Chapter 591: Behind the Demon Race (2)

Every Daoist Lineage Venerable Master must take a Dao Heart Oath, swearing never to take a single step outside the Douluo Grotto Heaven.

This meant that despite possessing Supreme Cultivation on par with the Celestial Punishment Peak Master, Master Zhuang was completely unable to intervene in the current war between the Human-Demon Races.

Before the passage to the Upper Realm was severed, the authority to transmit the Dao Vein’s scriptures and communicate with the patriarchs of the Earth Immortal Realm was held firmly in their hands.

Their knowledge of the Upper Realm’s secrets and the hidden Divine Objects of the Earth Immortal Realm far surpassed that of the Virtue Vein.

‘Every Heaven-Opening Spiritual Treasure was transformed from one of the few Divine Objects born at the dawn of the world; their number was innately fixed… It’s said there are five Heaven-Opening Spiritual Treasures in total. The Earth Immortal Realm obtained three, while the Celestial Demon Realm and the Heavenly Demon Realm each received one. If the Supreme Treasure in Old Ghost Ao’s hands, along with the sudden eruption of Great Demons at Lankao Mountain, is backed by the will of the Celestial Demon Realm, then many things would start to make sense.’

After Yuu Ziliang took his leave, only the giant made of light remained on the peak. The Celestial Punishment Divine Thunder resumed, growing ever more frantic.

In Ancient Times, the Cultivators who first encountered the Celestial Demon Realm and Heavenly Demon Realm were intimidated by their names, mistakenly believing these two realms were a tier higher than the Earth Immortal Realm.

It wasn’t until a millennium later that everyone came to understand that while all three were considered Upper Realms, the Earth Immortal Realm was the most revered.

The most direct proof was that the strongest beings in the Celestial Demon Realm were Tier Seven Integration Demon Gods, and in the Heavenly Demon Realm, they were Integration Demon Cultivators. The Earth Immortal Realm, however, had once produced Mahayana Cultivators.

Free from disaster and tribulation, blessed with Longevity and Vision—this is Mahayana.

Unless Heaven and Earth returned to Chaos, the entire world was torn down and remade, and all living things reverted to their origin.

Otherwise, a Mahayana Cultivator was immortal and undying, like the rising sun and the constant moon, their lifespan equal to that of Heaven and Earth.

In the endless eons of the Earth Immortal Realm, only two such Mahayana Cultivators had ever appeared, but that was enough to overwhelm all other worlds of the same tier.

‘Even during the Middle Ancient Demon Chaos, the Dao Vein didn’t intervene. It seems the situation is indeed very critical…’

When a Heaven-Opening Spiritual Treasure crosses between realms, its fundamental nature isn’t affected, but to ensure its safety, the Artifact Spirit must certainly have entered a state of slumber.

Right now, the treasures in the hands of the Divinity Transformation Elder Dragon and the Dragon Monarch lack their Artifact Spirits; they are functioning purely on the innate might of the Heaven-Opening Spiritual Treasures themselves.

As the Artifact Spirits gradually awaken, the divine might of the Heaven-Opening Spiritual Treasures will extend far beyond what it is now.

I’m afraid that even if the Human Race’s Divinity Transformation Great Powers attack again, they won’t be able to stop the Ao Family’s Elder Dragon.

‘I will achieve Divinity Transformation within a hundred years!’

The countless points of light scattered, and the peak returned to darkness. Only the ceaseless roar of the Celestial Punishment Divine Thunder echoed through the air.

…

Nascent Soul Xiaobai closed its eyes to refine Spiritual Qi. With each exhalation, vast swaths of Spiritual Qi centered on the Tower Temple collapsed and vanished in great chunks.

The next moment, nature’s spiritual energy from farther away would rush in to fill the void, creating a new equilibrium.

With each inhalation, its True Essence, as sharp as Sword Qi, rang with the sound of a Golden Spear. It was as if a forest of swords was howling endlessly within its body.

The Supreme Qingwei Sword Box was held steady in its palms, a River of Time draped over its shoulders and hanging to its waist.

When it opened its eyes, Sword Light shot forth, nearly destroying its own training ground.

‘The Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture is too tyrannical. Even the cultivation environment of the Star Palace Secret Realm isn’t enough; I can’t push my efficiency of Refining Spiritual Energy to its absolute limit…’

Nascent Soul Xiaobai leaped back into his body. As Bai Zichen stood up, he felt Sword Light gathering in every limb, bone, and Acupoint, ready to burst forth.

He hadn’t felt this kind of Cultivation speed in a long time—it was as if the Cultivation Technique itself was pushing him forward.

At this rate, even without the aid of elixirs to advance his Cultivation, as long as he had a Tier Four Top-Grade Spirit Land, he could shorten the time needed to reach the Peak of Mid-Stage Nascent Soul to under seventy years.

The only problem was that every time he finished cultivating, the Spiritual Qi in the area would drop by an entire Tier, taking several days to recover.

Fortunately, the Star Palace Secret Realm as a whole met the standards of a Tier Four Spirit Land, allowing it to withstand such a heavy demand.

‘I still have Cyan Dragon Spirit Rice. If I can find a suitable Spirit Land and a few Spirit Plant Masters to cultivate it for me… Nascent Soul Perfection won’t be far off!’

Bai Zichen let his mind wander to his future Cultivation progress. No matter how highly other Cultivators might rate his talent, none of them could possibly guess how fast he was about to advance.

The same went for the Outer Sea Demon Clan. While they were still bogged down in a stalemate with the Central Domain Alliance Army, he could take the opportunity to develop quietly.

‘Once I reach the Late-Stage Nascent Soul Realm and integrate the Abi Heavenly Prison Demon Sword into my Star River Sword Array, even with his powerful Treasure, the Dragon Monarch should be no match for me. That Ao Family’s Elder Dragon, though, is a real problem. Thankfully, the Human Race’s Divinity Transformation Great Powers are holding the front line. Until that thorn in their side, the Jishui Camp, is removed, he won’t be able to detour to the Northern Domain Black Mountain to cause trouble for me.’

Neither the Ao Family’s Elder Dragon nor the Dragon Monarch had made a move in years; they had seemingly vanished.

Bai Zichen suspected the Ao Family’s Elder Dragon was facing some kind of restriction on its power. Otherwise, it could have single-handedly crushed the Jishui Camp.

The Dragon Monarch, on the other hand, had to keep a low profile. If a Tier Four Peak Great Demon like it caught the eye of a reclusive Divinity Transformation expert from some Super Sect, one who was willing to expend the last of their life force for a final strike, a single mysterious Supreme Treasure might not be enough to save it.

The gap between the Divinity Transformation and Nascent Soul Realms was not so easily bridged.

Bai Zichen knew he still had time to grow stronger, but not much. It would be foolish to place all his hopes in others.

If the Human Race’s Divinity Transformation experts were to be defeated by the Demon Race, or if the two sides ultimately reached a truce, the Ao Family’s Elder Dragon could swing by the Northern Domain on its way back. By then, it would be too late for regrets.

‘The conditions in the Star Palace Secret Realm aren’t much better than Flame Mountain. I might as well return to Black Mountain… or I could just take over the Holy Lotus Sect’s Spirit Vein. Qii Mountain Peak has a Tier Four Top-Grade Spirit Land! I can return to the Star Palace Secret Realm anytime anyway. I’ll just alternate my Cultivation between the two locations and won’t leave seclusion until I reach the Late-Stage Nascent Soul Realm!’

At this thought, Bai Zichen’s desire to return to the Northern Domain intensified.

It had been over sixty years since he left the Sect. He had experienced all manner of shocking events, even getting swept up in something as momentous as the war between the Human-Demon Races, an event that could alter the course of the entire Cultivation Realm.

But he had to admit, his gains had far exceeded what he could have possibly imagined before setting out.

Not only had he resolved the critical problem of finding a Cultivation Technique, but he had found the perfectly compatible Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture, a technique he could continue to cultivate all the way to his Ascension and beyond.

He had acquired various Flying Swords, including even a Tier Five Flying Sword. At his current pace, it wouldn’t be long before he could become its Spirit Binder.

As for Divine Techniques, his Nine Heavens Bone Forging Techniques had progressed significantly, and he had already forged three Immortal Bones.

He had also acquired the Great Five Elements Annihilation Divine Light and a host of other Divine Power Secret Techniques, but he simply had no time to cultivate them.

‘No wonder so many Nascent Soul True Monarchs travel the world. If I had just stayed cooped up in Black Mountain, how could I have ever found such opportunities? But before I head back, I need to find two truly top-tier Spirit Plant Masters.’

Another major reason for his hurry to return to Black Mountain was that while he was advancing by leaps and bounds with the Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture, his Cultivation of the Daoist Classic Cantongqi was stumbling along and not going smoothly at all.

At this rate, he would have to dedicate several decades just to master the fifth volume.

This level of efficiency was naturally unacceptable to Bai Zichen. He decided to seek guidance from the person with the deepest mastery of this Cultivation Technique—

Without the accompanying Tripod Song, his was an incomplete version of the Daoist Classic Cantongqi, yet Ge Cang had still managed to cultivate it to the fifth volume.

So many years had passed since his Nascent Soul formation; it was hard to imagine what Realm Ge Cang had reached in the Daoist Classic Cantongqi now that he had the complete Cultivation Technique.

Since defeating Xiang Wanyi, Ge Cang had not been seen in the Central Domain.

Due to his own current fame, his fellow sect member Ge Cang had also drawn a great deal of attention.

The complete lack of news made it highly likely that he had already returned to the Northern Domain.

Given the current situation in the Central Domain, it was indeed no longer suitable for roaming.

If the intensity of the war continued to escalate, they might even begin conscripting unaffiliated Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

Bai Zichen didn’t expect to achieve the same profound mastery of the Daoist Classic Cantongqi as Ge Cang; he just needed to be able to quickly refine the two Tier Four Flying Swords into his Lifebound Objects.

When it came to cultivating the Cyan Dragon Spirit Rice, he couldn’t even fully trust the Spirit Plant Masters from the Shennong Sect, even though their skill in growing and caring for Spirit Rice was second to none in the entire Northern Domain.

But in the Central Domain, it wouldn’t be difficult to find Spirit Farmers with even more exceptional skills.

The only question was how to persuade them to follow him back to Black Mountain in the Northern Domain.

The status of a Spirit Plant Master was generally average among the Hundred Skills of Cultivation, but anyone who could catch Bai Zichen’s eye would have to be one of the best among Tier Four Spiritual Plant Masters, so their standing wouldn’t be too low.

Persuading someone to go from the Central Domain to the Northern Domain—and to Black Mountain in the desolate Northern Territory, at that—made recruitment all the more difficult.

He feared that without offering a handsome price, he wouldn’t be able to hire a sufficiently outstanding Spirit Plant Master.