Chapter 362: Stirring in the Secret Realm, Gaining New Insights

Chapter 362: Stirring in the Secret Realm, Gaining New Insights

October 5, 2024

The Hanging Mountain Mystical Realm.

When the fourth Celestial Dao Sound resonated, everyone halted their actions and listened intently.

The Dao Sound was vast and boundless, echoing through the eight directions of heaven and earth, even the secret realm couldn't block it.

Only after the Dao Sound dissipated and ceased did everyone regain their senses, and a commotion ensued.

"The fourth Celestial Dao Sound has arrived so soon?"

"I can feel the concentration of Spirit Qi in the secret realm increasing!"

"The fourth Celestial Dao Sound signifies that the Cosmic Rules of the outside world are evolving to become more perfect!"

...

The people within the secret realm discussed animatedly.

In the ancient, rustic temple atop Hanging Mountain.

Several powerful wills were also engaged in a conversation.

"The fourth Dao Sound has already resonated, and the Cosmic Rules of the outside world will soon evolve to accommodate us."

"It's still not enough. The fourth Dao Sound only represents that the rules can accommodate Foundation Establishment Stage practitioners moving freely.

But if we want to progress further and transcend the Golden Core Tribulation, it's far from sufficient. We'll have to wait for at least the fifth Dao Sound."

"There's no rush. This fourth Dao Sound came sooner than we anticipated, so the fifth Dao Sound should also be near."

"However, with the fourth Dao Sound resonating, the Cosmic Rules of the outside world have already evolved and stabilized to a considerable extent. According to ancient records, some heavenly opportunities are about to emerge.

Perhaps it's time to send the disciples from the secret realm out for training."

"Indeed, our secret realm is ultimately just a sub-space dependent on the main world.

The rules within are inherently flawed, and without external training, the disciples' foundations will remain unstable."

"Then let's send them out for some training first. Our Hanging Mountain can only truly thrive by taking root in the main world."

"Also, didn't we already locate the whereabouts of that audacious thief who dared to challenge the authority of Hanging Mountain from Nether Tower?"

"We might as well see if we can capture him and guide him onto the right path."

"Excellent! That young man is clearly one of the great fortune bearers of this era. If he were to take refuge in Buddhism, it would also increase the merit of Hanging Mountain."

...

Soon, a Buddhist Command flew out from the temple atop the mountain, descending towards the valley.

It quickly reached the majestic hall at the mountain's waist, landing in Xuan Yi's hand.

Xuan Yi's expression turned solemn as he finished reading the Buddhist Command.

He immediately ordered the striking of the Buddhist Bell in the Bell Tower.

The deep and resonant bell chimes echoed, causing all the Hanging Mountain monks within the secret realm to tremble. They rushed towards the location of the Grand Hall.

Accompanying the heavy bell sounds, in the settlement where the Nether Tower lineage resided, the mysterious and eerie figure of the Tower Master stood atop the wooden tower, gazing at the massive mountain floating in the center of the secret realm.

"Tower Master, what does Hanging Mountain ringing the Buddhist Bell signify?"

The shadow of Elder You appeared beside the Tower Master, also gazing at the giant mountain in the sky.

"What else could it be? The fourth Celestial Dao Sound has resonated, and the Cosmic Rules of the outside world have evolved further.

It seems Hanging Mountain is finally making its move."

The Tower Master spoke leisurely.

"You mean Hanging Mountain is about to emerge?" Elder You was startled.

"Whether that's true or not, we'll know in a few days."

"Then what should we do, Tower Master?"

"We're like ants beneath the eaves, what can we do? We can only wait and see if this compassionate Buddhist holy land has any use for us, people of the shadows, to do some deeds that can't be exposed to the light."

The Tower Master spoke indifferently, but his tone carried a hint of helplessness.

Elder You fell silent.

He knew this was the reality they faced in Nether Tower.

Compared to Hanging Mountain, which had absolute control over the secret realm and an unfathomably deep foundation, Nether Tower was not much stronger than ants.

If Hanging Mountain wanted to crush them, it would be an effortless task.

Thus, faced with such overwhelming power, no matter how many schemes they had, they could only keep them hidden, daring not to reveal a trace.

"Elder You, you mentioned that the outside world has undergone significant changes during your last trip?"

Suddenly, the Tower Master asked.

"Indeed, the outside world has changed drastically. It's quite different from the records left by our ancestors.

Especially after the revival of Spirit Qi, the cultivation world has exploded.

Even more powerful warriors have reached unimaginable realms, far beyond our imagination."

Elder You recalled his previous encounter with the elderly doctor and the terrifying demonic cultivator while seeking information.

His heart still trembled at the memory.

Despite his formidable strength, he was almost defenseless against them.

If not for the Tower Master's gift of a precious treasure, he might not have even had a chance to escape.

"Excellent, the stronger the external forces, the better," said the master of the Infinite Tower, nodding. "That way, Hanging Mountain will have use for us one day, and that will be our only chance to break free from Hanging Mountain's control."

The master of the Infinite Tower gazed at the massive mountain body in the sky and the faintly visible magnificent temple on the mountain.

The resources within this secret realm were almost entirely controlled by Hanging Mountain.

Even their survival was challenging, let alone cultivation.

The Infinite Tower longed to end this situation at every moment.

However, over the past thousand years, their ancestors couldn't find any opportunity to break free from Hanging Mountain.

The initial array of the secret realm was in the hands of Hanging Mountain, and only powerful monks with profound Buddhist knowledge were qualified to activate it.

Without permission, they would never find a chance to leave.

Countless generations of ancestors had secretly made countless efforts, yet they saw no glimmer of hope.

Not only was escaping the secret realm impossible, but in the past thousand years, not a single disciple of the Infinite Tower had even touched the Hanging Mountain in the sky.

After all, even those at the peak of the Primordial Realm couldn't fly through the air or ride the wind.

But if the outside world was indeed as powerful as Elder You had said, with numerous strong cultivators,

Hanging Mountain might not be able to dominate the world, and that could be their only chance to break free.

As Hanging Mountain began its busy preparations, the other secret realms also took different actions in response to the recent Celestial Dao Sound.

Cloud Water Secret Realm.

This secret realm was vastly different from Hanging Mountain.

It was filled with large and small lakes and islands, surrounded by mist and intertwined with the clouds above.

From time to time, giant birds flew through the area, creating a breathtaking yet ethereal scene, like a fairyland.

On the largest island in the biggest lake, giant birds carrying one or two figures on their backs arrived from all directions and landed on the island.

"Senior Brother, why has the Founding Patriarch summoned us here?"

A bright-eyed and white-toothed girl rode a white bird and descended from the sky.

As soon as she landed on the ground, she eagerly asked, "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Senior Brother shook his head.

"Could it be related to the previous Celestial Dao Sound?" a young man asked.

"I'm not sure. We'll know once the Founding Patriarch and the others come out," Senior Brother replied, still not giving a definite answer.

Just as the disciples of the Cloud Water Secret Realm were speculating about the reason for the Founding Patriarch's summons,

suddenly, several gentle and ethereal auras appeared from the front.

Several elders in plain-colored long robes descended from the sky.

All the disciples' expressions turned solemn, and they bowed together, saying, "We pay our respects to the Founding Patriarch!"

"There's no need for formalities. I've called you here to assign a task to you all," the leading elder said gently.

The disciples' faces turned solemn, and they listened quietly.

"The Celestial Dao Sound has sounded for the fourth time, and the rules of the outside world are becoming more stable.

After discussing with the other Founding Patriarchs, we believe it might be time for you all to go out and temper yourselves..."

Similar to the Cloud Water Secret Realm, the other two secret realms also made a surprising decision in response to the fourth Celestial Dao Sound.

They decided to send their disciples out into the world for training.

This was not only to temper their disciples but also to clear obstacles and prepare for the day when their sects would truly emerge into the world.

The outside world was in turmoil, but it had no effect on Lu Qing.

After taking their healing pills, Wei Zihao and the others felt much better the next day, and they were basically able to move around without issues.

Lu Qing and Wei Xinghe hurriedly led the group back to Nine Li Village and settled them in the Wei family's separate courtyard.

Two days later, after the demon cultivator absorbed the demonic energy from his severed palm and his divine soul partially recovered, he finally removed the charm spells from Wei Zihao and the others.

However, even though the charm spells were removed, the group had lost too much vital energy to them.

Not only were their foundations damaged, but their lifespans had also been significantly reduced.

Wei Zihao, in particular, had overstimulated the charm spell when chasing after Wei Xinghe, resulting in the most severe loss of lifespan.

After the charm spell was removed, a strand of white hair appeared on his temple.

When Wei Furen learned the truth, she couldn't help but cry.

Wei Zi'an was also furious about his brother's situation, wishing he had been in the State Capital City to personally kill that despicable demon cultivator.

On the contrary, Wei Zihao's attitude became very calm after this tribulation.

Instead of blaming heaven or others, he even comforted his mother and younger brother.

He said that surviving such a disaster was a blessing, and losing a bit of lifespan was nothing.

Compared to his fellow sect members who were tortured to death, he considered himself lucky.

Wei Zihao's calm demeanor greatly pleased Wei Shan Hai and Wei Xinghe. Although Wei Zihao had faced a life-threatening calamity, it was evident that his temperament had been greatly tempered after this tribulation, and it could be considered a blessing in disguise. As for the loss of his lifespan, as long as he diligently cultivated, there was still hope for recovery if he entered the Primordial Realm in the future.

After resolving everything, Lu Qing resumed his usual peaceful days. Aside from necessary cultivation, he spent his days farming, fishing, or guiding Xiao Yan's training. After Xiao Yan's breakthrough, Lu Qing also selected a suitable Qi Cultivation Technique for her and taught it to her, allowing her to cultivate slowly.

As for magical techniques, Lu Qing had no intention of teaching them for the time being. Xiao Yan was still young, and her temperament was not yet settled. If she started practicing magic too early, she might easily become obsessed and lose sight of her priorities. Given her current situation, it was best to focus on building a solid foundation.

So, Lu Qing only taught Xiao Yan the Qi Cultivation Technique, and they practiced condensing spiritual energy daily. During his leisure time, Lu Qing would occasionally communicate with the Demon Cultivator through his soul, inquiring about matters related to the Heavenly Origin Great World.

The Demon Cultivator, having been enslaved by Lu Qing's Soul Spirit Enslavement, naturally answered all his questions truthfully, not daring to conceal anything from his master. Thus, after a few days, despite Lu Qing's seemingly idle appearance, his understanding and knowledge about cultivation were rapidly expanding each day.

"What did you say? You know how to utilize Merit Light?" One day, Lu Qing was casually chatting with the Demon Cultivator through his soul. Unexpectedly, he asked if the Demon Cultivator understood the application of Merit Light.

When Lu Qing asked this question, he didn't expect an answer. After all, good and evil were irreconcilable. He didn't believe that a Demon Cultivator would know how to use Merit Light.

To his surprise, the Demon Cultivator gave him an unexpected response. "Reporting to the master, this servant does indeed know a little about the application of Merit Light." The Demon Cultivator replied respectfully.

"In the Heavenly Origin Great World, numerous sects stand tall, including several powerful Buddhist sects. Those baldies often clash with us Demon Cultivators. This servant has slain several relatively powerful Buddhist Cultivators and obtained some Buddhist cultivation techniques, including the application of Merit Light."

Hearing the Demon Cultivator's words, Lu Qing was genuinely delighted. He had searched high and low for the application method of Merit Light he desired, and now, unexpectedly, he had found it from a Demon Cultivator. The thought of it seemed rather absurd.

"Then tell me, what applications of Merit Light do you know?" Lu Qing asked immediately.

"Yes, master." The Demon Cultivator replied respectfully, "But master, in my previous life, I was a Demon General, cultivating the orthodox demonic cultivation technique passed down by the Demon Sovereign. My innate demonic energy naturally repels the energy of Buddhism. Therefore, after obtaining those Buddhist cultivation techniques, I did not cultivate them. I only studied them briefly before discarding them.

Moreover, this strand of my true spirit soul has gone through multiple reincarnations, and many memories have already been lost. Therefore, master, the only applications of Merit Light I remember are two techniques. If you need them, I can teach them to you now.

However, master, I am unable to cultivate these two techniques, so I don't know if they are truly effective."

"It's fine, send them over." Through the Soul Spirit Enslavement Imprint, Lu Qing could sense that the Demon Cultivator was not lying. So, he directly asked for the techniques.

Since he had the extraordinary ability to deduce and comprehend, he could instantly discern whether the techniques were genuine or not.

"Yes, master."

Soon, Lu Qing received the cultivation techniques transmitted by the Demon Cultivator through the Soul Spirit Enslavement Imprint. At the same time, he also felt the activation of his extraordinary ability.

[Cultivation technique heritage discovered. Do you want to download and simulate?]



Without hesitation, Lu Qing chose to download and simulate.

[Downloading... Current progress: 1%, 2%, 3%, 98%, 99%, 100%.]



[Download complete. Do you want to simulate?]



Lu Qing immediately chose to simulate.

[Simulating... Current progress: 1%, 2%, 3%, 99%, 100%.]



[Simulation complete. Do you want to learn?]



Lu Qing chose to learn.

The next moment, a vast amount of insight and understanding flooded his mind from the depths of his consciousness. Lu Qing was already accustomed to this feeling and immediately closed his eyes, silently absorbing these insights.

After a while, when he opened his eyes again, they were filled with delight.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end