Immortals of the End Times

There was no entanglement from Huang Shang.

Zhao Wuji continued his descent at the same speed, diving deeper into Mirror Lake.

His body was shrouded in a misty aura of swords, like a galaxy falling from the sky.

Faced with the fierce sword energy coming from all directions, he only needed to lightly pinch his sword fingers.

When the profound realm of "One Sword Transforms into a Domain" is unleashed, the chilling sword energy is completely tamed the moment it touches the sword mist, just as all rivers flow into the sea.

Occasionally, a large surge of sword energy would break through the sword domain and be greedily devoured by the Hidden Edge Sword Sheath.

The Dao patterns on the scabbard, which had dimmed after releasing the sword energy, lit up again one by one, emitting a pleasant tremor, and began to absorb and condense the sword energy.

Besides the concealed scabbard.

He even tried a bolder approach than ever before.

This involves directly channeling a portion of the sword energy into the inner realm of the dantian, specifically into the space within the pot-shaped sky.

In the past, he would never have attempted such a risky move.

After all, every wisp of sword energy within Mirror Lake contains the power to create a world with a single sword strike.

The slightest carelessness could tear apart the fragile space of the pot, and even his dantian would be blown to pieces.

But things are very different now.

This is because in the inner secret realm, the sword shadow formed by the sword intent of the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass stands tall, like a pillar stabilizing the sea.

The surging, violent sword energy was immediately absorbed and devoured by the sword shadows of the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass.

Instead of causing any damage, it made the sword shadows even more solid and sharper.

With the triple assistance of the sword domain's control, the scabbard's devouring power, and the nine-leaf sword grass's shadow, Zhao Wuji descended with ease, as if walking on flat ground.

In no time at all, they arrived at the bottom of the lake, in front of the barrier constructed by the nine strange sword grasses.

The cyan-purple cauldron appeared and disappeared within the barrier, with wind and thunder patterns flowing endlessly.

Zhao Wuji's gaze fell on the barrier in front of him, and suddenly he flicked his sleeve.

The portal to the inner space within the sleeve opened wide, and fingers suddenly formed complex hand seals.

Strands of green light flowed between his fingers, transforming into an invisible aura that enveloped Yan Lan's figure.

"hidden!"

With a low shout, Zhao Wuji's sleeves fluttered slightly, and the portal to the Pot Heaven space rippled like water.

Before Yan Lan's beautiful figure could be fully revealed, she was enveloped by layers upon layers of invisible restrictions.

Those restrictions, as thin as gossamer threads, intertwined in the void to form a net that perfectly concealed her aura, figure, and even the air currents emanating from her clothes.

As soon as Yan Lan's toes touched the blue stone at the bottom of the lake, she felt a lightness all over her body. She was surprised to find that she was still in the same place, yet she hadn't even stirred the water.

"Uncle, please rest assured."

Zhao Wuji transmitted his voice secretly, "I have concealed your figure and aura. Even if Huang Shang is by the lake, he cannot sense your presence."

"it is good!"

Yan Lan breathed a sigh of relief and looked towards the lake, her phoenix eyes reflecting the still-boiling sword light above.

The violent sword energy was now dancing like silver snakes, illuminating the entire lakebed with flickering light.

A flicker of fear crossed her beautiful eyes: "Junior niece, that old ghost won't come after us, will he?"

"will not!"

Zhao Wuji smiled faintly and said calmly, "Although Old Ghost Huang has profound cultivation and unpredictable techniques, his talent in swordsmanship is not top-notch. This Mirror Lake only recognizes swordsmanship skills, not cultivation level."

If he could come down, he would have done so already.

Upon hearing this, Yan Lan's tense body finally relaxed.

Then, with a flicker of her eye, she lightly tapped Zhao Wuji's chest with her slender fingers, her red lips parting slightly: "My precious junior nephew is truly amazing~"

Before she could finish speaking, Mirror Lake suddenly trembled violently, and Yan Lan lost her footing, stumbling and falling into Zhao Wuji's arms.

Her voluptuous body pressed against him instantly, and Zhao Wuji almost instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist.

Yan Lan's pretty face immediately turned crimson, feeling the chest opposite her burning hot. She quickly pushed him away, pretending to be calm as she looked at the surging lake water: "What's going on?"

"Uh, let me see what's going on."

Zhao Wuji also pretended to look up as if nothing had happened. His double pupils, with their golden patterns, instantly revealed the reason. He said in a deep voice, "It's that old ghost Huang Shang. He actually triggered the restrictions on the outer sword grass and sword trees. It looks like he has been injured."

"That's good. For the time being, this old ghost shouldn't be able to make any further breakthroughs."

Yan Lan pursed her red lips, a hint of solemnity flashing in her eyes: "Don't underestimate this old ghost. He holds the Cauldron of Life, the Yanzhou Cauldron, in his hand. Even if he is injured, he can recover quickly, and the impact will be limited."

"Ah."

Zhao Wuji nodded slightly, his gaze shifting to the Ninefold Sword Grass Barrier. "Then we should hurry up too."

"it is good."

Yan Lan responded softly, her gaze falling on Zhao Wuji's tall and straight back. Suddenly, she recalled the burning heat when they were pressed together, and her heart trembled for no reason.

She quickly suppressed this romantic thought, secretly annoyed: Yan Lan, Yan Lan, can't you stop being so shameless?

This is my own nephew, how could you start overthinking something just because I bumped into him by accident?
However, her slender fingers unconsciously tightened the hem of her skirt, she took a deep breath to suppress the restlessness in her chest, and forced herself to calm down.

Zhao Wuji was also holding his breath, his gaze sweeping across the barrier formed by the nine Heavenly Sword Grasses like lightning.

He pondered for a moment, then slowly sat cross-legged, his robes fluttering without wind, and sword energy flowing spontaneously around him.

"To break through this barrier, one might need to comprehend swordsmanship to the point where a single sword strike can create a barrier."

Zhao Wuji observed the barrier, the golden patterns in his eyes flickering, as he examined the swordsmanship proficiency within the Yin Pearl in his sea of ​​consciousness.

"Swordsmanship (Masterful: 13/30000)"

He couldn't help but sigh and shake his head.

Reaching the legendary sword realm of 'One Sword Creates a World' is extremely difficult. Even if one were to cultivate diligently in the ancient sword domain for fifteen years, it would probably be impossible to achieve.

Even though swordsmanship has progressed from the pinnacle to the pinnacle, proficiency has only tripled.

However, once you reach such a profound level, it's difficult to gain new insights into swordsmanship on a regular basis.

Without new insights, proficiency will hardly stagnate, and even with daily practice, growth will be extremely slow.

"With my current resources and channels, I can either communicate with the white-robed sword immortal within the mysterious land through the art of summoning immortals, or try to comprehend the sword shadows of the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass, or observe this barrier."
Everyone can gain new insights into swordsmanship; there are many methods, but progress will be slow, and breakthroughs are not something that can be achieved in a short time.

In the blink of an eye, Zhao Wuji had already made his decision.

Since it cannot be forced, then let us take the sword-wielding domain as the foundation, combine it with the array formation technique and the sword shadow of the nine-leaf sword grass within our body, use minimal force to deflect a great weight, pry open the barrier, and seize the cauldron by clever means!

However, this also requires strong cultivation as support; otherwise, even if a fulcrum is found, there is no strong enough lever to pry it open.

"If all three Golden Cores reach the state of perfection."

Zhao Wuji looked inward at his dantian and saw three golden pills hanging in the air like blazing suns, just one step away from perfection.

At that time, the primordial spirit will naturally form, and the power of the sword intent will surely surge, possibly allowing it to be combined with other methods to shake the barrier in the slightest.

He looked up at Yan Lan beside him and began to explain his plan.

Yan Lan nodded slightly upon hearing this, her phoenix eyes showing approval: "Since you have a plan, then please proceed with it."

I could only find this place by relying on the Zhenhai Stele. There's nothing more I can do to help you. The only thing I can do is cultivate together and improve our strength as quickly as possible so I don't become a burden to you.

“Alright, let’s cultivate together at the bottom of this lake and let that old ghost Huang wait outside.”

Zhao Wuji laughed heartily, and with a flick of his sleeves, the spiritual dew he had forcibly seized earlier poured out like a galaxy.

These crystalline fragments re-coalesced in mid-air, transforming into thousands of dazzling spiritual beads.

"Refining!"

He made a hand seal with his sword fingers, and azure and gold spiritual light burst forth from his fingertips.

The Daoist patterns of the ingestion technique flowed like a dragon on the left palm, while the talismans of the guiding technique swirled like a phoenix on the right palm.

Two distinctly different Daoist principles intertwined.

“Swish swish!!”

The dewdrops, like a hundred birds returning to the forest, split into two torrents.

One stream flowed into the lips and teeth along the Daoist patterns of the ingestion technique, while another sank into the dantian along the guiding talisman.

In an instant, a misty purple aura rose from the top of his head, and fine spiritual light burst forth from every pore of his body.

At the same time, under internal observation, the pure nascent soul power within the third heaven space exploded like a blazing sun.

Golden specks of light swirled like stardust, being frantically devoured by the three golden pills.

With each portion absorbed, the Dao patterns on the surface of the golden core brightened, and faint sounds of spiritual energy, like the roar of dragons and the croaking of phoenixes, emanated from the dantian.

On the shore of Mirror Lake, Huang Shang swallowed hard, forcing back the blood that welled up in his mouth.

He opened his withered palm, revealing a few streaks of blood in his palm, which gleamed eerily in the sunlight.

"Ahem. This little thief's strength is getting more and more terrifying. Just now, that huge arm that peeked out from his sleeve looked like..."

Huang Shang's eyes widened in surprise, but he had no time to think further.

He immediately flipped his palm and summoned the Yanzhou Cauldron. As the spiritual mist surged from the cauldron's mouth, three drops of crystal-clear spiritual dew flew into his lips and teeth.

Instantly, a verdant glow rose around him, and flesh sprouted from the bowl-sized hole in his chest at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Six days passed in the blink of an eye.

His injuries healed, and his breathing stabilized.

However, at that moment, a powerful spiritual pressure suddenly emanated from within Mirror Lake.

Huang Shang's expression changed drastically. He opened his eyes and stared at the lake. "Perfect Golden Core? No. This spiritual power is at least equivalent to two Perfect Golden Core cultivators!"

"That kid"

At the bottom of Mirror Lake Sword Realm, spiritual dew poured down like a galaxy, flowing around Zhao Wuji.

He sat cross-legged with his eyes slightly closed, and the three golden cores within his body hung in the air like blazing suns, absorbing and releasing vast spiritual energy.

The Immortal Golden Core trembled first, its surface patterned with dragons and snakes, bursting forth with a clear and cool immortal light.

Within the Golden Elixir, illusory images of magnificent palaces and pavilions seemed to appear, with cranes carrying lingzhi mushrooms and blue phoenixes dancing in the moonlight, creating an atmosphere of carefree ease.

At this moment, as the last unrefined Nascent Soul power entered the body, it transformed into thousands of spiritual runes and disappeared into the Golden Core.

The Dao patterns gradually become perfect, eventually reaching a state of flawlessness and purity.

Zhao Wuji's mind sank into it, and he seemed to see himself standing on the top of a sea of ​​clouds, embracing the Milky Way with his sleeves, and knocking on the gate of heaven with his finger.

"The Golden Core is complete, so that's how it is..."

He suddenly realized.

This realm is not only overflowing with magical power, but also where the Dao mind is clear and enlightened.

The elixir of immortality is as clear as the bright moon, reflecting all things without being tainted by dust. With a single thought, the wind and clouds stir; with a single thought, the mountains and rivers fall silent.

A mist of purple energy burst forth from every pore of his body, condensing into golden lotuses at the bottom of the lake. Immediately afterwards, the Blood Fiend True Form Golden Core roared, and blood light surged like a tide, as if forming a phantom of a demonic and Asura battle domain.

The surface of the golden core was covered with images of various beasts such as dragons and lions, but at the extreme point of the evil aura, a red lotus bloomed, with the lotus heart supporting a crystal clear blood crystal.

The spiritual dew entered the elixir, causing the blood crystals to shatter inch by inch, transforming into overwhelming malevolent energy to reforge the golden elixir.

Zhao Wuji immediately felt his blood and qi surging like a dragon.

Every drop of blood contains the power to shatter mountains and split the earth.

In a daze, he seemed to transform into an ancient ferocious beast, tearing the sky with his claws and roaring down stars.

"Only when evil reaches its extreme can life be born, and only then will the true form be revealed!"

The moment the Blood Fiend Golden Core was perfected, a trace of compassion was revealed amidst its ferocity.

Killing is for the purpose of protecting life; cutting off karma is not the same as killing a person.

Meanwhile, the situation inside the secret realm is changing dramatically.

The illusory image of the Jianmu tree grew wildly, with countless strands of spiritual energy hanging from its branches and leaves.

The gate of the Mysterious Female Gate was widened to twelve feet again, and ancient immortal spiritual energy poured in like a celestial river, nourishing the entire secret realm.

At this very moment, within the sea of ​​consciousness, the six core divine thoughts hung high like six great suns.

The Xuanbing Ice Sword's divine thought was chillingly cold, while the Jiezhuo Blood Sword's divine thought was utterly filthy.

The Blood Fiend Martial Halberd's divine sense was dazzlingly crimson, while the Nirvana Black Sword's divine sense burned like a golden crow.

The Heavenly Dao's One-Eyed Divine Thought has suppressed the ages, while the Void Spirit Pot Heaven's Divine Thought is ethereal and without trace.

At this moment, all thoughts resonated, and the previously accumulated and condensed divine consciousness crystals flowed like rivers into the sea, all converging towards the central illusory primordial spirit.

"Congeal!"

A shout rang out like a thunderclap, and Zhao Wuji's eyes suddenly flashed with dazzling golden light.

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, countless crystallized divine senses collapsed like a galaxy, all converging at a single central point!
In an instant, golden light surged, and a three-inch-tall golden figure sat upright in the sea of ​​consciousness, its entire body as if cast from crystal, dazzling and flawless.

At the center of his brow, a profound Dao mark bloomed like a lotus, with six-colored divine rings flowing endlessly.

Mysterious ice is the foundation, calamity and turbidity are the blades, blood and evil are the armor, Nirvana is the heart, the Heavenly Dao is the crown, and etherealness is the garment.

The little golden figure's eyes are open and closed, its gaze sharp as a sword, illuminating the entire sea of ​​consciousness.

Zhao Wuji suddenly felt his mind become clear, and the profound mysteries of Taoism that were previously obscure and difficult to understand were now as clear as the lines on his palm.

"Unrestrained!"

Yan Lan looked at Zhao Wuji not far away with a pounding heart.

"boom!!"

A powerful pressure erupted from Zhao Wuji's body, causing his Qilin robe to flutter wildly without wind, and his spiritual energy to swirl like a raging sea.

In an instant, the sword energy of Mirror Lake was forced to lower itself by three inches, and ripples spread across the lake surface, as if it were surrendering!

"Unrestrained!"

Yan Lan was shocked. Her red lips parted slightly, and her beautiful eyes reflected the figure that was both godlike and demonic.

He felt a vast divine might rushing towards him, as if he were facing not a Golden Core cultivator, but a Nascent Soul expert about to break free from his cocoon!

"This aura... it's a primordial spirit! This kid can actually condense a primordial spirit?!"

On the lakeside, Huang Shang's old eyes suddenly narrowed, and his withered hands clenched tightly.

He stared intently at the boiling lake, his heart churning with turbulent emotions.

What kind of heaven-defying cultivation technique is this child practicing?!
Even if he combined his inner golden core with his own golden core, and both golden cores were perfected at the same time, he still could not condense his primordial spirit before reaching the nascent soul stage.

"Could it be."

He suddenly realized that Zhao Wuji was simultaneously cultivating the Martial Immortal Dao technique and even had the approval of Xiang Yu's true leader.

"Three Golden Core cultivators at their peak? A Nascent Soul formed!?"

Huang Shang gasped, his sinister gaze fixed on the calm lake surface.

His fingers unconsciously clenched into his sleeve, and he felt the wound that had just recovered begin to ache again.

"That little beast."

He suddenly sneered, his dark blue robes fluttering even without wind. "Your arrival was so timely, and you dared to snatch the cauldron from my hands. I'm afraid it must have been that traitor Yan Lan who leaked the news."

The faint light at the bottom of the lake flickered, as if responding to his guess.

"Humph!"

Huang Shang suddenly pressed his fingers together on his brow.

A hazy, gray nascent soul, like a venomous snake, burrowed into the lake, meandering through thousands of sword energies, reaching a depth of hundreds of feet.

"Young friend Zhao! Congratulations on your further advancement in cultivation, even to the point of condensing a primordial spirit!"

Huang Shang's telepathic message, imbued with the pressure of his primordial spirit, shook the water: "Is there a cauldron hidden in this lake?"

The water surface suddenly burst into fine ripples, which were the remnants of his divine sense being shattered by the sword energy.

Huang Shang didn't take it seriously. He moved the finger pressed between his eyebrows, and the second telepathic message became even more powerful:
"Since you've come here, you must have received a warning from my rebellious disciple Yan Lan. Where is Yan Lan now, and why isn't he with you?"

Zhao Wuji sat cross-legged at the bottom of the lake, his body surrounded by spiritual energy like a dragon, feeling the three perfect golden cores slowly rotating within his body.

Upon hearing Huang Shang's telepathic message, he slowly opened his eyes, glanced sideways at Yan Lan beside him who looked surprised and suspicious, and suddenly a playful smile appeared on his lips.

He immediately sent out a telepathic message.

"Senior Huang is indeed insightful."

His tone was calm, his voice like the clinking of metal and jade, "However, my coming here this time is not because of what my senior uncle told me."

Instead, he happened to meet a fellow Daoist from the Sword Sect along the way, who mentioned that his Senior Uncle Yan was trapped in Mirror Lake, which is why he rushed over to help.

As he spoke, he secretly made a sword incantation in his sleeve, and the sword energy at the bottom of the lake flowed in response, weaving layers of sword curtains around the two of them.

Under the reflection of the deep blue water, his handsome face flickered in and out of light as he pondered.

"Deep within this Mirror Lake, there is indeed the Qingzhou Cauldron, one of the Nine Cauldrons. However..."

Zhao Wuji suddenly changed the subject, his voice becoming solemn and deep, "This Qingzhou Cauldron is trapped by a great formation formed by nine sword grasses."

"Let alone retrieving the cauldron, even my Senior Uncle Yan is currently trapped in the formation, unable to advance or retreat, and I have no way to rescue him."

"It was my oversight that I was unaware that Senior Huang had also entered this ancient sword domain."

His eyes flashed, and he chuckled, "But since you've come to Mirror Lake, could it be that you never knew that Uncle Yan was at the bottom of this lake? Why don't you come down now and work with me to figure out how to break the barrier at the bottom of this lake?"

"A barrier formed by nine sword grasses? Nine-leaf sword grass? Qingzhou Cauldron."

On the shore of Shangfang Lake, Huang Shang's eyes shone brightly as he suddenly gripped the Taoist scripture in his hand.

The pages turned on their own without any wind, flipping to a page with a picture of strange grass leaves.

On the yellowed paper, the nine sword-like grasses appeared lifelike, each blade pointing like a sharp sword to the sky, surrounded by densely packed array patterns.

Huang Shang's old eyes swept over the small print at the bottom of the page, and his cloudy pupils suddenly contracted.

The words "A boundary formed by sword and grass cannot be broken without a single sword" were clearly visible.

“A single sword can create a boundary.” Huang Chang frowned, looking at the lake surface, thinking to himself that this was a troublesome situation.

This is trouble.

If the Qingzhou Cauldron is sealed by such a barrier, unless a Nascent Soul Daoist forcibly breaks the formation or goes to Sword Immortal Mountain to obtain the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass, it will be extremely difficult to break the barrier and obtain the Qingzhou Cauldron.

He had already grasped Zhao Wuji's thoughts.

"This child has actually comprehended the concept of 'Sword Domain,' it seems he has gained a great deal within this Sword Domain."

Huang Shang narrowed his eyes, "This boy's willingness to venture deep into Mirror Lake for Yan Lan is indeed as I expected; he values ​​Yan Lan highly."

Could it be that he intends to use this opportunity to comprehend the concept of "one sword creating a realm," and then break through the barrier to save people?

Having thought this through, Huang Shang, though still feeling something was amiss, had already made up his mind.

"One sword transforms into a domain; this is a realm that even the Sword Sovereign of Heaven has never reached. In this world, perhaps only the Immortal Saint Sect Master Cang Yunzi and that immortal Qilin Sword Ancestor possess such attainments."

He slowly rose, his dark blue robes fluttering without wind, and a strange light gleamed in his eyes.

"This Zhao Wuji has actually become the third person in the world? It's a pity. Even so, he has absolutely no chance of comprehending the One Sword Formation in a short time!"

Huang Shang shook his head and sneered, a mocking look appearing on his gaunt face.

Although Zhao Wuji's swordsmanship talent is extraordinary, how can he break through the legendary highest realm of swordsmanship in such a short period of time?

Idiot's dream!

but
His gaze was deep as he looked down at the bottom of the lake once more.

Knowing that the Qingzhou Cauldron exists below is the best news.

"Young friend Zhao, this barrier can probably only be broken by those who have mastered the swordsmanship of 'One Sword Creates a World'."

Huang Shang immediately transmitted his voice to the bottom of the lake, saying, "With my swordsmanship skills, which are merely the differentiation of sword light, I am truly unable to offer any assistance."

but"

His withered hands quietly formed a hand seal, and a dark light of blood surged beneath his dark blue robe.

Strands of scarlet silk threads burrowed into the lakeside soil as if they were alive.

"I will now go to Sword Immortal Mountain to search for the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass! Even if I cannot obtain this treasure, if I can obtain some grass fragments or cultivation soil for swords, it may be of some help to you!"

Before he finished speaking, seven blood-red talismans slid out from his sleeve and silently disappeared into seven locations on the shore.

The talisman melted upon touching the ground, condensing into seven ghostly puppet soldiers clad in tattered armor, concealed like scarecrows, their eye sockets flickering with eerie green flames, quietly lurking among the sword grass.

Even a Nascent Soul cultivator would find it difficult to discern the difference between these puppets and ordinary plants without careful examination.

Bloodthirsty Yin Soldiers Sky-Gazing Formation!

This formation neither attacks nor defends; it is specifically designed to probe the flow of energy and serve as a medium for the transmission of primordial spirit.

bottom of the lake.

Zhao Wuji's double pupils flashed slightly with golden patterns, and a hint of surprise crossed his eyes.

This old devil's insight is so sharp!
Before he could reveal the key, the enemy had already figured out that only by "creating a boundary with a single sword" could the formation be broken.

"That saved me a lot of talking."

His gaze swept across the lakeside, and although he saw nothing unusual, a sudden sense of unease arose in his heart.

Given Huang Shang's cunning nature, how could he leave so easily?
They must have secretly laid a backup plan!
"However, since he is willing to search for the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass, it seems that he is certain that I will not be able to comprehend the One Sword Formation of a Realm in the short term, and I am helpless against this barrier."

Zhao Wuji chuckled softly, his expression playful.

Both sides understood each other without saying a word.

Once the barrier is broken, the true intentions will be revealed!

Huang Chang could not give up the Qingzhou Cauldron, but he also could not allow this old monster to seize it.
(End of this chapter)