Immortals of the End Times

As one of the seven ancient treasures, the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass is unparalleled in its sharpness.

At this moment, the divine herb transformed into a three-foot-long green sword, which Zhao Wuji held in his palm.

Nine distinct sword intents surged through his meridians like raging dragons.

The ruthlessness of annihilating realms, the profound mystery of severing cause and effect, the domineering power of disrupting yin and yang.
Nine sword dao essences intertwined on the sword spine, eventually merging into a terrifying dao essence that made the void tremble—the Nine Tribulations Sword Dao.

The vibration from the sword hilt made his hand go numb.

This seemingly delicate grass sword actually contains a power comparable to the collapse of a giant tree.

The veins of those grass leaves not only flow with sword intent, but also contain the ever-renewing essence of plants. In its suppleness, it can support the Milky Way in the heavens, and in its fierceness, it can cleave through the divine thunder in the sky.

"What a magnificent Nine-Leaf Sword Grass!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes shone brightly, and the moment his five fingers closed, the power of the Dao Integration Realm resonated with the sword.

What's even more terrifying is that this grass sword itself possesses power comparable to or even surpassing that of an ordinary Dao Integration Realm expert.

If one were to wield this sword and become one with it, one might truly be able to pierce through the nine heavens with a single strike, causing the Nine Netherworld Ancestral Demons to bleed profusely.

This confidence seems to stem from possessing a sharp weapon, which naturally ignites a murderous intent.

He suddenly felt a surge of sword intent within his chest, and was even tempted to draw his sword and charge into the Netherworld.

The residual power emanating from the slight tremor of the sword blade tore fine cracks in the space around him.

Such sharpness would likely cause even an ordinary Dao Integration Realm expert's body to shatter if struck by a single sword.

But soon, he suddenly became alert, and the golden pattern between his eyebrows shone with a clear light.

That arrogant thought that looked down on heaven and earth just now came about strangely. Could it be that the demon of anger was stirring up the gap in his Dao heart?

He immediately set aside his pride and impatience, and as he ran his finger along the spine of the sword, the nine illusory grass leaves instantly lost their brilliance, transforming into a simple and unadorned green blade.

"Slay the Realm".

With a soft shout, the grass sword casually slashed down.

Where the sword passed, the void thirty feet in front of them suddenly solidified like glass, and then spiderweb-like black patterns appeared.

Those were the marks left by the fact that space itself had been forcibly severed.

There was no earth-shattering roar, only the silent spread of the Daoist rhythm of the extinction of all things.

"Such powerful lethality."

Zhao Wuji's eyes narrowed.

With this ancient treasure in hand, even a celestial lord from the Nine Heavens would likely find it difficult to withstand its power.

Perhaps, only the two Immortal Kings, Ziwei and Zhongtian, those two ancient wandering immortals who failed to transcend their tribulations and disintegrated, still need to be wary of.

"But at least"

He ran his fingertips along the chaotic blue light flowing along the sword's spine, his eyes flashing slightly. "With this sword, I should be able to ascend to the Ninth Heaven without suffering the same humiliation as before."

Zhao Wuji raised his eyes, the golden lines in his eyes flickering: "I will try going to the Ninth Heaven again after my foundation is more solid."

It's certainly too early now; we can let things settle down for a few more years.

But he knew very well that the two Immortal Kings, Ziwei and Zhongtian, were trapped in the Dharma-ending Age, and their cultivation was like rowing against the current.

With the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass in his hands, a supreme treasure for killing, his cultivation level continued to improve.

With each side gaining and losing, success will eventually come!
"Qiang!!"

The sword grass trembled slightly, its nine leaves rotating like stars in the sky.

Each dewdrop hanging from the tip of a leaf reflects the true essence of swordsmanship left behind by the Nine-Leaf Celestial Venerable.

"Now that I have this sword in my hand, perhaps I can try to break through the seal of the Celestial Venerable's inheritance again."

Zhao Wuji raised his eyes and looked out over the vast sword domain in all directions.

If this Daoist temple of the Nine Tribulations Celestial Venerable could merge with the Heavenly Pot, it would surely forge an unparalleled foundation for the Dao.

At that time, let alone achieving enlightenment and progress, it would not be impossible to even transcend the great calamity of illusion and reality.

"In the degenerate age, resources are scarce."

He sighed softly, his five fingers quietly clenching inside his sleeve.

In this world where spiritual energy is depleted, even the Daoist temples of ancient celestial beings must be refined, which is truly a helpless measure.

However, if one can obtain the true teachings of the Nine Tribulations Celestial Venerable and inherit his Daoist temple, it is like a disciple inheriting his master's legacy, which is in accordance with the laws of nature.

"Let's go to the Celestial Court first and try our luck in the immortal realm."

As his robes fluttered, the aura of the ethereal realm of the Pot Heaven rushed towards him.

The outline of the ancient celestial court is faintly visible in the sea of ​​clouds.

The cascading jewels of the thirty-three heavens made his figure appear as if he were a banished immortal.

at the same time.

"boom!"

Deep within the earth's veins, in a magma cave.

The demon tree clone suddenly opened its eyes.

The Dao patterns of Jianmu and the Dao charm of Bawang intertwined at the center of his brow, transforming into a dazzling Dao seal.

His spiritual pressure was as deep and oppressive as a hell, causing rocks to fall from the ceiling of the cave.

"This venerable one has already entered the Dao Integration stage."

A low murmur echoed in the dark cave, and the demon tree clone slowly closed its eyes.

For seventy years, he absorbed the dragon veins of the nine provinces and the turbid energy of the nine netherworlds. This clone of his finally reached the perfect state of godhood.

However, it is very difficult for a clone to merge with the Dao.

There is a lack of sufficient resources and a suitable foundation.

Currently, there seem to be two paths facing the demon tree's clone.

One method is to absorb the essence of the nine provinces' energy channels as the foundation of one's Dao, and to swallow the filth of the nine netherworlds to enter the Dao.

However, this path is extremely dangerous; the six ancestral demons will surely swarm and block it like a pack of blood-sniffing sharks.
Secondly, he would allow the Jianmu Dao Body to continue growing until it reached the heavens, and then use his own Dao Body as the foundation to devour the power of the seventh-level spiritual vein of the Immortal Saint Sect, forcibly opening the door to the Dao Integration.

just.

The Immortal Saint Sect may not easily relinquish its seventh-level spiritual vein.

The Jianmu Dao pattern on the forehead of the demon tree clone flickered, and its gnarled roots spread all over the cave walls.

Even more troublesome is that, even if the Immortal Saint Sect agrees, it will take at least three hundred years to cultivate this Jianmu Dao Body into a Dao Foundation capable of supporting the Dao Integration Realm.

The great calamity of the end times is approaching in a hundred years!

"Time waits for no one, resources are lacking, it seems..."

The demon tree clone slowly closed its eyes, its deep murmur echoing deep within the magma, its gnarled roots suddenly straightening in the boiling lava.

Each vein shimmered with dark, ghostly patterns, like countless slumbering dragons suddenly awakening. "The key to breaking this deadlock lies with me."

Rumble!
Suddenly, some of its massive roots rose from the scalding magma, with one of its main roots bursting through the magma like the claws of an ancient demon god.

The dark, scaly scales covering the surface collided with the scorching lava, blasting up a sky full of golden and red sparks.

This grotesque root, stretching for thousands of feet, tore the earth apart, heading straight towards the states beyond the river.

"Boom!"

The entire sea of ​​lava boiled and churned.

The Nine Nether Rift where the demon tree's clone was rooted trembled violently, and countless vengeful souls clinging to its roots let out mournful howls.

They were scorched by the lava flung off by their roots, turning into wisps of blue smoke and dissipating.

Having absorbed the turbid energy of the Netherworld for eighty years, every inch of the demon tree's avatar now gleams with a cold, metallic light.

The naturally formed dark gold patterns on the branches flicker with the restlessness of the Netherworld demonic energy.

The main root, which penetrates deep into the earth's veins, captures the rhythm of the energy of the nine provinces at its very core.

This allows him to know about many events and situations happening across the land of the Nine Provinces, much like the ancient celestial court's land god.

The flow of spiritual energy throughout the vast landscape can be perceived.

Now, there is a karmic entanglement with his own karma that he must personally sever and break free from.

The main vein roots suddenly accelerated, tearing through the rock strata with a deafening sound like metal clashing.

Wherever it passed, the earth's fires retreated, and the rock veins made way, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, pointing straight to the end of cause and effect.
At this moment.

"Zheng!"

A deafening sword cry suddenly resounded throughout the thirty-three heavens!

Zhao Wuji stood in mid-air, his green robe fluttering in the wind, before him lay the most core forbidden ground of the ancient immortal court.

The four colors of Daoist energy descended like a celestial river, transforming into countless solid chains that intertwined into a net, sealing off the entire sky completely.

The four great Daoist principles intertwined and condensed in the void into four towering Celestial Venerable Dharma images, suppressing all directions.

The mere dissipation of pressure caused countless spiderweb-like cracks to appear in the surrounding space.

"What a magnificent Four Extremes Sealing Heaven Formation!"

The blood moon spun in Zhao Wuji's double pupils, and the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass burst forth with a shocking sword cry in his hand.

Nine dewdrops on the blade of grass lit up at the same time, each reflecting a phantom image of a sword realm.

"break!"

He suddenly transformed into a dazzling sword rainbow, and the nine-leaf sword grass surged with azure light.

Wherever the sword passed, the void shattered like glass, and the spiderweb-like spatial cracks spread all the way to the four-color seal.

The sword grass, which was entirely covered in azure light, now shone brightly with azure light. Its nine leaves rotated like stars, and each rotation brought with it a sword cry that shook the thirty-three heavens.

"Man and sword unite!"

With a long shout, his figure suddenly transformed into a dazzling sword rainbow.

"boom!"

The four-colored Daoist auras pressed down like the sky collapsing, and the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass immediately emitted a clear and mournful cry.

The Jade Pavilion of the Celestial Venerable of the Great Mansion shook violently, and tiles fell down in a flurry.

Petals fluttered down from the lotus throne of the Jade Pure Celestial Venerable.

The sword marks left by the Nine-Leaf Celestial Venerable flickered intermittently.

The golden talisman of the Celestial Venerable of Immortal Sealing shone brightly.

Zhao Wuji suddenly felt his bones cracking all over his body, and the golden pattern of the Intercepting Dao flashed wildly between his eyebrows.

Within the Dao Seal, the three great heavenly foundations trembled violently under the combined sealing of the four Heavenly Venerables, almost collapsing.

"Is this the method they used to unite against powerful beings from beyond the realm?"

His pupils contracted sharply, and a metallic taste rose in his throat.

In that intertwined Daoist aura, each strand seemed capable of crushing countless ancient stars. The very first contact of their energy was enough to nearly disintegrate his Daoist body.

"Zheng!!"

Just then, the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass suddenly burst forth with a dazzling, clear light. The nine sword leaves spun like stars, and the phantom image of the Nine Tribulations Sword Seal was reflected in the dew-laden tips of the grass.

In an instant, one of the golden chains of sword grass belonging to the Nine Tribulations Celestial Venerable melted away like spring snow, revealing a crack.

"Boundary Interception!"

Zhao Wuji knew that his guess was indeed correct.

As long as he masters the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass, the Nine Tribulations Celestial Venerable's Great Dao blockade will be waived for him.

His eyes blazed with a blood-red light, and seizing this fleeting opportunity, he suddenly pointed his sword at his brow.

The true meaning of the Intercepting Dao transformed into a golden rainbow piercing the sky, and man and sword merged into one in an instant, transforming into a stream of light that tore through the chaos.

"Zheng!!"

A dazzling sword rainbow, tearing through the chaos, shot into the sky. Wherever it passed, the cloud-carved palaces of the Heavenly Venerable of the Vast Mansion made way for it, and the golden lotus of Buddha's light of the Heavenly Venerable of the Pure Jade Palace retreated.

Even the chains of the Heavenly Venerable's decree melted like spring snow before the sword's edge.

In an instant, the scene before my eyes was completely transformed!

Countless sword lights, like an inverted galaxy, intertwined around him, forming a world of swords.

Each sword light reflected the figure of the Nine Tribulations Celestial Venerable, either comprehending swordsmanship on a solitary peak or clashing with a powerful enemy.

Those unfamiliar battlefields sometimes manifested ancient heavens and earth, and sometimes reflected the vast starry sky.

There were also several other strange sights that seemed to be outside of this world, but no one knew where they were.

"Shhhhh!"

Suddenly, the thousands of sword lights solidified, transforming into the dharma images of celestial beings standing in the air.

A young Nine Tribulations Celestial Venerable, Jian Hong, dressed in gray, stood in mid-air.

A middle-aged Nine Tribulation Celestial Venerable dressed in white exuded a chilling sword aura.

One of the men, dressed in black, exuded a menacing aura of swordsmanship, his body wreathed in chaotic sword energy that emanated from the yin and yang.

The figure in the brocade robe stood beneath a dazzling sword pattern depicting the Fallen Star Ruins.
The numerous celestial beings all lowered their eyes, their gazes like swords, their sword intent penetrating deep into Zhao Wuji's sea of ​​consciousness.

"boom!"

Under the onslaught of countless magnificent sword intents, Zhao Wuji felt as if he had received a sudden enlightenment.

The mysteries that follow the path of enlightenment.

The interplay of reality and illusion, the refinement of falsehood into truth, and the transcendence of tribulations—all these profound insights into the Great Dao poured forth like a galaxy, illuminating the path to heaven within his Daoist heart.

After attaining the Dao, one must refine the illusory into the real, and the false into the true. Only after passing through the tribulations of illusion and reality can the Great Dao be established.

When the Daoist principles are perfected, that is when one will ascend to the Mahayana stage and become a Celestial Venerable Quasi-Immortal.

At this moment, when he looked at the inheritance of the Nine Tribulations Heavenly Venerable, it was as if he saw a dragon shadow in the clouds.

Although the full picture was not obtained, one could already glimpse the heavenly path that stretched between the Daoist path and the Mahayana path.

This Heavenly Venerable's inheritance is not about forcibly instilling the Way into others.

Instead, it tells the whole story of the process of enlightenment, attainment, cultivation, and ultimate perfection of the Dao.

For Zhao Wuji, who was about to break through the illusion and reality, it was like a beacon in the dark night and a navigational marker on the vast sea.

After all, those who can reach the Divine Transformation stage have already realized their own nature and understood their own path.

Unless master and disciple are of the same lineage, how could they easily change their own path?

The wonder of this celestial lineage lies in its guidance rather than substitution, its enlightenment rather than indoctrination.
But this great legacy is by no means useless.

On the contrary, its guiding and enlightening effect is the most precious aspect of its inheritance.

For this world where no Celestial Venerable is now in charge, this inheritance is of extraordinary significance to Zhao Wuji, saving him from thousands of years of wasted effort and trial and error.

Many obscure and difficult-to-understand mysteries of the Great Way.

Simply by observing the flow of the Daoist aura of the Nine Tribulations Celestial Venerable, one can suddenly gain enlightenment.

Thinking back now, the lineages of the other three Celestial Venerables, such as the "Great Vehicle Corpse-Slaying Method" of the Celestial Venerable of Sealing Immortals, are probably the same.

The Way of Inheritance of the Four Heavenly Venerables.

They can complement each other and reinforce each other, helping him to build a more perfect foundation for the Great Dao.

"Wonderful! The Great Dao is truly wondrous beyond words!"

Zhao Wuji gave a delighted exclamation of praise.

He immediately sat cross-legged inside the Heavenly Venerable Inheritance Hall.

He plucked three hairs from the back of his head, changed his hand gestures, put them in his mouth, and blew on them, thus performing the technique of creating a clone.

"Shh! Shh! Shh!"

Several figures emerged from the hair, each with a solid aura and lifelike appearance, and walked towards the illusory figures of the Nine Tribulations Celestial Venerables from different periods.

The gray-clad man possessed a solitary and unyielding sword intent, the white-clad man's sword style was fierce and powerful, and the black-clad man exuded a terrifying aura...

His clones each chose a path to assist the original in comprehending its true meaning.

As time goes by, the outside world also changes dramatically.

The six great demon ancestors of the Nine Netherworlds have been secretly stirring up trouble. In the past hundred years, they have caused demons and evil cultivators to run rampant throughout the Nine Provinces.

Despite the combined efforts of Daoist Cangyun and Daoist Wentian, who led the Immortal Saint Sect and the Qilin Sword Sect in suppressing and eliminating many troublesome demons and demon-possessed cultivators, the situation remained unchanged.

However, the demonic essence of the six great ancestral demons is like a malignant sore that it continues to erode the cultivators' hearts, making it difficult to eradicate the demonic forces.

In just over eighty years, the forces of demons have risen again.

It faintly resembles the destructive power of the former Nine Netherworld Demon Lord.

This led to a chaotic period in which monsters roamed freely and demonic cultivators ran rampant.

"Whizzing!"

On this day, two streaks of light fell to the ground like meteors, crashing heavily onto the border of the Demon Peng Sect's territory in the Hewai Liezhou.

As soon as they landed, the male cultivator at the Concentration Realm coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face as white as paper, and his aura weakened.

"Senior Brother Hu!"

The female cultivator beside her hurriedly helped him up, and when her hand touched his back, she found it was sticky and soaked with blood.

Her pretty face changed drastically. "How could the injuries be so severe? Why don't we return to the Demon Roc Sect for help? If we continue to flee like this, I'm afraid..."

"No!"

Senior Brother Hu suddenly interrupted, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

Despite his severe injuries, he gritted his teeth and said, "This demon-slaying operation is very suspicious. I suspect that the Blood Wind Demon King was able to set up an ambush beforehand."

"Senior brother, you mean," the female cultivator's pupils contracted slightly, "that someone in the Demon Roc Sect, who was responsible for contacting us, leaked information? That there was a traitor within our ranks?"

Senior Brother Hu sneered, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth: "It's more than just an internal traitor. I suspect the entire Demon Roc Sect is involved! Those who are not of our kind are bound to have different intentions!"

"How is this possible!" the female cultivator exclaimed in shock. "Golden Roc True Monarch is the spirit beast under the Demon-Subduing and Saintly Dao Lord!"
"The Dao Lord once slew the Nine Nether Demon Lord with his sword, and also ascended to the Nine Heavens with his sword to bring peace to us cultivators."

"Junior Sister!" Senior Brother Hu spat out a mouthful of blood, his brows furrowed. "I am not questioning the majesty of the Demon-Slaying Saintly Dao Lord, but..."

His expression was solemn. "After all, Senior Daojun has not shown his true form for nearly a hundred years."

Although the Golden Roc True Lord was once a spirit beast under the Dao Lord, you must not forget that.
Over a hundred years ago, the Demon Roc Sect was one of the nine major forces of the Demonic Sect. Many of those beasts from the Demon Roc Sect back then mingled with the Demon Alliance, slaughtering our fellow cultivators from the Immortal Sect!

"Senior brother, you mean..."

The female cultivator's pretty face turned deathly pale.

“Not of our kind. When that Golden Roc was the leader of the Demon Roc Sect, he was vicious by nature. Could such a violent nature be changed by the Dao Lord’s teachings?”

Senior Brother Hu looked up at the sky above the Hewai Liezhou, where demonic energy soared into the heavens, and said in a deep voice, "Over the years, the demonic forces in Hewai Liezhou have grown increasingly powerful."

Has the Demon Roc Sect, as the force responsible for overseeing this area, neglected its duties? Was this intentionally done?

Senior Brother Hu summoned a communication jade talisman: "Although that Golden Roc beast is nominally a Dao Lord's spirit beast, precisely because of this relationship, no one dares to investigate or hold anyone accountable, yet suspicion cannot be reduced!"

Before the words were even finished, blood-red clouds suddenly loomed over the area dozens of miles away.

"boom!!"

A blood-red demonic wind swept in from afar like a raging tide, leaving withered vegetation and crumbling rocks in its wake.

The wind carried a pungent, fishy stench, and countless hideous ghost faces could be vaguely seen howling in the wind.

"Blood Wind Demon King!?" The female cultivator exclaimed in shock, her expression changing.

"How could they have arrived so quickly?!"

Senior Brother Hu's expression also changed drastically, before he could even finish making the hand seals.

The female cultivator beside her turned deathly pale, her slender fingers gripping the corner of her sleeve tightly. Staring at the overwhelming cloud of blood pressing down, her lips trembled slightly: "It's over."

"Whoosh!!"

Just then, a ghostly light burst forth from the earth like a venomous dragon from the underworld, instantly causing the rock strata to crumble and stone fragments to fly everywhere.

The slender wooden spikes were jet black, with eerie bluish-purple patterns flowing across their surface, exuding a chilling aura of desolation.

"Hey!"

The wooden spike pierced through the air, tearing through the protective red clouds surrounding the Blood Wind Demon King as easily as tearing thin silk.

"What!?"

The demon king retreated in horror, summoning seven blood-red bone shields as he formed hand seals with his claws. The seven bone shields swelled in the wind, their surfaces glowing with dazzling blood-red light, and a hideous demonic face appeared on them.

"Block him for me!"

Before the Blood Wind Demon King's fierce roar subsided, the wooden spikes were unstoppable, a point of eerie light at their tip tearing through the sky and piercing through the seven shields.

Those bone shields that could withstand a single blow from a Nascent Soul magic weapon shattered one after another like paper, and the demonic face inside the shield let out a shrill wail.

"No, it's impossible!"

The demon king's pupils shrank drastically as he watched helplessly as the wooden spike, still possessing great momentum, pierced through his chest with a 'plop'.

Suddenly, thousands of dark purple roots burst forth from the wound, spreading like a spider web to every part of the body.

"Click, click!"

Amidst the chilling sounds of erosion, the roots slithered wildly beneath the demon king's skin.

The meridians were filled with roots, the demon core was entangled by vines, and even the sea of ​​consciousness and purple mansion were invaded by countless fine roots.

"Do not!!"

The demon king roared in despair, his muscles twisting and bulging, and the root-like veins clearly visible writhing beneath his skin, yet he couldn't even tremble at his fingertips.

All I could do was let those roots, like thirsty venomous snakes, devour my memories.

"Senior brother, what kind of monster is this?"

The female cultivator's lips trembled, her pretty face filled with terror. The seemingly slender wooden splinter was now radiating a terrifying pressure that could change the very fabric of the world.

Senior Brother Hu also broke out in a cold sweat, realizing with a start that even his golden core was trembling.

At that moment, a majestic voice resonated in their hearts.

"Your guesses are correct; it's time for me to clean house."

(End of this chapter)