Transcending two realms to become an earth immortal

To escape the calamity of the world?

Fang Chen pondered for a moment, then raised his eyes and asked:

"Perhaps we should seek out a 'past world's light and shadow' to temporarily hide within?"

"Indeed." The Three-Headed Immortal nodded slightly and let out a barely audible sigh. "That old underworld was too dangerous. Even in the pure and peaceful world, it was a place that people feared to even mention."

"After the collapse of the heavens, the strange changes that will arise are even more unpredictable... Therefore, the safest course of action is to temporarily leave this grotto-heaven realm and seek refuge in another ancient world of light and shadow."

"Although we still have to face the remaining demons and monsters, the lingering remnants of immortals and gods, and even the distorted laws of heaven in the light and shadow, it is still better than facing the underworld and the forbidden taboos of the nine netherworlds directly." The Three-Headed Immortal's face was heavy and bitter. "This is also a method of transcending tribulation."

"But there is also a major problem." Fang Chen was not relieved by this; instead, his expression grew even more grim. "The light and shadow of the old world will eventually fall into nothingness. And even if we find a place to survive, if the cave heaven realm we live in is completely destroyed in the demonic calamity, then even if the calamity passes, we will still..."

"Indeed... but these are the only two feasible methods." The voice of the Three-Headed Immortal grew increasingly heavy. "Currently, all forces within Dao City with a Day-Wandering Immortal in charge have dispatched large numbers of people to search far and wide for ancient shadows that can provide refuge from the calamity, hoping to survive the great tribulation to come..."

But this is ultimately just... a temporary fix.

When the grotto-heaven realm on which we depend for survival completely collapses under the impact of the old underworld, when the old world's light and shadow that we temporarily hide from fall into the void... even if we escape for a while, where can we escape to?

In this shattered world, there is no longer a true path to survival.

The ancient powerful beings enjoyed the fortune of an era and plundered the essence of heaven and earth, but they cut off all escape routes, leaving only this desperate situation and inescapable end-of-the-world ruins for future generations.

The surviving beings can only struggle and perish with the world until they are completely annihilated, their souls scattered and leaving no trace.

An indescribable silence fell over the temple.

Only the eerie wind that swept through the hall, howling like weeping, carried the still-dried blood and brought a putrid stench.

The ruins cast even deeper shadows, as if countless lurking evil thoughts were secretly watching. A chill seeped from the ground, adding an extra layer of despair that slowly seeped into the bones of everyone present.

After a long silence, the three singers slowly began to speak, their voices hoarse, as if offering comfort, yet also as if talking to themselves:

"Don't worry, there's no need to despair so much. As your teacher, I have finally broken through to the realm of day travel, and perhaps I can... seize that faint, uncertain chance of survival."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Fang Chen's eyes flickered.

"What we cultivators seek is nothing more than longevity and immortality, and the pursuit of longevity in the path of the Ghost Immortal can be summed up in four words—[Pure Yang Immortality]!"

The three immortals slowly said:

"Only by reaching this realm can one move with the world, remain indestructible through tribulations, have an immortal primordial spirit, and be untouched by time... And the true foundation of this [Pure Yang Immortality] is the Sun Travel Realm."

"Cultivators need to undergo the tribulation of the Great Sun True Fire, merging their Yin spirit, magical power, and physical essence, and then comprehend the mysteries of Yin and Yang in the world. Only after experiencing numerous tribulations can a trace of Yang essence be born in the origin of their soul."

"This yang essence is the foundation of a cultivator's life and the key to longevity. With this, a cultivator can traverse the cycle of reincarnation in the underworld without losing their way; it can also nourish the physical body, achieving a perfect yang spirit body that transcends form and spirit, breaking the shackles of lifespan imposed on mortal beings by heaven and earth. If one can go even further, one may even glimpse the opportunity to live as long as heaven and earth, and to shine as brightly as the sun and moon..."

"This Yang essence, in short, is one of the origins of heaven and earth. All the vitality of life in the world, such as the true heat of the sun, the flowing nectar of the moon, the mysterious yellow of the earth's veins, and the life force of all things, are closely related to it."

"Such essential vitality is precious even in the pure and ancient world, let alone in this almost lifeless end times. It is not only a symbol of life, but also the source of hope."

"Even though the yang energy born in this world has been polluted, it is still a remnant source of life in the world. Even if it is like drinking poison to quench thirst, it is still a glimmer of light."

"Although this world is on the verge of collapse and harbors resentment towards cultivators, it still possesses a last vestige of self-preservation instinct. Even the faintest of these life-giving energies will receive a sliver of protection; perhaps this is the glimmer of hope when the demonic calamity descends..."

A glimmer of hope?

Fang Chen remained silent upon hearing this.

But what use is this tiny glimmer of hope?

When the Dao Realm of the Cave Heaven completely collapses and all the light and shadow of the old world fall into the Ruins, how long can this faint glimmer of life, as small as a firefly, survive?

Unexpectedly, in this turbid and evil world, what is truly terrifying is not the demonic sects and evil cults within Dao City, but... this world itself.

After a long silence, Fang Chen raised his eyes, his expression grave:

"Is it truly impossible to completely transform and solidify those shadows of the past into a true Dao Realm, and find a place for life?"

"Difficult, difficult, difficult!" The Three Immortals shook their heads and sighed. "The light and shadow of the past world are nothing but the dust of the great calamity, the manifestation of the obsessions of countless sentient beings. They are the echoes of bygone years, born in the morning and dying at dusk, as illusory as smoke. To solidify them into a real and authentic grotto-heaven realm that can endure in the world, we need [immortal treasures] as the foundation of heaven and earth, and to re-establish Yin and Yang and the Five Elements."

"For example, possessing the [Yellow Springs Tributary] opens up the rudimentary form of the underworld, laying the foundation for the netherworld; having the [Great Sun True Fire] and the [Moonlight Laurel] lays the foundation for the light of the mortal world, transforming the sun and moon to traverse the heavens; having the [Nine Heavens Pure Qi] clarifies the high heavens, evolving wind and thunder; and even more importantly, it needs the [Innate Earth] to bear profound virtue and transform into the veins of mountains and rivers..."

"All the necessary items are rare treasures from the Immortal Abode, which would have been considered precious even in the old world. And most importantly, we need an entity comparable to the Heavenly Deities, capable of regulating the earth's veins, balancing yin and yang, restoring the five elements, and recreating mountains and rivers."

Three heartfelt stories:

"But in this apocalyptic world, even the spiritual energy of heaven and earth has been exhausted and corrupted, let alone how to find such rare and precious celestial abodes that were hard to find even in the old world?"

"As for the gods of heaven and earth, they were all annihilated with the collapse of heaven and earth. Even if they were lucky enough to survive, they would probably have been tainted and distorted by this boundless turbid world, losing their pure and divine nature... Therefore, this path has long been cut off."

Not at all.

Although the spiritual energy of this desolate world is depleted and the rare treasures of the immortal realm are almost extinct, the Pure Spiritual Old World connected by the Kunlun Mirror may still possess such treasures of creation.

Moreover, the path of the Earth Immortal that he cultivates is not an ordinary side path, but a supreme orthodox method that directly points to the creation of a region and manages blessed lands and grotto heavens. Its ultimate achievement may not be inferior to the power and authority of those natural deities who manage mountains and rivers.

Although the road ahead is fraught with danger and uncertainty, upon closer examination, it may not truly be a dead end.

And this faint, uncertain glimmer of hope might... lie within oneself, this unexpected variable from beyond the heavens.

Fang Chen had a clear understanding.

"I never imagined that one day, instead of becoming an extraterrestrial demon, I, a transmigrator, would become the only remaining variable in this desperate world, or even... a slim and uncertain chance of salvation?" However, this was not the time for sentimentality. The most urgent task was to find a way to survive the impending demonic calamity.

He hesitated for a moment, then took out an object from his robes—a scroll made of human skin, exuding an ominous aura, which he had looted from the three major heretical cults' dojos. He handed it to the three True Men:

"Master, I have searched that heretical cult's execution ground and obtained this ancient medium. I wonder if this place can be used to avert calamity?"

Upon hearing this, the three immortals slightly turned their heads and reached out to take the scroll of human skin painting that was cool to the touch and had an eerie texture.

With his cultivation level, the bewitching and eerie aura in the painting had no effect on him.

Slowly unroll the scroll, and your gaze falls upon it.

Upon seeing the painting—as dark as night, with its solitary, towering mountain and eerie atmosphere—especially the five large, mad characters outlined in smeared blood, the solemn expressions on the three faces suddenly changed, revealing a grave look:

"This is... Lord Black Mountain?!"