Chapter 377: A Stirring of Clouds (For the Silver Grand Alliance Leader)
Chapter 377: A Stirring of Clouds (For the Silver Grand Alliance Leader)
"I never expected that while I had always felt this cultivation method carried some karma, I never imagined the karma would be so immense!"
"Remnants of the greatest ancient sect? That title is anything but fun. . ."
Fang Xi looked at Zhan Tu.
Zhan Tu's eyes had now regained their clarity, and he gave a bitter smile: "It was only after I achieved Core Formation that Senior Old Ghost told me the truth. . ."
He, too, felt a surge of emotion. No wonder Old Ghost had said back then that as long as the Island Master cultivated the Withered Glory Chant, he wouldn't be able to escape his grasp.
Because this was a trap!
And a particularly massive one at that!
As long as one didn't abolish their cultivation and re-cultivate, there was no way to escape this trap.
How much lifespan did a Core Formation cultivator have left? Unless they no longer wished to continue on the path of immortal cultivation!
"I still have a way out, it's just a matter of abolishing my cultivation and starting over. . ."
"Other Golden Cores might die of old age if they abolish their cultivation, but most of my lifespan comes from the Demonic Tree of Primordial Beginning. . . even if I became an ordinary person, I could still live for another thousand or eight hundred years, enough to cultivate back!"
But Fang Xi was indeed somewhat reluctant to part with the Withered Glory Chant's cultivation method and divine abilities.
Not to mention, there was now the hope of breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm!
"To abolish my cultivation just because someone scared me, I'm not that foolish."
"Moreover. . . this Old Ghost might just be alarmist, and since Zhan Tu also cultivated the Withered Glory Chant, he should have a method to protect himself, right?"
"Taking ten thousand steps back, even if I really did become an enemy of the whole world. . . then at worst, I'd just pack up and run off to the Red Sun Realm or other worlds, and just not come back."
With this thought, Fang Xi's mind settled considerably.
But his face showed a hint of exasperation: "Withered Glory Chant! Withered Glory Chant! ! ! Green Emperor Mountain. . . Nine Leaves Sect. . . Old Ghost, you've really put me through hell!"
"Heh heh. . ."
Old Ghost continued: "Without the 'Withered Glory Chant,' the 'Wood Spirit Undying Body' secret art, and the 'Wood Spirit Body'. . . you might never hope to reach the Nascent Soul realm in this life. Now that you have to choose, can you give it up?"
Fang Xi fell silent.
For a cultivator, breaking through a major realm was always more important than anything else!
What's more, after so many years, it was unknown whether any major forces were still pursuing the remnants of Green Emperor Mountain.
Perhaps. . . all of Green Emperor Mountain's enemies had already died out.
"Fine. . . tell me your plan."
He finally put away his magical artifact, no longer maintaining a tense standoff.
Old Ghost chuckled: "This 'Long Evergreen Park' mystic realm was created during Green Emperor Mountain's peak, and it is itself a small cave-heaven. . . Do you see this wooden wall? Even a Soul Transformation cultivator would find it difficult to forcefully break through, otherwise, it would only lead to the cave-heaven's self-destruction. . ."
"And since the demise of Green Emperor Mountain, no cultivator has been able to enter Long Evergreen Park. Inside, there's not only the 'Nine Heavens Pure Water,' but also various heavenly materials and earthly treasures, as well as cultivation methods, secret arts, and Numinous Treasures. . . As long as you acquire the opportunities within, forming a Nascent Soul in the future will be as easy as turning over your palm, and even ascending to higher realms won't be a pipe dream."
Fang Xi looked left and right: "Have we not entered Long Evergreen Park yet?"
"This is merely the outermost perimeter of the cave-heaven; the restrictions aren't particularly strict. . . Even a Nascent Soul cultivator, with some void-based divine abilities and by finding the right spatial node, might be able to enter. The true 'Long Evergreen Park' is behind the wooden wall, and it has been sealed all this time."
Old Ghost's voice was filled with emotion: "We enter Long Evergreen Park, take the benefits, and then leave, returning to the Southern Desolate Cultivation World. . . The Southern Desolate is very dilapidated now, and it seems to have lost contact with cultivation worlds like the East Sea and Northern Plains. Even ancient legends are scarce, making it an excellent hiding place. . . Once both of you have advanced to the Nascent Soul realm, you can rebuild the Nine Leaves Sect!"
"If one day, one of you advances to become a Soul Transformation Venerable, then you can restore the ancient prestige of Green Emperor Mountain. This is also this old man's final obsession."
Old Ghost seemed to have laid everything bare.
Zhan Tu looked moved, while Fang Xi also showed a hint of admiration.
This was the last persistence of a sect's lone wandering spirit. . .
"Bullshit!"
On the surface, Fang Xi was all smiles, but in his heart, he didn't believe a single word.
He followed closely behind Zhan Tu. The two of them, following Old Ghost's instructions, arrived beneath the wooden wall.
"The Wood-Seeking Pearl is reacting, so this should be the place."
Zhan Tu held the wooden spirit pearl, gazing at a wooden wall ahead.
This wooden wall was no different from before, with countless vines clinging to its base.
Zhan Tu continuously formed hand seals and chanted incantations, murmuring words as spell after spell struck the Wood-Seeking Pearl.
Swish! Swish!
The vines, which seemed to have taken thousands of years to cover the entire wooden wall, began to retract, revealing an opening.
Zhan Tu took out a fist-sized luminous pearl and walked straight in.
Fang Xi glanced around, then indifferently followed.
After walking forward for about several tens of meters, a massive door stood at the end of the passage, blocking the entire way.
Engraved on the door were two ferocious ghost-head sculptures, green-faced with fangs, exceedingly terrifying.
"We've arrived. This is where fellow Daoist needs to act, using your late-stage Core Formation cultivation of the Withered Glory Chant to open the true gate of this mystic realm."
Old Ghost said lightly.
Fang Xi had already released his Divine Consciousness, examining the door. His expression then became somewhat solemn: "This gate. . . I seem to have seen it in some ancient text. It's actually the 'Spirit Response Gate'. . ."
He remembered. In the Saint Son's study, he had once read an ancient text that contained relevant information about it.
"That's right, it's the Spirit Response Gate! This gate is extremely sturdy; even a Nascent Soul cultivator would find it difficult to break through. . . and a forceful attack would even trigger the entire Long Evergreen Park mystic realm's restrictive counterattack."
Old Ghost chuckled: "Only cultivators who have cultivated core inheritances of Green Emperor Mountain, such as the Withered Glory Chant or Myriad Green Art, and have reached the late-stage Core Formation realm, can barely push it open. . . Fellow Daoist Fang, this will depend on you."
Fang Xi's expression remained unchanged. He first carefully inspected it, confirming it was indeed the 'Spirit Response Gate' from the ancient text.
Next, he began to check his surroundings but found no restrictions or traps.
Only then did he extend a hand, place it on a ghost-head, and silently circulate his profound cultivation.
The green and yellow spiritual power of the Withered Glory Chant alternated, converging into a vast river that continuously poured into the ghost-head.
Jie jie!
The ghost-head let out a strange laugh, and its eyes gradually lit up with green and yellow light.
Feeling the rapid dissipation of his spiritual power, Fang Xi's expression subtly changed: "No. . . my spiritual power is draining too quickly; I'm afraid I won't be able to push this door open at all."
A yellow halo flickered in Zhan Tu's eyes: "Indeed. . . This Spirit Response Gate has fallen into disrepair over the years, and the current estimation is likely wrong. One must be at the Perfected Core Formation realm to push it open."
"Old Ghost, you. . ."
Fang Xi's face gradually turned pale. Inside his body, the Withered Glory Golden Core continuously released streams of Golden Core true essence, and even the Golden Core's luster dimmed.
Meanwhile, the External Avatar's expression remained unchanged. It sat cross-legged beneath the Withered Glory Golden Core, clutching the Star-Patterned Chessboard.
"This Old Ghost, wants to test me?"
The External Avatar's dark eyes fixated on Old Ghost, ready to strike at any moment.
As time passed, Old Ghost also grew somewhat uncertain and suspicious: "With the Spirit Response Gate as proof, this person's cultivation is indeed only at the late-stage Core Formation, not even reaching Perfected Core Formation. . . Why did I feel so uneasy earlier, as if he was concealing his cultivation?"
"However. . . at this point, the Spirit Response Gate wouldn't be mistaken. It really is a late-stage Core Formation cultivation of the Withered Glory Chant!"
He let out a long laugh: "Fellow Daoist, fear not, this old man is here!"
With that, he activated his spiritual power and placed his hand on the other ghost-head.
Zhan Tu also cultivated the Withered Glory Chant!
And after employing a secret art, he too reached roughly the late-stage Core Formation realm!
With the addition of fresh forces, Fang Xi's expression immediately softened considerably.
And after devouring a large amount of Withered Glory Chant spiritual power, the green and yellow light in the eyes of the two ghost-heads grew brighter and brighter.
Rumble!
Gradually. . . the heavy door slowly opened backward, and a bluish-green light emerged. . .
...
Northern Plains Cultivation World.
Great Snow Mountain!
Palaces carved from ice reflected colorful hues, magnificent and beautiful.
A white light flickered, appearing within a great hall of ice. A figure emerged, appearing as a youth with frost-white eyebrows: "Sect Master Senior Brother. . ."
The white-browed youth gazed at the Nascent Soul True Monarch upon the throne and bowed.
This was the Ice God Palace's Sect Master True Monarch, a grand cultivator at the late-stage Nascent Soul realm!
"You've come at a good time. . . The Ancestor sent a message earlier; the Green Emperor Mountain mystic realm—Long Evergreen Park—has shown signs of activity."
The Ice God Palace Master said lightly.
This was a characteristic of cultivating the Ice God Palace's lineage of cultivation methods; at higher stages, their emotions would gradually grow indifferent, nearing the Dao of Heaven.
"Ancestor. . . Long Evergreen Park. . ."
The white-browed youth seemed to be digesting this crucial information.
"Long Evergreen Park is a world unto itself, and it repels Soul Transformation Venerables. . . Moreover, the Ancestor, that old man, is enjoying himself in the mortal world and doesn't usually bother with matters. Since he sent a message, it means he wants us to take action. . . After much thought, you shall take a few people and make this trip."
The Ice God Palace Master said.
In reality, Soul Transformation cultivators rarely made a move because fully exerting their power would lead to spiritual backlash; they generally left such matters to their subordinate forces.
"As you command. . . but that Long Evergreen Park mystic realm."
The white-browed youth furrowed his brow.
"This Palace also has a few 'Realm Descent Talismans' secretly stored away. Take this talisman and use the teleportation array to go to 'Spring Return Valley. ' That is where the spatial node connected to 'Long Evergreen Park' is located. . ."
The 'Realm Descent Talisman' is also a type of void treasure, but it can only break through the void of minor realms like cave-heavens and blessed lands that are attached to a great world; it cannot truly traverse the Three Thousand Worlds.
"Since we have a Realm Descent Talisman, everything will be easy."
The white-browed youth showed a hint of joy: "The remnants of Green Emperor Mountain will surely activate the restrictions of the Long Evergreen Park mystic realm. . . This is a heaven-sent opportunity!"
...
East Sea.
Azure waves rippled, sea and sky merged into one, and there wasn't a cloud for ten thousand li.
Upon an inconspicuous emerald-green island.
"How could this be? !"
A cry of alarm rang out from within a certain cave-dwelling, carrying a note of disbelief.
"What happened?"
"Master?"
Several streaks of light flew over, all of them unexpectedly Core Formation cultivators.
The cave-dwelling's light flickered, and an old woman emerged, leaning on an emerald-green staff. Her eyes were murky, yet her aura had reached the early-stage Nascent Soul realm: "Just now, the 'Emerald Spirit Plate' issued a warning. . . Long Evergreen Park is about to open!"
"What? ! Our 'Green Void Sect' is clearly the orthodox lineage of the ancient Green Emperor Mountain, how could someone have gotten there first?"
A female disciple murmured.
The old woman's expression was solemn, but in her heart, she knew that the founding ancestor of the Green Void Sect was merely an outer disciple of Green Emperor Mountain.
Yet, they had seized a crucial treasure amidst the chaos of the sect's destruction and fled to a distant land. This treasure could monitor the movements within Long Evergreen Park, and now was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity!
If they were to obtain the true inheritance of Green Emperor Mountain, as well as those spirit medicines, secret arts, and spirit treasures. . . even she might have a chance to reach the Soul Transformation realm!
The Green Void Sect would also certainly grow truly strong, becoming one of the major forces in the East Sea!
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