Daojun, start from Penglai foundation building

In the southern heavens, the True Heavenly Hundred Fruits Sect resides.

Within the Hundred Fruit Realm, a subordinate of the True Cloud Dao Sect, countless twisted monsters crowded between the real and the illusory, making the space between them completely impassable.

These spirits, corrupted by the Great Dao, felt no pain whatsoever. They simply piled up one another at random, like high walls that wriggled and twisted like grass and flesh, turning the entire space between reality and illusion into a labyrinth that stretched as far as the eye could see.

hum~
The sword hummed and rang, and a dazzling sword light rose up. Streams of sword light intertwined like a black bird spreading its wings and soaring through the sky with a cry. It smashed down a high wall of flesh and blood formed by the twisting and fusion of countless plant spirits. As the wall collapsed, a brand new road was revealed behind it.

"quick!"

Before she could catch her breath, Ye Wenshu flew straight toward the collapsed area, with Shen Yao and Xiao Gong following closely behind.

As the three approached the collapsed area, the shattered remains of the high walls, the twisted flesh and blood, smelled the presence of living people and immediately began to grow wildly. In an instant, a group of law-based monsters were born, shrieking as they pounced on the three.

Xiao Gong twirled his magic sword, sending hundreds of sword lights crisscrossing and slicing the newly formed law monsters to pieces. Shen Yao raised his hand and condensed strands of Divine Firmament True Thunder. The purple Divine Firmament True Thunder bolts crashed down and scattered, and the scorching lightning arcs, accompanied by the majestic power of the righteous law, completely burned the law monsters to ashes.

The three worked together seamlessly, with one clearing the way, one providing cover, and one covering the rear, making them a remarkably well-prepared squad.

In less than three breaths, the three of them crossed the collapsed high wall and disappeared without a trace, leaving only the slowly twisting and restoring law monsters in the space between reality and illusion to let out angry roars.

In fact, the three of them did not have any tacit understanding at the beginning. Princess Ye Wenshu was good at facing the enemy head-on, using grand methods and the majestic Heavenly Dao to crush the enemy. She was the most upright and honorable.

Whether in Shenxiao Thunder Palace now or in Jinhua Mountain before, Shen Yao always followed the righteous path. As the reincarnation of the Heavenly Emperor of the Mountain and Sea Realm, Shen Yao was more inclined to confront enemies head-on than Ye Wenshu to some extent, and his methods were best suited for direct confrontation.

Therefore, it was particularly awkward for the two to join forces at the beginning. Both of them were strong-willed, and neither of them was willing to be second best and just watch others show off.

However, the corruption storm in the Hundred Fruit Realm was overwhelming, and monsters of law were emerging one after another. After entering the realm between reality and illusion, the three of them encountered setbacks at every turn. In the end, they were trapped in this twisted maze and could not get out. With the help of Xiao Gong, they had no choice but to work together. This led to the situation where Ye Wenshu led the way and Shen Yao covered the rear. In this awkward situation, the three of them gradually found a tacit understanding.

The three of them were well aware of the root cause, but there was no one strong enough to step forward and make a final decision.

If Jiang Sheng were here, none of the three—Ye Wenshu, Shen Yaoyi, or Xiao Gong—would have any objections if he spoke, because Jiang Sheng was strong enough to subdue them.

Neither Ye Wenshu nor Shen Yao could be easily subdued by the other party.

The master of Jinhua Mountain wouldn't care about the Heavenly Maiden.

Now the three of them have finally developed some tacit understanding and are working together more and more smoothly. However, the monsters between reality and illusion are becoming increasingly bizarre.

Those plant spirits, having lost their original plant bodies and primordial spirits, bared their fangs and roared obscure and incomprehensible Taoist scriptures, resembling a group of fanatical seekers of the Tao, or a group of eccentric and wicked Taoist practitioners.

Among them, the most difficult to deal with are the wood-type spirits, each one towering tens or even hundreds of feet tall. Their bodies are covered with either vines that writhe and slither like blood vessels or gnarled and tough tree bark. In addition, the decay of heaven and earth causes the flesh and blood of these plant spirits to grow, and each deformed tumor constantly spews out putrid liquid. When supernatural powers and spells are used on these guys, only blood, flesh and pus can be seen flying, but it is difficult to damage their roots.

In addition, these plant spirits were constantly chanting seductive and deceptive music, and coupled with their expertise in the putrid mist and their ubiquitous roots, Ye Wenshu and her companions had to expend a great deal of mental energy for every step they took forward.

On one hand, they had to guard against the omnipresent pollution storms and distorted laws between the real and the virtual, and on the other hand, they had to be careful of the roots and vines that might sprout from anywhere. In addition, the chaotic divine sounds and corrosive poisonous fog that filled the entire area between the real and the virtual caused Ye Wenshu and her two companions to suffer great mental exhaustion. The large number of defensive magic artifacts and various talismans they had brought with them before entering the Hundred Fruit Realm were consumed very quickly.

Quickly traversing the wall of flesh and blood to reach the other side, Ye Wenshu flipped her hand and several talismans flew out of her sleeve. After flying out of Ye Wenshu's sleeve, these talismans automatically landed on her chest, back, and other positions, and then used their shimmering light to resist the omnipresent pollution and corruption between reality and illusion.

Looking at Shen Yao and Xiao Gong behind her, Ye Wenshu said, "Don't stop. Use all the defensive talismans. There are more and more corrupted monsters. If you're not careful, your mind will be corrupted. Don't linger."

Without hesitation, Xiao Gong took out a series of talismans, including the Heart-Clearing Talisman, the Spirit-Nourishing Talisman, and the Clarity Talisman, covering both arms and legs, front and back of his body without missing a single one. Compared to Ye Wenshu's meager three talismans, Xiao Gong was still somewhat dissatisfied with covering his entire body with six or seven talismans at once.

Although the Zhenxiao Dao Sect is a renowned orthodox sect of the Xuanmen and a pure Yang Dao Sect, just like their Pure Yang Ancestor Qiongyun Daojun, the Zhenxiao Dao Sect has always been non-competitive and non-grabbing. Although their alchemy, talisman making, and weapon forging are all of high quality, they have a sense of "good enough" and do not have any particular path to refinement.

In this respect, it cannot compare to Ye Wenshu, who has the Heavenly Court as her backing. The Heavenly Court's methods of talisman making, alchemy, and weapon forging not only include various secret techniques from the divine path, but also methods from the Xuanmen and even some skills from the Buddhist path. It can be said that it integrates the strengths of the three schools of immortals, gods, and Buddhas. Although the Heavenly Court does not have the core methods of the immortals and Buddhas, and only has second-rate skills from the two schools, with the addition of the Heavenly Court's unique divine secrets, the Heavenly Court's various alchemy and talisman making methods are definitely top-notch in all the heavens.

Ye Wenshu was the Heavenly Maiden of the Heavenly Court, in charge of battles. Before Jiang Sheng obtained the position of the Heavenly Lord of Justice, Ye Wenshu was the Heavenly God who acted on behalf of Heaven and patrolled the Three Realms. At that time, the demons and monsters of the Three Realms were often worried that the aloof figure in black robes holding a magic sword would appear on their territory.

After Jiang Sheng became the Heavenly Lord of Justice, Ye Wenshu was also promoted by the Heavenly Emperor. Her position as the Heavenly Envoy in the Dou Niu Palace represented her power and status in the Heavenly Court, while her duty as the Imperial Bodyguard in the Lingxiao Palace reflected the Heavenly Emperor's great affection for this Mysterious Maiden.

Looking across the Heavenly Court, Ye Wenshu's salary was first-class, the same as that of the Mahayana Emperors who were the heads of various departments in the Heavenly Court. No one knew how many good things she had.

In addition, the Eastern Heavenly Daoist School is not only the current leader of the Xuanmen (mystical arts), but also possesses top-tier skills in weapon crafting, talisman making, and alchemy, recognized throughout the heavens. Penglai excels in talisman making and alchemy, Qinghua in alchemy and formations, and Tianhe in weapon crafting and magical restrictions. Each of the three schools has its own strengths. Furthermore, the great calamity of the Xuanmen almost wiped out all the secret treasures of the Xuanmen lineages throughout the heavens, making the Eastern Heavenly Daoist School's current foundation unimaginably profound. Especially since Shen Yao is Jiang Sheng's disciple, Penglai Lingyuan is not only the current leader of the Xuanmen, but also a recognized master of swordsmanship and talisman making.

Whether it's offensive talismans like the Three Calamities Talisman and the Five Thunder Talisman, or defensive talismans like the Purifying Heart and Calming Spirit Talisman and the Nourishing Soul and Stabilizing the Guardian Talisman, they are all top-quality. If there's anything wrong with Jiang Sheng's talismans, it's that he doesn't draw many. In addition, they generally only circulate within the Eastern Heavenly Daoist community, and outsiders can hardly find any. Moreover, no one can force Jiang Sheng to make talismans, so there aren't many circulating outside.

However, Shen Yao was Jiang Sheng's disciple. Everyone might lack Jiang Sheng's talismans, but Shen Yao couldn't possibly be without them. All the realms knew that the current Heavenly Ruler of Justice was arrogant and aloof, but he was also famously protective of his own. Although he seemed to neglect his disciples, letting them develop freely, no one could guarantee what talismans or magical treasures they might possess if one truly underestimated them. Compared to Shen Yao, who had Jiang Sheng as his master, and Ye Wenshu, who had the Heavenly Court as her backer, Xiaogong was far inferior. Therefore, Xiaogong could never be too prepared. However, just as Xiaogong had prepared the talismans and was about to continue their journey, Shen Yao stopped.

"Your Highness Xuan Nu, Fairy of Xiao Gong, now that things have come to this, I think we should calm down."

Upon hearing Shen Yao's words, Ye Wenshu's expression immediately turned ugly: "What does Lord Shen mean by this?"

Shen Yao's expression remained unchanged: "We've been deep in this realm between reality and illusion for three whole days, and we're still trapped in this distorted maze, not knowing which way to go. After three days of exhaustion, how many talismans and magical artifacts do we have left?"

Within the space between reality and illusion, distorted laws and filth spread rampantly, staining the space crimson. Corrosive storms swept past the three, stirring up ripples of clear light.

Amidst the howling of the corrosive storm, Shen Yao's voice was crystal clear: "There is no point in continuing to play hide-and-seek in this twisted maze. We must have a clear goal: whether to keep charging forward with what we have and use that one percent chance to find the source of corruption in the Hundred Fruit Realm, or to retreat in time, regroup, and start afresh."

Ye Wenshu's face grew even darker upon hearing this: "Are you trying to desert your post?"

Shen Yao remained calm, showing neither joy nor anger: "No, I just don't want to waste my time like this."

Ye Wenshu snorted coldly: "Lord of Shenxiao Palace, your master gave you orders to follow me to explore the source of corruption in this Hundred Fruit Realm, not to make you shrink back!"

Ye Wenshu simply stopped calling Shen Yao by his name and addressed him by his title, exuding an imposing aura and using her power to intimidate him.

Shen Yao retorted respectfully, "Our master's requirement for us is to investigate the source of corruption as much as possible, not to sacrifice ourselves for nothing."

"Since Your Highness knows that I am the Lord of Shenxiao Palace, you should also know that the Lord of Shenxiao Palace does not belong to the Thunder Department of the Heavenly Court, but is directly under the jurisdiction of the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace. Your Highness, your decree cannot control the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace!"

The corrosive storm intensified, and the talismans on the three were rapidly depleted under its onslaught. Their spiritual light dimmed little by little, and their clear radiance crumbled bit by bit. Twisted laws around them sprouted fleshy vines between reality and illusion, and the filth transformed into grotesque, malevolent eyes that stared unblinkingly at the three.

The wall of flesh and blood had been completely restored by the twisted and decaying vegetation. The foul-smelling sap seeped from the wall of flesh and blood, and blood and slime rained down from the sky between reality and illusion as the corrosive storm moved.

Xiao Gong looked at Ye Wenshu and Shen Yao with some confusion, wondering why the two had started arguing again, but Xiao Gong couldn't get a word in edgewise at the moment.

One is the current Heavenly Maiden of the Three Realms, who is also the Envoy of the Dou Niu Palace and the Imperial Body of the Lingxiao Palace. She is the most noble person in the Three Realms, and is respected by all the continents and the world. But Shen Yao is no ordinary person either. Although he is called the Lord of the Palace, Shen Yao's title is Qingzi, which is equal to the rank of the Seventy-Two Courts of the Heavenly Court. He is also above the Thunder Department and belongs to the first-class court under the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace. His position is as important as the Three Departments.

Most importantly, there is the nature of the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace. Under the leadership of Jiang Sheng, the Judicial Heavenly Lord, there has only ever been the cooperation of the various departments of the Heavenly Court with the actions of the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace. There has never been a case of the various departments mobilizing the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace. Listening to proclamations and orders depends entirely on Jiang Sheng's mood, and others can hardly interfere. This means that even if Ye Wenshu were here, she could not force Shen Yao to do anything.

For a moment, the atmosphere between reality and illusion became tense. Despite the distorted laws and corrupting storms all around, the main force of the reconnaissance team was fighting amongst themselves. Xiao Gong looked helplessly at the two who seemed about to fight each other, completely at a loss.

This scene was clearly seen by a figure deep within the space between reality and illusion, through the strange eyes that grew from all sides and the tentacle-like vines dancing on the flesh-and-blood wall.

Ah, the will to compete, the desire to win.

"They are all proud and arrogant, none of them are willing to submit to the other, and none of them look down on the other. If they are forced to come together, there will inevitably be rifts."

"These are the celestial gods of the Heavenly Court! This is the true teaching of the Eastern Heaven!"

"What disgusting arrogance!"

The figure waved its arms excitedly, its withered body contorted in a frenzied rage, casting a distorted and chaotic shadow against the walls of flesh and blood.

As if influenced by the figure's excited emotions, the flesh buds and vines on the wall of flesh and blood wriggled more and more joyfully, and the strange eyes formed in the filth also blinked incessantly.

Suddenly, Ye Wenshu and Shen Yao, who were arguing, both looked in one direction, and Xiao Gong instantly summoned a sword talisman: "Go!"

The next moment, the cyan sword talisman dissipated, and countless pure spiritual energies gathered into a figure interwoven with cyan and black. The figure merely glanced at this place before raising its hand and slashing with its sword.

In an instant, the dazzling sword light traveled thousands of miles, tearing a deep, unhealable chasm between reality and illusion. Wherever the sword light passed, the twisted law monsters and corrosive spirits along the way were reduced to ashes, the walls of flesh and blood turned to dust, the vines and tentacles collapsed into blood mist, and the corrosive storm and crimson blood rain were swept away in an instant!
At this moment, between reality and illusion, only the sword mark that tore everything apart and the condensed and unyielding Three Calamities Sword Intent continuously proclaimed the power of this sword to heaven and earth.

Deep within the realm between reality and illusion, the figure sheltered by towering walls of flesh and blood stared in astonishment at the suddenly torn defenses. He looked at his dojo, which had suddenly become completely open from front to back, his heart filled with doubt.

Even though he and Ye Wenshu were millions of miles apart, and there were towering walls of flesh and blood and an omnipresent storm of filth that affected their senses and confused their orientation, how did the three of them discover him and pinpoint his location so precisely?
Whose skill was it to tear apart his entire defense in that instant, and almost cleave through the illusion between reality and illusion with that sword light?
A flood of doubts welled up in his mind, and while he was still confused, Ye Wenshu's icy voice boomed from above: "Found you!"

Looking up, the aloof figure in a black feathered robe and soft armor, with a green hairpin and iron ornaments on her head, had already approached. Ye Wenshu raised the magic sword in her hand, which was marked with black feather patterns, and the fierce and sharp sword energy swirled around it, instantly transforming into a soaring and sharp intent.

"Nine Heavens - Soaring to the Heavens!" (End of Chapter)