239 Chapter 401-405: Copper Door Separates Outsiders (8k+ words)
"In these several little Medicine King Cauldrons, a self-contained space with abundant spiritual energy exists."
"Since it can be used to cultivate spiritual plants, staying inside for a while should not be a problem."
Zhang Haobo quickly grasped the idea.
"So, you mean, by using the cauldron as a boat, we might be able to break through this invisible barrier?" Xiao Heng nodded.
"Let's try it quickly!" Su Xiaomei said, taking out the little Medicine King Cauldron from her storage ring.
"Be careful!" Xiao Heng hadn't finished speaking, but Su Xiaomei had already turned into a stream of light, entering the small cauldron.
"Come in quickly, both of you!" Su Xiaomei's voice came from the cauldron.
Seeing this, Zhang Haobo and Xiao Heng also had to enter.
After spinning in the air for a moment, this Medicine King Cauldron, exuding an ancient aura, twisted and turned, rushing forward.
At the moment of colliding with the transparent barrier, a layer of green light wall appeared.
The cauldron was about to successfully enter.
However, a sudden change occurred.
The light wall suddenly disappeared, and the little Medicine King Cauldron missed its target.
Unable to enter the Medicine King True Cauldron, Xiao Heng and the others had to fly out of the small cauldron again.
"Weird, why couldn't we get in?" Su Xiaomei felt a bit frustrated.
"The key... maybe it's because there are too many of us?" Xiao Heng speculated.
"Senior Skull prepared four for us, and it seems we can't take shortcuts." Zhang Haobo agreed.
"Then let's try again!" Su Xiaomei, determined, entered the cauldron and directed it towards the barrier.
Xiao Heng and Zhang Haobo stayed outside, watching the changes at the transparent barrier.
As expected, when the little Medicine King Cauldron collided with the barrier, it didn't pass through directly like before, nor was it blocked like an attack.
Instead, its figure fluctuated for a moment and then, like melting ice into water, disappeared into thin air in their sight.
"It really works!"
Xiao Heng and Zhang exchanged glances, feeling a bit excited.
"Let's go!"
To avoid unnecessary delays, the two of them immediately followed suit, each controlling one cauldron, and rushed over.
At the same time, in Lanlin Prefecture, Li Fan and Huangfu Song had completed the acceptance of the Tianxuan Locking Spirit Array.
After bidding farewell to Guan Hangxiu, they were currently heading west towards Qinghuang Prefecture.
It had to be said that these remote places in the south were quite challenging.
Most of them were lagging behind the entire Wanxian Alliance.
Building them all at the last moment saved Li Fan and the others the trouble of traveling around.
All they needed to do was pass through and inspect them one by one.
When Xiao Heng and the others entered the Medicine King True Cauldron, the image sensed by the No-Phase Killing Array suddenly disappeared.
Even with the sensing array they carried for enhancement, Xiao Heng and the others couldn't receive any images from it.
However, Li Fan remained calm.
"It's a good thing I made other preparations."
To prevent a situation like before, where they immediately lost contact upon entering the Chao Yuan Sect, leaving them unaware of their situation, Li Fan had engraved a concealed image array in the necklace.
It would accurately record the surrounding scenes, and once contact was reestablished, he could transmit the images to Li Fan through the sensing array.
"Now, we just need to wait patiently."
Li Fan closed his eyes slightly, and his mind once again immersed itself in the comprehension of divine techniques.
...
Cangwu Abyss.
Medicine King True Cauldron.
The surroundings changed rapidly.
After a while, a force suddenly emerged from the little Medicine King Cauldron, ejecting Xiao Heng from it.
Caught off guard, Xiao Heng looked a bit disheveled for a moment. When he stabilized, he found Zhang Haobo in a similar state.
They were currently in an empty, enclosed area.
The walls above and at the boundaries of the area emitted a faint blue light.
However, the small Medicine King Cauldron that brought them here was now nowhere to be seen.
"Xiao Heng, come over here!"
Su Xiaomei's voice came from not far away, and Xiao Heng and Zhang Haobo quickly flew over.
A giant bronze door stood there.
On the door was engraved a pattern of a round cauldron with three legs and two ears, looking exactly like the small cauldron in their hands.
"This should be the rumored Medicine King True Cauldron." Xiao Heng thought.
Su Xiaomei said, "I just explored the surroundings, and there is no other exit here except for this bronze door."
"But right now, the door can't be opened."
Hearing this, Zhang Haobo activated his power and pressed his hands against the bronze door.
With a sudden force, the bronze door remained unmoved.
"How about trying to attack it?" Xiao Heng suggested.
Zhang Haobo pondered for a moment, then nodded slowly.
Taking a step back, Zhang Haobo's head suddenly revealed an illusion of a blood-colored sea.
"Blood Sea Cavern, I didn't expect Zhang Haobo, who usually has a good temper, to have such a terrifying Nascent Soul Cavern." Xiao Heng took a deep breath.
Even though it wasn't the first time seeing this scene, facing the overwhelming hostility in the boundless blood sea, Xiao Heng still felt a bit jittery.
The blood waves surged, and countless blood-colored long swords flew out of the sea.
Pointing a finger, Zhang Haobo sent them whistling towards the bronze door.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
The tremendous explosion sounds continued, and the bronze door, even the entire space, seemed to be trembling.
After a while.
Zhang Haobo retracted the Blood Sea Cavern.
Looking at the unchanged bronze door, he frowned and said, "Useless. The protective force here is obviously something a Nascent Soul cultivator can't break through."
Even the usually hot-tempered Su Xiaomei didn't refute at this moment.
Instead, she stared blankly, lost in thought.
Xiao Heng was also contemplating a way to deal with it.
For a while, the surroundings fell into a strange silence.
"I know!"
Suddenly, Su Xiaomei exclaimed with realization.
"What do you know?" Xiao Heng looked at Su Xiaomei with curiosity.
"Cauldron, the cauldron!" Su Xiaomei looked at Xiao Heng and urged, "You still have one small cauldron left. Look at this door; it must be a mechanism, similar to the outer barrier, surely with a mechanism to discern friend from foe."
"In the past, disciples of the Medicine King Sect could enter simply by operating the sect's techniques."
"We can't do that. However, like we did outside, we can use the small Medicine King Cauldron to deceive it."
Su Xiaomei said seriously.
Xiao Heng nodded at first.
Then his face suddenly changed, and his figure flashed backward, swiftly distancing himself.
With a dark expression, he angrily shouted, "You are not Su Xiaomei! Who are you?"
Su Xiaomei was first stunned.
Then her face turned red.
"Xiao Heng! Are you looking for trouble?"
The Red Sunburst appeared above her head.
After a while.
Xiao Heng, with a swollen face and a serious expression, apologized to Su Xiaomei.
"Little sister, I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what? Am I so stupid in your eyes?" Su Xiaomei snorted, turned her head away, refusing to look at him.
"Uh..." Xiao Heng, realizing he was in the wrong, felt awkward and didn't know what to say for a while.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 402: Profound Truth Inside the Cauldron
Helplessly, Xiao Heng scratched his head and looked to Zhang Haobo for assistance.
Zhang Haobo smiled and said, "Little sister is not at all stupid. In fact, compared to Senior Shuo back then..."
Zhang Haobo paused, then continued, "In reality, she's very clever. Sometimes, although her actions seem impulsive, she has already weighed the pros and cons in her heart."
"Even you were deceived by her. Doesn't that prove how formidable she is?"
Su Xiaomei snorted proudly, raising her head.
"Well, it seems that our little sister is even smarter than me!"
Xiao Heng quickly agreed.
After some sweet-talking, they finally obtained Su Xiaomei's forgiveness.
"I forgive you!"
"Now quickly take out the small cauldron and give it a try!"
Relieved, Xiao Heng took out the last remaining Medicine King Cauldron.
After some contemplation, he infused spiritual power into it.
The small cauldron was stimulated, emitting a faint green light.
Xiao Heng brought the small cauldron close to the bronze door.
The light shone on the door, which was originally extremely tough and impervious to any attacks. However, at this moment, it seemed to melt. In the shining light, a door appeared.
"How about that! My guess was correct, right?" Su Xiaomei said triumphantly.
Then she was the first to enter.
Zhang Haobo followed closely behind.
Xiao Heng entered last.
In the instant they passed through the bronze door, he made sure to put away the small Medicine King Cauldron.
Without the green light, the opening disappeared, and the bronze door gradually returned to normal.
Although Su Xiaomei was the first to enter, she did not act recklessly.
Waiting for the three to regroup, they observed the space behind the door together.
A long and narrow passage, extending without end, suppressed their divine senses, making it impossible to explore.
"Could there be danger?"
Xiao Heng asked.
"Formations, mechanisms, restrictions, all are possible," Zhang Haobo said in a deep voice.
"Be cautious."
The three glanced at each other, and Su Xiaomei took the lead, with Zhang Haobo guarding the rear.
They carefully advanced through the passage with Xiao Heng in the middle, their minds tense and not daring to be careless.
Unexpectedly, this long passage had no twists and turns, and they smoothly walked through it.
"I always feel that this smoothness may not be a good thing," Su Xiaomei grumbled, surveyed around, and continued forward.
At the end of the passage, it suddenly opened up.
It was a bright and spacious hall, divided into three layers—upper, middle, and lower.
In the central empty area, numerous rooms surrounded each layer, connected by corridors leading deeper inside.
"It seems like a gathering place, but something seems to have happened here."
"The tables and chairs are haphazardly arranged, and the flowers, decorations, and such are scattered on the floor," Xiao Heng observed, calmly analyzing the surroundings.
"This Medicine King Cauldron is indeed miraculous. After such a long time, the things inside can still remain so new," he remarked.
"Look at this flower, it doesn't look like it has been alive for thousands of years." Su Xiaomei picked up a pot of flowers that had fallen on the ground, expressing her surprise.
Xiao Heng and Zhang Haobo's expressions changed slightly upon hearing this.
"It's a bit strange."
"Even ordinary spiritual items can be preserved so well. What about the cultivators inside the Medicine King Cauldron?" Xiao Heng squinted his eyes and whispered.
This time, Su Xiaomei answered him.
"The Medicine King Cauldron has been back for more than twenty years. If there were cultivators inside who could still move, they should have put away the Medicine King Cauldron a long time ago."
"Instead of waiting for us like fools."
Zhang Haobo nodded in agreement. "Either they're all dead, or they've all disappeared."
Xiao Heng added, "I'm afraid there might be some eerie existence half-dead and half-alive."
There was nothing valuable in this hall.
And the doors to the rooms on all three levels of the hall were sealed shut and couldn't be opened.
The three had no choice but to continue exploring deeper.
Despite the silence inside the Medicine King Cauldron, the three became increasingly uneasy.
The corridors behind the hall extended in different directions.
The three explored them together one by one.
At the end of each corridor was a different area—alchemy room, transmission hall, martial arts arena, and so on.
However, just like before, there was no sign of anyone.
The doors were tightly closed.
Even though they knew that there might be many ancient treasures inside, the three had no way to obtain them.
They could only stare helplessly.
The only fortunate thing was that the Medicine King Cauldron was not as perilous as other remnants of ancient sects.
From start to finish, there were no triggered formations or restrictions.
It just emitted a strange aura.
Continuing forward, they encountered a gray-white stone door that blocked their path.
This time, the method of disguising with the small Medicine King Cauldron didn't work.
Moreover, this stone door was several times more robust than the previous bronze door.
Even the combined attacks of Su Xiaomei and Zhang Haobo couldn't make the gray-white stone door tremble.
Su Xiaomei, disappointed with the futile effort, sighed.
"Could it be that we'll leave empty-handed from this treasure trove?"
This thought crossed the minds of all three at the moment.
"Keep looking." Xiao Heng gritted his teeth and refused to give up.
Any cultivator who saw such a treasure in front of them would not easily abandon it.
Turning around, the three conducted a thorough search again.
This time, they were fortunate to make a discovery.
"Look, this room door doesn't seem to be sealed."
Su Xiaomei shouted for the two.
Xiao Heng and Zhang Haobo hurried over.
Touching the seam on the door, Zhang Haobo nodded, "Yes, it is indeed different from the other rooms."
Seeing that they were finally about to gain something, Xiao Heng became a bit excited, "Does that mean we can open it?"
"Let's give it a try."
With that, Zhang Haobo and Su Xiaomei joined hands again.
Under the radiance of the Red Sun and Blood Sea, the bronze door creaked.
Inch by inch, it was gradually pried open by them.
After a moment, with their combined effort, they finally opened a gap in the door.
"Be careful."
The three communicated through mental transmission and then walked in.
The expected danger did not arrive.
The scene in the room caught them off guard.
A single person's residence.
Although the space was not large, there were beds, tables, chairs, and cabinets.
And on the ground, there was a cultivator lying down.
Facing the direction of the door, judging by his movements, he seemed to be trying to close the door.
To the surprise of Xiao Heng and the others, this person still had signs of life.
Breathing steadily, he seemed to have just fallen into a deep sleep.
"What should we do?"
"Should we make a move?"
"For thousands of years, he's still alive. His strength is unfathomable. If we act recklessly..."
Just as the three communicated with their spiritual senses, the person lying down made a muffled sound and slowly woke up.
With the situation unclear, the three gathered together and quickly retreated.
The Medicine King Sect cultivator got up from the ground, first looking around somewhat confusedly.
Then, as if remembering something, his pupils gradually regained their luster.
He calculated with his fingers and was greatly surprised, "It's been twenty-four years already?"
Finally noticing Xiao Heng and the others in the room, he showed a hint of surprise on his face, but quickly regained his composure.
"Greetings, seniors!" The three greeted in unison.
"Did you wake me up, fellow daoists?" he asked.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 403: Matters Inside and Outside Time[Combined Chapter]
The Medicine King Sect cultivator, seeing Xiao Heng's group respectfully addressing him as a senior, was filled with surprise.
Waving his hands repeatedly, he said, "Why are you fellow daoists saying this? Are you teasing me for fun?"
"We are all Yuanying cultivators, addressing each other as peers is sufficient."
He said to Zhang Haobo and Su Xiaomei.
"Yuanying cultivator?"
Upon closer observation, Xiao Heng and the others finally noticed that the cultivator who had been sleeping for thousands of years seemed to be only at the Yuanying stage.
But the feeling he gave was quite different from the Yuanying cultivators of today.
This led to their initial failure to identify him.
In any case, a Yuanying cultivator from ancient times surviving until now was definitely not simple.
Xiao Heng and the others remained vigilant, thinking about how to continue the conversation and extract some information.
But the other party, like a chatterbox, spoke a lot.
"I am Leng Hu Chang, an inner disciple of the Medicine King Sect."
"When I fell into the Xuanhuang Realm, I remember the Sect Master had already sealed the entire Medicine King Ding and sent out a call for help to the outside world."
"You fellows entering the Medicine King Ding must mean that the rescue from the ten major sects has arrived, right?"
"I wonder how the other senior brothers are doing now? Has the Sect Master awakened?"
As Leng Hu Chang spoke, he was about to walk towards the door with enthusiasm.
However, seeing Xiao Heng's group with somewhat strange expressions, he couldn't help but be surprised.
"Could something unexpected have happened?"
After saying that, he hurriedly came outside the room.
Xiao Heng and the others quickly followed.
"Huh? What's going on? Why is the Great Dream Chronicle Formation still operating?"
"Why am I the only one who woke up ahead of time?"
"Where are the rescue cultivators from the ten major sects?"
...
Leng Hu Chang's puzzled voice echoed in the empty Medicine King Ding.
"Did the Gate of Life and Death fall? What happened to the Sect Master?"
"What's going on?"
His voice was somewhat uncontrollably panicked. After looking around, he flew back to Xiao Heng and the others.
Staring at them, he asked, "Who are you guys, and how did you enter my Medicine King Ding?"
Xiao Heng pondered for a moment and slowly said, "This matter is a bit complicated. Fellow daoist might need to prepare yourself mentally."
Leng Hu Chang squinted his eyes, quietly listening to the continuation.
"In fact, fellow daoist has been asleep for thousands of years. The breaking of the Medicine King Ding's boundary and reaching the ancient era has already happened..."
Before Xiao Heng finished speaking, Leng Hu Chang waved his hand to interrupt him.
He laughed sarcastically, "What nonsense! Do you really think my Medicine King Sect's Great Dream Chronicle Formation is just for show? You even got the number of years wrong? Saying it's been thousands of years when it's only been twenty-four years? If you want to deceive someone, at least make it plausible."
Leng Hu Chang's face turned unpleasant, and with a light pat, a gourd appeared in his hand.
"No wonder I felt something was off when I first saw you guys. Turns out you're demonic cultivators trying to deceive me."
"Prepare to die!"
With Leng Hu Chang's words, dozens of green light beams spewed out from the gourd.
Sharp as sword blades, swift as lightning.
In an instant, they arrived in front of Xiao Heng and the others.
"Xiao Heng, be careful!" Unexpectedly, Leng Hu Chang attacked without hesitation, causing Zhang Haobo's expression to change dramatically.
Above his head, the Blood Sea Cave Heaven suddenly appeared. In the surging blood waves, a blood-colored light flew out and collided with the green light blades.
"Boom! Boom!"
In the intense explosion, Leng Hu Chang looked up at the endless blood sea above and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
But it only made him more convinced of his judgment.
He shouted with righteous indignation, "Indeed, you are demonic cultists! Hurry up and face...!"
The sound had just fallen when several voices, speaking in unison, came from all directions.
"You are really annoying. Since a while ago, you've been saying incomprehensible things."
"Did you sleep too long and haven't fully awakened yet?"
Looking over, Leng Hu Chang saw that, unconsciously, many faceless blood-faced figures had surrounded him.
"No problem, we'll help you wake up."
Many faceless blood-faced figures tilted their heads, emitting eerie laughter.
Then, their figures disappeared on the spot, rushing towards Leng Hu Chang at the same time.
Leng Hu Chang's heart tightened, but he remained calm.
He spat out a small Medicine King Ding, suspended above his head.
Then, a waterfall of light formed a protective shield.
At the same time, he patted the gourd.
The green gourd rotated in the air, and fine blades, like willow leaves, poured out like a torrent.
They attacked Su Xiaomei and Zhang Haobo.
Xiao Heng, aware that he couldn't intervene in a Nascent Soul-level battle with his current strength, discreetly retreated to distance himself from the battlefield.
At this moment, he suddenly smelled a strange fragrance.
Thinking of the opponent's identity as a Medicine King Sect disciple, he couldn't help but be surprised.
"Be careful; there seems to be something odd about this fragrance."
He quickly transmitted a warning while holding his breath to resist the fragrance.
However, the fragrance, through some unknown method, was impossible for Xiao Heng to resist.
The scent became stronger, and Xiao Heng suddenly felt dizzy and weak, even his body becoming somewhat limp.
In contrast, Zhang Haobo and Su Xiaomei's figures only paused for a moment and then returned to normal.
The green light from the gourd seemed endless, and the protective shield of the small Medicine King Ding was impervious.
The attacks of Zhang and Su only caused ripples; for a while, they couldn't break through the defense of the small Ding.
"Haobo, don't hold back!" Su Xiaomei seemed to unleash her anger.
A round of red sun soared into the sky, leaping above the Blood Sea.
Countless blood-faced figures torn apart by the fine blades in the gourd suddenly reformed into an angry face.
A ferociously grotesque giant face, under the illumination of the red sun, suddenly ignited.
Emitting a strange laughter, it collided with Leng Hu Chang, who was sheltered by the small Medicine King Ding.
At the same time, the endless Blood Sea slowly parted in the middle.
A rotten giant hand emerged from the seabed.
Reaching towards Leng Hu Chang.
Facing the joint attack of the two, this Medicine King Sect disciple's expression was solemn but not panicked.
With a light wave of his right hand, twenty-four golden needles unfolded in sequence.
Speaking incantations, the golden needles, like swords, drew shining and intersecting lines in the air.
Avoiding the burning blood faces and the rotten giant hand, they directly aimed at the true bodies of Zhang Haobo and Su Xiaomei.
The speed of these golden needles was extremely fast.
In the blink of an eye, before the two could react, they were pierced through, feeling a chilling sensation.
Many holes appeared on their bodies.
Strangely, not a drop of blood spurted out.
Their attacks also seemed unaffected.
"Boom!"
The small Medicine King Ding violently shook, and Leng Hu Chang spat out a mouthful of blood.
His face became somewhat pale, but immediately he took out a pill and swallowed it in front of everyone.
After a moment, Leng Hu Chang's complexion returned to a healthy red.
"What kind of evil technique..."
He looked at the two individuals who, despite being continuously pierced by the "Reincarnation Golden Needles," were still able to recover constantly, and couldn't help but feel some fear.
After hesitating for a moment, a hint of pain flashed in his eyes.
Leng Hu Chang took out a round mirror.
Holding the mirror, he emitted a white light, shining it towards Su Xiaomei.
The round mirror slowly turned into powder, and behind the reflected Su Xiaomei, a phantom figure slowly appeared.
Surprisingly, it bore an eight-point resemblance to Su Xiaomei.
The phantom let out a roar, and its hair turned crimson in an instant.
Then, several faceless blood-faced avatars emerged and launched attacks on Su Xiaomei.
It seemed they could replicate Su Xiaomei's innate talents, techniques, and martial arts.
On Zhang Haobo's side, another rotten hand reached out from the blood sea.
And from the deep sea, it seemed there was a line of sight peering outward.
Seeing this, Leng Hu Chang thought for a moment and took out a wooden talisman sword to counter.
The wooden sword flew above the blood sea, summoning a green thunderbolt that struck down.
The two rotten giant hands blocked the attack, making cracking sounds from the thunderous impact.
On the wooden talisman sword, threads of lightning entwined.
The green lightning continued unabated.
Although the rotten giant hands appeared extremely miserable, seemingly powerless to retaliate, no matter how severe the injuries, they quickly returned to their original state.
The battle reached a stalemate.
Relying on various mystical treasures and seemingly endless supplies of pills, Leng Hu Chang stood invincible.
Su Xiaomei and Zhang Haobo, using the characteristics of their new technique, "Endless Paradise, Immortal Cultivators," although somewhat embarrassed, were not in actual danger.
For a moment, neither side could do anything to the other.
Both sides felt a chill in their hearts.
"These people's backgrounds are truly mysterious, and their techniques are so bizarre. Although I have a lot of reserves, I can probably only hold on for ten days to half a month. If I can't defeat them by then, I may have to escape to the outside world and request reinforcements," thought Leng Hu Chang.
"So infuriating, just like Shuo Feng, relying on good treasures to bully others. Once his treasures run out, I must give him a good beating," Su Xiaomei was furious, continuously attacking, but unable to break through the constant blockade of treasures.
"Leng Hu Chang is just an inner disciple. It is said that ancient sects have transcendent disciples and Daoists above this level. It's hard to imagine how powerful they could be," pondered Zhang Haobo.
While the three were in a fierce battle, Xiao Heng, influenced by the bewitching fragrance, was gradually recovering.
"Don't fight anymore!"
"Leng Daoist, it's a misunderstanding!"
"I can swear to the heavens that not a word was false!"
"Indeed, it has been thousands of years since your era. The world has changed, and even the so-called Immortal Sects have long disappeared into the dust of history!"
"Think about it. If we really wanted to deceive you, why would we concoct such an absurd excuse?"
...
Xiao Heng shouted one sentence after another.
Upon hearing about the great changes in the world and the disappearance of the Ten Immortal Sects, Leng Hu Chang's body couldn't help but tremble slightly.
"Leng Daoist, Master Liu's premonition back then was correct! He saved everyone from your sect!"
Hearing this, Leng Hu Chang's attacks gradually slowed down.
"Little sister, Haobo, stop!" Xiao Heng quickly called out.
Although he felt extremely displeased, Su Xiaomei still halted her attacks.
However, Su and Zhang, the two of them, still hadn't retracted their domains and remained vigilant towards Leng Hu Chang.
"Leng Daoist, every word I say is true," Xiao Heng sincerely said.
"Could it be that due to the long time, there's an error in your sect's 'Great Dream of Spring and Autumn' formation?" he inquired.
Saying this, he took out a small Medicine King Ding from his storage ring.
"This little cauldron was excavated from your sect's ruins."
"It's with this cauldron that we were able to enter here."
"With Daoist's insight, I believe you can distinguish between true and false."
Xiao Heng spoke openly and honestly.
Seeing the ancient and slightly flawed Medicine King Ding in Xiao Heng's hand, Leng Hu Chang's pupils suddenly contracted.
He almost became dumbfounded.
Naturally, he could tell that the slightly defective Medicine King Ding was likely a remnant product from the migration that hadn't been dealt with in time.
But the traces of time on it couldn't be faked.
So what exactly was going on?
Could it be that the formation had a problem with recording the years?
Leng Hu Chang didn't answer; he hastily returned to his room.
He carefully confirmed it once again.
Absolutely no mistake.
Since the activation of the Great Dream of Spring and Autumn formation, the entire sect had fallen into a deep sleep.
Indeed, only twenty-four years had passed.
"So, are those outsiders lying?"
Leng Hu Chang's killing intent gradually resurfaced in his heart.
Just then, he suddenly heard the other person say, "By the way, there's a very simple way to verify."
"After the great calamity, Immortal techniques can't be cultivated simultaneously."
"If Daoist doesn't believe it, you can try practicing your own cultivation method."
"The result will be evident at a glance."
Hearing this, Leng Hu Chang's first thought was that it was absurd.
It's not like the legendary Longevity Fruit. Why would there be a restriction on cultivating different methods?
However, he heard Xiao Heng speak sincerely, so with a try-it-out attitude, Leng Hu Chang activated the Medicine King Sect's true transmission, the "Saving Lives and Longevity Scripture."
In the next moment, he was completely stunned.
Spiritual energy circulated through several meridians, but it was as if he was doing useless exercises.
Not only did he not experience the slightest increase in cultivation, but there was also a voice in his sea of consciousness.
"Saving Lives and Longevity Scripture: Merged Cultivation Technique."
"Current number of practitioners: Four hundred and sixty-two."
"What is this?"
His face turned pallid, and sweat began to drip from Leng Hu Chang's forehead.
"No, no. Surely, I'm under some illusion."
He couldn't believe it.
Taking out several pills, Leng Hu Chang swallowed them in one go.
As if possessed, he activated his techniques again.
Time after time, after a hundred cycles of meridians.
Not only did his cultivation not change, but there was also a growing sense of frustration in his heart.
Even more strangely, he inexplicably sensed the positions of the other four hundred and sixty-one fellow practitioners cultivating the "Saving Lives and Longevity Scripture."
"Kill them! Kill them all!"
A thought suddenly surged in his mind, but he immediately shook it off, trembling.
"How could this be, how could this be..."
His current experience had completely surpassed his previous understanding.
Although unwilling to admit it, Leng Hu Chang already understood in his heart that what the three outsiders said was likely true.
While he and the others had only slept for a night, it was nothing compared to the thousands of years that had passed in the Xuanhuang Realm.
"But... how could this be?"
In fear, Leng Hu Chang fell into endless confusion.
After hearing no more movement from inside the room, Xiao Heng and the others walked in.
"Daoist friend, what we said, is it true?" Xiao Heng said softly.
Leng Hu Chang didn't respond.
"In fact, we are also very curious about the Medicine King Sect's experience back then."
"Why not, Daoist friend, tell us in detail what happened after Master Liu used the cauldron as a boat to break through the boundaries and left. What exactly occurred."
"Maybe, with collective brainstorming, we can figure out the reasons for all this."
Xiao Heng continued to persuade.
After a long silence, Leng Hu Chang, somewhat confused, spoke, "Actually, I don't really know what happened."
"It felt like I had a dream."
"At that time, Master Liu, with great magical powers, broke through the shackles of the Xuanhuang Realm, steering the Medicine King Ding into the depths of the void."
"Originally, the plan was to search for the rumored other immortal realms, but..."
Leng Hu Chang paused, as if recalling the scene from back then.
"Not long after, alarms sounded throughout the cauldron."
"It was said to be attracted by an unknown force, losing control of the direction forward."
"We were told to return to our rooms and prepare to enter the 'Great Dream of Spring and Autumn' formation for sleep."
"Later, the Medicine King Ding shook more and more violently. Even the activation of the Great Dream of Spring and Autumn formation was affected and failed."
"And then..."
Leng Hu Chang squinted his eyes.
"Master sent a message, saying the plan to break through failed, and we had to forcibly return to the Xuanhuang Realm."
"The Medicine King True Ding was severely damaged and couldn't be manipulated."
"To preserve it, all the remaining power was used for protection."
"Allowing the Medicine King Ding to freely fall towards the Xuanhuang Realm."
"After that, important functions inside the cauldron were successively shut down, and my fellow brothers were also forced into a deep sleep one after another."
"At that time, I was refining pills in the alchemy room. When I rushed back to my room, I hadn't had time to fully close the door."
"The Medicine King Ding shook even more violently."
"In the intense shaking, I lost consciousness."
"When I woke up..."
"What I saw was all of you."
Leng Hu Chang said slowly.
Xiao Heng and Zhang Haobo exchanged glances, somewhat perplexed by this strange situation.
Su Xiaomei spoke up, "Wait a minute, according to what you're saying, you guys just took a stroll outside the Xuanhuang Realm and were forced to return?"
Leng Hu Chang nodded, "Indeed."
"Did you enter the sleep state only after almost falling into the Xuanhuang Realm?" Su Xiaomei asked again.
"Yes," Leng Hu Chang affirmed.
"What on earth!" Su Xiaomei's voice suddenly increased.
"In our perspective, the Medicine King Ding has been away from the Xuanhuang Realm for thousands of years. It only returned here recently."
"At that time, all cultivators could see the fire meteor formed by the Medicine King Ding falling from the sky."
"By the way, that should be twenty-four years ago."
After saying that, Su Xiaomei was stunned.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 404: Medicine King Ding's Past
"So, from the moment your Medicine King Sect returned to the Xuanhuang Realm, the time matches. Twenty-four years," Xiao Heng suddenly realized.
"But Leng Huchang clearly said that the Medicine King Ding only spent a short time outside the realm and returned. How is it possible that in such a short time, several thousand years have passed here?" Zhang Haobo furrowed his brows deeply.
"Time flow difference of over a thousand times? Is that really possible?" No one present could answer this question, all falling into silence.
"Perhaps there is a way to figure out what happened back then." After a moment, Leng Huchang seemed to remember something and suddenly spoke.
"When the Medicine King Ding fell into the Xuanhuang Realm, it exhausted all its energy and fell into silence."
"But you just said that you could enter here with the sensing of the small Medicine King Ding."
He looked at Xiao Heng, "In general, the sensing between Medicine King Dings is one-way. Only the owner of the Medicine King True Ding can sense the positions of the other small Medicine King Dings."
"Holding the small Medicine King Ding but being able to sense the True Ding's location usually only happens when the Sect Master gathers nearby sect cultivators."
"This indicates that either the Sect Master has awakened, or after all these years, the Medicine King Ding has recovered energy and started spontaneously executing commands, seeking help from the outside world."
"In any case, we must go to the 'Life and Death Door' and check the Sect Master's situation."
Leng Huchang said solemnly.
"Life and Death Door? Is it the gray stone door at the end of the corridor? We tried, but couldn't open it at all." Su Xiaomei responded.
"That's natural. When the Life and Death Door closes, it separates life and death. Even a Daoist cannot move it in the slightest. If you can destroy it, then there will be a big problem." Leng Huchang said indifferently.
"Do you have a way?" Su Xiaomei was a bit unwilling.
"Humph." Leng Huchang snorted and didn't say anything.
He flew to the depths of the passage.
Su Xiaomei and the others exchanged glances and followed closely.
Soon, they arrived at the gray stone door.
Leng Huchang had already sat cross-legged, and the small Medicine King Ding reappeared above his head, emitting a protective light shield.
The ground around him was shining with golden light, inscribed with many symbols.
After taking out a piece of talisman paper and sticking it on his forehead, twenty-four golden needles surrounded him.
Four jade plaques were arranged in front and behind him.
After completing the defensive measures, Leng Huchang finally spoke kindly to Xiao Heng and the others, "Please protect me, fellow Daoists."
"Don't know why he's showing off." Su Xiaomei muttered.
Leng Huchang didn't mind, closed his eyes.
Afterward, a baby image, eight-point similar to Leng Huchang, suddenly emerged from his body.
"Greetings to fellow Daoists!"
The baby bowed politely to Xiao Heng and the others, looking quite cute.
"What is this..."
"Yuan Ying?"
Xiao Heng and the others were greatly surprised.
Modern cultivators had long abandoned the cultivation method of "breaking the pill into a baby."
Instead, they directly plundered various Immortal Abodes to form Immortal Abode Law Domains to replace Yuan Ying.
Seeing such an existence in the legend at this moment, they were surprised and curious.
After the Yuan Ying emerged from Leng Huchang, it did not fly directly out of the protective barrier he had set up.
Instead, he took out a set of delicate green wooden armor and put it on himself.
After swallowing several pills, he turned into a stream of light and flew towards the gray stone door.
When he was about to collide with the Life and Death Door, a green light suddenly appeared on Yuan Ying's body.
The door was illuminated by this light, as if it had been stained with life, becoming somewhat vibrant.
Taking advantage of this, Leng Huchang plunged into the green area of the stone door.
After he disappeared, the stone door returned to normal.
"Yuan Ying leaving the body is really amazing." Su Xiaomei patted the stone door, making a banging sound.
Still unable to enter, she felt a bit regretful.
Turning her head to look at Leng Huchang's physical body, protected by various magical treasures in the center.
Her eyes moved around, "This person has quite a few magical treasures."
"You guys, he carries so many treasures with him."
"Inside this Medicine King Ding, with so many sleeping cultivators. How rich could the hidden treasures be?"
Su Xiaomei transmitted.
"Senior Skull is right; it's indeed a great opportunity." Zhang Haobo agreed.
"It's a pity that our strength is not enough, otherwise..."
Xiao Heng did not respond.
He stared at the gray Life and Death Door, lost in thought.
Time passed slowly in waiting.
One day, two days...
Leng Huchang, who entered the door, seemed to disappear completely, with no news at all.
"Could something unexpected have happened?" Xiao Heng and the others couldn't help but worry.
It wasn't until five days later that the Life and Death Door opened with a loud bang.
The Yuan Ying returned.
After a while, Leng Huchang's body swayed a bit, slowly stood up, with a mournful expression.
"Leng Daoist, what happened?" Zhang Haobo asked.
"Follow me." Leng Huchang put away his defenses and entered the stone door.
The three thought for a moment, heightened their guard, and followed inside.
As if they had suddenly entered endless void, countless starlights shone in the distant background.
"The Sect Master, a thousand years ago, ascended to protect us and has already transcended." At this moment, the sorrowful voice of Leng Huchang came.
"This is the scene recorded by the Medicine King Ding back then."
The surroundings of Xiao Heng and others suddenly moved rapidly.
Countless streams of light were elongated, forming strange curves.
And below, a vast light cluster that couldn't be clearly seen was moving away from them.
A sigh sounded.
"The Xuanhuang Realm..."
Another old voice appeared: "Sect Master, don't be sad. Facing the great calamity, we sought a chance of survival and fled, without any fault."
"Although that's the case, the Xuanhuang Realm is still our hometown..."
"The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. Our Medicine King Sect is just a small sect, preoccupied with our own affairs. How could we manage many others? Dealing with disasters and saving the Xuanhuang Realm should be left to the Immortal Dao Ten Sects." In the old voice, there was obvious dissatisfaction with the Immortal Dao Ten Sects.
"Huang Lao... forget it, let's not talk about this." Liu Ruchen paused but brought up another matter.
"Speaking of which, the attitude of the Immortal Dao Ten Sects this time is indeed a bit strange. According to their usual style, when they hear that we are going to raise the sect and escape, they would surely come forward to reprimand us. But for some reason, they showed no intention of stopping us this time."
Huang Lao disapproved, "In times of great disaster, everyone seeks their own escape. Those who speak of fleeing are not only our Medicine King Sect. Perhaps there are too many to handle."
Liu Ruchen fell silent.
After a moment, Huang Lao said excitedly, "But outsiders would never think that within our Medicine King Sect, there is a ['Dao Mark'] from another cultivation world."
"Relying on the Dao Mark guidance, we can traverse the endless void and go to a new world."
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 405: The Truth of Xuanhuang Realm
Liu Ruchen sighed, "Our ancestor unintentionally made a generous gesture, leaving us a way out."
"Huh?"
Liu Ruchen's voice suddenly became astonished.
"What's wrong?" Huang Lao couldn't help but ask.
"It's strange. Why did the Medicine King Ding's trajectory deviate?" Liu Ruchen's voice was puzzled. "Could it be a problem with the Dao Mark's sensing?"
After a moment,
"Everything is normal with the Medicine King Ding."
"What exactly is it then?"
Before Liu Ruchen could find the answer, Huang Lao's panicked voice came.
"Sect Master, something seems off."
"Why does it feel like we're not moving forward, but rather upward?"
The surroundings suddenly changed.
The perspective kept shrinking, and Xiao Heng and the others saw, not long after leaving the Xuanhuang Realm.
The Medicine King Ding, which was originally flying straight into the distance, for some unknown reason, slowly changed its trajectory.
As if something above was attracting it.
In the dark void, the Medicine King Ding drew a curve.
Helplessly, it slowly fell upwards.
The speed kept increasing.
There was no starlight there, just pitch darkness.
But at this moment, it seemed like a devouring beast, opening its giant mouth, waiting for prey to descend.
Liu Ruchen's heart turned cold.
Staring down at the glowing cloud representing the Xuanhuang Realm, which was gradually getting smaller and farther away, he seemed to see mocking eyes from within.
In an instant, Liu Ruchen figured everything out.
Why the Immortal Dao Ten Sects knew that they wanted to escape but didn't stop them.
Because they already knew.
There was no way to escape.
"Immortal Dao Ten Sects..." Liu Ruchen gritted his teeth.
The speed of the Medicine King Ding exceeded its own limits, and it began to shake violently.
"Sect Master!"
The creaking sounds came from all directions, and Huang Lao exclaimed in panic.
Just a few breaths later,
"Sect Master, you..."
First, Huang Lao let out an unbelievably tragic scream.
"Medicine King Sect disciples, listen to my command..."
Then Liu Ruchen began to give orders to the disciples inside the Medicine King Ding.
Instructing them to quickly return to their respective rooms.
"Don't blame me..."
Chapter 405: The Truth of Xuanhuang Realm
Liu Ruchen's murmurs echoed in this space.
"Just with my strength alone, it's utterly impossible to escape from there..."
His voice revealed a hint of despair.
"However, for the sake of the Medicine King Sect."
"I must do this."
In an instant, Liu Ruchen spoke again with unwavering determination.
Following that, a large swath of green light enveloped the entire Medicine King Ding.
"Immortal Dao Ten Sects!!!"
Amidst the resentful roars.
The green light intensified.
The speed of the Medicine King Ding suddenly slowed down significantly.
But it still couldn't change its fate of falling upwards.
Slowly, from within the Medicine King Ding, strands of the same green light consecutively emanated.
The green light became even more dazzling.
The speed of the Medicine King Ding slowed down more and more.
Slower and slower.
Finally, in an endless realm of pitch-black darkness, it came to a halt.
In an instant, many green lights were drawn out.
Only then did the Medicine King Ding start to change the direction of its speed.
Avoiding the fate of being swallowed, it fell towards below.
During the escape, the green radiance kept flickering.
Seemingly being rapidly consumed.
In the end, when the Medicine King Ding descended back to the Xuanhuang Realm, the green glow had become barely visible.
...
The scene abruptly stopped.
"That's what happened back then," said Leng Hu Chang with a touch of sorrow.
Xiao Heng and the others were still in shock from the impact of the scene, showing no reaction.
After a long time,
"What was that?" Even the usually fearless Su Xiao Mei asked in horror.
Although not explicitly stated, everyone present understood which "that" she was referring to.
"That is the [Immortal Realm]. A long, long time ago, when the path to ascension had not been severed, it was the passage to the Immortal Realm," answered Leng Hu Chang.
"Before the Sect Master passed away, he understood many things," Leng Hu Chang said.
"The disappearance of the Immortal Path, the severance of connections with other immortal realms..."
"All of this is because above the Xuanhuang Realm, there is such a terrifying existence."
"It devours everything, even distorting space and time."
"Just by turning around in front of it, a thousand years have passed in the outside world."
Leng Hu Chang's voice was low and slow.
"And yet, the Immortal Dao Ten Sects knew this truth from the beginning. They just watched us march to our deaths without any warning..."
Chapter 405: The Reality of Xuanhuang Realm
Leng Hu Chang clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost pierced into his flesh.
"Immortal Realm..." Xiao Heng and the others murmured, feeling inexplicably horrified.
"Could our world be completely sucked in?" Su Xiao Mei opened her mouth, asking somewhat confused.
Leng Hu Chang sneered, "Back then, the Immortal Dao Ten Sects were still in constant conflicts and hidden battles."
"But suddenly, from a certain moment, they became extremely united, speaking with one voice."
"I presume that the Xuanhuang Realm can survive to this day thanks to their efforts back then."
Xiao Heng and the others breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
However, the palpitations that occasionally surged in their hearts couldn't be dispelled in a short time.
...
Just as Xiao Heng and the others finally realized the true situation of the Xuanhuang Realm.
Li Fan, who was still unaware of all this, had completed the final inspection of the Tianxuan Locking Spirit Array.
The Tianxuan Locking Spirit Array was fully covered, and all the array formation masters who participated in the construction received invitations from the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
"Go to Tianlingzhou to witness the splendid performance of the Locking Spirit Array for the first time?"
"What does this mean?" Li Fan looked at the invitation in his hand, which resembled a black and gold jade card, and asked Huang Fusong.
"Maybe it's related to the void in Tianlingzhou," Huang Fusong whispered.
"In any case, somehow, it can be almost certain that the Five Elders are going to provoke war again."
"So, the decision within the alliance is to take advantage of the opportunity when the Locking Spirit Array is first revealed to give them a harsh lesson."
Li Fan nodded slowly at Huang Fusong's words.
Looking at the jade slip in his hand, for some reason, a trace of uneasiness suddenly surged in his heart.
"Let's go; many people have already arrived."
"It wouldn't be good to miss such a grand occasion."
Huang Fusong manipulated the Dust Crossing Boat, flying towards the Yanghua Immortal City.
Then, through the teleportation array, they continuously rushed towards Tianlingzhou.
Midway, Li Fan suddenly stopped.
"Huang Fusong, you go first."
"I have something to do and need to visit the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance."
After a moment, Li Fan said to Huang Fusong.
At the same time, he showed a meaningful look.
"Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters?" Huang Fusong was surprised but quickly reacted.
"Congratulations to Daoist friend in advance!"
Looking at Li Fan with envy, Huang Fusong shook his head secretly and left first.
After Huang Fusong left, Li Fan's expression remained unchanged.
However, he recalled the information that Lu Xuejing had just transmitted.
"Danger."
"It seems that the premonition in my heart is correct. Tianlingzhou does have a problem."
Li Fan secretly calculated in his mind.
(End of this chapter)
