I became an immortal in the mountains

Chapter 758 Xuanqiong Tribulation Control Alliance

A streak of light pierced the sky above the continuous mountain range.

"Who dares to trespass on my sect's territory?" With a furious shout, several beams of light flew up from various parts of the mountain.

Before they could even reach mid-air, the streak of light had already passed by their location.

They stood in the air, dumbfounded, and then quickly sent out a signal.

In an instant, further away, the radiance of the mountain-protecting array shone brightly, and a Yin-Yang cultivator in the air, raising his magic weapon, shouted warily, "Which senior has come to my Qingyang Sect?"

The streak of light suddenly drew an arc, bypassing the mountain-protecting formation.

"I didn't expect there to be a sect here!" Gu Yuanqing turned around and glanced back.

The Spirit Realm is vast, and the map he obtained from the Holy Land of Spirit Treasures is not detailed, only roughly recording the locations of the major sects. Although the map of Qingping Dao Palace is slightly better, it is too far in time and has deviated from the current situation in the Spirit Realm.

So along the way, quite a few things like this have happened.

The Yin-Yang cultivator from the Qingyang Sect breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the other party was taking a detour. He had just seen flashes of light signaling messages not far from the sect's gate, and seeing this streak of light heading straight for the sect's headquarters, he had thought that someone was coming to cause them trouble.

Just by looking at the speed of the fleeing light, one could tell that the newcomer was of extremely high strength and realm, and was truly startled.

Ancient abyss and deep valley.

Located in the far north of the spirit realm, this place is almost at the end of the ancestral vein of the spirit realm. The geomagnetic field is chaotic, and the yin and yang are reversed, forming a natural weak point in space.

A massive blue stone "ladder between the two worlds" extends downwards from the edge of the abyss, probing into a chaotic and murky mist.

At the end of the Heavenly Ladder was not a portal, but a spatial vortex that slowly rotated in the void, emanating a chilling power.

The surrounding environment was filled with violent spiritual energy, and void lightning bolts often darted around like golden snakes, striking the ancient cliffs and leaving scorch marks.

Various sword lights, flying magical artifacts, and celestial ships shuttled back and forth, transporting people and supplies, creating a bustling scene.

Nine enormous banners, each a hundred feet tall, were nailed around the ancient abyss according to the positions of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. The banners were embroidered with ancient dragon and phoenix patterns, drawing in the pure energy of the heavens, suppressing the earth's veins, stabilizing the vortex's shape, and preventing it from cracking or expanding.

A huge bronze mirror hangs high above the archway at the starting point of the Heavenly Ladder.

The mirror-like surface reflects the path leading to the whirlpool.

This mirror is specifically designed to protect celestial demons, preventing extraterrestrial celestial demons from hiding within it and entering the spirit realm.

Above the two realms' heavenly staircase, there are also numerous Demon-Suppressing Guards, all of whom are cultivators from various sects whose cultivation has reached the third tribulation of the Heavenly Transformation Realm or above, taking turns on duty.

The Great Master Hun Tian is also stationed there.

Gu Yuanqing descended with his escape light and followed the crowd down the heavenly ladder. He kept his aura concealed and did not attract anyone's attention.

Entering the Xuanqiong Realm from the Spirit Realm is not subject to any screening. However, returning to the Spirit Realm from the Xuanqiong Realm is not so simple and requires the exchange of merit points.

Upon arriving at the bottom of the Heavenly Ladder between the Two Realms, Gu Yuanqing stepped inside without hesitation.

This slightly unstable ancient path in the void can be safely traversed by those with the cultivation of a Celestial Being and the opening of their Celestial Being Realm.

It is not without danger. Occasionally, undercurrents in the space will disrupt the passage, and there may be void spirits mixed in to attack the passing cultivators. This is one of the reasons why there are guards on both sides of the space passage.

Therefore, all those who passed by rode in the light of escape and quickly passed through this passage.

Gu Yuanqing walked calmly and unhurriedly, looking at the "inextinguishable lamps" left by his predecessors as road signs floating in the passage. He even used his divine sense to explore the difference between the spatial rhythm here and other places.

With his cultivation level, even if a spatial undercurrent strikes, or even if he is swept into the undercurrent, he can easily return using the Heavenly Fishing Technique.

A moment later, at the end of the ancient path in the void, a magnificent palace stood before them.

The entire hall was cast from an unknown dark metal, and a huge pearl was inlaid on the towering dome, emitting a cold light that illuminated the vast space.

The monks moved about in the hall, but the order was well maintained.

Several enormous jade discs radiating spiritual light floated in mid-air, constantly updating the dynamics and tasks of each area.

Most of their tasks include clearing out small groups of infiltrated demons, patrolling specific areas, escorting supplies, and assisting in the defense of a certain section of the outer perimeter.

Dozens of deacons from the Demon Suppression Palace were stationed in various locations, guiding the newly arrived cultivators in an orderly manner.

"Fellow Daoists of the Beast Taming Sect, your spirit beasts are sensitive to demonic energy, so you may participate in patrols in the Xu (戌) area!"

"Fellow disciples of the Zhengyi Sect, a small demon nest has appeared in District C3. Fellow Daoists skilled in thunder magic are needed to go and eliminate it!"

"All newcomers, please register your cultivation level and preferred spells here so that we can assign you to a position..."

Upon arriving here, the scene is completely different from the cultivation world of the spirit realm; it is more like the front hub of a highly efficient war machine.

The aura of a great cultivator at the Yin-Yang Zhou Tian level permeated the hall, deterring any arriving cultivator from acting recklessly!

Not all the cultivators who came here were first-timers; they held their tokens and walked straight out of the main hall.

As for other newly arrived cultivators, they can certainly leave, but if they want to gain merit, joining the Xuanqiong Yujie Alliance, which is composed of both righteous and evil paths, is the best choice.

If you don't want to be bound by rules, you can join a demon-hunting team to hunt down wandering demons. You can then use the demon aura you hunt to collect merits from the cardinal department of the Xuanqiong Yujie Alliance. However, this is much more dangerous than other methods.

Before Gu Yuanqing arrived, he had some understanding of the Xuanqiong Realm, and Li Miaoxuan had also told him about its structure.

With his cultivation level, he naturally didn't need to follow the ordinary path. He glanced left and right, quickly locked onto the location of the Yin-Yang Master, and took a step to be beside him.

This cultivator happened to be from the Spirit Treasure Holy Land, and was easy to identify. His entire body, from his clothes, belt, hairpins to his shoes, was made of spiritual artifacts. He was armed to the teeth, truly deserving of the Spirit Treasure Holy Land's reputation for unparalleled artifact crafting.

It wasn't until Gu Yuanqing revealed a hint of his presence beside him that this person suddenly realized there was another person next to him.

Startled, he naturally opened his Celestial Realm, his robes and treasures shimmered with light, and he suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed on Gu Yuanqing.

Gu Yuanqing clasped his hands and smiled: "I apologize for disturbing you, fellow Daoist. I am Gu Yuanqing, and I have a question to ask you."

The cultivator from the Lingbao Holy Land secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but upon hearing the name Gu Yuanqing, he was startled again. This was a powerful cultivator known as the Undying Chaos Immortal, whom the Holy Land's master had specifically instructed him to be wary of. He quickly clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "So it is Senior Gu. I am Zhou Jingshan from the Lingbao Holy Land. I was unaware of your arrival at the Reception Hall and have not been able to greet you properly. Please forgive me."

He didn't doubt Gu Yuanqing's identity, but based on the fact that Gu Yuanqing had silently appeared beside him, he knew that the other party's strength was far superior to his own. Would a Grandmaster of the Chaotic Realm really need to impersonate him? Besides, Gu Yuanqing's appearance was also mentioned in the Spirit Venerable's message, so he now recognized the connection. "Fellow Daoist, you are too kind. I am new to the Xuanqiong Realm and don't know much about it. I wish to pay my respects to the Spirit Venerable, so I would like to ask you how to get there?" Gu Yuanqing said with a smile.

Zhou Jingshan of Lingbao Holy Land respectfully said, "The Spirit Lord has already decreed that if Senior Gu comes, he may go directly to Lingbao Palace. However, I have duties to perform and dare not leave without permission. Please follow me to Jingxu Pavilion at the rear of the palace. I will arrange for a flying boat to take you there."

"Thank you for your trouble!" Gu Yuanqing clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Please, senior." Zhou Jingshan led the way for Gu Yuanqing.

This scene, witnessed by the cultivators in the main hall, made them all secretly wonder: "Who is this powerful cultivator who has achieved such a feat? Why is the deputy envoy of the Reception Hall being so polite to him?"

After waiting in the pavilion behind the palace, servants served spiritual tea and pastries, with Zhou Jingshan keeping him company.

Before long, he seemed to have received a message and led Gu Yuanqing to a high platform to board a flying boat.

This flying boat was clearly arranged on purpose, and apart from the people from Lingbao Holy Land, there were only a few passengers on board.

The entire flying boat was a hundred feet long and wide, covered with magic arrays, with seven tall buildings, carved beams and painted rafters, and was extremely exquisite.

Gu Yuanqing naturally resided at the highest level, with dedicated Celestial cultivators from the Spirit Treasure Holy Land attending to him outside, and Yin-Yang Void Breaking cultivators responsible for receiving him.

After Zhou Jingshan took his leave, the flying boat rose into the air and headed towards the Lingbao Palace at a speed comparable to the escape light of a Yin-Yang Zhou Tian cultivator.

Gu Yuanqing did not stay in the room for long, but stood on the corridor and looked up at the sky.

The Xuanqiong Realm is clearly not an ordinary small world, but more like an extremely large fortress.

There were no spatial barriers above the nine heavens, but rather a huge magic array supporting the sky. The great sun revolving in the sky also resembled a magical treasure of unknown level.

Beyond that lies endless void, much like the universe as we see it in the world.

Further afield, one can vaguely see massive floating world cities. One hundred and eight world cities are distributed in layers around the Xuanqiong Realm, forming a defensive system against extraterrestrial demons.

After about an hour, the Lingbao Holy Land Palace came into view.

Although it was called a palace, it was actually an enormous bronze furnace.

The palace walls were covered with innate Dao patterns, and the power of earth, fire, wind and water was restrained into four-colored flowing light that surrounded the palace. Countless cauldrons spontaneously emitted starlight and emitted melodious metallic clangs. Between the corridors and bridges, there were magical treasure embryos that darted back and forth like swimming fish, making it a living holy land for refining artifacts.

Countless cultivators from sacred lands of spiritual treasures are using the power of this palace to refine magical artifacts. Occasionally, one can see cultivators shouting and chasing after spiritual embryos that are trying to escape.

This creates a wondrous scene rarely seen by outsiders.

The airship landed.

There was a powerful cultivator waiting below. This one was even more extraordinary, with most of his body radiating the spiritual energy of a Dao artifact.

He clearly already knew of Gu Yuanqing's arrival. Before Gu Yuanqing even stepped off the flying boat, he clasped his hands in greeting and said with a smile, "Zhu Hongfei of the Lingbao Holy Land welcomes Brother Gu!"

Gu Yuanqing returned the greeting: "Thank you for waiting for me, fellow Daoist."

Zhu Hongfei said, "The Spirit Lord is delighted to know of your arrival and is already waiting in the hall. Please come in, fellow Daoist!"

Gu Yuanqing followed Zhu Hongfei, observing the surrounding scenery with great interest.

Zhu Hongfei smiled and said, "With the great battle against the extraterrestrial demons imminent, we need many treasures, so everyone has been quite busy."

Just then, a cauldron not far away began to hum, its spiritual light flickering intermittently.

A crimson sword embryo suddenly shot out from the cauldron, emitting a clear and melodious dragon roar. Three or five disciples hurriedly formed a formation to block it, but the sword embryo nimbly bypassed it and flew towards them. Zhu Hongfei took out a jade ring from his sleeve, gently snapped it shut, and captured the mischievous sword embryo, handing it to the pursuing cultivator. The disciples of the Spirit Treasure Holy Land bowed and thanked him.

Further ahead, a grand hall stands majestically, its doors formed by the phantom images of two crossed giant axe-shaped magical artifacts, which silently open upon sensing the arrival of visitors.

Gu Yuanqing stepped inside, while Zhu Hongfei took his leave and hurried away, clearly busy with something.

Inside the hall, the Spirit Venerable stood before a celestial globe that constantly evolved the trajectories of the stars in the heavens. Hearing the voice, he turned his head and smiled, "Fellow Daoist Gu, my Hundred Refinements Hall is much noisier than your Qingping Dao Palace, isn't it?"

Gu Yuanqing looked around the hall walls, where countless magical treasures were being nurtured, twinkling like stars. He couldn't help but exclaim, "A masterpiece of craftsmanship. This place, Venerable Spirit, is truly the pivot of creation."

Venerable Lingbao laughed and said, "In the past, it wouldn't have been so noisy, but with the extraterrestrial demons eyeing us covetously, we can't feel at ease unless we refine more magic treasures as a backup."

Gu Yuanqing asked, "Could it be that there has been another change in the outer realms?"

Venerable Lingbao invited Gu Yuanqing to sit down, and a disciple served him spiritual tea. Only then did he say with a slightly solemn expression, "Fellow Daoist's guess is correct. It is indeed true. Just a few days ago, the Sky Patrol Department detected the auras of two more Heavenly Demons at the Chaotic Undying level outside the spatial rift."

Gu Yuanqing also frowned slightly. Heavenly Demons are inherently formless and difficult to kill, and with the addition of the word "undying," they are even more difficult to deal with than ordinary Chaotic Undying cultivators.

Adding to the previous four, there are now a total of six beings at the Chaotic Undying level.

Outside the Xuanqiong Realm, there are numerous spatial rifts. If an attack were to occur, the pressure on the entire defensive line would be immense!

Venerable Lingbao smiled and said, "However, your arrival has relieved our urgent crisis. The Four Phases Sword of the Qingping Dao Palace is the most effective weapon against the Heavenly Demon. With you here, our chances of success have greatly increased."

Gu Yuanqing shook his head and smiled: "You think too highly of me, Venerable One."

Lingzun said, "This is because I trust you, fellow Daoist. Zhao Shengbing of the Holy Heaven Sect is also among the top cultivators in the Chaotic Heaven Realm. He could hardly last more than a few moves against you, fellow Daoist. You have only achieved the Chaotic Heaven Undying Realm in just a few years. Such strength is truly astonishing!"

The two exchanged pleasantries for a few moments.

The Spirit Lord then asked, "Fellow Daoist, what are your thoughts on coming to this extraterrestrial battlefield?"

Gu Yuanqing said, "I am new here and unfamiliar with this battlefield outside the realm. Since I have come here, I will naturally follow your arrangements."

After a moment of contemplation, the Spirit Venerable said, "The Alliance of Tribulation Control, formed by the righteous and evil paths, is divided into three departments and one prefecture: the Heavenly Patrol Department, the Ten Thousand Laws Pivot, the Law and Punishment Hall, and the Demon Suppression Prefecture. However, with your strength, it would be inappropriate for you to join any of them. How about this: in about a month, the Alliance of Tribulation Control will hold a grand meeting for both the righteous and evil paths. I will nominate you to join the Alliance and enter the Council of Elders. What do you think, fellow Daoist?"

"We will do as the Spirit Lord says!" Gu Yuanqing said with a smile.

The Elder Council of the Alliance of Tribulation Control is one of the participants in the Alliance's major decisions. It is led by two Venerables and four Sovereigns. Those who join the council are either the sect leaders of top sects or the Undying Chaos Realm. With Gu Yuanqing's strength, he is naturally qualified.

The Spirit Venerable smiled and said, "Then you may stay in the palace for the time being. There are some records in the palace about the Xuanqiong Realm and the Heavenly Demons. You may also familiarize yourself with them."

(End of this chapter)