Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 299 The Collapse of the Dao and the Calamity
Luo Tianxing was taken aback for a moment, then nodded with a slight smile.

"hope so."

"Alright, the goods have been delivered and the message has been conveyed. I should be going now."

"Remember, once Chongming emerges from seclusion, remind him to make a trip to the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm as soon as possible."

"The existence in the secret realm was also a great opportunity for him."

The Thunder Pool Stone Carving was obtained by Zhang Daoqi from the chaos beyond the boundary. The thunder monster that spawned from the stone carving could manipulate chaotic thunder, making it a rather heaven-defying existence.

In Luo Tianxing's view, if Shen Chongming could really carry it with him, he would definitely be able to roam freely throughout the entire Cangmin Sea without even reaching the Nascent Soul stage.

After explaining everything, he got up and left Yunshui City, heading towards Yinlong Mountain.

Zhili Prefecture.

Blood-red clouds have shrouded this void for nearly a year.

During this time, all the common people and monks in the entire Zhili Prefecture had already fled.

As the host of this blood sacrifice, Qi Buyu from the Southern Frontier sat cross-legged in the void below the blood clouds, guiding the power of the blood sacrifice to gradually invade the earth below.

As the power of blood sacrifice continued to invade, the land within a thousand miles of Zhili Prefecture withered, and the mountains and rivers lost their color. The earth turned gray and black.

Upon closer observation, one can also discover that on the gray-black land within a radius of thousands of miles, illusory gray-white figures will continuously emerge.

These figures, with blank expressions, wandered aimlessly around like ghosts. Occasionally, when they met in pairs, a brief conflict would break out, followed by a fierce battle.

The victor will completely devour the vanquished...

"The Earthly Spirit Netherworld is the place where the souls and spirits of a small world revolve. Now that the Earthly Spirit Netherworld has been forcibly transformed into matter, even if the extraction of the Dao Source is stopped now, this world can be considered completely destroyed."

On a desolate mountain on the outskirts of Zhili Prefecture, a graceful figure with a full head of silver hair looked at the ghostly Zhili Prefecture in front of her and murmured softly.

Shen Chongzhen, standing beside him, stared solemnly at the phantoms wandering across the gray-black earth.

"You mean, these are all the souls of living beings?"

Zhou Xuan nodded: "You can also call them 'ghosts'."

"Among the many cultivation systems in the seventy-two realms of Cangmin, there is one called the 'Ghost Cultivation' system. They devour each other in their soul form by instinct, and then grow stronger, develop intelligence, and embark on a path different from other cultivation systems."

"Of course, there are also some ghost cultivators who are immortal cultivators at the Golden Core or Purple Mansion stage, or even the Nascent Soul stage. After their physical bodies are destroyed, they cannot find a suitable body to possess and are forced to transform into ghost cultivators."

"In short, the methods of ghost cultivators are extremely strange, and their strength is also very strong."

"You'll understand when you have the chance to meet him someday."

Upon hearing this, a hint of longing flashed across Shen Chongzhen's face.

During this time, I followed Zhou Xuan around and learned a lot about things related to the outside world.

He suddenly realized that the cultivation world outside Yangnao Land was so wonderful.

The strange races of various small worlds, the bizarre and magical cultivation systems, and the unknown secret realms and forbidden areas—all of these things aroused his desire to explore.

"The Netherworld Spirit Soil is about to manifest; I wonder if the accompanying Mysterious Nether Flame will appear."

"I'll need your help to go in and look for it later."

After glancing at Shen Chongzhen in front of him, Zhou Xuan hesitated for a moment before speaking.

The Earth Spirit Netherworld is a special realm formed when the spirit of Yangnao Land materializes, which exerts a great suppressive effect on cultivators like her who come from outside the realm of Yangnao Land.

If she were to enter rashly, she would be attacked by all the ghosts in the entire realm.

Shen Chongzhen is different; he is a native of Yangnao and is not affected by the spiritual realm.

This is also why Zhou Xuan brought Shen Chongzhen to Zhili Prefecture this time.

"It's just a small matter. Leave it to me."

Shen Chongzhen patted his chest and laughed.

Seeing his reaction, Zhou Xuan pondered for a moment and said with some concern, "As I told you before, the Xuan You Ice Flame is an extremely yin and cold substance. If its leaked power is accidentally invaded into the body, it will be very difficult to refine and remove it."

"I'm afraid it will cause you some suffering for a while."

"Why don't you... reconsider?"

Shen Chongzhen looked at her with a resolute gaze and shook his head, saying, "It's alright. I only know that the Xuan You Ice Flame is very important to you."

"You..." Meeting his burning gaze, Zhou Xuan couldn't help but blush, and glared at him with a hint of resentment before sighing, "Are you an idiot?"

"If I told you that with your cultivation level, getting tainted by the Profound Nether Ice Flame could be fatal, would you still go?"

Shen Chongzhen was stunned for a moment, then immediately took out the sound transmission stone.

Seeing this, Zhou Xuan looked puzzled and asked, "What are you going to do?"

Shen Chongzhen said in a serious tone, "I will say goodbye to my father and mother and tell them that their unfilial son will not be able to take care of them in their old age and see them off in their final days."

Zhou Xuan was stunned for a moment, then blushed and snatched the communication stone away.

"You..."

Holding the communication stone in his hand, and looking at Shen Chongzhen's serious expression, he felt so complicated that he didn't know what to say.

Shen Chongzhen smiled faintly, took back the communication stone from his hand, and put it into his storage bag.

After spending a year together, he had come to know a little about this proud young woman from the Ice God Palace.

She appears arrogant and aloof, but in reality, she is just an innocent young girl with a kind heart.

If taking the Xuan You Ice Flame were truly in mortal danger, she would never ask for her help.

Just now, when she was joking, I went along with what she said and acted out that scene.

"Take these things."

"The Nine Yang Refining Fire Pill can help you resist some of the extreme yin and cold power of the Mysterious Nether Ice Flame."

"The effect of the Blazing Sun Shield Rune is similar."

"Before you go in, hold the Nine Yang Refining Fire Pill in your mouth. Wait until the medicinal power of the pill can no longer withstand the extreme yin and cold energy before activating the talisman."

"One pill plus three talismans should be enough."

"If you've used up all your pills and talismans and still haven't obtained the Mysterious Nether Ice Flame, don't try to be brave. Just back out."

Shen Chongzhen accepted the pills and talismans, and nodded with a smile.

Just as he was about to say something, the blood cloud that was slowly rotating in the distant void suddenly accelerated its rotation.

Then, like a giant funnel, a large amount of bloody aura poured down from the clouds!

"It's about to turn into something!"

Zhou Xuan had just murmured something when Shen Chongzhen rushed out from beside her!

"Wait for me, I'll definitely get you the Nine Nether Ice Flame!"

His voice carried on the wind, and a look of worry flashed in Zhou Xuan's eyes as he watched his figure disappear into the blood-red mist.

At the same time, from other directions around Zhili Prefecture, more than a dozen figures rushed into the blood-red mist.

These figures were all native cultivators from the Yangnao Land, recruited by cultivators from outside the realm.

Their target was also the Mysterious Nether Ice Flame.

Like the Samadhi True Fire, the Mysterious Nether Ice Flame is also a rare item that can greatly enhance a cultivator's strength.

However, this thing is even rarer than Samadhi Fire.

After all, if a cultivator has sufficient aptitude and can find the corresponding rare and precious materials, there is a very high probability of successfully cultivating the Samadhi True Fire.

While the Mysterious Nether Ice Flame does not require cultivators to spend a great deal of money to find materials or to cultivate painstakingly.

However, because it is a byproduct of the spiritual earth and the netherworld, and not every small world's spiritual earth and netherworld will give rise to the Xuan You Ice Flame.

This means that the total number of Xuan You Ice Flames in the entire Cangmin Sea area is at most seventy-two.

From this perspective, the Xuan You Ice Flame is far more precious than the Samadhi True Fire.

This is one of the reasons why many cultivators from outside the land risked descending upon Yangnao before the land collapsed.

Besides having some opportunities to scout out the Yangnao Land beforehand, these people were also hoping to try their luck and see if they could encounter the Xuanyou Ice Flame.

In the outside market, a single Xuan You Ice Flame can easily be exchanged for three sets of materials for cultivating Samadhi True Fire or Xuan Magnetic Divine Light.

When it comes to someone in urgent need, its value is even greater.

After Shen Chongzhen rushed into the blood-red mist, it was as if he had suddenly entered another world.

All around were piercing screams, and listless ghosts drifted aimlessly.

At close range, he could sense a strong malevolent aura emanating from these ghosts.

A cold, yin wind occasionally swept through the surrounding air. The extremely cold and yin energy in the wind could ignore the cultivator's protective spiritual power and act directly on the physical body.

"You can't use spiritual energy to create a protective shield; you must protect yourself with the power of your inner intention..."

A gust of cold wind made Shen Chongzhen's body stiffen slightly. He immediately remembered Zhou Xuan's previous instructions and forced his weak sword intent out of his body.

In terms of swordsmanship alone, Shen Chongzhen's talent is no less than that of his father, Shen Wen'an.

Similarly, with the cultivation level of the late stage of fetal breathing, he cultivated the artistic conception ahead of time.

Moreover, because he follows the path of "cultivating both techniques and principles", his understanding of sword intent is more complete and natural than that of Shen Wen'an, who was also in the embryonic breathing stage when he comprehended sword intent.

The pale golden light of the Gengjin sword intent lingered around his body, and Shen Chongzhen instantly felt his stiff body recover, followed by a warm feeling spreading throughout his body.

With the hidden danger eliminated, Shen Chongzhen looked around at the misty surroundings and pondered.

Zhou Xuan said that the Xuan You Ice Flame is a byproduct of the spiritual earth and the underworld, but she didn't know exactly where it would appear.

Shen Chongzhen felt that since it was a companion of the spirit, the Xuan You Ice Flame would most likely appear near the spirit.

However, the spirit of the earth and the netherworld have not yet fully manifested, so he cannot be certain where the spirit will manifest in this area of ​​a thousand miles.

"Let's look for it first."

Thinking to himself, Shen Chongzhen decided to first look towards the central area of ​​Zhili Prefecture.

After traveling through the fog for a while, Shen Chongzhen suddenly heard a rustling sound coming from the left front.

Before he could observe carefully, the fog in that direction surged, and then several sharp wooden spikes shot out from the fog!

Faced with this sudden attack, Shen Chongzhen narrowed his eyes and instantly drew his long sword.

Several sword beams flew out, accurately shattering the incoming wooden spikes, which then dissipated into countless fragments of wood spirit energy in the air.

After blocking the opponent's attack, Shen Chongzhen was not to be outdone. Based on the direction from which the wooden spikes flew, he roughly judged the opponent's location and swung out a golden sword aura that cut through the mist and slashed diagonally!

Bang!
A loud bang came from the distant mist, followed by two faint, low groans.

"Oh no, it's a swordsman! Retreat!"

A slightly alarmed voice came from the mist, followed by another surge of spiritual energy.

Clearly, the two attackers realized Shen Chongzhen's identity as a swordsman and dared not linger any longer, immediately fleeing into the distance.

Shen Chongzhen did not pursue them.

His main purpose in coming here was to find the Mysterious Nether Ice Flame, so it was best not to fight others if possible.

After sheathing his longsword and continuing forward, Shen Chongzhen suddenly sensed that the extremely yin and cold energy around him was gradually increasing in strength.

Through the thick fog, he could vaguely make out a strange figure standing on the gray-black ground ahead.

After cautiously approaching the figure, Shen Chongzhen realized that it was actually a middle-aged cultivator.

The middle-aged monk was in a running posture, his movements strange, and his expression somewhat frightened.

When Shen Chongzhen circled around to the person in front of him, he discovered that although the person's body had been frozen by the extremely yin and cold power, the eyeballs in his eyes could still move, and his vitality had not been completely extinguished.

Upon seeing Shen Chongzhen, a strong desire appeared in the middle-aged cultivator's eyes, probably because he wanted Shen Chongzhen to save his life.

However, Shen Chongzhen only needed to glance at him to discover that most of the other person's internal organs and viscera had lost all vitality.

The reason it could retain a portion of its consciousness was probably because the yin energy of the surrounding earth and spirit land nourished its soul to some extent.

But this kind of nourishment is like drinking poison to quench thirst.

Just as Shen Chongzhen was hesitating about whether to give him a quick death, he suddenly saw a strange scene.

The longing light in the eyes of the middle-aged cultivator in front of him slowly dimmed, and then a gray-white ghost emerged from his body.

That was his soul!

After the middle-aged cultivator's soul separated from his body, he was momentarily bewildered, but then, as if remembering Shen Chongzhen's previous "failure to save him from death," he instantly lunged forward with a ferocious expression!

Unfortunately, he underestimated the power of the Gengjin sword intent on Shen Chongzhen's body.

The ghostly form had barely pounced when it was pierced into a hedgehog by several golden sword intent beams!
For a moment, the ghostly body froze on the spot, then let out a shrill scream, slowly cracked open, and turned into a large number of grayish-white light orbs that drifted in all directions.

Upon seeing these grayish-white orbs of light, the wandering ghosts around them pounced on them like hyenas smelling blood, devouring them completely.

Seeing this, Shen Chongzhen shook his head slightly and didn't dare to linger, leaving the place to continue on his way.

The extremely yin and cold aura grew stronger and stronger, which indirectly guided him towards the Xuan You Ice Flame.

After traveling several dozen miles, he gradually realized that his sword intent was almost unable to withstand the erosion of the pervasive cold air. Helpless, he could only take out the Nine Yang Refining Fire Pill given to him by Zhou Xuan and put it in his mouth.

boom!
The moment the pill entered his mouth, an extremely terrifying power of yang fire suddenly erupted on his body!

In an instant, Shen Chongzhen seemed to transform into a burning fireman, his body radiating intense heat!
These flames kept the terrifying, extremely cold and yin energy at bay, making it feel like the pressure had suddenly decreased.

"What a good thing!"

Secretly pleased, Shen Chongzhen felt the speed at which the pill in his mouth melted. He knew he couldn't waste any time and had to find the Xuan You Ice Flame as soon as possible.

With the protection of the Yang Fire generated by the Nine Yang Refining Fire Pill, he could roam freely across this land.

After running for about two hours, when the area of ​​Yang Fire on his body was compressed to only about ten feet, Shen Chongzhen finally discovered a clue that resembled Xuan You Ice Flame.

He saw that a thick layer of frost had formed on the surface of the ground and rocks not far ahead.

And the frost continued to spread outwards.

By deducing from the direction in which the frost spreads, we can roughly determine the approximate location of the Mysterious Nether Ice Flame.

"The Nine Yang Fire Refining Pill should last for another half an hour."

"Find the Mysterious Nether Ice Flame in half an hour, and then use the three Blazing Sun Fire Shield Talismans to leave this place."

After a brief moment of consideration, Shen Chongzhen activated the sword energy within his body and flew in the opposite direction from where the frost was spreading.

When they arrived at an area where the land and rocks were frozen, they were surprised to see two figures with the same yang fire on their bodies staring intently at a bright blue ice flame floating above a low-lying pit!

When Shen Chongzhen looked at the icy flames, he was instantly amazed!
The icy flames were entirely azure blue, and in the gaps between their flickering movements, they resembled a flower sculpted from ice, constantly changing shape.

Birth...Blooming...Withering...

Then the cycle repeats itself.

The other two on the opposite side were also clearly seeing such a magnificent treasure of heaven and earth for the first time. Their minds were stunned, and they both forgot to make a move at the first moment.

As a sword cultivator with a clear sword mind, Shen Chongzhen was obviously able to realize the truth much faster than the others.

Sensing that there was only a trace of the pill left in his mouth, he immediately flashed and rushed towards the ever-changing ice flames!

Halfway there, he took out the specially made jade box given to him by Zhou Xuan and directly covered the ice flame!

"not good!"

"You little beast, stop!"

"This treasure belongs to me!"

Seeing that Shen Chongzhen had already made his move, the other two also reacted!
One of the elders at the Nascent Soul Realm shouted angrily, while his hand seals changed, instantly summoning a small, earthen-yellow flag!
After the small flag spun twice in the air, the divine dragon embroidered on the flag roared and charged towards Shen Chongzhen, who was collecting the Xuan You Ice Flame!
Another youth at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm followed closely behind, summoning a strange bronze cauldron with its mouth upside down. From the cauldron, a large amount of golden light flew out and crashed into Shen Chongzhen's body.

Both of them were local rogue cultivators chosen by those outside cultivators.

In order to help them successfully seize the Xuan You Ice Flame, those outside cultivators not only made many promises, but also obviously gave them some magical treasures to protect them.

Seeing the ferocious earth dragon pouncing towards him, and countless golden lights about to descend upon him from the other side, Shen Chongzhen showed no fear whatsoever.

He held the jade box in one hand to continue collecting the ice flames, and with the other hand holding a sword, he twirled the sword as it met the flying earth dragon!
Wow!

A large amount of metallic sword energy appeared in the void in front of him, like waves of tiny sword beams gathering on flat ground!
These waves, formed by countless tiny sword beams, surged towards the flying earth dragon, each one higher than the last, crashing down on its body.

This move is a sword technique that Shen Chongzhen comprehended by referring to the "Tide Sword Manual" left by his father Shen Wen'an and his own Gengjin sword intent - Iron Horse Sword River!
The surging waves of sword light, like countless charging soldiers, instantly pulverized the earth dragon, which then vanished into thin air with a mournful cry of resentment.

Not only that, the destruction of the earth dragon also caused a severe backlash to the elderly cultivator who was controlling the small flag. He staggered back dozens of steps, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Before he could regain his footing, his expression suddenly changed!
Immediately afterwards, the yang fire on his body surface disappeared!
Without the protection of Yang fire, the extremely Yin and cold power around him surged in instantly, freezing his body into an ice sculpture, and then shattering on the spot!
As for the golden light that was already upon him, Shen Chongzhen casually threw out his longsword and manipulated it with his sword fingers, making it move nimbly in the void and blocking all the golden light!
After dealing with the golden light, a murderous intent flashed in his eyes, and he lightly pointed at the young man who was manipulating the bronze cauldron.

"go with!"

The longsword in the air spun around and tore through the bloody mist, stabbing straight at his body!
The young man was terrified. He manipulated the bronze cauldron above his head, shooting out beams of golden light as he dodged and parried, desperately trying to resist Shen Chongzhen's sword control technique.

However, judging from their flustered and disorganized state, defeat was only a matter of time.

Seeing that the Xuan You Ice Flame in front of him had been put into the jade box, Shen Chongzhen immediately sealed the jade box, and then took out a Blazing Sun Fire Shield talisman and slapped it on his body to replace the Nine Sun Refining Fire Pill that was about to run out, so as to continue to resist the terrifying cold air coming from the Xuan You Ice Flame.

With the item in hand and no need to be distracted, Shen Chongzhen's flying sword was far beyond what the young man in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm could withstand. As the bronze cauldron above his head was knocked away by the flying sword, a sword beam swiftly slashed across his neck.

The next moment, the young man's head and body were frozen into an ice sculpture by the extremely cold and yin energy, and then shattered into pieces on the ground.

Having dealt with the two, Shen Chongzhen reached out and sucked in the magical artifacts they were using and the storage bags they had left behind. Without wasting any time, he headed straight out of the area.

Since the Xuan You Ice Flame could not be stored in the storage bag, Shen Chongzhen held the jade box like this. The extremely yin and cold power emanating from the Xuan You Ice Flame in the jade box rapidly consumed the power of the Blazing Sun Fire Shield Talisman.

After traveling only a hundred miles, the blazing sun shield rune on its body suddenly dimmed and then turned into ashes and disappeared.

The power of the talisman disappeared too suddenly, and a terrifying chill instantly rushed into his body, almost freezing him to death on the spot.

Fortunately, he had already activated the second talisman, and the power of Yang Fire expelled this extremely Yin and cold power from his body. Shen Chongzhen dared not delay.

This mysterious ice flame was even more terrifying than he had imagined.

Right now, three Blazing Sun Shield Talismans might not be enough!
"We must hurry up!"

With a flash, he immediately controlled his flying sword and rushed towards the outer perimeter.

Soon, the third Blazing Sun Shield Talisman was also activated, and the power of the talisman was rapidly consumed.

Through the crimson mist, he could vaguely see a graceful figure with silver hair standing outside the boundary formed by the Netherworld.

However, at that moment, the light of the third Fiery Sun Shield talisman on his chest also quickly dimmed.

Outside the boundary, Zhou Xuan seemed to see the Yang Fire on his body rapidly fading, realizing that he might have run out of pills and talismans.

"Throw away the jade box!"

"Throw it away!"

"Without the protection of Yang Fire, you can't withstand that cold air!"

Zhou Xuan's voice came through.

As Shen Chongzhen watched the talisman in front of him begin to burn and was about to turn into ashes, he gritted his teeth and threw the jade box in his hand!
The moment the jade box flew out, the power of the Blazing Sun Shield Talisman completely dissipated!
Shen Chongzhen, who was flying in mid-air, was instantly covered by a layer of frost. He was quickly frozen and fell towards the ground below!
Upon seeing this, Zhou Xuan didn't bother to take the jade box containing the Xuan You Ice Flame. He flashed over and rushed over!

"Ugh!"

"Roar!"

As soon as the cultivator, who was not a native of Yangnao Land, entered the domain formed by the Earth Spirit Netherworld, the wandering ghosts around him went crazy and roared as they charged forward!

boom!
A terrifying chill suddenly erupted from Zhou Xuan's body, and the rushing ghosts were frozen into ice sculptures one after another, before shattering on the spot!
However, there were simply too many ghosts around!

Zhou Xuan's entry was like a drop of water falling into a boiling oil pan!
Within the thousand-mile-long realm formed by the spirit land, all the wandering souls swarmed in as if a pot had been boiled over!

Even though his cultivation had reached the Purple Mansion level and he was very skilled in using the laws.

However, a large number of ghosts swarmed in, and the freezing power around him was not enough to freeze them. They were squeezed to the point of almost disappearing.

Zhou Xuan didn't have time to care about this. She caught Shen Chongzhen, who was frozen and falling from the sky, and flew outside!
She was incredibly fast; from rushing into the boundary to catching Shen Chongzhen and preparing to leave, it took less than two breaths.

In just those two short breaths, the crazed ghosts had already surrounded the two of them into a ball!

More and more ghosts kept rushing in from all around!

Seeing that the surroundings were completely surrounded, and that the life force in Shen Chongzhen's body was being rapidly extinguished by the extremely yin and cold power, Zhou Xuan paused slightly, and then a resolute look flashed in his eyes!
The next moment, a blinding blue light suddenly shone between his eyebrows!

In the light, a graceful little figure emerged from between Shen Chongzhen's eyebrows, completely naked, and then, without hesitation, burrowed into Shen Chongzhen's eyebrows!
Click!

As the graceful little figure burrowed into Shen Chongzhen's brow, cracks suddenly appeared on the thick layer of frost on its surface!

Click!

Click!

The sound of ice cracking echoed, and after a few breaths, the thick layer of frost on Shen Chongzhen's body suddenly exploded!

The moment a large number of ice blocks flew out, Shen Chongzhen's body suddenly burst forth with countless sword beams radiating an icy aura!
boom!
Under the attack of countless icy sword beams, the numerous ghosts surrounding the two of them, forming a sphere, were all blasted into pieces!

"go!"

As Shen Chongzhen's voice rang out, his thick arm wrapped around Zhou Xuan's waist, and with a flash, he rushed out.

The two left the realm formed by the Netherworld, but the ghosts did not chase after them. Instead, they began to scramble for the ghost remains that had been blasted into countless gray-white orbs of light.

Having escaped danger, a milky-white halo appeared between Shen Chongzhen's eyebrows, and then a graceful little figure darted out from between his eyebrows and instantly disappeared into Zhou Xuan's eyebrows.

"You...won't let go of me..."

A shy voice rang out, Zhou Xuan's voice barely audible.

For cultivators, the fusion of souls and mutual cultivation is a form of dual cultivation that transcends the physical body, and it generally only exists between Daoist partners.

In the urgency of the situation, she couldn't bear to watch Shen Chongzhen die completely before her eyes, so she could only let her soul enter his sea of ​​consciousness and merge their souls.

While saving Shen Chongzhen, he can also use his sword intent to deal with those terrifying ghosts.

The brief exchange of their souls allowed both of them to see each other's thoughts clearly.

This was something that Zhou Xuan, who was inexperienced in the ways of the world, found incredibly endearing and shy.

Shen Chongzhen reluctantly withdrew his arm, and Zhou Xuan stood still, keeping her head down and remaining silent.

"Where is the Mysterious Nether Ice Flame?"

The atmosphere was a little awkward, so Shen Chongzhen started a conversation to break the silence.

"ah!"

"Almost forgot!"

Once Zhou Xuan regained his senses, he quickly released his divine sense and finally located the jade box containing the Xuan You Ice Flame several dozen feet away.

He darted over and carefully put the jade box away.

Unlike Shen Chongzhen, she was clearly not very afraid of the extremely yin and cold energy of the Xuanyou Ice Flame.

"Let's hurry back and refine the Mysterious Nether Ice Flame. My strength should be greatly improved."

Zhou Xuan spoke with a happy expression.

During her trip to Yangnao, she not only obtained a considerable amount of top-grade cold jade marrow, but also a wisp of precious Xuanyou Ice Flame, far exceeding her expectations.

"It seems no one has come to steal this spiritual land..."

As Shen Chongzhen gazed at the gradually dissipating crimson mist around him, he noticed that the major powers of the Southern Frontier, who had previously been eager to seize the spiritual essence, had now strangely abandoned this last spiritual essence and had not chosen to compete for it.

Meanwhile, in the void, Qi Buyu, who was presiding over the blood sacrifice, had already left at some point, seemingly uninterested in this earthly spirit land.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuan tilted her head and asked in confusion, "You want to take this Earth Spirit Nether Soil?"

Shen Chongzhen nodded: "After all, it is a spirit. I heard my father say that each spirit has special abilities and can be considered a kind of rare treasure."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuan shook his head and said, "Those are other spirits; the spirits of the earth and the underworld are different."

"You can think of the Earth Spirit Netherworld as the most filthy source of a world, gathering the ultimate 'yin' of this world as well as all kinds of negative and evil forces."

"As far as I know, apart from some cultivators who practice extreme demonic arts, no one can subdue this thing."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Since you want it, then take it. In case you encounter some demonic cultivators in the future, you might be able to exchange it for some good things from them."

Shen Chongzhen's expression turned somewhat strange upon hearing this.

Do demonic cultivators like this stuff?
Then it should be taken back even more.

"I'll give it to Brother Xu then!"

Having made up his mind, he immediately took out a jade bottle and flew towards the place where he had previously found the Mysterious Nether Ice Flame.

With the Xuan You Ice Flame taken away, the Yin energy emanating from the Earth Spirit Netherworld Soil alone was no longer a threat to him.

Shen Chongzhen quickly put the earth spirit soil into a jade bottle and returned to Zhou Xuan's side.

"Once you get back, you need to immediately go into seclusion to refine and expel the cold energy from your body. Otherwise, if this cold energy takes root in your body, you'll suffer..."

On the way back to Yunshui City, Zhou Xuan spoke with concern.

"it is good."

Shen Chongzhen responded.

"Furthermore, since the Earth Spirit Soil has already materialized, the barrier to this world should have completely disappeared."

"When my master arrives in a while, you... will accompany me to see her."

Zhou Xuan lowered her head, and her voice became much softer.

"it is good."

After a moment's thought, Shen Chongzhen responded and then added, "Let my father and mother go with me then."

Zhou Xuan's expression changed slightly, then she shook her head and said, "Let's not do it yet. Let's wait until Master has seen you before we talk about it."

Shen Chongzhen seemed to understand her meaning and did not insist.

……

Early autumn in September.

In previous years, whether it was late autumn or winter, the vegetation around Yunshui City never turned yellow.

However, this time, as soon as autumn arrived, the city was already filled with the desolate scenes of autumn.

The ancient trees lining the roadside were losing their greenery, and a gentle breeze blew by, causing a large number of leaves to fall, seemingly foreshadowing the impending demise of this world.

At the entrance of the Shen family's old residence.

Dressed in an indigo blue cloth robe and wearing a bamboo hat, Luo Tianxing looked at Shen Wen'an and Shen Xiuyan in front of him and said slowly, "The old man is already extracting the source of the Dao."

"I can also sense that many powerful figures have been arriving from outside the realm recently."

"In the days to come, the entire Yangnao region will likely descend into complete chaos."

"After I leave, if you don't intend to seek opportunities in Yangnao Land, you should leave as soon as possible."

"We'll make plans after everything settles down."

Shen Wen'an nodded and said, "Thank you for the reminder, senior. The common people and cultivators under the Shen family's jurisdiction have already evacuated. Those of us who remain can evacuate at any time."

With a flash of light in his hand, he retrieved the treasure ship that Luo Tianxing had lent to the Shen family.

"The treasure ship of the senior should be returned to its rightful owner."

Luo Tianxing took the treasure ship, put it into his storage bag, and said, "Since that's the case, I won't waste any more words."

"See you later."

Shen Wen'an and Shen Xiuyan quickly cupped their hands in greeting, saying, "Seniors, until we meet again..."

Luo Tianxing nodded, and his figure transformed into a wisp of breeze, disappearing before the two of them.

"Third Grandfather, what are your plans next?"

After seeing Luo Tianxing off, Shen Xiuyan spoke in a deep voice.

The commoners and cultivators of the various affiliated families under the Shen family's rule had indeed been transferred away in advance.

However, the common people and cultivators in the entire Yunshui City remained almost completely still.

All signs indicate that True Lord Daying has begun to extract the Dao source from Yangnao Land, and cultivators from the outside world are also searching for treasures in Yangnao Land.

The Shen family needs to prepare a contingency plan in advance.

"Go find your great-grandfather and send all the cultivators in the city into the Five Elements Secret Realm in batches."

"Third Grandfather will be in charge of the safety of the city."

"In addition, send someone to inform Luoxia Mountain and Qingluo Sword Pavilion to come over for a meeting."

With the Dao on the verge of collapse, it's time for both sects to make a choice.

He needed to discuss with both families whether to withdraw from Yangnao Land first and return after Xu Xiu finished building the Dao Source Secret Realm, or to enter the Five Elements Secret Realm together with the Shen family.

Shen Xiuyan cupped his hands in greeting and immediately went to make the arrangements.

"Uncle Three..."

Not long after she left, Shen Li, dressed in a moon-white long dress, slowly walked over.

Seeing that his expression was a little off, Shen Wen'an asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Shen Li shook her head slightly, then frowned slightly and said, "Li'er has been feeling a little uneasy these past two days."

Uneasy?

Shen Wen'an frowned inwardly, but before he could ask, Shen Li asked again, "Are Grandpa and Brother Chongming still in seclusion?"

Shen Wen'an nodded.

This is also what he is most worried about right now.

If the two hadn't been in seclusion, the Shen family could have easily evacuated at any time should they have encountered danger.

However, if we want to leave now, we still need to consider whether it will disturb their cultivation.

"No need to worry, the Shen family has several escape routes, so we should be fine this time."

Thinking that Shen Li's bad premonition was just due to excessive worry, Shen Wen'an comforted her and said, "Go see if your mother is ready. Let her go to the Five Elements Secret Realm first."

"Once things are settled here, we'll go in last."

"Let the outside world make a fuss when the time comes; it has nothing to do with our Shen family."

Shen Li nodded and then walked towards the back mountain.

The second floor of Blackwater Pavilion.

Shen Yuan, whose hair and beard were all white and whose skin was dry and dull, slowly opened his eyes.

After exhaling a breath of stale air, he slightly regulated the spiritual energy in his body, forcibly restoring his appearance to its previous state, and his lips moved.

A moment later, Shen Wen'an appeared on the second floor of the Blackwater Pavilion.

"Father, you've emerged from seclusion?"

Upon receiving Shen Yuan's telepathic message, he immediately rushed over.

"Um……"

With a slightly hoarse voice, Shen Yuan responded with a roar, and solemnly said, "Sit down, Father has a few things to tell you."

Shen Wen'an nodded and sat down opposite him.

Shen Yuan said in a deep voice, "This collapse of the Dao is also a calamity for my Shen family."

"We must not let our guard down."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an was somewhat puzzled. After pondering for a long time, he said, "In that case, why don't we evacuate now?"

Shen Yuan sighed and shook his head.

"It's not that simple."

"The collapse of the Dao is a calamity for the Yangnao Land. As beings of the Yangnao Land, we have an inseparable causal connection with the origin of the Yangnao Land."

"The land of Yangnao is now on the verge of destruction, and we cannot stop it. We will be subject to the law of cause and effect and will surely suffer the corresponding punishment."

"How can one easily escape the punishment that stems from such a cause and effect?"

"You can understand it as the destruction of Yangnao Land. Every living being in Yangnao Land has been destined for a calamity."

"My Shen family previously received a great deal of blessings and fortune from the Yangnao Land, so the tribulations we must face are naturally stronger than those of other beings in the Yangnao Land."

At this point, Shen Yuan's face was filled with helplessness.

Previously, when he tried to predict the fate of Shen Wenxing and many of the younger generations of the Shen family, he always got a death divination.

At first, he didn't understand what was going on.

Now, after a period of time, through understanding the "Bi Shi Gui Zang Jing" and at the cost of a considerable amount of lifespan, I have finally figured out the general reasons behind it.

Generally speaking, the Dao Source of Yangnao Land had already realized its impending destruction.

Then they chose the Shen family, unknowingly bestowing a great deal of blessings and fortune upon them, hoping that the Shen family would stop this calamity.

But now, the Shen family has failed to do so.

This is like accepting a huge bounty, with the other party already paying a large deposit, but the Shen family failed to complete the task within the stipulated time.

According to the rules, one must naturally bear the punishment for failure.

Fortunately, during this time, he has changed everyone's fate through the Life Talisman and the ability to "transform life and death".

He couldn't foresee the future of the Shen family, but at least he had found a glimmer of hope for everyone.

"What I am about to tell you is the key to survival for several members of my Shen family who are destined for disaster. You must remember this."

Seeing his father's seriousness, Shen Wen'an nodded solemnly.

Shen Yuan sorted out his thoughts and continued, "The fate of the fox depends on the heavens. It is not certain that she will die, but it is still extremely dangerous."

"The gateway to life in Chongming is the secret realm of Qixian Mountain."

"Your older brother and Xu Zhan..."

Mentioning Shen Wenxing and Xu Zhan, Shen Yuan paused for a moment, his expression becoming somewhat solemn, and said, "Their life gates overlap, and both should be in the Laishui River. Even I, as their father, cannot see clearly."

"As for the fate of the remaining clansmen, it will depend on you, your father, and Chongzhen."

"Remember this: if anything happens to either you, my son, or Chongzhen, a large number of people in the clan will perish!"

"Therefore, we must spare no effort to save lives."

Having said that, Shen Yuan sighed softly, "Time is still too tight. If only I could have another ten years."

"In just ten years, your father may be able to find a perfect way for you to avoid this calamity."

"By then, you will no longer need to risk your lives to face the calamity."

The calamities that befall a world cannot be resisted by brute force alone.

Having grasped the mystery, Shen Yuan even vaguely sensed that even the Great Ying True Monarch Xu Xiu and others would have to face this calamity.

I wonder if the old man, despite all his calculations, had foreseen these things.

(End of this chapter)