Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 862 - 7: Immortal Pill, Descending to the Mortal World

Having experienced this before, Zhouyang didn't push things to the extreme.

He only transplanted all the Immortal Medicine and some top-tier Spirit Elixir that had the potential to become Immortal Medicine within ten thousand years, leaving the rest untouched, and even replanted some Spirit Elixir.

After transplanting all the Immortal Medicine and Spirit Elixir from the Ruined Blessed Land, Zhouyang dared not linger inside any longer.

Who knew what was going on with the Corpse Immortal outside; what if it quickly suppressed the restless Thunder Calamity, or overcame it?

Zhouyang didn't want to meet and fight such a monster again.

After leaving the Ruined Blessed Land and appearing in the "Corpse Immortal Valley," seeing nothing unusual around, he immediately moved out of the valley at the fastest speed.

Upon exiting the perilous "Corpse Immortal Valley," Zhouyang quickly found the nearest exit path on the map.

Now that his primary purpose for entering Mist Immortal Valley was achieved, there was no need to continue wandering recklessly in this Fallen Immortal Forbidden Land; safety was the best policy.

When choosing the road, Zhouyang didn't think much about it, only wishing to leave Mist Immortal Valley as quickly as possible.

But after walking quite a distance on this road, he gradually realized that the actual situation of the road had deviated significantly from what was recorded on his map.

It was normal for the actual road conditions to differ from the map records, since the last update of Zhouyang's map was ten thousand years ago.

On the roads he traveled before, there were similar circumstances.

But this time was different.

This situation was more severe, significantly more so.

For instance, the area originally marked as a mountain range on the map was actually a vast sea that Zhouyang saw at present.

For instance, the ruins recorded on the map were not visible at all now; there was only a huge pit, with no water accumulated in it, as if all the soil had disappeared into thin air.

Another common occurrence was the numerous Spatial Rifts, almost comparable to those in the "Corpse Immortal Valley" forbidden land.

"This place must have undergone a great battle, and it was a very intense one. The cultivation and power of the combatants must have been no less than Late-stage Tribulation Crossing!"

Looking at those power residue traces, Zhouyang's expression turned serious, and he already contemplated retreating in his mind.

He chose to walk through here because it was a known safe route on the map.

But from the current situation, this safe route was clearly no longer safe.

He didn't know what lay ahead, but not wanting any more trouble, he had no curiosity to find out.

So, he quickly retraced his steps.

But after retreating less than a hundred miles, he was ambushed by a formidable foe.

At that time, Zhouyang, who was making his return, suddenly sensed a trace of abnormal spatial fluctuation.

This prompted him to quickly summon his Lifebound Immortal Artifact, the [Qianyang Golden Tower], to protect himself.

Thankfully, he summoned the [Qianyang Golden Tower] with its suppressive power, or else he would have suffered a great loss.

Because the thing attacking him this time was neither a Corpse Immortal nor a Demon Beast, but a powerful Void Beast!

This Void Beast had a tiger-like appearance, but with six fleshy wings, and instead of a tiger-like "King" marking on its forehead, it had an eight-sided rhombic crystal.

As soon as this beast appeared, it launched a sneak attack on Zhouyang with the Space Great Divine Technique "Spatial Severing."

At that moment, the space where Zhouyang stood was suddenly divided into an upper and lower half, with a powerful tearing force threatening to slice his True Immortal Body, which was comparable to a True Spirit of the same tier, in half!

Fortunately, he timely activated the [Qianyang Golden Tower] to protect himself, using its suppressive power to slightly delay the tearing force, thereby creating an opportunity to escape.

After narrowly escaping death, Zhouyang immediately identified the mastermind behind the ambush.

But when he saw the appearance of the Void Beast, especially the eight-sided rhombic crystal on its forehead, his face instantly changed.

Most Void Beasts in Mist Immortal Valley have the potential to produce Void Crystal Stones, Spatial Spiritual Objects, though the chance might be one in a hundred kills.

But a certain kind of Void Beast is guaranteed to produce Void Crystal Stones, and of the highest quality.

That is the Void Beast with the eight-sided rhombic crystal on its forehead, known as the "King of Void Beasts" that Zhouyang had now encountered.

The "King of Void Beasts" is a name given to such powerful Void Beasts by True Immortals, meaning kings among Void Beasts, very rare.

This kind of "King of Void Beasts" possesses at least Late-stage Tribulation Crossing strength, and at its peak can rival a Returning Void Stage Earth Immortal!

"No, if it's a King of Void Beasts, the power of that 'Spatial Severing' just now is definitely not limited to this extent!"

Zhouyang thought to himself, but his hands didn't stop moving.

He quickly formed a spell seal, using the [Indestructible Golden Bell] Immortal Technique to protect himself, and then summoned the [Qianyang Golden Lamp], attempting to capture the opponent's aura.

But this attempt caught nothing.

Moreover, he soon sensed a powerful space fluctuation emerging from above his head.

Then he saw the space above suddenly cracking open, from which silver-gray Spatial Turbulence gushed out.

The appearance of Spatial Turbulence made any attempt to use Instant Teleportation Divine Techniques impossible for Zhouyang, not to mention that in front of an existence like the "King of Void Beasts," he dared not flaunt his space divine abilities at all.

He could only shout lowly and leap into the [Qianyang Golden Tower], using this Immortal Artifact as a boat to forcibly cross the Spatial Turbulence.

Boom!

Suddenly, a loud noise rang out as Zhouyang, steering the [Qianyang Golden Tower] to forcibly traverse the Spatial Turbulence, seemed to be struck violently by something, getting knocked back into the turbulence just as he was about to emerge.

Damn it!

Zhouyang's heart sank, and his face immediately turned extremely ugly.

The "King of Void Beasts" was clearly not just stronger than ordinary Void Beasts but also smarter, knowing to trap him in the Spatial Turbulence to confine and wear him down.

And for an existence like the "King of Void Beasts," guiding the appearance of Spatial Turbulence required little effort.

However, the actions of the "King of Void Beasts" further confirmed Zhouyang's suspicion.

The "King of Void Beasts" he encountered was clearly not a real "King of Void Beasts," although it looked identical, its power was certainly inferior to a true "King of Void Beasts."

Otherwise, a true "King of Void Beasts" wouldn't need to use such a method against him.

Having confirmed this, Zhouyang was no longer as panicked as when he first saw the "King of Void Beasts."

His eyes turned cold as he suddenly charged out from the interior of the [Qianyang Golden Tower], transforming into a hundred-zhang long Purple-Gold True Dragon.

The ferocious Spatial Turbulence could indeed tear even a True Immortal Body, but it was insufficient against the Purple-Gold True Dragon that Zhouyang had transformed into.

Many True Spirits with strong bodies in the True Immortal Realm possess the ability to freely roam within Spatial Turbulence.

However, Zhouyang was nonetheless not a real True Spirit; his current transformation was merely a clever technique, relying on his physique's strength comparable to a True Spirit.

Yet a True Spirit is called so not just because of its strong physical body but also due to its unique way of pursuing the Grand Dao.

This is something cultivators cannot successfully imitate.

Just as a drop of True Dragon's essence blood can promote a Tier Five Demon Snake to evolve into a Tier Six Flood Dragon Demon King.

But not even a drop of Immortal Blood from a Returning Void Stage Earth Immortal can enable a Golden Core Stage cultivator to successfully form a Nascent Soul.

Thus, Zhouyang had to escape the Spatial Turbulence as quickly as possible and couldn't afford to delay here any longer.

In the silver-gray Spatial Turbulence, a hundred-zhang Purple-Gold True Dragon held a Golden Treasure Pearl in its mouth, a Lotus Treasure Lamp on its head, bearing a Golden Treasure Tower on its back, charging powerfully towards the outside with the momentum of a trapped dragon ascending to the skies.

As Zhouyang expected, when he was about to break free from the Spatial Turbulence, the "King of Void Beasts" indeed launched another attack on him.

This beast's six seemingly real yet illusory wings flapped, its body appearing directly beside the Purple-Gold True Dragon that Zhouyang had transformed into, opening its mouth to bite Zhouyang's dragon body.

Although Zhouyang had a strong body, how could he easily let this "King of Void Beasts" bite him?

The [Qianyang Golden Tower] on his back immediately radiated golden light, fiercely smashing towards the "King of Void Beasts."

Yet the beast, despite being in Spatial Turbulence, could still perform Instant Teleportation Divine Techniques, dodging the strike with a flash and reappearing at Zhouyang's dragon tail, redirecting its biting target to the dragon tail.

Now Zhouyang wouldn't hold back.

His dragon tail swung gracefully, avoiding the "King of Void Beasts"'s maw, and heavily swatted its head.

However, the "King of Void Beasts" also had a semi-virtual, semi-real body, so half of the force of Zhouyang's strike was diffused upon impact, causing little damage.

Nevertheless, this strike sent the "King of Void Beasts" flying, and Zhouyang used the momentum to accelerate his own escape.

Unwilling to let Zhouyang leave just like that, the "King of Void Beasts" quickly performed an instant teleportation, reappearing directly in front of Zhouyang and spat out a silver-gray bubble towards him.

Instinctively, Zhouyang sensed the dangerous nature of the silver-gray bubble, so he immediately activated the [Qianyang Treasure Pearl] in his mouth, using the [Law Body] divine technique to transform into a streak of firelight and leave the spot.

In the next moment, Zhouyang's figure emerged outside the chaotic flows of space, returning to Mist Immortal Valley.

Booming sounds!

Almost as soon as he appeared outside, a violent explosion erupted from the chaotic space behind him.

This violent explosion directly turned the chaotic flows into a space storm, with storm-like spatial power spreading in all directions, devouring everything in its path.

Space storms, typically appearing only within the chaos void or space faults, now manifesting in the real world, posed a completely destructive impact.

Fortunately, Zhouyang noticed it in time and quickly retreated a certain distance, avoiding being swept into the space storm.

As he watched the space storm devouring everything, he suddenly understood how the enormous crater he saw before had formed.

But what of the vast waters?

What power formed them?

Zhouyang did not ponder further, for the "King of Void Beasts" was pursuing again.

"You vile beast, don't push me too far!"

With an unsightly expression, Zhouyang glared at the "King of Void Beasts," his tone filled with indescribable anger.

Eager to return to Chixiao Immortal Palace to refine Immortal Pills, Zhouyang found such chaotic battles utterly pointless.

He could hardly kill the "King of Void Beasts," nor could the creature kill him.

But the "King of Void Beasts" gave no response to his enraged words.

A fierce gleam flashed in its eyes, and the eight-sided rhombic crystal on its forehead suddenly shot out a silver ray, slicing through everything towards Zhouyang.

The speed of the space divine technique was incredibly fast, providing no time to dodge.

Yet Zhouyang, being a Tribulation Crossing True Immortal, was quite sensitive to fluctuations in the laws, despite not matching the "King of Void Beasts" in space laws.

Just as the "King of Void Beasts" moved, he expertly raised the [Red Sun Dragon Spear] in his hand to stab forward, the spearhead colliding with the slicing silver ray.

The spearhead, made from the horn of a Tier Seven Top-grade Flame Dragon, was extremely hard. Even the slicing silver ray only left a shallow crack on it.

Immortal Artifacts have self-repair capabilities; as long as there's no fundamental damage, they can be restored after a period of nurturing.

Zhouyang didn't want to entangle with the "King of Void Beasts" anymore. After blocking its attack, he immediately retraced his steps towards "Corpse Immortal Valley."

He knew that relying on himself to shake off the "King of Void Beasts" was unlikely.

The only plan now was to see if he could divert the disaster eastwards, leading the "King of Void Beasts" to battle the corpse immortal monster.

However, Zhouyang hadn't run far before the "King of Void Beasts" blocked him again.

This time, the "King of Void Beasts" didn't use any ostentatious space divine techniques, but suddenly opened its mouth wide and inhaled toward Zhouyang.

In an instant, Zhouyang felt the surrounding space flip, with the heavens spinning and the earth overturning, all seeming to be twisted and swallowed by a domineering force.

Then, everything went black around him, and the scene shifted from Mist Immortal Valley to a dark, secluded, mysterious space.

Where is this place...?

Zhouyang glanced around the space with a look of shock and doubt, finding he couldn't sense any trace of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi here. Even the Heaven and Earth laws, apart from space laws, seemed faintly existent, almost as if they were absent.

Amidst pondering where he was, a terrifying spatial distortion force pressed down upon him.

Oh no!

Feeling the terrifying force approaching, Zhouyang hurriedly activated the [Qianyang Golden Tower] to protect himself.

But the waves of distortion force came relentlessly, like endless tides, and after a brief resistance, he realized he absolutely couldn't endure through attrition.

There is no Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi here, meaning he can't absorb it from the outside to restore his Immortal Yuan Magical Power, and the power of the Immortal Techniques and Divine Techniques he uses will be greatly weakened, which is very disadvantageous for him in the long run.

Moreover, Zhouyang now regains his senses and recalls the previous performance of the "King of Void Beasts," vaguely speculating about the place he is in.

If it is indeed as he suspects, he must get out of this space as soon as possible.

It seems there's only one move left to use!

A fierce glint flashed in Zhouyang's eyes, and he immediately summoned the [Qianyang Golden Lamp] to hover above his head, then rapidly formed a series of spells with his hands toward the Treasure Lamp.

In an instant, the Treasure Lamp shone brightly and began rotating rapidly above his head.

It was evidently visible that with each rotation of the Golden Lotus Treasure Lamp, Zhouyang's aura grew stronger.

After completing eighty-one rotations, his cultivation aura reached the level of a Late-Stage Tribulation Cultivator.

But that was not the end!

In the surge of his aura, Zhouyang swiftly formed another spell he had learned from the Chixiao Immortal Palace, a Secret Technique to stimulate potential, sacrificing one-third of his Essence Blood in exchange for a magical power surge lasting an hour.

Boom!

A powerful and unparalleled magical energy surged from Zhouyang's body, and under the stimuli of two methods of potential arousal, his magical cultivation directly advanced from the Mid-Tribulation to the Late-Tribulation stage.

The powerful magical energy flowed within him, granting Zhouyang an unprecedented feeling of power.

After slightly adapting to the changes in his body's magical power, he immediately performed his Lifebound Immortal Technique, [Eternal Fierce Sun].

Dazzling golden flames burst forth from Zhouyang, causing the surrounding black space to finally change.

Under the influence of the golden flames that could melt even space, Zhouyang could see that the space he was in was a sealed elliptical space, resembling the stomach of some creature.

And the spatial shock force constantly assaulting him felt like the squeezing force produced by stomach peristalsis.

Seeing this, Zhouyang immediately knew that his guess was correct.

He was indeed swallowed into an independent space within the "King of Void Beasts" by some mysterious devouring Divine Technique.

This explains why he couldn't sense a trace of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi here, nor feel the existence of the Heaven and Earth Laws.

Although he didn't know what other means the "King of Void Beasts" had waiting for him, he realized he definitely couldn't stay here longer and must break this space to escape as soon as possible.

With that in mind, Zhouyang immediately gripped the [Red Sun Dragon Spear] in his hand, pouring his Immortal Yuan Magical Power into this Immortal Artifact until this Tier Seven Middle Grade Immortal Artifact began to tremble from the excessive magical power, yet he didn't stop.

To escape the peril, Zhouyang was willing to sacrifice this Tier Seven Middle Grade Immortal Artifact!

Go!

When he felt the Immortal Artifact Dragon Spear in his hand reached its limit, Zhouyang mustered all his strength and threw it fiercely towards the sky in front of him.

The Dragon Spear pierced the sky, triggering a massive tremor throughout the space.

Vaguely, Zhouyang seemed to hear an enraged roar.

Has it driven the beast furious?

A cold gleam flashed in his eyes, his figure swiftly following the Dragon Spear.

But just when Zhouyang thought he could escape, the Dragon Spear penetrating the void was suddenly moved out of his sight, its presence becoming faintly perceptible.

That damned beast!

Zhouyang's expression turned incredibly grim, his figure halting involuntarily.

At this moment, pondering where the [Red Sun Dragon Spear] had been moved to by the "King of Void Beasts" would do no good for escaping danger. The urgent task was to think of another way to break this space.

Mind buzzing with thoughts, Zhouyang quickly went through all the available methods he could employ, soon recalling an Immortal Technique, [Void Shattering Spear].

To tell the truth, he had obtained the method to cultivate this Immortal Technique in the Spirit Realm but had never delved deep into it.

The reason Zhouyang hadn't practiced [Void Shattering Spear] before was simple; his cultivation level at the time made practicing this Spatial Attribute Immortal Technique quite difficult, not something achievable in the short term.

However, now that he was trapped in the body space of the "King of Void Beasts," with the attacking Immortal Artifact [Red Sun Dragon Spear] taken away, this Spatial Attribute Immortal Technique was the only thing that could help him escape.

Fortunately, with his current cultivation and magical power temporarily boosted to the Late-Tribulation stage through Secret Technique enhancement, and the spatial laws here, although weak in other aspects, were unaffected and even more active than in the True Immortal Realm.

Zhouyang, who had previously cultivated the Immortal Technique Divine Technique [Void Shattering Spear], still had a solid foundation. At this moment, he wielded this divine technique with even greater cultivation. Although it wasn't as skilled or swift as other Immortal Techniques Divine Techniques, there was no real obstacle.

Now, the "King of Void Beasts" seemed to notice Zhouyang's movements. The continuous power of spatial distortion suddenly became much more fierce, while the familiar spatial storm took shape.

At this moment, Zhouyang gambled with all his trump cards, summoning his External Incarnation to cooperate with the [Qianyang Golden Tower] to protect himself, while dedicating most of his energy to wielding the [Void Shattering Spear].

After nearly a quarter-hour of exertion, a spear, almost transparent, appeared in Zhouyang's hand.

This [Void Shattering Spear] seemed very unstable and looked like it could dissipate at any moment in Zhouyang's hand. Its consumption of magical power left Zhouyang astonished.

Even when previously wielding the [Red Sun Dragon Spear], Zhouyang's consumption of immortal Yuan magical power was only thirty percent of what it was now.

Seeing this consumption of magical power, Zhouyang gained even more confidence in the power of this Immortal Technique Divine Technique.

"Ha!"

He uttered a low cry, and the spear in his hand flew straight into the void ahead.

Instantly, the void shattered and ripped apart wherever the spear passed.

The [Void Shattering Spear] lived up to its name, easily breaking the void.

Having learned from past lessons, once the Void was torn open by the spear, Zhouyang rushed into the opened spatial rift.

However, much to Zhouyang's surprised dismay, he did not appear in Mist Immortal Valley but found himself in a place resembling the Chaos Void. Unlike before, there was no Chaos Power, only tumultuous spatial turbulence and storms.

"Where is this?"

He furrowed his brow, glancing around but finding nothing.

Suddenly, he closed his eyes to maximize his perception, quickly discovering that although the environment here was extremely harsh, his perception of Heaven and Earth Laws was much more intense, indicating he had indeed left that separate space.

Faintly aware, Zhouyang sensed the presence of the "King of Void Beasts" in a certain direction.

This made him ponder, questioning that wasn't he already inside the King of Void Beasts? So what was the cause of that presence?

Yet time didn't allow him to think further; he had to escape danger before the duration of the potential-exploding secret technique ended, otherwise he truly faced the threat of falling.

Thus, after brief contemplation, he quickly decided to head directly toward the direction of the "King of Void Beasts" presence.

Since Zhouyang couldn't discern up from down or left from right, finding the King of Void Beasts might provide an escape method.

The raging spatial turbulence and storms made movement extremely difficult and arduous for Zhouyang, who was now driven purely by his resolve.

Approximately half an hour later, Zhouyang finally witnessed the presence of the "King of Void Beasts."

To Zhouyang's surprise and skepticism, the "King of Void Beasts" he sensed appeared extremely weak and feeble, its form seemed incredibly illusionary, entirely devoid of its previous might.

However, reality allowed Zhouyang no time to ponder those details; his potential-exploding secret technique was running out, soon thrusting him into a weak state with receding cultivation.

Thus, to avoid danger before his cultivation regressed, Zhouyang surged fearlessly toward the "King of Void Beasts."

"Roar!"

The weakened "King of Void Beasts" bellowed and attacked Zhouyang upon discovering his approach.

As it appeared, not only did its aura seem significantly weakened, but its genuine power was also considerably vulnerable.

With his current state of triggered potential, Zhouyang smashed it within less than a quarter-hour!

"Is it truly dead?"

"Why didn't it escape?"

Zhouyang stared incredulously at the body of the diminishing "King of Void Beasts," unable to believe he truly slew the beast.

He suspected that the "King of Void Beasts" he saw might not be its true form, but merely a clone.

Yet, upon the demise of the "King of Void Beasts," Zhouyang indeed perceived that the surrounding space was collapsing, disintegrating, vanishing.

"What on earth is happening here?"

Until Zhouyang returned to Mist Immortal Valley, he hadn't deciphered the situation's underlying reality.

But as he looked at the eight-sided rhombic crystal stone left on the ground due to the death of the "King of Void Beasts," he knew that all this was real.

That "King of Void Beasts" was indeed dead, mysteriously dying at his hands.

That's enough.

He didn't need to figure out the details right now; he could take his time to reflect and ponder once he returned to the Chixiao Immortal Palace and even consult with a Returning Void Stage Earth Immortal like [Li Yang True Monarch].

So he quickly pocketed the high-quality [Void Crystal Stone] on the ground, then followed his senses to retrieve the [Red Sun Dragon Spear] that had been moved and taken away by the "King of Void Beasts," and continued along the route he had originally chosen.

Since the "King of Void Beasts" had already died, there should be no more dangers on this path, so he didn't need to turn back.

Half a year later, Zhouyang finally managed to walk out of Mist Immortal Valley, the Fallen Immortal Forbidden Land.

At this time, the side effects of continually using secret techniques to stimulate his potential became apparent. He suddenly lost a large amount of essence blood, making his complexion frail and weak, like a patient bedridden for a long time, and his aura had fallen to that of an early-stage Tribulation True Immortal who had just achieved Immortal Ascension.

In this state, Zhouyang didn't even dare to directly take the teleportation array back to Chixiao Immortal Realm but instead temporarily secluded himself in a deserted wilderness to slowly recover his primordial qi.

Fortunately, his journey to Mist Immortal Valley was quite fruitful, and among the gains were several top-tier spirit elixirs greatly beneficial for his recovery of primordial qi.

To quickly restore his primordial qi, Zhouyang didn't hesitate to refine these spirit elixirs into elixirs and ingest them.

Despite this, by the time Zhouyang had restored half of his depleted primordial qi, twenty years had elapsed.

The higher one's cultivation, the harder it is to get hurt; this is a fact.

But similarly, the higher one's cultivation, the longer it takes to recover from injuries.

Those with lower cultivation can find many spirit elixirs and spiritual objects to help shorten the recovery time.

But for a tribulation crossing True Immortal like Zhouyang, finding spirit elixirs and spiritual objects helpful for recovery from injuries is quite challenging.

Zhouyang still consumed several healing spirit pills made from top-tier spirit elixirs this time. Otherwise, relying solely on his meditation and conditioning would not have restored his primordial qi in less than a hundred years.

At this point, as his primordial qi had just somewhat recovered, he couldn't wait to return.

Indeed, when he took the teleportation array back to Chixiao Immortal Realm, his slightly weakened state did attract the attention of the True Immortal guarding the teleportation array.

However, since he revealed his identity as an Elder of Chixiao Immortal Palace, the other party, after probing with a few indirect questions, didn't stir any further trouble and let him use the teleportation array.

After he returned to Chixiao Immortal Realm, Zhouyang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Not daring to delay, Zhouyang casually greeted Master Lie Hu, who guarded the teleportation array, and directly headed back to the mountain gate.

Back at the mountain gate, Zhouyang didn't rush to meet Master Zishan or [Li Yang True Monarch], just sent a message saying he was safe, then secluded himself in his cave dwelling to restore his primordial qi.

Another thirty years passed before Zhouyang completely replenished the primordial qi lost in Mist Immortal Valley.

Only then did Zhouyang go to see Master Zishan, explaining his experiences in Mist Immortal Valley, and asking him to accompany him to visit [Li Yang True Monarch].

Opening the furnace to refine Immortal Pills is a major sect affair. The refining of Immortal Pills can only be guaranteed by someone like [Li Yang True Monarch], a Returning Void Stage Earth Immortal, naturally needing to report and seek their consent.

"Mist Immortal Valley has existed for so many years, and its Immortal Elixirs and Treasures have long been plundered by past cultivators. Even if there are remaining treasures, none are not in those absolutely dangerous places. I didn't expect that on your first visit, Huan Yang, you would have such great harvests, truly a remarkable fortune and exceptional luck!"

In "Li Yang Blessed Land," after [Li Yang True Monarch] heard Zhouyang's recount of the Mist Immortal Valley experience and saw the Immortal Elixirs he brought back, he was considerably surprised at Zhouyang's harvest.

"What the ancestor said is very true; I've also been to Mist Immortal Valley and even ventured into Corpse Immortal Valley. However, that Corpse Immortal was indeed formidable and elusive. Though I could suppress it at the time, I couldn't make it retreat due to knowing its difficulties, nor could I engage it in a prolonged battle. Finally, I had to leave there."

"I didn't expect Junior Brother Huan Yang, with merely mid-stage tribulation cultivation, to snatch food from the tiger's mouth and bring back so many Immortal Elixirs from under the eyes of that Corpse Immortal. Truly astonishing!"

Master Zishan also did not hide his amazement at Zhouyang's harvest, his face full of smiles.

Although most of the Immortal Pills refined from Zhouyang's harvest this time would be distributed to him, Zhouyang was now also a member of Chixiao Immortal Palace.

So, regardless of the circumstances, it would strengthen Chixiao Immortal Palace's power, benefiting it.

Zhouyang, being praised by the two, did not dare to show any pride, simply responding humbly: "Junior was merely fortunate. I still need to ask the ancestor and Senior Brother Zishan about the situation when I encountered that 'King of Void Beasts'. Until now, I remain puzzled about how I managed to slay the beast and leave Mist Immortal Valley."

Hearing him mention this, both [Li Yang True Monarch] and Master Zishan couldn't help but enter a thoughtful state.

Earlier, Zhouyang had already explained the events in Mist Immortal Valley in detail, so there was no need to elaborate further. It now depended on their knowledge and insight to resolve the uncertainty.

After several hours, [Li Yang True Monarch] suddenly relaxed his brow, seemingly having an idea.

"Ancestor, could it be that you've thought of the reason?"

Master Zishan, upon noticing the change in Li Yang True Monarch's expression, immediately spoke up to ask the question Zhouyang wanted to ask.

This was the kind of question that only he could ask without any reservations.

"I, the ancestor, only thought of one possibility, but whether it is true or not, there's no way to verify it. Just listen to it casually."

Li Yang True Monarch glanced at Master Zishan and Zhouyang and immediately shared his speculation.

"First, you need to know where the Void Beasts come from. There have been many theories about the origins of these creatures, but the most reliable one is that Void Beasts originate from Chaos Giant Beasts. They are creatures that, by chance, survived after straying into realm rifts. To survive in such an environment, they had to transform their chaotic attributes into spatial attributes."

"However, though the attributes of Chaos Giant Beasts have changed, their essence still exists. Therefore, they cannot survive for long in the True Immortal Realm. Void Beasts usually appear in places where the realm barriers are unstable, allowing them easy access to realm rifts."

"As for the King of Void Beasts, they are Chaos Giant Beasts transformed into Void Beasts, which, due to certain special opportunities, have fused with the power of spatial origin, undergoing a secondary mutation and evolution. The time they can stay within the realm is greatly extended compared to other Void Beasts."

"But regardless, even for such a being as the King of Void Beasts, the essence of the Chaos Giant Beast still exists, and thus they are repelled within the realm."

"Huan Yang, you mentioned that the Void Beast King that attacked you initially did not display the power typical of a true Void Beast King, and that previous battle marks remained in that battlefield. All this proves that it had battled a formidable enemy not long ago and most likely was severely injured in the enemy's retaliatory strike before falling and suffered an injury to its origin."

"An injured origin inevitably leads to a power decline for the Void Beast King. At this time, it should have retreated into the realm rift to heal and restore primordial energy. Yet it lingered within Mist Immortal Valley, aggressive as ever. The reason behind this is difficult to speculate."

"But the Void Beast King eventually displayed great divine techniques, swallowing Huan Yang within its independent world, which you broke through. This surely caused it backlash, possibly triggering old wounds, worsening its injury."

"And Huan Yang, you said the last Void Beast King you encountered appeared weak and powerless. I suppose that what you saw was akin to a state like our Cultivators' Primordial Spirit, losing its body as a shell, naturally losing much strength."

"Of course, all this is just the ancestor's speculation. The actual situation is impossible to ascertain now. In any case, the fact that you safely returned, Huan Yang, is good enough."

Li Yang True Monarch calmly shared his speculations, providing answers to Zhouyang's inquiries.

After he spoke, Zhouyang and Master Zishan appeared thoughtful.

Master Zishan pondered for a while and then whispered, "The ancestor's speculation seems possible. But the identity of the person who severely injured the Void Beast King, which True Master might it be? A True Master cultivating Water Attribute Techniques with cultivation reaching at least the Late-Tribulation Crossing Stage. In the Thousand Mountains Immortal Realm and nearby realms combined, they number less than two hands. If tracing it, it should be easy!"

Li Yang True Monarch, however, waved his sleeve, decisively stating, "Why trace such matters? Since the sect of the fallen True Master didn't announce the news, why should we meddle unnecessarily, arousing suspicion?"

Upon hearing this, Master Zishan bowed his head and admitted his fault. "The ancestor's reprimand is right. I was thinking too much as a disciple."

"Enough, let us not discuss other matters. This time, the immortals brought back by Huan Yang are indeed sufficient for the sect to open the furnace for refining a batch of Immortal Pills. Next, I, the ancestor, shall retreat to refine Immortal Pills. Sect affairs shall be handled by Zishan, no interruptions unless something paramount occurs, disturbing me!"

Li Yang True Monarch waved his hand, finishing his speech by sending them away.

Upon seeing this, Zhouyang and Master Zishan exchanged a glance and respectfully exited the "Li Yang Blessed Land."

After returning outside, Master Zishan invited Zhouyang to the sect's main hall, where he usually presided over sect affairs.

"Junior Brother Huan Yang, the immortals you brought back this time amount to seventeen plants. Set aside those used by the ancestor for pill refining, plus the few replenished by the sect, we have quite a few remaining. Do you want these immortals accounted as Immortal Merits in the records, or would you like to keep them in the sect's medicinal garden as personal items?"

Zhouyang had considered this question long ago. Upon hearing Master Zishan's mention, he immediately replied, "Junior Brother, those immortals are of little use to me. Better hand them over to the sect for disposal!"

These immortals that cannot refine Immortal Pills to enhance cultivation are of little use to him, as he lacks the ability to refine Immortal Pills and cannot collect enough immortals to refine a batch of Immortal Pills.

Thus, it's better to hand them over to the sect and convert them into recorded Immortal Merits.

It's worth mentioning the merit system of Chixiao Immortal Palace, which has two merit systems: one targeted at cultivators below the Tribulation Crossing Stage True Immortal, and another aimed at immortals above the Tribulation Crossing Stage True Immortal.

The merit system for immortals above the Tribulation Crossing Stage is generally abbreviated as "Immortal Merit." For instance, Zhouyang turning over one ordinary immortal grants him one Immortal Merit, whereas a rare immortal could grant two or even more Immortal Merits.

These accumulated Immortal Merits can be exchanged for Immortal Treasures, Immortal Artifacts, Immortal Pills, and other Immortal items, or they can be used for transactions between fellow sect members.

For example, if Zhouyang wants to deal with a formidable enemy but lacks strength, he can spend Immortal Merits to request assistance from fellow True Immortals like Master Zishan or Master Lie Hu.

He can even directly use these Immortal Merits to exchange for certain immortals from the sect's medicinal garden!

Earning Immortal Merits, however, is extremely difficult.

Zhouyang previously investigated the Cyan-faced Ghost Immortal case and earned only half an Immortal Merit, demonstrating the rarity of Immortal Merits.

"Since Junior Brother Huan Yang says so, I, the Senior Brother, shall not be bashful. These remaining immortals shall be calculated as thirteen and a half Immortal Merits for you. How does that sound?"

Master Zishan briefly calculated in his mind, then reported his accounting price to Zhouyang.

Immortal Merits are precious, so each must have detailed records and withstand scrutiny by fellow sect True Immortals.

If one dares to fake records in this regard, it is self-severance from the sect.

However, Zhouyang knows that Master Zishan's current calculation actually gives him half an extra Merit, likely to help him round off to fourteen Immortal Merits.

No one could find any fault with Zhouyang's flexible handling in this matter.

He remembered this favor in his heart and nodded with a smile, saying, "Let's do as Senior Brother Zishan suggests."

Zhouyang currently had no plans to use these Immortal Merits, intending to save them for significant future endeavors.

After bidding farewell to Master Zishan, he returned to his Dongyang Peak to patiently await news from Li Yang True Monarch.

Refining an Immortal Pill is not something that can be accomplished overnight. Even a Returning Void Stage Earth Immortal like Li Yang True Monarch cannot successfully refine it without several years.

Zhouyang decided to take the opportunity during this waiting period to train some of his disciples.

At this time, forty to fifty years had passed, and Zhouyang's sixth disciple, Wang Qian, had also advanced to the Ninth Layer of the Golden Core, preparing for Nascent Soul Formation.

Nascence Soul Formation is a matter of life and death, and even though Wang Qian has been designated as Zhouyang's direct disciple, and the various spiritual objects required for Nascence Soul Formation are top-grade, there is still no absolute guarantee of success.

Zhouyang knows that this disciple is likely burdened with concerns and worries.

After all, only by successfully forming a Nascent Soul can he truly become the direct disciple of this Tribulation Crossing True Immortal, and truly hope to achieve immortal ascension.

Therefore, Wang Qian, despite having many top-grade spiritual objects on hand, feels more pressure in his heart compared to ordinary cultivators, and even more than those registered disciples.

So, after returning to Dongyang Peak a few days later, he called this disciple to the cave for a talk.

He looked at the disciple before him, who had lowered his head, and slowly asked, "You should have visited the sect's Reincarnation Platform, right? How many lifetimes have you experienced so far?"

The Reincarnation Platform is a unique structure in Chixiao Immortal Palace, built to temper the disciples' character, centered around an immortal artifact, the Reincarnation Illusion Heart Mirror, and set up with a Tier Seven Immortal Array-level illusion array.

Any cultivator entering the illusion array, once shone upon by the Reincarnation Illusion Heart Mirror, will have their consciousness temporarily drawn into the realm, experiencing cycles of reincarnation and multiple lifetimes.

This experience of reincarnation and rebirth is incredibly real, sometimes even causing permanent damage to a cultivator's mind.

Yet it is extremely beneficial for tempering the cultivator's character.

According to countless years of statistics from Chixiao Immortal Palace, any Golden Core Stage cultivator who can experience over seven lifetimes in the illusion realm has at least a sixty percent higher chance of overcoming the "Heart Demon Tribulation." If they can endure nine lifetimes without deviating from their heart, almost certainly they can pass the "Heart Demon Tribulation."

Therefore, every cultivator in Chixiao Immortal Palace preparing for Nascent Soul Formation will challenge the Reincarnation Platform and experience at least three lifetimes before daring to close themselves off for Nascent Soul Formation.

Upon hearing Zhouyang's inquiry, Wang Qian immediately became nervous and replied, "Disciple is incapable, currently can only experience five lifetimes."

Upon hearing this, Zhouyang was not surprised, merely looking at him and nodding slightly, saying, "Experiencing five lifetimes is quite good. However, you are still young, with three to four hundred years of lifespan left. There's no need to rush. It's best to wait until you've experienced seven lifetimes before proceeding with Nascent Soul Formation!"

Though his tone was calm, Wang Qian perceived it as an order regarding his own fate.

Thus he quickly and respectfully responded, "Disciple will obediently follow Master's decree."

"Do not carry too much mental pressure. Your condition has already surpassed ninety percent of the Golden Core-stage cultivators within the sect. If you cannot succeed in Nascence Soul Formation, it will be even harder for them!"

Zhouyang further reassured the disciple before dismissing him.

In the following seven years, Zhouyang was on Dongyang Peak, guiding the various disciples in their cultivation paths and personally refining several magical artifacts and protective objects for them.

After seven years passed, the Immortal Pills from Li Yang True Monarch were successfully refined without any accidents.

This time, Li Yang True Monarch did not refine the Nine Revolutions Golden Liquid Pill that Zhouyang had previously obtained, but rather another Immortal Pill with similar effects, the Taiyi Flying Immortal Pill.

A total of nine Immortal Pills were produced. Since Zhouyang provided the main Immortal Elixir, he solely obtained five of them, while the remaining four were exchanged for by Master Lie Hu and Master Jinlan with Immortal Merit.

With five Taiyi Flying Immortal Pills and an additional Nine Revolutions Golden Liquid Pill previously obtained, Zhouyang now held six Immortal Pills.

With these six Immortal Pills assisting him, if everything proceeds smoothly, he is certain to reach late-Tribulation Crossing Stage within a thousand years!

However, just as Zhouyang acquired the Immortal Pills and prepared to retreat and refine them, Master Zishan suddenly summoned all the sect's True Masters to the sect's main hall for a meeting.

"Today, calling all junior brothers urgently back is because our sect just received an important message that needs to be communicated to all junior brothers, and to seek everyone's opinions."

In the sect's main hall, Master Zishan's gaze swept across the True Master Elders Bai Chuan, Master Lie Hu, Master Huan Yang, and Master Lie Hu, before saying in a deep voice, "The message comes from the True Grotto Immortal Court, stating that they've found another interface where Ancestor Chi Xiao once stayed, which even contains a tradition passed down by the Ancestor, including a formidable True Master-level expert!"

"According to the statement from the Immortal Court, they can help our sect transmit two True Masters below late-Tribulation Crossing Stage to go over, but this time they demand three Flaming Sun Immortal Crystals as recompense!"

ps: I forgot to post it last night!

Additionally, the author's new book "I'm a Waste Spiritual Root Becoming a Cultivation Realm Boss" has over a hundred thousand words now, and based on the readers' feedback, it's quite good. Interested readers might want to check it out!