Chapter 284: The True Spirit Pool, Unreasonable!

Chapter 284: The True Spirit Pool, Unreasonable!

Upon realizing his return to the Three Thousand Floating Worlds, Ji Jingqiu attempted to sense the "broadcasting situation" of the Flame Universe Lamp 2.0.

He couldn't perceive regions that were too distant, and his perception range had increased with his growing mental cultivation, currently covering an area roughly the size of a planet's surface.

He was shocked by what he discovered.

Within a region less than a hundred li from him, there were over ten thousand Heart Lamps!

"This is outrageous, the development is too fast..." Ji Jingqiu muttered.

Due to his entry into the Wumang Mountain, he hadn't been able to reunite with Senluo and the others. Instead, he heard from Feng Wu of the Nine Palace Crimson Heavenly Palace that Senluo had held a grand assembly before their departure from the ancient road, attempting to form a cross-faction organization.

Throughout the history of the Nine Continents, such organizations were not uncommon, but most didn't last long.

However, judging by the current situation, Senluo and his group seemed to be making rapid progress.

Even in the territory of the Buddha's Homeland, there were numerous warriors who had planted Heart Lamp seeds.

"By the way, if you can return directly to the Federation, that would be best. When your mind returns, this temporary body will also turn into pure blood and void energy, nourishing your physical body and inner world," Hela added suddenly, as if remembering something during their journey.

Ji Jingqiu's eyes widened in surprise, was there more to this? But the distance to the passage leading to East 3 Huang Star was simply too far...

Even if he rushed, it would likely take more than a month, and most importantly, he didn't know the way.

During the journey, Ji Jingqiu suddenly thought of a possibility—could even these coordinates be part of Mu Shuai's plan?

He took a deep breath. With one arrangement, how many people had been calculated into this? Perhaps, in the eyes of Mu Shuai, this entire setup was a "welcome gift" for this Federation junior, enough to ensure a bountiful harvest from his trip...

Ji Jingqiu's expression became complicated.

No wonder He Shuai held such a negative impression of Mu Shuai. They were born in the same era, had traveled together, and were both considered geniuses. They were companions and rivals, but now, they were enemies...

Ji Jingqiu exhaled lightly.

Regardless, Mu Shuai had taught him a vivid lesson.

Ji Jingqiu stopped in a wasteland and looked around; as far as his eyes could see, there was no sign of human life, not even a bird in sight.

He was very close to the coordinates.

During his two days of travel, he had avoided the major cities along the way and had only encountered a group led by a Celestial Being on the wilderness road, heading in the direction he had come from. At the time, he hadn't taken action.

This group was most likely from the Buddha's Homeland.

Having a Celestial Being lead the group was no small matter, but with a Seven-Realm Pseudo-Divine missing, the Buddha's Homeland had only sent a Celestial Being. This either meant they were sending someone to their death or had hidden assassins.

Ji Jingqiu decided not to take any risks for now and prioritized finding the coordinates left by He Shuai.

"It's right ahead, but there are warriors with Heart Lamps in that direction..."

Ji Jingqiu gazed into the distance and saw a group of young people traveling together, their bodies stained with blood, and their auras filled with murderous intent.

This surprised Ji Jingqiu; these people were most likely not from the Buddha's Homeland, but from another power. It seemed that the major forces of the Three Thousand Floating Worlds were indeed carrying out the encirclement and suppression of the Buddha's Homeland, and the progress seemed promising. Otherwise, it wouldn't be possible for juniors to enter for training with powerful figures controlling the situation...

Ji Jingqiu narrowed his eyes. In such a situation, the Buddha's Homeland had still sent a Heavenly King Grandmaster to suppress the remnants of the Royal City.

Could he boldly conclude that the one who had replaced Hela as the "Buddha" was Mu Shuai?

But if it was indeed Mu Shuai, how could the other three demons allow him to ascend to the divine seat?

Moreover, in the Royal City ruins, there were records of a close relationship between the Buddha and the Heavenly Demon.

Although the so-called "closeness" among high-ranking figures was often just a honeymoon phase during mutual interests, it could end at any moment when one party turned against the other...

Nevertheless, Ji Jingqiu still found it hard to understand how Mu Shuai could assume the position of the Buddha.

He shared this speculation with Hela.

Hela coldly replied, "Do you think just anyone can sit on my divine seat? That scum, Mu Tianxing, doesn't even have the qualifications."

"What if the Three Demons helped him?" Ji Jingqiu asked.

Although he couldn't explain why the Three Demons would assist Mu Shuai in ascending to the divine seat... perhaps sometimes, the most unbelievable answer is the truth.

This speculation caused Hela to fall silent for a moment before saying, "If those three truly assisted Mu Tianxing wholeheartedly in ascending to my divine seat, then he would indeed have a chance to secure that position."

Ji Jingqiu fell silent. Now, the question was how Mu Shuai had formed an "alliance" with the Three Demons.

Did Mu Shuai also have a hand in the deadly poison syndrome and the curses affecting the Six Great Clans?

"It's hard to fathom the thoughts of some old fellows," Ji Jingqiu muttered.

Old fellows? Hela's lips twitched; Mu Tianxing was only about ten thousand years old. In her eyes, he wasn't even worthy of being considered a junior.

Ji Jingqiu stopped to look around and then continued on his way.

A hundred li was just a few steps for him to cross through the void in his current state.

"It's here."

Ji Jingqiu arrived at the coordinates left by He Shuai and stood atop a hill.

"Although it's been ten thousand years, with He Shuai's abilities, it should be fine."

Ji Jingqiu circled the area but found nothing suspicious.

He suspected it might be underground, but his mental power scan revealed no traces.

Ji Jingqiu sighed and returned to his inner world, where he saw Fat Tiger diligently sharpening his blades.

He sighed again, as both ancient blades were being sharpened, and the one used earlier would take another day or two.

Why didn't this foolish kid outsource this task?

Oh right, it was his own order...

Ji Jingqiu recalled that as the gods' conditions worsened, he had strictly forbidden Fat Tiger from disturbing the supervising god soldiers, insisting on handling matters himself.

Ji Jingqiu shook his head and thought of another approach.

He closed his eyes, circulating the Unification Technique within his body, and the surging Qi rumbled like a heavenly river, rushing downward with the force to destroy everything in its path.

At that moment—

He recalled the extraordinary encounter with He Shuai, imitating his state of mind at the time. The sword intent soared into the sky, transforming the clouds and altering the colors of the sun and moon.

...

"Halt!"

The small team, which had already traveled hundreds of miles away, suddenly stopped and turned back, sensing the vast and majestic martial intent behind them.

In the face of this martial intent, everything in the universe seemed insignificant.

"Is it someone from the Buddha's homeland or another force?" someone asked.

"Let's go back and take a look. We can't afford to have our retreat cut off," someone suggested.

The group hurried back, and after crossing a high mountain, they stopped and scanned the area. They saw a figure standing across the azure sky.

"This is... sword intent!" the leader whispered.

"Who is that person? He looks somewhat familiar," someone else said.

"Don't you recognize him?" a figure suddenly appeared behind them, speaking with a hint of complexity.

"Master Luo!" the group responded respectfully.

They were from various factions, and Master Luo was one of their protectors on this journey.

Another figure appeared beside them and murmured, "The first season of Eternal History, Ji Jingqiu... Nine Palace actually sent him here, but isn't Nine Palace currently responsible for the southwestern front with the Heavenly Clan?"

"Ji Jingqiu?!" The group was taken aback.

Throughout the Nine Continents, who hadn't heard of this name? At one point, it was even more renowned than the ancestors of the dominant families!

"Didn't he enter seclusion in the Great Crimson Heaven after leaving the Ancient Road? What realm is he in now?" someone couldn't help but ask.

For the group, who were all Heartform Warriors, Ji Jingqiu was considered a junior, with quite a significant age gap.

But the dazzling sword intent Ji Jingqiu had just displayed was not something a mere Shackle Realm cultivator could achieve.

One of the protectors frowned and said, "It seems like he has already reached the Heartform Realm..."

The group fell silent.

After leaving the Ancient Road for about a year, he had already perfected his Divine Journey and broken through to the Heartform Realm?

Although the top geniuses on the Ancient Road were extraordinary, they still required time to consolidate their cultivation. Even after reaching the Divine Journey, they would experience a period of rapid growth, swiftly advancing to the late stage of the Shackle Realm.

Only then would they gradually slow down and enter a period of stabilization in the Heartform Realm, aiming for the Heaven-Human Boundary.

But breaking through to the Heartform Realm in just one year...

The group's thoughts raced as they recalled the top ten, or even the top five, figures recorded in the Eternal History Monument.

It was said that Ming Miaoyin, who was once ranked third, had formed a Heartform Holy Embryo upon leaving the Ancient Road, but she still spent two to three years in the Shackle Realm.

As for Yi Tianpeng, who excelled in the physical cultivation path, he completed the six shackles of the Shackle Realm in just half a year, but he was also stuck for a year before reaching the Heartform Realm.

Was this the number one of Eternal History?

Several protectors narrowed their eyes, and their hearts involuntarily stirred with a hint of murderous intent.

Such a rapid advancement... it was too fast.

However, they quickly examined their own hearts and suppressed the 'demonic' thoughts.

A Heaven-Human Warrior frowned, and indeed, the land of the Buddha's homeland was peculiar. The legendary 【Shakyamuni】, who inherited the position of the Dream God, possessed techniques similar to those of the Heavenly Demon.

Even those who had achieved Embryonic Breath had to be vigilant at all times, lest they fall into a state of rampant demonic thoughts.

Killing Ji Jingqiu...

Even if they succeeded, how could they bear the consequences? The Great Crimson Heaven Lord had dared to face the Heavenly Sovereign when he reached the peak of the Heavenly King Realm, let alone now that he had entered the Heavenly Sovereign Realm.

"Should we go and meet this person? He is the owner of the 【Flame Universe Lamp 2.0】!" someone suggested.

Upon hearing this, many of them were tempted.

Among them, someone had recently spent a significant amount to obtain a "Heartfire Seed" from certain individuals.

"No need to rush," said a protector with piercing eyes, "He seems to be here for a legacy or a fortuitous encounter. The martial intent he released earlier was probably a 'key' of some sort."

When a warrior accepts a legacy, misunderstandings and unnecessary conflicts can easily arise.

If they discovered the nature of the legacy and became greedy, it could lead to trouble.

...

Ji Jingqiu simultaneously activated several techniques inherited from He Shuai and indeed felt a strong fluctuation in the void.

Using his heart as a guide, he wielded his sword intent to split open the void and located the entrance.

To his surprise, it turned out to be a space created within the Void Birth Realm.

He pushed open an ancient stone door and entered a courtyard. In the center of the courtyard was a pool made of jade stones, with deep emerald water and mist swirling on the surface, constantly enveloping it in layers, as if it had weight.

Ji Jingqiu took a breath of the mist, and he immediately felt his mind and inner energy become more vibrant.

"The True Spirit Pool...?"

Haila exclaimed in surprise, "This scoundrel was so lucky back then that he actually found a True Spirit Pool? Hmph, I understand now. He wanted to save that woman, but even the True Spirit Pool, which can preserve the true spirit and allow reincarnation, couldn't save a life taken by the Death Demon."

"Woman?" Ji Jingqiu caught the key word, and his curiosity ignited.

Speaking of which, the emotions he had simulated earlier included a similar sense of longing for a 'lost person'.

"Did you see that tombstone?"

Soon, Ji Jingqiu found a stone tablet in a corner of the courtyard.

"Back then, He Donghuang was in a hurry to break through, and it wasn't unrelated to this woman," Haila said indifferently. "Like you, he wanted to attain enlightenment in this life, reverse the flow of time, and make amends. But you already know how it ended."

Ji Jingqiu walked up to the tablet, on which only a name was engraved.

【Jiang Qingzhi】

Ji Jingqiu had heard some of the truth about the events of ten thousand years ago from the Four Divine Sovereigns.

[Untranslatable Poem]



Over the past ten thousand years, certain people from the Six Great Clans had intentionally or unintentionally tarnished He Shuai's reputation, leading to the death of the Four Generals. Mu Shuai and Ji Shuai had no choice but to retreat to the Divine Path, and their whereabouts became unknown...

All of this was actually related to He Shuai's breakthrough back then.

Or, to be more precise, it started from there.

"Did He Shuai succeed in his breakthrough back then?" Ji Jingqiu couldn't help but ask.

Even the Four Divine Sovereigns were unclear about this, as this part was missing from their memories.

And in their narratives, the absence could be either a result of forgetting or deliberate omission.

Haila let out a cold snort, crossing her arms, "How would I know? I was already in deep slumber at that time."

Ji Jingqiu was speechless. Sometimes, Haila's straightforwardness was indeed unhelpful.

Ji Jingqiu stood before the tablet, bowed deeply, and respectfully paid his respects three times.

He wasn't sure if this person could be considered his 'master's wife'.

After Ji Jingqiu's worship, a layer of spiritual light emanated from the surface of the tablet, and a ray of light shot into his body.

This unexpected development caught Ji Jingqiu off guard, but he didn't stop it. He closed his eyes and absorbed the heritage that appeared in his mind.

Soon, he opened his eyes and once again respectfully bowed to the tablet.

This heritage didn't come from He Shuai but from the predecessor Jiang, whose name was engraved on the tablet. It was a heritage of the 【Void Secret Art】.

In addition to explaining how to establish one's own realm in the void, it also included various secret techniques and supernatural powers related to the void. Although not profound, some of the secrets were very practical, like a 【Compendium of Void Secret Arts】.

Among them was a secret technique specifically designed to move this True Spirit Pool.

The one who discovered this True Spirit Pool and built this courtyard wasn't He Shuai but this predecessor Jiang.

"What's the use of this True Spirit Pool?"

"First, it can preserve a bit of the true spirit and enable reincarnation. Second, it can temper the sacred embryo, nourish the body, and nurture the inner world... It can be considered 'all-purpose'. The only drawback is that it's expensive and requires a large amount of rare medicinal herbs to replenish its foundation."

Ji Jingqiu nodded. Following the secret techniques left by Predecessor Jiang, he tried several times and successfully moved the entire True Spirit Pool into his inner world.

In an instant, the misty clouds swirled and merged into the surrounding landscape, nourishing his inner world.

This nourishment invigorated Ji Jingqiu, making him feel as if he was constantly in a state of heaven-human unity.

"The effect is so significant!" Ji Jingqiu exclaimed with joy.

No matter how strong one's inner world is, a martial artist would never complain about having more.

"To cultivate it to this level, He Donghuang and his group must have spent a lot. But in the end, it fell into your hands," Haila commented. "You're indeed lucky. Otherwise, you could only have soaked in it here, but it would be impossible to move it entirely. This True Spirit Pool is connected to this small realm through a specific secret technique, and forcing it would cause the small realm to collapse along with it."

Ji Jingqiu shook his head. This wasn't about luck; it was a manifestation of his respect for his master and the Dao.

Suddenly, Haila spoke, "Ji Jingqiu, with this True Spirit Pool and that string of beads, I'm confident that I can help you 'merge with the Grand Universe' when you break through the Heaven-Human Boundary. With luck, your mind and sacred embryo will be nourished by the heart of the Grand Universe, saving you from much accumulation."

"Merge with the Grand Universe?" Ji Jingqiu muttered to himself. "What's the price?"

Haila suddenly offered to help him, which surprised Ji Jingqiu.

"There's no price, but I can't guarantee success," Haila said calmly. "You've already comprehended the True Nature. I can only say it's possible, but whether it succeeds or not depends on you."

"Why are you so eager to help me?" Ji Jingqiu asked, puzzled.

Haila replied indifferently, "I want to see your limits. You can consider it my thank-you gift."

"Thank-you gift?" Ji Jingqiu was taken aback, pondering, "Is it for the rent? You've been staying with me for quite some time."

Haila ignored him.

With her experience, after reviewing the entire process, she naturally deduced most of what Ji Tianxing wanted.

The word 'scum' was indeed an accurate description.

After walking through the courtyard, Ji Jingqiu decided to leave.

As Ji Jingqiu stepped out of the void courtyard, the void world began to self-annihilate.

Ji Jingqiu stood in the void, turning back silently.

It was for the best; now, no one would disturb him again.

Even the mighty He Shuai had pasts he couldn't retrieve, and Haila was no exception.

There was something he hadn't told anyone, not even Haila or Mu Shuai.

When Haila emerged from the Pure Land and recalled her past through the agony of the Bitter Sea, he had also caught glimpses of her memories—her own "Bitter Sea."

Without transcending, all beings are trapped in the Bitter Sea.

After a final farewell, Ji Jingqiu turned and returned to reality.

He looked towards a mountain peak where he had sensed someone's gaze earlier.

The person was very courteous and had waited patiently for him instead of interrupting during his inheritance ceremony.

Now, seeing him emerge, a group of people approached from a distance.

"Is this Ji...Jingqiu from the Nine Palace?" one of the Celestial Warriors asked, choosing to address him directly.

If they were to follow the seniority rules, they would have to call this young man "Master Uncle!"

After some conversation, Ji Jingqiu learned from them that various forces had joined forces to besiege the Buddha Country, and the Nine Palace's defense line was located in the southwest of the battlefield.

"With the combined strength of all parties, including several neighboring continents, our side has a significant advantage. The Buddha Country is retreating steadily," one of them explained.

"Indeed, the Buddha Country used to occupy more than half a continent, but now they've lost a third of their territory!" another added.

"However, it won't be that easy from now on. The Buddha Country is consolidating its defenses, and breaching their core area will be challenging," a third person chimed in.

The group discussed the current battle situation, analyzing it in detail.

The united forces had a clear advantage in terms of top-tier combat power, but the issue was their lack of unity. The warriors of the Buddha Country, on the other hand, were fearless and relentless. This war was far from over.

A Celestial Protector spoke up, "According to the current situation, the goal of the various forces is to prevent the Buddha Country from causing trouble for the next two hundred years. It's not necessary to eradicate them completely, as the cost would be too high and might deplete the foundation of Ancestor-level powers."

In the end, Ji Jingqiu declined their offer to escort him to the southwestern front line and instead gave them two Heart Lamp seeds before tearing through the void and leaving.

Along the way, Ji Jingqiu took the opportunity to practice and master the void secret technique he had recently learned.

He intended to reach the Nine Palace's front line and see if any Heavenly King would send him back to the Nine Palace. From there, he planned to go to the Great Crimson Heaven and find someone to take him to the Canglang Jin Clan's ancestral land, returning to the Federation.

For a Grandmaster, the distance between heaven and earth was merely a matter of coordinates.

Two days later, with the help of the void secret technique, Ji Jingqiu's speed had increased significantly, and he arrived at the Nine Palace's stronghold as planned.

The numerous warriors of the Nine Palace were surprised to see him, never expecting that the legendary Eternal First, who was rumored to be in seclusion, would also appear on this battlefield.

Ji Jingqiu found a Grandmaster stationed there and expressed his request.

The old Grandmaster nodded slightly and said, "Of course, no problem. But what has the Great Crimson Heaven been feeding you? In such a short time, you've already reached the Heartform Realm?" He couldn't help but ask, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Ji Jingqiu smiled shyly.

After the old Grandmaster jokingly accepted a Heart Lamp seed as "travel expenses," Ji Jingqiu returned to the Nine Palace.

Gu Chensha, who had already received the news, personally escorted him back to the Great Crimson Heaven.

Ji Jingqiu had originally planned to leave that very day and return to the Great Universe as soon as possible.

However, at Gu Chensha's insistence, he stayed for one more day and listened in on a high-level meeting of the Nine Palace.

The meeting's theme was summed up in two words: migration.

Even though Ji Jingqiu's mind was elsewhere, as the main focus of the meeting, he still earned the benevolent and amiable gazes of the various elders, who were proud of their young disciple.

Later, Ji Jingqiu learned that the Heavenly God Clan had found a way back to the Great Universe and had already started their migration in batches. This news made the various forces of the Three Thousand Floating Worlds envious.

Within the Nine Palace, some had also discovered the plans of the Great Crimson Heaven Palace and the Red Bright Heaven Palace to collaborate with the Federation, and they wanted a share of the profits.

"The Heavenly God Clan...Chi Ji?" Ji Jingqiu thought to himself.

According to Gu Chensha, the current plan of the Nine Palace was to send a group of Heartform Realm warriors to the Great Universe first. The first batch would consist of nine carefully selected warriors from various branches of the Nine Palace, all of whom had been stuck at the peak of the Heartform Realm for many years and were expected to break through the Heaven-Human Boundary within a short time.

Gu Chensha slowly said, "Master's intention is that if you have the confidence to handle it, we can send the first batch as a support for you in the Federation."

Ji Jingqiu thought for a moment and nodded, "I'll discuss it with the Federation and get back to you soon. Personally, I don't mind."

Gu Chensha's face showed admiration, "As expected of someone who has reached the Divine Prohibition Realm, your words carry weight."

Ji Jingqiu smiled.

The breakthrough of a Heartform Warrior on East 3 Huang Star would bring numerous benefits to the entire planet, increasing its foundation.

Additionally, Ji Jingqiu planned to leave this matter in the hands of Ji Anquan, hoping to lure him to East 3 Huang Star.

Speaking of East 3 Huang Star, it was also considered the ancestral land of the Ji family.

It was unbelievable that this guy had never come to pay his respects.

Truly outrageous.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end