Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 201 The Peril of Luoxia Mountain

The night sky was as smooth as silk, and the stars shone brightly.

Above Yunshui City, a deep blue array shield, like an inverted giant bowl, protected the city below.

This grand formation was created by the powerful array master Fu Yang and is called the Ren Water Concealing Spirit Grand Formation.

Back then, the Sword Immortal Ling Shan took Shen Wen'an to Zhui Xian Lake in Danzhou to find Fu Yang to set up an array for Yunshui City.

Shen Wen'an's request was that since the Shen family was poor, he asked Fu Yang to find a way to set up some formations that consumed little energy but were powerful.

After Fu Yang arrived in Yunshui City for an on-site survey, he discovered that there were several underground veins in Yunshui City that converged from the distant Hidden Dragon Mountain to the Blackwater Pool.

The earth's spiritual energy was quite abundant, so without much thought, they directly chose the Ren Water Concealing Spirit Array.

The formation connects to the earth's veins, allowing it to effectively utilize the spiritual energy of those veins to provide the necessary power for the formation.

In the courtyard corridor, Shen Yuan closed his eyes and deduced the ominous warning that had appeared on the white jade tortoise shell, while Shen Wenxing and the others waited quietly beside him.

After a few breaths, Shen Wen'an, who had been standing with his sword in his arms, seemed to sense something and suddenly raised his head to look at the brilliant starry sky above, his brows slightly furrowed.

Seeing this, Shen Wenxing and Shen Chongming naturally looked up at the sky as well.

"Third Uncle, what's wrong..."

Shen Chongming glanced at it but didn't notice anything unusual. Just as he was about to ask, he was horrified to find that the night sky above Yunshui City seemed to have been suddenly torn apart by something!

A large, white jade hand, radiating a chilling aura, suddenly reached out from the night sky and grabbed down at Yunshui City below!
Such a terrifying scene was beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. Even Shen Chongming's pupils constricted and his heart stopped for a moment!
That terrifying white jade hand was originally only a hundred feet long and wide. After it emerged from the night sky, it frantically absorbed the spiritual energy of the surrounding world. As it slowly pressed down, the size of the hand grew wildly!

In the blink of an eye, it has reached a length of a thousand feet!
"We must not allow this palm to attack the protective array of Yunshui City!"

A thought suddenly popped into Shen Wen'an's mind!
The Renshui Concealing Spirit Array was a formation that Fu Yang and her father, Shen Yuan, spent half a year setting up, consuming a large amount of spiritual materials.

Although he was able to withstand the attack of a master at the peak of the Fetal Breathing Realm, he understood that the white jade palm that suddenly appeared from the void was not an attack method that a cultivator at the peak of the Fetal Breathing Realm could use!
Shen Wen'an's expression was solemn, his eyes fixed on the giant hand, and his figure suddenly transformed into a sword beam that shot into the sky!

Zheng!
The crisp sound of swords echoed throughout Cloudwater City!
Under the night sky, a hundred-foot-long azure sword beam rose from the ground, its tip pointing directly at the palm of that white jade hand!
As his figure transformed into a long sword and soared into the sky, from another direction of the manor, a figure radiating a milky white aura also took a step forward and ascended the steps!

The man was dressed in a moon-white scholar's robe, with snow-white hair and beard, making him stand out in the dark night sky.

The figure stepping through the void was none other than Lu Zhiyuan from the Clan Headquarters.

After Shen Wenyan's death, no one knows what level Lu Zhiyuan, the undisputed leader of the literary arts today, has reached.

But at the critical moment when he saw the white jade hand about to destroy Yunshui City, he stepped forward.

Lu Zhiyuan's figure rose higher and higher, and in just a few steps he had already stepped out of the Renshui Concealing Spirit Formation.

His eyes were as deep as an abyss, with streaks of light like stars flashing in his pupils, and the literary aura behind him surged and changed.

On the other side, Shen Wen'an's sword beam, which had become one with the sword, had already pierced the palm of that white jade hand!
A deafening explosion rang out, and terrifying energy ripples formed a visible halo that instantly spread outwards!
The hundred-foot-long sword beam was like a jade pillar supporting the sky, firmly resisting the ever-pressing white jade palm!

At the very tip of the sword light, Shen Wen'an held the Dragon-Slaying Sword, having already unleashed all the sword energy in his body, yet he still could not pierce through that white jade hand.

His face was flushed, and his body was being pressed down by the white jade palm!
puff!
Finally, the white jade palm seemed to exert force suddenly, directly causing Shen Wen'an below to spit out a mouthful of blood!

"Such power...is it the Golden Core realm or the even stronger Purple Mansion realm?"

As Shen Wen'an pondered this in his heart, he still gritted his teeth and persevered.

Lu Zhiyuan seemed to be ready now, as a dark green calligraphy brush suddenly appeared in front of him.

The brush hovered in the air, writing a huge "人" (person) character with a flourish!

After the giant "人" (person) character was written, it emitted a dazzling light and then transformed into thousands of soldiers dressed in silver armor and wielding axes, who charged toward the white jade hand!
These soldiers, like heavenly warriors, charged towards the white jade palm in neat square formations. Some attacked various parts of the white jade palm with their weapons, while others came down to join Shen Wen'an in trying to stop the white jade palm from pressing down.

The two of them worked together to resist, but they still couldn't completely stop the terrifying hand from pressing down.

As time went by, most of the magical weapon formed from Lu Zhiyuan's natal character "人" was crushed by the white jade palm. Lu Zhiyuan himself was pale and bloody tears flowed from his eyes, clearly indicating that he had suffered a serious injury.

Shen Wen'an's situation was not good at the time either.

His body was about to be pressed against the protective barrier of the Ren Shui Concealing Spirit Array, his aura was weak, and blood kept spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Below, although Shen Wenxing had already broken through to the third realm, he knew that he couldn't be of much help now, so he decisively told Shen Chongming to take everyone in the manor away first.

The primary target of this white jade palm seems to be the father who is meditating with his eyes closed in the corridor; letting the family leave first is the most sensible choice.

He himself stayed by his father's side, ready to fight to the death when Shen Wen'an and Lu Zhiyuan in the air could no longer hold out.

……

In the northern part of Danzhou, there is the Qingluo Sword Lodge.

On the towering Yin Jian Peak, there is a thousand-foot cliff and bamboo forest.

The Sword Immortal Ling Shan was sitting cross-legged in meditation when she suddenly opened her eyes and looked in the direction of the barrier leading from Danzhou to Yangnao Land.

A faint image of a green bamboo radiating a jade-like luster slowly emerged in its dark pupils.

"You've stretched your arms quite far..."

Ling Shan, the Sword Immortal, murmured something, and a phantom image of a towering sword bamboo suddenly appeared behind her.

The next moment, the dense bamboo forest in front of the barrier between Danzhou and Yangnao suddenly rustled!
In the boundless bamboo forest, a blue sword light emerges from above each green bamboo stalk!

These cyan sword beams, as if guided by some force, instantly shot into the void and disappeared.

……

puff!
The sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh was accompanied by a muffled groan that echoed from the cave.

The figure in the black robe gripped his right wrist, and crimson blood flowed from it, dripping down his alabaster fingers onto the prayer mat below.

"What a magnificent sword immortal!"

"Such concentrated sword intent truly makes one suspicious..."

The black-robed figure's voice was deep and hoarse, revealing no anger, but rather a strange excitement.

……

Above the Blackwater Pool, the white jade hand that resembled the wrath of a deity had vanished.

Shen Wen'an and Lu Zhiyuan slowly landed in the courtyard and walked towards the corridor where Shen Yuan was.

Shen Wenxing greeted the two and spoke with concern.

"Wen'an, Master, are you alright?"

The two shook their heads slightly, indicating that they were unharmed.

"Was that attack aimed at your father?"

Lu Zhiyuan looked at Shen Yuan in the corridor, somewhat puzzled.

Shen Wenxing nodded and said, "It should be."

"Father was speaking just now when he suddenly seemed to sense something, so he closed his eyes and began to deduce."

"Shortly afterward, the palm descended from the sky."

Having said that, he turned to Shen Wen'an and asked, "Can you tell what kind of hand that is?"

Shen Wen'an shook his head solemnly: "The opponent is very strong, at least a Golden Core Realm expert, or even stronger than a Golden Core Realm expert."

"This attack also spanned a vast distance across time and space; otherwise..."

Shen Wen'an shook his head with a bitter expression.

The opponent's attack was casual, yet it transcended a vast expanse of time and space, making it impossible for him and Lu Zhiyuan to withstand even when they joined forces.

If they were to attack each other directly, they would likely be easily killed.

Suppressing his thoughts, Shen Wen'an looked at Lu Zhiyuan with some curiosity and cupped his hands in greeting: "What realm are you at now, sir?"

When he was blocking the white jade palm, he could sense that Lu Zhiyuan's strength was no weaker than that of an ordinary early-stage embryonic breathing practitioner.

However, the Wen Dao cultivation system was somewhat strange, and he was also unaware of Lu Zhiyuan's current level of cultivation.

Lu Zhiyuan pondered for a moment and said, "According to the legacy left by Anu, I should now be at the realm of the two apertures of literary mind."

"However, the second natal character has not yet been condensed, so its strength is slightly lacking."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an began to consider the matter.

Master Lu was able to unleash strength equivalent to the early stage of Immortal Breathing with his Wenxin Two Apertures Realm, which suggests that his path in the early stages of the Wen Dao was correct.

As the three were talking, Shen Yuan, who was in the corridor behind them, suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Hearing the commotion, the three of them rushed over.

"father."

Shen Wenxing went forward and helped him up.

Shen Yuan reached out and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes deep and his expression very solemn.

"There is a bigger conspiracy behind the incident at Luoxia Mountain."

"Wen'an, I think it would be best if you didn't go to Danzhou right now."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an gently gripped the Dragon-Slaying Sword in his hand.

He knew that his father must have sensed some danger.

But regardless of the kindness that Luoxia Mountain had shown to the Shen family, or his relationship with Wei Qiuling as a Daoist partner, as a sword cultivator, he would never back down at this time.

A sword's heart tarnished is far more terrifying than physical death and the annihilation of one's Dao.

As if sensing his thoughts, Shen Yuan sighed softly.

"Fine, if you insist on going, I won't stop you."

"However, you must be extremely careful on your journey to Danzhou."

“Those who plot against Luoxia Mountain are no ordinary cultivators. I am worried that if something goes wrong this time, the entire cultivation world of Danzhou will be thrown into turmoil.”

His understanding was insufficient; he had only been able to deduce the truth using the white jade tortoise shell, and all he saw was that this conspiracy against Luoxia Mountain was like a huge iceberg.

He didn't even see the tip of the iceberg before suffering a severe backlash.

If it weren't for the small purple sword on the white jade tortoise shell cutting off the backlash, he would have suffered far more than just coughing up blood.

Shen Wen'an nodded.

Having witnessed the attack from that white jade palm, he knew that this time the beings involved were far more than just those at the embryonic breathing level.

After some thought, I came up with a certain idea.

"Father, I'm leaving."

"Brother, sir, Wen'an takes his leave."

He bowed to the three men, clasped his hands in greeting, and then flew away from Yunshui City towards Danzhou.

……

In the desolate Gobi Desert of the West, snowflakes fell like arrows, and the cold wind howled as two figures struggled forward.

"Young Master Chongyi, are you still holding on?"

Despite the wind and snow, Mu Chang arrived at He Chongyi's side and immediately waved his hand to erect a spiritual energy shield.

"Elder Mu, you should remove the spiritual energy shield. The spiritual energy here is thin, and it's difficult to replenish the wasted spiritual energy."

He Chongyi looked at the vast expanse of wind and snow around him and spoke.

Mu Chang carefully sensed his aura and shook his head slightly: "Young Master Chongyi, we can't continue. We need to find a place to hide."

Although He Chongyi's cultivation level had reached the fifth level of Qi Refining.

However, when the two ventured into this place more than a month ago, they encountered this strange snowstorm.

The horse they were riding had frozen to death some time ago, leaving the two with no choice but to continue on foot.

Mu Chang originally planned to use the wind to take He Chongyi away from the snow-covered area, but this strange snowstorm sweeping across the Gobi Desert seemed to have a peculiar power that could erode the spiritual power of cultivators.

The two flew for only a dozen miles before their spiritual energy was mostly depleted.

Even the spiritual energy required to cast a spiritual energy shield is several times that of usual.

Sensing something amiss and fearing there might be other dangers in the snowstorm, the two dared not expend too much of their spiritual energy and could only rely on their physical bodies to withstand the wind, snow, and cold.

Mu Chang himself was at the peak of Qi Refining, so he could barely withstand it.

He Chongyi's cultivation level was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining, and he himself had a fire-attribute spiritual root. The wind, snow and cold seemed to be able to suppress the spiritual energy and spiritual root in his body, making him extremely uncomfortable.

The dignified immortal cultivator was now suffering from cold, his lips turning blue and his breath becoming weak.

Mu Chang dared not continue, fearing that if he persisted any longer, He Chongyi would freeze to death.

Forcibly maintaining his spiritual energy shield, Mu Chang pulled He Chongyi to his side, gazing into the distance, searching for a place to temporarily escape the wind and snow.

"Old Mu! That's..."

With Mu Chang's spiritual energy shield providing protection, He Chongyi finally got a moment's respite. Looking around, he suddenly saw something on the ground not far to his left.

"It seems to be a person!"

Following the direction he pointed, Mu Chang narrowed his eyes and vaguely saw a person lying in the wind and snow.

The two rushed over and helped the person, who was mostly buried in the snow, to his feet.

"He is a young man who travels with Wu Yi."

Mu Chang looked at the corpse in his arms, which had been frozen into an ice sculpture, and his expression was somewhat solemn.

A year ago, Wu Yi was ordered to lead a team of 100 people to explore the Western Wilderness.

In the months leading up to their departure, they would frequently send messages to the mountain camp, reporting on their sights and discoveries along the way.

But the news stopped three months ago.

One of his purposes in venturing deep into the Western Wilderness with He Chongyi was to find traces of Wu Yi and his group.

"Old Mu, there's something on him."

He Chongyi examined the corpse of the barbarian soldier and noticed a bamboo tube hanging from his waist.

These were the very items that the clan soldiers usually used to carry documents and transmit messages.

Upon hearing this, Mu Chang broke off the bamboo tube that was frozen together with the barbarian soldiers' corpses, opened it, and took out a well-preserved letter from it.

After glancing at the contents briefly, he solemnly handed the letter to He Chongyi.

"Young Master, it seems that Wu Yi and his group have already met with misfortune."

He Chongyi took the letter and read it carefully. He found that the barbarian soldier brought news that Wu Yi and his group had encountered a group of strange cultivators who were full of evil.

The opponent is very strong and uses very strange methods.

A brief conflict broke out between the two sides. Wu Yi and his accompanying hundred-man squad were no match for them. They fought desperately to break through the encirclement, and only managed to escape at the cost of more than sixty lives.

Fortunately, the group of strange cultivators seemed to have something important to do and did not give chase, otherwise the rest of them would have had no chance of survival.

"Old Mu, about the two places mentioned here..."

He Chongyi frowned and looked at Mu Chang, pointing to two characters on the secret letter that appeared to be place names.

Mu Chang nodded slightly: "These two places are precisely the Flame Lake Ridge and Frosty Moon Mountain mentioned in the 'Ode to Waterweeds' that I sang earlier."

"Flame Lake Ridge is thousands of miles away from the settlement of the Muhe tribe. There, hot magma flows like a lake all year round."

"The members of the Muhe tribe occasionally go to Yanhugang to find some ores to make scimitars and daily necessities."

"Frosty Moon Mountain is about 700 to 800 miles away from the Muhe Tribe. The mountain is not high. On certain days, the moon rises from the mountain peak, and the whole mountain looks like it is covered with a thick layer of white frost."

As Mu Chang spoke, he suddenly turned the secret letter over and, sure enough, saw a simple map on the back.

The map shows the locations of Frostmoon Mountain and Flame Lake Ridge, marked with a scarlet marker in the lower left corner of the two locations.

"The group of cultivators that Wu Yi and his group encountered here!"

Mu Chang's face turned somewhat grim, and he suddenly stood up and looked into the distance.

"Old Mu, what's wrong?"

With a hint of panic in his eyes, Mu Chang said in a deep voice, "The place where Wu Yi and the others encountered that group of cultivators is less than two hundred miles away from the settlement of the Muhe tribe."

"My lord, I am worried..."

He Chongyi understood what he meant.

Wu Yi described the group of cultivators in his mind as ferocious and eerie.

The conflict broke out not far from the Muhe tribe, and Mu Chang was worried that if the group of cultivators discovered the Muhe tribe, their people would be massacred.

"Old Mu, let's not delay any longer, let's go and take a look."

He Chongyi spoke, and immediately waved his hand to unleash a fiery blade, leaving a deep pit in the ground, and placed the frozen soldier into the pit.

The man died for the Shen family, and since we can't take his body back right now, we can't leave it to rot in the wilderness either.

After doing all this, Mu He gritted her teeth, grabbed He Chongyi, and ran wildly into the distance against the wind and snow.

……

Danzhou Barrier.

Shen Wen'an passed through the barrier and was about to leave when he suddenly noticed something was wrong.

"Why are all these bamboo plants dead?"

The once lush green bamboo in front of the barrier has now all withered, with a large number of bamboo leaves falling off, and it has lost its vitality.

The sword intent originally contained in each bamboo stalk has completely dissipated.

Shen Wen'an frowned and pondered for a moment, a guess forming in his mind.

He turned and glanced in the direction of the Azure Vine Sword Pavilion before transforming into a beam of sword light and disappearing.

At dawn, as the sun rises, the sea of ​​clouds below the Thousand-Foot Cliff is tinged with gold by the morning glow.

A gentle breeze suddenly arose, and the sea of ​​clouds surged, resembling a true fairyland.

Shen Wen'an flew over on his sword, his figure passing through the sea of ​​clouds and landing on the thousand-foot cliff.

In a clearing in the bamboo forest, the sword immortal Ling Shan, dressed in a simple blue gauze robe, was practicing her swordplay.

His swordsmanship was light and agile, flashing and shuttling through the bamboo forest as if threading a needle.

Shen Wen stood quietly outside the bamboo grove, gazing intently.

When one's swordsmanship reaches the level of a sword immortal like Ling Shan, ordinary moves and techniques become ineffective.

More often than not, practicing swordsmanship is simply a way to cultivate sword intent and verify one's understanding.

Ling Shan Sword Immortal's sword moves at this moment seemed inferior to even some of the more skilled swordsmen in the secular world, but Shen Wen'an saw something different in them.

The green bamboo sword danced, but the movements were not fast, and there was not even a sound of it cutting through the air.

Shen Wen stood quietly, and everything before his eyes changed.

The lush bamboo forest of Qianzhang Cliff has disappeared, replaced by sharp longswords standing tall between heaven and earth!
Those longswords were like blooming flowers of artistic conception.

Ling Shan, the sword immortal, plays a role somewhat like a bee collecting nectar and pollinating, drawing something from each soaring sword and leaving something behind.

As Shen Wen'an tried to observe those soaring swords, his natal flying sword suddenly trembled, and then the feeling that his soul was about to sink into nothingness reappeared.

Boom!
The blunt bamboo sword touched the scabbard in his hand, the gentle force forcing him back several steps.

When Shen Wen'an woke up, he found that the Sword Immortal Ling Shan had already stopped her swordplay and was standing quietly not far in front of him, holding the Green Bamboo Sword.

"Sister."

He held his sword and bowed respectfully.

Sword Immortal Ling Shan nodded with a smile and said, "Couldn't resist trying to comprehend sword intent again?"

Shen Wen'an felt somewhat embarrassed.

This current state of mind is truly troublesome. One wrong move and one could become so engrossed in comprehending the sword intent that one's soul would sink into nothingness.

Sword Immortal Ling Shan didn't say much, and turned to walk towards the Bamboo Grove Cottage.

After the two sat down facing each other, Sword Immortal Ling Shan asked, "Did anything happen to the Shen family last night?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an confirmed his suspicions.

The reason why the white jade hand suddenly retreated must be that the Sword Immortal Ling Shan used the bamboo forest containing sword intent in front of the barrier to make her move.

It drained the sword intent and vitality contained within all the green bamboo in the bamboo forest, stopping the white jade palm from continuing its attack.

"Thank you for your help, senior sister."

Shen Wen'an bowed and thanked him.

Ling Shan, the sword immortal, smiled and nodded, pouring herself and Shen Wen'an a cup of tea.

"Senior sister, who was the one who made the move...?"

Shen Wen'an took a sip of the flower tea and looked at Ling Shan Sword Immortal with a puzzled expression.

The two exchanged blows from afar last night; it's unknown whether Sword Immortal Ling Shan discerned the other's identity.

This matter involves a conspiracy against Luoxia Mountain, and if we can figure it out, it will be of great use.

Ling Shan, the Sword Immortal, shook her head slightly.

"I only used the sword intent in front of the barrier to injure that person from a distance, but I did not know his identity."

"Besides the well-known powerhouses, Danzhou also has many reclusive old monsters, none of whom should be underestimated."

"but……"

She looked at Shen Wen'an with some confusion and asked, "What exactly happened to the Shen family that would allow a Golden Core cultivator to attack from a distance by following the flow of energy?"

Shen Wen'an cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Last night, my elder brother, father, and I discussed the matter of Luoxia Mountain in the courtyard."

"Father seemed to have sensed something, and began to deduce it using the Great Evolution Principle..."

Ling Shan, the sword immortal, suddenly realized.

She had heard about what happened at Luoxia Mountain, and had already spoken with several of the old sword immortals of Qingluo Sword Immortal.

The old sword immortals are still discussing whether or not to lend a hand.

Shen Yuan inadvertently discovered the person behind the scenes, which served as a warning to the Qingluo Sword Pavilion.

"Junior brother, you should tell your father when you get back that the Great Evolution Path should not be used lightly."

“Especially if you use the Great Evolution Path to spy on cultivators of higher realms, they might find your location by following your aura.”

"The person who made the move last night must be an old monster who has been in the Golden Core realm for many years. He is extremely dangerous."

Shen Wen'an nodded, the image of facing that white jade hand from last night resurfacing in his mind.

A feeling of powerlessness washed over me.

"Senior sister, is it really true that cultivators at the Embryonic Breathing Realm have no chance against Golden Core Realm cultivators?"

He knew that cultivators at the Golden Core stage were very strong, but he didn't know just how strong they were.

Last night, that person's attack, which spanned thousands of miles, left him and Lu Zhiyuan utterly defenseless, truly a cause for despair.

Ling Shan, the sword immortal, chuckled upon hearing this.

"It's not easy to explain to you how strong the Golden Core Realm is."

"But I can tell you, even if you are a reincarnation of an immortal god and have cultivated your embryonic breathing, you would never be a match for an ordinary Golden Core cultivator."

"All you need to know is that there is an insurmountable gap between embryonic breathing and the Golden Elixir."

"If you don't believe me, junior brother, you can try it."

Upon hearing this, a fighting spirit arose in Shen Wen'an's heart.

After some hesitation, he finally couldn't resist, slowly picked up the Dragon Slayer Sword beside him, stood up, and bowed.

"Please enlighten me, Senior Sister."

Sword Immortal Ling Shan nodded with a smile, but showed no intention of moving.

"You should be fully prepared. I will only use one move, and you can feel it carefully."

Shen Wen'an nodded, immediately retreated several feet, slowly drew his Dragon-Slaying Sword, and held his breath to prepare for Ling Shan Sword Immortal's attack.

"Ready?"

Seeing that her sword energy was highly concentrated and she was on full alert, Ling Shan Sword Immortal smiled faintly.

As Shen Wen'an nodded, he saw the Sword Immortal Ling Shan gently blow a breath not far away.

The next moment, the air in front of him suddenly surged and formed a bright longsword that slowly flew over.

Shen Wen'an frowned slightly. Just as he was thinking that he could instantly come up with a hundred ways to break this attack full of loopholes, he suddenly discovered that the long sword that was slowly flying towards him seemed to have its own consciousness!
It seemed that no matter how he dodged and defended, he would be killed instantly in the next moment!

This feeling permeated his mind and even gave him a sense of resignation and waiting for death.

Shen Wen'an tried to resist, and the sword embryo in his dantian trembled wildly.

But he couldn't shake off that strange feeling, and in the end he could only force a move to try and resolve it.

However, at the very moment he drew his sword, the originally slow attack had somehow easily torn through the sword energy shield on his body and was now quietly hovering in front of him.

Shen Wen'an was stunned, his face full of dejection.

The Sword Immortal Ling Shan, who was not far away, simply sipped her tea the whole time, as if she wasn't the one who had made the move.

"how?"

When the Sword Immortal Ling Shan put down her teacup, the invisible sword in front of Shen Wen'an also completely disappeared.

He sheathed his sword and returned somewhat dejectedly to his bamboo grove cottage.

He had thought that cultivators in the Golden Core Realm would be very strong, but he never expected that he, a sword cultivator in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, would not even be able to withstand "one breath" from them.

This kind of blow is really hard to accept.

Seeing his expression, Sword Immortal Ling Shan smiled and said, "Let alone you, even if it were any cultivator at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, I could kill them with a single breath."

"You'll understand the difference when you reach the level of a sword immortal."

He sighed slightly and continued, "Ordinary people call cultivators in the Qi Refining Realm 'immortals'."

"However, the true difference between immortals and mortals lies in the Golden Core Realm."

"Whether it's Qi cultivation or embryonic breathing, it's still just a mortal body. They can only be considered a group of cultivators who are stronger than ordinary mortals and can absorb and consume Qi."

"Alright, you've come here because of the matter at Luoxia Mountain, haven't you?"

"Sword Immortal Ling Shan changed the subject."

Shen Wen'an nodded, and after a moment's thought, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture: "Senior Sister, you also know about what happened at Luoxia Mountain?"

Back then, because of the "True Seal of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Cycle of Heaven and Earth", Luoxia Mountain was also associated with Qingluo Sword Pavilion.

If Jiang Xiuqi of Luoxia Mountain can successfully break through to the Golden Core Realm, it will be a good thing for Qingluo Sword Pavilion.

He came here to see if the Green Luo Sword Pavilion was willing to help.

"The situation at Luoxia Mountain is more complicated than you think."

Sword Immortal Ling Shan sighed and spoke, a solemn expression on her face.

She hesitated for a long time, then suddenly looked up and asked a very strange question.

"Do you know the phrase that cultivators always say?"

Shen Wen'an was taken aback, and after a moment of thought, said, "Is cultivation inherently going against the will of Heaven?"

Ling Shan, the sword immortal, nodded slightly.

"This statement may be incomprehensible to cultivators below the Golden Core stage, but we Golden Core cultivators understand it deeply."

"I shouldn't be telling you this now, but if I don't explain it clearly, the Shen family and Luoxia Mountain will think that my Qingluo Sword Pavilion is a treacherous person."

Ling Shan, the Sword Immortal, slowly rose and unleashed a burst of cyan-green sword energy.

In an instant, the bamboo grove where the two were located seemed to have been detached from their original world, becoming somewhat illusory.

Seeing her so cautious, Shen Wen'an also became slightly more focused, knowing that what she was about to say might involve some unknown secrets.

Ling Shan, the Sword Immortal, sorted out her thoughts and said, "The reason why the Golden Core is called the Golden Core, and not something else, is because the 'gold' represents the metal element."

"Gold is immortal, so it is very difficult to completely kill a cultivator at the Golden Core stage."

“A cultivator at the Golden Core stage whose physical body is destroyed, whose Golden Core is shattered, and whose soul is even strangled, cannot be considered to have truly died and disappeared.”

"With the immortal golden nature, Golden Core cultivators can also be reincarnated and have a certain chance to awaken their innate wisdom and make a comeback."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an looked somewhat taken aback.

The complete annihilation of the soul and the destruction of the physical body are not considered true death!
How could a Golden Core cultivator be so difficult to kill?
The Sword Immortal Ling Shan continued, "What caused all of this is that immortal golden nature."

"But the immortality of metal itself disrupts the balance, and the Great Dao will not allow it."

"Therefore, every cultivator who wants to cultivate a true Golden Core will be hindered by a mysterious force."

power?

Shen Wen'an was very puzzled.

Sword Immortal Ling Shan didn't keep them in suspense and explained directly, "This mysterious force is called the Underworld."

"The Underworld will not only hinder cultivators from achieving the Golden Core and obtaining the Golden Nature, but it will also travel the world to search for the Golden Nature left behind by Golden Core cultivators who have met with misfortune."

"Is this happening!?"

Shen Wen'an was taken aback.

Then he frowned and asked, "How does the Underworld know where cultivators in the world are about to break through, and how do they detect the golden essence left behind by Golden Core cultivators?"

Sword Immortal Ling Shan shook her head with a wry smile.

"Senior sister, I have never seen anyone from the underworld, so I don't know."

"However, not all cultivators are targeted by the underworld when they break through."

"However, that fellow Daoist from Luoxia Mountain is currently breaking through, so Golden Core cultivators dare not approach him easily."

“We Golden Core cultivators all fear the people of the Underworld. Although the people of the Underworld will not actively hunt down Golden Core cultivators, if we run into them, we can only accept our bad luck.”

At this point, he changed the subject, saying, "Did you know that Qiyun Valley also had a Golden Core cultivator back then?"

Shen Wen'an shook his head.

All he knew was that Qiyun Valley seemed to have once been glorious and renowned throughout Danzhou.

I wasn't interested in the specifics and didn't inquire further.

Ling Shan Sword Immortal sighed, "There's a rather obscure rumor in the Danzhou cultivation world that the Golden Core cultivator from Qiyun Valley was killed after he ran into someone from the underworld."

"The only Golden Core cultivator suddenly disappeared, and Qiyun Valley gradually declined."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an couldn't help but sigh.

He now understood why the Green Luo Sword Pavilion dared not easily help Luoxia Mountain.

Under normal circumstances, the sword immortals of Qingluo Sword Pavilion wouldn't have thought so much about any dangers on Luoxia Mountain.

But Jiang Xiuqi is at a critical moment in breaking through to the Golden Core stage. Who knows if there are people from the Underworld around Luoxia Mountain?

If the Golden Core Sword Immortals of Qingluo Sword Pavilion were to run over there, and were unlucky enough to encounter the people of the Underworld, their hundreds of years of cultivation would likely vanish in an instant.

"Does Senior Sister have any plans now?"

The sword immortals of Qingluo Sword Pavilion cannot take action. Are they just supposed to stand by and watch the person hiding behind the scenes recklessly target Luoxia Mountain?
Having finished discussing the matters of the underworld, the Sword Immortal Lingshan waved her hand and lifted the restriction from before.

“In the past, there really wasn’t a better way.”

"But now that your father has taken action, he has unexpectedly drawn out the person behind it all, which makes things much easier."

"Junior brother, please stay at my Qingluo Sword Lodge for a few days. I will go and discuss this with some seniors."

After Ling Shan finished speaking, she stood up and transformed into a beam of sword light, flying towards Yangjian Peak on the other side of the sea of ​​clouds.

……

Luoxia Mountain.

Since the destruction of Hundred Beast Mountain, Luoxia Mountain has become on good terms with the Vajra Sect, and in the entire Qishan Mountain Range, it is no longer afraid of other forces.

However, during this period, Mount Luoxia spared no expense in consuming a large amount of spirit crystals to activate the entire mountain-protecting formation.

All disciples of Luoxia Mountain who were away were summoned back to the mountain gate unless absolutely necessary.

Inside the main hall of the Luoxia Peak sect, Luoxia Mountain sect leader Yue Zhiyi, chief guard Qiu Ling, and Luo Yao, who had previously been guarding Yangnao Land, along with all the high-ranking members of Luoxia Mountain, were gathered in the main hall.

The people present looked solemn, as if facing a formidable enemy.

"Qiu Ling, tell me."

Wearing a moon-white white dress, Le Zhiyi spoke calmly.

Standing beside him, Wei Qiuling bowed slightly and then said in a deep voice, "According to the information we have sent to various sects, someone has launched a bounty campaign throughout the cultivation world of Danzhou."

"All cultivators above the Nascent Soul Realm only need to gather near the gate of my Luoxia Mountain to receive two spirit crystals. If a fight is to be fought, all participants will receive five spirit crystals."

"If you can kill a Nascent Soul Realm expert from my Luoxia Mountain, you can directly obtain fifty spirit crystals."

Upon hearing this, the peak masters of the various peaks below and all the elders of Luoxia Mountain were filled with righteous indignation!

"Such a grand gesture undoubtedly belongs to Listening Wind Valley."

After pondering for a moment, Luo Yao shared her thoughts.

A cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage only needs to stop at Luoxia Mountain to obtain two spirit crystals.

This is practically the same as getting it for free.

Hundreds of Nascent Soul Realm cultivators from all over Danzhou are now gathered around Mount Luoxia.

Although most of these cultivators were rogue cultivators at the early to middle stages of the embryonic breathing realm, few were at the late stage.

But it still puts immense pressure on Luoxia Mountain.

If hundreds of cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage were to really fight, Mount Luoxia would definitely not be able to stop them.

However, at this time, Luoxia Mountain did not dare to take the initiative to drive away those cultivators in the Nascent Soul Realm.

If a conflict breaks out, it will immediately trigger a large-scale melee.

The situation will be even worse then.

"Senior Sister Luo, don't be so arbitrary."

“Tingfeng Valley has the strength to produce so many spirit crystals, but Luoxia Mountain and Tingfeng Valley have no life-or-death enmity.”

"I think this conspiracy is very likely being orchestrated by the Flint Cult in secret."

Below, a middle-aged man with a pale face and no beard spoke.

The remaining people also began to discuss the matter.

Some people think Luo Yao's guess is correct.

After all, Listening Wind Valley earned a lot of spirit crystals by selling information, and only they had the financial resources to issue bounties.

As for the motive, it was probably because they didn't want to see a Golden Core cultivator emerge from Luoxia Mountain, fearing that Luoxia Mountain might have ambitions to unify Qishan.

The other group, however, felt that only the Flint Cult could have come up with such a crazy method.

After all, there is a deep-seated hatred between the two sects, and the Suihuo Sect has been hiding in Qishan for so many years, so there must be some unspeakable secret.

If a Golden Core cultivator were to appear at Mount Luoxia, it would be highly likely to ruin their plans.

Both sides held their own views and discussed the matter for a long time, but in the end neither side could convince the other.

Wei Qiuling turned to Le Zhiyi and cupped her hands in greeting: "What does Master think?"

Upon hearing this, the crowd below stopped their discussion and all looked at Le Zhiyi.

Le Zhiyi sat upright on the sect leader's throne, her elbows propping up her forehead, her eyes unfocused, as if she were deep in thought.

a long time--

"Whether it's the Fire Sect or the Listening Wind Valley, my Falling Cloud Mountain is currently too busy to take action, let alone dare to."

"I wonder how long it will take for Uncle Jiang to break through. The biggest hidden danger is those Nascent Soul cultivators outside the mountain gate."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded.

Those cultivators are now gathered outside the mountain gate. With a little manipulation from the person behind them, some of them will succumb to temptation and choose to make a move.

If someone is willing to be the first to take the lead, the other cultivators will definitely follow suit, hoping to break through the gates of Luoxia Mountain and exchange the disciples of Luoxia Mountain for spirit crystals.

By then, it would be impossible for Luoxia Mountain to avoid destruction.

"Report!"

Just when everyone was at a loss, a disciple from Luoxia Mountain rushed in from outside the hall.

"Reporting to the Sect Master, a secret letter has arrived from the Azure Sword Pavilion!"

The Green Vine Sword Pavilion!?
Upon hearing this, the eyes of all the elders and peak masters in the hall lit up!
Some of the elderly elders were already murmuring excitedly.

"Is the Azure Vine Sword Pavilion finally going to help our Sunset Mountain?"

"Luoxia Mountain is saved!"

"Once Uncle Jiang achieves the Golden Core stage, he'll make sure Tingfeng Valley and Suihuo Sect pay the price!"

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Yue Zhiyi waved her hand and took the jade token held by the disciple into her palm.

He probed into it with his divine sense, and heard Shen Wen'an's voice coming from inside.

After listening, Yue Zhiyi's beautiful eyes immediately furrowed slightly.

"Master, what's wrong?" Wei Qiuling asked softly upon seeing this.

"Take a look."

Le Zhiyi handed the jade token to Wei Qiuling, still looking somewhat puzzled.

When Wei Qiuling probed the jade tablet with her divine sense, she suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "It's Wen'an!?"

Upon hearing this, the people below all looked at each other in bewilderment.

When Wei Qiuling finished listening to the contents of the jade tablet, she also frowned.

"With the strength of the Azure Vine Sword Pavilion, just one sword immortal is enough to completely intimidate those rogue cultivators outside the gates of my Falling Cloud Mountain."

Why pay such a high price?

Le Zhiyi was also puzzled, not knowing why Qingluo Sword Pavilion would do this.

"Now is not the time to delve into the reasons behind this..."

“Go and inform the fellow Daoists of Qingluo Sword Pavilion that Luoxia Mountain has agreed,” Le Zhiyi said, looking at the disciple below.

"Yes!"

The disciple bowed and then hurriedly left.

The elders and peak masters of Luoxia Mountain in the hall all looked bewildered.

"Let's disperse. The crisis outside the mountain gate will be resolved in a couple of days." Le Zhiyi waved her hand, secretly relieved.

(End of this chapter)