Staying in the sect, controlling beasts and cultivating immortals

Wang Cheng's roar echoed through the dense miasma of the Rotten Swamp Forest, carrying the unique heaviness and chilling power of chaos, causing the surrounding gray-green vines to rustle.

He wielded a massive crimson-gold blade formed from a chaotic bone arm, its tip lowered and not pointed at the Shadow Swamp Guards surrounding them. Yet, the ferocious aura forged in blood and fire surged like an invisible wave, assaulting the taut nerves of every Miasma Spirit warrior.

A thin layer of ethereal light membrane shimmered around Mo Heng, silently annihilating the pervasive deadly miasma and the poisoned bone spikes shot by the Shadow Swamp Guards.

His expression was calm, his gaze deep, as if the tense scene before him was merely a game of chess in a simulation. Gui Yinzi stood to Wang Cheng's side and slightly behind, his figure elusive, his eyes gleaming with cunning as he warily scanned the shadowy trap runes around him, a few bone talismans inscribed with dark script in his hand, ready to disrupt their balance at any moment.

The encirclement did not loosen despite Wang Cheng's shout. The Shadow Swamp Guards, with skin that was either dark green or grayish-brown, were lean and agile, gripping weapons crafted from the roots of strange plants or animal bones, the tips of which were enveloped in a faint, purifying green light.

Their eyes were filled with hostility and deep wariness, clearly regarding these three uninvited guests as the same threat as the Rift Sky Alliance's Burial God Guards.

Time seemed to freeze for a few breaths. Deep in the swamp forest, the most peculiar luminous plant in the center of the village—its trunk coiled like a dragon, its branches and leaves flowing with a soft, pure emerald light, forming a small, isolated "pure land" that shielded it from the foul miasma—swayed slightly.

The leaves rub against each other, producing a soft, rustling sound, like some ancient response.

On the treehouse platform, the old man holding the bone staff finally opened his eyes completely.

His skin was also grayish-brown, but covered with deep, bark-like lines, while his eyes were exceptionally clear and bright, as if they contained the wisdom of stars and forests.

His gaze pierced through the layers of branches and miasma, landing precisely on Wang Cheng, Mo Heng, and Gui Yinzi. He lingered for a moment, especially on Gui Yinzi's attire, which exuded a distinctly cold and sinister aura from the Central Plains. A subtle scrutiny and suspicion flashed in his eyes.

"A powerful outsider," the old man's voice was deep and hoarse, yet possessed a strange penetrating power, clearly reaching the ears of the three and echoing in the hearts of all the Shadow Swamp Guards.

"This swamp is the last refuge of the Miasma Spirit Clan, and also their final resting place. Your arrival has shattered a thousand-year silence. The lackeys of the Sky Rift Alliance have only recently departed, their blood still fresh. What kind of 'sincerity' have you brought?"

His words were calm, yet they contained a heavy sense of historical pain and a deep sense of vigilance.

Wang Cheng stepped forward, the light on the Chaos Bone Arm receding slightly, revealing the majestic body covered in dark gold scales beneath. He clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice loud and sincere.

"Grand Elder, please be wise! We come from the Zhenhun Protectorate, ordered by Emperor Yu Changsheng to come to Zhongzhou, solely to punish the Rifting Heaven Alliance and end its tyranny that wreaks havoc on the heavens and enslaves living beings!" He pointed at Mo Heng and Gui Yinzi.

"This is Master Mo Heng, who is well-versed in the origins of the Void and skilled in controlling the Chaos Emperor Array; this is Elder Gui Yinzi, who is familiar with the geography and customs of the Central Plains and has personally witnessed the evil deeds of the Rifting Sky Alliance. We are by no means lackeys of the Rifting Sky Alliance!"

Mo Heng spoke at the opportune moment, his voice steady and scholarly: "Elder, the Rifting Heaven Alliance uses the remains of the Buried Gods as fuel to draw upon the power of annihilation, polluting the source core and creating false gods and demons. Their actions have already triggered the Ruins of Return anomaly, and the withering of the Dao principles has intensified. If this continues, not only the Central Continent, but all the myriad realms will find it difficult to escape the calamity of annihilation."

The purifying power of the nobility, resilient and pure, is the key to combating the evil magic of the Sky-Splitting Alliance and eradicating the withered Dao principles. We have come to seek allies to fight against a powerful enemy, not to bring new conflict.

As he spoke, his fingertips twitched slightly, and a wisp of pure Returning to Nothingness power flowed across the light membrane, cleverly simulating the scene of withered Dao principles being eroded and then neutralized by purified green light, intuitively demonstrating the antagonistic relationship between the two.

Gui Yinzi also bowed quickly, adopting a very humble posture, with a touch of tact and sincerity: "Elder, I am Gui Yinzi. I did indeed go astray and served the Yin Kui Sect, and was under the control of the Lie Tian Alliance."

However, the Rifting Heaven Alliance treats us like straw dogs, and uses the Burial God Guard to slaughter all kinds of living beings and plunder resources. Their evil deeds are too numerous to mention! I have abandoned darkness and turned to light, and I am fortunate to be accepted by the Emperor. I am willing to be the vanguard to cleanse the filth.

The nobles have suffered greatly at the hands of the Divine Guards, their blood and tears staining their very being. They stand united with our Divine Dynasty against this common enemy! The Emperor has brought me humble gifts to alleviate your urgent needs.

As he spoke, he took out a jade box, which had been temporarily crafted by Mo Heng and whose surface was engraved with exquisite array patterns, from his bosom and gently opened the lid.

Instantly, a refreshing and vibrant aura filled the air, instantly overpowering the surrounding putrid miasma. Inside the box were three perfectly round and translucent jade lotus seeds, the very Pure World Lotus Seeds bestowed by Yu Changsheng, originating from Chen Xueqing's Pure World Lotus!

Although it does not contain the primordial power produced by Chen Xueqing's original lotus platform, its pure purification and life-nourishing effects are like a desert spring and a life-saving straw for the miasma spirits who have been struggling in the withered laws and miasma environment for a long time!
The moment they saw the Azure Lotus Seed, all the Shadow Swamp Guards couldn't help but stir. The hostility in their eyes was replaced by intense desire. Even the usually composed Elder tightened his grip on the bone staff, and an astonishing light burst forth from his turbid yet sharp eyes.

He could clearly feel the purifying and life force contained within those three lotus seeds, a force that shared the same origin as the light-emitting plants in the center of the village but was even more refined and vast! This was precisely the power they needed most to combat the withering and erosion of the Burial God Guard and to repair their polluted homeland!

“Purifying Lotus…” The Grand Elder’s voice trembled slightly. He took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart. His gaze swept over Wang Cheng’s bravery, Mo Heng’s unfathomable depths, and Gui Yinzi’s…complexity, before finally settling on the three lotus seeds.

"The Burial God Guards of the Rifting Heaven Alliance see our clan's Purification Core as the nemesis of the 'Filthy Core,' and thus commit acts of extermination, abducting our people and plundering the sap of our Sacred Tree. Our clan is barely clinging to life, on the verge of annihilation." He paused, his tone becoming extremely heavy, "Emperor Yu Changsheng... I've heard of his name, the Soul Suppressing Protectorate... Is he the one who severely damaged the foundation of the Rifting Heaven Alliance in the Gate of Return to Nothingness?"

"Exactly!" Wang Cheng raised his head and said decisively, "The Emperor personally led the Divine Dynasty army, which has already broken through the Heavenly City, killed the false gods and demons, and severely damaged their foundation! Now the leader of the Rifting Heaven Alliance is hiding in the Burial God Ridge with the core of the Burial God's Remains. The Emperor has already located his position and is determined to wipe him out completely and end this calamity!"
However, Burial God Ridge is the lair of the Rifting Heaven Alliance, cultivated for a thousand years, riddled with traps and fraught with danger. The Emperor sent us here, knowing the deep-seated blood feud between the nobles and the Rifting Heaven Alliance, and also knowing that the nobles' purification of holy power is the key to defeating the enemy! With the nobles' assistance, we can surely achieve twice the result with half the effort and destroy the demon's lair in one fell swoop!
At that time, the Miasma Spirit Clan will be credited with driving away the darkness and restoring peace to the Central Plains! These three Pure Lotus Seeds are the initial manifestation of the Emperor's sincerity. If the alliance is established, the Divine Dynasty will do everything in its power to help the nobles restore the glory of the Sacred Tree and rebuild their homes!

Mo Heng added, “Elder, time is of the essence. Although the Rifting Sky Alliance has suffered heavy losses, its leader controls the core of the Burial God's Remains and is rapidly recovering, intending to launch a counterattack. Once it fully controls the power of the key, opens the Gate of Return to Nothingness, and triggers the descent of a deeper chaotic source core, the consequences will be unimaginable. The Divine Dynasty has already established the Purple Mountain Return to Nothingness Outpost in the three thousand outer broken star fields, which can provide temporary protection for the nobles and also serve as an outpost for joint operations. Cooperation will benefit both sides, while division... may lead to their demise at the hands of the Rifting Sky Alliance and the Return to Nothingness.”

The radiant plant in the center of the village swayed violently again, its emerald light shining brightly, as if in response to something. The Grand Elder remained silent, his gaze shifting repeatedly between Wang Cheng's open and resolute face, Mo Heng's calm and wise eyes, Gui Yinzi's deliberately restrained yet undisguised expectant expression, and the three green lotus seeds that exuded alluring vitality.

The miasma in the swamp forest seemed to have stagnated.

The Shadow Swamp Guards held their breath, awaiting their patriarch's decision. This decision concerned the very survival of their last remaining lineage of miasma spirits.

After a long silence, the Grand Elder slowly raised the white bone staff in his hand. A murky crystal embedded in the staff's head emitted a faint green light, echoing the glow of the central light-emitting plant. His voice, deep and resolute, rang out, like an ancient vow:

"The blood feud of the Rifting Heaven Alliance will never be forgotten by the Miasma Spirit Clan! The calamity of the Ruins of Return is not a calamity for just one clan or one region. I have heard of the might of Emperor Yu Changsheng in shattering the Heavenly City. These three Sacred Lotuses... are indeed the hope for the continuation of our clan."

His gaze was piercing as he stared directly at Wang Cheng. "Envoy of the Divine Dynasty, although the Miasma Spirit Clan has declined, their will to protect and purify has never been extinguished! My name is 'Qingyan,' and in the name of the guardian of the Rotten Swamp and the witness of the Sacred Tree, I acknowledge this alliance!"

He slammed his staff down, and a soft, purifying green light rippled outwards from him, instantly dispelling the thick miasma that had surrounded him for dozens of feet, revealing the relatively solid ground below.

The Shadow Swamp Guards surrounding Wang Cheng and his companions, as if receiving a silent command, quickly put away their weapons, took a step back, and cleared a path leading to the center of the village. Although the wariness in their eyes had not completely disappeared, the hostility had greatly diminished, replaced by a complex emotion of scrutiny and expectation.

"Please invite the envoy into the village for a detailed discussion!" Elder Qingyan solemnly declared. "The minions of the Rifting Sky Alliance may return at any moment. The secrets and dangers of Burial God Ridge cannot be fully explained in a few words. We need to know the Emperor's specific strategies. The Miasma Spirit Clan will also offer all our strength and... our secret knowledge about the true nature of the 'key' deep within Burial God Ridge."

Wang Cheng, Mo Heng, and Gui Yinzi exchanged a glance, all feeling a chill run down their spines. They were indeed formidable! Wang Cheng sheathed his giant blade, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said in a deep voice, "Thank you for your trust, Elder! Please!"

The three of them, accompanied by Elder Qingyan and "escorted" by the Shadow Swamp Guards, stepped into the miasma village, which was hidden deep in the swamp and barely maintained by strange purifying plants.

The low treehouses are built on huge pieces of decaying wood or tough vines, and many of them show obvious signs of damage and repair.

The villagers peeked out from their houses or behind trees, their skin grayish-green or grayish-brown, most of them sallow and emaciated, their eyes filled with numb weariness and deep fear. But when they saw the Grand Elder leading the way, and felt the aura of Wang Cheng and his two companions that was different from the fierce and righteous or unfathomable aura of the Burial God Guards, and especially when they vaguely caught the reassuring vitality of the Pure World Lotus Seeds in the air, a faint light finally ignited in their numb eyes—the instinctive light of seeing a glimmer of hope in a desperate situation.

In the center of the village, beneath the tree known as the "Sacred Tree," lies a natural platform formed by its massive, flat roots. Elder Qingyan invited the three to sit on the tree roots.

Mo Heng carefully placed the jade box containing the green lotus seeds in the center of the platform. The rich vitality and purifying power made the air on the entire platform fresher, and even the radiance of the sacred tree seemed to brighten slightly.

"Please speak, envoy. How does the Emperor intend to use his troops to bury the gods at Burial Ridge? And how can my clan assist him?" Qingyan asked directly.

Mo Heng, as the main speaker, took out a jade slip that was a replica of the projection of the Guixu Star Orbit Compass sub-disc, and projected a three-dimensional map of condensed light into the air.

The core of the map is the treacherous and gloomy Burial God Ridge, but most of the area is shrouded in mist, with only the edges and a few outposts that Ling Wuying had previously explored marked.

"Elder, this is what our scouts have found out so far. Burial God Ridge is the headquarters of the Sky-Splitting Alliance. Its core area is hidden deep within the ancient ruins and is protected by powerful spatial restrictions and withered Dao Law barriers. The elite of the Burial God Guards are all here, and there may even be terrifying mechanisms or guards driven by fragments of the Burial God's remains."

He pointed to several key nodes marked in red on the map: "To break through the Burial God Ridge, we must first remove the array eye of the outer 'Thousand Miasma Annihilation Array'. This array draws upon the deadly miasma of the swamp, which is extremely powerful and can also obscure perception."

Secondly, its core defense, the 'Burial God Bone Domain,' must be dismantled. This domain is composed of the annihilating power dissipated from the remains of the Buried Gods, and it cannot be weakened without powerful purification. Finally, and most importantly, the 'Return to the Void Altar,' where the leader of the Rending Sky Alliance and the core of the Buried Gods' remains are located, is undoubtedly a dangerous place; we must strike at its heart.

Gui Yinzi added at the right moment, his voice carrying a sense of familiarity with the internal structure of the Rift Sky Alliance.

"Elder, the core of the Thousand Miasma Annihilation Array is usually composed of three 'Bone Towers', located in the 'Rotten Spring', 'Dead Wind Valley', and 'Black Swamp Pool' of Burial God Ridge.

Each tower is guarded by a late-stage Void Refinement Realm Burial God Guard, its foundation deeply embedded in the earth's veins, drawing upon the deathly energy of the swamp. The core nodes of the Burial God Bone Domain are four 'Skeleton Golems' crafted from powerful remains, sitting guard in all directions, continuously transforming the power of annihilation into defensive barriers.

Wang Cheng continued, his tone resounding: "By imperial decree, the main force of the Divine Dynasty will depart from the Purple Mountain outpost and launch a strong attack on the front of Burial God Ridge, drawing the attention of the main force of the Rift Sky Alliance and the Burial God Guards. A highly skilled vanguard must secretly infiltrate before the main force's attack to complete two crucial tasks!"

He stared intently at Qingyan.

"Firstly, destroy at least two Bone Towers to paralyze the Thousand Miasma Annihilation Formation and open a passage for the army!"

Secondly, when the main attack causes chaos, only noble warriors, who are familiar with the terrain, possess purification power, and can resist the erosion of the withering laws to a certain extent, are most suitable to infiltrate the core area of ​​the Burial God Bone Domain and use their purification power to impact the energy nodes of the skeletal golem, weakening or even temporarily paralyzing its defenses! (End of Chapter)