Longevity begins with alchemy master

"Is this the Mirage Dragon Cave Heaven?"

Amidst the crowd, Zhou Fuyou gazed at the unfamiliar land.

To his disappointment, the Daoist First Grotto-Heaven, which was described in ancient texts as extremely mysterious, was nothing extraordinary.

Even the most iconic "mythical beasts" were nowhere to be seen.

As Golden Core cultivators participating in this competition, most of them knew that winning a top ten spot would give them the opportunity to cultivate in the Mirage Dragon Cave, so they had all consulted relevant ancient texts beforehand. However, what they saw now filled them with the same doubts as Zhou Fuyou.

Besides the ten Golden Core disciples, there were also thirty-six Nascent Soul cultivators who entered this time.

Perhaps sensing the doubts in the minds of the junior Golden Core cultivators, someone explained, "This time, the cave heaven was opened using an unconventional back door, so the interior scenery is quite different. You don't need to be surprised."

"Uncle Li, is it normal for a magical beast to disappear?" someone asked curiously.

Uncle Li laughed and said, "Of course not. The phantom beasts are actually formed by the combination of mirage dragons and cloud energy with spiritual energy. Unless the disciples of the previous generation of cave heaven competition killed all the phantom beasts here, how could they not exist? The reason you haven't seen them is simply because this exit has been cleared out by Ancestor Liancheng."

At this point, his expression became slightly serious.

"You don't need to be curious about these things. The purpose of your entry here is purely to accelerate your growth. There is a 100:1 time flow difference between the Mirage Dragon Cave Heaven and the outside world. One hundred years in the Cave Heaven is equivalent to one year in the outside world. You must make good use of this hundred years to break through to the Nascent Soul stage as much as possible, and become the new generation of leaders of our Dao Sect after you leave!"

"Remember, do not venture too deep into the cave. It is inhabited by a large number of high-level magical beasts, whose strength is comparable to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator. They are beyond your current capabilities."

The disciples readily agreed, all saying yes.

Uncle Li's gaze fell on the slightly aloof man in white in the crowd.

"Zhou Fuyou!"

"The disciple is here."

"You are the top winner of this Jiazi Grand Competition, and the remaining rewards have already been distributed to Tiannan Dao Palace and your family. As for your personal rewards, you should have received them by now, right?"

A list of rewards flashed through Zhou Fuyou's mind: the Millennium Thunder Essence that could be added to a natal magic weapon to enhance its power, the Profound Origin Heavy Water that was most suitable for water-attribute cultivators, and even a large amount of resources and secret techniques to assist in Nascent Soul formation, and so on.

He nodded slightly. "I received it yesterday."

Uncle Li's eyes showed expectation, "I hope that when the cave opens again, you can become one of our kind. In addition, there will be other opportunities at that time, and I hope you will seize them."

Zhou Fuyou was stunned for a moment. Would there be another opportunity when the cave reopened?
He wanted to ask again, but Uncle Li and the other thirty-six Nascent Soul cultivators were already impatient.

After explaining the general situation to everyone, he hurriedly rode away in his escape light.

They were heading in the same direction, very certain, as if they had come in with a mission.

Thinking back to the name "Ke Lianshan" mentioned by the Liancheng Ancestor before he came in, Zhou Fuyou looked thoughtful.

Ke Lianshan's name is not well-known among the current generation of Tianyuan Daozong, but he is extremely famous among the older generation. He was once on par with Dan Sheng and was known as the Chess Saint of Zhongzhou.

He is the one most likely to become a deity!

Having been missing for over a hundred years, it was unexpected that it had somehow entered the Mirage Dragon Cave.

"Chess Saint Ke Lianshan, along with thirty-six Nascent Soul cultivators, what big thing are they planning?"

Zhou Fuyou thought to himself, his mind momentarily blank.

When he came to his senses, he found that his other nine companions were looking at him with strange eyes.

Was it because of the special treatment Li Shishu had given him before?
Zhou Fuyou snorted lightly, not caring at all. As the top scorer in this competition who surpassed his fellow disciples, he had the right to disregard anyone's opinions.

With a leap, he transformed into a streak of light and flew into the distance.

Seeing that he was doing things his own way, the others did not dare to say anything. The elder simply said, "Everyone should find their own blessed places to cultivate," and then they all dispersed.

Ten figures transformed into ten streaks of light, each heading in a different direction.

Compared to the previous Five Hundred Years Grotto Heaven Grand Competition, this group of Daoist disciples had a much easier time.

Even entering the Mirage Dragon Cave Heaven didn't come with any competition missions; it was purely a reward for the Jiazi Grand Competition, allowing them to enter and cultivate in peace for a hundred years.

Zhou Fuyou rushed to the front and found a suitable sacred site in just two or three days.

It was a beautiful place with a three-tiered waterfall and towering white waves. Its only drawback was that the mountains were charred black, as if they had been burned by fire.

However, getting in is quite troublesome.

Because a fourth-tier dragon-like phantom beast, comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator, resides inside!

Zhou Fuyou was not afraid of this.

If he wants to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, he must have the help of a fourth-order spiritual vein, and with his strength, he is fully qualified to kill this fourth-order phantom beast.

Zhou Fuyou raised his hands, and a vast mist erupted from his body, the thick black fog enveloping an area of ​​ten miles in all directions, with the faint sound of water splashing echoing within.

The Qi Sea floats to the sky, and all things are in full bloom!
Not only that, Zhou Fuyou opened its mouth and spat out a bead that flew out and hit the fourth-order phantom beast that looked like a dragon.

The two clashed, causing the spiritual energy within a radius of dozens of miles to surge violently.

In the distance, a woman watched this scene with a horrified expression.

It was originally thought that Zhou Fuyou's strength was already outstanding, given that he had overpowered his peers during the Jiazi Grand Competition.

Little did they know, that was just the tip of the iceberg.

The abilities he is displaying at this moment are almost identical to those of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Fine, this triple waterfall wasn't my target anyway, so I'll let him have it!"

Seeing that the battle was about to reach a conclusion, the woman quietly retreated.

boom!
With a deafening roar, the clouds in the sky suddenly dissipated.

The enormous mythical dragon fell with a mournful cry.

Zhou Fuyou swayed and grabbed a beast core, his face showing surprise.

"This must be the legendary Illusion Core!"

"My master said that it contains an opportunity to seize the creation of heaven and earth, and by cultivating with the help of the Illusion Core, one may be able to comprehend the true meaning of the laws."

"No rush, I haven't broken through to the Nascent Soul stage yet, so let's keep it safe."

Zhou Fuyou carefully put away the fourth-tier illusion core and glanced into the distance.

"Gu Muyu?"

That was his defeated opponent in the Jiazi Grand Competition. I never expected that he would ignore Uncle Li's instructions and venture so deep into the Mirage Dragon Cave.

Zhou Fuyou dared to venture deep into the area for two reasons: first, to seek a better spiritual vein as a cultivation environment for the next hundred years; and second, because he was confident in his powerful martial arts and was not afraid of the threat of fourth-order phantom beasts.

But Gu Muyu didn't have that ability.

Frowning slightly, Zhou Fuyou ignored the other party's prying eyes, since Gu Muyu had already retreated on her own initiative.

He waved his hand and scattered several array flags, setting up a simple isolation array, and then opened up a new cave in the Three-Tiered Waterfall.

Unexpectedly, the flying sword made a hole in just a short while and then it was completely clear.

Inside, it forms its own cave!
As Zhou Fuyou walked through the area, he could detect faint traces of past activity.

"Perhaps it's a true disciple of the Nascent Soul stage from Master's generation!"

Now that he had a cheap cave dwelling, Zhou Fuyou no longer insisted on doing everything himself. He took out a bunch of things from his storage ring and arranged them around the cave.

After everything was arranged, he sat down comfortably.

"My current cultivation level is the ninth level of the Golden Core stage. Next, I will focus all my efforts on striving for the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage, and nourishing my essence, qi, and spirit in preparation for breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage."

Zhou Fuyou murmured to himself, gradually entering a state of tranquility and non-action, and began to absorb spiritual energy from the outside world into his body.

His cultivation level was also rapidly improving at a visible pace.

...Outside of Tiandi Island.

Luo Chen's expression changed slightly upon witnessing the Mirage Dragon Cave reopen.

"what happened?"

Li Canghai looked at Luo Chen, puzzled.

Luo Chen shook his head. "I've been inside that secret realm before. I didn't expect that Liancheng would open it before the appointed time."

Li Canghai asked in confusion, "Is there anything special about that secret realm?"

The Mirage Dragon Cave is very famous, but its fame is mostly limited to the words of Daoist disciples and the name of the Cave Grand Competition.

Outsiders know very little about the specifics of the secret realm itself.

Luo Chen gave a perfunctory answer, but he was still filled with doubt and unease.

The Mirage Dragon Cave is special in two ways: it is rich in mythical beasts and it has a different flow of time.

The former's illusory core helps those newly entering the Nascent Soul stage to comprehend the true meaning of the laws, which should be the reason why that batch of Nascent Soul cultivators went in.

But the latter...

"If Liancheng were to nurture the Rotten Chessboard within it, the effects of a hundred years of work outside would amount to no less than ten thousand years inside. Even if the Rotten Chessboard were severely damaged during the Central Plains War, it would probably be able to recover!"

"In particular, the Go master Ke Lianshan is among them!"

"It is said that the Rotten Chessboard is controlled by the Dao Sect Master, but the true master is the Chess Saint Ke Lianshan. Could it be as I imagine? Did the Tianyuan Dao Sect forcibly open the Mirage Dragon Cave and nurture this spiritual treasure for ten thousand years?"

"If that's the case, then the next battle..."

Luo Chen took a deep breath, his eyes filled with determination.

Now that the die was cast, he had no choice but to proceed, and he couldn't hesitate any longer. Moreover, he couldn't tell Li Canghai this information, otherwise what if the other party backed out?
He turned and said, “Senior, I don’t know what agreement you have with the North Sea Demon Clan, but I have already contacted the Eastern Wilderness Demon Clan. The upcoming battle will be a joint effort between the Eastern Wilderness humans and demons, arguably the strongest lineup. This battle cannot be lost!”

Li Canghai withdrew his suspicious gaze and smiled, "You don't need to worry about me. At that time, the North Sea Demon Clan will do everything in its power to attack the Northern Continent, and no one will be able to come to the aid of the Eastern Continent. As for the Southern Continent, it is the weakest, and even if it receives reinforcements, it is not a threat."

Luo Chen nodded. "Alright, in that case, let's split up and gather our forces to start preparing! I hope that we can fight Liancheng together on Tiandi Island then."

After bowing slightly, Luo Chen transformed into a stream of light and vanished into the distance.

Li Canghai glanced back at the entrance to the Mirage Dragon Cave on Heaven and Earth Island, his eyes filled with suspicion and a hint of greed.

He wondered why Liancheng had sent in thirty-six Nascent Soul cultivators from his family at such a crucial moment. But what truly craved was the secret realm itself.

"Although I am a Nascent Soul cultivator revered by thousands, my foundation is still too shallow among those of the same level, far inferior to the Nascent Soul cultivators of these holy lands. If I can also take this secret realm into my possession, perhaps I can make up for some of my shortcomings."

As he muttered to himself, Li Canghai's figure gradually disappeared into the void.

……

Eastern Wilderness, Eastern Yang Domain.

The once bustling port on the coastline where land meets sea is now eerily quiet.

Only a few scattered figures came from all directions.

However, although their numbers are small, the forces they represent and the strength they possess are enough to surpass all the prosperous ports in the Eastern Wilderness.

Looking around, one could see that each person was dressed in fine clothes and had an extraordinary bearing; they were all top figures in the Eastern Wilderness.

The leader was the Grand Elder of the Dongyang Sect, who led four Nascent Soul cultivators from the Dongyang Sect behind him. The Shouyang Mountain Man, whose body had been reshaped, was also among them, his face filled with excitement and hope.

He had thought that his physical body had been destroyed and his nascent soul damaged during the war between humans and demons, and even if he were to rebuild his body, there would be no hope of achieving the Great Dao. But he never expected that Luo Chen of the Pill Sect possessed the Enlightenment Pill, which was a product of the creation of heaven and earth.

Therefore, when his senior brother brought back the news, Shouyang Shanren agreed to the operation without hesitation.

Shouyang Shanren's gaze swept over them: Jiuling Yuanjun of the Jiuling Sect, Tianduzi of the Tiandu Sect, and the group of Taoists from Bailudong...

All the Nascent Soul cultivators with names and surnames in the Eastern Wilderness have gathered here at this moment.

"As expected of the Pill Sect, its influence is terrifying!" Shouyang Shanren exclaimed in admiration.

Elder Dongyang, still shaken, remarked, "Leaving aside Danzong's personal abilities, his sheer charisma is enough to make anyone in the Eastern Wilderness dare to oppose him. With just a single command, there are Nascent Soul cultivators following him, and countless Golden Core cultivators and Foundation Establishment cultivators running errands for him."

Their conversation was not soundproofed, so Nascent Soul cultivators from other sects could also hear it.

But no one objected to their statement.

I hadn't felt it deeply at the previous Dao discussion, but when it came time to actually go out and I saw such a lineup, I realized the terrifying appeal of the Dan Sect.

Seeing that most people had arrived, someone asked Master Taiyue when they would depart.

Deng Taiyue only said one word: "Wait!"

Who are you waiting for?

The answer became self-evident not long after, when the overwhelming demonic aura swept in.

call out!call out!call out!
One after another, figures descended from the sky, each exuding a surging and powerful demonic aura.

The Nascent Soul cultivators of the Eastern Wilderness were no strangers to these beings.

In the blink of an eye, I recognized most of them.

Thunder Prison Divine Roc, Bi Zheng, Arrogant, Bull Demon, Blood Vulture Taoist, White Bone Black Serpent, White-browed Immortal Ape...

There were no weak opponents; almost all of them had earned their illustrious reputations during the two-hundred-year war between humans and demons.

Beneath their glorious reputation lie the countless corpses of humankind.

The two sides immediately became tense upon meeting.

Deng Taiyue stepped forward and stood between the two sides.

The meaning is self-evident.

On the demon side, Lei Yu Shenpeng issued orders on behalf of Luo Chen, and also restrained the demons of Duzhen Palace from clashing with the humans of the Eastern Wilderness.

The two sides stared at each other coldly until, in the distant ocean, the waves rolled and a huge figure, as large as land, slowly emerged from the water.

Wild beast, Netherworld Black Tortoise!
The powerful figures from Luo Tian Sect stood atop the platform, their expressions extremely solemn.

Canglong stepped forward and gave a graceful bow to the crowd from afar.

"This journey across the sea is long, and to avoid wasting our magical power in vain, this tortoise can serve as our mount."

"Fellow Daoists, please!"

Nine Spirits Yuanjun laughed heartily, "Since Fairy Canglong is so generous, then I will not refuse."

After saying that, he led the two Nascent Soul cultivators from the Nine Spirits Sect onto the back of the Xuan Turtle.

Seeing this, the others no longer hesitated and jumped up one after another.

Even the powerful members of the demon race, led by the Thunder Prison Divine Roc, stepped onto the Xuan Turtle's back, which was as thick as land.

Carrying nearly sixty Nascent Soul level experts, the honest and simple Netherworld Tortoise seemed oblivious, merely spitting out water jets from its nostrils and paddling with its four legs, carrying the entire Eastern Wilderness's fighting force across the ocean towards the Eastern Yuan Continent.

Meanwhile, in the direction of Beihai.

A massive number of low-level demons surged towards the northern continent, igniting another great war between humans and demons.

In the desolate city of Taohai, a monk chanting Buddhist scriptures suddenly stopped his wooden fish.

He took out a jade pendant, which shimmered with a faint light.

The chanting monk's expression was somewhat complicated. In the end, he gritted his teeth and left the Buddhist hall, which seemed like a pure land.

Shortly after he left, a loud explosion suddenly erupted from the ruined city of Taohai. Amidst the trembling of countless low-level demonic beasts, a beam of blood-red light shot into the sky. (End of Chapter)