Immortals of the End Times

Chapter 243, page 295: The Gray Spots of the End of Dharma, the Revival of the Celestial Realm, the Immortal Court Sword Domain (Long Chapter, Please Subscribe)

Zhao Wuji's double pupils suddenly contracted, and the turbid yellow aura surging behind the spiritual energy vortex outside the gray mist was reflected in his blood-moon-like pupils.

Within the murky, muddy clouds, countless dragon-like veins seemed to writhe, each movement tearing out spiderweb-like gray patches of the end times.

The occasional churning and tumbling even produced a heart-stopping rumble of thunder.

Suddenly, Zhao Wuji heard countless whispers around him, like the wailing of countless dissolved souls in a turbid stream.

In an instant, the double pupils' vision was violently distorted.

Suddenly, a slit appeared in the murky yellow clouds, stretching across the sky.

"boom!"

A torrent of spiritual energy suddenly burst forth from the crack and poured into the space within the pot.

"Boom!"

Xiang Yu's lingering resentment suddenly erupted with an unprecedented tremor.

The image of Xiang Yu gazing at the sky with his double pupils flashed through Zhao Wuji's mind, only to be defeated by fate in the end, and a warning bell rang in his heart.

The spiritual energy surging from the turbid yellow aura became increasingly violent, and the spiritual energy began to be mixed with gray spots the size of fingernails.

A fragment rushed through the vortex of spiritual energy and entered the space within the pot.

Instantly, the Green Spirit Grass and Mysterious Yin Grass on the ground withered and died.

"close!"

Zhao Wuji's senses reached their limit, and he immediately withdrew his double pupils and the flying head of Xiang Yu, then made a hand seal to cast the Pot Heaven Technique.

“Long!!”

The spiritual veins that had ventured into the gray mist at the edge of space quickly retreated.

In an instant, the vortex of spiritual energy in the gray mist seemed to lose its attraction, and then collapsed and was forcibly stitched back together.

However, one could still sense numerous spiritual energies, like countless points of light, like fireflies, crossing the gray fog and surging into the space within the pot-shaped heaven.

Just as Zhao Wuji breathed a sigh of relief, he suddenly heard a deafening roar coming from the distant Ling Mountain.

On the mountaintop, the phantom images of the Western Chu royal palace appeared, with the outline of a huge head looming in and out.

"King Xiang, do not be angry!"

He immediately activated the head-regeneration incantation, and the phantom image of Xiang Yu's head appeared on his face, calming down the real head of Xiang Yu that was placed in the spiritual mountain within the Pot Heaven space.

In the past two years, he not only broke the seal placed on Xiang Yu's true head by the Wang family ancestors, but also completely refined it and moved it into the spiritual mountain in the Pot Heaven space.

They also used the art of shifting scenery to construct the Western Chu Palace, thus solidifying Xiang Yu's lingering resentment.

Now, he carries the king's head with him as if it were his most treasured possession.

No matter where you are, you can draw upon its immense power.

Normally, simply summoning the illusory image of his face would cause his divine sense and the power of his double pupils to surge.

Although he was only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, his divine sense, amplified by multiple factors, was already comparable to that of a fully-fledged Golden Core cultivator.

As for directly summoning the true leader within the Lingshan Royal Palace, the sheer power and influence of that was beyond even Zhao Wuji's estimation.

After all, he has been cultivating steadily since that battle two years ago, and has not yet encountered an opponent who can force him to use his full strength.

At this moment, he looked solemnly at the withered Qingling Grass and Xuanyin Grass on the ground.

But a gray patch appeared on the withered ground.

"Is this... the manifestation of the laws of the Dharma-ending Age? Could it be that even with the spiritual energy revival already underway, the Dharma-ending Age is still affecting and eroding this space of mine?"

With a solemn expression, he approached the spot, vaguely sensing that the gray patch was quite dangerous; the surrounding spiritual energy would dissipate upon approaching it.

There was no sign that the gray spots would heal on their own.

After a moment's thought, Zhao Wuji suddenly summoned the Blood Fiend Needle Sword, releasing its calamity-inducing aura, and stabbed it at the gray spots on the ground.

"laugh!"

Under the erosion of the turbid air, the gray spots twisted and struggled like living things, and spider web-like cracks appeared on the surface.

The wisps of gray energy were swallowed up by the calamity and turbidity, and the marks faded visibly by three-tenths, while the aura of the calamity and turbidity became more and more solid.

A moment later, Zhao Wuji withdrew his Blood Fiend Needle Sword, stared at the faded but still present gray spots of the end times on the ground, and looked helpless.

He had anticipated this outcome.

When the gray spots that once manifested as the rules of the end times eroded the spiritual veins within the Pot Heaven space, he was unable to stop them.

Now, he naturally finds it difficult to remove this gray spot.

"Fortunately, the spiritual energy revival has not spread, and it has truly begun."

Zhao Wuji's divine sense surged like a tide, meticulously scanning every inch of land within the Pot Heaven space.

The speed at which the dome nebula rotated increased significantly, and wisps of purple aura mixed in with the falling starlight enveloped the newly expanded space of more than twenty zhang like a light veil.

Although the gray fog at the edge was still churning, it was thinner than before, and the chaotic light and shadow of the void outside could be vaguely seen through it.

His gaze fell on the newly formed spiritual veins on the ground.

Those veins that were once as dry as rocks are now seeping out a shimmering liquid from their cracked surfaces, like withered trees coming back to life.

The gurgling sound of the Yin Sha Spring at the foot of the mountain grew more and more rapid. The third Yin marrow had solidified more than halfway, and the Yin Sha Qi coiled like a snake, forming a delicate balance with the pure spiritual energy that was poured in.

Zhao Wuji flew to the foot of Mount Ling and gently touched a section of the newly revived spiritual vein fossil.

It felt cool and moist to the touch, with subtle spiritual energy pulsating within, as if a sleeping giant was awakening.

"They're back, they're all back."

Zhao Wuji smiled, and with a thought, his divine sense suddenly swept out of the Pot Heaven.

The Balong Mountain outside remains silent.

The teacups on the stone table in the pavilion had long since cooled, the mountain mist swirled as usual, and the fluctuations of the fourth-level spiritual vein remained sluggish and weak.

"Ok?"

His divine sense spread out in all directions.

The protective arrays of the five immortal mountains of the Wang family continued to operate as before, and even the rate at which the array patterns absorbed spiritual energy remained unchanged.

“Strange…” Zhao Wuji pushed his divine sense to its limit, probing the clouds in the sky and penetrating the depths of the earth’s veins.

Occasionally, a glimmer of light would appear in the clouds, but it was nothing more than the ordinary essence of the sun and moon.

Hundreds of miles underground, the depleted spiritual veins that had been restless for two years trembled more violently, but their collapse was still not reversed.

Only the scattered spiritual energy points in the world seemed to be slightly more active than they had been three days ago.

If it weren't for his keen golden core sense and his spiritual aptitude still maintaining its peak purple light, it would have been almost impossible for him to perceive the subtle differences.

It was as if only the space of the Pot Heaven had been created, while the outside world was still trapped in the shackles of the Dharma-ending Age.

"It seems that the revival of spiritual energy did not begin all over the world at once, but rather, as recorded in history, it began to revive gradually. I wonder when it will spread to the Wang family's area."

"It should be soon, after all, the Wang family has a fourth-level spiritual vein."

Zhao Wuji withdrew his divine sense and his gaze suddenly turned to the gray patch of the end of Dharma at the edge of the Pot Heaven.

Within three inches of the gray spot, all vegetation withered, but further away, new spiritual plants were growing wildly.

A strange tug-of-war exists between the forbidden land of the end times and the revitalized spiritual energy.

The reason why Hutian was able to recover first may be because when the gray spot tore through space, the rules of the end times and the new spiritual energy collided violently, which inadvertently broke a certain balance.

He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the faint, chaotic light and shadow beyond the gray fog, a hint of anticipation rising deep within his double pupils.

"This space within the pot, seemingly hidden in my sleeve, is actually a small bubble that may exist independently of the external world or be attached to a large bubble."

"Therefore, the edge of the gray fog directly connects with the space of the great world, allowing one to directly perceive the materialized rules and the turbid yellow fog above the Nine Heavens."

"Perhaps, when my cultivation level is higher in the future, the Pot Heaven Space will also help me unveil the mysterious veil of this world."

Zhao Wuji could sense the influence of the spiritual energy revival within the Pot Heaven space.

He seemed to be undergoing a subtle change, as if he were being revitalized.

The inner landscape within the dantian became increasingly clear and stable, and the gate of mystery trembled.

It seems that the ancient and mysterious land behind the door is also undergoing subtle changes due to the shift in rules from the end of Dharma to the revival of spiritual energy.

A series of silvery cheers came from not far away.

Xiaoyue and Xiaoya also clearly felt that the concentration of spiritual energy in the Pot Heaven space had increased.

He turned and walked toward the sealing formation in the corner.

With a gentle flick of his sleeves, the array's light barrier rippled out like waves on water.

"Fellow Daoist Tiannan! You've finally arrived!"

Xinghe Daoren's primordial spirit was surrounded by countless Gu worms in the jade box, and his originally solid soul body had become much dimmer.

Sensing Zhao Wuji's presence, he immediately let out a shrill wail, "How many years has it been? When will you finally let this old man out?"

Zhao Wuji stood with his hands behind his back, his double pupils reflecting a blood-red moon, looking at this former Nascent Soul cultivator with a half-smile: "Fellow Daoist Xinghe, why are you in such a hurry? The spiritual energy is about to recover, and I will soon set you free."

"what?"

Xinghe Daoist's dim primordial spirit suddenly lit up with a glimmer of light, and his voice trembled, "The spiritual energy is about to revive?"

"good."

Zhao Wuji flicked his fingertips, a wisp of pure spiritual energy swirling around them. "I have sensed the state of the spiritual energy tide. But if I release you now..."

He paused meaningfully, "The outside world is still in the Dharma-ending Age, and your damaged primordial spirit will probably dissipate in less than three days."

Upon hearing this, Xinghe Daoren fell silent, his soul flickering uncertainly.

After a long pause, he said dejectedly, "Speak. What are your conditions?"

"smart people."

Zhao Wuji's lips curled slightly as he held up two fingers: "Two things. First, if you recover some of your Nascent Soul cultivation in the future, and I encounter danger, you must lend a hand. Second..."

A glint flashed in his eyes, "I want half of the Xuantian Sect's secret treasures."

The primordial spirit within the jade box trembled violently, causing the Gu worms to buzz loudly.

Xinghe Daoist's voice suddenly rose: "Half?! Do you know that's the accumulated wealth of my Xuantian Sect?" "Or..."

Zhao Wuji slowly interrupted him, "I'll let you out now and let you see the last splendor of the Dharma-ending Age with your own eyes?"

Xinghe Daoist's soul immediately weakened, and after a long while, he sighed, "Fine. I agree to your request."

He smiled bitterly, "Even if spiritual energy revives, my remnant soul won't last many more years. Finding a suitable body to possess would be a miracle."

Zhao Wuji instructed Xinghe Daoist to swear an oath again using the Nine Nether Profound Yin Heart-Slaying Curse.

He then nodded in satisfaction: "Don't worry, once the spiritual energy has fully recovered, I will find you a suitable physical body."

His eyes were cold, but his tone was unusually gentle, "After all, you and I are allies now."

"ally?"

Xinghe Daoren was taken aback upon hearing this, and then let out a few dry, bitter laughs. If he had a choice, he would not want to be an ally of this old monster.

Zhao Wuji changed the subject: "Fellow Daoist Xinghe, do you know the origin of this tree demon?"

With that, he lightly tapped his fingertip, and the image condensed by the Dream Marriage Technique rippled out like water.

The horrifying scene of those gnarled tree roots entwining around cultivators and devouring their brains was vividly displayed.

He then informed Xinghe Daoist about the situation in the Tiannan Secret Realm.

Xinghe Daoren's previously listless primordial spirit suddenly trembled, and his turbid eyes stared intently at the roots in the picture that wriggled like living things.

After a long pause, he said suspiciously, "This secret realm is indeed somewhat strange!"

His voice was low and tinged with surprise: "On the surface, it seems to be a secret realm for cultivators to explore and find treasures, but in reality, it is a trap. I'm afraid that throughout history, countless cultivators have perished in it and become nourishment for this tree demon."

Zhao Wuji frowned slightly: "It devours human brains, could it be to absorb memories and willpower?"

"Not bad!"

Xinghe Daoist's tone was solemn, "A cultivator's spiritual consciousness and memories are all stored in their brain. If this tree demon can truly digest these, it probably already knows many secrets of the human world and is definitely not an ordinary demon. It could be a demon king, or it could very well be an old monster in disguise!"

"Demon King? Old Monster?"

Zhao Wuji's eyes turned cold. "Then what do you think of its current strength?"

Xinghe Daoist pondered for a moment, then chuckled: "If it truly possesses heaven-reaching abilities, why would it set up a secret realm restriction, allowing only low-level cultivators to enter?"

Wouldn't it be faster to directly break the restriction and devour the Body Condensation Realm and Golden Core?

He paused, then said with certainty, "In my opinion, although it is strange, its strength may not be that great. It is just barely clinging to life and avoiding the end of the Dharma. Otherwise, it would have broken free long ago and wreaked havoc on the world!"

Zhao Wuji nodded thoughtfully, finding it reasonable. He immediately waved his sleeve, dispelling the image, and called out in a deep voice through the dream: "Lan Canghai!"

Before long, Lan Canghai's figure appeared like a ghost, entered the Pot Heaven space, and bowed respectfully.

"Go and take a trip to the Tiannan Secret Realm to investigate the true nature of that tree demon."

Zhao Wuji pointed to the teleportation array that had been set up not far away, then opened the entrance to the Pot Heaven Space, establishing a connection with the outside world. "If you encounter danger, do not linger in battle."

"Yes!"

Without hesitation, Lan Canghai turned around and stepped into the teleportation array that had been set up beforehand.

As the array patterns lit up, his figure gradually blurred, eventually transforming into a streak of light and disappearing into the center of the array.

Zhao Wuji's eyes flickered slightly, then he looked at Xinghe Daoist and asked in a deep voice, "Aside from this secret realm tree demon, Fellow Daoist Xinghe, have you ever heard of the ancient sword domain?"

"Ancient Sword Domain?"

Xinghe Daoist pondered for a moment, then said in a hoarse voice, "If we divide it by era, ten thousand years ago is the ancient times, six thousand years ago is the prehistoric times, and three thousand years ago to the present is the medieval and modern times."

He paused, a faint spiritual light emanating from his primordial spirit, as if he were organizing his thoughts: "This ancient sword domain is said to be a mysterious region before the Xia Dynasty, and may have some connection with the ancient, collapsed immortal realm and immortal court."

Zhao Wuji raised an eyebrow, his expression one of surprise: "Oh? It's related to the ancient Celestial Court?"

Xinghe Daoist sighed softly, "Indeed. This sword domain is located within one of the Nine Heavens, and its entrance only appears when spiritual energy is abundant. Ordinary cultivators..."

He sneered, "Let alone ascending to heaven, even finding the gate to the Sword Domain is as difficult as ascending to heaven."

"Legend has it that it contains the ultimate sword manual for sword cultivators, and many divine and immortal swords slumber within, such as the legendary Xuanyuan Divine Sword once used by the Yellow Emperor."

The Star River Daoist's tone carried a hint of longing, "If the Sword Tomb is the holy land of sword cultivators in the mortal world, then the Sword Domain is the holy land of sword cultivators in the heavens!"

Zhao Wuji seemed to be thinking: "Is there any connection between the two?"

"hey-hey."

Xinghe Daoist suddenly smiled mysteriously, "It is said that the Sword Tomb was built by a senior who once entered the Sword Domain. I myself wanted to try my luck in the Sword Domain back then, but alas..."

His tone suddenly turned cold, "At that time, the spiritual energy had begun to dry up, the gate to the Sword Domain was tightly closed, and I couldn't find where it was. I had no choice but to settle for second best and went to the Sword Tomb."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wuji's eyes flashed with a sharp light: "So, this Sword Domain is even more dangerous than the Sword Tomb?"

"Dangerous?"

Xinghe Daoist scoffed, "No matter how fierce the Sword Tomb is, it's still a place in the mortal realm, while the Sword Domain..."

He lowered his voice, with a hint of awe, "That place is imbued with the aura of the ancient immortal realm! Perhaps it contains the remains and sword intent of ancient sword immortals, and some secrets from ancient times."

"The remains and secrets of ancient sword immortals."

Zhao Wuji stood with his hands behind his back, lost in thought. "If spiritual energy revives, this Sword Domain Gate..."

It will surely happen again!

Xinghe Daoist said decisively, then sighed dejectedly, "It's a pity that in my current state, even if the Sword Domain reopens, I will have no chance to see it."

Zhao Wuji gave him a deep look, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Why be discouraged, fellow Daoist? Once the spiritual energy has fully recovered, if I enter the Sword Domain, you might also have a chance to enter with me."

As he spoke, his divine sense receded like the tide, instantly sinking into his dreamlike state.

Observe the scene of Lan Canghai heading to the depleted fourth-level spiritual vein after entering the Tiannan Secret Realm.

In the Eastern Sea, at Yizhou, a cold wind howls and turbid waves surge into the sky.

In the depths of the ghostly realm, a decaying ancient ship bobbed with the waves, its hull covered in moss and talismans, gleaming with a faint phosphorescence under the pale moonlight.

Huang Shang sat upright on a carved rosewood chair, his dark blue Taoist robe fluttering even without wind.

His face was full and jade-like, and there was a hidden blood-red light flowing between his eyes. The dark clouds and miasma within three zhang around him dissipated on their own, and his complexion seemed to be decades younger than before.

On the opposite side, in the main seat, the leader of the ghost cultivators, "Youmingzi," was shrouded in a chilling ghostly aura, his withered face appearing even more sinister under the lamplight.

"Thank you very much for your guidance over the past three months, Senior Huang."

Youmingzi cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, and wisps of black mist drifted from his sleeves. "Not only did it extend my life by three years, but it also prevented those hypocrites from Penglai Sword Pavilion from crossing the line."

Huang Shang lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, and the sound of metal and jade jingling immediately filled the cabin.

He gazed at the churning, blood-red seawater outside the cabin and said calmly, "Although the Yin energy of the Eastern Sea Ghost Realm is abundant, it is ultimately rootless water in this degenerate age."

His eyes blazed with a blood-red light: "But the spiritual energy revival is imminent. If you help me find that treasure, I can help you reverse your lifespan!"

The ghostly mist surrounding Youmingzi trembled violently, and the lamp on the table shattered with a "bang." "Extend one's lifespan in the underworld?"

His hoarse voice trembled with disbelief, "Really?"

"I have studied the Daoist Canon of Longevity and many other Daoist scriptures, so naturally you should hurry up, fellow Daoist."

Huang Shang smiled faintly, got up and left.

He gently stroked the Taoist scripture in his arms, and the yin-yang fish diagram composed of eighteen light points recorded in the scripture appeared in his mind. He sighed inwardly.

"It is rumored that the Nine Yin Nine Yang Pearls do indeed possess the ability to steal life and prolong life."

Unfortunately, such divine objects are ultimately ethereal and elusive, and he could not find them.

Only the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great offer some hope.

"If I can find the Nine Cauldrons, perhaps I can pinpoint the whereabouts of the Nine Yin and Nine Yang Pearls... or even, without these pearls, I can defy fate and change my destiny! I can even solve the problem of depleted spiritual energy!"

Huang Chang returned to the training room inside the cabin, went to the window, looked at the sword light of Penglai Sword Pavilion in the distance, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

"In this degenerate age, spiritual energy is depleted, and all living beings eke out a living like ants..."

His eyes revealed an undeniable determination: "I have studied the 'Longevity Dao Scripture' for so many years, seeking not only a sliver of life for myself, but also to revitalize this world!"

Therefore, even if the East Sea is stained with blood and mountains of corpses are formed... we will not hesitate!

Just then, a tall figure stepped onto the deck and entered the cabin.

General Gu Xiu knelt on one knee, his iron armor gleaming coldly, his head bowed, his voice hoarse and heavy: "My lord, I am incompetent... I have searched all the islands of the East Sea, but I can no longer find a woman born in the Yin year and Yin month. This time, the spirit of the Sea-Suppressing Stele... I'm afraid it will be difficult to complete."

"waste!"

Huang Shang's eyes suddenly flashed with a blood-red light, and with a flick of his sleeve, the candlelight in the room was instantly extinguished.

He slowly rose to his feet, his aura as deep and vast as the ocean, pressing down on General Gu Xiu so that he hunched his back slightly and dared not raise his head.

"With the spiritual energy revival approaching, how can we pinpoint the location of the Nine Cauldrons of Yu the Great without the guidance of the spirit of the Sea-Suppressing Stele?"

His voice was deep, yet chillingly cold: "Do you expect me to simply watch this opportunity slip away?"

General Gu Xiu's forehead was covered in cold sweat as he gritted his teeth and said, "My lord, our search for women born in the Year of the Rat and in the Month of the Rat, who also possess spiritual qualities and cultivation, is ultimately just treating the symptoms, not the root cause. Perhaps the only solution is to find Yan Lan again."

"Yan Lan?"

Huang Shang frowned slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"She is currently with the Wang family and is said to have achieved the Golden Core stage. However, I suspect that it is likely an Inner Realm Golden Core formed using the Inner Realm Refining Spirit Technique bestowed upon her by Your Excellency."

General Gu Xiu said in a deep voice, "However... although the Wang family has been punished by the Qilin Sword Sect, they still have Hua Qingshuang and Wang Shouzhen in charge, and especially Zhao Wuji..."

“Zhao Wuji?” Huang Chang’s eyes narrowed. “This person must be the one who possessed Xinghe Daoren!”
He had only been with the Wang family for seven years when Wang Wujiang was wiped out, and power fell into the hands of the Hua family, most likely orchestrated by him.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his fingers calculating as if he were deducing the secrets of heaven.

After a long pause, a sinister smile appeared on his lips: "If he really went to the Qilin Sword Sect, what are Hua Qingshuang and Wang Shouzhen worth mentioning?"

"Your Majesty's intention..."

"Have the Blood Taoist keep a close eye on the Wang family's movements."

Huang Shang waved his sleeve and ordered, "After Zhao Wuji goes to the Qilin Sword Sect, I will personally take action."

However, this time, I will not be as resolute as before. This woman is strong-willed and will not yield to force.

Besides, I have already promised that person from the Immortal Saint Sect.”

(End of this chapter)