Divine Transcendence

Elder Hai was slain, and the Returning to Origin Sect disciples who witnessed this scene were utterly terrified. Their fighting spirit vanished instantly, and they no longer tangled with the mine slave cultivators, turning to flee instead.

The mine slave cultivators nearby, seeing Yuan Ming's heroic display of slaying a Golden Elixir stage cultivator, were now even more invigorated, as if injected with adrenaline.

They cheered excitedly and charged at the fleeing guards.

As the chase continued, the news of Elder Hai's death quickly spread throughout the entire mine. The battle, already one-sided, now collapsed even more rapidly.

Seeing that the battle was settled and no longer required his intervention, Yuan Ming ordered Hua Zhi and the others to disperse and assist the mine slaves. He then collected Elder Hai's corpse and storage bag, descending to the four-story building that had been Hai's residence.

From top to bottom, he scoured Elder Hai's quarters, but perhaps because this place was merely Hai's residence in the mine and not his private cave dwelling, there wasn't much of value. After a thorough search, he found little of interest.

Soon, Yuan Ming found a hidden door leading to the basement. As the place where Elder Hai spent most of his time, it stored many unknown elixirs and spiritual liquids, as well as books recording his experimental insights.

Yuan Ming collected all of these and then walked to the ice-cold room storing severed limbs. Even though he knew what was inside, he couldn't help but frown.

He skipped this room and continued forward, arriving at the deepest hall.

Innumerable cages filled the hall, with only demonic beasts remaining. The cages that once held cultivators were now empty.

Yuan Ming glanced around. Due to Elder Hai often feeding the beasts with the flesh of failed experiments, these demonic beasts, though imprisoned, had not lost their ferocity. To prevent them from escaping and causing chaos, he killed them all.

Then, he used his magical tools to destroy everything in the basement, collapsing the supporting pillars. Before the basement caved in, he returned to the surface.

Without support, the four-story building began to shake and finally collapsed with a thunderous crash.

The dust and debris from the collapse rose high, illuminated by the surrounding fires, resembling fireworks celebrating the liberation of the mine slaves, or the twilight glow marking the end of the Returning to Origin Sect's rule over this place.

In the latter half of the night, the chaos in the mine gradually subsided. The Returning to Origin Sect cultivators were either dead or had fled. Now, only the mine slaves remained.

The freed cultivators could have left, but most of them, after venting their anger, stayed voluntarily, wanting to see the benefactor who had fought a Golden Elixir stage cultivator and given them a chance at freedom.

Behind them were hundreds of mortal mine slaves.

Yuan Ming stood on the ruins of the four-story building, looking at the cultivators and mortals gathered around. Seeing their faces filled with gratitude, amazement, and curiosity, he slowly began to speak:

"When I first embarked on the path of cultivation, I was just like you, a prisoner of a sect, trapped in a mountain, deprived of freedom."

"During countless days and nights of imprisonment, I constantly thought about breaking free from my shackles, to take control of my life and future. But resisting was incredibly difficult. The enslavers used various means to numb us, corrupt us, making us indulge in the crumbs of benefits they let fall from their hands, accept the rules they set, and willingly embrace a future they deliberately made unattainable."

"Fortunately, like you, I received help from someone. Not only did I shed my slave identity, but I also gained my current cultivation and strength. I am very grateful to her, but I often wondered why she helped me. Was it just because she had read the verses I wrote as a mortal?"

"Today, standing here, looking at you, recalling the past, I finally understand the answer."

In the crowd, Xu Che looked at Yuan Ming on the ruins, his eyes shining.

Yuan Ming also glanced at him at this moment, nodded slightly, and continued:

"The path of immortality is long. We cultivators strive for longevity, status, or dignity. Ultimately, it all stems from a yearning for freedom. If even the heavens cannot confine us to mortal bodies, no cultivator can imprison us in chains!"

"Some of you may have become numb to reality, but many more have not lost their spirit, still daring to show their fangs at those who obstruct them, roaring their unwillingness to be mediocre."

Zhou Peng, hearing this, was moved, his lips trembling, but he only managed to utter a sigh of old age.

"Now, everyone, celebrate, for your victory, for our freedom." As Yuan Ming's words fell, the entire mine erupted into a sea of jubilation. Cultivators cheered, shouted, and vented their years of imprisonment, while some mortals began to kneel in worship.

Some were flushed with excitement, some shed tears recalling the past, and some looked up at Yuan Ming, admiring his strength and nobility. But without exception, everyone felt heartfelt gratitude and reverence for Yuan Ming.

At this moment, Yuan Ming suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of willpower from the cultivators and mortal mine slaves before him, rushing towards his right arm.

The willpower from the cultivators was different from that of the mortals, each strand carrying a hundredfold richer aura. Unfortunately, perhaps because they did not truly believe in Yuan Ming, the willpower they provided was not continuous, each person's contribution having a limit.

As the willpower surged, the incense burner mark on Yuan Ming's right arm heated up. Although the Stealing Heaven Cauldron did not manifest, it tirelessly absorbed the willpower for Yuan Ming.

But Yuan Ming still couldn't actively use the willpower stored in the cauldron. Seeing this, he grew anxious and immediately commanded his sub-soul, which had just returned to his body, to operate at full speed, absorbing all the willpower flowing towards the Stealing Heaven Cauldron. He then sat down cross-legged, with his main soul absorbing the purified willpower from the sub-soul, rapidly cultivating the Death Moon Method.

In front of the ruins, Xu Che and the others, who had wanted to speak with Yuan Ming after his speech, were puzzled when they saw him suddenly sit down cross-legged.

"Don't worry, everyone. The master has had an epiphany. He will speak with you once he has fully digested his insights," Zuo Qinghui explained.

To maintain the vitality of Zuo Qinghui's body, Yuan Ming rarely used the sub-soul placed within him. At this moment, it could handle some matters on behalf of the main soul.

Hearing Zuo Qinghui's explanation, Xu Che and the others nodded, their doubts resolved. However, Yu Yu suddenly glanced at the meditating Yuan Ming and chuckled softly.

"I'm curious, Zuo Daoist, why do you, who fought for our freedom, willingly serve him as your master?"

Xu Che asked, "By the way, Zuo Daoist, how should we address your master when we speak with him later? Should we call him the Dark Moon God?"

"The master's name is Yuan Ming. You can call him Daoist directly; he doesn't mind such things," Zuo Qinghui replied.

Recalling his behavior that night, Xu Che laughed awkwardly and fell silent.

As they conversed, Yuan Ming's cultivation reached a critical stage.

In his sea of consciousness, the vast soul power surged, forming a massive vortex, devouring the willpower refined by the sub-soul to strengthen itself.

As the soul power grew rapidly, Yuan Ming's sea of consciousness soon filled with it. Everything, including the main soul and the sub-soul, seemed to be submerged in a sea of soul power.

But in the next moment, the soul power that filled the sea of consciousness suddenly receded. Although the sub-soul continued to provide willpower without pause, the soul power's retreat only accelerated, soon receding to half its original volume.

At this moment, a flawless white halo, like a newly risen moon, emerged from the sea of soul power.

Within the halo, Yuan Ming's soul sat cross-legged, resembling a meticulously carved jade statue, identical in appearance and posture to Yuan Ming.

As the halo fully ascended above the sea of consciousness, Yuan Ming suddenly opened his eyes in reality, his spiritual consciousness spreading out instantly, enveloping the entire mine.

The celebrating cultivators in the mine felt a chill run through them, as if they were being watched by an unfathomable presence.

"Do not be alarmed, everyone. I had a fortunate breakthrough and forgot to control it for a moment."

Yuan Ming's gentle voice echoed in everyone's ears, and then he retracted his spiritual consciousness. Everyone immediately felt relieved, looking at each other. In that brief moment of contact, their backs were soaked with sweat from fear.

At this moment, they truly experienced Yuan Ming's power firsthand, adding a touch of awe to their hearts.