Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 857 - 2: Donglai Enigma
Zhouyang's complete immortal record is only archived over at Chi Ming Immortal Palace.
He usually travels in the Chi Ming Immortal Realm, entering and leaving Immortal Cities. As long as he doesn't encounter a Tribulation Crossing True Immortal from Chi Ming Immortal Palace, he's not afraid of anyone uncovering his true origin.
Therefore, he is not afraid of being exposed when he tells the 'Master Xuan You' before him that he comes from the Chixiao Immortal Realm.
Even if this 'Master Xuan You' visited the Chixiao Immortal Realm a century ago, he wouldn't be able to determine if Zhouyang was lying from realms apart.
Indeed, after revealing his intentions, 'Master Xuan You' showed no change in his expression and softly said, "So it's Fellow Daoist Zhou, who has come from the distant Chixiao Immortal Realm. On behalf of the Nine Profound Immortal Sect, I welcome Fellow Daoist's arrival. As it happens, it's been thousands of years since I've last visited the Chixiao Immortal Realm. This is a good opportunity to exchange and inquire about the latest happenings there, so I won't be at a loss for words when the topic arises with other immortal friends in the future."
After speaking, he didn't wait for Zhouyang to respond and gently extended his hand, saying, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, please follow me this way. I have already ordered a banquet to be prepared. We can drink and talk freely as we enjoy the feast."
"In that case, it would be impolite for me to refuse. I give my thanks to Fellow Daoist Xuan You for the warm hospitality."
Zhouyang cupped his hands and immediately followed 'Master Xuan You' to an Immortal Hall halfway up the mountain, where they took their seats.
Inside the Immortal Hall, as 'Master Xuan You' had said, beautiful maidservants had already prepared a lavish feast, carrying dishes and drinks.
Once the two Tribulation Crossing True Immortals took their respective host and guest seats, the maidservants gracefully brought various dishes to the long table. More maidservants stood by with different types of immortal brews, ready to refill their cups at any time.
The dishes were each served in individual magical artifacts. Once the lids were removed, they appeared as if freshly cooked, with excellent color, aroma, and taste that would arouse one's appetite.
Zhouyang was well-traveled and knowledgeable, yet he couldn't identify most of the ingredients in these dishes, except for Jiao Dragon Liver, Peng Bird Egg, and Ten Thousand Year Spirit Ginseng.
Even these were enough to make him exclaim inwardly, "Well, isn't this something!"
If such a feast were prepared in the Spirit Realm, any sect bold enough to do so would likely face retaliation from the Demon Race once it spread.
It's likely only in this True Immortal Realm, where the Human Race holds immense power, that such ingredients can be openly used as food without fear of demon retaliation.
Even though Zhouyang had practiced fasting for thousands of years and had already condensed his True Immortal Body, he couldn't resist the culinary temptation presented by the feast.
Without further ado, he indulged in the feast, savoring the meat and broth, and sipping the wine from the cup offered by maidservants, indulging in the delight of taste.
After eating heartily, he smiled at 'Master Xuan You' and said, "It's been many years since I've dined so freely. Thank you for your warm hospitality, Fellow Daoist Xuan You, allowing me this chance to rediscover the joy of living through such delicious food."
Hearing this, 'Master Xuan You' nodded in agreement and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhou speaks true. Even though we've become immortals, we must not forget our roots. Whether as humans or as immortals, we should not completely sever our ties with mortal matters just because we've ascended."
Zhouyang shared this sentiment; otherwise, he wouldn't have involved himself with the matter of the Ten-winged Flame Dragon.
But his true purpose wasn't to engage in philosophical discourse with 'Master Xuan You'; he wanted information about 'True Monarch Donglai', hence avoiding deeper philosophical discussions.
Thus, after talking for about half an hour, Zhouyang seized the chance to reveal his true purpose.
His expression became serious as he cupped his hands towards 'Master Xuan You' and said, "To be honest, Fellow Daoist Xuan You, I came to visit the immortal friends of Nine Profound Immortal City to inquire about a True Monarch senior. If Fellow Daoist knows anything and is willing to share, I would be immensely grateful."
Upon hearing this, 'Master Xuan You' showed a hint of surprise and replied, "Oh? But which True Monarch senior is Fellow Daoist Zhou looking for? News about our Human Race's True Monarchs should be common knowledge. Why inquire specially?"
"I'm looking for news about a True Monarch senior known as 'True Monarch Donglai'. He seems to be a relatively new True Monarch, as none of the immortals I've visited have heard of this title."
Zhouyang spoke in a low voice, explaining the reason to 'Master Xuan You'.
Hearing this, 'Master Xuan You' fell into deep thought, seemingly recalling related information.
After a moment, under Zhouyang's expectant gaze, he slightly shook his head and said softly, "I'm sorry to disappoint, but I have never heard of a True Monarch of our Human Race by that name."
He paused, gazing at Zhouyang with mild curiosity, and asked, "Are you certain there is such a True Monarch in the Human Race? Ordinarily, once someone ascends to True Monarch status, the news would quickly spread across all Immortal Realms."
Zhouyang understood the implication of his words.
Just like in the Spirit Realm, where a "True Man List" could list all the Nascent Soul Stage cultivators of the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm, there are also records in the True Immortal Realm of the Human Race.
Usually, renowned figures like a Returning Void Stage Earth Immortal would have their reputation spread throughout the Immortal Realms through various exchanges.
If 'True Monarch Donglai' were a Returning Void Stage Earth Immortal, someone like 'Master Xuan You', who has lived for tens of thousands of years, would surely have heard of him.
But after finding no trace of the name 'True Monarch Donglai' in any texts, Zhouyang had already considered this issue.
Based on various pieces of information he had learned in the past, he speculated that True Monarch Donglai might have encountered some issues during his promotion to the Returning Void Stage, which led to his reluctance to announce this news or perhaps he simply hadn't had the chance to announce it yet.
However, such speculations should certainly not be shared with outsiders.
Therefore, upon hearing Master Xuan You's words, Zhouyang merely replied evasively, "I too am puzzled by this matter, but back when I had just attained my Dao, I was saved by this senior True Monarch during a perilous time. Later, when I wanted to repay him, I couldn't find him anywhere, which is why I inquire about this senior True Monarch during my travels across various Immortal Realms."
"If that's the case, could it be that the True Monarch was using an alias at the time?"
Master Xuan You tried to analyze.
Zhouyang shook his head lightly at these words and said, "I have considered this possibility, but I think it's unlikely. After all, a dignified True Monarch, even if it's inconvenient to reveal his true name, could easily leave no name at all without resorting to an alias to deal with a junior like me."
"That's true as well."
Master Xuan You nodded slightly, acknowledging Zhouyang's answer.
At this point, seeing that he couldn't obtain the information he wanted, Zhouyang entertained thoughts of leaving.
He sighed lightly and said, "Since Fellow Daoist Xuan You also doesn't know the whereabouts of True Monarch Donglai, it seems I'll have to visit the other two Immortal friends in the city later, perhaps they might know."
This statement hinted at his intent to depart.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing his words, Master Xuan You shook his head gently, saying, "I beg your pardon for speaking out of turn, but if even I don't know about True Monarch Donglai, the other two Immortal friends in the city are even less likely to know, as are any other Immortal friends in this Chi Ming Immortal Realm besides Chi Ming Immortal Palace. Fellow Daoist Zhou, you shouldn't hold too much hope in this regard."
How could Zhouyang not already know this? But having come to this Nine Profound Immortal City, he couldn't help but inquire.
Now hearing Master Xuan You speak this way, he did not hide his thoughts and muttered in disappointment, "Is there really no way?"
"Perhaps Fellow Daoist Zhou could try visiting the Immortal friends at Chi Ming Immortal Palace. Their palace has teleportation arrays connecting them with other Immortal Realms, making travel between realms very convenient, and they have special channels for regularly receiving information from various realms, making them much more informed than the rest of us."
Master Xuan You lowered his head, thought for a moment, and then shared his insight softly.
How could he know, Zhouyang dared to visit him so brazenly because he was certain that Master Xuan You couldn't verify his fabricated background in a short time.
But to interact with a Tribulation Crossing True Immortal from Chi Ming Immortal Palace, Zhouyang had no way to use his fictitious identity.
Faced with Zhouyang, a newly ascended Immortal who was inexplicably cast down in Chi Ming Immortal Realm, what kind of attitude would such a person have? It's really hard to say.
A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall; unless absolutely necessary, Zhouyang would not take such a risk.
Of course, he definitely wouldn't express any of this.
At this point, he merely nodded lightly and said, "What Fellow Daoist Xuan You said makes sense. I will seriously consider your suggestion."
By now, he already wanted to leave, but he feared acting too hastily might arouse suspicion.
Thus, he could only suppress the thought and began proactively sharing some cultivation insights with Master Xuan You.
This was to prevent Master Xuan You from asking about the matters of Chi Xiao Immortal Realm by deliberately guiding the conversation.
After almost a day of such exchanges, Zhouyang felt it was about time, so he found an excuse to take his leave.
Master Xuan You naturally wished to keep Zhouyang to stay a while longer. After all, stationed in this Nine Profound Immortal City, opportunities to communicate with True Immortals from other realms were rare.
But since Zhouyang insisted, he couldn't force him to stay and regretfully had Zhouyang sent out of Nine Profound Immortal City on the Nine Dragon Golden Chariot.
After leaving Nine Profound Immortal City this way, Zhouyang immediately flew westward at full speed.
Since he couldn't gather information on True Monarch Donglai through normal means, Zhouyang now had to resort to an alternative plan: to traverse several Immortal Realms and head to Chi Xiao Immortal Realm, first finding a way to join Chi Xiao Immortal Palace.
As Master Xuan You suggested, while general factions might not know news of True Monarch Donglai, ancient and influential powers like Chi Ming Immortal Palace and Chi Xiao Immortal Palace might.
Moreover, even if Chi Xiao Immortal Palace could not locate True Monarch Donglai, Zhouyang could at least leverage their resources to enhance his own cultivation and search for Jiang Fengxian and her daughter's whereabouts.
A Great Divine Power User capable of taking a mortal mother and daughter duo across realms from the Spirit Realm couldn't possibly be unknown in the True Immortal Realm. Zhouyang did not believe that Chi Xiao Immortal Palace, with its numerous epochs of Immortal Dao heritage, would lack records of such a powerful figure.
As mentioned before, from Chi Ming Immortal Realm to Chi Xiao Immortal Realm, there were three entire Immortal Realms in between!
At Zhouyang's current speed, even at full speed, it would take hundreds of years to reach the Chixiao Immortal Realm.
For a Tribulation Crossing True Immortal, hundreds of years is not considered a long time, but Zhouyang had just recently experienced a long ascent journey and was really not inclined to spend another hundred years traveling.
Therefore, he planned to try another faster method, which was to use the Teleportation Immortal Arrays between the immortal realms.
The human forces in the True Immortal Realm are vast, and their territories are extensive. To facilitate communication between various immortal realms, and to ensure timely support in case of emergencies, all twenty-seven immortal realms are connected by teleportation arrays with neighboring realms.
Through such teleportation arrays, one can traverse billions of miles in an extremely short time, from one immortal realm to another.
These important teleportation arrays are generally controlled by the rulers of the immortal realms and can only be used in a few specific places, and the cost is extremely high.
Zhouyang now planned to head to the nearest location that had such a teleportation array.
After traveling continuously for about three years, Zhouyang finally arrived at a place called "Jingming Lake."
"The lake water is deep blue like a mirror, reflecting the sky. It seems this must be the 'Jingming Lake' recorded on the map."
Above a vast expanse of water, Zhouyang, who had been traveling non-stop from the Nine Profound Immortal City for three years to get here, gazed at the deep blue lake below with a flash of joy in his eyes.
He had flown billions of miles in these three years, yet didn't stop for even a day.
This life of endless traveling can become wearisome even for a Tribulation True Immortal like him after a prolonged period.
But now it was different. Beneath this "Jingming Lake," there was a cross-realm teleportation array. As long as he could take this cross-realm teleportation array, leaving the Chi Ming Immortal Realm would be easily achievable.
Thinking this, Zhouyang paused briefly before continuing to fly deeper into the lake.
Five days later, Zhouyang stopped at the heart of this "Jingming Lake."
His form paused in mid-air, his eyes radiating golden light as he gazed downwards, quickly penetrating thousands of feet of lake water to see a patch of blue spiritual light at the lake bottom.
"Which Immortal Friend is spying outside?"
Suddenly, a majestic and sonorous voice abruptly echoed in the sky.
Then, the deep blue lake water below stirred, suddenly coalescing into a water clone.
As soon as the water clone formed, it looked at Zhouyang and said, "Your appearance is unfamiliar, you should not be from the Chi Ming Immortal Realm, may I know why you have come to the Mirror Ming Villa?"
The water clone was condensed by a representative Tribulation True Immortal of the Chi Ming Immortal Palace stationed here, representing the Chi Ming Immortal Palace in a sense.
Thus, Zhouyang dared not be disrespectful. Upon hearing, he immediately replied, "I am indeed not from the Chi Ming Immortal Realm. As for coming to the Mirror Ming Villa, naturally, I have heard that there is a teleportation array here that can directly reach the Thundering Immortal Realm, and I have come to take it."
"To use the teleportation array, you need to pre-purchase a teleportation token. For someone like you, it's better to verify your Immortal Record first."
Having said this, the water clone instantly dispersed.
Zhouyang understood his meaning.
This was to make him go down to the Mirror Ming Villa to verify his Immortal Record, ensuring he wasn't someone who committed some crime and looking to use the teleportation array to escape the Chi Ming Immortal Realm or to verify that he was indeed a Human Tribe True Immortal, not disguised as a Tier Seven entity of an Alien Race.
Zhouyang was mentally prepared for this on his way here.
Yet, now that he really had to do it, he still felt hesitant.
From the aura exuded by that earlier water clone, the True Immortal stationed below at the Mirror Ming Villa was likely at the late-Tribulation Crossing stage.
A Tribulation Crossing True Immortal of such cultivation, taking advantage of the Guardian Immortal Array below, would truly find it not difficult to take him down if acting against him.
After fighting with the Golden Armored Immortal before, Zhouyang no longer doubted the strength of a late-Tribulation Crossing True Immortal.
Just like the East Sea Dragon Saint had told him in the Linghuan Realm, the disparity in strength between late and early-Tribulation Crossing stages is far greater than that between Late-Stage and Early-Stage Nascent Soul.
"Since the Ascension Platform over there was willing to record me into the Immortal Record and send me to the Chi Ming Immortal Realm rather than detain or suppress me, it proved they harbored little hostility or rejection towards my origin. So even if I encounter native True Immortals who dislike Ascended Immortals, they wouldn't straightforwardly deal with me in the important grounds of an immortal realm."
"Moreover, it's impossible to keep my identity hidden forever; there must eventually be a day when it's known!"
Zhouyang's thoughts turned rapidly, and after some hesitation, he finally gritted his teeth and transformed into a golden light, plunging into the lake below.
In no time, Zhouyang's figure appeared deep in the lake, thousands of feet down, outside the "Jingming Villa" below.
The so-called "Jingming Villa" was actually a cluster of buildings at the lake's bottom. The blue spiritual light Zhouyang had seen before was the array's protective shield isolating the water from the building cluster.
These buildings were not palaces or pavilions but rather strange structures composed of numerous copper pillars, stone towers, and circular altars.
The common feature was that these peculiar structures were densely inscribed with "Golden Seal Text," and the materials seemed to be extraordinarily rare and precious spiritual objects.
After observing for a while, Zhouyang suddenly realized that these strange structures were actually the components of the teleportation immortal array that spanned the Immortal Realm, essentially the array base.
Although his array skills were not low, he found it challenging to comprehend even a fraction of the tier-eight array grandmaster's immortal array, leaving him unable to understand anything.
At this time, seemingly noticing his arrival, the blue spiritual light shield suddenly opened a portal, inviting him inside.
Seeing this, Zhouyang showed no hesitation and immediately entered the portal, entering within the array.
Once inside the array, Zhouyang's figure appeared directly under a stone tower three or forty feet high, where a red-haired elder sat by a stone table, scrutinizing him.
At this, Zhouyang did not rush to speak, instead allowing his eyes to roam with light, observing around as the red-haired elder assessed him.
After a moment, the red-haired elder withdrew his scrutinizing gaze, slightly nodded towards Zhouyang, and said, "Greetings, Immortal Friend. Luo was assigned by the sect to guard this place, but I'm curious where Immortal Friend comes from and why you left the Chi Ming Immortal Realm."
Upon hearing these words, Zhouyang only smiled faintly and said, "Fellow Immortal Luo can check your sect's immortal records to know my origin, and as for why I left the Chi Ming Immortal Realm, naturally it's because I have important matters to attend to in other Immortal Realms."
After all, the other party would definitely need to verify his immortal records, so whether to say or not made little difference.
As for the reason he left the Chi Ming Immortal Realm, there was certainly no need to tell the truth, and the other party was merely asking casually.
Indeed, the red-haired elder was not angered by his words, merely shook his head gently, and said, "Well, since Immortal Friend is unwilling to say more, Luo can check on his own."
Then, in front of Zhouyang, he took out a copper mirror spiritual artifact and aimed it at Zhouyang. After launching a series of spells at the copper mirror spiritual artifact, his Divine Sense immersed within it, seemingly communicating with some existence.
After about a quarter-hour, he looked up at Zhouyang with a surprised expression, an unusual glint flashing in his eyes.
His eyes flickered slightly, then he looked at Zhouyang with a face full of wonder and said, "Tsk tsk tsk, so Immortal Friend Zhou is actually an ascended immortal from the Lower Realm. Truly astonishing, Luo has lived for over forty thousand years and it's the first time I've seen an ascended immortal with only early-stage Tribulation Crossing cultivation!"
His curious demeanor made Zhouyang feel quite displeased, as if being treated like a monkey.
However, since he needed a favor, he couldn't show his displeasure and calmly asked, "Since Fellow Immortal Luo has verified Zhou's immortal record, may I use the teleportation immortal array?"
"Well…"
The red-haired elder slightly lowered his head in contemplation. After a moment, he looked up, nodded at Zhouyang, and said, "It's not impossible, but Immortal Friend Zhou needs to pay twenty-eight pieces of top-grade Spirit Stones."
Just to use the teleportation array once requires twenty-eight pieces of top-grade Spirit Stones, a situation likely to occur only in the True Immortal Realm.
Luckily, back when Zhouyang was residing incognito in the Nine Profound Immortal City, he intentionally sold some items to exchange for top-grade Spirit Stones and also obtained some top-grade Spirit Stones from the Nascent Soul Stage cultivators whom he snatched the Ten Thousand Year Fire Crystal Pearl from, otherwise he wouldn't have enough now.
Even in the True Immortal Realm, top-grade Spirit Stones are hard currency, circulating only among Nascent Soul Stage cultivators and Tribulation Crossing True Immortals.
"I understand, here are twenty-eight pieces of top-grade Spirit Stones, Fellow Immortal Luo, please check if they meet the requirement."
Zhouyang said this, and immediately waved his hand, sending the Spirit Stones toward the red-haired elder.
The red-haired elder was at the late stage of Tribulation Crossing cultivation, such that determining their authenticity was just a glance away.
With a wave of his hand, he collected the Spirit Stones sent by Zhouyang, and then waved his hand again, sending a silver token towards Zhouyang, explaining, "This is the token for the teleportation. According to the rules, the teleportation array will only activate after receiving applications from at least thirty people. Including Immortal Friend Zhou, five more are needed, so Immortal Friend may have to wait a few years before teleportation!"
Zhouyang could afford to wait a few years.
Yet, after pocketing the silver token, he did not hurry to leave but instead cupped his fists towards the red-haired elder and said, "Fellow Immortal Luo, I wish to inquire about some information, would Fellow Immortal Luo be willing to accommodate?"
Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in the eyes of the red-haired elder, who maintained a nonchalant expression and looked at him, asking, "Oh, I wonder what information Immortal Friend Zhou seeks?"
"I wish to inquire about a True Monarch senior. If Fellow Immortal Luo can provide useful information, I will be greatly thankful!"
As Zhouyang spoke, he divulged his quest regarding True Monarch Donglai.
After hearing his words, the red-haired elder pondered for a moment before quickly shaking his head and said, "I'm afraid I must disappoint you, Fellow Daoist Zhou. I have not heard of 'True Monarch Donglai'. "
This response left Zhouyang quite disappointed, because if even the red-haired elder from the Chi Ming Immortal Palace had not heard of 'True Monarch Donglai', it practically meant that he would have a hard time finding 'True Monarch Donglai' through normal means.
Without 'True Monarch Donglai', a Returning Void Stage Earth Immortal as a backer, joining the Chixiao Immortal Palace became his only hope to establish himself in the True Immortal Realm.
Ultimately, he left 'Jingming Villa' with a face full of disappointment.
After leaving 'Jingming Villa', Zhouyang did not go far. He found a small island above 'Jingming Lake' to temporarily reside on and patiently waited for the day of teleportation to arrive.
After waiting like this for two and a half years, the silver token obtained from the red-haired elder finally activated automatically and sent him a reminder.
When he arrived at 'Jingming Villa' again, over twenty cultivators had already gathered there, with nearly a quarter of them being Tribulation Crossing True Immortals, and the rest mostly Ninth-Layer Nascent Soul 'Half-Step True Immortals' and Late-Stage Nascent Soul Cultivators.
Spanning across the Immortal Realm would take Zhouyang, a Tribulation Crossing True Immortal, at least twenty to thirty years of non-stop flight, and it naturally would take several times longer for Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators.
Hence, those Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators with some resources looking to travel across the Immortal Realm basically had no choice but to opt for the Teleportation Immortal Array.
Ultimately, together with Zhouyang, there were a total of thirty-three cultivators taking the teleportation.
This experience of cross-Immortal Realm teleportation was completely unlike Zhouyang's previous experiences with teleportation arrays.
First, the teleportation time was very long; he felt that he had been in the teleportation process for at least several hours.
Moreover, the spatial pressure generated during teleportation was very intense. Even though they all had special teleportation tokens to counteract this, the spatial pressure was enough to crush a Golden Core Stage Cultivator to death, and even an Early-Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator might not necessarily endure it.
This was evident as, after the teleportation ended, the Nascent Soul Stage cultivators who accompanied him were bleeding from the seven orifices and looked extremely fatigued.
"So, this is the Thundering Immortal Realm? It is said that Thundering Valley in this Immortal Realm is a great spectacle of the True Immortal Realm. The celestial thunder within the valley rolls continuously, unchanged for hundreds of thousands of years. Since I've spent all my savings to come to this Immortal Realm, I must visit it for a glimpse of such a spectacular sight, only then would this trip be worthwhile!"
Just as Zhouyang was about to leave the Teleportation Immortal Array to proceed to the next realm's Teleportation Immortal Array, he suddenly overheard an accompanying Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator muttering about Thundering Immortal Realm.
He paused slightly and lowered his head to ponder.
Regarding the so-called Thundering Valley, he indeed had read about it in ancient texts. It is said that the reason behind the unchanged thunder phenomena for hundreds of thousands of years is that a top-ranking Great Divine Power User with mastery over Thunder Attribute Law 'Transformed the Dao' there, creating the Thunder Dao that resulted in such a unique place as Thundering Valley.
Nobody knows how much truth there is in the rumor, but Thundering Valley is indeed an excellent place for cultivators aspiring to comprehend Thunder Attribute Law, and even many Tribulation Crossing True Immortals would travel across multiple Immortal Realms to come here for cultivation.
Zhouyang originally intended to head straight for Chixiao Immortal Realm without any side trips.
But since crossing realms is never easy, now that he happened to be passing through Thundering Immortal Realm, not visiting Thundering Valley would indeed make this trip to Thundering Immortal Realm a waste, potentially leaving a regret for the future.
Thus, after some thought, he decided to spend a few years visiting Thundering Valley.
Of course, before doing this, he needed to report his Immortal Record to the ruling power of Thundering Immortal Realm, the Thundering Celestial Palace.
Reporting the Immortal Record was simple. He could directly report it to the Tribulation Crossing True Immortal stationed at this Teleportation Immortal Array by the Thundering Celestial Palace.
As long as he reported the correct name and origin, the Thundering Celestial Palace could naturally obtain his complete Immortal Record from the Ascension Platform.
Of course, this complete retrieval was limited to loose immortals like him without a significant background.
If he were a True Immortal of the Chi Ming Immortal Palace, he would only need to show the Immortal Palace Token symbolizing his identity, and people from the Thundering Celestial Palace would only be able to access basic name and appearance information from his Immortal Record.
This showed that even in the True Immortal Realm, even at the Tribulation Crossing True Immortal level, the treatment for prestigious immortals with a background and that for wandering loose immortals is immensely different.
This is why Zhouyang wanted to join the Chixiao Immortal Palace and strive to become one of the prestigious immortals of prominence.
In the True Immortal Realm, perhaps only ascended immortals like him, with a clean background, have the chance to join a prestigious immortal palace after achieving immortal ascension and become a prominent immortal among them.
Other local Tribulation Crossing True Immortals, including those promoted from loose cultivators to Tribulation True Immortals, basically never have a chance to join those immortal palaces.
After all, for a force like the Chixiao Immortal Palace, the presence or absence of one Tribulation Crossing True Immortal does not affect them significantly.
As long as the top Returning Void Earth Immortals remain unharmed, they do not need to worry about the continuation of sect inheritance and tradition. In terms of lifespan, the lifespan of a Returning Void Earth Immortal is over ten times that of a Tribulation Crossing True Immortal!
Therefore, when recruiting outsiders, forces at this level prioritize background and origin, being most afraid of inadvertently recruiting an outsider with an unclear background into the sect's upper echelons, resulting in the leaking of the sect's top-secret information.
In the local true immortal realm, a tribulation crossing true immortal—during their long journey of cultivation—comes into contact with numerous individuals, making it really difficult to discern whether they might be an undercover pawn or spy cultivated by some power.
Therefore, the best method is simply not to recruit such cultivators.
In contrast, ascended immortals don't pose such concerns.
After all, an ascended immortal is highly unlikely to be associated with the powers in the true immortal realm, especially someone like Zhouyang, who ascended from a lost world like the "Spirit Realm," making any connection even more unlikely.
In summary, after Zhouyang reported his name and origin, and had it verified by a true immortal from the Thundering Celestial Palace, he left the site of the teleportation array amidst the slightly astonished gaze of that true immortal.
Without a map of the Thundering Immortal Realm, Zhouyang went out to first find an immortal city to purchase one, then followed the map's guidance to the location of the Thundering Valley.
Fortunately, the location wasn't too far from where he was situated; at his speed, it would take him about two and a half years to reach.
The true immortal realm is vast and rich with varied landscapes, each immortal domain having its unique scenery.
The Thundering Immortal Realm is interwoven with a network of water, with many long rivers and great lakes.
Notably, many lakes and great marshes in the true immortal realm could be termed as seas.
For instance, the most famous great lake within the Thundering Immortal Realm, "Thunder Marsh Lake," spans over one hundred and seventy million miles in width, with its largest island extending over one million four hundred thousand miles in length and nine hundred thousand in width, nearly equivalent to a continent.
The culmination point for most rivers in the Thundering Immortal Realm is the "Thunder Marsh Lake."
However, this doesn't mean there isn't any sea in the true immortal realm; in fact, the top alien race in this realm, comparable in strength to the human race, is divided by a vast sea tens of billions of miles wide, allowing the two major powers to exist peacefully side by side.
While on his way to the Thundering Valley, Zhouyang also needed to pass not far from a lakeside of the "Thunder Marsh Lake." He took several extra days to admire the grandeur along the lake's shore.
Seeing the azure waters of "Thunder Marsh Lake," like an endless ocean, deep and boundless.
Zhouyang soared high, his gaze stretching far with pupil technique divine techniques, spanning over hundreds of thousands of miles, yet saw only scattered islands like stars on a chessboard, unable to glimpse the opposite shore.
Sweeping his divine sense across, he found the lake's depths generally exceeding a thousand fathoms, with numerous aquatic demon beasts inhabiting its waters.
The demon race is also a major race in the true immortal realm, though still lagging behind the human race, their overall strength is within the top ten.
Interestingly, the two races have a longstanding alliance in the true immortal realm, allowing the demon race to propagate and dwell within each human domain, while the demon domain itself also hosts ordinary humans and human cultivators.
However, while the races won't recklessly slaughter demon beasts or cultivators within each domain, neither will they offer much protection; survival falls on one's own ability to preserve life.
This means that as long as there isn't organized large-scale hunting of demon tribes within various immortal domains, regular demon beast hunting is uncontroversial, and vice versa.
Nevertheless, if a demon reaches tier seven true spirit within an immortal domain, or a cultivator ascends within a demon domain, they must first leave for the other side's domain.
At a glance, Zhouyang could see many cultivators and demon beasts locked in fierce battles above and below the lake's surface.
Witnessing these scenes, he couldn't help but sigh deeply, "The true immortal realm is not teeming with spiritual objects, after all, local cultivators must still risk life and death battling demon beasts and alien races, or among themselves. I wonder if those in the lower realm, who hold idyllic fantasies about the true immortal realm, would still harbor such hopes and expectations knowing this!"
Having been in the true immortal realm for several years and visited many places, meeting countless cultivators.
Zhouyang's impression of the true immortal realm is that, although spiritually resource-rich, battles and conflicts are not fewer than those in the lower realm.
Cultivators living in the true immortal realm, aiming for immortal ascent, likewise must face life-threatening perils and countless trials to succeed.
Their fortune compared to lower realm cultivators lies in that, as long as they can earn enough spirit stones in the true immortal realm, and reach a certain level of cultivation, they will never lack spiritual objects aiding realm breakthroughs.
Whereas, in the lower realm, many things remain unattainable, as they've long gone extinct or are nearing extinction.
Ultimately, without becoming a true immortal, it's difficult to find true freedom.
Only by becoming a tribulation crossing true immortal, with the capability to traverse across immortal domains, owning an extensive lifespan, can one freely journey through various immortal domains, demon domains, and alien territories, without being burdened by mundane affairs.
After marveling at the vast spectacle of "Thunder Marsh Lake," Zhouyang continued his journey to Thundering Valley.
After two and a half years of continuous travel, he finally arrived at this famous scenic spot in the Thundering Immortal Realm.
Thundering Valley, named as a valley, is actually not small.
It is located in the depths of remote mountain ranges, spanning over a thousand miles in diameter.
In this area of a thousand miles, the sky seems to have been altered by something, with countless silver-purple lightning forming clouds that fill the sky.
The continuous rumble of thunder constantly emanates from the thunderclouds, and can be faintly heard from miles away.
And beneath those thunderclouds, due to countless years of lightning strikes, a deep crater of unknown depth has formed.
Fortunately, the thundercloud does not move, or else the surrounding mountains and land would all turn out like this.
Zhouyang gazed into the distance, his eyes scanning around, clearly seeing many cultivators with powerful auras sitting around Thundering Valley in contemplation, seemingly trying to comprehend something, including some figures of Tribulation Crossing True Immortals.
As he swept his gaze over, some people seemed to sense it and looked up towards him, some frowned, some smiled in response, and some were indifferent.
It was quite interesting.
To avoid offending people too much, Zhouyang quickly withdrew his gaze and with a wave of his sleeve, released Lan Daoist: "Fellow Daoist Lan, why don't you take a look at Thundering Valley as well? It's said that this place is a holy land for enlightenment. Perhaps we can try to comprehend something here and see if we can gain any insights."
Lan Daoist, who had spent most of the time stored within a pocket world spiritual artifact Zhouyang had refined, was unaware of what Zhouyang had been through. Upon hearing his words, he looked at the silver-purple thundercloud with mild surprise and said enthusiastically, "Oh, is there such a treasured place? Then I must give it a good try."
The two of them then followed the example of those cultivators trying to comprehend the thunder attribute laws, sitting cross-legged on a mountain peak less than thirty miles from the thundercloud, and began to meditate quietly.
Settling down to observe the thundercloud, Zhouyang discovered that it was indeed densely packed with thunder attribute laws. No, it should be said that it was the source of the thunder attribute laws.
If comprehending thunder attribute laws in regular places was like seeing a wisp of smoke - visible but hard to touch -
then at this moment, the thunder attribute laws in the thundercloud appeared to Zhouyang as water, as ice, something he could easily touch and feel.
This was both an advantage and a disadvantage.
The advantage is that observing and comprehending thunder attribute laws like this allows for rapid enlightenment, and one can easily grasp the deeper layers of thunder attribute laws.
The disadvantage is that because these thunder attribute laws are too powerful and violent, attempting to touch them easily invites their attack, leading to complete annihilation!
Zhouyang and Lan Daoist stayed here for almost a month and witnessed several Nascent Soul Stage cultivators, ignorant of the depths, attempt to greedily contact the thundercloud with their divine senses, only to be struck by celestial thunder and turned into ashes instantly.
But they also saw several Tribulation Crossing True Immortals specializing in thunder attribute laws, deliberately dividing their divine senses to contact the thundercloud after careful preparation, to perceive the thunder attribute laws within.
The result was that although they also provoked the celestial thunder, they endured the strikes with their powerful strength, suffering only minor injuries, and were able to happily absorb and digest the insights gained from touching the thundercloud while healing their wounds on the spot.
Seeing this situation, Zhouyang and Lan Daoist discussed it and decided to give it a try as well.
Of course, Zhouyang would not use his main body but instead summoned his external incarnation to try.
His incarnation also possessed Tribulation Crossing cultivation and had a deep understanding of thunder attribute laws, mastering the fusion method of [Wood God Thunder] and [Wood God Thunder], and crucially, its material was special, giving it great resistance to thunder attribute attacks.
With his main body and Lan Daoist's protection, the incarnation prepared slightly and then divided its divine senses to touch the silver-purple thundercloud.
Since it was his own incarnation, Zhouyang, using the Unity Secret Technique, could obtain synchronized perception.
Thus, when the incarnation's divine senses touched the thundercloud, his main body could also feel and gain insights equally.
How to describe that feeling?
It's like a greedy bear suddenly falling into a honey jar, a full, blissfully intoxicated feeling, making one wish to stay in it forever!
But that feeling only lasted for a moment.
The next instant, a heart-racing sense of danger arose naturally.
Then a water bucket-thick silver-purple lightning shot out from the thundercloud, appearing instantly above Zhouyang's incarnation.
Fortunately, Zhouyang's main body and Lan Daoist were prepared, immediately unleashing their methods to protect the incarnation.
Yet despite this, even including Zhouyang's renowned immortal artifact [Qianyang Golden Tower] and immortal techniques divine techniques, they were blown away and scattered by that lightning strike, and in the end, a part of the lightning still landed on the incarnation, charring its entire body, leaving it battered and bruised.
"How do you feel, Fellow Daoist Zhou?"
The Lan Daoist knew the details of Zhouyang's incarnation and did not feel that this bit of lightning damage could do much, so he quickly and eagerly began to inquire about the situation.
"Now I truly have some belief that this place was indeed formed by the transformation of a top-level Great Divine Power User!"
Zhouyang's true body exhaled a light breath and could not help but softly sigh.
Before Lan Daoist could further inquire, he began to speak of his own feelings.
"I suppose Fellow Daoist Lan is also very familiar with the notion of Transformation Dao. It is said that when a top-tier Great Divine Power User fails in Harmonization Dao, they will transform their body into the Dao, merging their lifetime of cultivation into the Heavenly Dao, leaving not a trace in this world!"
"This thundercloud, when my Divine Sense touched it earlier, it felt as if I directly touched the Thunder Dao. Various profound laws of the Thunder Attribute were vividly transmitted into my heart, as if I was instantly enlightened!"
"It can be imagined that if one could let their Divine Sense remain in that thundercloud without hinderance, it would be akin to having the Heavenly Dao impart its teachings; one's comprehension speed of the Thunder Attribute laws could increase a thousandfold, even allowing one to step directly into the Void!"
"But that is impossible. If one's Divine Sense stays in that thundercloud for too long, it might be unable to withdraw, eventually becoming like the Great Divine Power User who transformed into the Dao, with the Primordial Spirit merging into this Thunder Dao, leaving only an empty shell behind!"
Zhouyang, speaking to this point, exclaimed with a fortunate expression, "Fortunately, the Heavenly Dao has its order and does not allow low-tier existences to pry into the Origin Dao, so anyone attempting to peek into the Dao Laws within the thundercloud would face a counterattack from the Dao Laws, thereby avoiding the danger of the Primordial Spirit transforming into the Dao!"
After hearing his words, Lan Daoist gazed intently at the silver-purple thundercloud, muttering softly to himself, "So it seems the reputation of this place for enlightenment is not just blown out of proportion but is truly effective!"
Zhouyang heard this and couldn't help but gently shake his head, saying, "Of course, there is value, but if you truly wish to gain enough, you must stay here for a hundred years, which I don't have the time for at the moment!"
"Is that so?"
Lan Daoist glanced at him, then bowed his head, lost in thought.
After pondering for quite a while, Lan Daoist seemed to make up his mind, suddenly looking at Zhouyang and saying, "If I wish to stay here in secluded cultivation for several hundred years, I wonder if Fellow Daoist Zhou would agree?"
"Fellow Daoist Lan, your meaning is..."
Zhouyang looked at Lan Daoist, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"Given your current cultivation power, I am not of much help to you by following by your side. And you know that I have quite some foundation in the Thunder Attribute laws. Now that there is this rare opportunity, I want to see if I can make further breakthroughs in the Thunder Attribute laws while my Immortal Body has not fully formed. This may greatly benefit my future formation of the Immortal Body!"
Lan Daoist's eyes met Zhouyang's as he spoke his intent in a low tone.
He knew that saying this now was somewhat inconsiderate.
After all, when Zhouyang released him, he had promised to follow Zhouyang through the True Immortal Realm until the Immortal Body was fully formed.
But the opportunity was too rare, and with it concerning his own path, he could not bother with these minor principles.
After hearing his words, Zhouyang's expression changed silently for quite a while before he finally sighed lightly and said, "Very well, since Fellow Daoist Lan has decided and since this involves your path, how can I stop you? I wish you success and an early ascension!"
Lan Daoist immediately nodded heavily, responding, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, rest assured, should I achieve success, I will come to Chixiao Immortal Realm to find you and continue our previous agreement!"
"Then I shall be waiting for you in the Chixiao Immortal Realm,"
Zhouyang nodded slightly, soon collecting his emotions and began helping Lan Daoist to engage with the thundercloud.
Although he didn't plan to stay here any longer, he had to ensure Lan Daoist had a firm footing in this place before leaving.
In the following six months, the true body and incarnation of Zhouyang continuously helped Lan Daoist attempt contact with the thundercloud above Thundering Valley, assisting him in familiarizing himself with this cultivation method.
Moreover, before departing, he assisted Lan Daoist in forming a cooperative relationship with an early-stage Tribulation Crossing True Immortal practicing Thunder Attribute Techniques, whereby they could assist each other in resisting the counterattacks of Celestial Thunder to comprehend the laws.
After spending nearly half a year there, Zhouyang once again set off alone for the journey to the Chixiao Immortal Realm.
ps: After a month, the second extra chapter was updated, with a few thousand words less than the previous one, largely due to last month's poor state and a bit related to the subscription performance of the previous chapter.
I'm not sure if the nearly 100 Starting Point Coins subscription fee for the last chapter scared off some folks or if not many are interested in reading the Immortal Realm side story, as a month has passed and the first extra chapter has yet to reach a thousand subscribers! (See diagram in the easter egg chapter)
But it doesn't matter, now that I've started writing the extras, I will carry on regardless of how few the subscriptions are, just that the time frame might be a bit longer!
This chapter has fewer words, but I'll strive to write a few more chapters this month with a length of six to eight thousand words!
Lastly, I'd like to ask for your subscriptions, as compared to the time spent writing extras, I've genuinely not made much money from it!
