Immortals of the End Times

Zhao Wuji stared at the withered figure in mid-air, bound by countless restrictive chains, and felt a chill run down his spine.

Even though Jin Linzi had already perished, his remaining body still exuded a terrifying spiritual pressure that was suffocating.

What's even more chilling is that the murky yellow mist, writhing like living creatures, is constantly eroding this immortal remains through the gaps in the chains.

"Please forgive me, senior."

He solemnly performed a hand seal and bowed, then performed another hand seal.

The seven divine rings between the brows of the primordial spirit in the sea of ​​consciousness suddenly lit up.

The profound fluctuations of the summoning magic spread out like ripples, and divine sense flowed upstream along the causal lines in the darkness, suddenly plunging into the body entangled in calamity.

"laugh!!"

In an instant, a feeling of decay and pain surged in like a tide.

This body seemed to be simultaneously occupied by eternal ice and raging flames from the netherworld, every inch of flesh groaning under the unbearable erosion of the calamity.

Zhao Wuji felt as if his consciousness had fallen into a quagmire.

The viscous karmic force of calamity clung to his consciousness, trying to drag it into eternal damnation and turn him into a soulless being.

"This is."

Amidst the excruciating pain, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a clear and refreshing Daoist charm.

Like a sliver of light in the chaos, it stubbornly flows through the murky black fog of calamity.

It was the spiritual power emanating from this Daoist aura that prevented the remains from being completely contaminated.

Even more remarkably, this melody resonated with a distant location, as if maintaining the last glimmer of hope.

Suddenly, fragmented memories flashed through the mangled body's brain like a revolving lantern.

On the vast Taoist palace square formed by the leaves of the Jianmu tree, Jin Linzi prostrated himself and kowtowed three times.

At the summit of Tianzhu, the black-robed celestial being suddenly unfurled his wide sleeves and flicked three fingers in quick succession.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Each strike was like a resounding golden chime, and three solidified golden ripples pierced through the sea of ​​clouds, landing precisely on Jin Linzi's Yuzhen acupoint at the back of his head.

As the ripples passed, the branches and leaves of the Jianmu tree moved swiftly without wind, and countless veins of the leaves simultaneously lit up with mysterious patterns.

That night, the Milky Way seemed to roll backwards.

Jin Linzi sat alone on the cloud bed in his cave, three golden circles around his brow turning as if they were alive.

The moment the third golden vein closed perfectly, the entire Jianmu tree suddenly resonated and trembled, and a blue light that reached the heavens and the earth shot straight up from its roots to the ninth heaven.

"It's done!"

He suddenly opened his eyes, and what was reflected in them was no longer the ordinary scenery.

Rather, they are the ancient stories etched in the annual rings of the Jianmu tree, each ring resembling a rushing river of time.

A wisp of pure Daoist essence rose from the crown of the head, like a green vine entwining the trunk of a Jianmu tree, and finally condensed into a jade-like Daoist seed at the heart of the tree.

"To build a tree in harmony with the Way"

Jin Linzi lightly touched the wood grain beside him with his fingertips, and the veins of the entire ancient divine tree immediately appeared in his sea of ​​consciousness in exquisite detail.

He could clearly sense that the roots absorbed the yin and turbidity of the Netherworld, the canopy received the pure spirit of the Thirty-Three Heavens, and the trunk was surging with concentrated celestial power!

In addition, his divine sense spread out like a net, touching the ancient and indestructible traces deep within the annual rings of the Jianmu tree.

Those were all pioneers who made the same choice as him.

He is a seeker of the Dao who integrates his life's Dao attainments into the Jianmu tree.

The way to harmonize with the Tao is to unite one's body with heaven, earth, and all things.

It can integrate mountains and rivers into its bones and transform rivers into its blood.

One can entrust the Daoist spirit to ancient trees and the divine consciousness to the stars.

However, all things possess a spirit, and one cannot perceive their intent without utmost sincerity, nor can one comprehend their way without profound understanding.

Only by comprehending the origin of things that conform to the Dao can one resonate with heaven and earth and establish an immortal foundation for the Dao.

In the annual rings of the Jianmu tree, some people attained the Dao and became so powerful that they shook the heavens and the earth, while others faded into obscurity.

Although both are in harmony with the Dao, the difference between them is like heaven and earth, all because of the different depths of their understanding.

Jin Linzi received three kowtows of enlightenment from the Black-Robed Celestial Venerable, and poured all his life's Daoist wisdom into this towering Jianmu tree.

The Jianmu tree is a bridge between heaven and earth, and its profound heritage makes it a smooth and unobstructed path among the three thousand great paths.

"So this is the path to enlightenment!"

Zhao Wuji was deeply shaken, as if he had heard the morning bell and evening drum.

But what terrified him even more was...
Jin Linzi consulted the Black-Robed Celestial Venerable, and then the Celestial Venerable kowtowed three times on the back of his head. This was clearly something he had done when he used the magic of summoning immortals to possess him in the past!
That illusory performance he thought was in a mysterious place was actually etched with a real mark in the river of time, turning into an indelible causal loop!

Was it his past choices that influenced the past, or were the karmic connections of yesteryear that shaped the present?
Did he actively choose the incarnation of Jin Linzi, or was it all preordained?

Or perhaps, all of this was part of that black-robed celestial being's scheme?

"Back then, those Dao-merging powerhouses entrusted their Dao essence to the Jianmu tree, a path that leads to the heavens. However, with the war in the outer heavens, the Jianmu tree and the Celestial Court collapsed and were destroyed, and the Thirty-Three Heavens were overturned. These powerhouses probably suffered as well, and may even have fallen in their cultivation levels."

Zhao Wuji pondered to himself, the images appearing in his consciousness becoming increasingly clear.

"Senior Jin Linzi likely risked ascending to the Nine Heavens to investigate the truth of the Celestial Court. During this time, he even had dealings with Shui Yunzi, the founder of the Immortal Saint Sect. Unfortunately, he ultimately perished at the hands of the Heavenly Dao."

As I pondered this, more fragmented memories flashed through my mind like a revolving lantern.

In the murky yellow fog of tribulation, Jin Linzi's body was bound by layers of ferocious chains.

Those chains actually pierced directly into the Dao seal formed by the Dao energy within his body.

Deep within the mist, the figures of more lost souls, bound by chains, could be vaguely seen, like puppets on strings.

This chain of calamity and turbidity is entangled with overwhelming karmic force. In Zhao Wuji's view, it is somewhat similar to the magic treasure, the Turbid Mist Rope, which he obtained in the Sixth Heaven, only its power is even greater.

Back on Sword Immortal Mountain, he had personally witnessed the earth-shattering collision between the Heavenly Dao's Tribulation Chains and the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass.
The scene suddenly changed.

From the depths of the murky yellow fog, a massive, all-encompassing shadow suddenly appeared.

With each breath, spiritual energy from all directions was swallowed into its belly like rivers flowing into the sea, instantly creating a terrifying vacuum.

When exhaling, it's like a celestial river bursting its banks, with vast spiritual energy instantly filling the nine heavens.

"So that's how it is. This must be the Way of Heaven?"

Zhao Wuji suddenly realized something.

These soulless beings have survived to this day amidst the calamity because the Heavenly Dao devours the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to maintain the circulation of spiritual energy.

So, is the calamity of the Dharma-ending Age entirely caused by the Heavenly Dao devouring the spiritual energy of heaven and earth?

It might not be that simple.

"Crash!"

At that moment, the chains suddenly began to vibrate violently.

A cold and majestic will swept across.

Jin Linzi and another figure bound by chains suddenly burst out of the murky fog, but a deafening roar suddenly came from below.

"boom!"

A pair of blood-moon-like double pupils shone from the abyss, and an incomparably fierce battle intent accompanied a battle halberd that erupted like a volcano.

"Xiang Yu!?"

Zhao Wuji was deeply shaken.

The scene abruptly ends there.

"Shh!"

His consciousness receded like the tide, instantly escaping the state of summoning immortals and returning to his original form.

"Indeed, it was Xiang Yu who unintentionally helped Jin Linzi escape the control of Heaven back then."

Zhao Wuji stared intently at the remains of Jin Linzi suspended in the sky, then suddenly pointed his fingers like a sword and struck his brow.

"Buzz!" "Buzz!"

The second and fifth divine rings between the brows of the nascent soul and the primordial spirit shone brightly at the same time.

The divine sense of the Blood Sword and the divine sense of the Heavenly Dao intertwined into a net.

The turbid mist rope was suddenly activated, like a black dragon soaring into the sky, and instantly wrapped around Jin Linzi's body.

"Chi chi chi!!"

A massive amount of calamity-induced turbidity flowed down the rope, only to be frantically devoured by the two divine rings.
"laugh!"

The turbid energy of calamity dissipated from Jin Linzi's remains like a receding tide.

The withered body crumbled away like sandstorm, eventually disintegrating into countless specks of light that scattered across the sky.

at this time.

"Buzz!"

A vibrant green Dao seal fell from mid-air and landed squarely in Zhao Wuji's palm.

"This is."

The Dao Seal feels warm and smooth like jade, yet it also reveals the tough texture of ancient wood.

A strong Taoist aura surged forth like a tide.

In an instant, he seemed to see a towering tree rising from the ground, its branches piercing the sky and its roots penetrating the netherworld.

That towering, majestic Dao intent, the unwavering resilience that remains steadfast even in the face of cataclysmic upheavals, and the tenacious vitality that brings life back to life like withered trees in spring—all flow within this small Dao seal.

"It's surprisingly similar to the aura of the Demon Tree clone, but the Demon Tree clone doesn't possess this sense of Dao."

What shocked him even more was that the faint connection he had previously held was now clearly discernible.

Like silk threads, it extends towards a certain direction outside the Tiannan Secret Realm.

"Could it be referring to other species of Jianmu trees?"

Zhao Wuji snapped out of his thoughts and looked down with his hands behind his back.

With the Nine Heavens Palace at his feet, the Southern Heavenly Realm held no more secrets for him.

"Come!"

With a flick of his sleeve, nine magical treasures, including the Soul-Devouring Wind Pearl, the Bewitching Fan, and the Thunder Spear, flew out and surrounded him like stars around the moon, their radiant light weaving into a dazzling galaxy.

"Next, let's make use of the sixth-level spiritual vein of the Immortal Saint Sect and the ancient spiritual energy of the Ancient Mysterious Land to accelerate our cultivation and break through to the Nascent Soul stage as soon as possible."

Zhao Wuji pondered for a moment. Suddenly, nine beams of light flew out from his sleeve, like a galaxy falling, and precisely embedded themselves into the array eyes of the Nine Heavens.

"It's done!"

A glint flashed in his eyes; he had now completely taken control of the pseudo-Nine Heavens.

In the future, with just a thought, one can draw enemies into the Nine Heavens Secret Realm within the Pot Heaven Space.

When the power of the Nine Heavens is unleashed, coupled with his personal intervention, even if the Nine Nether Demon Lord were to recover and make a comeback, he would still perish on the spot.

"Shh!"

He exited the space of the pot with a wave of his sleeve, and the scene before him changed abruptly.

The Immortal Saint Sect's mountains are majestic, with thirty-six main peaks piercing the sky like sharp swords, and seventy-two auxiliary peaks embracing it like lotus flowers.

A golden bridge spans the sea of ​​clouds, spirit birds flutter about, and thousands of palaces appear and disappear in the rosy glow, displaying the grandeur of the most powerful sect in the Nine Provinces.

Zhao Wuji rode on auspicious clouds, passing through the area.

"Greetings, True Lord Zhao!"

Along the way, disciples, whether riding swords or cranes, hurriedly stopped on the clouds and bowed in respect.

Those core disciples who were sparring in the training ground immediately sheathed their swords and stood at attention, their eyes filled with excitement and respect.

Nascent Soul True Monarch Zhao Wuji!
Once the number one swordsman in Kyushu, he is now unparalleled in his time and is revered as the undisputed leader of the Kyushu sword path.

He was personally invited by Cang Yunzi, the sect leader of the Immortal Saint Sect, to become an honorary elder, a rare honor in the sect's history, and to exclusively enjoy the right to cultivate in a level six spiritual vein cave.

Such an honor has been enjoyed by only a handful of people since the founding of the Immortal Saint Sect.

Now, who in the land of Kyushu is unaware of Zhao Wuji's formidable reputation?

In the battle of the Sword Domain, he slew the Demon Kings with his sword, killed the Demon King of Evil, subdued the Demon Peng Sect Master as his mount, faced the Nine Nether Demon Lord without defeat, and even severely injured him.

Each achievement is enough to make one stand proudly at the top of the Nine Provinces.

In this prosperous age of spiritual revival, young cultivators who heard of his deeds were filled with longing and worshipped him as a true immortal god.

As Zhao Wuji returned to his residence on auspicious clouds, a sudden, demonic wind arose in front of his cave.

"Welcome back to the manor, Your Majesty!"

Before the cave entrance, the Demon Roc Sect Master, disguised as a golden-robed old man, prostrated himself on the jade steps.

The demonic power of a Nascent Soul level cultivator was inadvertently leaked out in the slightest, causing the attending disciples to tremble with fear and lower their heads in even greater awe.

"You hairy beast, you're back so quickly this time?"

Zhao Wuji chuckled and made a hand seal, the Bird Taming Technique's golden light, like chains, entered the demonic roc's spirit.

The latter's feathers bristled, but it dared not resist in the slightest, instead revealing a fawning expression.

"Tell me, what's the current situation of the Demon Alliance?"

Upon hearing this, Yao Peng immediately straightened his back, his face full of smugness: "Thanks to the great blessing of the True Lord, under the joint encirclement and suppression of various sects, that rabble has long since scattered like monkeys after the tree fell."

The younger one even went so far as to betray his own family and personally led men to wipe out several stubborn hideouts.

As he spoke, he glanced at Zhao Wuji's expression, and seeing that there was nothing amiss, he continued, "Now, the demons in the states beyond the river are leaderless, and even my Demon Peng Sect has reformed and is helping to restore order."

"What about the Nine Netherworlds?"

Zhao Wuji stood with his hands behind his back, gazing northwest with a slight frown.

The Demon Alliance, now without the Nine Nether Demon Lord in charge, is not a major concern. However, if those Ancestral Demons can truly leave the Nine Nether...
"I have already dispatched my demon generals to keep watch day and night."

Yao Peng hurriedly replied, "However, the demonic energy in the depths of the Nine Netherworlds is overwhelming; even a Nascent Soul stage demon wouldn't dare venture deep in, otherwise..."

It shrank its neck and made a throat-slitting gesture: "Once you enter the depths of the Nine Netherworld, you will be corrupted by demonic nature and eventually become food for the Ancestral Demon."

Now, apart from the Demon Lord who has vanished into the Nine Netherworlds, no one else knows the situation deep within.

Zhao Wuji lowered his gaze slightly, lost in thought.

He now understands that the Nine Netherworlds are the place where all the filth of the Nine Provinces returns to nothingness.

If it is said that human cultivators can breathe in spiritual energy as easily as fish in water.

Those ancestral demons, born since the beginning of chaos, can still devour all evil in the world even when the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is depleted.

The seven emotions and six desires, greed, anger, ignorance and resentment, can all be transformed into surging demonic energy, maintaining its eternally indestructible demonic body.

This is the profound and mysterious Daoist essence of demonic nature.

Transform the filth of the world into the fire of the Netherworld, and continue the immortal demonic power with the evil thoughts of all living beings.

Therefore, even as the Dharma declines and the Heavenly Dao changes, the six Ancestral Demons remain dormant in the depths of the Netherworld, like a malignant tumor clinging to the bone.

"However, according to Sect Master Cangyunzi's account..."

He paced back and forth, lost in thought.

Although the Ancestral Demon can hide in the Nine Netherworlds and prolong its life, it may not dare to easily show itself in the world.

Once you step out of the Nine Netherworlds, at best your cultivation will be damaged, and at worst you will trigger the awakening of the Heavenly Dao and be punished by Heaven.

Otherwise, in the long river of time, these six ancestral demons would have long since wreaked havoc on the human world, how could they be willing to live in a corner of the world?
In recent years, demonic giants have been successively defeated and killed, and even a powerful figure like the Nine Nether Demon Lord has been driven back to his lair.

The ancestral demon's minions, which once roamed the entire land, are now reduced to less than one-tenth of their former size.

But given the personalities of those six...
Zhao Wuji raised his eyes and looked northwest, his gaze seemingly piercing through the vast sea of ​​clouds.

Deep within the Nine Netherworlds, silent for millennia, something even more treacherous and turbulent is likely brewing.

"Lord!"

Seeing his expression, the Demon Roc Sect Master quickly bowed and reported, "I have personally supervised the completion of the teleportation array in the provinces beyond the river."

Zhao Wuji nodded slightly, waved his sleeve, and said, "This matter has been handled well. Go and find the whereabouts of that old ghost Huangshang. Report back when you have any news."

After the demon roc transformed into golden light and fled, he turned and stepped into the depths of the cave.

Inside the cave, the entrance to the First Heavenly Chamber shimmered with a blue light.

As soon as he stepped inside, he heard a loud and familiar long whistle.

"Gaba!"

But then a dark figure appeared in the distance.

With a flap of its wings, the myna bird Xiong Ba unleashed a sudden gust of wind, its figure flashing through the air like lightning, instantly shrinking from the size of a calf to a foot in size.

As its wings fluttered, the black feathers with gold trim shone brightly, and it landed majestically on his shoulder, affectionately nuzzling his cheek.

A tiger's roar shook the heavens from a short distance away, and the cowardly tiger and the little jade fox came running wildly, causing the ground to tremble.

These three spirit beasts are now all powerful demons at the Nascent Soul Realm.

Xiong Ba and the Cowardly Tiger had barely reached the mid-stage, while the Six-Tailed Jade Fox had already reached the perfect stage and was ready to undergo the Golden Core Tribulation at any time.

Since the various sects joined forces to wipe out the Demon Alliance two years ago, Zhao Wuji has recalled them all.

They joined the Immortal Saint Sect along with me, which meant they were officially accepted into the sect.

"Xiaoyu, not bad. Are you confident about breaking through to the Golden Core stage? Do you need my protection?"

Zhao Wuji gently stroked the little jade fox's head.

"Of course you don't need to bother!"

The little jade fox's six snowy tails suddenly unfolded like a peacock's tail, shimmering in the sunlight. A hint of arrogance flashed in its fox eyes as it spoke in human language.

"I have long been prepared for the mere Golden Core Tribulation."

Having said that, the fox tail flicked, and six beams of spiritual light intertwined to form an array, actually condensing into a mysterious demonic rune in mid-air.

"good."

Seeing this, a hint of approval flashed in Zhao Wuji's eyes, and he nodded slightly.

As he turned around, his gaze swept across the distance.

The young apprentice Xiaoyue was bending over the spiritual field, her slender fingers lightly touching the soil. With a hand seal, seedlings of spiritual herbs sprouted from the ground, their green leaves glistening.

The young servant girl sat cross-legged beside the wine vat, her ten fingers flying like butterflies as she evenly spread the carefully prepared yeast, instantly filling the air with a rich aroma of wine.

The two noticed the gaze and immediately stood up and bowed.

Zhao Wuji waved his hand, signaling them to continue their work, and then leaped into the cave on the nearby Ling Mountain.

"boom!"

The moment the stone door of the cave closed, the demon tree clone that had been waiting inside suddenly opened its eyes.

Battle patterns flowed across the dark gold branches, and Xiang Yu's true blood surged like molten lava, exuding a domineering aura that was terrifying.

"Let's begin and try out this Dao Seal obtained from Senior Jin Linzi, and see if we can comprehend even a trace of its Dao essence!"

Zhao Wuji sat cross-legged, facing his clone.

With a flick of his wrist, the Dao seal in his palm shimmered with azure light, as if ancient wood grain was winding and growing on it, exuding a rich Daoist charm.

The gnarled branches of the demon tree suddenly stretched out, and thousands of branches emerged like serpents from their caves, wrapping around the Dao seal layer by layer.

"Om!!"

The moment their energies intertwined, the spiritual energy within the cave surged!

The azure-green Daoist aura surged like the tide, forming a visible vortex of spiritual energy between the two.

For those in the Nascent Soul stage, absorbing and exhaling spiritual energy is a matter of slow and steady progress.

With Zhao Wuji's current purple light spiritual talent, combined with the spiritual energy of a level six spiritual vein, breaking through his cultivation realm is only a matter of time and the accumulation of his cultivation.

"but"

His eyes closed slightly, and the magnificent scene of Jin Linzi merging with the Jianmu tree flashed through his mind.

The key to reaching the Divine Transformation Realm lies in comprehending the Dao!
The depth and strength of one's understanding of the Dao, and the strength of things that align with the Dao, are also related to one's own combat power and the strength of the Dao itself.

If one only seeks advancement in cultivation without contemplating the true meaning of the Great Dao, even if one manages to break through by chance, it will ultimately be nothing more than a silver spear with a wax head.

Just like the annual rings of the Jianmu tree, how many who have attained enlightenment have become just ordinary people.

If you don't want to become a useless person among those at the same level after breaking through, you still need to find your own path and comprehend your own path.

"The Daoist essence of Jianmu contained within this seal"

Zhao Wuji used his divine sense like a net to carefully capture the mysteries flowing within the Dao seal.

Each strand of Daoist charm is like the rings of an ancient tree, recording the ultimate principles of heaven and earth.

Only now, experiencing it firsthand, do I realize the immense weight of the words "enlightenment."

Theory on paper is ultimately superficial; true understanding requires personal experience.
(End of this chapter)