I conquer the immortal with my strength.

Chapter 588 Matters of the Homeland
The moment you step into the hall, a refreshing, watery fragrance washes over you, mingled with the lingering scent of incense, making the entire hall both solemn and elegant.

The four walls of the hall are painted with colorful murals, depicting the magical scenery of the source of the stream and the swimming of various magical fish. As the colors flow, they seem to shimmer with spiritual light and move with the eye.

On both sides were rows of offering tables, displaying seasonal spiritual fruits and clear water spiritual herbs. The spiritual energy permeated the air, and the mist could even nourish the cultivator's soul.

Each corner of the hall has a stone trough from which spring water flows out from underground, meandering into a stream with clear, murmuring sounds. Occasionally, the surface of the water is dotted with the illusory images of spirit fish, as if water and illusion coexist.

Several mythical birds perched on the beams of the palace, their wings shimmering with a pale blue light. Occasionally, they would flap their wings and chirp softly, their calls blending with the sound of the water, creating a celestial melody.

As Xia Daoming followed the crowd into the hall, he looked around thoughtfully.

Unlike the incense-filled atmosphere of temples in the mortal world, this place is permeated with the clarity of a sacred spring and the solemnity of the laws of heaven and earth.

Although the palace is not large, it seems to bear the weight of mountains and rivers, inspiring a sense of awe.

Outside the temple, a stream murmurs, its clear sound seemingly intertwining with the swirling incense smoke, giving this earth god temple a touch of spirituality and otherworldly charm, as if the very essence of the land and rivers had been gathered here.

"Master Xia, please take a seat." Xingyi stepped forward gracefully and bowed to invite Xia Daoming to sit on the incense-burning throne that symbolized the position of the Earth God.

"Since you are the landowner, you should sit here."

Xia Daoming's gaze swept across the room, landing on the seat filled with the aura of incense offerings. His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority. After speaking, he found a sandalwood chair below and sat down.

"With Master Xia here, how dare Xingyi overstep her bounds?"

Xingyi trembled slightly, but still bowed slightly, her expression respectful.

“You know my temperament, there’s no need for such formalities.” Xia Daoming smiled and gently pressed his hand down. “Besides, that seat carries the incense and fortune of Yujianzhi, and I am not the local deity, so I cannot sit there. You go and sit. I have many questions to ask you, and I feel uncomfortable with you standing next to me.”

"Then I will respectfully comply." Xingyi hesitated for a moment, then bowed, took a few light steps, and sat down in the earth seat.

As soon as she sat down, wisps of incense energy gathered from the void and slowly entered her body. The incense energy intertwined with the water elemental energy within her, and a faint glow shimmered around her, making her beautiful face appear even more ethereal and otherworldly under the firelight.

"This is the way of incense offerings... truly profound." Xia Daoming sighed as he observed.

He had obtained a mountain god's tablet in his early years and had some knowledge of the ancient lineage of incense offerings. However, it was only now that he truly witnessed its mysteries, which inevitably moved him and gave him some insights.

Xingyi sighed softly and said, "Yujian is just a remote and barren place. The Heavenly Court's salary is meager, and the local support is also scarce. I have cultivated for more than half of my life, all thanks to the help of this incense and faith."

However, with the world growing increasingly chaotic and incense offerings dwindling, at this rate, who knows when he'll be able to cultivate to the point of refining emptiness and returning to true essence, escape this place, and search for news of the Palace Master and the others.

As he spoke, a hint of sadness flickered in his eyes.

Xia Daoming paused for a moment, then slowly changed the subject: "Let's not talk about that for now. Tell me—how long has it been since I left Nanzhenhai? And what has happened to Qingyuan Sect and Canglan Palace during this long period?"

"Yes, Master Xia." Xingyi nodded, her voice softening as she began to recount the events of that year.

This lecture lasted for almost half an hour. Xia Daoming listened with a solemn expression, remaining silent for a long time. He had a premonition that he had been adrift in the chaotic space for a very long time, but he still underestimated how long it had been.

"Three thousand three hundred years..."

He repeated it in a low voice, as if struck by a heavy hammer, his fingertips trembling slightly. The sound of the stream beside him now roared like thunder, completely drowning out everything around him.

He seemed to see smiling faces from the past, but the relentless passage of time had turned them into misty shadows, impossible to touch.

Three thousand three hundred years!

Who can guess where they are right now? And whether they are safe and sound?
Fortunately, he left behind great opportunities such as the Heavenly Tribulation Crystal and the Candle Dragon Grass, which can protect them through many heavenly tribulations and prevent them from easily perishing.

Xingyi's later words confirmed this—after undergoing three Heavenly Tribulations, her physical body was destroyed, forcing her to dissolve into a spirit and enter Nanzhen Jishan to serve in the Heavenly Court. Before their departure, Liu Qiaolian and the other two had already survived five Heavenly Tribulations. With their aptitude and talent, coupled with Ren Xiaoyao's likely prior groundwork in the Earthly Immortal Realm, they should have been able to quickly establish themselves after ascending to the Immortal Realm.

However, concern can lead to confusion, especially since more than three thousand years have passed. How could Xia Daoming not be worried?

As for his master, Zuo Dongge, thirty years after leaving Qingyuan Sect, he reached the threshold of the fourth tribulation of the Nascent Soul stage. In order to avoid attracting the attention of the supervising immortal envoys and bringing disaster to Qingyuan Sect after passing the fourth tribulation and entering Beizhenlu Mountain, he resolutely bid farewell to his fellow disciples and went straight to Beizhenlu Mountain.

Yue Huang, Xiao Hongyi, Xiao Jin, and others also underwent tribulations one after another, all embarking on the same path.

Although Qingyuan Sect and Canglan Palace were becoming increasingly prosperous, they always maintained a low profile and avoided competing with the outside world in order to avoid the eyes of the Five Towns Surveillance Immortal Envoys. At least before Xingyi's ascension, if it weren't for the intervention of the Five Towns Surveillance Immortal Envoys, no one in the Xuanhuan Realm could rival Qingyuan Sect. As for what happened after that, she had no idea.

After a long silence, Xia Daoming finally composed himself and said with a sharp look in his eyes, "Tell me about yourself, and about the situation in the Earthly Immortal Realm and the Heavenly Court. I only escaped from my predicament today and arrived in this realm, and now I am completely lost."

"Master Xia has only just arrived in the Immortal Realm today!" Upon hearing this, Xingyi's beautiful eyes widened suddenly, filled with disbelief.

In her memory, this extraordinary and powerful being should have ascended to heaven many years ago since he left and never returned. How could he have arrived only now?

"An accident dragged me into a chaotic space, and I only managed to escape today." Xia Daoming shook his head with a wry smile.

“No wonder…” Xingyi seemed to understand, recalling his miserable state when he was rescued by Cui Baisong and the others, and couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. She said softly, “Master Xia is a lucky man. After escaping this predicament, he will surely rise again in the Earthly Immortal Realm and find the Palace Master and the others again.”

Even so, I couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness and heaviness in my heart.

The Earthly Immortal Realm is different from the Profound Realm. Back then, Master Xia could almost sweep away all the powerful figures, but now, he appears as weak as ever in this world.

Having wasted three thousand years in this chaotic space, his cultivation has stagnated, and his possessions are likely already empty. How easy would it be to rise again under such circumstances?
Moreover, she herself was confined to this place, constrained by incense offerings and salary, making progress slow. Even with her utmost help, it would be nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

"Don't talk about me yet." Xia Daoming waved his hand, his expression calm and resolute. "Let's talk about yourself first."

　That concludes today's update.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)