Lingyuan Immortal

Chapter 824: Journey to the Deep Sea to Seek a Breakthrough

Idle clouds and pond shadows, things change and time passes.

Watching the sun setting slowly, I realize how many years have passed in the blink of an eye.

The sky inside the Shangzhen Palace was covered with floating clouds, and cranes were flying in the sky, unable to reach the fairy palace, but carrying a cool breeze.

At a glance, the already sparsely populated Shangzhen Palace became even more deserted. There were no immortal masters coming and going, and only a few Taoist children with long hair kept the palace going, trying to keep it afloat.

"Tap..."

"Tap!"

In the long corridor, the sound of light footsteps became more and more frequent.

The Taoist boy guarding the palace gate heard the noise, looked around, and couldn't help but stick his head out.

At the other end of the corridor, he saw a Taoist boy dressed like him walking quickly, holding a jade talisman in his hand and raising it high above his head.

"Huan'er!" he called softly.

The Taoist boy in the corridor kept walking, but his head tilted slightly. When he saw the other person, he couldn't help but respond happily: "Brother He, is it you who is on duty today?"

"Don't mention it, I should rest today!"

He waved his hand in annoyance when he heard this: "But yesterday, Zhu San was greedy and stole a Jing Lian pill used to feed the spiritual cranes. His whole body ached terribly. I couldn't forgive him, so I had to block it for him."

Huan'er smiled and said, "Only Brother He can be so considerate. If it were someone else, they would definitely not care and would be happy to watch Zhu San being punished..."

As he spoke, he walked to the front of the palace and handed the talisman on his waist to the other party according to the rules.

The Taoist boy surnamed He's expression straightened. He took the talisman and compared it with the talisman before throwing it back. He then looked at the jade talisman in his hand and asked curiously, "What happened this time?"

Huan'er replied softly, "I don't know the specifics, but the Palace Master said it seems the Daoist from Qiankun Cave was killed by a demon cultivator..."

Upon hearing this, the Taoist boy surnamed He widened his eyes and recalled in disbelief, "The Taoist disciple from Qiankun Cave... I think he was ranked 63rd on the Taixuan List. How could he die like this?"

Huan'er replied with emotion, "Even if he's on the list, it doesn't matter. He's still too arrogant. He stormed into the Northern Region of Central Continent with just one sword, treating the heroes of the Demonic Heaven Alliance as nothing. How could he escape unscathed..."

Three years ago, the Taoist from Qiankun Cave broke through the barriers and felt that he had mastered the Dao. In gratitude to his master for his great intention to conquer demons, he took advantage of the fact that the True Lord of the sect was guarding the Demon Cave and went alone to the northern region of Zhongzhou to test the Dao.

This move seemed to be full of dangers, but it unexpectedly made him famous. He killed two demon cultivators on the Taixuan list, the 84th and the 77th, in the battle, and his own ranking also rose from 72nd to the current 63rd.

In particular, his courage to venture into the demon cave alone made him have many followers. He was called "the Taoist Priest who conquers demons" and was extremely popular for a while, surpassing many of his fellow Taoists on the list.

But looking back now, he finally paid the price for his frivolity...

The Taoist boy surnamed He shook his head and asked, "Do you know who took his life?"

A trace of fear flashed across Huan'er's eyes, and she whispered back, "Blood Soul Demon Envoy, Luo Yunran!"

"It's him!"

The Taoist boy surnamed He murmured, "There are thirty-three Taixuan people. No wonder..."

The two sighed for a moment, but did not dare to delay too long. After saying a word or two, they passed each other.

The Taoist boy named He continued to guard the gate, while the Taoist boy named Huan'er held up the jade talisman, walked through the gate, and headed deep into the palace.

After walking for about a cup of tea, a heavy mansion gate suddenly appeared in front of them. Huan'er stopped, took out the talisman and activated it. Then the jade talisman in her hand flew up by itself, passed through the small hole in the mansion gate and went deep into the gate, and disappeared in an instant.

Seeing that the mission was completed, Huan'er breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she bowed respectfully at the gate of the mansion and turned around to return the way she had come...

In the Zhen Palace Cave, Chen Mu, who had been practicing martial arts for twenty years, finally had some time to relax.

He sat cross-legged beside a jade table, with a teapot with a pattern of orchids in the valley bubbling in front of him.

This pot of Shuiyun Mountain Stream Tea made by Han Jing is even more precious in the distant Central Plains.

Chen Mu picked up the teapot and poured tea, saying that he was taking a break from his busy schedule, but during this short period of time, his brows were still slightly frowned, and it was obvious that he was still immersed in the difficult cultivation problem he had just encountered.

In the past twenty years, he has cultivated and obtained thirteen Tao seeds, which means he has exceeded the first goal he set for himself, and has also successfully advanced the "Lingshu Qingyuan Zhenshui" to the level of top-grade Taoism.

But before he could be happy for a few days, thanks to the amazing insight of his innate Taoist fetus, he discovered that his innate Taoist skills only had the potential to be of top quality, but not the meaning of top quality.

Taoism and magic are achieved through Taoism and manifested through magic. They have power but no intention, which means they have magic but no Taoism.

Without the great Dao as a foundation, the performance will always be lacking in meaning.

As a result, the power of "Lingshu Qingyuan Zhenshui" fell short of his expectations...

However, this is not his problem, nor is it due to the "Tai Su Wu Xiang Yu Qing Jue". This special situation is actually entirely due to the uniqueness of the "Ling Shu Qing Yuan Zhen Shui".

This method is known to "hide the mystery deep in the abyss, and can gather all the water veins in the world into its origin."

Even without the "Tai Su Wu Xiang Yu Qing Jue" to upgrade its grade, it still has its own path to promotion.

But it was precisely because of this that it failed to absorb the necessary water veins. Even if Chen Mu built it up to the top level, its power would always be a little lacking.

This is something he cannot accept...

The demonic calamity is approaching, how can I allow my own Taoist magic to have such flaws?

However, the problem arises when the catastrophe is imminent.

But he has a second goal, which is the fourth level of strength.

At the beginning, the True Lord predicted that the demonic calamity would occur in twenty to thirty years at most!
Twenty years have already passed, and we might face an attack from all sorts of demons in the next moment.

Under such urgent circumstances, should he travel back and forth, refining the water veins in this world, or choose a place and strive to push forward the fourth level...

Both options have their pros and cons. One is that most of the water veins in the world have owners, so if he wants to refine them, he has to make some plans.

He doesn't have much time to begin with, and if he wastes it waiting, it would be more trouble than it's worth.

The fourth level of strength didn't require any effort, but it would not increase his strength limit as much as a complete high-grade Taoist technique...

“There’s not enough time!”

Chen Mu sighed inwardly, picked up the teacup and took a sip.

Despite his complicated thoughts, he actually tasted a slight sweetness from it. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened his eyes again, his expression became serious and he waved his hand to summon a number of jade talismans that were gleaming with light.

In fact, more than ten years ago, he knew that Senior Brother Zi Yang would pass on some information every once in a while.

It was just that he was immersed in cultivation at that time and had no time to take care of it.

Now that I finally have some free time, I should take a look and understand the general situation of the world and see how far it has developed.

Chen Mu looked at them one by one in chronological order, and his expression became serious for a moment.

"The devil rises and the mysterious disappears, the Nascent Soul combat power of the Demon Sky Alliance emerges in an endless stream..."

"After the battle with the Cuizhu Sect, the influence of the Demonic Path reached its peak... The Xuan Sect's influence declined, and the people of the world were in panic..."

"Qingxu Immortal Mansion compiled the Taixuan Ranking, which included one hundred geniuses from both the Taiyi, Xuanling, and Xuanmo realms. Junior Brother Chen was ranked seventh among the Taixuan, which caused quite a stir..."

"Tao Xianxu broke through the barriers and entered the realm of Huanzhen. The following year, he went out on an inspection tour and encountered one of the twelve Taixuan demon cultivators. After a fierce battle, he killed him, boosting the prestige of the Xuan Sect and his reputation. His ranking rose to ninth among the Taixuan..."

"Xian Jianchi's Li Jianyi challenged a Taixuan Fourteenth-level demon cultivator and killed him with a single sword strike at Gaotian Cliff, ascending to Taixuan Eighth..."

"Wei Mingde of Longxiang Mountain entered the late stage of cultivation. He fought against the heir of the Great Power Demon in Tonglongze, and his ranking rose to 21st in Taixuan..."

……

"The Taoist of Qiankun Cave was tragically killed by Luo Yunran. True Lord Cao was furious and wanted to persuade all the other sects to attack the Northern Territory of Central Continent to eliminate future troubles. However, this move was too risky and was rejected by many True Lords. Ultimately, the plan came to nothing..."

More than ten jade talismans, telling the story of the two paths of Xuanmo in this world for twenty years. Chen Mu's eyes were deep, and he pondered for a long time without moving.

Although he had anticipated that the world would not be peaceful before he went into seclusion, he did not expect it to be so intense.

Just look at the speed of change on the Taixuan Ranking, and you'll know a thing or two...

The devil's calamity may come at any time, and the world is so unpeaceful.

Thinking of this, he suddenly became certain.

"Instead of running around planning water veins, it's better to be more stable."

After finishing the tea in the cup, Chen Mu stood up and walked out of the mansion calmly.

……

Shangzhen Palace.

Zi Yang, who was listening to the report from the disciples below with his head down, suddenly realized something. He looked up and saw Chen Mu approaching.

He was suddenly delighted, stood up and took a few steps to greet him, and asked loudly, "Junior brother, have you come out of seclusion?"

"not yet."

Chen Mu smiled faintly and said in a clear voice, "I intend to go to the East China Sea and will be back soon. I am grateful to my senior brother in the palace, so I specially informed you."

His method of gaining strength is "Xuanyuan Fuhai Zhengong". If he wants to push it to the fourth level, in addition to preparing a lot of resources, the best place to break through is in the deep sea.

Now that he had made up his mind, he naturally had to set off as soon as possible.

"Going to the East China Sea?"

Zi Yang couldn't help but frowned. Without asking the reason, he just said, "Junior brother, you can go by yourself. However, the situation is turbulent now, so you should be careful when you go."

Chen Mu nodded and said goodbye immediately.

Seeing him moving away, the several deacons and disciples below couldn't help but start talking.

"Chen Shangzhen looks a little different than before."

"Yes, compared to when I just came back from Southern Xinjiang, my aura has suddenly disappeared without a trace."

"At first, just by being looked at by Shang Zhen, the magic power in my body began to boil uncontrollably, but now I don't feel anything at all, as if Shang Zhen has become an ordinary person."

Zi Yang's expression turned serious and he taught:

"Through hard practice in seclusion, escaping from the mundane world, if one achieves something, one will naturally return to one's true nature. However, one must also have the right state of mind to do so."

"If you can endure loneliness in seclusion for years, you will achieve something. However, can you calm down?"

Several younger deacons and disciples looked at each other and were silent for a while.

For them, every retreat is as painful as torture, so how can they calm down?

"You guys still have some self-awareness."

Zi Yang nodded slowly: "Don't be too ambitious, the road must be taken step by step."

"But you must not let your guard down."

"The Taoist master of Qiankun Cave has already perished, and the power of the demonic sect has increased dramatically, becoming more rampant. Demonic cultivators all over the world are becoming restless."

"This world is in chaos, and the two paths of Xuan and Mo will eventually determine who is superior."

"The day of his demonic tribulation is inevitable. If he doesn't practice diligently, he will not only suffer but also lose his life when fighting with those demonic cultivators in the future."

"Yes!"

……

The Taiyi Xuanling Realm was in turmoil, but no one was so blind as to try to stop Chen Mu.

After two days of hiding, they arrived at an unnamed area in the East China Sea.

Chen Mu looked into the distance and saw no inhabited islands within a thousand miles.

Between heaven and earth, only the pale sun hangs high in the sky, and the sea clouds are like black waves rolling snow.

He did not rush to sink to the bottom of the sea to practice, but threw out the formation flags for defense and called Xiao Qi out to serve as a guard.

After the formation was established and the fog covered the situation here.

He then waved his hand, and various resources and a three-legged alchemy furnace with carvings of dragons and phoenixes appeared in front of him.

His alchemy skills were only at the second level. Although he couldn't make fourth-level pills, he could still do it by slightly refining the resources in front of him.

He snapped his fingers towards the alchemy furnace, and with a whoosh, an eternal flame ignited under the furnace. All kinds of spiritual fruits and mysterious flowers fell into it, and began to change little by little.

After more than a month, the furnace began to gurgle like the hum of a toad, and the surrounding universe also began to tremble slightly.

About half a day had passed, and Chen Mu had an idea and withdrew the magic power in his hand.

The inspiration in the furnace was no longer restrained, and it suddenly became clearer and clearer, and most of it rushed upwards, but there was a loud bang, and a torrent of essence gushed out.

He was well prepared for this. He pinched his fingers together and suddenly inhaled through his mouth and nose. The ascending energy immediately flew into his body like a long dragon.

After an incense stick of time, his face flushed and his whole body was steaming hot. Feeling that it was enough, he hurriedly waved his hand to put away the alchemy furnace, and after hurriedly saying something to Xiao Qi, he suddenly fell into the deep sea.

The smoke was surging, and he felt his whole body suddenly get cold, and even his mind became a little clearer.

"let's start!"

He made up his mind, stretched out his right hand, and used his true energy to refine his essence.

Suddenly, the water began to surge, and from a distance, it looked like a real dragon breathing in and out of the water...

There is no time in practicing Taoism. In the blink of an eye, six years have passed.

On this day, the deep sea was pitch black.

Chen Mu didn't move at all, and there was no energy in his body.

Some ferocious fish seemed to regard him as "food sent by God". They swayed their nimble bodies around his sturdy Taoist robe, intending to nibble at the exposed skin and flesh.

Or maybe it’s afraid that its own kind will snatch it away, so it bites it right away!
"Boom!"

A muffled sound came from the deep water.

It was clearly an ordinary fish, but at this moment it showed signs of pain. When he was about to angrily go up and take a few more bites, he saw that the "God-given food" suddenly opened its eyes.

"call……"

It was so frightened that it swam away quickly, its tail swaying left and right like a palm-leaf fan, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

At this moment, Chen Mu had no time to care about the fish that he had picked up by chance, because his practice had reached the final stage.

He changed the gestures in his hands, and the energy above his head suddenly steamed up, transforming into a ball of energy a hundred acres in size that rose up in the deep sea.

This energy was like a canopy hanging high in the sky, and mysterious light continued to hang down, expanding in all directions and mixing with the spiritual tide in the sea.

As time passed, Chen Mu's acupoints seemed to activate, emitting a sound like gold and jade colliding. Under this crisp and pleasant sound, his appearance also began to gradually change...

……

(End of this chapter)