The Great Road of Shading the Sky

Chapter 270 The Master of Nourishing Life, The Third Earthquake

The deceased are buried in the ruins; only the faint sound of a broken bell remains here.
Shao Hua never expected that what was left behind beneath the Black Abyss would be the belongings of her closest relatives!
The mournful sound of the bells stirred her heart, filling her with sorrow and grief.

Most importantly, she should have been able to learn something unknown from the broken bell, or awaken more of the past, but what happened?

There wasn't even the slightest reaction!
If she hadn't confirmed that this was a fragment of the Boundless Bell and hadn't vaguely heard the familiar chime, she probably would have started to have doubts.

Luo then added insult to injury: "Imperial weapons are immortal; they will only perish forever along with their masters."

"Thank you for reminding me, but you didn't have to be so blunt," Shao Hua said softly, a slightly melancholic smile playing on her lips.

“My sister is dead too. Luo was actually what others called her back then.”

"Please accept my condolences, Xiaohua." Before Shaohua could finish speaking, more flowers bloomed on her head, vibrant and beautiful.

"."

Fortunately, Shaohua was no ordinary person. After plucking the little flower from her hair, she quickly composed herself.

What does it matter that our loved ones have passed away? Their voices, faces, and smiles remain in our hearts.

As long as I live and keep moving forward, one day I will be able to step into the highest realm, recreate those people, and make up for all the regrets of the past!

"If I want to break through this barrier, you should stay by my side. It will be of great benefit to you," Shao Hua said to Yan Ruyu.

The latter knelt obediently to the side, witnessing such supreme power, which greatly shocked her young mind, and she has not yet recovered.

As for the Primordial Chaos level being in the forbidden area, it came to request an audience immediately. Its true form is a divine beast, the Vermilion Bird, and its bloodline is relatively pure.

This world is still incomplete. Theoretically, the Heavenly Venerable is the limit. To reach the Primordial Chaos Realm, one must have great opportunities and rely on certain rare immortal treasures to break through the limit.

But that's the limit; constrained by the universe, it's impossible to go any further.

“You are very old and your time is almost up. Even if I remove the strange substance and you reach a higher level, it will be a stroke of luck. It will be very difficult for you to break through again,” Shao Hua said.

This Vermilion Bird was too old and didn't have much time left to live. Breaking through to the Great Primordial Realm was just a final burst of energy after the strange substance in its body was cut off. It had exhausted all its resources and could not add much to its lifespan. It was still not far from death.

"I don't ask for a longer life, I only wish that you could take my children away from this cage," the old Vermilion Bird said, bowing repeatedly.

A divine bird, at this moment, was as humble as a chick pecking at rice.

Shao Hua paused for a moment, then said softly, "This world is not necessarily a cage; it can also be a sanctuary."

"This world is too small. The sky is high and vast, but it cannot contain us to spread our wings. The earth is deep and profound, but we are not beasts that can burrow underground. The outside world is vast, and they should not be trapped here. They must go out and see it!" the old Vermilion Bird said, its voice filled with grief.

Indeed, this world is very narrow, like being in a deep abyss. The sky is high, but not wide, and the earth is deep, but it is full of ruins.

To the mythical bird Vermilion Bird, this was a cage that imprisoned them.

Shaohua said nothing more, which was tantamount to tacit approval.

The old Vermilion Bird was quite perceptive; it hadn't lived such a long life for nothing. It immediately took out five divine bird eggs and arranged them neatly.

"The Master of Nourishing Life emphasizes the integration of the physical body and the spirit, cultivating and nourishing them together, achieving unity of form and spirit, nurturing oneself in the mortal world, and elevating oneself time and time again until one ascends to immortality."

Shao Hua began to break through her cultivation barrier and resume her cultivation path. This was no big deal for her. If it weren't for the need to explore the Black Abyss, she would have broken through earlier.

Because, as the name suggests, the essence of the Nourishing Life Master is to nourish life and recuperate, which is the right path. It is completely different from the fighting and brute force of the Secret Realm Method.

It's best not to take action unless absolutely necessary.

Over the course of several years, there was a subtle fluctuation in the world, as if a heavenly tribulation was about to descend, but it eventually dissipated into nothingness.

Shaohua continued to transform and subsequently officially entered the field of health preservation.

This is slow, unlike before, but it is exactly in line with the true meaning of nourishing life: slow down, calm down, rest and recuperate, and wait for ascension to immortality.

Just like a silkworm spinning its cocoon, once it has accumulated enough energy, the silkworm spins its silk to form a cocoon, waiting for its transformation, and finally emerges as a butterfly, just like a new life!

The first two realms, the Human World and the Free and Easy Wandering, focus on accumulation, while the Nourishing Life Realm is a process of transformation, with the goal of ascending to immortality.

Human world, carefree wandering, master of nourishing life, ascension to immortality
After a short period of seclusion, Shao Hua reached the ninth minor realm of the Nourishing Life Master, equivalent to the ninth level of the Quasi-Emperor in her previous life. Breaking through the limit next would be equivalent to reaching the pinnacle of humanity.

If one can cultivate health by breaking through the six barriers, then defying the heavens and defeating immortals is not impossible.

She suddenly opened her eyes, dispelling the chaotic energy swirling around her and revealing her true form. Her long black hair flowed naturally down her chest and back, her body radiating divine light, and she couldn't help but exhale a breath of innate pure energy.

This breath of innate energy contained unimaginable power of creation and health. It first drifted past Yan Ruyu and then disappeared into the five Vermilion Bird eggs.

Yan Ruyu took a deep breath, feeling somewhat lightheaded. Her body went limp and she collapsed to the ground, revealing her slender and graceful figure, which was quite beautiful.

The five Vermilion Bird eggs, engulfed in the flames of rebirth, also began to stir. The little creatures inside received immense nourishment and were about to hatch.

The old Vermilion Bird died a few years ago, burning out its essence and leaving behind a pure flame of rebirth to nurture its offspring—its final gift as a mother to her children.

"It's time to go back. I've been here for nearly a hundred years. I wonder how Yao Yao and Chu Feng are doing," Shao Hua murmured to herself, her slender hand stroking several warm, jade-like Vermilion Bird eggs. With a few clicks, five vermilion chicks hatched one after another.

The five little sparrows first shared the Nirvana Flame, then stared blankly at Shaohua, making soft chirping sounds.

"I'm not your mother, well, but I've found you a guardian." Shao Hua smiled and placed the five little sparrows into the arms of the unconscious Yan Ruyu.

When Yan Ruyu woke up, she found several warm little ones in her arms and could only helplessly accept the fact that she had become a mother.

She is gentle by nature and cultivates the way of nature, so she has no objection to this.

“I feel that I can break through to the Heavenly Venerable realm,” Yan Ruyu said.

"No rush. When we get back, I'll introduce you to someone who can give you some guidance." Shao Hua planned to entrust this descendant of Wan Qing to Liu Shen for some training.

After all, their true forms are both plants, so they have a natural commonality.

It's not very meaningful to make a breakthrough now. The young girl has gone astray on her own and will inevitably have to rebuild her foundation and start practicing again.

Shaohua, accompanied by Yilian and Wuque, embarked on her return journey. While maintaining health was important, it didn't mean she couldn't use any power at all. It was simply a matter of principle and her pursuit as a cultivator who had undergone a transformation; it was best to avoid fighting with others.

As she traversed the winding and rugged spiritual path, she came upon a narrow fork in the road and saw a rift in spacetime.

The fork in the road leads to a dead end, but behind the spacetime rift, one can see a hazy universe, far larger than the human world and this strange, ruined realm.

That universe was shrouded in mist, lifeless and gloomy, and extremely cold.

"The Nine Netherworld." Shao Hua recognized it at a glance.

Named Nine Netherworlds, it was actually the fragment of the immortal realm that was closest to the human world.

However, when she divided the three realms, the Ancient Heavenly Court was located in the Strange World and did not move its position. The human world remained the human world. It just so happened that the fragments of the Immortal Realm that were later damaged split into nine regions, which became the so-called Nine Netherworlds.

Now it seems that the universe is indeed almost dead.

The human world is in ruins, the heavenly court has collapsed, and the nine netherworlds are desolate; the three realms are no longer what they once were.
"Just as I expected, time flows differently in that world, almost a hundred times faster than in the human world. A hundred years is only a year in the human world."

Shao Hua nodded slightly, thinking that time in that world must have been distorted by the force of the final impact of the fragments of the Boundless Bell, otherwise she wouldn't have stayed there for so long.

Perhaps because she was focused on health, she lost even the last bit of her flamboyant spirit, abandoned her beloved golden road, and quietly returned to Earth from Beidou.

The main focus is on being low-key!
"That Chu Feng kid is quite a troublemaker. He auctioned off all the divine sons and saints left on Earth?"

Shao Hua didn't even return to Kunlun Mountain; he just wandered around a city and learned about someone's glorious "achievements."

It can only be said that Chu Feng has a unique way of thinking, a lot of clever ideas, and is good at discovering special business opportunities.

Exploring secret realms with great effort and fighting to the death with others is nowhere near as lucrative as being a slave trader.

The only downside is that it damages one's reputation; only someone with a thick skin would do such a thing, and one is likely to get beaten to death if they go out.

But high risk, high reward—that's always been the case!

Of course, Chu Feng's stated purpose was to send those lost friends from other realms back home.

However, there's no guarantee which home it will go to. It's an open and fair auction, and the highest bidder wins. No cheating, young or old.

Taking advantage of the relatively smooth communication between the major star regions and the fact that those powerful forces had recovered from the upheaval, he ruthlessly packed everyone up and sent them away in one go, fleecing those extraterrestrial forces.

Shaohua couldn't help but chuckle, then shook her head. Let them make a fuss; in her eyes, it was just children playing house, nothing to worry about.

Those visitors from beyond the realm came to plunder Earth's ancient heritage, so they shouldn't be surprised to be treated the same way they treat others.

They chose their own path, so even if they all die on Earth, there's nothing to say.

In comparison, having the opportunity to go back is already a mercy, and the forces behind them can only grit their teeth and accept it.

They were chosen by us, and their talents are undeniable. It would be a great loss if they were to be lost like this.

Especially after two major upheavals in the world, all the major forces urgently need to stabilize people's hearts. If even the divine son and holy daughter are ignored, what will the other disciples and followers think?

If people's hearts are scattered, then we're truly doomed!

"Sigh, without my fairy sister, even the sun seems to have lost its luster. The human world is not worth living. How about another earthquake?"

In the Kunlun Mountains, Chu Feng looked up at the sky and sighed.

As soon as he finished speaking, the world suddenly trembled.

Amidst the stunned expressions of the group of beast kings, a myriad of roars and rumbles filled the air, and the third earthquake truly arrived!

"Buhao, my realm, my cultivation level, don't drop!"
-
(I haven't been feeling well these past few days, and today was another day of feeling groggy. I've tried to adjust my sleep schedule and go to bed early, but I still feel inexplicably dizzy. I forced myself to write this much tonight, but I'm having some writer's block at the end. That's all for tonight, sorry QAQ)

(End of this chapter)