Chapter 875: Great Calamity
Chapter 875: Great Calamity
While the External Avatar was locked in a life-and-death struggle with Luoye King,
On Trapped Sky Island.
Fang Xi slowly finished a cup of spirit tea, then, with a flash of inspiration, arrived at a certain part of the Earthly Immortal Spiritual Realm.
In this newly expanded vast wilderness, two gigantic trees now soared into the sky.
Though these two colossal trees appeared exceptionally wretched — not only had most of their leaves fallen, and their trunks seemed withered, but there was also a massive lightning burn scar on their bodies.
Their originally vast and ocean-like life force had dwindled into a small stream, constantly shrinking even within Fang Xi's perception. . .
"Prajna Twin Trees. . . Withered Glory. . ."
He murmured, sensing a unique Dao charm emanating from the Prajna Twin Trees.
"I told you to leave, but you wouldn't. Now that you've entered my Earthly Immortal Spiritual Realm, you shall never leave, for all eternity. . ."
Within Fang Xi's Earthly Immortal Spiritual Realm, there was already a mortal kingdom, specifically established to nurture his Shinto Avatar, 'Dong Hua Tai Miao Xuan Zhen Wu Liang Chang Qing Da Di'.
Taking in some low-level cultivators posed no issue.
'No, that's not right. If they can live until the day I ascend to the Immortal World, they can still leave. . . '
'After all, even ascending from a lower realm makes it hard to bring one's family, let alone ascending to the True Immortal World. . . '
Based on Fang Xi's experience, the laws of the True Immortal World would only be more stringent than those of the Earthly Immortal World.
If he ascended, even the few contracted spirit pets in his Earthly Immortal Spiritual Realm might not be able to accompany him. As for these mortals and cultivators?
If he didn't want them all to turn to dust, it would be best to find a place to release them first.
'In these years of campaigns and conquests, I acquired an ancient scroll from Trapped Sky Island that describes the ranks of Immortals, and it seems to contain relevant information. . . '
'Although it doesn't contain Celestial Immortal cultivation methods, it speaks of five types of Immortal ranks—Heaven, Earth, Human, God, and Ghost—and highly praises the Celestial Immortal path, stating that 'when one attains the Dao, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven', allowing for 'ascension of the entire household'. . . '
'It seems the scope of protection for the Celestial Immortal path is wider than my Earthly Immortal lineage. . . Perhaps it can indeed bring people along for ascension? '
As Fang Xi's thoughts drifted, those cultivators had already rushed out, each of them looking frail and decrepit, wobbling precariously on their flying swords, a sight that was truly pitiful to behold.
He didn't bother with pleasantries and simply clapped his hands together.
Roar! Roar!
Four streams of Void Amalgamation-level spiritual power surged forth, instantly suppressing the twin cities!
Streaks of starlight fell from the sky, transforming into a wooden flood dragon entwined with vines, imbued with divine majesty.
It was precisely the Horned Wood Flood Dragon!
Besides this flood dragon, there was also a mountain-sized Well Wood Beast whose antlers could carry an entire ecosystem, a Kui Wood Wolf that rode the yellow winds with agile eyes, and a Dipper Wood Xiezhi!
These four wood-attribute beings were precisely the 'Four Wood Stellar Beasts' that Fang Xi had continuously collected as rare species from the Earthly Immortal World, originally only around the fifth or sixth rank.
But at this moment, they rolled on the spot, transforming into four majestic Star Monarchs, adorned with starlight, who respectfully bowed before Fang Xi: "Four Wood Stellar Monarchs, greetings to our Lord!"
Naturally, Fang Xi had personally enlightened them one by one through his Shinto Avatar, bestowing upon them the titles of Shinto Heavenly Monarchs!
Now that Trapped Sky Island was unified, the power of faith and incense was abundant, leaving ample reserves even after successively ennobling four Heavenly Monarchs.
The Shinto army Fang Xi had envisioned was finally beginning to take shape!
"Good. You four, go and suppress all the cultivators in the city, then take them to the mortal realm!"
He commanded.
The 'mortal realm' he referred to was naturally that mortal kingdom.
With its population now flourishing and cultivation legacies passed down, it had indeed produced some cultivators, and even established small sects and clans.
However, due to the short time, no cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage had yet appeared.
"As you command!"
The Horned Wood Flood Dragon was the first to reply.
Having followed Fang Xi for a long time, it was essentially the eldest among the Four Wood Stellar Beasts. Without hesitation, it transformed into a green flood dragon wreathed in starlight, stretching across the Prajna Twin Cities.
The Void Amalgamation-level spiritual power pressure made the Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment cultivators wail, feeling their artifacts and spirit artifacts malfunction, as they plummeted to the ground.
Fortunately, on the ground, a flash of green light was accompanied by vines that coiled around them, preventing the tragedy of cultivators falling to their deaths.
"Our Lord has commanded! All cultivators shall be relocated!"
The Well Wood Beast said coldly.
After it cast its spell to transfer the remaining cultivators out of the Prajna Twin Cities, the Kui Wood Wolf stretched its nose and gave the twin cities a thorough sweep, truly finding a few human and alien cultivators who, relying on their marvelous escape techniques, had hidden in secret array chambers.
At this point, there was no need for politeness; those who should be beaten were beaten, and those who should be killed were killed.
By the end, the Prajna Twin Cities were truly empty.
On the streets, a gentle breeze blew, and the doors creaked feebly. . .
As Fang Xi walked through them, he felt quite pleased: "These two cities, along with the Heaven and Earth Spirit Root, are now mine. . ."
Although the Prajna Twin Trees had been deemed beyond saving by many high-level spirit plant masters, Fang Xi, possessing the Earthly Immortal legacy and the Myriad Wood Mother Qi, was confident he could absolutely salvage them.
However. . . before the salvage, there was much preparatory work to be done.
For instance. . .
With a flash of golden light, the figure of a Shinto Emperor appeared.
He was clad in an imperial robe adorned with the sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers, and a string of spring pearls hung from his Pingtian Crown, obscuring his true face.
Feeling the dense power of incense and wishes, Fang Xi couldn't help but frown.
After unifying Trapped Sky Island, although the population had multiplied and the power of incense and faith had surged as a result,
the 'divinity' within the Shinto Avatar had grown increasingly potent.
Fortunately, the 'Dao Transformation' calamity counteracted this, or he might constantly face the 'Loss of Self' tribulation!
'However, at this moment, within my Earthly Immortal Spiritual Realm, the Shinto Avatar has truly reached the Great Ascension realm. '
Fang Xi's eyes shifted, seeing the Shinto Avatar raise a hand, and a Shinto Dharma Domain materialized, within which were scenes of mountains and rivers, flowers and insects, cities and villages, peddlers and laborers, scholars and beauties, and all the myriad aspects of the mortal world!
Under the shroud of the Divine Domain, the Prajna Twin Cities were swept over once more.
"Indeed, no one else is hidden. . ."
'Dong Hua Tai Miao Xuan Zhen Wu Liang Chang Qing Da Di' murmured, and the Divine Domain did not shrink but expanded further, encompassing the Prajna Twin Trees!
Streaks of golden light swept back and forth. Even though the Prajna Twin Trees were unimaginably tall, under the Shinto Great Ascension spiritual power, they were meticulously scanned and analyzed in every detail. . .
Not only that.
Fang Xi's main body formed hand seals, and the power of his spiritual domain spread out.
Within this Earthly Immortal Spiritual Realm, his strength also received a terrifying amplification.
Acres upon acres of Myriad Wood Mother Qi condensed, swirling above his head, transforming into a patch of green auspicious cloud, its scope extending far beyond ten thousand acres.
"Hmm?"
After continuously changing several hand seals, Fang Xi's expression subtly shifted, as if he had made a discovery.
"Go!"
He pointed a finger, and wisps of Myriad Wood Mother Qi gathered at the crown of the Prajna Twin Trees, forming a verdant green cloud.
This cloud was as green as jade, with shimmering light flowing within it.
Hualala!
Suddenly, fine drizzles of rain began to fall.
This rain was brimming with vitality, formed from the Myriad Wood Mother Qi. When used on spiritual plants, it was an unparalleled sacred medicine capable of reviving the dead and regenerating flesh!
As the life-filled rain drizzled onto the Prajna Twin Trees, their withered branches immediately rustled, like a traveler on the verge of dying of thirst in a desert encountering a clear spring, greedily absorbing the spiritual liquid.
Subsequently, at the tips of the branches, faint specks of green appeared, seemingly tender leaf buds.
The Prajna Twin Trees, which countless high-level spirit plant masters of the Immortal City had condemned to death, now showed a faint sign of regaining their vitality.
And it was this very vitality that finally caused a deeply hidden spiritual consciousness within the Prajna Twin Cities to stir with a surge of longing.
What the Shinto Emperor was most adept at was seeing through people's hearts.
He accurately seized upon this trace of greed and longing, then abruptly formed hand seals.
Golden light flickered, and Fang Xi and his Shinto Avatar vanished simultaneously.
When they reappeared, they were deep within the Prajna Twin Trees, having arrived inside a wooden core.
The Shinto Avatar had now shrunk to the size of an ordinary person, with a halo of seven-colored light swirling above its head, intertwining to form a pure white great sun that illuminated all directions.
Fang Xi looked at the surrounding walls and found their surfaces covered in wooden textures.
It seemed Long Qingzi had, by some unknown method, directly hollowed out this space within the trunk of the Prajna Twin Trees.
At the center of the secret chamber was an emerald green altar.
Four array flags were inserted in different directions, and Immortal Jades, as if worthless, were placed at various crucial nodes.
At the center of the array, a green orb lay quietly on a tree stump.
This tree stump extended countless roots, seemingly connected to the surrounding wooden walls.
At this moment, a surge of greed and longing emanated from within the green orb.
"Life Remnant Art?"
"No, it's somewhat similar but not quite. . . but clearly, it's the same type of spell. . . and it's been improved."
Fang Xi looked at the array, his eyes brightening: "It can actually split off a portion of spiritual consciousness in advance, preserve it within a Heaven and Earth Spirit Root, and allow it to grow on its own once the main body perishes?"
At this moment, after understanding the function of this array, he immediately grasped the circumstances of his tribulation from that day.
Given Long Qingzi's selfishness, even though his final desperate struggle held little hope, it was extremely unusual for him to leave the Prajna Twin Trees with a last shred of vitality.
But if he had a spiritual consciousness entrusted deep within the Prajna Twin Trees, needing to rely on this spirit root for rebirth, then everything became clear.
"Want to live a second life? Did you ask me first?"
Fang Xi sneered, and his Shinto Avatar immediately made a move.
The vast and surging divine power crashed onto the array, causing it to wail, and one of the array flags immediately burst into flames.
He reached out with his right hand, and a large green hand of spiritual power scooped, effortlessly retrieving the green orb into his grasp.
Fang Xi, however, grew even more vigilant. Green and yellow flickered alternately in his pupils. He first cast 'Withered Glory Illusionary Pupils', causing the spiritual consciousness to fall into a daze, then immediately began soul-searching!
". . . How could it be so simple?"
"So Long Qingzi truly died. This spiritual consciousness is equivalent to being re-gestated, which is why it could sever the connection to the Great Ascension Immortal Lightning Tribulation, right? If it were an ordinary avatar, it would have long perished along with the main body under the destructive power of the heavenly tribulation. . ."
It was precisely because of this that this spiritual consciousness, being newly born like an infant, was easily soul-searched. It even sensed the revival of the Prajna Twin Trees and eagerly revealed its greedy emotions, which were then captured by the Shinto Emperor.
'Am I, after beating up the seniors at South Mountain Retirement Home, now bullying a toddler again? '
Fang Xi found it both amusing and exasperating: 'No, that Long Qingzi. . . he might not even count as born yet. . . '
As the soul-searching continued, Long Qingzi's numerous secret arts and legacies surfaced before his eyes.
"As expected, this secret array was unearthed by Long Qingzi from that Immortal Abode Rare Treasure after he reached Void Amalgamation. . . Along with it came many secret arts and divine abilities, which can be considered the latter half of the Earthly Immortal legacy. . ."
"Unfortunately, he lacked the most crucial first half, making it impossible for him to cultivate. He could only barely perform this life-saving secret art in the form of an array. . ."
"Long Qingzi's predicament, trapped within the Prajna Twin Cities, was also out of helplessness. . . After all, he had decided at that time to attempt to break through to Great Ascension, connecting himself with the Prajna Twin Trees, continuously drawing upon the spiritual essence and Dao charm of this spirit root. . . Hmm? This secret art, which aids in breaking through major realms, does have a resemblance to the 'Longevity Art', possibly having been improved from it. . . It couldn't be interrupted; interrupting it meant failure and massive backlash. . . Therefore, even when surrounded by the alien army, he couldn't escape and could only resist fiercely. However, he recently sensed a change in the situation and was preparing for a desperate gamble to sprint towards Great Ascension?"
"He could indeed be considered a formidable figure. . . It's just a pity he failed. If he had succeeded, he would have been another Loose Immortal. Even if he failed, he still left himself a chance to start over. . ."
"Wait. . . When Long Qingzi attempted to break through to Great Ascension, he actually knew it was a nine-deaths-one-life endeavor and had already made arrangements. . . What was the contingency plan he left behind in his last will?"
Fang Xi abruptly opened his eyes, his expression drastically changing: "Oh no!"
...
At this moment.
Within the Heaven Lightning Earth Fire Grand Array.
The External Avatar gently fanned itself with a feather fan, skinning and dismembering the corpse of a late-stage Void Amalgamation Jiuchi Race member. . .
This Luoye King, despite his high ambitions, was ultimately no match for him and was slain after a bitter struggle.
In his hand, he was still toying with that strange golden human statue.
The grotesque monk with a sinister countenance sat cross-legged, unmoving.
'This object. . . is quite strange. '
Just as the External Avatar was organizing his spoils and tidying the battlefield,
he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine: "Oh no!"
But before the External Avatar could react, a hand wreathed in the power of the Law of Destruction had already stretched out from the void, easily tearing through his demonic light defense, and pressed down on him with a palm strike!
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