1304-1305

Chapter 1304 The first encounter in the paradise

The Xuanhuang Apocalypse represents the extreme changes naturally spawned by the Xuanhuang Realm in response to its impending doom, aiming for self-preservation. These transformations evolve certain aspects to their utmost limits.

For instance, the transformation of "Heavenly Coldness and Earthly Freeze" that Li Fan used in his previous life to disguise as a merged Dao cultivator is no less powerful than the average Ice Spirit of the Xuanhuang Realm, and even stronger than most.

Apocalyptic changes are often aggressive and destructive, born only under the dire threat of annihilation to the Xuanhuang Realm. Hence, their emergence triggers the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao's defensive reaction, leading to innate wariness and distrust towards the bearer of such transformations, as is the case with Li Fan now.

However, the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao absorbing its separated malicious intent undergoes changes akin to being rejuvenated by immortal force, specifically affecting the fundamental laws of the Xuanhuang Realm.

Setting aside the paradoxical survival of those against the Dao, the realm's restrictions on cultivators grow stricter with its revival. The bottlenecks of Heavenly Tribulations, the prohibition against practicing multiple Dao, and the phenomena following a cultivator's demise become more pronounced.

Laws related to cultivation are quietly, yet rapidly evolving. It becomes harder for cultivators to breakthrough; the phenomena in the sky after their death will record more information about their lives; standards for different Dao become stricter, and the total number of techniques available in the world will inexplicably decrease.

Moreover, Li Fan senses an increase in the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao's efficiency in absorbing and transforming the Dao foundation returned after a cultivator's death and the remnants of worlds, accompanied by faint, digestive sounds imperceptible to ordinary cultivators.

In the Xuanhuang Realm, as cultivators devour heaven and earth to practice, the sudden boost in the realm's power also propels its inhabitants towards rapid advancement. Foundation establishment might contest with Golden Core, and Golden Core with Nascent Soul, possibly becoming the norm in the near future.

Early cultivators must either rebuild their practices or breakthrough major realms swiftly to escape their predicament. Otherwise, they risk being left behind by the advancing era.

Witnessing these dramatic changes within the Xuanhuang Realm, Li Fan merely observes without intervening. Although the realm's growth has yet to meet his expectations, it provides him with significant insights.

"This is a transformation of the Dao. Those who follow the Dao thrive, and those who lose it perish. It's true for the Xuanhuang Realm, the star sea, and perhaps even the celestial realm of yore," Li Fan muses.

He recalls Sun Erlang's experience in the true fruit illusion in his previous life.

"I wonder, what will they gain this time in the Carefree Realm?"

Inside the lecturing platform, the silver eyeball shifts slightly, bringing Sun Erlang and his companions into view. Despite being merely Golden Core cultivators, their acquisition of the Dao from the Holy Teacher allows them to bypass most protective formations in the Carefree Realm as if they were nonexistent.

Crossing the "Human Path Celestial Realm," they finally reach the so-called inner realms of the Carefree Realm, appearing no different from other regions of the Xuanhuang Realm at first glance.

Yue Zhenwei notes the sparse population compared to other areas under the Five Elders' control, finding it inconsistent with the notion of "carefreeness."

Sun Erlang concurs, noting the desolate and dispirited state of the inhabitants, which seems at odds with the realm's name.

Wang Xuanba, however, remains indifferent, focusing on their mission to find a domain for breakthrough. "The fewer people, the better," he argues, prompting agreement from Sun and Yue. The mysteries of the Carefree Realm, they conclude, are beyond the reach of mere Golden Core cultivators.

Ten days of fruitless searching later, their morale dips. Wang Xuanba finds it unbelievable that not a single domain has been found despite their thorough exploration. They speculate on the accuracy of the Holy Teacher's secret techniques or the possibility that the Carefree Realm they've seen is merely a shell, with the true realm hidden within a dream.

Deciding against venturing into the dream, they plan to return to the "Human Path Celestial Realm," where despite stricter defenses, the larger area might offer better opportunities for finding a domain.

Just as they prepare to leave the Carefree Realm, the landscape shifts unexpectedly. The once familiar route back transforms into an endless desert, suggesting they've unwittingly entered the true Carefree Realm's dream.

The group contemplates their next move, wary of the desert's dangers. Their search continues along the realm's border, leading them to various bizarre and fantastical scenes, each offering a glimpse into the realm's true nature and the elusive domains they seek.

Awakening from a nightmare, Sun Erlang and his companions find themselves back in the reality of the Carefree Realm, still within the Five Elders' domain. Drenched in cold sweat and taking a moment to regain their bearings from the terrifying ordeal, they start to question their own existence.

"Am I dead?"

"I'm not dead?!" Wang Xuanba exclaims, still in shock.

Sun Erlang, lost in thought, and Yue Zhenwei, the first to analyze their surroundings, observe that they are indeed in the same location they were trapped before. However, Yue Zhenwei notices something unsettling.

"Look up. Does it seem like the world has dimmed?" His observation, initially uncertain, is soon confirmed by Sun Erlang after a careful look around. The world they are in has indeed become darker, as if night has fallen, despite their cultivation levels remaining unchanged.

Suddenly, Sun Erlang notices something peculiar.

"Sun Erlang, Golden Core Full Completion, Number of Deaths: 1."

"Carefree Realm Experience Level: 1."

"Carefree Coins: 100."

Reading aloud the mysterious lines that appeared before his eyes, Sun Erlang's voice trembles with astonishment.

"I have it too," Wang Xuanba discovers, speaking out loud.

"But wait, why do I have zero Carefree Coins?"

"Why do you have a hundred?" Wang Xuanba asks, puzzled by the disparity.

This unexpected revelation sets off a series of speculations and discussions among them about the Carefree Realm's true nature and their place within it. As they try to make sense of their situation and the mysterious currency they've been awarded, they can't help but feel that they've stumbled upon something far beyond their understanding, a secret that might hold the key to escaping the realm or uncovering its hidden treasures.

Chapter 1305 The monster swallows the spirit secretly

"Before I died, I managed to take that bastard down with me. These 100 Wuyou coins must be a reward for killing him," Sun Erlang wasn't slow to catch on; with a bit of recollection, he figured out the source of the Wuyou coins he had on him.

"Speaking of which, what exactly did we go through?" Wang Xuanba shivered, instinctively touching his chest as if the wound from being pierced was still there.

"Was it a dream? But the feeling right before death was too real," Wang Xuanba murmured.

Sun Erlang focused on the lines of text before him, attempting to glean more useful information.

Unfortunately, apart from these sentences, there was no additional explanation to be found.

"It seems we're left to figure things out on our own," Sun Erlang's expression darkened a bit.

At that moment, Yue Zhenwei suggested, "Why don't we go back to the boundary where we encountered that dog-headed monster and see what's happening?"

"Their strength was about the same as ours, so as long as we stay on guard and avoid being ambushed, we should be fine."

"Good! I also want revenge! Dying like that was too suffocating!" Wang Xuanba's eyes lit up with a fierce light.

The trio made their way back to the boundary of Qiu Xi State.

Along the way, Sun Erlang noticed they were encountering more cultivators than before, who no longer looked dejected but were instead gathering in groups, seemingly discussing something.

Trying to get closer to eavesdrop, Sun Erlang and his friends found that these people weren't communicating through voice or consciousness but through some means they couldn't detect.

"Maybe we could ask them for information," Wang Xuanba said, eyeing a group of cultivators not far away who seemed to be at the Foundation Establishment phase.

Yue Zhenwei stopped him, "Xuanba, don't act rashly! If we're right, these people can [revive] just like us. Those who aren't afraid of death won't easily spill their secrets through brute force..."

"Let's head to our intended destination first!" Sun Erlang also commanded sharply.

Wang Xuanba nodded, reluctantly shifting his gaze.

This life's Sun and Wang, despite their youth, had learned formidable skills from the Lecture Platform, becoming conceited due to their journey's success until now, only tempered slightly by the ambush by the monster.

Arriving at the site of their previous "demise," they were surprised by the scene: "Why is the world on the other side different from last time?"

The scene with the giant stone by the sea in Shi Lin State was gone, replaced by a fearsome sword forest. Countless rusted swords thrust into the ground, swaying in the wind.

Hum...

Perhaps because they were too close, as the swords in the forest vibrated together, Sun Erlang felt as if he heard a collective sword cry near his ear.

He instinctively dodged, narrowly avoiding an invisible sword qi that grazed his cheek, cutting a piece of flesh. Ignoring the pain from his face, Sun Erlang hurriedly retreated. Without a doubt, had he not dodged in time, more than a mere flesh wound would have been cut off.

"This world seems even more dangerous than the three we encountered earlier?" Yue Zhenwei speculated with a frown.

Afterwards, the trio explored all the worlds adjoining Qiu Xi State.

Sword forests, deep valleys, and one that seemed to be a demonic cult's domain, teeming with thousands of vicious cultivators.

From afar, they could see these demonic cultivators using humans as food, torturing people for entertainment, and refining tools from human bones.

The hellish scene made Wang Xuanba's blood boil, eager to cross over immediately and wipe out the demonic sect.

Yet, he refrained from rash actions in the end, merely spitting in their direction with disdain.

Gathering again to discuss, they pondered, "Should we first try to glean some basic knowledge from the local cultivators here, or venture into another world?"

"It's clear that cultivators in Wuyou Paradise know some rules we're unaware of. Directly questioning them might expose our identities."

"We might not fear death, but could end up trapped here forever."

"Try soul searching? The Saint Teacher mentioned this. Although we haven't formally used it on cultivators, it seems worth a try," Wang Xuanba suggested, eager to proceed.

"Don't forget, we're likely in a dream. Soul searching might not work," they cautioned.

After a brief silence, they decided to give it a shot.

"Find someone isolated and weaker."

"Knock him out first."

It took half a day of searching in Qiu Xi State for them to finally find a suitable target.

This person seemed to be at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, apparently separated from his team and anxiously searching for them.

"Let's do this!"

With a shout, their attacks simultaneously landed on the Foundation Establishment cultivator.

A black whirlwind, a grey axe, and Yue Zhenwei's purple qi sword all struck at once.

However, to their astonishment, their combined attack, powerful enough to severely injure a Nascent Soul cultivator, did absolutely no harm to the Foundation Establishment cultivator before them.

The cultivator's figure flickered as all their attacks missed.

He looked at Sun Erlang and his friends with disbelief, instinctively stepping back.

At the same moment, Sun Erlang noticed the few lines of text that had been in front of him all this time flicker.

Other than this, there was no change except for the amount of Wuyou coins, which now read zero.

Sun Erlang's face twitched.

Wang Xuanba also cried out, "How can Wuyou coins even go negative? I've been docked 100!"

Yue Zhenwei's expression darkened as well, "Me too."

In the brief moment they communicated, the attacked Foundation Establishment cultivator was engulfed in a white light and vanished on the spot, giving them a look as if they were fools before disappearing.

The trio looked at each other in silent bewilderment.

"It seems this must also be a natural restriction within Wuyou Paradise. We are like these cultivators, of the same kind. The monsters we encountered before, including those in the boundary worlds, might be of another kind. Among cultivators, there's no harm done to each other, even leading to punishment, but killing monsters in the boundary worlds leads to rewards, including Wuyou coins," Sun Erlang quickly regathered his spirits after summarizing their experiences.

"Without certainty on what excessive negative Wuyou coins could trigger, it's best we don't find out. Let's head to the boundary worlds first and earn back the negative coins."

With this decision, they abandoned the idea of soul searching.

If they couldn't even hit them, what's there to search for souls!

Frustrated, they consulted and chose the most dangerous-looking of the three boundary worlds, the demonic sect world, based on their intuition.

"Though that place looks full of enemies, those using human bones for refining tools can't be that powerful."

"Their spells are crude and might scare ordinary people but won't block my axe," Wang Xuanba declared confidently.

"Still, we must be cautious. Even though we've died once, I have a feeling that the death count might be more critical than Wuyou coins," Yue Zhenwei said, watching the constantly flickering characters in front of him.

The trio set their plan and ventured into the demonic sect world.

Inside, the countless demonic cultivators were stunned by their sudden arrival from the sky. After a moment of shock, they screamed in an unintelligible language and attacked in droves.

The blood-filled atmosphere and countless resentful spirits seemed terrifying.

"Die, all of you!"

A grey axe easily tore through the combined blood-colored resentful spirits sent by hundreds of demonic cultivators, sweeping through dozens of lives with each swing.

Wang Xuanba was exhilarated by the slaughter.

"Sun Erlang, these demons are even weaker than we thought!"

As he was also swiftly eliminating the demonic cultivators, Sun Erlang didn't agree. Instead, he felt an unsettling feeling, reminiscent of the encounter with the headless dog monster.

He quickly surveyed their surroundings while fighting, looking for the real threat.

"Over there!" Yue Zhenwei pointed out a giant statue within the demonic cult that hadn't appeared when they first observed from outside.

The statue seemed to be made from countless human corpses stitched together, emitting a horrifying aura.

The face of the statue lacked specific features.

Instead, numerous pale arms extended from it, waving in the air.

As Sun Erlang and his friends killed each demonic cultivator, more arms extended from the statue's face as if the dead were being absorbed by the statue.

Sun Erlang hesitated for a moment but decided, "Kill!"

A massive purple qi surged, annihilating thousands of demonic cultivators in an instant, breaking the siege.

However, the fearless demonic cultivators filled the gap again, continuing their frenzied assault.

"What do we do? Kill or not?"

It seemed that killing the demonic cultivators was feeding power to the giant statue, judging by the endlessly growing pale arms. Facing this potential threat, Sun Erlang made a decisive call: "Kill!"

The entire demonic cult land, now devoid of life except for the trio from Daxuan, started to shake violently.

The giant statue, which had remained motionless, suddenly came to life, lowering its head to gaze at Sun Erlang and his friends with an expression of compassion and sorrow, as if they had committed an unforgivable sin.

As the giant pig-headed statue looked down upon them, Wang Xuan ba felt a surge of uncontrollable rage. Noticing the invisible barrier that had been blocking their path disappeared, he was the first to rush forward.

"Today, I'm going to make a meal out of your pig head!" Wang Xuanba roared, his grey axe growing to match the size of the statue, and swung it down directly at the pig head's face.

The pig head statue neither dodged nor avoided but opened its mouth, revealing sharp teeth that clamped down on the axe.

Then, with a crunch, the grey axe exploded into countless pieces, even the grey mist was chewed and swallowed by the pig head statue.

Wang Xuanba spat out blood, his eyes flashing with madness. "Explode!"

The grey mist within the pig head's mouth suddenly surged like unleashed dragons. The cheeks of the pig head bulged, seeming about to burst from the pressure. But to Wang Xuanba's astonishment, the pig head statue inhaled sharply, managing to swallow all the grey mist.

This grey axe wasn't an ordinary magical weapon but Wang Xuanba's Foundation Establishment marvel, the [Mottled Time Axe], awarded by the Saint Teacher for ranking in the top three at the Lecture Platform. Wang Xuanba's method for achieving the Golden Core Realm was precisely by comprehending the laws contained within this marvel.

The axe's grey mist embodied the principle of time's passage, harming enemies with the force of years fleeting. Yet, after swallowing the grey mist, not only did the pig head statue show no adverse effects, but its body seemed to solidify further.

Wang Xuanba's cultivation plummeted to the Qi Refining stage, barely clinging to life, unable to continue the fight.

The series of events happened in the blink of an eye.

Before Sun Erlang and Yue Zhenwei could intervene, Wang Xuanba was already critically wounded.

Seizing the moment the pig head statue was absorbing the grey mist, Sun Erlang messaged Yue Zhenwei, "There must be something we're missing! These boundary worlds in Wuyou Paradise are supposed to be a test. Given the strength the pig head statue has shown, even a Nascent Soul cultivator couldn't stand against it. For us at the Golden Core stage, it's an impossible situation, not a test..."

"There must be some detail we overlooked," Yue Zhenwei concurred, scanning the surroundings again.

As the pig head statue continued its transformation, Sun Erlang realized, "The key to breaking this situation isn't likely to lie with outsiders like us but with..."

A moment of enlightenment struck Sun Erlang, and he urgently transmitted to Yue Zhenwei, "Bypass the pig head statue! Attack the sky!"

Merging into a godlike black wind, Sun Erlang soared upwards.

This black destructive wind was Sun Erlang's Foundation Establishment marvel, the [Absolute Annihilation Wind], personally bestowed by the Saint Teacher!

As the pig head sensed Sun Erlang's actions, its eternally compassionate gaze suddenly filled with anger and fear, roaring for the first time since the battle began.

Just as it was about to intercept Sun Erlang, a purple qi sword flew straight towards it.

The purple qi was vast and powerful, embodying the sun's nascent light, Yue Zhenwei's Foundation Establishment marvel, the [Vast Misty Purple Sword], also a direct gift from the Saint Teacher.

The pig head statue was deterred by the overwhelming purple qi, pausing momentarily.

This brief hesitation allowed Sun Erlang, cloaked in the godlike wind, to break through its defenses and strike the sky above.

Cracks appeared across the sky, revealing its true nature as the ceiling of a vast, dark cave.

The collapse of the false sky, along with the real cave ceiling it concealed, sent the pig head statue into a frenzy. In a bid to escape, a radiant form shot out from within the statue, attempting to flee.

"Fiend!"

A thunderous voice boomed from beyond the heavens as a purple thunderbolt appeared out of nowhere, striking the fleeing light form!

With a scream, the being within the light, a newly born pig demon, was obliterated.

As the purple thunderbolt vanished as quickly as it appeared, the demonic cult was left devoid of life except for Sun Erlang and his companions, who stood amidst the carnage, weary yet relieved.

"Were we just supposed to break the false sky all along, avoiding a direct confrontation with the terrifying pig head statue? And by doing so, allow heavenly punishment to eliminate the pig demon?" they pondered, bewildered by the simplicity of their victory.

As they reflected on their harrowing journey and its sudden conclusion, the trio found themselves back where they began, in the tranquil Qiu Xi State of the Wuyou Paradise, as if awakened from a profound dream. Yet, the lessons and revelations from their ordeal lingered vividly in their minds, hinting at the depth and complexity of the challenges awaiting them in the mysterious and unpredictable realms of Wuyou Paradise.

"The sky's back to its normal, bright color," Yue Zhenwei noted, observing their surroundings.

"My Wuyou coins are no longer negative. Now I have two hundred!" Wang Xuanba announced with delight, despite not fully understanding the purpose of the coins.

Sun Erlang fixated on the few lines of text in front of him.

"Sun Erlang, Golden Core Perfection, Death Count: 1."

"Wuyou Paradise Experience Level: 1."

"Wuyou Coins: 500."

Next to the Experience Level, a small progress bar had appeared, tinged with a pink hue covering almost 30% of its length.

Besides the changes in data, Sun Erlang's mind was filled with new insights.

"Human, the crown of all beings."

"To consume the human brain is to gain wisdom."

"To consume the human liver is to clear vision."

"To consume the human kidney…"

A series of voices continued to emerge in Sun Erlang's mind, offering pure descriptions and explanations without any ominous or evil aura. Yet, the vivid memories of consuming various organs, bringing with them an uncomfortably real taste and sensation, caused Sun Erlang to react physically.

He began to retch uncontrollably.

Witnessing Sun Erlang's sudden discomfort, Wang Xuanba and Yue Zhenwei were puzzled, until Sun Erlang shared his ordeal with them. Their expressions turned pale in empathy.

"Could you become addicted to human flesh after this?" Wang Xuanba half-jokingly asked, a bit scared of the answer.

"This [Spirit Eating Technique] must be the pig demon's cultivation method. Passing the boundary world's test allows one to bring back items from the dream into reality?" Yue Zhenwei speculated.

"Sun Erlang, try activating the [Spirit Eating Technique]," he suggested.

Despite Wang Xuanba's initial shock, Sun Erlang, after a brief hesitation, decided to give it a try.

Suppressing his revulsion, he closed his eyes to connect with the technique. Moments later, he revealed to Yue Zhenwei, "I didn't sense the presence of anyone else cultivating this technique."

Yue Zhenwei stroked his chin in thought, "For such a powerful technique to remain unused in Wuyou Paradise, which has existed for so many years, it's either because the paradise's dream realms are not bound by the law of 'No Same Law Can Be Practiced,' or each dream realm, ever-changing and newly created, provides unique opportunities like the one we just encountered."

Wang Xuanba then had an epiphany, "That means there's something off with this technique."

Sun Erlang shook his head, "The main point isn't the technique itself. While the [Spirit Eating Technique] was used by the pig demon to consume humans, its potential targets are not limited to humans. Any beings with spirit are viable. Therefore, despite not being as direct as the Saint Teacher's teachings, this technique is incredibly powerful. It can be cultivated up to the Nascent Soul stage without issue, and even beyond by consuming spiritual entities to enhance oneself."

Wang Xuanba realized, "A technique with such potential, appearing in a world likely to be encountered by newcomers like us, yet without anyone else practicing it..."

"There are two possibilities. One, the dream realms of Wuyou Paradise are exempt from the restriction of 'No Same Law Can Be Practiced.' Two, the ever-changing nature of dream realms means we stumbled upon a newly formed world," Sun Erlang concluded, as they prepared to navigate further mysteries of Wuyou Paradise with new insights and a cautious approach towards the unknown.