Immortals of the End Times

Chapter 176, Section 201: News from the Peak Master, Nascent Soul Possession (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets: 3535)

"My lord! According to the information we've gathered..."

The White Bone Cave Master licked his dry, cracked lips and chuckled, "The third branch of the Wang family seems to have been making frequent moves lately because of Hua Qingshuang's return."

It seems like resources are being allocated to her for cultivation, but whether that's actually the case is unknown.

As for the Xuanming Dynasty...

It is said that the King of Xuanming Kingdom was indeed a Golden Core cultivator, the younger brother of Wang Wujiang, the head of the Wang family, and the head of the second branch.

However, this person's whereabouts are shrouded in mystery. The affairs of the Xuanming court are jointly managed by the Six Pavilions, the Regent, and the Grand Preceptor. The number of times the King personally attends court to review memorials is… extremely limited.

"The King of Jindan Kingdom is indeed beyond comprehension."

Zhao Wuji nodded slightly, a hint of fear appearing in his eyes.

"Indeed, a person of noble birth should not sit under a dangerous roof."

Bai Chengshang said, "In this world of declining Dharma, a Golden Core cultivator who wants to maintain his cultivation level must rely on a level four spiritual vein that has not yet been depleted to stabilize it."

He paused for a moment, then said, "In my opinion, this king is nothing more than a figurehead for the Xuanming Dynasty to intimidate all sides. He mainly cultivates in the royal family's secret place every day."

“Hmm,” Zhao Wuji nodded, “I can’t find a reason why a Golden Core cultivator would need to oversee a dynasty, even occasionally, unless…”

He thought of the numerous acts of plunder and bloodshed hidden beneath the surface of the Xuanming Dynasty's apparent prosperity.

He thought of Zhang Sichen, who had also become ruthless and endured humiliation for a hundred years in order to condense the Golden Core.

"Unless it's for some important plan."

He thought to himself, then said calmly, "Continue investigating. I need to know Hua Qingshuang's movements and the true intentions of the third branch of the Wang family."

Upon hearing this, Wei Ding, the master of the White Bone Cave, hesitated for a moment, but quickly bowed his head and said, "Yes! This old servant will do his utmost!"

"Hmm?" Zhao Wuji noticed the White Bone Cave Master's expression. "Is it because you can't find the information?"

"This"

The White Bone Cave Master bowed nervously and said, "My lord, although the intelligence of Xuanxiao Cave Heaven has always been very powerful, and the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion it cultivates is also a powerful intelligence agency."

However, regarding intelligence concerning the Wang family, it is likely that only the forces behind Xuanxiao Cave Heaven could possibly investigate it.

"With the few undercover agents I've developed, they probably wouldn't have access to such high-level intelligence."

"The forces behind Xuanxiao Cave Heaven?" Zhao Wuji nodded thoughtfully. "Very well, let's investigate as much as possible."

"Yes!"

"Let's go, let's check out the Black Sand River near Black Sand Village first. It's quite a long journey."

Zhao Wuji waved his hand and rode the wind away first.

Upon hearing this, Bai Chengshang and Wei Ding immediately followed, each taking out a Qi-gathering pill from their respective storage bags and putting it in their mouths.

This journey is too far, about five or six thousand miles.

Although they all possessed profound cultivation.

However, such a long journey in this spiritless environment will consume a lot of spiritual energy, and it is necessary to use Qi-gathering pills to avoid damaging the spirituality after the spiritual energy is exhausted.

Four days later.

On the banks of the Black Sand River, the mist condensed into an iron-gray veil in the twilight, and the black iron sand deposited in the riverbed shimmered coldly in the setting sun.

Zhao Wuji, dressed in a black robe and wearing a bamboo hat, stood tall and imposing on a cliff three miles away. The hem of his black robe was lifted by the river wind, revealing a needle box hanging at his waist.

"My lord, that is Black Sand Workshop."

The White Bone Cave Master Wei Ding bowed and pointed into the distance.

But in the distance, at a bend in the river, seven pavilions were arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper.

The central "Xianbao Tower" stands out like a crane among chickens, with twelve battle flags stuck in each of its eaves, fluttering in the wind.

Zhao Wuji squinted to observe.

After a long while, only a few streaks of light streaked across the sky above the market, giving the impression of a desolate world in the end times.

This condition is even worse than the Lotus Moon Valley Market in his Linglang Cave.

"The overall economic climate is not good!"

Zhao Wuji shook his head with a sigh.

With fewer cultivators coming and going from the market, there was less cover to provide.

However, having fewer cultivators also has its advantages.

A solemn expression appeared on the gaunt face of the Supreme Cave Master, Bai Chengshang. He bowed and whispered, "My lord, the Wang family cultivators of Black Sand Village conduct routine inspections every three days. However..."

His tone carried a certainty, “This place is remote. The Wang family has always only sent two Qi Refining Realm deacons to guard it, and rarely do any Concentration Realm cultivators come to inquire about it.”

Zhao Wuji stood with his hands behind his back, gazing intently at the distant Black Sand Workshop, and nodded slightly: "Proceed according to the original plan."

Having said that, he flicked his sleeve, and the storage bag he had obtained from Elder Liang flew through the air toward Wei Ding, the master of the White Bone Cave.

"There are two hundred source crystals in the bag, plus the miscellaneous items that you two previously offered as tribute."

Zhao Wuji's voice was calm, "Go and exchange for some spiritual herbs and pill formulas suitable for those in the Concentration Realm."

He paused, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, "If we can find a rare and precious material that can accelerate the purification of spiritual energy, we must acquire it at all costs."

"Rest assured, my lord!"

Wei Ding forced a fawning smile onto his withered face, respectfully accepting the storage bag with both hands, his back bent so low it almost touched the ground. "This old servant is an expert in this, and will surely secure the most profitable deal for my master."

Zhao Wuji glanced coldly at the two of them, secretly making plans in his mind.

For the past four months, he has been trying to use the Spirit-Eating King Insect to help purify his spiritual energy for cultivation, but he has not yet found the right method and his cultivation progress has been slow.

If these low-level resources can be exchanged for high-level treasures, it would be a worthwhile trade.

"remember."

He suddenly spoke up, "If there is any unusual activity in the ruins, you must hold off the people from Black Sand Workshop."

Master Wei Ding of the White Bone Cave bowed: "I will obey my lord's command!"

The river wind howled, lifting a corner of Zhao Wuji's black robe as the White Bone Cave Master's figure disappeared into the twilight.

He turned around and, together with the Supreme Cave Master, leaped off the cliff.

He silently slid into the dark water, a complex look of expectation and wariness flashing in his eyes.

The bottom of the Black Sand River is as dark as ink, and the turbid water swallows up all the light, with visibility less than three feet.

Zhao Wuji lightly touched the Xuanxing Cloud Pattern Bowl with his fingertip, and the cloud pattern on the bowl flowed and shimmered with a faint light.

He made a hand seal and used a qi-sealing technique, instantly condensing a layer of transparent bubbles around his body to isolate the river water.

"Walk."

His voice was deep as he followed Bai Chengshang as they quickly descended.

A hundred feet deep, the cloud-patterned bowl in his hand suddenly became hot, and the cloud patterns on the bottom of the bowl seemed to writhe like living things, faintly pointing to a certain place.

"My lord, this is the place."

Bai Chengshang pointed his withered finger to a moss-covered rock wall, his voice hoarse with a hint of awe: "Back then, this old servant forced his way through the formation and almost lost his life here. Now that we have this bowl and spoon, we should be able to enter directly."

"it is good!"

Zhao Wuji activated the Xuanxing Cloud Pattern Bowl.

The cloud-like patterns on the bottom of the bowl projected a light screen, revealing a crack on the rock wall in front that was barely visible to the naked eye.

"Medical Skills - Improving Eyesight!"

He pointed to his eyes, a blue light swirling in his pupils, his vision piercing through the murky river water, clearly seeing the tiny characters etched along the edge of the crack:
"Where the three lights shine, the stars knock on the door!"

"interesting."

A glint flashed in Zhao Wuji's eyes, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.

Take out the repaired Star and Moon Spirit-Guiding Spoon and tap it lightly on the rim of the bowl.

The first clear sound summoned the moonlight.

The second sound stirs the starlight.

The third sound was accompanied by a ray of sunlight reflecting off the water's surface.

At the confluence of the three lights, the rock crevice slowly opened like the fangs of a giant beast.

Suddenly, the entire Black Sand River trembled violently, its waters surging. Shadows flickered within the rock crevices, as if some ancient aura was slowly awakening.

Zhao Wuji pondered for a moment, then waved his hand without making any rash moves.

Bai Chengshang understood, summoned the Shadow Sword, and flashed into the crevice, causing the rock wall to close with a roar.

As Zhao Wuji made hand seals, his eyes were deep and mysterious. Through the connection of Tongyou Jiameng, he observed the situation inside the ruins from the perspective of Bai Chengshang's controlled spirit.

But at the end of the passage inside the ruins was a semi-circular stone hall.

Twelve dragon-shaped pillars surround a central altar.

Each pillar is also topped with a lamp.

However, what was truly chilling was that the wicks of the lamps were burning the mummified corpses that appeared to be those of monks.

These faces, frozen in time, still retain the grotesque expression of their final moments.

"Um?!"

Zhao Wuji felt a chill run down his spine.

The Supreme Cave Master approached to observe and confirmed that these mummies were indeed dead, not ancient cultivators who had sealed themselves away.

Judging from the condition of these mummies, they must have been people from hundreds of years ago.

It is very likely that this was the era when the Xuantian Sect was destroyed three hundred years ago.

Three hundred years ago, it was also the time when the Dharma-ending Age arrived at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

"Could it be that the deaths of these people and the destruction of the Xuantian Sect are related to the end of the Dharma?"

"Or perhaps they foresaw the arrival of the Dharma-ending Age and made some arrangements here? Were they waiting for the spiritual energy to revive and revive like other ancient cultivators?"

Zhao Wuji remained vigilant, hoping he wouldn't encounter an old monster like Huang Shang.

Continue to observe.

The placement of the lamps was found to subtly correspond to the twelve signs of the zodiac.

The star map on the altar was a magnified version of the pattern on the bottom of a bowl with celestial cloud patterns.

Even more frightening is that the "lamp oil" has not dried up after thousands of years, and now it is being disturbed by outsiders.

"The lamps in these ruins were actually made by burning the oil from the corpses of cultivators."

He led Bai Chengshang to the altar.

The groove on the jar surface perfectly matches the shape of the star and moon spirit-guiding spoon.

Bai Chengshang once took the treasure from here.

What was sealed beneath the floor tiles were actually crystal coffins.

Each coffin contained a cultivator dressed in a star-patterned Taoist robe, with a lamp inserted in his chest.

This is the source of "lamp oil".

However, the outermost crystal coffin contained something different.

There was no lamp on the chest of the person in the coffin, but a lamp was placed between their eyebrows.

Although the man's face was withered, one could still see the majesty he possessed in life. He was dressed in a black Taoist robe with star patterns.

"Crack!"

Just then, the crystal coffin suddenly cracked open.

The "corpse" in the coffin suddenly opened its eyes, and the lamp placed between its eyebrows flew automatically toward Bai Chengshang.

Two lines of small characters are engraved on the bottom of the lamp base: Those who pass on the torch should inherit the laws of the Mysterious Heaven.

"No"

Bai Chengshang's spirit immediately fluctuated violently, as if sensing danger and trying to avoid it.

Zhao Wuji, however, ordered him to stay where he was and grasp the flying lamp.

The moment the lamp touched his hand, Bai Chengshang let out a scream as flames instantly burst into flames on his arm.

The corpses in the coffins beneath the floor tiles also decomposed rapidly and were burned to ashes in the flames.

The eerie flames traveled along Bai Chengshang's meridians straight into his sea of ​​consciousness, scorching his mind and causing him to writhe and howl in agony.

Zhao Wuji's pupils contracted slightly, a strong sense of alarm rising in his heart. The flame of this lamp could actually invade Bai Chengshang's sea of ​​consciousness!?
"The methods of the Xuantian Sect are indeed wicked."

Without hesitation, he activated the Xuanxing Cloud Pattern Bowl to protect himself.

At the same time, twenty-eight golden needles silently floated in the sleeve, their tips aimed at the cracks in the rock wall.

At this moment, a sudden change occurred!
"Crack!"

Suddenly, the crystal coffin in the center of the altar shattered, and a phantom spirit, carrying the stench of decay, soared into the sky from the burning, dried corpse!

The primordial spirit resembled a dried-up corpse, its body shrouded in a withered, gray spiritual light. Although its aura was extremely weak, it still carried an incredibly powerful and terrifying pressure that no one in the Concentration Realm possessed.

"Three hundred years have passed. Ever since you startled me awake last time, you have finally returned. Last time, you hadn't even focused your mind, and my primordial spirit had nowhere to reside. Now, the time has finally come."

A hoarse voice rang directly in Bai Chengshang's mind, filled with undisguised greed.

A weak surge of primordial spirit suddenly rushed into Bai Chengshang's body, attempting to forcibly take over his physical form!
"Possession?! Could it be a Nascent Soul stage monster?"

Zhao Wuji felt a chill run down his spine, and he began to retreat rapidly.

He was about to make Bai Chengshang's ghost self-destruct.

"Huh?! The spirit is locked up?!"

The nascent soul of the Xuantian Sect that had entered Bai Chengshang's body suddenly froze, a look of horror appearing on its withered and illusory face.

Three hundred years ago, on the eve of the great calamity of the end times, he painstakingly planned a way to transcend the world.

To prevent the spiritual veins of the Xuantian Sect from drying up, he exhausted his life's cultivation to set up a life-extending array.

Ultimately, however, he could not escape his fate and had no choice but to seal himself away in this secret place.

They used sky lanterns to prolong their lives and corpse oil to protect their spirits, managing to survive for three cycles of sixty years.

Sixty years ago, the great formation finally failed to continue, and his nascent soul dissipated completely, leaving only this broken primordial spirit to eke out a living.

Forty years ago, when Bai Chengshang mistakenly entered this place, he had the opportunity to possess another body.

At that time, Bai Chengshang was only at the late stage of Qi Refining and his sea of ​​consciousness had not yet opened. In the Dharma-ending Age, seizing the body of such a cultivator would be tantamount to courting death.

It's like the primordial spirit living in a dilapidated house with drafts coming from all sides, completely unable to resist the erosion of the Dharma-ending Age.

But now.
"This vengeful spirit was actually bound by hundreds of talisman chains?!"

The nascent soul's pupils shrank abruptly, and it was seen that Bai Chengshang's yin spirit was already imprisoned by dense chains of talismans, like a puppet on strings.

"It's a scam!"

The nascent soul and primordial spirit were shaken to their core, and instantly understood.

What kind of stroke of luck is this?
Clearly, someone used Bai Chengshang as bait to lure out his remaining primordial spirit!
"In the past three hundred years, has there actually been a fellow practitioner more insidious than I?! Did they manage to catch me while fishing?"

Without hesitation, his primordial spirit transformed into a wisp of gray light, about to escape from Bai Chengshang's physical body.

Zhao Wuji, who had been secretly observing for a long time, was in a state of rapid thought.

This primordial spirit seemed extremely weak, even weaker than his divine soul.

"With only a nascent soul remaining and no nascent spirit, I should be able to try to bind and seal it using my Netherworld Communication Technique."

In any case, the battlefield is Bai Chengshang's body.

Zhao Wuji's eyes suddenly shone brightly with a dark light, and he activated the Netherworld Connection Technique with all his might as he made a hand seal.

The three remaining insect kings within Bai Chengshang's body suddenly hissed and spewed out turbid talisman water from their mouthparts, which transformed into chains and strangled the weak and fleeing primordial spirit.

"You mere insect, how dare you block my way?!"

Despite his weakened primordial spirit, he remained calm and composed, displaying the demeanor of an old monster. He laughed in anger, and with a flick of his sleeve, the gray light of his primordial spirit, like a knife, instantly annihilated the will of the two insect kings.

But just as he was about to emerge from Bai Chengshang's body...

"Buzz!"

The gate to the ruins burst open with a roar, and more insect kings were flung out from Zhao Wuji's sleeves, swarming in and burrowing into Bai Chengshang's seven orifices like a malignant tumor clinging to bone.

"Penetrating the Netherworld, Locking the God!"
(End of this chapter)