Immortals of the End Times

After a while.

The elders of Penglai Sword Pavilion watched as the black-robed figure, carrying Bai Chengshang, transformed into a black rainbow and disappeared into the horizon.

The sea breeze, carrying a salty stench, lashed against his face, causing his stiff body to relax slightly, but a chill had already crept down his back without him even realizing it.

Across from them, the island creaked and cracked under the strain.

Without the support of the spiritual veins, the rock strata of the Hai Shan Cave Heaven are cracking at a visible speed, the spiritual spring has dried up into grayish-white salt deposits, and the once lush spiritual plants have withered and died in the blink of an eye.

Some disciples of the cave dwelling who were unable to evacuate in time sat paralyzed in the ruins, their faces pale as if they had lost their parents.

Zhao Wuji had no intention of taking these disciples of Haishan Cave Heaven away. Although they were talented, removing their spiritual veins and then using them would easily expose his identity.

"Cough cough."

The elder of Penglai Sword Pavilion suddenly coughed violently, and a trickle of black blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

He quickly looked inward into his sea of ​​consciousness and saw that the core of his divine sense, which was originally as clear as jade, was now entwined with wisps of turbid yellow energy, which was eroding his divine sense like a malignant tumor.

"Calamity and defilement. This is a divine punishment that only those condemned by Heaven can be tainted by!"

His pupils contracted sharply as he recalled the records in the sect's ancient texts.

Only old monsters who have survived by improper means will be tainted with such sinister traces of divine punishment.

Thinking of this, he trembled.

Just then, a whooshing sound came from afar, and seven or eight disciples of Penglai hurriedly arrived by boat.

The leading blue-robed cultivator hadn't even landed when he shouted urgently, "Elder Liu!"

"Shut up!"

The old man suddenly flew into a rage, unleashing a sword aura from his sleeve that forced everyone back ten feet.

His face was ashen as he pointed at the speaker: "You nearly caused my death here! That was clearly a Golden Core cultivator disguised as a Nascent Soul cultivator, and someone who had a grudge against Lan Canghai!"

The words then abruptly stopped.

He suddenly remembered the prophecy that the sect leader had mentioned in a secret conversation half a month ago.

"Frequent unusual movements in the spiritual veins may indicate that a great calamity is about to pass and spiritual energy is about to recover."

Could it be that these ancient monsters, dormant for thousands of years, are truly going to return to the world during this time of upheaval?
This thought made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

"Return to Jian Ge immediately!"

Elder Liu dared not delay any longer. He grabbed the two closest disciples and threw them at the spirit boat, then quickly retreated himself.

Only by having the sect leader use the pure and flawless Penglai sword intent can the tribulation turbidity within the sea of ​​consciousness be cleared away.

A black rainbow pierced the clouds, like a meteor falling into the sea.

Zhao Wuji, his black robes fluttering, scanned the scattered islands below with his double pupils, and suddenly activated his escape technique.

"boom!"

The shockwave exploded, sending sand and gravel flying in all directions like arrows.

This deserted island is only a hundred feet in diameter, with thorns growing sparsely in the crevices of the rocks.

Zhao Wuji spread his divine sense like a net, and after confirming that there were no traces of cultivators on the island, he flicked out eighteen array flags from his sleeve.

"Duh!"

The moment the banner was inserted into the rock strata, the invisibility array and the dreamlike marriage array were activated simultaneously, and a gray mist enveloped the entire island like a veil.

Zhao Wuji sat cross-legged on the jagged rocks, gazing inward at the inner space of the pot-shaped heaven.

In a short period of time, the Pot Heaven Space had expanded to more than 240 zhang with the blessing of the new spiritual vein.

The gray fog churned at the edges and continued to extend slowly, though at a significantly slower pace.

Meanwhile, the spiritual vein, which was over two hundred feet long, continued to cause tremors within the Pot Heaven space. With each tremor, ripples appeared on the crystal walls of the Pot Heaven.

This is a sign that the spiritual veins are not completely stable.

"The extraction was too rapid; the spiritual veins within the Pot Heaven space haven't stabilized yet..."

Zhao Wuji flicked his sleeve, and an ancient scroll of illustrations flew out of his storage bag—the very same Earth Vein Spirit Pivot Diagram!
He formed hand seals, and spiritual energy surged around him.

When the guiding technique was activated to its fullest extent, his fingers emitted a dazzling spiritual light, which transformed into countless golden threads that seeped into the earth's veins along the patterns in the diagram.

"boom!"

The spiritual veins trembled and emitted a low, mournful cry.

The raging spiritual energy was forcibly regulated and gradually calmed down.

Finally, it dissipated into a vast expanse of spiritual mist, like a galaxy falling from the sky, boundless and majestic.

"Congeal!"

Zhao Wuji let out a cold shout, and the internal energy within the Pot Heaven space surged.

As if drawn by an invisible force, the spiritual mist surged wildly into the pre-planned spiritual mountain veins, merging with the existing miniature spiritual veins.

"click"

The crystal soil writhed like a living thing, quickly locking the dissipated spiritual energy into the rock layers, and mysterious patterns appeared on the surface of the mountain, which were clearly the natural spiritual veins simulated by the guiding technique!

"Gudu!"

A spring suddenly gushed forth from the mountaintop, its spiritual waters cascading down like silver ribbons, branching into streams along the ridge to nourish the medicinal fields below.

At this moment, the newly acquired spiritual vein of the Sea Mountain Cave is like a dormant dragon, winding and coiling on the earth, echoing the original broken spiritual vein of the White Bone Cave on the dome.

One source of spiritual energy soars into the sky, while the other receives spiritual rain; they nourish each other in a continuous cycle.

As the spiritual light flowed, the depleted spiritual veins of the Hai Shan Cave Heaven showed faint signs of revival.

Meanwhile, the broken spiritual veins of the White Bone Cave above were like spring rain nourishing all things, with strands of spiritual energy sprinkling down and soaking into the crystal soil below.

"Not bad!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes flickered slightly, and a satisfied look appeared on his lips.

Seeing that the spiritual veins had finally calmed down and stabilized, he immediately put away the Earth Vein Spirit Pivot Diagram with peace of mind.

He got up and stepped into the Pot Heaven space.

As soon as you face it, you feel a surge of spiritual energy.

It is several times more concentrated than before, but the concentration is still not high enough due to the limitations of the spiritual vein level.

"grown ups!"

Xiaoyue pulled Xiaoya along as they rushed out of the attic, their faces flushed with excitement. "The spiritual energy seems to have increased! This means the spirit rice will grow much faster in the future!"

“And the yeast is growing too!” the little girl said.

Zhao Wuji nodded, his gaze sweeping over the mushroom field in the distance.

Sure enough, a faint glow began to emanate from the wine-bearing mushrooms.

The three cultivated wine worms dart among the mycelium, their carapaces faintly gleaming with a metallic sheen.

He gently patted the little girl's head and said in a gentle voice, "The spiritual veins are just beginning to merge, and the valley is still unstable."

"You two should not approach the edge of the array for now. If you get tired of waiting, I will let you go out for a stroll."

"Yes!" Upon hearing that they could go out for a stroll right away, the two children were immediately excited and obediently agreed.

Beside him, Bai Chengshang stood bowing, awaiting instructions.

Zhao Wuji said calmly, "I am preparing to go into seclusion to cultivate. You will stay outside to protect me. If there is any unusual activity, send a message immediately."

"My subordinate understands!"

Bai Chengshang clasped his hands in a fist salute and stepped back, his figure disappearing from the illusion array of the Pot Heaven space and vanishing into the mist.

Zhao Wuji entered the pavilion, sat cross-legged on the jade couch, and began performing a guiding exercise with both hands.

The spiritual energy around him surged like a tide, and the acupoints around his body absorbed and exhaled the energy of heaven and earth, seemingly resonating with the space of the pot.

"With perfect concentration and a divine sense spanning 360 miles... Now that my foundation is sufficient, I shall once again knock on the gate of the Mysterious Female!"

His eyes snapped open, his double pupils glowing like blood moons, and the illusory core within his dantian trembled, activating the four core divine senses.

Ice sword, blood sword, martial halberd, and Nirvana Black Sword resonated together, their sword intent like the roar of dragons and the howl of tigers, shaking the very soul.

"The inner realm reopens, and ancient spiritual energy leaks out!"

He pushed the guiding technique to its limit, drawing in the power of the stars from outside the Heavenly Pot Space and channeling it into his dantian.

With the help of the Inner Realm Refining Spirit Technique, the outline of the Mysterious Gate that had only appeared briefly reappeared!

"open!"

The four core divine thoughts coalesced, transforming into four streams of light that crashed into the crack in the door.

"Ice sword freezes into frost, blood sword corrodes barriers, halberd breaks through barriers, nirvana severs the void!"

The ice sword froze the cracks in the Gate of Mystery, the blood sword began to corrode the barrier, the martial halberd fiercely slashed with domineering intent, and the Nirvana Black Sword, carrying a glimmer of hope amidst despair, pierced into the crack in the gate.

"Crack!"

The door gap widened by an inch, much easier than before when it was difficult to open even a small crack.

Instantly, three strands of ancient spiritual energy from the mysterious place behind the door quickly emerged and merged into Zhao Wuji's dantian.

In an instant, the dantian was as if the chaos had just begun to open.

As spiritual energy entered his body, the spiritual power in his dantian instantly collapsed, and a golden nascent core condensed under the crack in the door, growing to the size of a mung bean in the blink of an eye.

"not enough!"

Zhao Wuji suddenly mobilized the four core divine senses once again and rushed out.

Boom!

The Gate of the Mysterious Female emitted a vibrating sound.

Like gently shaking the earth's axis, slowly turning the heavens, a thunderous roar echoes from beyond the heavens!

Within the mysterious place, several strands of ancient spiritual energy surged forth once more.

Zhao Wuji's dantian trembled from the impact, his golden core shook, and he let out a muffled groan as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"When spiritual energy merges, the mysterious gate is opened; when the spirit condenses, the golden elixir is formed!"

The scene of the Golden Core phantom collapsing last time was still vivid in his mind. At this moment, he formed hand seals and activated the Pill Manipulation Technique!

"The workings of fate are set!"

The illusory image of the golden core created by the Pill Manipulation Technique firmly enveloped the trembling golden core, gradually stabilizing it.

The ancient spiritual energy leaking from the Gate of Mysterious Female was being frantically devoured, and the unstable fluctuations on the surface of the Golden Core quickly healed, gradually solidifying into a tangible form.

The Daoist text of "Inner Landscape Refining Spirit Technique" appeared in my sea of ​​consciousness:

"The Mysterious Female is the root of Heaven and Earth; from within, the Golden Elixir is solidified..."

Zhao Wuji's spirit was like a plow, deeply cultivating the three-inch-deep void of his dantian.

In a daze, he glimpsed a phantom of a secret realm emerging within his dantian, enveloping his golden core.

This secret realm corresponds to a chaotic area behind the Gate of Mysterious Female, where fragments of starlight flow, seemingly echoing the space of the Pot Heaven, yet existing independently of reality and illusion.

"Is it an inner realm?"

"So that's how it is! The inner world isn't the Pot Heaven, but we can use the Pot Heaven as an anchor..."

He suddenly made a hand seal and unleashed the Heavenly Pot Technique.

The second Heavenly Space instantly appeared within his body, transforming into an invisible passage that entangled the illusory image of the secret realm.

"Seize the power of heaven and earth, refine the essence of the sun and moon!"

"boom!"

The gate of the mysterious female suddenly slammed shut.

The resulting impact shook the Golden Elixir and the inner landscape where it was born.

Fortunately, the illusory elixir created by the Pill Manipulation Technique and the spatial passage created by the Heavenly Pot Technique both stably protected the golden elixir and the inner landscape, ultimately resulting in a safe outcome.

A golden pill the size of a soybean, radiating brilliant spiritual power and golden pill spiritual energy, floated steadily in the inner landscape of the dantian!
Although it may not have the overwhelming spiritual pressure of a true Golden Core cultivator, it possesses its own profound mysteries.

His spiritual sense expanded once again, spreading out and sweeping across five hundred miles in all directions!
Within his dantian, spiritual energy circulated like mercury.

Although the inner realm has not fully manifested, it can help him briefly unleash combat power comparable to the early stage of the Golden Core, when combined with the Little Golden Core.

"In this degenerate age, the Lesser Golden Core... is finally complete! I can say that I have swallowed a Golden Core."

Zhao Wuji couldn't contain his excitement and wanted to let out a long roar, but he held back.

"The Golden Core is a bit small, only the size of a soybean, but it can still release the power of the Golden Core."

His aura was as deep and powerful as an abyss, his double pupils were like a blood moon, and his imposing presence already showed the demeanor of an old monster.

However, Zhao Wuji soon realized something was wrong.

The spiritual energy of the minor golden core within the inner realm is dissipating, and even the inner realm itself is fading at an extremely slow rate. "The purity of the spiritual energy is insufficient to sustain the golden core?"

He realized the key point, his expression turned solemn, and he immediately mobilized the spiritual energy in his dantian to enter his golden core.

However, it can only barely maintain the loss of spiritual energy in the Golden Core, causing some replenishment, but cannot completely stop it.

His own spiritual power, though perfectly concentrated, was not yet fully sublimated. Its purity was incomparable to that of a Golden Core cultivator. It was like a small river trying to compensate for the loss of a vast ocean—willing but unable.

"Oh no, am I going to have to shatter my core again?"

Zhao Wuji's expression turned serious. He didn't want to go through the ordeal of shattering his core again, only to end up with nothing.

Thinking of the Inner Realm Refining Spirit Technique, he immediately tried to open the Gate of Mysterious Female again.

Meanwhile, deep within the secret realm of Wangjia Balong Mountain.

Hua Qingshuang sat cross-legged on a lotus platform, her double pupils radiating a brilliant crimson-gold light, with what appeared to be intertwined crimson lightning deep within her pupils.

The refined essence blood of Xiang Yu surged through his meridians like magma, each drop seemingly carrying the sounds of battle from the ancient battlefield.

She suddenly groaned, bracing herself with her palms on the ground. Her knuckles turned white from the excessive force, and the connection deep within her blood vessels caused a flood of fragmented memories to rush into her mind.

In my memory, on the blood-stained banks of the Wujiang River, there stood a man with double pupils, his hair disheveled and his feet bare.

Xiang Yu's armor was completely torn apart, and the broken blade of his halberd was stuck beside him. He looked up to the sky and roared, "Heaven wants to destroy me, not because of my failure in battle!"

A dark crack appeared in the sky, and the turbid energy of calamity poured out like a celestial river.

He suddenly pointed his halberd towards his brow, and a wisp of purple-gold dragon-shaped fortune was forcibly stripped away.

He then swung his halberd and beheaded himself. In the instant his fortune collapsed, the turbulent torrent of calamity strangely changed direction, avoiding the remnants of the Western Chu army.

"Yu Ji."

His blood-stained double pupils gazed into the distance, the remaining wisp of fortune in his palm transforming into crimson-gold fireflies that disappeared into the direction of the Hua Clan's ancestral land. "When your bloodline double pupils manifest in the world, you must slay all my enemies for me!"

"boom!"

The memory exploded, and Hua Qingshuang's spiritual power erupted like a volcano.

The nine jade pillars in the secret place trembled violently, the chains rattled, and the head of Xiang Yu behind the stone wall emitted a low, resonant roar.

Her perfectly concentrated spiritual power was now boiling over.

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, a second core of divine thought suddenly condensed, forming a phantom halberd.

Wherever the halberd's tip pointed, spiritual energy spontaneously condensed into a black-gold sword beam.

It is clearly of the same origin as Hua Lengyun's Overlord Sword, but it has three more points of ancient killing aura!
Under the double pupils' vision, Xiang Yu's head was clearly visible behind the stone wall.

The head suddenly opened its eyes, its crimson-gold pupils meeting her gaze across the void. A divine thought, transcending millennia, entered her consciousness: "Your destiny has become a shackle. Do not lose your way."

At the same time, a blurry yet familiar figure appeared in her double pupils and came into her view.

"Perhaps this person could be of help to you!"

"This is... Unbridled!?"

Hua Qingshuang's heart skipped a beat.

Although the figure was incredibly blurry, she could still recognize the familiar shape and form at a glance.

boom!
The memories in my mind completely collapsed and disappeared.

"So, the mission of the Hua family bloodline was that my father had also awakened this fragmented memory long ago?"

Hua Qingshuang's fingertips dug into her palm, and the memories of the Overlord's Armor Removal technique exploded in her sea of ​​consciousness.

The aura just now contained the inheritance that Xiang Yu had inscribed with the essence of martial immortals' blood, which could only be triggered by those who had mastered the double pupils.

However, the relevant memories can probably only be triggered by those with the Hua family bloodline.

"Crack!"

Two of the chains connecting the nine jade pillars suddenly snapped!

Wang Wujiang's figure emerged from the darkness behind him, his face revealing the outline of a dragon's might, his double pupils beneath his white hair shining brightly: "You've refined fourteen drops of true blood in just two years. The concentration of your bloodline... truly worthy of being the one who once made even Xiang Yu's head tremble!"

Hua Qingshuang raised her eyes, her gaze sharp as a sword beneath her icy eyelashes: "Ancestor, you've poured your heart and soul into my cultivation, could it be that you intend me to be the vessel for Xiang Yu's resurrection?"

"container?"

Wang Wujiang clapped his hands and laughed, as dark gold array patterns from his sleeve quietly spread to the blood pool. "You are my direct descendant! How could I treat you like this?"

He suddenly raised his hand and formed a hand seal, and seven blood-red stars appeared on the dome of the secret place. These were the "Seven Stars Substitute Life Formation" recorded in the Wang family's "Huangji Jingshi Book".

"The revival of spiritual energy is imminent."

The patriarch's voice was cold and viscous, like a venomous snake crawling against your ear: "Once you achieve the Golden Core, you will understand what an honor it is to restore the glory and prestige of my Wang family!"

His tone suddenly softened, and he gently stroked his long beard, saying, "Good child, don't worry. How could your ancestor harm you?"

"Among the entire Wang family, only you possess exceptional talent and have the potential to overcome the Nascent Soul Tribulation and achieve the Great Dao after the spiritual energy resurgence. How could I, your ancestor, jeopardize the future of our family?"

Hua Qingshuang lowered her cold eyes, her mind clear as day.
This ancestor appears to be benevolent, but in reality, he harbors malicious intentions.

However, given their current lack of strength, the only way to survive is to leverage existing resources and grow stronger.

The ancestor's dedication to nurturing her with the full strength of the clan was both an opportunity and a trap.

With Wang Wujiang's shrewdness and deep-seated cunning, how could he not know that this was giving her a chance to turn things around?
I'm afraid...
All of this was already part of that ancestor's game.

"unless."

Her eyes flickered slightly, and a thought suddenly occurred to her.
"A variable that can emerge outside the ancestor's chess game, a person who can break the deadlock!"

Suddenly, a figure appeared in her mind.

Zhao Wuji!
Even Xiang Yu's head had given her hints; she had even glimpsed something in Xiang Yu's double pupils.
Zhao Wuji stood proudly above the Wang family, while the patriarch Wang Wujiang and the second family head Wang Shouzhen bowed their heads in submission – a truly awe-inspiring sight!
"Could it be."

Her heart trembled violently.

"Is Wuji the one who breaks the deadlock? Or is he a lucky star brought by Xiang Yu's fortune?"

Several days later, within the illusion array shrouded in gray mist on the island, Zhao Wuji sat cross-legged like a pine tree in the Pot Heaven space.

After repeated attempts, he finally figured out the method of stabilizing the inner realm's small golden elixir with the Gate of Mysterious Female.

Each time the Gate of Mysterious Female is opened, the ancient spiritual energy released can replenish the loss of the Golden Core's spiritual power, barely maintaining a balance.

"The Gate of the Mysterious Female... this ancient immortal gate is the key to achieving enlightenment."

Zhao Wuji's double pupils narrowed slightly, his fingers forming a hand seal, and spiritual energy flowed.

This portal is extremely difficult to open; even sensing it is difficult in this degenerate age.

One must use guiding techniques to draw upon the power of the stars, and then combine this with the "Inner Landscape Refining Spirit Technique" to sense the outline.

Only by supplementing it with the four core divine senses bombarding it in turn can the gate be pried open.

Even so, each activation consumed nearly half of his spiritual energy, and his meridians ached slightly due to the overload of spiritual power.

"Once every five days is already the limit."

He calculated the potential losses and realized that forcibly activating the system too frequently might damage its foundation.

Fortunately, the replenishment every five days just offsets the natural loss of the Golden Core's spiritual power.

At this moment, he looked inward at his dantian, where a golden core the size of a soybean was suspended in the illusory image of the secret realm. Although the spiritual light on its surface was slightly dimmed, it did not dissipate any further.

Even as time went on, the Golden Core seemed to show barely perceptible signs of solidification.

"If this is maintained for a long time, it may nourish and strengthen this golden core... and even, when my true cultivation level breaks through to the Golden Core stage, this golden core may become a second golden core."

Zhao Wuji had a thought, but then shook his head.

Although this method is successful, it is not feasible for everyone.

If Senior Uncle Yan Lan were to condense a Lesser Golden Core, given the strength of his divine sense, he would probably only be able to barely open the Gate of the Mysterious Female on his own.

Even the original sensor portal couldn't detect it.

Even if I help him condense his golden core, my master will still have to walk on thin ice in the future.

Without guiding techniques to sense the portal, and without a powerful divine sense to impact it, the difficulty of guarding the elixir is probably ten times greater than for oneself.

"It's easy to attack a city, but difficult to defend it... It would be best to try this Lesser Golden Core Technique only after my master has reached the peak of the Qi Condensation Realm and is truly unable to break through to the Golden Core Realm."

"As for sensing the portal, that's easy to say. I can use golden needles to set up a star-guiding array on its body to attract starlight, which will also have a 40% guiding effect, helping it to sense the portal."

Having considered this, he sighed softly and examined the current state of the Yin-Yang Pearl.

"Cultivation Level: Perfected Spirit Condensation (281/19999) [Opening the Inner Realm: Condensing the Inner Realm Golden Core]"

The Yin-Yang Pearl's display indicates that he is not yet a true Golden Core cultivator.

This inner golden elixir is actually the pseudo-elixir realm of ancient legends.

It is based on the inner landscape of the human body, and uses the mysterious power of the Gate of the Mysterious Female to gather and refine its own essence.

Although it is closely related to cultivation level and spiritual consciousness, those with insufficient foundation will find it extremely difficult to achieve success.

However, the inner realm is inherently between reality and illusion, existing independently outside the dantian.

Therefore, this golden elixir is not refined from essence, energy, and spirit, and naturally does not need to undergo the legendary golden elixir tribulation.

However, thanks to his inner Golden Core, Zhao Wuji was still able to practice Golden Core techniques and exert the strength of a Golden Core True Person, only his endurance was much less.

This is also why Zhao Wuji guessed that he should be able to condense another golden core in the future.

"In any case, this is a pleasant surprise. In addition, the Shifting Scenery Technique in the third Yin Pearl has also been successfully deciphered."

Zhao Wuji observed the condition displayed on the surface of the third Yin Bead.

"The Art of Shifting Views: Beginner's Guide (0/100)"

Beginners to this technique can manipulate reality and illusion, and can change the surrounding scenery at will. The scope of this technique depends on the level of skill achieved.

At first, it was just a small trick of turning a hall into a tomb, but as one's understanding deepened, one could turn an oasis into a desert with a wave of the hand, all in the blink of an eye.

If combined with formation techniques, its power will be even greater.

It can expand to a radius of hundreds of miles, creating mirages out of thin air, and even a thousand troops can be hidden from view.

Those at this level are best at setting up illusionary formations, trapping enemies at the boundary between reality and illusion, leaving them unable to live or die.

Once one's cultivation advances further, one can comprehend the wonders of the Qiankun Shift.

In an instant, one can take oneself or others to a pre-selected location.

Whether it's the secret realm of the pot or a node of the formation, one can come and go freely.

If further aided by a teleportation array, it can even break through the limitations of magical realms and achieve instantaneous teleportation over distances of tens of thousands of miles.

"When this technique is fully mastered, moving mountains and changing rivers, altering the heavens and the earth will be a piece of cake."

Zhao Wuji's gaze was intense, but he shook his head and sighed softly: "Unfortunately, moving mountains and changing rivers consumes a great deal of energy. It is not a time of spiritual energy recovery, and without the cultivation to reach the heavens, it is ultimately difficult to perform."

He suddenly remembered the Inner Realm Spirit Refining Technique that had led to this skill, and a thought crossed his mind: "Could it be that the Inner Realm Secret Realm and the Scene Shifting Technique are complementary to each other?"

Suddenly, the battle flag hidden in his sleeve trembled slightly.

Bai Chengshang, the protector, sent a message that there seemed to be traces of cultivators in the waters surrounding the deserted island.

Zhao Wuji's eyes turned cold, and he immediately stopped his breathing and walked out of the Pot Heaven space.

Beyond the gray fog illusion, the sea breeze, carrying a salty stench, swept across the reefs.

His divine sense spread like a net for five hundred miles, quietly locking onto several figures hovering in boats in the distance.
On the misty sea, several spirit boats from Penglai Sword Pavilion broke through the waves.

Before long, they approached the island.

On the lead spirit boat, a purple-robed elder stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said loudly:
"Patriarch Tiannan! Elder Liu was quite offensive earlier. Our Penglai Sword Pavilion has prepared a small gift to apologize. We hope you will forgive us!"

With that, he flicked his sleeve, and a jade box flew through the air toward the deserted island.

Within the gray mist illusion array, Zhao Wuji's black robes billowed as he coldly stared at the newcomer.

His divine sense was like a knife, instantly sweeping across the jade box.

Three ancient spirit stones, three fourth-stage spirit-nourishing pills, and a bottle of Penglai spirit liquid—these are indeed top-quality products from Penglai.

"Humph."

Zhao Wuji extended his pale hand from his sleeve, snatching the jade box from afar. His voice was hoarse, like the scraping of metal, displaying the unapproachable demeanor of the Old Monster of Tiannan: "I'll accept your apology. As for going to Penglai Sword Pavilion, I have no interest in venturing into your dragon's den and tiger's lair."

Before the words were finished, a powerful divine sense suddenly swept out from the spirit boat opposite!

The sea surface suddenly dipped three feet, and the fog rolled back as if hit by a hurricane.

That divine sense solidified into a tangible form, transforming into an illusory jade sword before Zhao Wuji, with the unique Seven Star Sword Seal of the Penglai Sect Master appearing on the hilt.

"Fellow Daoist Tiannan, why be so distant?"

A distant voice emanated from the jade sword; it was none other than the Penglai Sect Master transmitting his thoughts from afar: "The spiritual energy is about to revive. Since you have taken the spiritual veins of the Sea Mountain Grotto, you must have also noticed the changes in the world. Why don't we discuss our grand plan together?"

The jade sword trembled slightly, its tip casting a play of light and shadow.

It turned out to be a diagram showing the unusual movements of the spiritual veins of the nineteen grotto-heavens and thirty-six water palaces in the vast East China Sea Yizhou.
(End of this chapter)