Born in the ceaseless bloodshed for the Qingyang Realm.
Even in death, they guard Qingyang forever!
Lu Qingyang held profound reverence for these guardian spirits.
This reverence transcended cultivation levels and ranks.
In an instant, Lu Qingyang's spiritual form appeared in the Tianling Temple.
Facing numerous plaques, he bowed respectfully.
Immediately, all the plaques trembled as if thousands of guardian spirits manifested and reciprocated Lu Qingyang's gesture.
Lu Qingyang gazed at the manifested guardian spirits before him, knowing that the souls sealed within the plaques retained only fragments of memories.
However, asked about the unwavering determination of these guardian spirits, it was solely to protect Qingyang.
"I once swore that when the Heavenly Court ascends to the Ninth Realm, I will grant you all the chance to be reborn!"
Lu Qingyang's declaration was resolute, both a promise to the guardian spirits before him and an oath to himself.
With that, Lu Qingyang gradually faded away.
The establishment of the Tianling Temple provided a sanctuary for all fallen guardian spirits of Qingyang.
Though they couldn't be reborn, they continued to exist in a different manner, nourished by the faith of the people.
Yet, if these guardian spirits were to dissipate again, they would truly enter eternal silence, with no hope of reincarnation.
Lu Qingyang held profound awe for these sacrificed guardian spirits.
The heroic sacrifices of those who perished in the ancient wasteland battle were vivid in his memory.
Given the opportunity,
Lu Qingyang pledged to fulfill his past promises and grant these guardian spirits a chance at renewed life.
As Lu Qingyang departed, the guardian spirits that had manifested from the plaques gradually dissipated.
It was as if they had left no trace in the world.
Only on the plaques were their names and deeds engraved, a testament to the existence of these guardian spirits.
...
Just as the guardian spirits returned to their places, a sense seemed to pervade the entire Qingyang Immortal Kingdom, all looking towards the direction of the Tianling Temple.
Moments ago, they glimpsed the shadows of the departed guardian spirits.
Their restless and anxious hearts unexpectedly calmed.
"The Tianling Temple!" someone whispered, then turned to a woman beside him, proposing,
"Tomorrow, I intend to pay homage to a plaque at the Tianling Temple. What do you think?"
The woman gladly agreed, "Indeed, which guardian spirit at the Tianling Temple do you wish to honor?"
The souls honored at the Tianling Temple were all powerful figures who sacrificed themselves in the battle of the ancient wastelands.
Without their selfless sacrifice, how could Qingyang thrive as it does today?
The man replied, "Millions of guardian spirits reside in the Tianling Temple, each with remarkable achievements. It would be unfair to honor only one. Instead, let us pay our respects to an anonymous plaque. All guardian spirits housed in the Tianling Temple deserve the offering of incense and fire."
Upon hearing this, the woman smiled warmly, her approval evident.
Such actions were a reflection of people's reverence for the guardian spirits.
Some would bring plaques home for homage, while others, like the man, would honor anonymous plaques, allowing all guardian spirits in the Tianling Temple to share in the offerings of incense and fire.
The people knew nothing about the guardian spirits housed in the Tianling Temple.
Their offerings were made for peace of mind and out of respect for their ancestors' sacrifices.
Lu Qingyang understood all the changes.
Seeing the people of Qingyang Immortal Kingdom paying homage to the guardian spirits in the Tianling Temple, he silently nodded.
"Thanks to the people's offerings, the guardian spirits can thrive on incense and fire. Especially for those who are honored by families and sects alone, the offerings are more abundant. In this way, the growth of these guardian spirits will surely surpass others."
The growth of guardian spirits was closely related to the offerings of incense and fire. This form of worship was a special kind of faith.
Compared to that, Lu Qingyang's ability to gain incense and fire was akin to a bug in the system.
Even though many immortals and gods were worshipped in Qingyang Immortal Kingdom, as long as someone held a place for him in their heart, he could continuously draw on the power of incense and fire.
As long as the faith of his believers remained steadfast and they did not unexpectedly perish, the power of incense and fire could be harvested indefinitely.
Compared to the complexities faced by guardian spirits in gaining faith, Lu Qingyang's path could be considered effortless.
He didn't have to worry about competing for incense and fire in the Tianling Temple.
Even if there were conflicts, he had no fear because the power of incense and fire would never dry up as long as there was the Heavenly Court chat group.
Afterward, Lu Qingyang returned his thoughts to himself.
"While this battle cost me an incarnation, I managed to defeat the lords of the three major ancient paradises. In the short term, as long as a Seventh Stage expert does not appear, I have nothing to fear. However, understanding the ancient wasteland and even the No-Immortal Realm requires further investigation."
Knowing oneself and the enemy would ensure victory in a hundred battles. A conflict between Qingyang Realm and No-Immortal Realm was inevitable.
Either Qingyang Realm would fall, or the No-Immortal Realm would be destroyed—only one could be chosen.
Currently, the power shown in the ancient wasteland alone is already formidable. The depths of the No-Immortal Realm are undoubtedly even more unfathomable.
Fortunately, the No-Immortal Realm was still bound by the shackles of longevity, with no Seventh Stage experts appearing yet.
Otherwise, Lu Qingyang would fear being unable to cope.
If only one Seventh Stage expert arrived, he could still have a chance of winning with the power of the Heavenly Court.
However, if two Seventh Stage experts joined forces, even with the power of the Heavenly Court, he would be powerless.
"Nevertheless, it's not too late. Once others sow incense and fire in the ancient wasteland, helping me gather Heavenly Dao Origin, I can make another breakthrough in the short term. When I reach the middle stage of the Sixth Stage, even a newcomer to the Seventh Stage will be no match!"
This was Lu Qingyang's conservative estimate.
In fact, he believed that his strength might not be inferior to a true Seventh Stage expert.
After all, as the Ancient Sky Steel with a perfect Sixth Stage cultivation, he was not the match of the incarnations.
Moreover, the strength of the Ancient Sky Steel far surpassed the usual perfect Sixth Stage.
However, Lu Qingyang had never seen a Seventh Stage expert himself, so he made a conservative estimate.
At present, his strength was between the perfect Sixth Stage and the early Seventh Stage, and he called it a half-step Seventh Stage, which was the most appropriate term
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