Chapter 541: This Divine Ability, Please Accept It, Fellow Daoist!

Chapter 541: This Divine Ability, Please Accept It, Fellow Daoist!

January 30, 2025

The dense Merit Crystal light rippled outward, layer by layer, purifying the polluted qi of this realm while gradually revealing its true appearance.

This was an extremely fierce battlefield!

Qin Zheng's pupils slightly contracted, seeing mountains of corpses and broken bones piled up on the ground, thick blood staining the earth black, and forming pools of dark blood.

On each corpse, there was a strong sense of distortion and foreboding, emitting countless negative emotions that rose into the air, transforming into dense black qi.

Was this the source of the polluted qi?! Qin Zheng's heart trembled.

As he looked closely at the corpses, he saw the Merit Crystal light covering them, purifying the tragic scene below like the polluted qi.

In the blink of an eye, the fierce battlefield transformed into a serene Daoist temple, with wisps of white smoke rising from it, giving anyone who glanced at it a sense of tranquility.

The staggering figure, trying to retreat to avoid the Merit Crystal light, suddenly stopped and stared at the temple located in the green mountains.

Sizzle!!

As the Merit Crystal light spread, covering his figure, thick black qi burst out from his body.

"Roar!!!"

The rotten Daoist clutched his head, his face contorted in agony, emitting a beast-like roar.

His enormous body, under the continuous extraction of polluted qi, visibly shrank at a rapid pace.

When Qin Zheng's gaze shifted from the temple to the rotten Daoist, he saw that the Daoist had already returned to a normal size, his flesh rotten and terrifying, and his appearance had also returned to normal.

The Daoist was a handsome young man, and after being completely extracted of polluted qi, his eyes first showed confusion, then gradually became clear.

He didn't look at Qin Zheng, who was now like a great sun, but instead looked at the temple in the green mountains, his expression changing as he shouted, "Master!!!"

His voice was shrill, filled with sorrow. But the young Daoist didn't take a step towards the temple; instead, he knelt down, his face full of pain, and heavily knocked his head on the ground.

As he finished this action, the scene below changed, the green mountain temple dissipated, and the entire realm turned into a white glow.

In Qin Zheng's Sea of Heart, the Merit Scroll slowly dimmed, returning to its calm state.

The great sun that illuminated the heavens and earth disappeared, revealing Qin Zheng's figure, and the young Daoist also quickly turned his gaze towards him.

"Dao Xuan, thank you for your help!"

The young Daoist stood up, clasped his hands, and bowed towards Qin Zheng, expressing his gratitude.

Qin Zheng returned the gesture, his mind still focused on the edge of this realm, where he could see the swirling black qi.

Therefore, the Merit Scroll's light hadn't completely purified this realm; it had only purified a portion of it.

Qin Zheng thought to himself.

Just then, the young Daoist's voice sounded again, "Although you possess a supreme treasure, your current strength is indeed a bit weak, and it's not enough to completely purify this ancient spiritual weapon."

Hearing this, Qin Zheng withdrew his gaze and turned to the young Daoist not far away, saying, "Qin Zheng pays his respects to Senior!"

With his legendary body, the power of Dao Zenith, and the enhancement of the Three Purities Manifestation, Qin Zheng's strength exceeded that of Dao Zenith.

But in the eyes of the Daoist, such strength was described as 'a bit weak,' and combined with the Daoist's background, it was clear that his strength and realm were extraordinary!

He might even be beyond the realm of Beyond-Shore!

Qin Zheng's thoughts stirred.

Dao Xuan shook his head slightly and replied, "I'm just a lingering soul, and my broken body doesn't deserve to be called 'Senior.' If you have reservations, you can also call me 'Fellow Daoist.'"

Qin Zheng nodded slightly, not dwelling on the issue, and said, "I was fighting someone and accidentally fell into this place. Can you send me out of this realm, Fellow Daoist?"

Dao Xuan nodded in understanding, smiling as he said, "You're worried that your mind has fallen into this place, and your physical body outside is being destroyed, right?"

"You don't need to worry about that, Fellow Daoist. Even if you came here with your complete body, the reason you feel like your physical body is gone is because this realm has the effect of strengthening the soul and weakening the body."

Qin Zheng's eyebrows raised slightly.

Dao Xuan continued, "As for your treasure, why it disappeared after entering this realm, and the suppression between divine objects, is because this realm belongs to the ancient spiritual weapon.

"So, Fellow Daoist, why not look within your inner realm? Your treasure should be there."

Qin Zheng's gaze slightly tightened, and he immediately immersed a portion of his mind into his inner realm, where he saw the Heaven and Earth Tower glowing brilliantly, having returned to his inner realm.

Is that so?

He had seemed to be under the influence of the Knowledge Barrier, not even sensing the tower's return to his inner realm.

Is this due to this realm?

Qin Zheng pondered, then slightly relaxed. Since his physical body and spiritual soul had both descended, there would be no flaws in the outside world.

As for the Hao Tian Mirror, the Zhuxian Sword Formation, and other treasures, unless a Beyond-Shore Dao master or even a higher existence intervened, it would be impossible to forcibly refine these treasures.

After the imminent pressure dissipated, Qin Zheng turned his gaze back to the young Daoist across from him, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. He organized his thoughts and spoke, "Fellow Daoist, why are you trapped within this polluted ancient spiritual treasure?"

Dao Xuan remained silent for a moment, his gaze shifting between the place where the Daoist temple had disappeared and the rolling black qi at the edge of the white-glowing realm. Then, he spoke, "My name is Dao Xuan, and I was born in the human race on the Nine Provinces Continent. With some fortune and opportunity, I was noticed by a wandering immortal who took me as his disciple in the One Sky Sect."

"I am naturally dull-witted, unlike my fellow disciples who possess a brilliant Dao heart, allowing them to cultivate while engaging in other tasks. Since joining the sect, my sole focus has been on cultivation."

"With some fortune and the favor of my master, I managed to cultivate to the Ancient Spirit realm, but..."

At this point, Dao Xuan's expression darkened, his eyes filled with anger and sorrow. He continued, "Those who have long been extinguished in the river of time have returned, wreaking havoc on the Nine Provinces Continent!"

"Any existence that steps into the Ancient Spirit realm falls under their curse, experiencing unimaginable changes."

"In his final moments, my master sealed me within this ancient spiritual treasure and used formation power to isolate the inside from the outside, trying to prevent the curse of the Ancient Spirit realm from spreading to us."

"But..."

Dao Xuan's expression grew even gloomier as he spoke, and he paused.

In the end, he was cursed, his cultivation dissipated, his flesh and blood decayed, leaving only a wisp of remnant soul, transforming him into a mindless, beast-like rotten evil corpse.

If even Dao Xuan suffered such a fate, then his master, who had an even higher cultivation and no time to cast protective spells, must have faced an even stronger curse, leading to an even more tragic end!

Qin Zheng listened carefully to Dao Xuan's words, waiting for him to calm down before asking curiously, "Fellow Daoist, what is this curse you speak of?"

He understood that the Nine Provinces Continent mentioned by Dao Xuan was a higher realm than the Chaos Sea, but what kind of curse could render even Ancient Spirit-level cultivators powerless to resist?

Ancient Spirit was a supreme realm beyond the Beyond-Shore Dao, equivalent to transcending the Chaos Sea!

Hearing Qin Zheng's question, doubt flashed in Dao Xuan's eyes, but he continued, "In the distant past, the highest realm achievable on the Nine Provinces Continent was the Beyond-Shore Dao."

"But at that time, there existed a realm called the Ancient Realm on the continent, inhabited by a group who called themselves the 'Ancient' tribe. They possessed power far surpassing the Beyond-Shore Dao."

"In those days, all living beings on the Nine Provinces Continent were enslaved by the Ancient tribe. No one could resist them, and no one dared to defy them, for their power was truly overwhelming!"

"During that era, any member of the Ancient tribe possessed the terrifying power to annihilate the entire Nine Provinces Continent!"

Dao Xuan's expression grew even more doubtful as he spoke, but he continued, "Then, one day, the Ancient Realm fell into the Nine Provinces Continent, and the Ancient tribe living within it mysteriously disappeared."

"Thus, the beings of the Nine Provinces Continent inherited the Ancient Realm's legacy and power, mastering the strength that once belonged to the Ancient tribe."

"The ancient sages divided the power of the Ancient tribe into three levels: Ancient Spirit, Ancient Divinity, and Ancient Dao, akin to the realms of Legend, Dao Zenith, and Beyond-Shore Dao."

"It is said that above the Ancient Dao, there exists an even more formidable realm, known as the Ultimate Ancient, which even the peak Ancient tribe members did not attain."

"This information I learned from ancient books in the One Sky Sect during my cultivation. Initially, I thought it was mere fabrication, not taking it seriously. But later..."

Dao Xuan's expression turned grave as he continued, "The fall of the Ancient Realm and the disappearance of the Ancient tribe must be related to the powerful beings of the Nine Provinces Continent!"

"Therefore, the vengeful spirits of the Ancient tribe desperately broke free from the constraints of time, returning to the Nine Provinces Continent to curse every being touched by their power!"

Qin Zheng carefully analyzed Dao Xuan's words, distilling the information and identifying the doubts and gaps in his story. He asked again, "You said that the strongest beings on the Nine Provinces Continent were only at the Beyond-Shore Dao level. How could they possibly shake the Ancient Realm and cause the tribe within to vanish?

Facing Qin Zheng's inquiry, Daoxuan himself shook his head, indicating that he didn't know either.

After some thought, he continued, "What I mentioned earlier about the ancient realm is all from books, not firsthand experience, so I can't guarantee its authenticity."

"But I personally experienced the descent of the vengeful spirits of the Ancient Tribe, spreading their curse power, cursing every person who came into contact with their power."

"So, I can only speculate that perhaps a powerful being from the Nine Provinces possessed something capable of destroying the ancient realm, annihilating the Ancient Tribe, and seizing their power."

Qin Zheng nodded slightly, acknowledging that these were merely Daoxuan's speculations, not necessarily the truth, and there was no need to delve deeper.

His thoughts shifted, and as his eyes flashed, he asked, "Earlier, when you weren't fully conscious, you mentioned something about the 'Ancient Tribe's ultimate treasure.' Could you elaborate on that now?"

Upon hearing this, Daoxuan's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he lowered his head as if sorting through his memories. After a few breaths, he lifted his head again, looked at Qin Zheng, and spoke solemnly, "I have no memory of the time after being cursed. I can't recall anything from that period."

"However, since I mentioned the 'Ancient Tribe's ultimate treasure,' it's likely that the curse power within me contains fragments of the Ancient Tribe's memories, giving me the illusion of having seen it."

Daoxuan pondered and then turned to Qin Zheng, hesitating for a moment before speaking again, "I know that you possess a treasure capable of purifying the curse power, but I truly don't know its connection to the Ancient Tribe."

Qin Zheng's expression remained unchanged, and upon hearing this, he nodded slightly. Then, changing the subject, he asked, "The realm I'm in is not the Nine Provinces but a place called the Chaos Sea."

"Currently, this entire realm is under attack from pollution. Can you tell me if the pollution we speak of is related to the curse power you mentioned?"

He initially believed that the pollution invading the Chaos Sea was the manifestation of a powerful being's malevolent thoughts, but now it seemed that the pollution had a broader reach.

At this moment, he even speculated that the so-called polluted land might be the Nine Provinces, thoroughly devastated by the spreading curse power.

Hearing this, Daoxuan turned his gaze to the rolling black qi at the edge of the white-light realm, pointing with his finger, "That black qi is the curse power."

Qin Zheng immediately understood and nodded, confirming that the so-called pollution in the Chaos Sea was indeed the curse power from the Nine Provinces!

Humm!

In the Sea of Heart, the Merit Scroll trembled slightly, and infinite golden light emerged, turning the entire Sea of Heart golden.

Qin Zheng focused a portion of his mind to observe, and seeing no further changes, he realized that the Merit Scroll had undergone another transformation.

Polluted Qi and Curse Power

This should be a refresh of cognition, with more comprehensive information leading to the Merit Scroll's self-transformation and adjustment.

After confirming this, Qin Zheng withdrew his mind and turned to the young Daoist across from him, speaking again, "Since the polluted qi we speak of is the curse power you mentioned..."

"Then I ask that you send me out of this realm so that I can first eliminate those cursed beings who have lost their nature, preventing them from spreading the curse further."

Having obtained sufficient information from the Daoist, it was time to return to the real realm and deal with the Emperor's Avatar.

After he finished speaking, Daoxuan nodded, but then shook his head again and said, "You awakened me, and I owe you a debt of gratitude."

"Now, as you struggle against the curse power, you need the help of fellow cultivators."

"I see that your strength is slightly lacking, so I ask that you accept this divine ability!"

After Daoxuan finished speaking, he raised his right hand, bent his finger, and with a snap, a stream of light instantly entered Qin Zheng's forehead!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end