, but subtly corresponded to ancient and profound celestial trajectories, enveloping the entire Righteous Qi Sect within them.

There was no earth-shattering sound, nor any dazzling light. Those at the Dao Integration Realm began chanting simultaneously. It was a peculiar rhythm, with obscure syllables. The voices were initially low and faint, but gradually merged into one, resounding throughout heaven and earth.

In the blink of an eye, an enormous array diagram covering the entire Righteous Qi Sect took shape. It was drawn from countless flowing Daoist principles and was still constantly self-consistent, perfecting, and reinforcing itself.

The array was incomprehensible and carried a terrifying aura that could overturn the universe and tear apart the heavens and earth.

As the mysterious sound resounded through the sky, a killing formation created solely for "overthrowing the heavens" had taken shape!

Yuan Lingguan was at the core of the formation. "This is... the Heaven-Covering and Earth-Severing Great Formation."

This is the real trump card that Futian Pavilion has used in its attack on Zhengqi Sect!
In Tianlang's plan, Zhen Fengmo and Jiang Hongye will die and escape respectively, and Zhong Wanxin will also leave in order to find her disciple, which will severely damage the Zhengqi Sect.

Today, a fake Feng Mo will also provoke the Old Celestial Master to intervene and save them, expending his spiritual energy. This will increase their chances of winning the battle later.

Unfortunately, all these plans were foiled by Yun Yi, and now he's even turning the tables on them.

Yuan Lingguan couldn't help but sigh, "Truly, the younger generation is formidable. No wonder the Pavilion Master looks at you with such special regard."

Yun Yi looked up at the great formation in the sky, showing no fear whatsoever. "Thank you for the compliment."

"The matter is already settled, so there's no rush to take action. Why don't we talk about what we discussed before?"

"What does Master Yuan want to talk about?"

"Why is the Overturning Heaven Pavilion so insane? Why is it causing such chaos? Why is it willing to kill the Heavenly Dao at all costs!"

Yuan Lingguan's voice echoed incessantly, leaving the disciples of the Righteous Qi Sect most conflicted. For a moment, they could not accept that their own Grand Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain was actually a member of the Overturning Heaven Pavilion.

Moreover, according to Yun Yi, he almost killed Uncle Jiang and pushed his senior brother into an endless abyss.

Yuan Duoqing's mind was in turmoil, and she kept muttering, "Great-grandfather...why is this?"

His great-grandfather had always doted on him, so he found it really hard to accept.

How could Yuan Lingguan, who has always been uninvolved in cause and effect, inexplicably become the culprit who wanted to destroy the Righteous Qi Sect?

Looking at the reaction of the old Celestial Master Zhang Guo, it seems that he had expected this, and his expression remained normal.

He and Yuan Lingguan were of the same generation, had known each other for thousands of years, and were the two oldest members of the Righteous Qi Sect.

In retrospect, there seems to be some hidden story between the two.

Yuan Lingguan asked and answered himself: "The actions of the Overturning Heaven Pavilion are all due to the injustice of the Heavenly Dao. They prevent cultivators from ascending through countless heavenly tribulations, and they accumulate spiritual energy from the Three Realms in the Heavenly Realm for their own use. They call it the Heavenly Dao, but in reality, they are driven by selfish desires everywhere."

"The most crucial question is why no one has descended to the mortal realm since the Heavenly Realm thousands of years ago. The Righteous Qi Sect could have set up a grand ritual to invite the celestial immortals to appear, but it has been ineffective ever since?"
"We cultivators are born into the mortal realm, under the watchful eye of Heaven. Cultivation is inherently an act against Heaven, and it is extremely difficult. But what do we gain after finally ascending to immortality?"
"Yun Yi, you should have already guessed the answer, so why don't you tell them the truth?"

Yun Yi's expression was solemn. The truth was the "taboo" he least wanted to touch, and it was also the key information that Lan Zhenxin had extracted from Po Jun.

Without him speaking, Yuan Lingguan said quietly, "The truth is that all those who ascended to the Heavenly Realm died in the Heavenly Realm and became nourishment for the Heavenly Dao."

"The seemingly selfless and impartial Way of Heaven has long since become a coward who fears death!"

Upon hearing this, the room fell silent at first, then erupted into a cacophony of suppressed discussion.

Ascending to the Heavenly Realm is actually a suicide mission?!
This truth could shake the very foundation of the cultivation world; the ascension that countless cultivators dreamed of ultimately turned out to be nothing more than death.

It's ridiculous! There's never been any such thing as immortality or eternal life; it's all a lie!

A lie woven by the very hand of Heaven!

Yuan Lingguan: "There is one person who can testify to what I have said. That is the old Celestial Master Zhang Guo, who is the only one in the Ascension Realm who is allowed to remain in the mortal world by the decree of Heaven."

"You are the one who understands the Way of Heaven best here, and you should know that what I say is true. The Way of Heaven has another purpose in keeping you in the mortal world, which is to merge you with the Heavenly Pillar and stabilize the world of Righteous Qi Continent."

"Zhang Guo, why are you not saying a word?"

His gaze shifted from Yun Yi to the old Celestial Master. At this moment, the two Ascension Realm cultivators finally clashed, and an invisible wave of energy spread out, almost shaking the entire Righteous Qi Sect.

Zhang Guo sighed, "When did you reach the Ascension Realm, and why are you allowed to remain in the mortal world?"

Yuan Lingguan didn't hide anything and replied, "Naturally, it was the Pavilion Master's doing."

"The actions of a Celestial Realm cultivator are indeed extraordinary. Perhaps only by reaching the Celestial Realm can one truly escape the arrangements of Heaven."

“Zhang Guo, although the Heavenly Pillar can help you maintain your Ascension Realm cultivation, it also traps you forever within the Righteous Qi Sect, forcing you to use your avatar to travel in the mortal realm. Are you truly willing to live like this?”

The Old Celestial Master said, "If this can ensure the stability of the Righteous Qi Sect and even the Righteous Qi Continent, I am naturally willing."

Yuan Lingguan sneered, "But you are still a human being. Even if you have lived for thousands of years, you are still a living, breathing human being. You may be willing, but you may not be without regrets. You will also get tired."

The old master sighed heavily, not denying it: "I am indeed a little tired."

The conversation between the two was not concealed, and everyone in and around the Celestial Master's Mansion heard it and was shocked.

Even at this moment, they felt that what Futian Pavilion had done might not be wrong.

If the Heavenly Dao cannot be killed, what will become of the cultivators in the mortal realm?

Even if it means sacrificing hundreds of millions of lives, so what?
However, many people hold the opposite view, arguing that even if ascension has become a "dead end," it should not lead to widespread suffering on earth.

If the three realms are completely unrecognizable, what's the point of becoming an immortal?!

Yuan Lingguan said, "The world has been turned upside down. The only enemy of Futian Pavilion is the Heavenly Dao. I am not willing to fight with you here."

Zhang Guo suddenly laughed and said, "Hehe, do you want me to destroy the Heavenly Pillar myself?"

"In this way, you can also break free from the cage and have the best of both worlds."

What if I refuse?

Yuan Lingguan said confidently, "The Righteous Qi Sect is located at the junction of the human realm and the earth realm, using the righteous energy of the human world to suppress all evil spirits. However, things will turn into their opposites when they reach their extremes, and the too much of a good thing will break. This is a problem that the Righteous Qi Sect has not been able to get rid of for tens of thousands of years."

Zhang Guo's face turned ashen; this was the taboo he least wanted to touch.

Yuan Lingguan: "I have found a way to turn righteousness into evil. With just a thought, I can turn the entire Righteous Qi Sect into the evil path. Zhang Guo, you should understand what I mean."

(End of this chapter)