Daojun, start from Penglai foundation building

The Life Lamp is different from the Identity Register and the True Inheritance Jade Plaque.

Its production method is so simple that it is widely used throughout the myriad worlds.

It can be said that what the immortals, gods, and Buddhas of the upper three realms did, as did the true immortals and Taoist priests of the middle and lower six realms.

To put it bluntly, even a Qi Refining cultivator who has just embarked on the path of cultivation could make it; the only difference is the quality of the materials used and the duration of its effects.

Cultivation families and small sects in the lower six realms often prefer to make life lamps. Whether it's their ancestor or their disciples, they leave a wisp of their soul on the life lamp to confirm their safety and ensure that their clan members and sect members dare not easily betray or run away.

In the upper three realms, the methods for making life lamps become even more diverse.

The life lamps in front of Tian Ming'an and the other three were not the standard life lamps of the Penglai Dao Sect, but were made by Jiang Sheng himself.

It was made by Jiang Shengsheng, imitating the Lotus Lantern in his sea of ​​consciousness, using Qingqiu spiritual jade as material, star meteorite gold as shell, rainbow clouds as core, and many other spiritual materials.

What resides within this life lamp is not a wisp of Jiang Sheng's soul, but rather a thought carrying Jiang Sheng's magical power. This thought, when it lands on the wick, transforms into a candle flame that shines brightly and eternally.

Since the candle flame is formed from Jiang Sheng's thoughts, this life lamp can not only serve as proof of Jiang Sheng's well-being, but also, in times of crisis, Tian Ming'an and the others can activate the lamp to release the magical power stored within it to repel enemies.

The Lotus Lantern crafted by the Jade Immortal Lord of the Three Mysteries Dao Sect allowed Jiang Sheng to obtain numerous methods of weapon crafting and fragments of spells. Although this Life Lantern was merely a practice piece by Jiang Sheng in imitating the Lotus Lantern, it was an unparalleled treasure for Tian Ming'an and the others.

As a lamp personally crafted by Jiang Sheng, it is engraved with seventy-two cloud-patterned spiritual restrictions inside and thirty-six spiritual traces and magical restrictions on the outside. It can be said that it has reached the limit of these spiritual materials, and thus it can exert nearly 50% of the power of Jiang Sheng's thought.

Although it was just a thought of Jiang Sheng, Jiang Sheng's cultivation was enough to rival that of a Five Tribulation True Monarch, and even a single thought was enough to ward off a horde of demons.

With this lamp, Tian Ming'an and his group can roam freely in the Xuanhuang Realm without fear. If they encounter any trouble they cannot resolve, they can also seek help from all the Eastern Heavenly Immortals in the Xuanhuang Realm by relying on the Jiang Sheng aura contained in the lamp.

Jiang Sheng handed the lamp to Tian Ming'an and the others not with the intention of having them look after him, but simply to leave them a means of protection.

Unexpectedly, before Tian Ming'an and his group could even begin to search for opportunities in the Xuanhuang Realm, they discovered that the life lamp Jiang Sheng had left them had dimmed.

As the life lamp whose flame is fueled by Jiang Sheng's fleeting thought, the state of that thought represents Jiang Sheng's current situation. Now, with the flame dimmed to the point of almost going out, doesn't that mean Jiang Sheng is on the verge of death?!

What surprised Tian Ming'an and his companions was what circumstances could have led their seemingly invincible master to the brink of death and annihilation.

"Senior Brother Tian, ​​let's hurry and go find Senior Uncle Lingwei."

“If we don’t report Master’s situation, and he encounters some insurmountable danger, then we will be doomed to die a hundred times over.”

Li Jianchun spoke eagerly, his eyes filled with excitement.

Since Li Jianchun became Jiang Sheng's disciple, he had never seen Jiang Sheng suffer a defeat. Every time, his master would dominate the battlefield and awe the immortals. He had never seen Jiang Sheng suffer a defeat, not even when he was seriously injured, let alone when his life was in danger.

Therefore, Li Jianchun could hardly imagine what kind of danger his all-powerful and almost omnipotent master had encountered that caused his life lamp to be so weak.

As Li Jianchun spoke up, Huang Ming'an also suggested going to his senior uncles to resolve the issue. However, Huang Ming'an suggested not going to Lingwei, but rather going to Lin Fan first.

In Huang Ming'an's view, Lin Fan, as his master's sworn brother, had the strongest bond with him, while Ling Wei and Ling Yu were clearly not as reliable as Lin Fan in this respect.

Tian Ming'an glanced at Li Jianchun, then at Huang Ping'an, and then shook his head.

It wasn't that Tian Ming'an doubted Li Jianchun and Huang Ping'an's concern for Jiang Sheng's safety; it was just that, in Tian Ming'an's view, Li Jianchun and Huang Ping'an were being too presumptuous.

“My two junior brothers, let me ask you a question.”

"On this trip to the Xuanhuang Realm, among the many True Monarchs of the Upper Three Realms from Qinghua Dao Sect, Tianhe Dao Sect, Chixiao Dao Sect, Yaochi Holy Land, Penglai, and our fellow Daoists, who has the highest cultivation and the strongest supernatural power?"

As Tian Ming'an asked the question, Li Jianchun replied without hesitation, "Naturally it's Master. Apart from Master, who else has the ability to slay a Five Tribulation True Monarch and suppress the true disciples of various sects with their own strength?"

Tian Ming'an nodded: "Yes, Master has the highest cultivation and the strongest supernatural powers; but now that Master is in trouble, who can come to his aid?"

Li Jianchun was speechless. He had been so anxious and worried that he had forgotten this point.

Then, Tian Ming'an added, "Don't forget, our master has countless treasures and can even contact the sect's founder. If our master were to encounter any insurmountable danger, it's impossible that he wouldn't even be able to ask for help."

"Furthermore, if Master were to encounter some insurmountable life-or-death crisis, would Uncle Lingwei and the others still be so calm?"

Li Jianchun and Huang Ping'an exchanged a glance, both seemingly lost in thought: Yes, if Jiang Sheng, with the highest cultivation and strongest magic power in this Xuanhuang Realm, encountered a formidable enemy, he would definitely inform others of this news.

At that time, Lingwei and Lingyu will either request reinforcements or immediately set up various grand formations and discuss with the true disciples of other sects how to band together for mutual support.

Since none of these situations occurred, it means that Jiang Sheng's situation was not actually that dangerous.

Seeing that Li Jianchun and Huang Pingan had calmed down, Tian Ming'an continued, "At first, I was also worried about Master's safety."

"Speaking of which, I have been cultivating with my master since he was in the Foundation Establishment stage. When it comes to feelings for my master, you are all a bit less than me."

"But after I calmed down, I realized something. My master was on the Taiyin Star in this Xuanhuang Realm. If he had really encountered any crisis, given his nature, he would have informed everyone."

"So, in my opinion, Master did not really encounter any life-or-death crisis. It is possible that he entered some secret realm, which affected our connection."

Qiu Buyu finally spoke up: "I think Senior Brother Tian makes a good point."

"Master possesses great fortune and is favored by the Heavenly Venerable. What dangers could he possibly encounter in this Xuanhuang Realm?"

"I think that instead of worrying about Master's safety, we should seize the time to explore the surrounding areas and look for opportunities."

"Our master attained the Integration Realm at less than 1,800 years old, while you and I are still stuck in the Nascent Soul Realm. Even if our master were to encounter danger, what help could you and I possibly offer?"

"If we want to do our part for our master, we should at least have the cultivation level of the Void Refinement Realm."

Upon hearing this, Li Jianchun and Huang Pingan both nodded, admitting that Qiu Buyu's words made perfect sense.

Jiang Sheng's cultivation level and magical power grew higher and higher. Not to mention the true disciples of various sects of the same generation who felt great pressure, even the disciples felt powerless, always feeling that no matter how hard they cultivated or how hard they tried, they could not catch up with their master's pace.

This feeling of being out of reach is almost enough to make one despair and want to give up. Anyone facing such a situation would find it impossible to even catch up, let alone surpass it, as if there were an insurmountable gap between them, no matter how hard they tried.

Such a blow would be incredibly heavy for anyone who considers themselves a genius; a moment's carelessness could shatter their resolve and leave them with no will to strive any further.

In fact, ever since Jiang Sheng appeared out of nowhere, the contemporary prodigies in all the heavens and myriad realms have often felt their Dao hearts shattered. Qi Yuan of the Qiankun Dao Sect, Jin Yang of the Yuanyang Dao Sect, Lian Ri Cai Yue of the Dao Yi Palace, and Shao Yang Shao Yin of the Yin Yang Orthodox Sect...
Anyone who encounters Jiang Sheng will suffer a crushing defeat, and anyone who fights Jiang Sheng will be defeated after a few rounds.

Xiao Yun of the Zhenxiao Dao Sect, for example, completely abandoned any thought of fighting Jiang Sheng. He preferred to retreat to another place to fight Ye Wenshu, the renowned Yin Shen Xuan Nu of the Three Realms, rather than provoke Jiang Sheng.

Countless geniuses from all walks of life have been defeated by Jiang Sheng, to the point that he could no longer find a match for Jiang Sheng among his contemporaries. Jiang Sheng then began to seek out those renowned geniuses and Daoists from the previous generation and even the generation before that, to compete with them.

This led to unimaginable events, such as Jiang Sheng, who only had the cultivation of the first stage of the Fusion Realm, killing the Qiankun Dao Sect's Jingxing True Lord, who had the cultivation of the fifth stage of the Fusion Realm.

It's one thing for someone in the lower six realms to be able to defeat someone in the upper realm, but in the upper three realms, each level should be a different world. Yet someone can cross five levels to kill an enemy. Who would believe this if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes?
Having a master who is so powerful that even going back three thousand years or forward three thousand years, there might not be a worthy opponent, puts immense pressure on the disciple.

Even if someone is praised as a genius, what right does he have to be called a genius in front of this person?
To be a disciple of such an unparalleled being is to be mediocre, to fall behind is to be a mistake.

Now, Tian Ming'an and his team are facing the situation of falling behind.

Although none of them are mediocre, after all, they have cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage in just over a thousand years, possessing the Dharma Aspect and supernatural powers. They are all top-notch talents in the heavens and are worthy of being ranked among the true disciples in the Holy Land.

But as they gazed at their increasingly imposing master ahead, they remained trapped in Jiang Sheng's shadow, unable to break free.

They are not old and frail; they are all young and vigorous, with resources and techniques at their disposal. How could they tolerate such stagnation and procrastination?

Tian Ming'an looked at his junior sisters and brothers and slowly said, "Our master left this life lamp to us so that we would explore boldly and not shrink back."

“In this great calamity of the Xuanmen, there are countless Nascent Soul Dharma Aspects like us. Even True Monarchs of the Void Refinement Realm cannot stand out. If this continues, we will be powerless to advance any further when the calamity ends.”

"Now that Master has brought us to this Xuanhuang Realm, he must want us to advance further and strive for the Upper Three Realms."

“Junior sister, junior brother, let’s be bolder and try to obtain enough opportunities in this Xuanhuang Realm, climb to the third realm in this great calamity, and become Master’s helper, so that we don’t have to live under Master’s wings all the time.”

Qiu Buyu, Li Jianchun, and Huang Ping'an all nodded repeatedly. With their current cultivation levels, it was only natural for them to aspire to the Upper Three Realms.

The path to ascension is right before our eyes. Even if fortune fluctuates and karma is entangled during the great calamity, who would be willing to give up and not fight for it?

After making up their minds, Tian Ming'an and his companions first reported their whereabouts, and then began to search for opportunities in the vast Central Plains of the Xuanhuang Realm.

This search took more than a year.

In the past year or so, Penglai, Qinghua, Tianhe, Yaochi, and Chixiao have successively established themselves in the central, northeastern, and southwestern parts of the Xuanhuang Realm. The five lineages have spread far and wide, and both humans and spirit beasts living in the Xuanhuang Realm are flocking to the places where the five lineages are located, seeking the protection of the three upper realms.

Guangwen and Guanghui also established a pure land in the southwest, propagating Buddhism and protecting the common people who sought refuge in the mountains of the southwest.

The Four Seas True Lord and the Lesser White Underworld Lord crossed the vast ocean to the depths of the North Sea and then disappeared without a trace; the Crested Ibis Demon Lord established a Taoist temple in the mountains of the Southern Region, burning away all demons and establishing the prestigious name of the True Immortal of Departing Fire.

Kong Zhen and Jin Qiong also won over a group of demons who still possessed intelligence and established demon cities in the southeast.

Each family was busy protecting living beings and gaining merit and fortune. In the process, each family also gained one or two children of destiny. Through the local forces they joined, they found many ruins and secret realms, thus gaining a lot of opportunities.

Among them, the combination of Yun Hao, Ye Qian and Huang Wensheng is undoubtedly the most famous Nascent Soul team in recent days.

The three found a secret realm that seemed to be from the previous Yuanhui era. Not only did they obtain a large number of rare immortal medicines from it, but they also found the magical treasures and scriptures of the Shanghuang Dao Palace, which was famous throughout the Xuanhuang Realm during the previous Yuanhui era.

This exploration has given the three of them 30% confidence to break through to the Void Refinement Realm. With the support of their sect and the resources of their respective masters, they have almost 50% hope.

Meanwhile, Tian Ming'an and his three companions continued their search throughout the Central Plains.

Over the past year, Tian Ming'an and his companions have cleared out several demon hordes, protected the human race in four cities, and even persuaded them to submit to Penglai. In addition to gaining merit for themselves, they have also received considerable sect merit.

However, the opportunity that the four of them had been longing for never came.

As time passed, the four of them had unknowingly been exploring this land of Zhongzhou for several years. Although they had ventured into dangerous places and found some ruins, they could not find the opportunity to help them ascend to the Void Refinement Realm.

Until this day, the four of them ventured deep into a valley in the Central Plains.

The four's original purpose was to eliminate the sleeping demons in this foggy, icy valley, so that the humans outside could have peace.

Unexpectedly, when the four of them went deep into the valley to eliminate the demons, they triggered some kind of formation, whether it was because they made too much noise or because the demons were struggling desperately. As a result, one moment the four of them were fighting with the demons, and the next moment the world had changed before their eyes.

Looking at this land of ice and jade, and at the pavilions and towers with their carved beams and painted rafters, it was clear that all the buildings in this world were made of ice and jade, and were truly beautiful and exquisite.

Holding his magic sword, Tian Ming'an cautiously surveyed the icy landscape and said in a deep voice, "Junior sister, junior brother, something's not right here. It looks just like the ancient ruins that Ye Qian and the others encountered."

Upon hearing this, Li Jianchun became somewhat excited: "If this really is some ancient ruin, wouldn't there be a chance to find resources that allow us to ascend to the Void Refinement Realm?"

Qiu Buyu remained calm and said, "Even ancient ruins are not all treasures. On the contrary, precisely because they are ancient ruins, many magical artifacts, magical weapons, and miraculous herbs may turn to ashes as time goes by and the formations fail."

"There aren't many things that are actually useful, and the danger might be even greater."

As they were talking, Huang Ping'an suddenly said, "Come and see!"

Tian Ming'an, Li Jianchun, and Qiu Buyu followed the sound and found Huang Ping'an standing in front of a crack, looking extremely excited.

As the three stepped forward, their expressions changed upon seeing the crack.

Even the usually composed Tian Ming'an's voice carried a hint of disbelief and joy: "This is... a trace left by Master's Heaven-Slaying Sword Technique!"

Before the four of them, a bottomless sword mark stretched for hundreds of thousands of miles, tearing through the glacial landscape and reducing distant palaces and pavilions to ruins.

Even on the sword mark, wisps of the Three Calamities Annihilation Sword Intent still lingered. (End of Chapter)