Cultivating Immortality: I Have a High-Martial World

Chapter 138 The Situation After Three Years, The Righteous Alliance!

In Qingzhou, deep in the mountains and forests.

Lin Chen crawled out of a cave, his clothes still covered in mud.

"This is the teleportation array you were talking about? Will there be any problems?"

After climbing out of the cave, Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief.

God knows, the teleportation array had collapsed and was buried hundreds of meters underground.

If Lin Chen hadn't possessed the Earth Escape Technique, he probably would have been buried alive...

Tianyan Pearl sounded somewhat guilty and said:

"Well, after all, several hundred years have passed... it's normal for things to change."

Lin Chen was speechless, but he didn't make a fuss about it.

He had been trapped in the ruins for years, and now that he was out, all he wanted was to get back to the outside world as soon as possible.

Lin Chen greedily took a few breaths of air, then took out the blue jade gourd.

The blue jade gourd instantly grew to several meters in size, and Lin Chen stepped on it and flew into the sky.

Lin Chen released his divine sense, extending it over a thousand feet, and first observed the surrounding terrain.

After a moment, he frowned slightly.

"Hmm? This place is really desolate... there's not a single person in sight. Let's see where we are first?"

Lin Chen chose a direction and rode the purple jade gourd in one direction.

After traversing deep mountains and great rivers, Lin Chen finally saw a village after nearly half an hour.

As soon as they entered the village, the women and children were startled and scattered in all directions.

"Run! Everyone, run!"

At the village entrance, several elderly people who could no longer run, holding canes, simply stopped running and sat down, shouting loudly.

Almost instantly, every household closed their doors and windows, leaving only a few old men at the village entrance.

Upon seeing this, Lin Chen's brows furrowed into a deep frown.

He walked up to an old man and asked:

"Old man, I'm a passing monk... I'd like to ask..."

Before Lin Chen could finish speaking, the old man turned pale with fright, gasped for breath, and almost fainted.

"Run, everyone run!"

Lin Chen frowned even more deeply.

He flicked his finger, and a gentle breeze blew across the old man's face.

Soon, his expression gradually returned to calm.

This is a minor calming spell, especially effective for ordinary people, which can restore peace to them.

Seeing that the old man had stopped breathing, Lin Chen patiently asked:

"Old folks, what happened? Why are you so afraid of cultivators...?"

The old man looked at Lin Chen carefully for a few moments, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that Lin Chen would not harm him.

He shouted loudly again:

"Everyone, come out quickly! This isn't that group of demonic cultivators...it looks like immortals from the righteous alliance!"

Upon hearing this, cracks appeared in the doors and windows of the surrounding houses.

After secretly observing Lin Chen for a long time, a few bolder men slowly approached.

"Immortal... Immortal Master, please forgive us! The villagers thought it was one of those demons..."

The burly man at the head of the group spoke tremulously, afraid of displeasing Lin Chen.

Lin Chen waved his hand and said:

"Tell me, where is this place?"

"What about the Righteous Alliance and the Demonic Sect that you just mentioned?"

The burly man swallowed hard and said:

"Our Great Ox Village belongs to the Purple Smoke Kingdom... those immortals..."

The burly man spoke haltingly.

But after listening for a long time, Lin Chen roughly figured out what the person meant.

The place where Lin Chen was located was no longer within the territory of Yanlai Kingdom.

Instead, it was in the Purple Smoke Kingdom, a distance of ten thousand miles from Changchun Gate.

That is, the territory of the Spirit Beast Sect before...

However, a year ago, the Spirit Beast Sect was breached by the combined forces of the three demonic sects...

The sect leader, a peak Golden Core cultivator, died in battle, and almost all of the sect's thousands of disciples were wiped out.

The people of Ziyan Kingdom were living in misery.

In just one year, there were no fewer than a few instances of demonic massacres and blood sacrifices.

This caused great fear among the mortals within the Purple Smoke Kingdom, who were terrified of cultivators.

As for the Righteous Alliance, this mortal is unaware of it.

He only said that it was a joint effort by several immortal sects to fight against the demonic path...

"Immortal, Immortal Master..." The burly man was still somewhat apprehensive.

Lin Chen then took out several hundred taels of silver and handed it over.

"I wonder if there are any mortal cities near your Da Niu Village?"

The man shook his head after hearing this and said:

"There used to be a city three hundred miles to the north, but it was massacred by the Demonic Sect, and hundreds of thousands of mortals perished..."

"If you want to find a place with many people, you'll have to go to Xinliang City, which is six hundred miles away. It hasn't been conquered yet..."

After finding out the location, Lin Chen transformed into a streak of light and left.

Most of the ordinary people in the village are ignorant and unaware of many things, relying only on hearsay.

But it’s not hard to see from the reaction of Da Niu Village that the external situation has indeed undergone tremendous changes in just over two years.

"The Spirit Beast Sect was destroyed, the Demonic Path united, the Righteous Path Alliance..."

"I still need to go into the city and ask some cultivators..."

Lin Chen stopped on a mountain, first transforming into Xu Shi's appearance, then taking out the red jade gourd and continuing to fly south.

Core Formation cultivators can travel without the aid of magical artifacts or escape techniques.

However, its speed is still much slower than that of flying with a magical artifact.

The journey of 600 li could be completed in less than half an hour by Lin Chen using his magical artifact.

We traversed barren mountains and rivers, occasionally passing by a few desolate and dilapidated villages.

Half an hour later, Lin Chen stopped in front of a huge city.

We've arrived at Xinliang City.

Lin Chen descended from the sky some distance from Xinliang City and walked towards the city gate.

His divine sense swept over the guards at the city gate.

"A Qi Refining cultivator..."

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow; the guardians of this mortal city were all cultivators.

It seems that something significant has indeed happened in the last two years.

Lin Chen walked towards the city gate, but was stopped by several city gate guards before he even entered the city.

"Fellow Daoist, please show your Righteous Path Alliance token." The Qi Refining stage guard was quite polite.

Lin Chen frowned slightly and said:

"I'm sorry, I was in seclusion for two years and I don't know anything about the outside world... so I don't have this Righteous Alliance token."

The cultivator's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. He looked Lin Chen up and down before saying in a deep voice:

"Fellow Daoist, I apologize, but it is wartime now. All cultivators within a radius of ten thousand miles, whether they are disciples of sects or independent cultivators, must join the Righteous Path Alliance to fight against the demonic path together."

"Otherwise, they will all be dealt with according to the Demonic Sect's rules!"

Lin Chen frowned upon hearing this.

Even rogue cultivators must join the Righteous Path Alliance? And this tough stance... seems a bit excessive.

After all, many independent cultivators are unwilling to join a sect and be bound by its rules.

If joining the Righteous Path Alliance is mandatory, it will likely provoke resistance from many independent cultivators.

The cultivator noticed Lin Chen's doubt and said:

"You seem to be a rogue cultivator?"

"Rest assured, fellow Daoist, the Righteous Path Alliance will not impose any restrictions on its members. We have only one common enemy, and that is the Demonic Path!"

"On the contrary, everyone who joins the Righteous Alliance will receive generous rewards after defeating the Demonic Sect members, which is a good thing!"

Seeing Lin Chen's extraordinary bearing, the cultivator whispered:

"To be honest, I was also a rogue cultivator a year ago, only at the second level of Qi Refining... but now I'm almost at the middle stage of Qi Refining!"

Lin Chen suddenly realized what was going on after hearing this.

If it were just a loose alliance without any mandatory constraints, it would be much better.

However, judging from the perspective of the Righteous Alliance alone, the current situation must be extremely dire, otherwise they would not be treating it with such caution.

"Fellow Daoist, please register your cultivation level and Daoist name first... After registration, you will be able to join the Righteous Path Alliance."

The Qi Refining cultivator seemed very enthusiastic, taking out a booklet and a token to register Lin Chen.

"Where do you come from, fellow Daoist, and what is your level of cultivation?" the man asked.

After a moment of silence, Lin Chen said:

"My name is Xu Shi..."

"As for cultivation level... early stage of Core Formation..."

The man nodded after hearing this and took out paper and pen to register.

"Fellow Daoist Xu Shi, Core Formation... Wait! A Core Formation cultivator!?"

The man stared wide-eyed at Lin Chen in front of him.

He swallowed hard and asked, "Fellow Daoist... are you a Core Formation cultivator?"

Lin Chen nodded, revealing a slight hint of his presence.

The man's expression changed drastically after sensing the oppressive aura emanating from Lin Chen, his tone carrying seven parts respect and three parts joy.

"Please wait a moment, senior, I'll go find someone right away!"

After saying that, the man hurriedly ran towards the city gate.

Not far away, several other cultivators guarding the city gate also looked surprised.

There seemed to be a hint of envy deep in his eyes...

Within the Righteous Path Alliance, anyone who invites cultivators from outside the Alliance to join will receive a reward.

The higher the cultivation level of the invited cultivator, the greater the reward!

Inviting a Core Formation cultivator to join the Righteous Path Alliance will yield a reward worth no less than 10,000 spirit stones!

Lin Chen observed the expressions of the surrounding cultivators and became even more curious about the Righteous Path Alliance.

……

Lin Chen didn't have to wait long.

Soon, a group of cultivators rushed over.

Lin Chen glanced at him from afar and saw that the leading cultivator was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.

As they got closer, the cultivator sized up Lin Chen a few times.

Unable to discern Lin Chen's cultivation level, he quickly cupped his hands and said:

"Senior Xu, I am Shao Wenmin, the garrison commander of Xinliang Town... I wonder if you would be so kind as to enter the town for a chat?"

Lin Chen nodded slightly and followed them into the city.

Upon arriving at a residence near the city gate, Shao Wenmin personally brewed a pot of tea for Lin Chen with great respect.

Lin Chen didn't drink the tea, but slowly said:

"I have been in seclusion in my cave for several years, and now that I have broken through to the Golden Core stage, I am unaware of the situation in Qingzhou. I wonder if Garrison Commander Shao could explain it to me?"

Golden Core stage?

Shao Wenmin immediately became respectful, and his expression became even more reverent.

Core Formation stage cultivators are one in ten thousand, truly powerful individuals.

The majority of them are pseudo-core cultivators, and only three or four out of ten can condense a golden core.

"Senior Xu, there's no need for such formalities. It is my honor to explain this to you."

Shao Wenmin said with a hint of worry in his eyes:

"The situation in Qingzhou is currently very bad..."

"It all started more than two years ago with the opening of the Jin Yuanzong ruins... Senior has been in seclusion for several years, so he should not know about those ruins."

Lin Chen was shocked upon hearing this, but he remained outwardly calm and said indifferently, "I would like to hear the details."

Shao Wenmin nodded and said:

"Two and a half years ago, a serious massacre by demonic forces occurred in Jade Belt City within the territory of Yanlai Kingdom."

"The Ghost Eye Ancestor of the Ghost Exorcism Sect has set up the Ten Thousand Ghosts Bewitching Array, intending to sacrifice the entire Jade Belt City's million mortals and cultivators... all to give birth to a Yuanming stage great ghost."

"But they were blocked by passing rogue cultivators, and of the million mortals in the city, only about 100,000 survived..."

"Not long after, the ruins of the ancient Jin Yuan Sect opened, and hundreds of forces, large and small, within Qingzhou sent Foundation Establishment cultivators to explore them..."

"All for that Three Revolutions Golden Yuan Technique... yet only two or three out of ten cultivators survived the ruins."

"Even after they emerged, those Foundation Establishment cultivators were ambushed!"

Lin Chen frowned slightly upon hearing this.

He knew the Jin Yuan Sect ruins very well, but he didn't know what happened after those cultivators left the ruins.

Seeing Lin Chen frown in thought, Shao Wenmin continued:

"It turns out that the four major sects—the Ghost Exorcism Sect, the Puppet Hall, the Sacred Heart Sect, and the Wild Wolf Sect—were all lying in ambush outside the ruins of the Jin Yuan Sect, all in an attempt to annihilate the prodigies within Qingzhou."

"With the combined efforts of several Core Formation cultivators and the old monster with Ghost Eyes, they nearly slaughtered most of the hundred or so Foundation Establishment cultivators who emerged from the ruins!"

"Those born into righteous sects will be killed without exception... Those born into rogue cultivators must join the demonic sects or they will also be eliminated!"

"Fortunately, the major peak masters of Changchun Sect arrived at the critical moment... but they could only save a dozen or so people."

Hearing this, Lin Chen frowned even more.

Li Zhenqian, Jiang Liqian, and even Wan Xun and others were all among that group of cultivators...

"I wonder if they're still alive..." Lin Chen thought to himself.

"In that battle, the elder of Changchun Sect's Weapon Peak was killed, and the arrogance of the four great demonic sects grew even more rampant..."

"Later, the Ghost-Eyed Old Monster condensed a Nine-Turn Golden Core and returned to the Golden Core stage, becoming a force to be reckoned with in Qingzhou. The Demonic Sect plundered everywhere, and many small cultivation sects and families were wiped out..."

"Until a year ago, the Demonic Sect launched a full-scale attack on the Spirit Beast Sect. The Spirit Beast Sect was defeated, its Supreme Elder was killed in battle, and only one in a hundred disciples managed to escape. The four major Demonic Sect forces then occupied the Spirit Beast Sect's territory and launched a full-scale attack on the three major cultivation sects..."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat.

Just as the villagers had said, the Spirit Beast Sect, which had lasted for thousands of years, was destroyed in a single day!

It should be known that within a radius of ten thousand miles, there are three outstanding righteous sects.

Changchun Sect, Spirit Beast Sect, and Heavenly Pill Sect.

For hundreds of years, the forces of good and evil have been evenly matched. Although they have been fighting openly and covertly, no one has ever been wiped out.

But now that the Spirit Beast Sect has been destroyed, the balance of power between the righteous and demonic paths has been completely disrupted.

The Changchun Sect and the Tiandan Sect alone are far from being able to contend with the four great demonic sects...

Just as Lin Chen had thought, Shao Wenmin sighed and said:

"Alas, with the destruction of the Spirit Beast Sect, the four major demonic sects have gained a complete advantage..."

"Let alone Changchun Sect and Tiandan Sect, the biggest losses were suffered by the smaller cultivation families..."

"Left with no other choice, the surviving disciples of Changchun Sect, Tiandan Sect, and some of the Spirit Beast Sect announced the formation of the Righteous Path Alliance!"

"All cultivators in Qingzhou, regardless of whether they are independent cultivators or from families of cultivators, may join the Righteous Path Alliance to fight against the demonic path..."

"After the Righteous Path Alliance was established, all the major cultivation families in Yanlai Kingdom responded, including those from Ziyan Kingdom and Wuzhi Kingdom... Cultivation forces from several surrounding countries also joined."

"Later, the Righteous Alliance dispatched cultivators to guard various places and engaged in a protracted war with the Demonic Sect in the northern part of the Purple Smoke Kingdom..."

"This battle lasted for a year... Fortunately, the Demon-Subduing Temple in Qingzhou also sent some martial monks to subdue the demons, and other righteous forces within Qingzhou also sent some manpower to provide support, so the demonic path did not completely slaughter the Ziyan Kingdom..."

Lin Chen and Shao Wenmin talked for a long time and finally understood the current situation in Qingzhou.

We have gained a general understanding of the power of the Righteous Alliance and the Demonic Sect...

In short, the righteous and demonic paths are now at war, and cultivators within a radius of tens of thousands of miles have joined the battle.

Both independent cultivators and powerful sects have entered a state of war...

However, the Demonic Sect had been plotting for a long time, and although the Righteous Alliance had united many forces, it was still at a disadvantage.

After listening, Lin Chen sighed and said:

"Alas, I never imagined that such a momentous event would occur during my mere three years of seclusion..."

Seeing that Lin Chen spoke with a righteous air, Shao Wenmin braced himself and said:

"Senior Xu, although Xinliang City is not on the front line, it is still an important city on the front line, and now it is only guarded by a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like me..."

"I wonder if you, senior, could join the Righteous Alliance and guard Xinliang City..."

When Shao Wenmin mentioned A Biao, seeing Lin Chen's calm expression, he quickly added:

"Don't worry, senior. I'm just using your name to intimidate you. If you encounter an enemy you can't defeat, you can simply run away."

"Moreover, the contribution of guarding a city is extremely high, and one can obtain a great deal of cultivation resources..."

After speaking, Shao Wenmin looked at Lin Chen cautiously, afraid of displeasing him.

In his view, the most taboo thing for a rogue cultivator like Lin Chen is to be restrained.

Lin Chen frowned slightly, then relaxed, and sighed:

"Alas, I too wish to join the Righteous Alliance and fight against the Demonic Path!"

"But such a major event has occurred in just three years, and I still don't know what is happening to some of my relatives and friends now..."

"I am very worried right now and only want to know their situation... How about I come back to guard this city after I have ascertained the situation?"

Upon hearing this, Shao Wenmin sighed and simply nodded, saying:

"In that case, I will give you the Righteous Alliance token first... Please come again after you have finished dealing with your matters!"

Lin Chen nodded in agreement, thinking to himself:

"The Righteous Alliance is powerful, so a direct refusal is not advisable... Let's return to Yanlai territory first and then make a decision."

"At worst, Xu Shi can hide his identity for a while..."

With this in mind, Lin Chen cupped his hands in farewell and prepared to take his leave.

However, at that moment, the earth suddenly trembled violently.

Then the thunderous drumming swept in like a flood...

"Thump! Thump thump!"

After the series of drumbeats ended, Shao Wenmin's expression changed drastically, and his voice trembled as he said:

"Senior, I'm afraid you won't be able to leave... This... this demonic sect has actually come knocking on our door!"

As he spoke, Shao Wenmin took out a communication jade slip and quickly reported the situation in the city. He then issued an order to gather the righteous alliance cultivators in the city.

Finally, he stood before Lin Chen and said earnestly:

"Senior, if Xinliang City is in danger, would you be willing to lend a helping hand?"

He gritted his teeth and said:

"Rest assured, Senior, your help will not be in vain. On behalf of the Righteous Path Alliance, I am willing to offer you 50,000 spirit stones..."

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow after hearing this, and sighed inwardly.

"Sigh, I've just emerged from the ruins and this bad luck has already happened... I wonder if it's me who's unlucky, or the demonic forces invading this city?"

"However, 50,000 spirit stones is not a small amount. After reaching the Core Formation stage, the daily cultivation costs will increase exponentially..."

"Let's observe the situation first before deciding whether to take action."

Thinking of this, Lin Chen calmly said:

"Don't panic, you guys organize your men first, I'll assess the situation first..."

(End of this chapter)