Chapter 527 41: Xiantong Temple, Haideng

Inside the ancient, elegant hall.

As Fang Cheng continued to refine the six arrays, the Immortal Copper Treasure Box also began to change. Countless fine patterns materialized on its surface, with streams of flowing light coursing through them, looking as if it were about to crack open.

In that instant, Fang Cheng's divine soul passed through the Immortal Copper Treasure Box and suddenly plunged into a vast darkness.

Inside the Treasure Box.

Within the darkness, countless stars twinkled faintly, just like in the Outer Void.

In the distance was a massive, wildly spinning vortex, so deep it was unfathomable, seemingly capable of devouring everything.

A sudden understanding flooded Fang Cheng's mind, and all sorts of information about the Immortal Copper Treasure Box surfaced.

The Returning Ruins Vortex!

A legendary existence said to be able to devour all things in the myriad heavens.

During the Ancient Times, the ancient sages of the Human Race traveled the Outer Void and encountered the Returning Ruins Vortex. They intended to observe its Great Dao origin to comprehend its Divine Techniques.

What ultimately happened is no longer known.

Some of the Tribulation Realm Great Powers among the Seventy-Two Saints of the Ancient Times jointly refined this Immortal Copper Treasure Box, sealing a wisp of the Returning Ruins Vortex's aura inside for later generations to study and comprehend.

Fang Cheng faintly sensed that he could even use this Immortal Copper Treasure Box to directly reach the vicinity of that Returning Ruins Vortex!

The Immortal Copper Treasure Box was like a channel, a gateway, connecting to the cosmic wonder that had shocked even the saints of ancient times.

And in the Cultivation Realm, anyone who could comprehend the Six Paths Ancient Profound Talisman on their own was surely a peerless, heaven-sent genius. It was thought that such a person could inherit the mantle of the ancient saints and continue the attempt to unravel the secrets of the Returning Ruins Vortex.

Unfortunately for the current Fang Cheng, neither his Power of the Divine Soul nor his Magical Power was anywhere near the level required to deeply interact with this Returning Ruins Vortex.

His divine soul quickly withdrew from the Treasure Box. The light on the box receded, and it returned to its original state.

He looked at the Immortal Copper Treasure Box with a complex expression. Now that he had initially refined this treasure, he understood the intentions of those who came before him.

The Returning Ruins Vortex might involve even more profound origins of the Great Dao and the ultimate principles of heaven and earth. This treasure provided cultivators a "window" for observation.

However, the danger of this treasure also far exceeded Fang Cheng's imagination.

If he so wished, he could activate this treasure right now, open a channel to the Returning Ruins, and pull everything around him into the Returning Ruins Vortex!

And the result would most likely be a loss of control.

The tyrannical Devouring Power generated by the Returning Ruins Vortex might use this tiny connection to swallow the entire Red Profound Realm whole.

'It should be called the Returning Ruins Treasure Box.'

Fang Cheng looked at the Treasure Box hovering silently before him, and with a wave of his large sleeve, he put it away.

Although he possessed a Tier Five Feather Divine Soldier with magical power comparable to that of a Tribulation Realm Great Power, his divine soul was still far inferior to an expert of that realm. It had not yet undergone its transformation, making it extremely difficult for him to control the Treasure Box.

He would have to wait until he reached the Tribulation Realm to properly refine it and explore its mysteries.

There were still several years until the Red Profound Conference. He returned to the Mingxiao Domain to cultivate while he waited for the conference to begin.

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「Several years later.」

Somewhere in the Central Land of the Mingxiao Domain, high in the Extreme Heaven.

Colorful clouds billowed through the void, and within their glow, countless five-colored, star-like flowers flickered in and out of sight.

A mountain-sized Five-Colored Divine Ox lay half-reclined in the void, carrying a magnificent and immense palace on its back.

Heaven Crossing Hall.

Fang Cheng's figure appeared leisurely outside the glowing clouds. Just as he was about to enter Heaven Crossing Hall, he suddenly turned to look into the distance.

A black dot appeared on the horizon. A moment later, a Flying Giant Ship fully thirty zhang in size approached from the distance, arriving in a flash.

This Flying Boat was pitch-black, inscribed with golden patterns, giving it a majestic, domineering, and exceptionally noble air.

Xia Guming, dressed in a black Imperial Robe, stood at the ship's prow. Upon seeing Fang Cheng, he bowed in greeting. "Fellow Daoist Fang, it's been a long time. Your cultivation has improved yet again."

Fang Cheng's expression was one of surprise. His Divine Sense swept over the Xia Family's Flying Boat as he asked, puzzled, "Fellow Daoist Xia, you..."

Xia Guming gave a bitter smile. "My family's old ancestor was unable to come, so he specially ordered me to attend in his stead."

"I see," Fang Cheng said with sudden realization. No wonder he hadn't sensed the aura of a Tribulation Realm Great Power on the Xia Family's giant ship.

As they spoke, Xia Guming disembarked from the Flying Boat and ordered the Xia Family cultivators to pilot it into the distance to wait.

The two of them arrived before Heaven Crossing Hall, where two Welcoming Attendants at the entrance came forward and led them inside.

The scene inside the hall was completely different from the last time Fang Cheng had visited. In the center of the vast and towering hall, fifteen great chairs were neatly arranged in a circle.

Behind the chairs was a row of jade mats.

When the two entered, there were already five men and women in the hall, chatting idly in a corner.

Like Fang Cheng and Xia Guming, these five all had Dharma Cultivation. Each possessed an extraordinary bearing, and the auras they exuded were in no way inferior to Xia Guming's.

Xia Guming was quite well-connected. The Middle-Aged Noble Families had legacies spanning tens of thousands of years in the Mingxiao Domain and were quite famous, so cultivators from all the major powers would show them some respect.

He went forward to greet the five. It was only then that Fang Cheng learned that these five had all received a Red Profound Order and, like him, had entered the Red Profound Association early while still in the Dharma Realm.

Among the top powers of the Mingxiao Domain were the six great temples of the Buddhist Sect, the ten schools of the Mystic Sect, the seven sects of the Demon Dao, and the nine great Middle-Aged Noble Families.

These five all hailed from the aforementioned top-tier sects. They had deep backgrounds, and their perspectives were far beyond those of ordinary cultivators.

When the five heard Xia Guming's introduction and learned that Fang Cheng was the rumored Resentment Demon Monarch who had defeated Yang Yi of the Mystic Sky Saint Sect, the expressions on their faces immediately became a sight to behold.

The "Resentment Demon Monarch" had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. His origins were untraceable, and he had no connections to any of the major powers in the Mingxiao Domain. And yet, he had suppressed numerous experts at the Peak of Dharma Form; even Yang Yi of the Mystic Sky Saint Sect had suffered a loss at his hands and failed to obtain the Red Profound Order.

After some conversation, the five of them couldn't resist probing Fang Cheng with their words.

Shortly after, more than ten other cultivators with surging, magnificent auras entered the hall one after another.

Tribulation Realm Great Powers!

It was as if these Tribulation Realm experts had all arranged to arrive at the same time. They entered together and sat down in the great chairs in the center of the hall.

Xia Guming sent a voice transmission to Fang Cheng, introducing these members of the Red Profound Association one by one.

Among them were the current abbot of Lankao Temple, a Supreme Elder from Leiyin Temple, the Great Elder of the Mystic Sky Saint Sect, the Green Splendor Sect Master, the old ancestor of the Ji Family—one of the Middle-Aged Noble Families—and the Refining Ruins Grotto Heaven Demon Saint...

Among the Loose Cultivators, two had also come.

One was the master of Boundless Immortal City, Ascendant Jinghua.

The other was the master of Red Bright Immortal City, Ascendant Red Bright.

Twelve of the fifteen great chairs in the hall were soon filled. It was the first time in his life that Fang Cheng had ever seen so many Tribulation Realm Great Powers gathered in one place.

Finally, an ancient, elderly monk dressed in coarse linen robes appeared out of thin air in the hall. It was the Dragon Elephant Wanderer.

"Hall Master."

All the Tribulation Realm Great Powers in the hall rose to their feet and bowed their heads in respect.

The Red Profound Association spanned the five great ancient domains, and more than eighty percent of the Tribulation Realm Cultivators in this world were members.

Within the Red Profound Association, those with the highest status were the five great Hall Masters.

Each Hall Master was in charge of a single domain, and only those with great prestige and outstanding strength were qualified to hold the position.

Without a doubt, the Dragon Elephant Wanderer, who had already reached the Six Tribulations, possessed the overwhelming power necessary to suppress the many other Tribulation Realm Great Powers of the Mingxiao Domain.

At this moment, the Dragon Elephant Wanderer smiled, returned the salutes, and said, "Fellow Daoist Xia had urgent business and could not attend. The Patriarch of the Xia Family is here in his stead. Fellow Daoist Xia, please, take your seat."

Xia Guming walked to the center of the hall with a slightly reserved air, found an empty great chair, and sat down.

At this point, among the fifteen great chairs in the hall, one still remained empty.

The Dragon Elephant Wanderer spoke again. "In the last hundred years, another fellow daoist in our Mingxiao Domain has successfully cultivated to the Tribulation Realm, and he has arrived here today."

As he spoke, he called out toward the entrance, "Daoist Haideng, please enter the hall."

As he finished speaking, a flash of Buddha Light appeared outside the hall, and a youthful-looking monk in white robes walked in. His expression was calm and reserved, and a halo of Buddha Light gathered into a ring behind him.

He placed his palms together and addressed the assembly, "This humble monk is Haideng of Xiantong Temple. Greetings, fellow Daoists."

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