<h4>Chapter 874: The Causality That Even Saints Avoid</h4>
The massive Immortal-ying Sword Formation was deployed, with terrifying sword qi swirling through the sky, forcing countless nearby strong cultivators to retreat.
The sky was filled with sword light, obscuring any view of the internal dynamics of the Immortal-ying Sword Formation. However, everyone knew that inside, a cataclysmic sh was urring.
The Jade Void Kunlun Formation! The Immortal-ying Sword Formation! One was a formation left by the Primordial Saint, and the other by the Tongtian Saint. This was the first major sh between the formations of these two saints since their demise.
"Retreat!" Zhong Shan instructed the Nine-Tailed Princess and the others.
At this moment, attempting to snatch the Five-Colored Divine Stone seemed nearly impossible. Moreover, the collision between these two peerless formations appeared calm for now, but Zhong Shan believed that a violent upheaval was imminent.
Nine-Tailed Princess and Su Afu, though puzzled, followed Zhong Shan''s lead and retreated.
Even the Demon Chess Saint moved to stand by the Nine-Tailed Princess, seemingly to protect her specifically.
The Taichu Saint King waved his hand, signaling the Taichu powerhouses to retreat as well. However, some reckless individuals, harboring a sliver of hope, moved closer to the Immortal-ying Sword Formation.
"Boom!"
A tremendous explosion erupted, sending infinite sword qi in all directions. The resulting impact caused the surrounding sea to explode into towering waves, instantly annihting those who had rushed forward.
The Immortal-ying Sword Formation shattered. The internal space suddenly quivered, then gradually calmed.
It was broken! The Immortal-ying Sword Formation was broken, and so was the Jade Void Kunlun Formation!
In an instant, many onlookers felt their hopes rekindle, their eyes fervently fixed on Ghost Ind.
They wanted to rush forward but knew it would be suicidal. Restraining themselves, they continued to scrutinize Ghost Ind.
"Saint King, mission aplished!" Sima Qing, slightly fatigued, flew to the Taichu Saint King.
"Good," the Taichu Saint King nodded.
Then, everyone turned their attention to the entire ind.
On the ind, nearly a thousand meny on the ground, coughing up blood.
Officials of the Taiyi Sacred Court? They had set up the Jade Void Kunlun Formation?
However, now that the formation was broken, they all suffered bacsh andy incapacitated.
Few paid attention to these individuals; most were focused on the Five-Colored Divine Stone. Soon, everyone''s attention was drawn to a specific mountain.
To be precise, it was a huge stone on the mountain.
The mountain wasn''t very tall, around a thousand zhang, but its top was t, as if it had been sliced off. Dense ck qi surrounded it, resembling the ghostly marshes of the underworld.
Atop this tformy a massive stone, colored in five hues, standing nine zhang, seven chi, and three cun high.
"The Five-Colored Divine Stone?" someone shouted.
In an instant, the entire Ghost Ind sea area erupted in excitement. The Five-Colored Divine Stone, it was truly the Five-Colored Divine Stone! It had been found.
Many people''s eyes turned red with greed. Charge?
Dozens of reckless individuals immediately rushed forward. Strangely, the Taichu Saint King and the Zixiao Sect Master did not stop them, allowing them to advance.
Most people, their eyes fixed on the Five-Colored Divine Stone, didn''t notice that these dozens of individuals, as they flew towards the ind, encountered the surrounding ck qi before reaching the stone.
As the first of them touched the ck qi, a horrific scene unfolded. The ck qi rapidly engulfed them, and they screamed as their bodies and souls were torn apart, disappearing without a trace.
"Ah!"
The moment they touched the ck qi, the crowd screamed in agony. Their bodies immediately began to fester, and before they could even attempt to escape, they copsed and dissolved into pools of blood.
The horrific scene caused everyone''s hearts to race wildly.
Several more groups attempted to fly towards the stone, but the oue was the same. Anyone who came into contact with the ck qi was instantly reduced to blood and gore, horrifying everyone.
"What is this? So sinister?"
"Going there means certain death? No wonder the Taichu Saint King and the Zixiao Sect Master aren''t going forward."
"The Five-Colored Divine Stone? How can it be in this ck qi? The legends say the Five-Colored Divine Stone in the East Sea of the Eastern Continent radiated thousands of lights and absorbed the essence of heaven and earth. This is different!"
"But it must be the Five-Colored Divine Stone; there''s no mistake!"
"Then why is there such a big difference between the two?"
As themotion around Ghost Ind intensified, on a small ind at the periphery of the Ghost Ind sea area, a figure stood with hands behind his back, with seven or eight subordinates standing behind him.
"The time hase. Begin the Blood Sea and Starry Sky Soul Sacrifice!" the figuremanded with a wave of his hand.
"Yes, sir!" the subordinates replied respectfully.
In the distance, the Taichu Saint King and the Zixiao Sect Master finally moved. After witnessing the deaths of numerous powerful individuals under the ck qi, they decided to take action themselves.
The deaths had been clear to everyone. Those who dared to harbor any hopes in front of the Taichu Saint King and the Zixiao Sect Master were not weak. There were Earth Immortals, Heavenly Immortals, and even a rogue Great Immortal. Yet, even the Great Immortal couldn''t withstand the ck qi. Just how strong was this ck qi?
At this moment, everyone held their breath, watching as the Taichu Saint King and the Zixiao Sect Master stepped forward.
But as they moved, a figure suddenly blocked their path.
A man wearing an imperial robe adorned with nine dragons, his eyes like stars, exuding a wisdom that seemed to pierce through the world, stood before them.
"Saint King Taichu, Sect Master Zixiao, please stop!" the neer called out.
Both the Taichu Saint King and the Zixiao Sect Master halted, looking at the sudden arrival.
"Saint King Taiyi, you finally show yourself," the Zixiao Sect Master said in a deep voice.
Saint King Taiyi? Zhong Shan''s brow furrowed.
"Taiyi Zhenren!" the Taichu Saint King bowed slightly.
"Taiyi Zhenren?" Zhong Shan looked questioningly at the Demon Chess Saint.
"Yes, Taiyi Zhenren, once one of the twelve disciples of the Primordial Saint. However, for unknown reasons, he was reincarnated and started anew. By then, the Primordial Saint was dead, so Taiyi no longer followed the path of umting virtue but instead sought fame and fortune, founding the Taiyi Sacred Court. Because of his great renown in his past life, he is still often called Taiyi Zhenren," the Demon Chess Saint exined to Zhong Shan.
"Understood," Zhong Shan nodded.
"If it weren''t for the two of you trying to forcibly take the Five-Colored Divine Stone, I wouldn''t have stopped you. You should not continue," Saint King Taiyi said.
"Why can''t we take it? Does this Five-Colored Divine Stone belong to you, Taiyi?" Cheng Baiyi said coldly.
"Silence!" the Zixiao Sect Master snapped.
"My apologies for theck of discipline," the Zixiao Sect Master quickly said to Saint King Taiyi.
"Hehe," Saint King Taiyi shook his head.
"Is it that the Five-Colored Divine Stone can''t be taken, or is it difficult to take?" the Taichu Saint King asked.
"It cannot be taken," Saint King Taiyi replied.
"Oh?"
"My Taiyi Sacred Court has protected this treasure and never touched it. It''s not that we can''t take it; it''s that we mustn''t take it. In the past, more than one Saint came to the Ai Sea, yet none of them took the Five-Colored Divine Stone. Even if they didn''t need it, they could have given it to their disciples. Why did they ignore it?" Taiyi Saint King said.
Everyone frowned. Indeed, the Saints had been here, so why didn''t they take it?
"Please enlighten us," the Zixiao Sect Master said, puzzled.
"Because this Five-Colored Divine Stone holds a great causality. This causality is so immense that even Saints do not want to get involved," Taiyi Saint King exined.
Hearing this, almost everyone furrowed their brows deeply. A great causality? What kind of causality could even Saints avoid? The Zixiao Sect Master and the Taichu Saint King did not refute Taiyi''s words because they knew Taiyi''s background. Although the Taiyi Sacred Court wasn''t the strongest in the Fengzhong Domain, it had profound roots, having once followed a Saint.
"What causality?" the Taichu Saint King asked.
"Do you know about the Five-Colored Divine Stone in the East Sea of the Eastern Continent? The one on Flower Fruit Mountain? What was its purpose?" Taiyi Zhenren asked.
"Did that Five-Colored Divine Stone also have a purpose?"
"That Five-Colored Divine Stone once shattered and gave birth to a stone monkey. The stone monkeyter apprenticed under Patriarch Bodhi, who named him Sun Wukong and taught him extraordinary skills, leading him to be an ancient immortal. Patriarch Bodhi epted him because of his talent, but why did he expel him for minor mischief? Every disciple has a desire to show off their skills, especially Sun Wukong, who hadn''t faced much hardship. His bad temper could have been corrected gradually. Why sever the master-disciple rtionship after epting him?" Taiyi Saint King asked.
"Indeed, I have heard of this, but I couldn''t see the connection. What does this have to do with Flower Fruit Mountain?"
"When the stone monkey was born, his eyes pierced the heavens, startling the world. Many knew about this, but why did no one else take an interest in him? Patriarch Bodhi taught Sun Wukong in a short time, so were his earlier disciples truly beyond help?"
The Taichu Saint King''s words left everyone even more confused.
"Are you saying that Patriarch Bodhi didn''t take Sun Wukong as a disciple out of pure intentions but rather to teach him skills?" the Taichu Saint King asked.
"Precisely."
"But why?"
"To repay a debt," Taiyi Saint King replied.
"A debt? What debt?" everyone asked, puzzled.
"A great debt for being freed from the seal under Flower Fruit Mountain when the stone monkey was born," Taiyi Saint King said with a deep breath.
"Sealed? Patriarch Bodhi was sealed under Flower Fruit Mountain? Was it the Five-Colored Divine Stone that suppressed him?" everyone gasped.
"The Five-Colored Divine Stone was part of the seal. When the stone monkey was born, the seal broke, and Patriarch Bodhi, grateful to the stone monkey, taught him skills. Yet he didn''t want to form asting bond, so he severed the master-disciple rtionship," Taiyi Saint King exined.
At this point, almost everyone understood Taiyi Saint King''s implication.
Was something suppressed under Ghost Ind as well? Was a powerful being sealed there? And this Five-Colored Divine Stone was nearly three times the size of the one that birthed the stone monkey. Who was sealed beneath this one?
"Who is sealed here?" the Zixiao Sect Master asked, frowning.
"When Flower Fruit Mountain was sealed, it was shrouded in mist and radiated brilliance, a paradise on earth. That was because it sealed Patriarch Bodhi. Here, you see the rampant evil energy, fierce aura, and surrounding gloom. You can imagine the nature of the being sealed here," Taiyi Saint King said.
"Who is sealed beneath Ghost Ind?" the Zixiao Sect Master asked again, frowning.
"Honestly, I don''t know. But you can see that none of the Saints wanted to get involved with this causality. Even my former master, the Primordial Saint, knew about this ce and did not want to get involved. He tasked me with guarding this ind, which is why the Taiyi Sacred Court has been protecting it," Taiyi Saint King said.
"The Primordial Saint didn''t want to get involved?" everyone looked puzzled.
What kind of monster was sealed below? Could it really carry such immense causality?