Breaking through the illusion of the mortal world

Mount Du'e is like a blue continent, silently cutting through the sea of ​​clouds, sailing under the brilliant starry river.

Beyond the light curtain, howling winds and flowing starlight create a breathtaking spectacle.

Inside the light screen, most of the thousands of teenagers, after their initial excitement, had fallen into a deep sleep.

Or one might sit in meditation on a futon, trying to capture that faint sense of the universe.

Lu Ming, Qin Feiyu, and Hu Zhen leaned together, gazing at the dazzling galaxy outside the light screen that seemed within reach, their hearts filled with boundless longing for the Dao Academy.

"I've heard that the academy possesses ten thousand volumes of Taoist scriptures, which grant the ability to know the past and future!"

A young man from the state capital said in a low voice, his eyes shining.

"I prefer weapon crafting. If I could forge a flying sword myself and ride it across the land, that would be truly exhilarating!"

Qin Feiyu waved his arms, mimicking the posture of an immortal he had imagined.

As Lu Ming felt the faint flow of spiritual energy within his body after the Yi Jin Fa Sui (a traditional Chinese medicine technique), his thoughts turned to the reflections brought about by the thousand years of solitude during the Trial of the Heart, and his yearning for the essence of the Great Dao.

The path to immortality is long and winding, and is not always filled with beautiful scenery.

......

Suddenly, a sense of oppression beyond the senses came over me!

The buzzing sound of Mount Du'e cutting through the air abruptly stopped, and the massive mountain seemed to sink into a swamp, its speed decreasing sharply.

The protective light barrier on the outside rippled.

"Whoosh—buzz—!"

A deep horn sounded without warning, resounding deep within everyone's soul!

The sound of the horn contained endless desolation, as well as a majesty that transcended all living beings.

Inside the light screen, all the teenagers felt their hearts being gripped by an invisible hand, and their throats being choked by fear.

Having lost all their cultivation, their faces were deathly pale, and they were on the verge of collapsing.

Lu Ming, who had undergone the Yi Jin Fa Sui treatment, also felt a sudden difficulty breathing.

"Be on guard! This is the Netherworld of the Palace of Separation and Sorrow!"

An aged voice suddenly rang out, breaking the suffocating pressure.

The guardian elder of the immortal mountain, True Man Chongming, had silently appeared atop the mountain.

His Taoist robe fluttered without wind, and he held a white jade whisk in his hand; his usual gentle demeanor had vanished completely.

Looking up, the starry sky ahead was being rapidly covered by darkness.

This underworld is not simply a gathering of demonic energy; within it floats terrifying illusions of mountains and rivers being destroyed and all things falling into ruin.

The aura of the underworld is constantly eroding the protective Taoist principles of the immortal mountain.

"Fellow Daoist Chongming, it's been many years since we last met; your charm remains unchanged."

A cheerful voice came from the depths of the underworld.

The void rippled like water as three figures slowly solidified and stood in mid-air.

The leader was a middle-aged man dressed in a dark purple star-patterned robe. He had a handsome face and deep, unfathomable eyes.

He casually toyed with a slowly spinning black jade ruyi in his hand, his body radiating demonic power.

He was on par with the imposing aura of True Man Chongming, and was the Palace Master of Zichen Palace under the command of Lihentian Palace.

To his left was a burly man with a ruddy complexion and a dark red blade on his back. He exuded a scorching and violent aura; he was Chi Luo, the demon general before the palace.

On the right is a woman shrouded in a flowing, hazy black veil, her figure graceful, with only a pair of captivating eyes visible.

Her ten fingers were slender and smooth as jade, with a dark, demonic light swirling around them like a serpent. Her aura was mysterious and unpredictable; she was the Shadow Envoy—You Ji.

"Palace Master Zichen?" Master Chongming's pupils contracted slightly, his tone heavy.

"I never imagined that you would need a Palace Master from Lihentian Palace to personally intervene for the sake of these children who have not yet entered the Dao of Qi."

The Purple Star Palace Master's lips curled into a smile that was neither a smile nor a frown:

"The foundation of the Taoist academy seems to be related to the future fortune of the world. If we can nip it in the bud, we can save our Heavenly Palace a lot of trouble in the future."

"Fellow Daoist Chongming, if you hand over these disciples now, I, in the name of the Lihen Heavenly Palace, promise that you will be allowed to leave safely with this Du'e Immortal Mountain."

"These heretics dare to speak of destiny and covet the inheritance of our righteous path? Wishful thinking!"

Master Chongming suddenly raised his whisk, his voice resolute and decisive.

"Since that's the case, let's see who's the real deal when it comes to Taoist magic."

Palace Master Zichen sighed softly as if regretting something, and then gently moved the black jade ruyi in his hand forward, a movement that was elegant yet ruthless.

"I hate how heartless Heaven is, how merciless Earth is! Open the Nine Netherworlds, guide me to the Yellow Springs!"

At the core of that Netherworld, a massive rift suddenly opened up, stretching across the void!

The Yellow Springs Blood River, exuding an aura of endless decay and depravity, roared and surged like a ferocious beast that had broken free of its restraints, rushing straight towards the Immortal Mountain of Crossing Calamity!

This river of blood is no ordinary water; it is formed from the resentment of countless lives before their demise, as well as the lingering, unwilling souls of numerous powerful beings.

It possesses the terrifying power to corrupt all laws and erode the primordial spirit!

The blood waves surged to the heavens, within which countless twisted phantoms of demons seemed to wail and struggle, trying to drag all living beings down to the abyss.

"The vastness of heaven and earth, the origin of all laws! The stars and constellations, heed my command!"

Faced with this earth-shattering attack, Master Chongming dared not be negligent in the slightest.

Chongming's hands formed a hand seal as swiftly as a phantom, communicating with the mysterious celestial cosmos!

In an instant, as if summoned by some unseen force, countless rays of starlight forcefully pierced through the seal of the Netherworld. Like rivers flowing into the sea, they crossed endless spatial barriers and converged outside the Immortal Mountain!

The starlight rapidly evolved, forming a dazzling phantom of a starry sky covering an area of ​​hundreds of miles.

"The Great Celestial Star Guardian Array!"

Within the formation, the 365 illusory images of the main stars moved along mysterious trajectories, accompanied by thousands of auxiliary stars, radiating a magnificent stellar power!

"Disciples, quickly stabilize the immortal mountain's formation and protect everyone," Master Chongming shouted to the disciples below.

The disciples below quickly divided up their tasks, utilizing the various array points, while some disciples erected light screens to protect the many youths.