Wenhai Zhou Mi's Ascension

Overview

Wenhai Zhou Mi, the ultimate mastermind behind the Wild World's invasion of the Haoran World, executed his supreme cosmological strategy not merely to conquer mortal lands, but to physically ascend to the ancient heavenly court ruins. Leaving his disciple, the sword cultivator Feiran, as the new nominal co-lord of the Wild World, Zhou Mi ascended to the heavens. He was accompanied by the Fire God, Ruan Xiu, and newly appointed high gods such as Li Zhen (the new Armor Bearer) and Yu Si (the new Water God). During his ascension, Zhou Mi also carried several mortal blessed lands with him to serve as the foundation and future incense sources for his new heavenly domain.

Upon reaching the heavenly ruins, Zhou Mi claimed the main seat of the ancient court, sharing equal status with the returning Fire God. However, Zhou Mi quickly realized that his ascension was flawed; he only possessed half of the ultimate "One," while the other half of the pure divine nature was held by the Last Hidden Official, Chen Ping'an, in the mortal realm. To prevent Zhou Mi from solidifying his absolute rule and eventually bringing an apocalyptic subjugation to all mortal worlds, the patriarchs of the Three Teachings chose to disperse their Dao. Simultaneously, the ancient cultivator Zhi Ci (the Old Blind Man) ascended to heaven to help block Zhou Mi's path.

On the ground in the Bao Ping Continent, Chen Ping'an acted as the human half of the "One." He manifested a towering golden dharma idol and initiated a forbidden, apocalyptic ritual known as the "Heaven-Earth Connection" (天地通). Acting as a grounded anchor, Chen Ping'an forcibly dragged Zhou Mi's divine form back down toward the mortal realm. Two golden lines—one ascending from the earth and one violently pulled from the heavens—collided in a catastrophic clash. This desperate, self-destructive counter-measure was designed to shatter Zhou Mi's divinity and scatter it across the mortal realm, neutralizing his ability to rule unchallenged.

Outcome / Consequences

Zhou Mi's ascension fundamentally altered the cosmological balance of power, establishing a new, looming existential threat over all mortal worlds. Although Chen Ping'an's "Heaven-Earth Connection," coupled with the sacrifices of the Three Teachings' patriarchs and Zhi Ci, succeeded in smashing a significant portion of Zhou Mi's divinity, Zhou Mi still retained nearly three-tenths of his pure divine nature. This monumental event effectively ended the old era's rules, leaving behind a fractured Wild World and forcing the Haoran World to brace for an inevitable, eternal conflict with Zhou Mi's newly established Heavenly Court.

References

• 剑来33：城头刻新字, 第六章 — 一只笼中雀: Details Zhou Mi's successful ascension to the ancient heavenly court ruins, his occupation of the main seat alongside the Fire God, the blessed lands he brought with him, and his realization that he only possessed half of the "One."
• 剑来54：人间温柔乡, 第八章 — 意气生: Describes Chen Ping'an unleashing his divine nature, manifesting his dharma idol in the Bao Ping Continent, and initiating the "Heaven-Earth Connection" (天地通) to drag Zhou Mi back down.
• 剑来54：人间温柔乡, 第九章 — 这人间: Chronicles the patriarchs of the Three Teachings dispersing their Dao, Zhi Ci ascending to heaven to block the path, and the devastating collision of the two golden lines that shattered much of Zhou Mi's divinity.
• 剑来54：人间温柔乡, 第十章 — 定风波: Details the aftermath of the collision, revealing that Zhou Mi survived with nearly three-tenths of his pure divine nature intact, permanently shifting the universe's cosmological structure.