https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-457-Immortal-Dynasties-and-the-Demon-Suppression-Bureau/13451816/
Chapter 458: Ancient Immortal Realm
Chapter 458: Ancient Immortal Realm
Li Hao quickly gave a look to indicate that there was no need for such formality, as it would only draw unnecessary attention.
However, the observant Yue Xi noticed Lin Yufeng and was momentarily stunned.
She remembered that Lin Yufeng had initially been a "bonus" when Old Li wanted to recruit Li Hao, and had made an exception to bring him to the Nine Depths of the Great Dream. Now, those who had gathered here were all Monsters from the various depths, either preparing to enter the Southern Domain Battle or to fight at the Yan-Chu Immortal Dynasty border.
"Who is this?"
Mourning Qingwu, noticing Lin Yufeng, looked puzzled.
He could sense that Lin Yufeng was at the Second Rank of the True Immortal Realm, but there was a formidable aura about him, suggesting he was no ordinary individual.
At this moment, Li Hao also observed that Lin Yufeng's cultivation had advanced to the True Immortal Realm, and even to the Second Rank. It seemed that the Heavenly Equality Sect's resources were indeed formidable, allowing Lin Yufeng to break through from Supreme Sage to True Immortal in just two years.
"How many flowers did you condense in your immortal seal?"
Li Hao asked telepathically.
Lin Yufeng respectfully replied, "I managed to condense three flowers."
Li Hao was somewhat surprised and nodded slightly. A Three-Flower Immortal Seal was already a challenging requirement for registered disciples of an Immortal Emperor.
Hearing Mourning Qingwu's question, Tao Chunfeng, who was chatting with Li Tiemu, grinned and said with a smile:
"He is my Spear Abyss prodigy, Lin Yufeng. Although his soul age has surpassed three thousand years, missing the Southern Domain Battle, his rate of progress is absolutely top-notch. Within a hundred years, no, within a mere sixty years, you will all know his name!"
Hearing the elder's confident and proud tone, Ji Qingxuan and the others glanced at the young man with renewed interest.
Gu Yan and Mourning Qingwu, however, lost much of their interest. A soul age of three thousand was too early for them. Even if Lin Yufeng were to become famous in ten years, they would not be envious, as they would surely outshine him when they reached the same soul age.
Yue Xi, however, stared at Li Hao in amazement. She knew Lin Yufeng's previous attitude toward Li Hao, treating him like a servant. Now, to see him receiving such high praise from an elder of the Spear Abyss—was he truly a prodigy?
Li Tiemu, upon hearing Tao Chunfeng's words, looked surprised and squinted to get a better look, finally recognizing Lin Yufeng. He couldn't help but show his surprise:
"Isn't this..."
He looked at Tao Chunfeng.
Tao Chunfeng laughed heartily, "I have to thank you for sending me such a gem. Even you can have your blind spots, ha ha."
Li Tiemu was taken aback and turned to look at Li Hao. He hadn't expected that the young man would have such remarkable talent back then.
Moreover, such a prodigy would not have been ordinary and would not have been content to live in someone else's shadow.
"Although Yufeng's cultivation is a bit weak, with the resources of the Spear Abyss, it won't be long before his cultivation realm catches up. When that happens, he will surely make a name for himself within his realm."
Tao Chunfeng chuckled. Thinking about Lin Yufeng, he felt a sense of satisfaction. Who would have thought that the reluctant disciple he had accepted, thanks to Li Tiemu's five pounds of fine wine, would turn out to be a prodigy, possessing one of the ten lost Immortal Techniques, Thunder Roar?
With this Immortal Technique and Lin Yufeng's other abilities, he could already contend with an Eighth Rank True Immortal despite being only at the Second Rank. This time, he had brought Lin Yufeng as a "special recruit" and had done his utmost to secure this opportunity for him.
He believed that if Lin Yufeng could train at the Yan-Chu border for a while and with the sect's resources, his cultivation would improve rapidly, and he would soon shine on the battlefield.
"You little brat..."
Li Tiemu looked at Li Hao and smiled bitterly. "You made me lose five pounds of good wine."
Li Hao was helpless. Who made you not even glance at Lin Yufeng back then? If you had given him a proper trial, you would have seen that Lin Yufeng had considerable talent.
In a place as impoverished and isolated as All Heavens, cultivating to the Supreme Sage realm is a clear sign of insight.
Moreover, after comprehending the Immortal Emperor Cultivation Techniques, he has laid a solid foundation, and it’s a top-tier one at that.
At this moment, after the group had gathered, a dreamlike voice drifted from the majestic mountain peak in front of the square:
"Nine Abyss disciples, you have all arrived. You are the hope of the Nine Depths of the Great Dream. The burden you carry is heavy, concerning both the sect and yourselves. The sect will spare no effort in cultivating you, pouring the best cultivation resources, opportunities, and connections into you."
"Just move forward, defeat your enemies, kill them, and survive!"
"Whatever happens, the sect will stand behind you, moving forward and backward with you."
Hearing that ethereal and gentle voice, everyone in the square became solemn. The voice conveyed affection, compassion, and a weathered tenderness, like an old mother looking down from the clouds at her children.
The elders present also had solemn expressions.
The Nine Depths of the Great Dream has endured many traumas. Over a hundred thousand years, certain missions have been deeply etched into many people’s bones.
"Set off. Those participating in the Southern Domain Battle, the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty’s Imperial Clan is already waiting for you. This is the first hurdle you must overcome."
The gentle voice said.
A streak of colorful light suddenly drifted through the air, tracing the path of a falling leaf, creating a winding crack in the void, which revealed a deep spatial transmission passage within.
Li Hao's eyes sharpened. Just this one move showed a mastery of spatial dao essence far beyond his own.
An Abyss Lord is an immortal king, and this Great Dream Master is likely a terrifying existence even among immortal kings.
As the Great Dream Master’s voice faded, Li Tiemu, Zhou Qingyun, and others looked at their disciples.
"Let's go."
Li Tiemu said softly, ready to lead the way for Li Hao and the others.
Ji Qingxuan calmly said, "Junior brothers and sisters, our meeting was rushed, and I didn’t have time to prepare any gifts. Here, take these immortal stones."
He then flicked his hand, sending out four bags.
Each bag contained a small storage space, though far smaller than a Heavenly Earth Space, making it convenient for carrying medium to large items.
Li Hao, Yue Xi, Gu Yan, and Murong Qingwu all caught their bags. Murong Qingwu immediately shook her head. "Eldest Senior Brother, this won’t do. You can give them to the others, but you already gave me a gift when I first joined."
"That was then, this is now."
Ji Qingxuan smiled and said, "Take it. You might not get another chance in the future."
Murong Qingwu’s eyes flickered, and she no longer refused. "Eldest Senior Brother, you must be careful on the border. Absolutely nothing must happen to you!"
Seeing this, Li Hao also put away the immortal stones he had received. He had just advanced to the third level of the True Immortal Realm, and his supply of immortal stones was nearly depleted.
"Thank you, Eldest Senior Brother."
Li Hao said.
Yue Xi and Gu Yan also put away their stones and expressed their gratitude.
"I’ve prepared four cicada shells for you. They are just True Treasures, but when worn with your Disciple Dharma Robes, they can offer some protection."
Lu Wuchen raised his hand and sent out four white cicada shells, extremely small and designed to be worn under inner garments.
Li Hao never expected his second senior brother to have such thoughts. Cold on the outside but warm on the inside, he appeared cold and aloof, but his thoughts were intricate.
"I don't have much to give you. I'm not as wealthy as Eldest Senior Brother, so I'll give each of you two thousand immortal stones."
Wei Hongye chuckled lightly, pulling out a crimson brocade pouch from his hand, clearly a gift he had prepared well in advance, not something he hastily grabbed.
The four of them accepted it with gratitude.
"Be careful at the border."
Murong Qingwu warned them repeatedly.
Li Tiemu glanced at Ji Qingxuan and the others, saying, "I'll take them there first, then come back to find you."
He then followed the other elders, leading their disciples into the colorful transmission passage.
Before leaving, Lin Yufeng and Li Hao exchanged telepathic messages, wishing each other well.
...
Inside the spatial passage, there was a suction force pulling Li Hao and the others toward a certain point ahead.
The elders, including Li Tiemu, clearly had a lot of experience. They enveloped the disciples and flew at full speed through the spatial passage.
After three hours, with Li Tiemu's announcement that they had arrived, the chaotic and disorderly spatial passage vanished. It was as if they had reached the end of a railway track, and suddenly, countless rays of light pierced through, flooding their vision.
Once Li Hao's eyes adjusted, he saw that they were standing on a vast "continent."
Yes, it was more like a continent than a square.
Endless and boundless, the ground was paved with enormous bricks, neatly arranged. Every ten miles, an ancient and weathered pillar stood tall.
The pillars were not carved with dragons and phoenixes. In the True World Ancient Immortal Dynasty, dragons and phoenixes were domesticated and tamed by the Imperial Clan and could not serve as totems.
Instead, the pillars were carved with a massive tripod. On the tripod were ancient inscriptions, known as heaven sacrifice text.
In the True World Primordial Era, the ancient immortals used these inscriptions to communicate with the Heavenly Dao.
Around the giant tripod, there were figures gathered, raising their hands in celebration. These were the emperors of the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty throughout its history.
At the far end of this vast "continent", an imposing palace loomed in the distance, half-visible.
As Li Hao and the others observed, they quickly realized that there were many others here, a significant number.
In the distant sky, a crack opened up right after them, and three massive swords shot out, slicing across the horizon.
Seeing the familiar shape of those giant swords, Li Hao immediately thought of the Ten Thousand Mountains Sword Tower in Pagoda City.
"It's them."
Li Tiemu's eyes narrowed. In the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty, the Ten Thousand Mountains Sword Tower gathered over eighty percent of the sword cultivators. The remaining sword cultivators were distributed among other major sects. Since the rise of the Ten Thousand Mountains Sword Tower, their Sword Abyss, which specialized in sword cultivation, had struggled, and the number of disciples had gradually decreased.
Recruiting Li Hao, Gu Yan, and the other two was, for Li Tiemu, like a barren tree blooming, a rare occurrence.
Yue Xi's eyes narrowed, and a cold expression appeared on his face.
"It seems all the major Heavenly Sects of the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty are here, along with the Dizong Sects..."
Murong Qingwu extended his divine sense, covering a thousand miles, and took in the surrounding scene.
Apart from them, disciples from various sects were everywhere.
"Indeed, there must be close to twenty thousand people here!"
Li Tiemu nodded, his gaze shifting from the three giant swords of the Ten Thousand Mountains Sword Tower. He said,
"The number of disciples each sect can recommend is limited. The Ten Thousand Mountains Sword Tower and the other four Tianyi Sects each have a thousand spots."
"Together, they account for five thousand spots. The Heaven Two Sect has five hundred spots, the Heaven Three Sect has two hundred, and the Tiansi Sect has a hundred. Therefore, our Nine Abysmal Branches, combined, only have a hundred spots."
Hearing his words, Li Hao and Yue Xi looked around and realized that the number of disciples who had come here was indeed exactly one hundred.
Among them, their Sword Abyss had ten.
"The difference between Sky Four and Tianyi Sect is actually tenfold..." Yue Xi's eyes flickered, suddenly revealing a glint of determination. He wanted to make a name for himself in this Southern Domain and bring glory to his sect, striving to surpass the Ten Thousand Mountains Sword Tower.
"For Dizong Sect, Earth One Sect has fifty slots, Earth Two Sect has twenty, Earth Three Sect has ten, and Earth Four Sect is even more pitiful, only able to recommend two disciples, usually the patriarch's personal disciples."
Li Tiemu sighed lightly. "This is one of the benefits of the sect ranking system. By recommending a thousand people, it ensures that some can break through the encirclement. Even if that doesn't happen, just by showing their faces, they can boost the sect's morale and reputation in a major event like the Southern Domain Battle, then roll the snowball to attract more disciples."
Li Hao and the others remained silent, not saying a word.
At this moment, not long after they arrived and waited, nine dragon carriages emerged from the immortal palace in front of the square. Each carriage was pulled by three Ancestral Dragons, looking as if they could devour mountains and rivers, their presence formidable.
"Please proceed to the Ancient Immortal Realm to undergo the trial."
A cold voice echoed, filled with disdain and authority, as if looking down on everything. The voice was extremely slow, but each word struck the listeners like thunder.
"Is this the Emperor of Yan-Chu?"
Yue Xi's expression changed slightly, and he couldn't help but ask.
Li Tiemu shook his head slightly. "This is Third Prince Chu Xiangtian. His realm is on par with mine, and his strength... may not be inferior to mine."
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned, never expecting that a mere prince could possess such astonishing power. They wondered just how formidable the Emperor of Yan-Chu must be.
Following Third Prince Chu Xiangtian's words, a secret realm passage soon appeared above their heads.
"Ancient Immortal Realm? Is this trial so difficult?"
"After tens of thousands of years, the Yan-Chu Imperial Family has once again brought out the Ancient Immortal Realm for the trial. I wonder how many wastelands we need to pass to succeed."
The various forces gathered in the square began to discuss, and many people's expressions turned serious.
"What is the Ancient Immortal Realm?"
Muruong Qingwu couldn't help but ask curiously.
Li Tiemu's expression was solemn as he said gravely, "The Ancient Immortal Realm is a cultivation ground from the Primordial Era. The environment inside is harsh, filled with chaotic and disorderly Great Dao Power. It contains forty-nine wastelands, and it's said that even an immortal king cannot reach the fortieth wasteland!"
"Is it that terrifying?"
Muruong Qingwu was taken aback.
Li Hao and Yue Xi also had serious expressions.
Gu Yan, who was usually calm and cold, suddenly had his eyes light up, staring intently at the secret realm passage.
At this moment, the secret realm opened in the center of the nine dragon carriages, and the five major forces of Tianyi Sect stepped in first.
As everyone moved forward, Li Tiemu also led Li Hao and the others to enter.
Upon entering the secret realm, Li Hao saw a world of lightning and thunder, an ancient and barbaric place.
The sky was not filled with stars or the moon but was instead obscured by a crimson mist on one side, while the other half was covered in ink-black clouds, dark and foreboding, with only intense lightning flashing, casting a silver-black glow on the cloud layer.
On the ground, there was no sign of life, just crimson soil emitting a mist.
The most striking feature was a massive black stele that seemed to reach the heavens.
Seeing the black stele, Li Hao felt it was somewhat similar to the Heavenly Stele from the Battles of the Ten Thousand Heavens in the Ten Thousand Heavens.
(End of Chapter)
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