Immortals of the End Times

The scene beyond the Nine Heavens was fleeting, and Zhao Wuji only had time to glimpse the ferocious single eye that was faintly visible in the turbid yellow mist, as well as the thick chain that pierced through the void.

The moment the mutilated half-face emerged from the murky yellow mist, its single, ferocious eye coldly looking down.

The Zhenwu Sword shattered with a deafening glare.

The sword, accompanied by a mournful tremor, plummeted into the sea of ​​clouds, its shattered, cold light carving a thousand-foot-long crack in the fierce wind.

"Zheng!!"

Zhao Wuji suddenly opened his eyes, his body surging with sword energy like a raging torrent.

The sword light that burst forth from his eyes was like the sun and moon revolving, eventually transforming into the yin and yang energies and slowly receding.

Unbeknownst to him, the back of his purple-gold unicorn robe was already soaked.

"The chains, the one-eyed man."

The feeling of dread was like a bone-deep infection, and all sorts of speculations churned in his mind.

But in an instant, he suppressed his distracting thoughts.

At his current level, speculating about such beings would be a waste of his energy.

"Crack!"

At this moment, a sound like shattering shackles seemed to emanate from the Yin Pearl within his sea of ​​consciousness, and Zhao Wuji's eyes suddenly lit up.

The Yin Pearl trembled, and the sword technique runes shone with dazzling golden light: [Peak of Mastery (1/10000)]

"One sword, ten thousand techniques!"

He pointed his fingers and made a gesture, and the Zhenwu Broken Sword spontaneously appeared in front of him.

With a slight tremor of the sword's edge, countless changes arose.

What appears to be a simple straight thrust actually contains thirty-three possible follow-up moves, as if it could see through all the laws of the world.

"The first stage, which focuses on remaining unchanged amidst change, can be considered the beginning."

Zhao Wuji sheathed his sword and put it in his sleeve, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes.

The profound realm of the second stage, "the unity of all things," remains elusive, like looking at flowers through a fog—desirable but unattainable.

At this moment, spiritual clouds suddenly surged outside Zixiao Palace, and three figures appeared from the clouds.

Two of them were none other than Elder Wei and Elder Shou Gong, who had just left.

The other person was the spiritual phantom of the Supreme Elder of the Immortal Saint Sect, as ethereal as smoke and mist, with white hair hanging down nine feet and a golden light between his brows as if he had opened his heavenly eye.

The moment it appeared, it caused the Yin and Yang energies of the Taiji diagram to flow spontaneously.

The three of them entered the Zixiao Palace together, their gazes falling on Zhao Wuji.

"Young friend, you have actually been able to awaken the legacy of the patriarch."

The illusory figure of the Supreme Elder stroked his long beard, his piercing gaze fixed on Zhao Wuji's brow.

The gaze seemed to pierce through the skin, startling the five core divine thoughts within the pearl into trembling simultaneously.

Elder Wei stepped forward and whispered a few words. The Supreme Elder suddenly burst into laughter, and a yin-yang fish jade pendant flew out from his sleeve and hovered in front of Zhao Wuji: "This item is an old personal possession of Patriarch Zhang, and it is time for it to be returned to its rightful place!"

The moment the jade pendant touched the True Martial Broken Sword, the sword emitted a clear and melodious dragon roar.

At the point of fracture, yin and yang energies intertwined, vaguely revealing a semblance of a continuation.

Zhao Wuji suddenly understood some of the obscure aspects of swordsmanship, his proficiency increased again, and sword intent surged and brewed in his eyes.

"What a promising swordsman! I never imagined you'd already broken through from the differentiation of sword light to the mastery of myriad techniques with a single sword!"

The Supreme Elder's eyes were sharp, and his illusory figure clapped his hands in praise. With a single sentence, he shocked Elder Wei and Elder Shou Gong.

The realm of "one sword, ten thousand techniques" is a realm that many sword geniuses can hardly reach in their entire lives!
Even in the history of the cultivation world, very few people have been able to comprehend this realm, and almost all of them were later called sword immortals.

The Supreme Elder exclaimed, "When our ancestor ascended to the Ninth Heaven, he was already at this level, yet you have reached it at such a young age."

Before he finished speaking, the illusory figure suddenly solidified by three degrees, and a finger slowly pointed towards Zhao Wuji's brow from a distance.

Zhao Wuji's heart stirred, but he did not sense any malice. He did not dodge or stop the finger, and let it land on his brow.

"boom!"

His mind was shaken violently, and the Heavenly Dao Single Eye and Yin-Yang Pearl at the core of his fifth divine sense shone brightly at the same time.

In a daze, I seemed to see the turbid yellow mist rolling in the ninth heaven, and in the ruins where a hideous one-eyed creature was entangled with chains, a blurry figure was fiercely fighting in the vast ocean of calamity, wielding the True Martial Sword.

"That is."

Zhao Wuji's pupils contracted sharply, but the image shattered again. The third Yin Pearl began to stir, and the undeciphered tadpole-like script brightened a bit.

The Supreme Elder gazed meaningfully at Zhao Wuji, his illusory figure slowly dissipating, his admonition echoing within the Purple Cloud Palace: "Before reaching the Nascent Soul stage, do not inquire about the Nine Heavens."

"Before reaching the Nascent Soul stage, do not inquire about the Nine Heavens?"

Zhao Wuji pondered for a moment, then looked up at Elder Wei and Elder Shougong.

Upon seeing this, the two immediately bowed respectfully, their attitude becoming even closer than before, their eyes revealing undisguised admiration.

Elder Wei stepped forward and respectfully reminded him:
"Master Zhao, you have been meditating in Zixiao Palace for seventeen days, and the representatives of all the sword sects have already left."

Before their departure, Elder Li and His Highness Xiao specifically instructed that you be treated with the utmost hospitality.

"Oh?" Zhao Wuji raised an eyebrow, did some quick calculations, and was surprised. "So much time has passed? To me, it feels like only a blink of an eye."

He pondered for a moment, then asked, "Have the rules and specific dates for the Sword Cultivation Tournament been set?"

Elder Wei smiled slightly, flipped his hand and took out a jade slip and a token engraved with the cloud pattern of the Immortal Saint Sect, and presented them with both hands: "The details of the conference are all recorded in the jade slip. Please take a look, True Person Zhao."

This token is a token of our clan's distinguished guest; we hope you will accept it.

He paused, then added, "As for the date of the conference, it will be six years from now."

"Six years?" Zhao Wuji thought to himself, "That's plenty of time, enough for me to break through to the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm."

The elder guarding the palace added at the opportune moment: "According to ancient records, it takes about fifteen years for spiritual energy to recover from its inception to its peak. More than three years have passed now, and in six years it will be the tenth year."

He smiled brightly, "The ancient sword domain appears in the world at this time every year, so choosing this moment for the tournament is most appropriate!"

Elder Wei stroked his beard and smiled, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "With Master Zhao's swordsmanship, he is sure to be a top contender in the tournament. He only needs to make a grand finale appearance. He can spend the rest of his time focusing on cultivation."

“Good.” Zhao Wuji nodded calmly.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with the two elders and exchanging communication jade tokens, he rolled up his sleeve and put the Zhenwu Broken Sword and the Yin-Yang Fish Jade Pendant into his pocket.

Elder Wei and Elder Wei personally escorted them to the mountain gate.

Watching the two elders disappear into the clouds, Zhao Wuji looked around and realized that the cultivators from all the sects had already left. In the vast Immortal Saint Sect, he was the only outsider left.

"It's rather deserted."

He shook his head and chuckled, but was in no hurry to return to his sect. Instead, he turned his gaze to the market town at the foot of the mountain.

Zhongzhou is the place where the fortunes of the nine provinces converge, and its markets must hold many rare treasures.

If we could take over a few shops, we could trade spiritual materials and secretly gather intelligence at the same time. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?
With this in mind, he came to a deserted place, made a hand seal with his fingertips, and his figure rippled like water, instantly disappearing into the second heaven space.

Within the Tiannan Secret Realm, ancient trees reach for the sky, and spiritual mist swirls around.

Zhao Wuji's divine sense stirred slightly, and a communication talisman transformed into a stream of light and soared into the sky.

In less than half a day, as the distant clouds surged, a graceful figure in cyan robes came riding the wind.

Nan Zhixia's robes fluttered like a blue phoenix in flight, and she landed in front of him in an instant, her eyes filled with a hint of reproach: "I haven't seen you for more than half a year. I thought Lord Jianzi had long forgotten about me."

Zhao Wuji chuckled and gently stroked her hair: "The sect has many affairs to attend to, which has caused some delay."

After a brief reminiscing, he revealed his thoughts and then used his partially mastered Disguise Technique to change the appearance of himself and Nan Zhixia, transforming them into ordinary rogue cultivators.

He then took Nan Zhixia with him and left the Pot Heaven Space, heading to the market town at the foot of the Immortal Saint Sect Mountain.

The market town at the foot of the Immortal Saint Sect is no smaller than that of the Qilin Sword Sect.

Now is the time of spiritual revival, and cultivators from many grotto-heavens and small families have begun to travel back and forth.

This made the market bustling with activity, with shops lining both sides of the street, displaying a dazzling array of spiritual materials, magical artifacts, and elixirs.

Many cultivators set up stalls and hawked their wares, their shouts echoing throughout the area.

The air was filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs, the stench of demonic beasts' blood and flesh, and the scorching smell of roasting in the furnace, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Zhao Wuji and Nan Zhixia walked side by side on the streets of the market. Although they had disguised themselves, their actions still revealed a tacit understanding, just like ordinary Daoist couples strolling around.

Zhao Wuji stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping calmly over the surroundings. He noticed that the market mainly contained items needed by Qi Refining cultivators.

Only a few shops had magical artifacts and talismans usable by cultivators at the Concentration Realm, so I lost interest.

Nan Zhixia stopped in front of a shop specializing in female cultivator supplies, picked out a few bottles of anti-aging elixirs, and turned to Zhao Wuji with a slight smile, saying, "Although they are not rare, they have a pleasant fragrance and are comfortable to use on a daily basis."

Zhao Wuji nodded, casually paid the spirit stones, and a slight smile flashed in his eyes.

It's true that no matter how high a woman's cultivation level is, she still cares a lot about beauty.

Then, his gaze swept across the market and he noticed a shop surrounded by a crowd.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a shop selling spirit beasts and spirit insects. The entire shop reeked of a fishy and pungent smell, causing Nan Zhixia to frown and stop.

"I'll go take a look myself. You keep browsing and find some good shops in the area."

Zhao Wuji smiled and explained.

Upon entering the spirit beast shop, one would see various low-level spirit beasts caged inside.

Animals such as the Crimson Fox and the Blue-eyed Sable, as well as several kinds of spirit insect eggs, are priced quite high.

After observing for a moment, he discovered that these spirit beasts and spirit insects were of relatively low quality.

It's of little use to him now.

The Blood King Gu he is currently cultivating are already mid-level third-tier spirit Gu capable of threatening Golden Core cultivators.

Among them are dozens of Dragon Scale Gu Kings that once imprisoned Xinghe Daoren. These Gu Kings can devour divine consciousness and are extremely powerful, comparable to top-tier third-order spirit Gu. They are rare even in an era of abundant spiritual energy.

Just as he was about to leave, he noticed many yellowed ancient books displayed in the shopkeeper's counter, which subtly aroused the Yin Pearl's restlessness, and he couldn't help but become interested.

Seeing his interest in the books on beast taming, the shopkeeper quickly and enthusiastically introduced them: "Fellow Daoist has discerning eyes! This is a secret method for stimulating and nurturing spirit beasts, which can accelerate their growth and even enhance their potential!"

"May I take a look first?"

Zhao Wuji asked the question.

The shopkeeper looked him up and sized him up, but felt that his aura was as deep as the ocean, and he couldn't discern any depth from it. His heart tightened immediately, and he said with a forced smile, "Fellow Daoist, this is our shop's rule..."

Before the words were even finished, a bag of Source Crystals landed with a thud on the sandalwood counter. As the crystals shimmered, the shopkeeper's pupils constricted, revealing at least a hundred of them.

He hurriedly retrieved three ancient books from a hidden compartment in the counter, his knuckles trembling as he presented them: "Please, please take a look."

Zhao Wuji casually flipped through the pages.

The shop owner, however, felt extremely uneasy, constantly glancing at the customer out of the corner of his eye, afraid that this seemingly impressive customer would leave after looking at him.

When the ancient book turned to a certain page, the Yin Pearl in Zhao Wuji's sea of ​​consciousness suddenly trembled violently.

"I never expected that this unassuming spirit beast shop would have such a book that could trigger the Yin Pearl. I'm afraid it's the Beast Gathering Technique."

His expression remained unchanged as he closed the book and said calmly, "How much?"

"this."

The shopkeeper's eyes darted around, ready to make an exorbitant demand, but Zhao Wuji calmly said, "Add another ancient spirit stone."

"Deal made!"

The shopkeeper realized his mistake after blurting it out, and watched helplessly as a gleaming spirit stone rolled off the counter, while Zhao Wuji had already swept the ancient books into his storage bag.

"Here."

Holding the spirit stones and hundreds of source crystals, he was both overjoyed and regretful, wishing he could slap himself.

If I had kept my temper, I could have gotten at least two more pieces!

As soon as Zhao Wuji stepped out of the spirit beast shop, his divine sense stirred slightly.

He then noticed several furtive eyes watching him from the shadows, clearly regarding him as a fat sheep to be slaughtered.

"Interesting, there's actually something like this at the foot of the Immortal Saint Sect in Zhongzhou."

A hint of mockery flashed in his eyes.

He had never encountered this situation when his cultivation level was low, but now that he had reached the Golden Core stage, he was facing this problem.

Clearly, during the Dharma-ending Age, even robbers were unwilling to come out.

He remained calm and found Nan Zhixia. By then, Nan Zhixia had already selected two prime locations for shops, and the two went straight to the market [Xianshi Si].

Upon entering, one sees a gray-robed steward with his head down, fiddling with an abacus, the beads clicking and clattering.

Upon spotting the two, a fawning smile immediately spread across his face, and he rushed forward in a few strides: "Fellow Daoists, are you looking to purchase a shop? Our Immortal Spirit Shop belongs to the Immortal Saint Sect, boasting an excellent location and fair prices."

Nan Zhixia frowned slightly, her slender fingers lightly tapping the map on the table: "Name your fair price for these two shops."

The steward's eyes darted around, and he rubbed his hands together, laughing, "Fellow Daoist has a good eye, but these two locations are absolutely prime, and the prices are very high. They'll cost at least two hundred ancient spirit stones."

If you are short of funds, our company can also provide installment loans in spirit stones, with absolutely favorable interest rates.

"No need!"

Zhao Wuji chuckled lightly and said calmly, "Full payment."

"Full payment?"

The steward glanced at Zhao Wuji's unfamiliar face in surprise, realizing he was no ordinary person. He swallowed hard and forced himself to remain calm, saying, "According to the rules, we still need to verify your identity."

Before he finished speaking, Zhao Wuji flipped his hand, and the VIP token that Elder Wei had given him earlier appeared faintly in his palm, with the two characters "Immortal Saint" flowing with a faint Daoist charm.

"This identity token should be enough, right?"

"Bang!"

The steward sprang to his feet as if struck by lightning, his knees slamming heavily against the table. His face was deathly pale, and sweat beaded on his forehead. "Senior, please forgive me! I was blind to your greatness! I never imagined you were a distinguished guest of the Immortal Saint Sect!"

After saying that, he hurriedly recalculated, the abacus beads clicking loudly, and managed to cut the price by nearly half.

After awkwardly and with a forced smile, the steward handed over the shop's land deed and jade slip, his gray robe was already soaked with cold sweat.

From the dark alley not far away, several suppressed gasps could be heard.

The cultivators who had previously been gleaming with greed were now ashen-faced, and one of them hurriedly put away the magic mirror he had been using to keep watch.

What kind of fat sheep could someone be so generous as to casually toss out two hundred ancient spirit stones and receive such a grand salute from the market steward?
It's clearly a powerful dragon crossing the river!
The group scrambled out of the alley and disappeared into the crowd in the blink of an eye.

Stepping out of the market's trading area, Nan Zhixia clutched her storage bag tightly in her slender fingers, grumbling, "Two shops, over a hundred ancient spirit stones—that's way too expensive!"

Even with the current resurgence of spiritual energy, it would take Wushang Cave Heaven several years to mine so many ancient spirit stones.

Seeing this, Zhao Wuji chuckled and calmly said with his hands behind his back, "Zhongzhou is the place where the Qi veins of the nine provinces converge, and the Immortal Saint Sect is located at the center of the Qi veins of Zhongzhou."

Even the market town at the foot of the Immortal Saint Sect's mountain has a spiritual energy concentration comparable to a first-level spiritual vein.

He looked up at the main peak of the Immortal Saint Sect, shrouded in clouds and mist, and said, "This place will be much more convenient for gathering intelligence and trading supplies in the future, as a base."

"That's true."

Nan Zhixia's expression softened slightly upon hearing this.

In the following days, Zhao Wuji devoted himself to cultivation in the Tiannan Secret Realm of the Second Pot Heaven Space, while Nan Zhixia personally handled the opening of the two shops.

She made a hand seal, and wisps of gentle breeze swept away the accumulated dust.

Then, using the Water Spirit Technique, he condensed crystal-clear water droplets and wiped the doors, windows, beams, and pillars until they were spotless.

She hired several independent cultivators specializing in civil engineering techniques at great expense. As the earthy yellow spiritual light flickered between her fingers, counters and shelves sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

"Xia Xianzi's shop is probably even more exquisite than the spirit medicine shop next door."

After receiving his fee, the monk who did the decorating flattered him.

Nan Zhixia lightly raised her jade finger, and a flash of spiritual light appeared, causing two gilded plaques to rise into the air.

The words "Tian Yao Ge" (Heavenly Demon Pavilion) are hung on the left side of the shop, with the strokes of the calligraphy revealing the phantom of a ferocious beast.

On the right hangs a plaque that reads "Xuan Dan Fang," and the cinnabar inscription emits a medicinal fragrance.

Satisfied, she took two steps back, and suddenly a string of glass wind chimes flew out from her sleeve, tinkling as they hung above the door.

The clear sound of the wind carrying the breeze actually separated the hustle and bustle of the market by three zhang (approximately 10 meters), attracting the attention of passing cultivators.

She then went into the back of the shop and communicated telepathically.

"Husband, it's time to show off the goods."

Ripples spread across the circular space of the pot-shaped sky.

After finishing his cultivation, Zhao Wuji stepped out of the Pot Heaven Space and saw Nan Zhixia smiling and inviting him. He immediately sent out his divine sense to look around and nodded in approval.

"Not bad!"

He walked into the shop, waved his sleeve, and instantly a demonic aura soared into the sky.

The ten-foot-long corpse of the Concentration Realm serpent demon crashed down in front of the counter, its green scales reflecting the morning light with a chilling aura.

The lingering demonic aura made the shelves vibrate, and three venomous fangs as thick as bowls were stuck upside down on the edge of the counter, their venomous glands still oozing a ghostly blue liquid.

Immediately afterwards, all sorts of monster materials rained down.

The red-eyed wolf king's claws pierced the nanmu wood display panel.

The ironback bear's entire pelt spread out like a blood-red carpet.

Even though they were all small demonic beasts, they were all at the late stage or even the perfect stage of Qi Refining, and each one was a treasure.

Next door, in the Xuan Dan Workshop, he had filled it with all kinds of talisman pills and ordinary pills. Although he made them casually, their quality was far superior to that of ordinary shops.

"This...this is a Nascent Soul Great Demon?"

At this moment, some cultivators who had entered the Heavenly Demon Pavilion suddenly cried out in alarm.

Several monks who were peeking out from the door were immediately taken aback and quickly went inside to check.

The market seemed to come alive instantly, and discussions spread rapidly like a tidal wave.

Nan Zhixia gently lifted her veil with her slender fingers, her eyes curving into crescents: "It seems we don't need to make a big fuss anymore. Perhaps we'll be able to recoup our costs soon."

"Well, you manage it well on your own. Help me collect spiritual materials with yin and yang attributes. I'm going back to cultivation. If there's any noteworthy information, gather it up."

Zhao Wuji smiled slightly.

Once everything was arranged, he set up a teleportation array in the backyard of the shop.

The moment the array patterns lit up, he transmitted his voice to Nan Zhixia, who was busy in the shop, saying, "Once the disciple who will be handing over the reins to the Supreme Grotto-Heaven arrives, you should return to the secret realm. You must not neglect your own cultivation."

Before he finished speaking, he had already stepped into the second Heavenly Realm.

Nan Zhixia glanced back at the backyard, a smile playing on her lips.

With the teleportation array set up by Zhao Wuji, traveling between Zhongzhou and Tiannan is only a matter of moments.

Although this interdimensional teleportation array consumes a great deal of spiritual energy, it requires six ancient spirit stones to teleport a Nascent Soul cultivator like her.

However, if only four Qi-inducing disciples are sent over, two coins can be saved.

As for recruiting people here? She doesn't have that plan for the time being.

The waters of Zhongzhou are deep; it's safer to rely on disciples trained in-house.

At this moment, within the Tiannan Secret Realm, Zhao Wuji sat cross-legged among the green leaves of the demon tree, with the yin-yang fish jade pendant floating in his palm.

The jade pendant's surface emanated a profound Daoist aura, subtly resonating with the Zhenwu Broken Sword placed before her knees, as if there were an invisible force pulling them together.

He repeatedly scanned every pattern on the jade pendant with his divine sense, but he was still unable to decipher the deeper mysteries.

However, the lingering effect of the finger strike from the Supreme Elder of the Immortal Saint Sect not long ago still remains in my sea of ​​consciousness.

In that instant of fleeting images, the figure of Master Zhang wielding his sword and fighting alone against the heavens became increasingly clear, and the third set of tadpole-like characters on the third Yin Pearl also became increasingly bright.

Upon closer inspection, about half of the distorted runes have been lit up, but the deciphering is still some distance away.

"I wonder what kind of technique it is."

Zhao Wuji pondered.

The secret techniques corresponding to these tadpole-like characters remain shrouded in mystery.

However, the fourth group of tadpole-script characters, having spent several days studying the ancient books on spirit beasts they had purchased, were the first to decipher the complete incantation of the 'Gathering Beast Technique'.

This technique bears a striking resemblance to the bird-taming technique deciphered in earlier years. Both can summon and control ferocious beasts and birds of prey, as well as spiritual beasts, and even manipulate their behavior. They also possess the ability to communicate with and cultivate all kinds of beasts.

At first glance, it seems somewhat useless to him now.

However, at this time, spiritual energy is reviving, and countless demonic beasts are rampaging and running rampant in the states beyond the river, displaying their ferocity.

If one can master this technique, one will not need to kill those demonic beasts that still possess spirituality. Instead, one can tame and raise them, turning them into mounts or guardian beasts that protect the cave. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Thinking of this, Zhao Wuji glanced over and saw that under the demon tree at the entrance of the secret realm, the little jade fox was curled up and dozing off, while the cowardly tiger was lying on its back sleeping.

He smiled slightly, immediately made a hand seal and chanted an incantation. A flash of light appeared at his fingertips, and he suddenly unleashed the Beast Gathering Technique.

In an instant, the two beasts trembled, as if drawn by an invisible force, and moved involuntarily according to his thoughts.

The little jade fox spun around in place, while the cowardly tiger awkwardly stood up on its hind legs, waving its two front paws comically.

Once the spell was dispelled, the two beasts awoke with a start, their eyes filled with astonishment and terror.

Realizing he had been tricked by Zhao Wuji, the cowardly tiger shrank into a ball, trembling and letting out a howl.

But he suddenly discovered that the demonic energy within his body was three times more condensed than usual, and his original fear instantly turned into a confused growl.

"Wuji, you're playing a trick on us!!"

The little jade fox bristled and bared its teeth, suddenly feeling the demonic power flowing through its meridians on its own, even smoother than during its usual cultivation. Its eyes were filled with a look of surprise and uncertainty.

Seeing this, Zhao Wuji changed his hand seals, and the spirit patterns of the Beast Gathering Technique outlined mysterious trajectories in the void.

A faint demonic aura gradually emerged around the two beasts, following his guidance.

These demonic energies spontaneously condensed into a vortex, slowly seeping into the bodies of the two beasts.

Zhao Wuji gave a soft shout, "Borrow my magical power to activate your innate demonic techniques."

The little jade fox was the first to react, obediently lying down on the ground with its fox eyes slightly closed.

The cowardly tiger hesitated for a moment, then also retracted its claws.

With each breath, the two beasts exhaled and exhaled the demonic mist with measured rhythm, seemingly entering a state of cultivation.

Zhao Wuji couldn't help but chuckle, thinking to himself, "This Beast Taming Technique can not only control demonic beasts, but also subtly cultivate their spirituality and guide their cultivation of demonic energy. It's quite a good method for taming beasts."

He nodded in satisfaction; the cultivation effect of this Beast Gathering Technique was indeed extraordinary.

With such training, given time, it will surely yield remarkable results!

Of course, the more important thing is not cultivating these two beasts, but using them to improve the Beast Gathering Technique so that they can directly control other demon kings in the future.

Zhao Wuji finished his incantation and stood up. With his robes fluttering, he took a step forward and disappeared into the Tiannan Secret Realm, which was connected to the Pot Heaven space.

As soon as he landed, he began to perform a hand seal, and a faint blue light emanated from his fingertips.

A vibrant light burst forth from his palm, the renowned medicinal technique of accelerating drug production.

The moment the spiritual light entered the trunk of the demon tree, the pitch-black tree trembled violently, and mysterious runes appeared on its bark.

"Whoosh!!" The demon tree's branches and leaves moved without wind, exuding a rich demonic aura, lush and vibrant, and full of spiritual power.

As the demonic tree slowly began to grow, Zhao Wuji connected his divine sense with the tree's heart, gaining control of the entire secret realm.

His eyes were slightly closed, and his consciousness spread out like a tide.

In an instant, the entire secret realm, spanning thousands of miles, unfolded before my eyes, revealing every detail of the mountains and rivers, exotic flowers and rare herbs, and lurking monsters.

"Now that I have some free time, I'm determined to find out the truth about this secret realm in the southern region."

Zhao Wuji's gaze darkened slightly, and the scene he had seen in the Zixiao Palace on Wudang Mountain involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

Above the nine heavens, chains, like dragons, intertwined and crisscrossed.

In that ruined complex of buildings, the figures of the former Nascent Soul Dao Lords had all vanished, leaving only a deathly silence.

"This Tiannan Secret Realm," he thought to himself, "is most likely left behind by a Nascent Soul Dao Lord!"

With this thought in mind, he no longer hesitated and merged his consciousness with the heart of the demon tree.

The senses spread out and surged like a tidal wave, soaring into the sky above the Tiannan Secret Realm.

There, a massive, sky-covering array enveloped the entire secret realm like a giant net.

As the array patterns flowed, they subtly revealed a powerful aura that suppressed all things and encompassed heaven and earth.

"As expected." A glint flashed in Zhao Wuji's eyes. "This kind of formation is definitely not something an ordinary cultivator could set up!"

(End of this chapter)