Peerless Grandmaster of Tianshan, Divine Might Unmatched (Part One)

Jingshan Hill, Yanjing. In front of the massive Omni-Celestial Sphere, Gavin Guo stood in silence. He wasn't the type who struggled to find words, but most of the time, he was lost in endless quietude. Only by "guarding stillness" could one divine the will of Heaven. In the hush, only the Omni-Celestial Sphere turned slowly, its giant gears seemingly representing the laws of the universe, the Mandates of Heaven. Suddenly, Gavin Guo's brow twitched, and he looked up toward the south.

"The Vermilion Bird energy in the south—sometimes strong, sometimes weak, rising and falling three times in a single day. Something big must be happening in Putian City." Facing south, Gavin Guo pinched his fingers together and said in a deep voice, "The Phoenix is seven-colored, red for fire, with a body of cinnabar—also called the Vermilion Bird, the noblest of the seven. The Phoenix sings with all five notes, ruling over music under Heaven, ancestor of all dancers. For the southern Vermilion Bird energy to be this turbulent, it must be related to the 'Phoenix.'"

Gavin Guo picked up a ledger and flipped through it with a rustle. His gaze locked onto a page. The Yuan-Mongol intelligence network always sent him firsthand reports for his calculations. On this page, several bold characters were clearly written—

Celestial Arts Ensemble.

Phoenixian Sky.

Gavin Guo put down the ledger, his gaze seemingly piercing mountains and rivers to the distant southern frontier. "Rising and falling, strong and weak—what on earth is going on…"

Putian City, in front of Lady Mother's Temple—ten thousand gather to pay homage.

The emperor gave the order himself, and Lord Jia silently approved. The command was carried out with maximum efficiency. The coastal folk already believed, and many had witnessed the miracles near Lady Mother's Temple. With the imperial edict, families flocked to pay respects. The clouds over the sea hadn’t cleared, stray lightning still flickered, and it felt like something was brewing. The air was still thick with tension.

But at a time like this, you absolutely could not afford to look unenthusiastic. Thanks to the local officials’ "enthusiastic encouragement," Putian City and the surrounding villages were practically deserted—everyone had flocked to Lady Mother's Temple. Especially the big households, like the Chu family: aside from a few left behind to watch the house, everyone—servants, workers, old and young—came along.

Forty minutes after the emperor’s decree, more than ten thousand people had gathered near Lady Mother's Temple. The temple itself was dilapidated, but the statue inside looked even more extraordinary. Emperor Richard Song, right in front of the idol, made a grand vow to build a bigger, more splendid temple, then ordered the ruins to be cleared so everyone could see the object of their worship.

Even when it comes to worship, the big shots always elbow their way to the front, leaving the regular folks in the dust. Charlotte Cloud was determined to look her best for the emperor—even with barely any time, she managed to pull herself together. Surrounded by nervous faces, she glowed like a peacock at a pigeon party. But when she looked up at the statue, she was so stunned her jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Th-this—!" She could barely close her mouth. That face was way too familiar—she’d just seen it a few days ago! Sure, the makeup and role were different, but it was definitely her! Wait a minute—how could the idol we’re all supposed to worship, the god the emperor wants to enshrine, be her—Phoenixian Sky, the Celestial Arts Ensemble’s boss?!

What’s going on here—there’s got to be something fishy! No way, I know Lady Mother’s statue like the back of my hand, and it’s never looked like this. So there must be some plot, or maybe someone’s committed treason against the emperor?!

A flash of inspiration hit Charlotte Cloud—should she expose it now? If she spoke up in front of the emperor, she’d definitely make a lasting impression!

But…

"Hey, did you hear? That statue is Lady Mother herself, appearing as her true divine form." "I heard that too! There’s no way it was carved—it looks practically alive!" "Look, the clouds are swirling over its head!" "For real? I swear it looks familiar, like that young actress—" "Shut up! I was right here, I saw Lady Mother show her power! If she hadn’t appeared, I’d have been swept out to sea and drowned. If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll fight you right now!"

The chaotic chatter filled her ears, making Charlotte Cloud hesitate. What was really going on? Was someone pulling a trick, or was there truly a divine presence? Did someone commit treason, or was Skylar Phoenix actually connected to the gods?

Speak up? Waste a golden opportunity! Stay quiet? Risk getting dragged into big trouble!

No way, no way—the more I think, the messier my head gets. What should I do?!

"Sacrifice—Heaven—Enshrine—the gods!" The eunuch’s shrill voice rang out as Emperor Richard Song, freshly composed, reappeared to begin the grand ceremony. Led by the survivors, over ten thousand people knelt and bowed. The crowd stretched as far as the eye could see, blanketing the whole peninsula. So many kneeling together—the spectacle shook everyone, participant or onlooker alike.

Humans are herd animals—group actions reinforce group consciousness. In the solemn scene, Charlotte Cloud barely had time to think and just bowed along. The famous Putian prodigy was now just one of ten thousand kneeling, and Emperor Richard Song didn’t even notice her.

Right now, he was utterly focused. With a sweep of his sleeves, he recited the prayers in a shrill voice, terrified of angering the gods by making a mistake. During the solemn enshrinement, mysterious powers surged into the Divine Life Core like a tidal wave. As the strange energy poured in, the Divine Life Core began to change. The vortex overhead expanded, and with a crack, the structure below the waist became clearer.

The mystical powers churned inside like the ocean. At some point, the Divine Life Core itself burst open a golden gate, channeling energy directly into the true body. And at that very moment, the immortal light at the heart of the tree hollow fully condensed.

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In the next instant, crimson light burst forth, piercing through trunk and bark, illuminating everything.

Meanwhile, in a daze, Jill Young instinctively pulled two strange stones from her storage space. With a flash of gold, the stones landed in her hands, and a yellow glow shone brighter than ever before.

Surrounded by all that light, Jill Young was completely oblivious to what was happening outside.

Her mind was hazy and clear all at once, and in that instant, she received endless information. Calling it information isn’t quite right—it wasn’t like reading a textbook or a book, but more like the sky and earth revealing themselves. It was like gazing at the endless star river: a romantic sees beauty, a doer sees dreams, an astronomer sees space and numbers, and the clown just sees twinkle twinkle little stars.

The starry sky is just the starry sky—it never changes. What you see depends on your own perspective.

At that moment, Jill Young seemed to see every explorer who’d ever landed on the island. They found the great tree, discovered secrets, became enlightened, and then staggered out, half-awake. They’d instinctively pick a spot and start enthusiastically writing down their insights.

At the same time, Jill Young realized that most of these explorers had come to the wrong place.

This opportunity wasn’t meant for those who cultivate internal energy.

It was waiting for those who train the physical body.

It was waiting for someone who’d reached the peak of pure physical training—someone who’d attained an Ascendant Rank.

At that moment, Jill Young finally understood the true level of her own Dragon Power and spiritual enlightenment.

Ascendant Rank—just a term, but it came naturally to Jill Young’s mind as she touched the immortal light. Whatever you call it, it’s an achievement far beyond ordinary people, incredibly hard to reach. Cultivators defy the heavens, and no matter their skill, they possess extraordinary power. But most are only special in life; after death, they’re just dust. Beauty fades and bones remain, that’s all.

But a cultivator with Ascendant Rank is different even after death. It’s proof of a great achievement—every one of them is remembered in the history of cultivation, just like a divine weapon is recorded in the Heavenly Weapon Atlas.

A spiritual Fruit Position means you’re a human saint, spiritually enlightened. You can control yourself, sense the world, read minds, hypnotize, notice subtle changes—no problem. Go further, and you’ll get gut feelings when someone’s plotting against you, or even manifest your inner visions, call wind and rain, resonate with the universe. It doesn’t give you direct fighting power, but it’s the foundation of all mystical abilities.

A physical Ascendant Rank means you’ve mastered the Ten Titan Mastery and condensed it into Dragon Power. Once you’ve done that, your body is fundamentally changed—the most solid, immediate kind of strength. You can move mountains, fill seas, smash cities. If you master Dragon Power, your body stays young forever, always at its peak, never decaying or rotting, even after death.

Spirit is Heaven, body is Earth, and true energy is the force between them. Connecting Heaven and Earth, merging them into something new—that’s the essence of internal energy. Most folks think that after breaking through, the three dantians connect and only then does internal power sync up with the spirit—but that’s only part of the story. You need both life essence and spiritual power to form true energy, just in different proportions.

For those who refine their essence and cultivate their inner energy, at least one-tenth of their power is spiritual in nature, even if the rest is physical.

For those who cultivate their spirit, the foundation is all about spiritual strength, but even then, a tenth of their accomplishments comes down to the good old flesh and bones.

Otherwise, how could Yan Taixu end up so frail and sickly? With his level, reaching the Saint Prime Realm should be a walk in the park, but his life force is seriously lacking, so he’s stuck in a wheelchair, unable to even handle a chill breeze.

So what exactly is the Ascendant Rank of true energy?

Nothing else but the seventh level of innate cultivation: the Saint Prime Realm. That’s one hundred and thirty years’ worth of power.

A hundred and thirty years of cultivation—now that’s what makes someone a world-class master. This is the big wall that’s blocked countless prodigies. Gavin Guo? Missed it by half a step. Charlotte Cloud? One step short. Master Yideng? Off by a few steps. The Seventh Copper Priest? Same story. The Sixth Copper Priest? Even further behind. Out of all the top dogs Jill Young has ever seen in this world, only Maggie Monroe, Old Master Tong, and the Silver Priest have definitely crossed into the world-class realm.

World-class masters: faster than a flying bird, stronger than anyone in their generation. With a single breath of true energy, they can soar hundreds of feet without touching the ground—almost like flying. And those just a notch below Ascendant Rank? Their real stand-out skill is being able to mess with the outside world.

Different ranks mean different levels of interference and difficulty.

Spiritual powers are way easier to poke at the world with—even without the Ascendant Rank, you can pull off a little something, like King of Oddities. Pure physical strength is the hardest; you pretty much need to hit Ascendant Rank before you can really show off. Jill Young has already flexed this a few times: roaring to scare off enemy soldiers during the Spirit Crane Palace defense, taming a war elephant, and dazzling Starfolk with a single look during a night stroll in Shaolin—all examples of spiritual intimidation mixed with raw physical aura.

This ability has another, oft-mentioned name—Absolute Life-Level Suppression.

But the Ascendant Rank of true energy varies depending on the harmony of heaven and earth, and the nature of one’s true energy, so its effects differ, too. Among them, the Ascendant Rank at the world-class level can actually mess with the elemental forces of heaven and earth. When you can crush heaven and earth with your own aura—that’s where the term ‘world-class’ comes from.

When the light exploded inside the tree hollow, Maggie Monroe stood cool and collected on the surface of the lake before the great tree.

The air around her shimmered with power; even the transparent atmosphere rippled with twisted waves. The ten-zhang-wide patch of lake beneath her feet was as smooth as a mirror—she’d completely dominated the space. Across from her stood the Silver Priest, the Sixth and Seventh Copper Priests, and Master Ruin, all loosely surrounding her in a half-circle.

The Silver Priest was closest—he was the only one who could face her head-on. But even he hadn’t stepped into that peaceful circle. He, too, stood on the water, arms folded, and spoke in a low voice: “With this many enemies, you can’t possibly win. If we split up and surround you, you’ll lose your edge. You’re done for.”

Lydia Drake and Master Yideng had already left the battlefield. Now, the others surrounded Maggie Monroe, looking pretty pleased with themselves.

“Split up? Ha! That’s a laugh. Go ahead and try it! You can even place a bet—see which side I’ll go after first once you split up.” Her gaze swept over the crowd, and even though she was outnumbered, she somehow seemed to be the one calling the shots. When her eyes met Maggie Monroe’s, the whole crew shivered. This little lady’s trash talk was hard to swallow, but they had to admit—she could back it up.

The ebb and flow of power between friend and foe was subtle, delicate, and utterly captivating.

When the other side started to falter, Maggie Monroe raised her hand, drew a circle with her index finger, and encircled everyone. Then, she flipped her palm and beckoned lightly: “Come on, all of you—let’s do this together.”