Chapter 321: The City of Life in the Primordial Ancient Land

Chapter 321: The City of Life in the Primordial Ancient Land

January 16th, 2025

The corpse before Gu Qingfeng was that of a cultivator who had fallen long ago, as evident from the decayed features of the deceased.

Despite the rotting flesh, the bones were a faint golden color, and the essence of the Dao flowed through them.

"A Saint!" Gu Qingfeng's heart skipped a beat.

Saints mastered the power of heaven and earth, and their very bones were imbued with the essence of the Dao.

Clearly, the deceased had been a powerful Saint-level cultivator.

Unfortunately, even the mighty Saints were not immune to the dangers of this place.

The corpse had turned into an ill omen, but now it was finally at peace.

Gu Qingfeng retrieved a storage ring from the body and sent his spiritual sense into it, finding a wealth of resources.

However, many of the elixirs had lost their potency due to the accelerated time within the ring, and even a slight touch from Gu Qingfeng caused them to turn to ash.

Despite this, some items had survived.

Unfortunately, most of them were of no use to Gu Qingfeng.

Only two jade slips caught his attention.

When Gu Qingfeng's spiritual sense entered one of the jade slips, a message suddenly appeared.

"My name is Yan Feixuan. I began my cultivation journey at the age of ten, broke through to the Spirit Transformation Realm at fifty, entered the Dao Palace Realm at three hundred, and finally achieved the Saint Realm at five thousand three hundred and sixty.

I've had many fortuitous encounters in my life, but due to my limited talent, I could only reach the Ninth Heaven of the Saint Realm.

Now, as my lifespan nears its end, I am unwilling to accept my fate. I've heard that the Primordial Ancient Land contains the Immortal Elixir, which can grant one another lifetime. Thus, I ventured in, seeking this elixir.

However, the Primordial Ancient Land is treacherous, and even Saints struggle to traverse it.

I've been cursed by this land, and my time is limited. Therefore, I leave behind my lifetime of knowledge, hoping that future cultivators can inherit my legacy and prevent it from being lost in the river of time.

Additionally, if any cultivator receives my inheritance, I hope they can pass it on to the Heavenly Xuan Sect of the Eastern Domain!"

Yan Feixuan!

Gu Qingfeng now knew the identity of the previous cultivator from the information in the jade slip.

Three hundred years to reach the Dao Palace Realm!

Five thousand years to attain the Saint Realm!

Strictly speaking, Yan Feixuan's talent was not bad.

After all, those with truly poor talent would struggle to reach the Ninth Heaven of the Saint Realm, let alone break through to the Spirit Transformation Realm.

However, Yan Feixuan's talent was not exceptional.

If it were, he would not have stopped at the Ninth Heaven of the Saint Realm.

Regardless, the path of cultivation is long and arduous. To reach the peak, one must have both talent and fortuitous encounters.

Yan Feixuan ventured into the Primordial Ancient Land, but his fate ended here, indicating that his luck and opportunities were not as abundant as they seemed.

However, what truly piqued Gu Qingfeng's interest was Yan Feixuan's mention of the Immortal Elixir.

"It is said that the Immortal Elixir can grant cultivators another lifetime, making it a coveted treasure even for Near-Emperors!"

"But according to rumors, the Immortal Elixir is just a legend. However, Yan Feixuan's venture here suggests that the Immortal Elixir might truly exist!"

Gu Qingfeng's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Another lifetime! The temptation was immense.

He had heard of the Immortal Elixir from the Ancient Qin Clan.

This elixir was effective for both Near-Emperors and lower-level cultivators.

The concept of 'another lifetime' was based on the cultivator's existing lifespan.

For Near-Emperors with their ten-thousand-year lifespan, another lifetime meant an additional ten thousand years.

However, for Saints with their seven-thousand-year lifespan, 'another lifetime' meant only seven thousand more years.

Thus, the higher the cultivator's level, the greater the effect of the Immortal Elixir.

But even with its incredible power, the Immortal Elixir could only benefit Near-Emperors at best.

Great Emperor Realm cultivators would gain no benefit from it.

According to the Ancient Qin Clan's records, Great Emperors were too powerful.

Even with the extraordinary effects of the Immortal Elixir, it would be difficult for such beings to gain another lifetime.

Otherwise, with their strength, they could freely explore the forbidden ancient lands and find numerous Immortal Elixirs to ensure their eternal longevity.

Regardless, the power of the Immortal Elixir was undeniable.

Even for Gu Qingfeng at his current cultivation level, the temptation was hard to resist.

After all, the allure of another lifetime was irresistible.

A few extra thousand years meant more opportunities.

Countless geniuses and prodigies had the potential to reach higher realms but were limited by their lifespan, ultimately stopping at a certain stage and fading away.

So, upon learning that the Primordial Ancient Land held the Immortal Elixir, Gu Qingfeng naturally had the idea of obtaining such a divine elixir.

Even if he couldn't use it himself, his descendants in the Gu Clan could benefit from it.

It was common knowledge that the longer the Gu Clan descendants lived, the greater the chance for him to reach even higher realms.

"However—"

"Yan Feixuan knew of the existence of the Immortal Elixir in the Primordial Ancient Land, but he didn't know exactly where it was located within the vast land."

The Primordial Ancient Land was immense, and finding the true location of the Immortal Elixir would undoubtedly be no simple task!

Gu Qingfeng pondered silently.

Then, his divine sense entered another jade slip.

Within it was the legacy left behind by Yan Feixuan.

It contained an exceptional technique that directly pointed towards the Ninth Heaven of the Saintly Realm.

A technique of this caliber would be considered remarkable even in the outside world.

"Tianxuan Sect—"

The name of this sect flashed into Gu Qingfeng's mind, and soon he had some impression of it.

In the Eastern Domain, countless sects of various sizes stood tall, and when added together, they numbered in the millions, if not tens of millions.

Among them was the Tianxuan Sect.

The reason he knew about the Tianxuan Sect was that when the Divine Martial Empire suppressed the Empire of Return to Origins, Gu Qingfeng had familiarized himself with the situations of the 373 prefectures and their respective sects within the Empire of Return to Origins.

The Tianxuan Sect was one of the sects within the territory of the Empire of Return to Origins.

However, the Tianxuan Sect of today had long since declined and was no longer in its heyday.

After that, Gu Qingfeng continued to delve deeper into the Primordial Ancient Land.

...

As he ventured further, Gu Qingfeng encountered numerous existences like Yan Feixuan, who had perished in the Primordial Ancient Land and eventually became corrupted by its power, transforming into ominous beings.

Some of these beings were not very powerful, while others were on par with Great Saints, or even Saint Kings.

The most formidable one forced Gu Qingfeng to use the power of the Imperial Troops to defeat it.

These ominous mummies were once powerful cultivators who had ventured into the Primordial Ancient Land over the years, seeking opportunities or, like Yan Feixuan, hoping to obtain the Immortal Elixir.

Therefore, many of these powerful beings carried legacies with them.

Along the way, Gu Qingfeng had acquired dozens of techniques.

He now possessed twenty-six Saintly Realm techniques, thirteen Great Saint Realm techniques, and nine Saint King Realm techniques.

With this, Gu Qingfeng had largely resolved his issue of lacking top-tier techniques.

Previously, Gu Qingfeng only had one Saint King Realm technique, the Nine Skies Heaven Scripture.

But even the Nine Skies Heaven Scripture was merely a lower-grade Saint King technique.

Moreover, it was the weakest among the lower-grade Saint King techniques, only allowing one to cultivate to the first level of the Saint King Realm.

However, among the nine Saint King Realm techniques he had obtained, there was a top-tier technique that directly pointed towards the Ninth Heaven of the Saint King Realm.

Even if he couldn't merge with the Attribute Panel, with these techniques, Gu Qingfeng wouldn't have to worry about anything before reaching the Ninth Heaven of the Saint King Realm.

Gu Qingfeng had secluded himself for years, gradually enhancing his divine sword technique to the level of the Daoist Palace Realm.

And then...

The present moment arrived.

Gu Qingfeng had used the forbidden area's ominous energy to temper himself, causing his Heavenly Sword Technique to undergo another transformation.

If he could have another epiphany, Gu Qingfeng believed that the Heavenly Sword Technique would undoubtedly advance to the level of a Sage's divine ability.

Unlike other Sage abilities, the Heavenly Sword Technique was founded on Gu Qingfeng's integration of various martial arts styles. Step by step, he comprehended the essence of the universe, allowing the Great Dao's essence to reflect upon himself, further transforming it into a powerful divine ability.

If the Heavenly Sword Technique could transform into a Sage's divine ability, its potential would undoubtedly surpass that of other Sage abilities.

This was beyond question.

At the same time, this battle also gave Gu Qingfeng a deeper understanding of his own strength.

Overall, although Gu Qingfeng's cultivation hadn't broken through, his strength had significantly improved.

This change indicated one thing: Despite reaching the Great Sage Realm's third level, Gu Qingfeng hadn't fully tapped into the potential of this realm, and there was still immense room for growth.

Once he fully unlocked the potential of this realm, Gu Qingfeng believed that his strength would at least advance by a significant margin.

"Set a small goal!"

"In the third level of the Great Sage Realm, possess strength comparable to the first level of a true Saint King!"

Gu Qingfeng thought to himself.

His current strength, without utilizing other trump cards, was only equivalent to a Half-step Saint King.

From a Half-step Saint King to the first level of a Saint King seemed like just a half-step difference.

But this half-step was not easy to overcome.

However, the Primordial Ancient Land before him gave Gu Qingfeng a glimmer of hope for further progress.

...

For a period afterward, Gu Qingfeng couldn't recall how long he had been in the Primordial Ancient Land.

The place was perpetually dim, shrouded by eerie and ominous energy that enveloped the entire sky, making it difficult for sunlight to penetrate.

Additionally, the lingering essence of the Great Dao affected the cultivators' judgment.

As a result, even Gu Qingfeng found it challenging to perceive the passage of time.

Fortunately, he had the Attribute Panel.

By checking his age, he could roughly understand the flow of time.

"Boom!"

As Gu Qingfeng slashed his sword again, the vast sword energy seemed capable of overturning heaven and earth, and even severing the sun, moon, and mountains.

This terrifying slash caused a being that had entered the Saint King Realm to let out a shrill cry before being directly cut down by the sword.

The dried corpse fell to the ground, and blood splattered.

Gu Qingfeng's heart was filled with various insights about the Heavenly Sword Technique, and immediately, a heaven-shaking sword intent erupted from his body, sweeping through the four directions like a raging storm.

"Sage's Divine Ability!"

"Finally, it's done—"

Gu Qingfeng's eyes sparkled, and a smile he couldn't suppress appeared on his lips.

After years of slaughter in the Primordial Ancient Land, the Heavenly Sword Technique, which was initially only a Half-step Sage's divine ability, had finally completed its final transformation and grown into a genuine Sage's divine ability.

But soon, Gu Qingfeng calmed down.

The Sage's divine ability was indeed powerful.

However, at his level, even a Sage's divine ability that perfectly resonated with him was just that—a divine ability.

Not to mention a Sage's divine ability, even a Great Sage's divine ability wouldn't bring about a significant transformation in Gu Qingfeng's strength.

Unless...

If the Heavenly Sword Technique could break through the Great Sage's barrier and truly advance to the level of a Saint King's divine ability, then it would be a different story.

After a moment, Gu Qingfeng continued on his journey.

He didn't know how much time had passed.

Gu Qingfeng stopped in his tracks.

In front of him, an ancient city appeared within his line of sight.

The city was covered in bloodstains, exuding an ancient aura, and an ominous Daoist energy permeated the air, seemingly capable of suppressing a region of the void.

"City of Life!"

As Gu Qingfeng gazed at the ancient city, his expression changed slightly.

The City of Life was a means of self-sealing used by Saints and higher-level cultivators.

Within each City of Life, ancient beings lay in slumber.

The City of Life before Gu Qingfeng felt like an abyss, shrouded in mystery, indicating that the ancient beings sleeping within were extraordinary.

But upon further thought, Gu Qingfeng felt it was normal.

How could the existence sleeping in the Primordial Ancient Land be simple?

If it were truly simple, it wouldn't have the qualifications to slumber there.

For such unknown beings, Gu Qingfeng naturally didn't want to confront them head-on.

So, after taking a deep look at the City of Life, Gu Qingfeng changed direction and departed.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end