Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 724 - 708: The Arrival of the True Immortal!
Demon Realm.
As Zhouyang and the other cultivators pondered how to persuade those reclusive Tribulation Crossing True Immortals to take action against the demons, the black beast had already completed its sweep of the Demon Realm, turning all the cultivators who couldn't escape in time into its blood meal.
"Not enough, this blood meal is still not enough. You must immediately send a message to my disciple, instructing him to gather another batch of blood meal of this caliber within six months and deliver it to me!"
On the eerie and terrifying altar, after devouring the last Golden Core Stage cultivator brought by Venerable Thousand Souls and others, the black beast was still unsatisfied. It shook its head and gave a new order to several Nascent Soul Stage Demon Cultivators kneeling below. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
Upon hearing this, Venerable Thousand Souls and the others turned pale, feeling despair in their hearts.
This time, the black beast itself had devoured five Nascent Soul Cultivators, and they had captured and delivered nearly thirty Golden Core Stage cultivators for it.
In six months, where could they possibly find so many Nascent Soul and Golden Core Cultivators for it to devour?
"Lord Saint Demon, please understand, gathering so much blood meal in six months is truly unrealistic. Especially since Lord Saint Demon's recent actions have already exposed its power, those cultivators surely won't foolishly enter the Demon Realm to die again!"
"Even though Lord Saint Demon killed eight Nascent Soul Cultivators this time, the number of Nascent Soul Cultivators on the cultivators' side still exceeds ours as demon cultivators, and even though the Ascendant hasn't yet used the trump card bestowed by Lord Saint Demon, gathering the blood meal required by Lord Saint Demon in six months is indeed difficult, indeed difficult..."
Venerable Thousand Souls knelt on the ground, his head almost touching the floor. Despite knowing that these words were not what the presence on the altar wanted to hear, he could only muster the courage to speak them.
As for the other Nascent Soul Stage Demon Cultivators, being able to kneel here alongside him was already a fortune. They dared not speak without being called upon by the black beast.
"My orders will not change. If you cannot bring me enough blood meal in six months, then use yourselves as sacrifices!"
The black beast coldly gazed at the demon cultivators kneeling below, showing no wavering due to Venerable Thousand Souls' explanation.
It was not worried about these demon cultivators disobeying. Those who remained in the Demon Realm, who had seen it, were all implanted with a soul seal. If it wished, it could remotely activate the power of the soul seal to extinguish their primordial spirits at any time.
"Understood, we... we vow to fulfill Lord Saint Demon's orders!"
Venerable Thousand Souls' body trembled violently, and in a trembling voice, he quietly accepted the command, then silently led the others away.
As they departed, the black beast murmured to itself in a voice only it could hear, "I must quickly cross the tribulation and forge the True Demon Body, otherwise, with my current power, I'm still unable to contend with those Tribulation Crossing True Immortals wielding Immortal Artifacts."
It had long known from demon cultivators like "Celestial Corpse Ascendant" that there were Tribulation Crossing True Immortals in this world, and the experience of the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon" served as a constant warning to it.
The demon cultivators like "Celestial Corpse Ascendant" were unaware that it had known the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon" since ancient times, and at that time, its power might not have even matched the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon."
It was merely fortunate. After descending to the lower realm in those days and realizing the situation was adverse, it timely retreated to the True Demon Realm with a group of true demons from the lower realm and successfully ascended to become a Returning to Void Stage Holy Demon during the long years of cultivation.
This time, it could send down a wisp of its split soul because when it retreated from this realm in ancient times, it deliberately left behind a treasure containing its own essence blood along with related summoning secret techniques, which the "Celestial Corpse Ascendant" obtained. Following the instructions, they built an altar under the Ice Sea Demon Abyss and prepared a vessel for it.
Although its main body is now a Holy Demon of the Demon Race, with power far surpassing that of the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon," its descent this time was merely a wisp of its split soul, and it did not bring any powerful demon artifacts.
According to its estimation, unless this split soul incarnation could forge a True Demon Body, its strength would remain about the same as when the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon" broke free and wielded the Tier Seven Demon Spiritual Artifact "Demon Dragon Blade."
In such circumstances, upon learning of the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon's" tragic end, it naturally did not want to expose its existence before the forging of a True Demon Body.
Over the years, it had hidden on the altar at the bottom of the Ice Sea Demon Abyss, relying on the sacrificial blood meals offered by demon cultivators like "Celestial Corpse Ascendant" and the pure demonic qi of the place to refine its cultivation, preparing to face those Tribulation Crossing True Immortals after forging a True Demon Body.
However, plans could never keep up with changes. When Xu Tianlin led Zhouyang and others deep into the Ice Sea Demon Abyss and discovered it sleeping and cultivating on the altar, it could only prematurely expose its strength to silence them.
If not for Zhouyang, with its home-field advantage in the Demon Realm and assistance from demon cultivators like Venerable Thousand Souls, the silencing action might have succeeded.
But Zhouyang's strike directly shattered the Demon Realm's laws, completely ruining its plan to silence them.
Outside the Demon Realm, though it could still display strength far beyond its actual cultivation, it couldn't, like in the Demon Realm, continually draw demonic qi to replenish its magical power and easily harness the power of laws for its own use.
Thus, knowing the consequences of Zhouyang and the others escaping, it could only watch them flee with its eyes wide open.
Having exposed its existence this time, it was well aware that time was no longer on its side.
It must forge the True Demon Body before those Tribulation Crossing True Immortals receive the news and arrive at the Demon Realm, only then will it have full confidence to secure this Demon Realm and have the strength to execute its plan to demonize a realm.
On the other side, Xu Tianlin, after being counseled and enlightened by Zhouyang, quickly regained his fighting spirit. With a heart full of revenge, he led Zhouyang and the others back to Ice City.
Upon their return to Ice City, Nie Yushuang was still outside, leading the cultivators of the Beiting Continent Cultivation Realm to intercept demon cultivators like "Celestial Corpse Ascendant." Upon receiving their urgent news, she promptly hurried to Ice City to join them.
"Fellow Daoist Xu, is what you stated in your message true? This is a matter of great importance, and I must be certain before making any decision!"
As soon as Nie Yushuang returned to Ice City, she couldn't rest for even a moment. She immediately called Xu Tianlin, Zhouyang, and the other Nascent Soul Cultivators who had returned from the Demon Realm and asked them with a face full of gravity about their experience in the Demon Realm.
Xu Tianlin had long anticipated this question. Upon hearing it, he didn't mind and immediately recounted their experience in the Demon Realm in full detail, without any omission or falsehood.
He spoke neither too quickly nor too slowly. After recounting everything, he said to Nie Yushuang, whose expression was constantly changing, "That's the situation. I am willing to take full responsibility for my words. If Fellow Daoist Nie does not trust me, you can verify it with Fellow Daoist Wen and others!"
"Fellow Daoist Nie, every word of Fellow Daoist Xu's is true. We can all testify for him!"
Guo Huaiyang cupped his hands at Nie Yushuang, and with a serious tone, he was the first to step forward to testify for Xu Tianlin.
After his lead, Zhouyang, Master Cyan Yang, and other cultivators from the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm, including the cultivator with the surname Wen, all said in unison, "We can all testify for Fellow Daoist Xu!"
Seeing this, Nie Yushuang's fluctuating expression instantly steadied. She swept her gaze over the cultivators, and finally, her eyes fell upon Xu Tianlin. She gave a heavy nod and said, "Very well, since that's the case, please follow me, Fellow Daoist Xu, so we can activate that item together to send a message to Master Chongyang!"
Half a moment later, in a secret chamber beneath Ice City, Nie Yushuang led Xu Tianlin inside. After sealing the chamber door, he took out a silver-white treasure orb about the size of an egg from his storage ring.
He looked at the silver-white treasure orb in his hand with a complex expression, muttering to himself, "After Master Chongyang achieved the Dao, he left each of our major cultivation realms with a Void Celestial Pearl, so that we can seek his aid in matters that threaten the safety of the entire cultivation realm."
"This Void Celestial Pearl in Nie's hand was originally stored in the ancestral hall of our sect. Only after the demonic calamity broke out did I retrieve it from the ancestral hall to keep with me, just in case. I never thought Nie would live to see the day when I actually need to use it!"
Xu Tianlin was not seeing the Void Celestial Pearl for the first time.
Back when the Heaven-Sundering True Demon wreaked havoc in the Liuyun Continent's cultivation realm, it was the Liuyun Commerce Alliance that used the Void Celestial Pearl left by Du Chongyang for the Liuyun Continent's cultivation realm, and timely summoned this Tribulation Crossing True Immortal to quell the demon chaos.
At that time, he was fortunate enough to witness the use of the Void Celestial Pearl from the side.
Listening to Nie Yushuang's words filled with emotion, he couldn't help but speak words of comfort: "Fellow Daoist Nie, do not worry about the loss of this item. Last time, after my Liuyun Continent's cultivation realm used it, Elder Chongyang provided us with another. I think this time replacing it in the Beiting Continent's cultivation realm will be the same."
Hearing these words, Nie Yushuang let out a long sigh and said, "Alas! If it were possible, Nie wishes there would never come a time to use this item!"
Do not think that just because this Void Celestial Pearl can directly contact a Tribulation Crossing True Immortal, it would be considered handy.
In truth, this item is a typical hot potato, known only to those who handle it how uncomfortable it is.
A Tribulation Crossing True Immortal is not so easily summoned.
If the reason is unjustified, using this Void Celestial Pearl not only would fail to enlist the help of a Tribulation Crossing True Immortal but might invite their disdain and punishment.
Similarly, if one fails to keep this Void Celestial Pearl safe and it falls into the wrong hands, one would also have difficulty explaining to the Tribulation Crossing True Immortal who gave the item.
Nie Yushuang was not worried about facing Master Chongyang's disdain this time. His reluctance to use it was mainly out of lamentation for the calamity faced by the Beiting Continent's cultivation realm.
If not for the rare severity of this demonic calamity, which hasn't been seen in a millennium, why would he use this last trump card?
Despite saying this, his hands did not hesitate, as he promptly infused magical power into the Void Celestial Pearl, activating it.
As a treasure gifted by a Tribulation Crossing True Immortal, the Void Celestial Pearl had high magical power requirements for the user. Even for a cultivator like Nie Yushuang at the edge of becoming a Half-Step True Immortal at the Ninth-Layer Nascent Soul stage, it consumed six-tenths of his magical power to activate it.
If someone like Guo Huaiyang, who had just entered the Later Stage of the Nascent Soul at the Seventh Layer, were to try, it would take infusing all their magical power to accomplish this step.
Once filled with magical power, the Void Celestial Pearl immediately floated away from Nie Yushuang's palm, rising a yard into the air in front of him and radiating dazzling spiritual light.
After a while, as Nie Yushuang and Xu Tianlin patiently waited, they suddenly felt a powerful consciousness awaken from within the Void Celestial Pearl.
Realizing what had happened, both of them hurriedly bowed forward, saying, "Juniors Nie Yushuang (Xu Tianlin), pay respects to Immortal Venerable Chongyang!"
"Immortal Venerable" is a term used among cultivators in the Spirit Realm for those True Immortals at the Tribulation Crossing stage, to differentiate from "Zhenren," considering even Nascent Soul stage cultivators could now self-appoint as "Zhenren."
"Please rise, Fellow Daoists."
After Nie and Xu paid their respects, a magnetic middle-aged male voice echoed within the chamber.
Nie Yushuang and Xu Tianlin raised their heads at the sound, only to see the Void Celestial Pearl had vanished without a trace, replaced by the phantom of a middle-aged man composed purely of spiritual light.
The middle-aged man was extraordinarily handsome, and even as a mere phantom, he was a man of great beauty, surpassing Zhouyang considerably in appearance.
Even as a floating phantom, Nie Yushuang and Xu Tianlin felt a palpable pressure resonating in their hearts.
The man's gaze was not sharp, yet they felt as if all their thoughts and emotions were transparent to him.
Faced with the middle-aged man's phantom, they felt they were facing not a phantom but an insurmountable mountain, a peak that was forever unreachable.
In their hearts, they understood that this was the dichotomy of power between immortal and mortal.
On one side was a Tribulation Crossing True Immortal who had attained the True Immortal Dao Fruit, while on the other, they were still struggling outside the gates of the immortal sect.
The middle-aged man's phantom didn't concern himself with what Nie and Xu had in mind. After they rose, he directly looked at them and asked,
"I am already aware of the demonic calamity erupting in the Beiting Continent's cultivation realm and have sent word for the Ling couple of the Donghua Immortal Palace to organize reinforcements. Why do you still use the Void Celestial Pearl to summon me? Have any ancient remnants of True Demons emerged again?"
Upon hearing his words, Nie and Xu immediately snapped out of it and hurriedly had Nie Yushuang step forward to respectfully reply, "Immortal Venerable, please see clearly. The reason for using the Void Celestial Pearl and disturbing your cultivation is indeed due to a major issue that needs reporting to you!"
As he spoke, Nie Yushuang recounted the incident involving the massive black beast in the Demon Realm.
After explaining, he deeply bowed to the middle-aged man's phantom, pleading genuinely, "The demon is ferocious, and I implore Immortal Venerable to show mercy and save the billions of lives in the Beiting Continent's cultivation realm!"
The middle-aged man's phantom was already visibly serious; he didn't respond to Nie Yushuang's plea but turned his gaze to Xu Tianlin, saying, "Fellow Daoist Xu, please present your battle memories from that day for me to see!"
This request, coming from anyone else—even Nie Yushuang—would be outright rejected by Xu Tianlin without negotiation.
Yet, after a brief hesitation, Xu Tianlin nodded, saying, "Since Immortal Venerable commands, I shall comply."
He then sat cross-legged, using a secret technique to project the battle memories from that day—including what he saw at the altar through the Jade Mirror in the Ice Sea Demon Abyss—into the mind of the middle-aged man's phantom.
This means of projecting one's memories for others to view is something only Nascent Soul stage cultivators can achieve. It is often used to help direct disciples quickly and deeply comprehend the mysteries of the technique being passed down.
After about half a moment, the middle-aged man's phantom finished viewing the memories quickly. He sighed with a heavy tone, "It truly is the Soul Splitting Technique that only a Great Power Returning to Void exists can execute! It seems I must visit the Beiting Continent myself!"
