Immortals of the End Times

Inside the Wushang Cave Heaven, in the Lingquan Pavilion.

The misty water vapor shimmered with a faint silvery glow under the moonlight.

Nan Zhixia, dressed in a plain white robe, her black hair loosely tied up with a jade hairpin, lightly tapped the jade slip on the table with her fingers, sending beams of spiritual light into the floating map of Beiyun Dizhou.

The scattered points of light on the map marked the recent exploration routes of the disciples of the grotto-heaven, and she reported this to her husband, Zhao Wuji.

"I have indeed made some progress during this period. In the 'Cold Crow Valley' in the southwest of Beiyun Dizhou, I discovered a remnant of a first-level Yin Meridian."

Although it is 99% depleted, some Yinwu Sand can still be collected from the bottom of the valley.

She looked up at Zhao Wuji, who was standing opposite her with his hands behind his back, and continued, "On 'Thousand Reef Island' in Yizhou, Huaihai, there is a small clan called the Molin Clan, who are skilled at cultivating the second-level Yin attribute spiritual plant 'Sea Yin Grass'."

They are willing to trade long-term at three source crystals per plant, and I have already ordered someone to purchase five plants for trial planting.”

"A level two Yin-attribute spiritual plant? Not bad."

Zhao Wuji nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the newly added markings on the map.

The points of light were scattered like stars, faint yet forming a network.

"The disciples have made truly remarkable progress in their recent explorations."

He lightly stroked the edge of the map with his fingers, channeling a wisp of spiritual energy into it. Several thin, blood-red lines immediately appeared on the map. "These are the locations where disciples perished?"

Nan Zhixia pursed her lips and nodded: "There's something strange about the 'Black Fiend Forest' in the northeast of Beiyun Dizhou."

Two Qi Refining stage disciples went missing after entering.

I sent men to observe from a distance, and they discovered what appeared to be traces of poisonous substances in the forest, so I did not investigate further.”

"Poison barrier..." Zhao Wuji nodded slightly, noting down the location, perhaps it would be useful in the future when cultivating poisonous insects.

Nan Zhixia rolled up her sleeves and took out three grayish-brown pieces of ore from her storage bag: "This is 'Yinwu Sand Ore' brought back from Cold Raven Valley. It has many impurities, but if it can be refined..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Wuji had already pointed with both fingers.

The gray shell on the surface of the ore cracked open with a "crack," revealing a spiderweb-like dark blue pattern inside. Immediately, yin energy surged out, causing the yin pearl in his sea of ​​consciousness to become restless.

This kind of spiritual material would have been a highly sought-after treasure when it was first produced in the capital.

"If Yin Mist Sand is poured into the Yin Sha Spring, it might accelerate the formation of Yin Marrow."

Zhao Wuji thought to himself, "However, if this spiritual material is mixed with the roots of yin-attribute spiritual plants, it can also promote accelerated growth."

He immediately said, "Instruct your disciples to mine more of this Yin Mist Sand."

"it is good!"

Upon seeing this, Nan Zhixia unconsciously raised the corners of her lips.

She was content to receive praise from her husband and to be of help.

But then he frowned and sighed, "It's just that the disciples have been frequently going out in the past half month, and thirty percent of the source crystals stored in the cave have already been used up. If this continues..."

"It doesn't matter."

Zhao Wuji interrupted, "Right now, intelligence and connections are more important than source crystals. The spiritual energy revival is imminent. Controlling more resource points now will give us a greater advantage in the future."

"Spiritual energy revival?" Nan Zhixia suddenly looked up, her expression surprised.

"Indeed, the revival of spiritual energy may be imminent."

Zhao Wuji's gaze was deep as he lightly pointed to the location of the Wang family on the map. "The Wang family is so eager to recruit retainers and hoard resources, they must have sensed something. We... cannot fall behind."

We must increase our strength and control more resources and information before the spiritual energy resurgence arrives; otherwise, if some powerful figures awaken in the future, we will lose the initiative if we act then.”

"Hmm," Nan Zhixia understood Zhao Wuji's meaning, and nodded solemnly, "Okay, don't worry, I will take care of everything."

As she spoke, worry resurfaced in her eyes, "You're going to the Wang family to compete for the position of guest elder. Could it be that you're planning for the future revival of spiritual energy? The Wang family might be an easy place for you to get into, but what about leaving in the future?"

"No problem!" Zhao Wuji smiled and said confidently with his hands behind his back, "Since I am willing to go, I am naturally fully prepared to make it easier to escape in the future."

Upon hearing Zhao Wuji's words, Nan Zhixia knew her husband's abilities; he had once been a powerful figure in the Tiannan Secret Realm, and she immediately felt relieved.

A mischievous smile suddenly appeared in her eyes. She lightly twirled a strand of hair that had fallen down her neck with her fingers and said casually, "Since you're going on a long journey, you should at least leave some 'benefits' for me, the one who looks after the house, right?"

"Oh? What do you want?"

Zhao Wuji chuckled upon hearing this, his gaze sweeping over Nan Zhixia's slightly reddened earlobes. He immediately understood his fiancée's implication.

He immediately rolled up his sleeves, collected all the maps and jade slips on the table, embraced Nan Zhixia's waist, and transformed into a gentle breeze as he swept towards the palace.

Only one command remained, drifting out of the hall: "Supreme Mother, guard the palace gates well, and no one is to disturb you."

Inside the palace, the silk curtains moved silently without any wind, drooping gracefully.

Nan Zhixia was gently placed on the jade couch, her black hair spread out like ink, making her skin appear even whiter than snow.

She forced herself to remain calm, but then she saw Zhao Wuji had already cast a spell to set up a soundproof barrier, and winked at her with a smile.

"Didn't you say that you've mastered the Sunflower Spirit-Knocking Technique? Are you here today to let me see it?"

Nan Zhixia blushed and didn't dare to breathe.

But thinking that Zhao Wuji would be leaving soon, she still gave a soft "hmm" and a wisp of golden light condensed at her fingertips.

It is the spirit-awakening guide of the "Sunflower Spirit-Knocking Technique".

A wisp of light gauze, along with the sash, slipped off her body.

It was as if the deep sky had shed its veil.

It is like the waves on the sea revealing a clear and bright brilliance.

The two seemed to have arrived on the sea at dawn.

The sun slowly rose from the sea, emitting a faint reddish dawn light that ignited the crests of the waves with its pale red glow.

As dawn broke, a patch of crimson clouds appeared.

A red sun slowly rose, peeking out from the distant mountain ridge.

It leaped out of the sea and pushed aside the clouds.

Rising and falling, falling and rising.

The sun seemed to be lingering over the ocean, but was relentlessly pushed out by the giant waves, scattering countless rays of light into the pale blue sky.

As dawn breaks, the east turns white.

Golden ripples rose from the water's surface.

The pale white of dawn turned into a light red, just like the blush appearing on Nan Zhixia's face.

Outside the hall, the Supreme Mother stood with her head bowed all night.

Suddenly, I noticed that the dewdrops under the palace eaves were hanging there and not falling.

The entire palace was shrouded in an invisible aura, like insects trapped in amber, and even time seemed to stand still for a moment.

The restrictions outside the door quietly disappeared.

Nan Zhixia's spiritual power was restrained, but a faint golden line appeared between her brows, a sign that she had broken through to the Concentration Realm.

She lazily opened her eyes, meeting Zhao Wuji's smiling gaze.

"Its daybreak!"

Nan Zhixia reminded him shyly.

"Concentrate your mind and calm your spirit to stabilize your state of mind."

Zhao Wuji's voice was low as he pressed his palm against hers.

The moment Nan Zhixia closed her eyes, their spiritual energies converged like rivers, circulating endlessly under the final pull of the "Sunflower Spirit Knocking Technique".

The illusory core within Zhao Wuji's dantian trembled, and seven hundred newly condensed spiritual energies poured in like a galaxy, emitting a clear and melodious sound as they washed over his meridians.

Nan Zhixia had cultivated the "Sunflower Spirit-Knocking Technique" for a long time. When she reached the tenth level of Qi Induction, she offered herself to him, and the effect was truly superb. The newly condensed seven hundred or so strands of spiritual power were almost comparable to the effect of a three-fold success of the Sword Heart Pill, saving him two years of arduous cultivation.

As a result, Nan Zhixia broke through to the Concentration Realm in one fell swoop, saving at least two or three years of hard work and a Concentration Pill.

This is of course because his realm has far surpassed that of Nan Zhixia; otherwise, it would be extremely difficult to achieve such an effect.

"How was it?" Zhao Wuji slowly finished his practice and flicked a strand of sweaty hair from her hair.

"Dozens more strands of spiritual energy were condensed than expected..."

Nan Zhixia felt the surging power within her, then suddenly bit her lip and scoffed, "But you, you clearly said it would only be once, and the first time is always the best. Why?"

"Hahaha."

Zhao Wuji laughed heartily: "Why bother with such a win-win situation?"

"no!"

As Nan Zhixia's eyes darted around, she suddenly leaned close to his ear and said, "When you return from the Wang family... I'll collect the remaining 'interest.' Although the Sunflower Spirit-Knocking Technique will be less effective in the future, it will eventually have an effect after some time."

"well!"

Zhao Wuji laughed and looked at the morning light outside the window.

The two figures were elongated and overlapped, reflected on the wall painted with a cloud and crane motif, resembling a tender and affectionate painting.

"I'm still a little short on the time to break through to the late stage of the Condensation Realm... If I could take another Sword Heart Pill, I could not only break through to the next level in one fell swoop, but also solidify my foundation."

Zhao Wuji's eyes flickered slightly, as if he was weighing the pros and cons.

A moment later, he stood up, his robes fluttering without wind, carrying a wisp of cool medicinal fragrance.

Seeing this, Nan Zhixia quickly got up, stepped barefoot across the jade mat, and picked up the black-patterned robe hanging on the screen with her fair hand.

He expertly draped a robe over Zhao Wuji and whispered, "The Wang family has many factions... You must be careful when you go to compete for the position of guest elder."

As she spoke, she lowered her head and tightened the jade belt around his waist. Her raven-feather-like eyelashes concealed the emotions in her eyes, while the butterfly pattern embroidered in silver thread on her cuffs trembled slightly with her movements, as if it were about to take flight.

"Don't worry! You've mentioned it twice already."

Zhao Wuji smiled faintly, then suddenly turned around and grabbed Nan Zhixia's wrist. Under her astonished gaze, he pulled her close, raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Such careful instructions, it's like a young lady from the mortal world sending her husband off to take the imperial examination."

"What nonsense!"

Nan Zhixia's ears turned red as she pulled her hand away from his and turned her back. "I'm just worried that you'll get hurt out there. I don't want to be a widow right after handing myself over to you!"

"You're talking nonsense."

Zhao Wuji laughed heartily, casually grabbing the storage bag from the table and tying it to his waist: "Alright, if we delay any longer, I'm afraid I'll really fall into your gentle embrace and never be able to leave."

As he stepped out the door, Nan Zhixia's voice, which she tried to keep calm, came from behind him: "If there is any danger, come back. This territory in Tiannan is enough to manage well after the spiritual energy recovers."

Zhao Wuji raised his hand and waved, rising into the air with the wind, his back still dashing: "Manage the Supreme Grotto-Heaven well, and watch over each other with the Xuan Kingdom and the Linlang Grotto-Heaven. As for the Haishan Grotto-Heaven, I have sent Bai Chengshang to take over, and you will also be responsible for the handover."

"do not worry!"

Nan Zhixia cupped her hands in front of her lips and called out in a clear voice.

She leaned against the doorpost, her black hair gently ruffled by the morning breeze, until Zhao Wuji's figure completely disappeared at the end of the misty mountain path, before she gently withdrew her gaze and let out a soft sigh.

Half a day later, Zhao Wuji rode the wind, and the map of Beiyun Dizhou, which had been prepared by Nan Zhixia, slowly unfolded in his sleeve.

However, the mountains, rivers, and small forces were all clearly marked.

All I saw along the way was signs of depleted spiritual energy.

Occasionally, one can find a cultivator's cave dwelling, but it is mostly in ruins, revealing the desolation of the Dharma-ending Age.

He wasn't in a hurry to get going, so he turned around and entered his personal space-time capsule.

He instructed Xiaoyue and Xiaoya, who were busy in the space, not to disturb them.

He then entered the pavilion and sat cross-legged on the jade platform.

Within his inner vision, the Yin-Yang Pearl revealed that his cultivation level in the Immortal Path had reached the mid-stage of the Condensation Realm (5701/6000).

"I'm almost there to break through to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm."

Zhao Wuji pondered for a moment, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and his spiritual energy surged like a tide.

He patted his storage bag, picked up the second Sword Heart Pill with his fingertips, and swallowed it.

The moment the pill entered the stomach, a sharp sword intent, accompanied by spiritual energy, swept through the meridians like a raging tide.

He immediately made a hand seal and began to circulate the ingestion technique to refine the food.

"Zheng!"

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the three core divine senses—the Ice Sword, the Blood Sword, and the Halberd—trembled simultaneously, while the fourth, pitch-black sword shadow, nourished by the sword intent of the Sword Heart Pill, became increasingly solid.

The spiritual energy transformed from the elixir surged through the meridians, washing over the nascent core like a celestial river pouring down.

The surface of the illusory elixir trembled violently, but it quickly solidified under the nourishment of the medicinal power.

"Congeal!"

Zhao Wuji's thoughts were like swords, and countless threads of spiritual energy intertwined and swirled within his illusory core, rising like smoke and mist to his sea of ​​consciousness. In an instant, the sea of ​​consciousness shone with boundless light, illuminating the entire inner realm.

I do not know how long it has been
"boom!"

The nascent core suddenly swelled three times in size, its surface covered with Dao patterns, as if it were naturally formed.

His sea of ​​consciousness surged and expanded, and the power of his divine sense swept out like a tide.

Ninety-one li. One hundred li. One hundred and fifty li!

Wherever his divine sense reached, the textures of plants and trees, and the fluttering wings of insects and ants, were all clearly visible.

It wasn't until 150 miles away that this powerful surge of divine consciousness gradually subsided.

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the pitch-black sword shadow solidified completely.

The sword intent, a blend of exhilaration, despair, and hope, intertwined like a dragon, flowing endlessly through the blade.

"Late stage of Concentration... Success!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes snapped open, his gaze flashing like lightning. His aura surged, and his robes billowed and rustled even without wind.

The four core divine senses slowly swirled in the sea of ​​consciousness, resonating with each other and emanating a chilling pressure.

At this moment, his divine sense was as deep as an abyss, and his spiritual power as vast as the sea!

His divine sense swept across the crystal wall of the Pot Heaven Space, creating dazzling sparks.

"The strength of my divine sense is now no less than that of an ordinary person at the peak of the Concentration Realm."

Zhao Wuji felt the strength of his divine sense now.

He recalled the oppressive divine sense that Zhang Sichen exerted over him when they fought in the past.

Now, his divine sense power is absolutely enough to crush Zhang Sichen.

Only the divine sense of Ba Jianhua Lengyun, who is considered invincible even at the peak of the Concentration Realm, might be slightly better than his.

However, he quickly used an invisibility spell to conceal part of his cultivation level and core divine sense, only revealing the aura of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, so as not to attract too much attention during the Wang family's assessment.

With his current level of cultivation, even a Golden Core cultivator would find it difficult to discern the truth of this technique.

"Next, let's try that Overlord Blood Pact again and see if it's troublesome. We'll be fully prepared."

Zhao Wuji pondered for a moment, then made a hand seal to cast the Dream Marriage Technique and connect with Lan Canghai through a dream.

He then activated the illusory image of Xiang Yu's head, and golden patterns appeared on his neck, his domineering aura seeping into the dream from afar.

The crimson cauldron image branded between Lan Canghai's brows immediately began to tremble.
(End of this chapter)