Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 864 - 9: Li Yang Realm [Super Long - ]
The Li Yang Realm, Celestial Ruins Mountain Range.
Accompanied by the rise of dazzling white light, two radiant suns suddenly appeared in the sky, one golden and one red.
At this moment, all Tier Seven beings in the Spiritual Mountain Blessed Lands throughout the Li Yang Realm felt something and turned their gazes towards the Celestial Ruins Mountain Range, faces drastically changed.
Meanwhile, many cultivators from the Li Yang Realm who were adventuring at the periphery of the Celestial Ruins Mountain Range also fixed their eyes on the celestial phenomena in the depths and resolutely ventured deeper towards the source.
Clearly, these cultivators all regarded this celestial phenomenon as the emergence of some exotic treasure, wanting to seize a share.
At the center of this phenomenon, the two suns of gold and red gradually retracted their brilliance, revealing two True Immortals, one wearing a golden robe, the other a red robe.
"This oppressive feeling from the Heavenly Dao Will is really unnerving. No wonder the True Immortals of the Lower Realm are all desperate to enter the True Immortal Realm!"
In the sky, Master Lie Hu just reined in his external magical power and divine light, frowned slightly, and expressed his discomfort.
After speaking, he realized there was another Ascension Cultivator beside him.
Embarrassment flashed across his face, and he quickly explained, "Uh, Junior Brother Huan Yang, don't misunderstand, it's just a slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue!"
"No problem, Senior Brother Lie Hu, you're actually right. This feeling of being monitored and suppressed is indeed uncomfortable."
Zhouyang waved his hand slightly, indicating he wasn't bothered by it.
Seeing this, Master Lie Hu's expression relaxed, and he asked Zhouyang, "What should we do next? I'm not familiar with the situation in the Lower Realm, so I'll need you to make the decisions, Junior Brother Huan Yang."
Prior to this descent, Master Zishan had privately talked with Master Lie Hu, suggesting that he listen to Zhouyang's advice during their actions, essentially implying to prioritize Zhouyang.
Normally, even though both were in Mid-Tribulation Crossing Stage cultivation, for such a suggestion from Master Zishan, Master Lie Hu would have some opinions of his own.
But recently, he had benefitted from Zhouyang by receiving two Immortal Pills from the sect, thus he felt obliged to respond positively.
So now, without putting on airs, he straightforwardly established his attitude from the start, avoiding awkwardness for Zhouyang.
Understanding Master Lie Hu's intentions from his words, Zhouyang pondered briefly before softly proposing, "If Senior Brother Lie Hu has no objections, we should first find some local Nascent Soul Stage cultivators to understand the situation. At least find out the number of Tier Seven beings in this realm."
"Excellent, we shall follow your advice, Junior Brother."
Master Lie Hu smiled and agreed wholeheartedly.
Then the Two Immortals simultaneously looked at the sky overhead.
In the sky, the gap caused by their forceful descent was slowly repairing under the influence of the Heavenly Dao Will, appearing as though it would completely recover in a few days.
If they followed this gap out now, they could easily return via the reception path from the True Immortal Realm.
Unfortunately, their mission was not yet complete, so they missed this return opportunity.
"Let's go; before understanding the situation, we should avoid encountering those Tier Seven beings of this realm."
Saying this, Zhouyang's Divine Sense swept out, quickly discovering someone approaching from thousands of miles away.
He and Master Lie Hu immediately moved, instantly teleporting to that person's presence.
Three days after Zhouyang and Master Lie Hu left, a Tier Seven True Spirit of the demon race arrived at the Celestial Ruins Mountain Range.
This being revealed its true form resembling a toad, with a third closed eye growing between its two eyes.
Upon arrival at the spot where the two immortals descended, the powerful aura left by them startled the toad's pupils, causing its body to tense up.
A moment later, realizing it was overreacting, it let out a shameful "Ribbit" and attempted to retrospect the scene via the "Circular Light Retrospect" technique.
The attempt predictably failed.
The moment the mirror showed the scene before the departure of the Two Immortals, a burst of golden light flashed, instantly dispelling its divine technique.
"Two Mid-Tribulation Crossing Human Race True Immortals, what is their purpose here? Why does the Heavenly Dao Will harbor such intense rejection and hostility towards them, wishing we would all rise against them?"
A strange glint flashed in the toad's eyes, its eyeballs whirling.
After reaching Tier Seven, beings of this tier do not lack the power to resist the Heavenly Dao Will.
So, they can choose to abide by the commands sent by the Heavenly Dao Will or ignore them.
The choice often depends on whether the benefits of taking action outweigh the disadvantages of inaction.
If dealing with a being could pose a life-threatening risk, and the benefits gained are inadequate, naturally, they won't act.
Unless there is another circumstance compelling them to act.
That is when someone attempts to destroy this realm, ruin what they care for.
In the toad's eyes, it was highly unlikely the Two Immortals were here to destroy the Li Yang Realm, eliminating the worst-case scenario.
Thus, its curiosity revolved around the background of the Two Immortals and the reason for the Heavenly Dao Will's intense aversion to them.
Though curious, the toad wasn't foolish enough to directly pursue the Two Immortals.
It was kidding! They were two Mid-Tribulation Crossing entities, both surpassing it in a minor realm. Together, they could easily kill it. How could it dare chase after them alone?
Hence, it waited in the Celestial Ruins Mountain Range, anticipating the arrival of other Tier Seven beings of the Li Yang Realm to discuss the matter jointly.
Meanwhile, Zhouyang and Master Lie Hu, after leaving the Celestial Ruins Mountain Range, quickly started interrogating a few captured Nascent Soul Stage cultivators in a secluded area to extract the desired information.
Being True Immortals of the Tribulation Crossing stage, they had methods to directly retrieve memories from the Nascent Soul Stage cultivators' Primordial Spirits, negating the need for interrogation.
This automatically filtered out information; in less than a day, the Two Immortals gained an overall understanding of the Li Yang Realm.
The history of the Li Yang Realm was not worth mentioning, as even Nascent Soul Stage cultivators wouldn't know it.
Similarly, regarding the exact number of Tier Seven beings in the Li Yang Realm, Nascent Soul Stage cultivators couldn't know comprehensively.
However, they found answers regarding the current power structure, situation of major forces, and the inheritance of "Chixiao Dao Ancestor" they cared about from the memories of several Nascent Soul Stage cultivators.
According to Zhouyang's memory review, unlike the Linghuan Realm which had only one continent, the Li Yang Realm contains three continents: Gouli Continent, Ju Yang Continent, and Chiyu Continent. They are currently in Ju Yang Continent.
Three continents, three Cultivation Realms, with Chiyu Continent being the most prosperous area, and although Gouli Continent has a larger land area than the other two, it's sparsely populated and dominated by the demon race.
Because the three continents are located extremely far apart and vast sea monster forces occupy the seas in between, communication between the three continents is exceedingly difficult.
Setting aside Gouli Continent, even exchanges between Chiyu Continent, dominated by Human Race Cultivators, and Ju Yang Continent are almost severed, with only Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators from both continents capable of crossing Chongyang to travel and communicate with the other continent.
As for the forces related to the "Chixiao Dao Ancestor" legacy, it is precisely the Human Race's dominant force in Li Yang Realm, the "Chixiao Sword Sect".
This "Chixiao Sword Sect" has existed for countless millennia in Li Yang Realm, undergoing several extinctions and revivals, and every revival allows it to swiftly ascend as the premier force of Li Yang Realm, thus becoming a mystery of the realm.
Nowadays, the "Chixiao Sword Sect" is in its heyday, reportedly having two Tribulation Crossing True Immortals within its sect, along with over a hundred and thirty Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators, and its influence covers a third of Chiyu Continent.
It can be said that the sect alone occupies half of the essence of Li Yang Realm's Human Race!
If this were before ascending to the True Immortal Realm, Zhouyang hearing about the situation of the "Chixiao Sword Sect" would surely exclaim in disbelief.
After all, in his residing "Spirit Realm", before achieving immortality, there were only three Tribulation Crossing True Immortals, among whom {Master Withered Wood} depended on the {Life and Death Technique of Withering and Flourishing} for dormant life extension.
But having ventured into the True Immortal Realm and knowing the "Chixiao Sword Sect" has ties with the illustrious Celestial Immortal Dao Ancestor "Chixiao Dao Ancestor", he no longer finds it surprising.
The Celestial Immortal Dao Ancestor is such an existence that leaving even a trace can be endlessly beneficial to beings below the Returning Void Stage Earth Immortal.
Not to mention, if the "Chixiao Sword Sect" has a true Grotto Heaven Blessed Land within it, it could increase the success rate for a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator advancing to Tribulation Crossing Stage by 10%.
"These individuals are merely Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators from Ju Yang Continent; although they have visited Chiyu Continent and met with Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators of the Chixiao Sword Sect, they likely don't know much about the sect's true situation. The information obtained from their memories can only be used as reference, not to be wholly trusted."
"In Zhou's view, we should first personally visit Chiyu Continent, seek out and capture a few Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators of the Chixiao Sword Sect for information, and adjust our plan according to the actual scenario."
In a valley filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, Zhouyang had just digested the intelligence from Li Yang Realm's Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators' memories and, after a brief contemplation, shared his insights with Master Lie Hu beside him.
He was always cautious in action, not belittling the "natives" of Li Yang Realm simply because he was a Lower Realm True Immortal descending from the True Immortal Realm.
Therefore, before understanding the situations of those top-tier existences in Li Yang Realm, he did not wish to confront them rashly, to avoid impacting subsequent actions.
Upon hearing his words, Master Lie Hu immediately responded without hesitation, "Everything shall be decided by Junior Brother Huan Yang; I have no objection."
"Since Senior Brother Lie Hu agrees with Zhou's suggestion, let us proceed to Chiyu Continent now!"
Zhouyang nodded slightly and immediately discerned the direction with Master Lie Hu, preparing to fly to the Chiyu Continent millions of miles away.
However, before the Two Immortals could fly out of Ju Yang Continent, they were stopped.
The ones daring to intercept them, two Lower Realm True Immortals, were naturally the local Tier Seven existences of Li Yang Realm.
At that time, as Zhouyang and Lie Hu were en route, a flash of cyan Spiritual Light suddenly appeared ahead, revealing a cyan Phoenix with wings spanning over a hundred feet, who was the Tier Seven True Spirit from the Demon Race, the Cyan Simurgh.
Riding on the back of this cyan Phoenix stood a Human Race Female Immortal adorned in a light purple gown and a face masked by a cyan veil.
At this moment, the Human Race Female Immortal rode in on the Phoenix, intercepted the Two Immortals, and sharply questioned them, "Since the two Immortal Friends have gone to great lengths to reach Li Yang Realm, why deliberately avoid us native Immortal Friends? Could it be, as the Heavenly Dao Will warns, that you've come to harm our Li Yang Realm?"
Such sharp questioning, even Zhouyang hadn't experienced in many years, not to mention Master Lie Hu, a True Immortal who ascended over ten millennia ago.
Sneering, Master Lie Hu immediately responded with disdain, "Ha, what's worth seeing or meeting with you Lower Realm Immortals? Ever seen a mighty eagle from the sky seeking dialogue with the frog at the bottom of the well?"
Lower Realm Immortals?
Upon hearing Master Lie Hu's words, the Purple-dressed Female Immortal on the Cyan Phoenix showed a hint of surprise on her face partially concealed by the cyan veil.
Indeed, from these four characters, the origins of the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang were guessed.
After knowing this, she no longer cared about the disdain in Master Lie Hu's words, and immediately changed her attitude, bowing remotely to the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang, saying: "So it turns out that the two immortal friends are True Immortals descending from the Immortal Realm to the Lower Realm. Zi Yi was previously disrespectful, I hope the two immortal friends will forgive me."
After speaking, she softly gazed at the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang and said: "Since the two immortal friends have come from the Immortal Realm, you must not be very familiar with the situation in this realm. Why not come to Zi Yi's place of cultivation for a few days, and let Zi Yi explain the situation of the Li Yang realm to you."
"Fairy Zi Yi just accused us of being calamities to the Li Yang realm, and now she's inviting us to her abode to explain the situation. Zhou truly doesn't know if the fairy's intentions are good or if there's malice hidden!"
Zhouyang looked calmly at Fairy Zi Yi, his words also extremely forthright.
After all, everyone here has been true immortals for thousands of years, what scheming and plots haven't they encountered?
Trying to deceive a Tribulation Crossing True Immortal with words is simply impossible.
So it's better to speak frankly and directly.
Upon hearing his words, Fairy Zi Yi hurriedly defended herself: "Immortal friend, there is a misunderstanding. Previously, I did not know you two were True Immortals from the Upper Realm, which led to my misunderstanding. Now that I know you come from the Immortal Realm, such worries can naturally be dispelled."
"Oh, how strange. Why is it that knowing we come from the Immortal Realm means there is no worry?"
Zhouyang looked strangely at Fairy Zi Yi and said leisurely: "Fairy, didn't you just say that even the will of the Heavenly Dao in this realm warned you about us? Could it be that you, a native immortal of the Li Yang realm, trust the will of this world's Heavenly Dao less than you trust outsiders?"
As soon as these words were spoken, a look of anger flashed beneath the veil covering Fairy Zi Yi's pretty face, and her eyes showed a hint of fury.
She angrily glared at Zhouyang and rebuked: "Immortal friends, please be cautious with your words! Zi Yi respects the two immortal friends from the Upper Realm and treats you with great courtesy. Please also treat others with courtesy and do not lower your own status!"
Her angry demeanor was imposing, clearly indicating her long-standing position of authority.
However, with the cultivation levels of Zhouyang and Master Lie Hu, naturally, they wouldn't be swayed by her imposing manner.
Zhouyang merely waved his hand lightly and said calmly: "Alright, we appreciate the kind offer of Fairy Zi Yi, but we have our own matters to attend to, so we won't dwell here with the fairy. Please return."
He certainly wasn't going to follow Fairy Zi Yi to her abode, as that would mean waiting for all the Tier Seven beings of the Li Yang realm to come and observe him.
Even though he and Master Lie Hu still had the power left by a Returning Void Stage True Monarch within them as a trump card, there was no need to put themselves in such a dangerous situation.
As for whether this Fairy Zi Yi would yield, Zhouyang wasn't worried.
Indeed, after hearing his words, despite Fairy Zi Yi's growing anger, she and the Tier Seven Cyan Simurgh stepped aside to clear the path.
Then, they watched as he and Master Lie Hu departed.
As the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang left, the Cyan Simurgh beneath Fairy Zi Yi's feet, who had remained silent, suddenly flashed with cyan light, transforming into a woman in a cyan robe standing beside Fairy Zi Yi.
Looking at her, she said: "Zi Yi, do you think they really come from the Upper Realm, or are they deceiving us? It seems they are heading to Chiyu Continent!"
Upon hearing this, Fairy Zi Yi's face turned serious and she shook her head: "Whether they are from the Upper Realm needs further verification. However, their ability to cross realms is itself unusual. Even if they are at a Mid-Tribulation Crossing cultivation level, they shouldn't possess such divine techniques relying solely on themselves!"
Her eyes flashed with wisdom as she calmly said: "But I think we will soon find out. On the Chiyu Continent, that's the territory of the Chixiao Sword Sect. Given Red Star's domineering nature, they won't watch these two act without reacting!"
"That's true. It's said that a thousand years ago, Red Star had already broken through to Mid-Tribulation Crossing and holds the 'Sun God Sword,' a Tier Seven Top-Grade Immortal Artifact. He may not fear these two Lower Realm True Immortals!"
The cyan-robed woman nodded in agreement with Fairy Zi Yi's words.
Fairy Zi Yi then waved her hand and said: "Let's go, after spreading the news, we should head to Chiyu Continent too. Perhaps we'll witness quite a show."
Setting aside what Fairy Zi Yi and the cyan-robed woman discussed, the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang promptly flew out of the Ju Yang Continent after making their farewell.
Upon reaching the sea, the Two Immortals distinctly felt someone covertly watching and following them.
It seemed that the true spirits of the sea's demon race had already discovered them but did not dare to approach them directly, choosing instead to trail them from afar.
"The demon race in the Li Yang Realm appears to be stronger than the human race. It makes one wonder if there are any special bloodline true spirits among them!"
As Master Liehu traveled alongside Zhouyang, he spoke with a peculiar look about the demon race.
In the True Immortal Realm, humans and demons have an alliance; tier seven beings are prohibited from slaying one another.
But in the lower realm, such treaties do not apply.
Upon hearing Master Liehu's words, Zhouyang immediately understood his intent.
Some special bloodline true spirits, whether in terms of their essence blood, scales, claws, or even demon souls, hold great utility for Tribulation Crossing True Immortals.
It was evident that Master Liehu was tempted by the true spirits of the Li Yang Realm and sought to take advantage of this rare opportunity to slay a few demon true spirits.
But true spirits are not easily slain, especially given the formidable power of the demon race in the Li Yang Realm, which might contain a dozen true spirits.
If even one true spirit from the demon race were to be killed, it could incite unified retribution from all remaining spirits.
Thus, Zhouyang quickly frowned, then said: "The demon race in the lower realm has mixed bloodlines. Even if some manage to ascend to true spirit status, they are typically ordinary true spirits, akin to that Cyan Simurgh we saw earlier, which is quite rare."
Fearing that Master Liehu would continue this line of thought, he deftly shifted topics: "However, what Fairy Zi Yi mentioned earlier deserves our attention. Since the Heavenly Dao Will of this realm has already warned their local True Immortals, it is possible they may join forces against us, hoping to extract the Ascension Technique from us."
Though intended to change the subject, Zhouyang's words were not without basis.
Being originally from the lower realm himself, he well understood the fervent desire of lower realm cultivators to ascend to the Immortal Realm.
For the allure of ascending to the Immortal Realm, the tier seven beings in the Li Yang Realm might indeed unite to besiege them.
If such a scenario occurred, despite both being of mid-Tribulation Crossing Stage cultivation and armed with several Immortal Artifacts, they would be outmatched.
In such a crisis, they might be forced to tap into the power left by a Returning Void Stage True Monarch to break through the encirclement and return to the True Immortal Realm.
But upon hearing Zhouyang's words, Master Liehu's expression shifted as if struck by an idea. He looked at Zhouyang and said, "Junior Brother Huan Yang, your point is valid, but from another perspective, if these lower realm cultivators truly desire the Ascension Technique, could we not use that as bait to enlist their help for our purposes?"
"Senior Brother Liehu, are you suggesting...?"
Zhouyang looked at Master Liehu with a mix of surprise and suspicion, intuitively grasping the idea but uncertain.
Master Liehu met his gaze without any change in expression, calmly explaining: "After all, the Ascension Technique the lower realm cultivators seek only needs to promise an escape from this Li Yang Realm, without guaranteeing an actual successful ascent to the Upper Realm, correct?"
Indeed!
Zhouyang's eyes subtly twitched, confirming his suspicions were correct.
Master Liehu intended to deceive the tier seven beings of Li Yang Realm into acting as pawns through manipulation of their thirst for knowledge.
Yet he could not deny the potential effectiveness of such a strategy.
If he were in their shoes, even if he doubted the authenticity of the offered method, he wouldn't forgo such a rare opportunity.
Admittedly, Zhouyang had reservations about this approach, but he was not so doctrinaire as to refuse an evident advantage.
Thus, he promptly nodded to Master Liehu, saying, "I understand, Senior Brother Liehu. Should the need arise to employ this strategy, I will not hesitate. However, let's await the results of our investigation first."
"As long as you understand, Junior Brother."
Master Liehu nodded slightly, saying no more on the matter.
Subsequently, after two days of flying over the sea, the Two Immortals arrived at the prime human region of the Li Yang Realm, the Chiyu Continent.
Having already gathered information, the Two Immortals entered from the region under the jurisdiction of the "Chixiao Sword Sect."
The intention was to promptly capture someone to gather intelligence shortly after landing.
Unexpectedly, they searched several tier six spirit mountains without finding a single Nascent Soul Stage cultivator from the "Chixiao Sword Sect."
"It seems they've been forewarned and summoned everyone back."
Zhouyang furrowed his brows, observing that the tier six spirit mountain below was only guarded by a few Golden Core Stage cultivators, surmising the whereabouts of the Nascent Soul Stage cultivators.
Master Liehu's expression hardened as he coldly proposed: "Why not capture a demon true spirit for information? In the face of life and death, it will surely divulge everything it knows!"
Zhouyang shook his head repeatedly: "It's unwise. Capturing a true spirit is no easy feat, and doing so would only needlessly provoke the demon true spirits, possibly inciting them to believe we're here to help humans slay demons, leading to an early assault."
After mulling it over, he suddenly clapped his hands, exclaiming: "I've got it. We can employ a diversion, drawing attention with our real bodies and sending an incarnation to capture someone covertly!"
Master Liehu was aware of Zhouyang's tier seven incarnation, and upon hearing this plan, he agreed.
Thus, Zhouyang immediately dispatched his External Incarnation to the next location via Wood Escape Technique, while he and Master Liehu headed in the opposite direction.
Two more days elapsed, and Zhouyang's External Incarnation succeeded in capturing three Nascent Soul Stage cultivators from Chiyu Continent, including one late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
Upon receiving the message from the incarnation, Zhouyang and Master Liehu altered course to rendezvous with it.
After reuniting with the incarnation, the Two Immortals employed their usual method, extracting memories from the captured cultivators.
Though not from "Chixiao Sword Sect," these Nascent Soul Stage cultivators hailed from major powers in Chiyu Continent, possessing more detailed knowledge of the "Chixiao Sword Sect" than their Ju Yang Continent counterparts.
Through memory extraction, Zhouyang and his companion significantly advanced their understanding of the "Chixiao Sword Sect."
They learned that the two Tribulation Crossing True Immortals of "Chixiao Sword Sect" are named [Master Red Star] and [Master Yun Jian], with [Master Red Star] wielding the sect's inheritance Immortal Artifact, the [Sun God Sword], a tier seven top-grade artifact.
Moreover, "Chixiao Sword Sect" indeed possesses a Blessed Land Grotto Heaven, which has sustained the sect through many rises and falls over the millennia.
However, access to this Blessed Land Grotto Heaven is highly restricted; even sect Nascent Soul cultivators require significant contributions or exceptional talent to gain entry.
Thus, while the outer world longed for insight into its mysteries, no reliable information had ever emerged.
It was known that "Chixiao Sword Sect's" two Tribulation Crossing True Immortals generally resided within this Blessed Land Grotto Heaven, seldom leaving.
Additionally, "Chixiao Sword Sect's" Mountain Protection Array, the tier seven Immortal Array [Array of Ten Thousand Tribulations and Immortal Slaying], had reportedly vanquished tier seven true spirits.
Current intelligence suggests that Li Yang Realm has at least five human Tribulation Crossing True Immortals. "Chixiao Sword Sect" houses two, while Ju Yang Continent contains two more, with the fifth also originating from Chiyu Continent, known as [Master Zidian].
The number of demon tier seven true spirits likely surpasses that of human Tribulation Crossing True Immortals.
"It's astonishing that a mere lower realm contains over a dozen tier seven entities!"
Having processed the newly acquired information, Master Liehu wore a look of surprise.
Although it's his first time descending to the lower realm, he's not entirely ignorant of the situation there.
Most lower realms are generally similar to the "Spirit Realm" where Zhouyang came from, with the presence of Tier Seven beings often numbering around a dozen, not varying greatly.
However, in the Li Yang Realm now, just the human and demon races combined have reached over a dozen Tier Seven beings, and that's only the known number. The actual quantity is definitely greater.
And their Chixiao Immortal Palace, even with the newly joined Zhouyang, only has five Tribulation Crossing True Immortals!
A lower realm able to surpass Chixiao Immortal Palace's Tier Seven presence significantly—either this lower realm is too strong or Chixiao Immortal Palace has declined to the point of being inferior to a lower realm!
As Master Lie Hu thought of this, the sour feeling in his heart was something only he could understand.
Compared to his shock, Zhouyang was much calmer.
Unlike Master Lie Hu, Zhouyang did not initially adopt a lofty stance to view the Li Yang Realm, so he naturally didn't have that psychological gap.
Moreover, his experiences were far more exciting than those of Master Lie Hu, so such matters couldn't particularly surprise him.
To him, as long as the Li Yang Realm doesn't have an existence capable of repressing the entire realm, everything remains negotiable.
He then carefully analyzed the situation in conjunction with the facts.
"The true essence of the Chixiao Sword Sect is within the Blessed Land Grotto Heaven, and it's likely that everything related to Ancestor Chi Xiao is there as well."
"But now they have two Tribulation Crossing True Immortals holding Tier Seven top-grade immortal artifacts inside, and a guardian array capable of slaying Tier Seven True Spirits outside. To forcibly breach the Blessed Land Grotto Heaven, just the two of us would hardly be able to achieve it!"
"This matter will probably need to be pursued slowly."
Upon reaching the realm of Tribulation Crossing True Immortal, each minor realm disparity results in significant differences in power.
Generally speaking, an early-stage Tribulation Crossing True Immortal is definitely not the opponent of a mid-stage Tribulation Crossing True Immortal.
However, this situation is not irreparable.
A powerful immortal artifact or assistance from an immortal array can offset the power disparity caused by cultivation level differences.
Neither Zhouyang nor Master Lie Hu possesses Tier Seven top-grade immortal artifacts.
Listening to Zhouyang's analysis, Master Lie Hu said ruefully: "It's a pity neither you nor I applied to Senior Brother Zishan to bring a Tier Seven top-grade immortal artifact before descending. Otherwise, with such an artifact, we wouldn't be shackled now!"
Regarding such hindsight, Zhouyang naturally paid no attention.
Tier Seven top-grade immortal artifacts are not common items seen everywhere.
Even within Chixiao Immortal Palace, only late-stage Tribulation Crossing True Immortals could possess them.
Moreover, before descending, who could have imagined the overall strength of the Li Yang Realm would be so formidable, making two mid-stage Tribulation Crossing True Immortals from the True Immortal Realm feel constrained.
Since this unexpected event happened, regretting why it wasn't anticipated serves no purpose.
Zhouyang pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked Master Lie Hu: "Senior Brother Lie Hu, what if we change tactics and attempt to trade with the Chixiao Sword Sect for items related to Ancestor Chi Xiao—would that be feasible?"
"By trading?"
Master Lie Hu was slightly taken aback and began contemplating the feasibility of Zhouyang's suggestion.
In the past, descendents from the Chixiao Immortal Palace often used force to extract information about the "Chixiao Dao Ancestor." No one had ever tried a trading approach.
But Master Lie Hu, having attained immortality and understood adaptability, realized the world changes over time.
When Chixiao Immortal Palace was powerful, the lower realm immortals could battle the local immortals or quickly call for support from the upper realm. It wasn't necessary to negotiate.
But now, Chixiao Immortal Palace struggles even to descend a single person, so the lower realm immortals don't have to strictly follow precedent.
As long as they can return to the True Immortal Realm with related information, the task is accomplished.
The process is not crucial, and no one particularly cares about it.
After some thought, Master Lie Hu nodded slightly, saying: "It's worth a try, but with what will we trade with them? How can we ensure they tell us the whole truth?"
Upon hearing this, Zhouyang answered promptly: "We can slowly deliberate on what to trade. As long as Senior Brother Lie Hu agrees with this approach, we can first express goodwill and initiate contact, then decide based on subsequent interactions."
"Since Junior Brother Huan Yang has ideas, let's try as you say first. If it doesn't work, we'll discuss further."
Master Lie Hu glanced at Zhouyang, agreeing with his proposal.
So the two immortals decided and headed toward the Chixiao Sword Sect's mountain gate.
The mountain gate of "Chixiao Sword Sect" is located in the central region of Chiyu Continent, where spiritual qi is the most concentrated in Li Yang Realm.
This time, the Two Immortals did not conceal their identities, traveling openly. Therefore, by the time they arrived, the Chixiao Sword Sect had already been notified.
When the Two Immortals reached the "Chixiao Sword Sect" mountain gate, its guardian array was fully activated, prepared for battle.
Standing skyward a thousand miles away, they gazed at the "Chixiao Sword Sect" mountain gate, where spiritual light shone brilliantly, concealing deadly danger.
"What a marvelous [Array of Ten Thousand Tribulations and Immortal Slaying]! Unexpectedly, to see such an advanced immortal array in this lower realm is truly astonishing!"
Zhouyang, after observing for a while, couldn't help but applaud and praise the distant "Chixiao Sword Sect" guardian array.
Upon hearing this, Master Lie Hu's complexion slightly changed, irritably remarking: "After all, it's under Ancestor Chi Xiao's guidance. Having such an array is not surprising!"
Indeed!
Zhouyang glanced at Master Lie Hu, not intending to refute his words.
Without Ancestor Chi Xiao's guidance, the Chixiao Sword Sect couldn't possibly possess its current level of resources and power.
Usually, such occurrences are nearly impossible for regular lower realm forces.
Meanwhile, as the Two Immortals observed the "Chixiao Sword Sect" mountain gate and its guardian array, two Tribulation Crossing True Immortals within the highest peak were also watching them.
"Senior Brother, are we really not sending even an envoy? They're genuine True Immortals from the upper realm; isn't this too rude? What if..."
Standing atop a mountain of unknown height, [Master Yun Jian], with a serious expression, gazed at the Two Immortals outside and nervously whispered to Senior Brother [Master Red Star] about his concerns.
"What if what? They're merely two mid-stage Tribulation Crossing True Immortals. Would they dare forcefully attack our mountain gate?"
[Master Red Star] glanced at [Master Yun Jian], calmly stating: "The Heavenly Dao Will's warning is never without reason. Li Yang Realm hasn't seen upper realm True Immortals descend for years, and now two claiming to be from the upper realm suddenly arrived—they seem suspicious."
"If these Two Immortals have a motive in Li Yang Realm, I'm 80% sure it's directed at our sect!"
At this point, his eyes chilled, speaking with a biting tone: "Our sect's legacy spans numerous eras, rising and falling multiple times—what sustains it is clear to you. If they truly come for those items, they are enemies of life and death!"
Upon hearing this, [Master Yun Jian] fell silent.
"Why has the 'Chixiao Sword Sect' been able to rise and fall repeatedly? Only the two True Immortals in the Tribulation Crossing Stage know best."
"If someone really wants us to hand over certain things, then it will only be resolved with swords and blades in confrontation!"
"It seems their hostility towards us is truly significant. They haven't even sent anyone to inquire about our purpose yet!"
Outside the 'Chixiao Sword Sect' mountain gate, Zhouyang waited for a while but saw no one coming. He couldn't help but furrow his brows slightly and voiced his thoughts softly.
"So, Junior Brother, what do you plan to do now? The opponents haven't even sent a messenger, their hostility is already very apparent. Seeking a peaceful exchange for the things left by Ancestor Chixiao seems impossible!"
Master Lie Hu looked at Zhouyang, his meaning clearly implied.
"Since they don't know how to seize the opportunity themselves, then don't blame us if we act mercilessly."
Zhouyang's face turned slightly cold, and he said in a deep voice, "Let's go. We'll first find other True Immortals of the Human Race. I'm sure they are all curious about what's inside that blessed land grotto heaven of the 'Chixiao Sword Sect' and want to take a look!"
"That's the right decision!"
Master Lie Hu nodded in satisfaction, greatly agreeing with Zhouyang's plan.
The Two Immortals immediately left the mountain gate of the 'Chixiao Sword Sect' and headed directly to 'Yu Wang Sect', the force where another True Immortal in the Tribulation Crossing Stage, [Master Zidian], resided.
'Yu Wang Sect' is also an ancient force that has been passed down in the Li Yang Realm for tens of thousands of years. It once produced a True Immortal in the Tribulation Crossing Stage, and now a second True Immortal [Master Zidian] has appeared.
Their mountain gate is located on 'Yu Wang Mountain' in the eastern part of the Chiyu Continent, second only to the mountain gate of the 'Chixiao Sword Sect' in terms of spiritual mountains in the Chiyu Continent.
After Zhouyang and the Two Immortals came outside 'Yu Wang Mountain', when they were tens of thousands of miles away, the first to receive the news, [Master Zidian], came personally to greet them.
In the sky, purple lightning flashed, and an old man in a purple robe with an imposing appearance appeared tens of miles outside from Zhouyang and the Two Immortals.
Then, he directly cupped his hands in a salute towards the Two Immortals and said, "The presence of the two Upper Immortals at our sect is indeed an supreme honor for our humble sect. This little immortal, Zidian, pays his respects to the two Upper Immortals!"
Master Zidian, who called himself "little immortal", raised Zhouyang and the Two Immortals very high.
Comparing this attitude to that of the 'Chixiao Sword Sect', which wouldn't even send out a messenger; it truly is a world of difference.
However, Zhouyang certainly wouldn't think naively that because the other's attitude is excellent, they are truly friendly as they appear.
He also slightly cupped his hands in return with a smile, saying, "Fellow Daoist Zidian is too courteous. Our visit this time is uninvited and abrupt, disturbing Fellow Daoist's cultivation, we should be the ones to apologize to Fellow Daoist."
"Oh, no, oh no, Upper Immortal, you must be joking. This little immortal dares not accept such from Upper Immortals, not dare to accept such!"
Master Zidian's expression was full of rejection, as if he was overwhelmed with the honor.
Though such display seemed a bit over the top.
Dignified True Immortal in the Tribulation Crossing Stage, the heavenly thunder tribulations couldn't harm such existence, why would he behave in such a manner before two True Immortals of the same tier?
Zhouyang didn't want to babble further, so he plainly stated, "We've heard that the scenery of Yu Wang Mountain, where Fellow Daoist Zidian cultivates, is beautiful and exceptional within this realm. Would you mind showing our brothers around for a tour?"
"The Upper Immortal's visit is the utmost honor for this little immortal, how could I refrain from complying!"
Master Zidian said and gestured with his hand, "Please, this way, Upper Immortals."
Promptly, Master Zidian personally led Zhouyang and Master Lie Hu and the Two Immortals into the mountain gate of 'Yu Wang Sect.'
The appreciation of scenery, of course, was merely politeness from Zhouyang.
Once entering the mountain gate of 'Yu Wang Sect,' he and Master Lie Hu followed Master Zidian directly into his grotto inside.
Upon arriving at the grotto, Zhouyang waited for the servants arranged by Master Zidian to serve tea and spirit fruits, then introduced himself with a remote bow, "To let Fellow Daoist Zidian know, I am Zhouyang, known as Huan Yang; this is my senior brother, Master Lie Hu. We are both disciples from the Upper Realm's Chixiao Immortal Palace of the Chixiao Immortal Realm, and we are here following the decree of [Li Yang True Monarch] from our sect!"
Chixiao Immortal Realm!
Chixiao Immortal Palace!
Li Yang True Monarch!
These names spoken from Zhouyang's mouth had a tremendous shocking effect after all.
Master Zidian, who had been quite calm earlier, suddenly stiffened slightly, his pupils shrank sharply, and his mouth opened slightly.
If previously outside, his facial changes were all acting, now they were truly revealing his inner thoughts.
And all this was within Zhouyang's expectations.
As a fellow cultivator from the Lower Realm himself, Zhouyang naturally understands the mindset of Master Zidian, this Lower Realm True Immortal.
Therefore, he didn't wait for Master Zidian, the host, to probe questions first; instead, he proactively disclosed his background and purpose first.
Almost clearly informing Master Zidian that their descent to Li Yang Realm was intentional and purposeful!
Equally, it served as a near-explicit hint to Master Zidian that they came to the Li Yang Realm targeting the 'Chixiao Sword Sect', unrelated to others.
And after experiencing a brief shock, Master Zidian quickly regained his composure and solemnly bowed again towards Zhouyang, saying, "So it's Fellow Daoists Huan Yang and Lie Hu. This is my courtesy."
Afterwards, he slightly furrowed his brow, but ultimately couldn't resist the curiosity and asked, "May I ask, Fellow Daoists, whether the 'Chixiao Sword Sect' in our Li Yang Realm has any connection with your Chixiao Immortal Palace?"
"Fellow Daoist Zidian indeed possesses wisdom, realizing with one glance. Yes, if our information is correct, the current legacy of the 'Chixiao Sword Sect' should be left behind by an ancestor from our sect long ago!"
Zhouyang nodded slightly and directly admitted this point.
Then he turned solemn and stated, "Our brothers have come to the Lower Realm this time under the decree of [Li Yang True Monarch] to retrieve the ancestral legacy!"
This was the second time he mentioned the title [Li Yang True Monarch], and hearing this, Master Zidian's heart skipped, his face suddenly tightened.
Seeing him wage a moment of silence, he then spoke in a seemingly casual tone to Zhouyang and the Two Immortals, "Since the two Fellow Daoists have descended following True Monarch's decree, why not directly go to the 'Chixiao Sword Sect' and explain to Fellow Daoist Red Star their intentions?"
After hearing this, Master Lie Hu instantly let out a cold snort, "Hmph, we wanted to do so, but the 'Chixiao Sword Sect' opened their Mountain Protection Immortal Array to keep us outside without sending a single messenger!"
Upon hearing this, he couldn't help but release a surged killing intent and roared angrily, "If it weren't for Junior Brother Huan Yang's restraint, according to my intention, I'd simply produce the treasure bestowed by the True Monarch to flatten the mountain gate of 'Chixiao Sword Sect', let them realize how severe their defiance against the decree can be!"
His sudden surge of killing intent startled Master Zidian, almost thinking he was about to be attacked himself.
Fortunate enough, seeing the situation escalate, Zhouyang immediately intervened to soothe, "Senior Brother, calm down. After all, it is the ancestral legacy left by our sect's ancestor; if we rashly destroy it, how would we report back to the True Monarch!"
Master Zidian exhaled a long breath inwardly and quickly nodded along to advise, "Indeed, indeed, Fellow Daoist Lie Hu, please stay calm, Fellow Daoist Red Star and they may have other concerns, hence the momentary confusion."
"Momentary confusion? Having cultivated to such a realm, are there still people prone to such confusion? Hmph!"
Master Lie Hu snorted coldly with an icy glance at Zhouyang, before choosing to close his eyes and rest.
At this point, Zhouyang promptly cupped his hands apologetically towards Master Zidian, "Fellow Daoist Zidian, please don't mind, Senior Brother Lie Hu merely has a fiery temperament and cannot tolerate any deception, and he's eager to complete the task to return to cultivation, hence the loss of composure, but it bears no targeting towards Fellow Daoist whatsoever!"
Upon hearing this, Master Zidian immediately stood up from his chair, waving his hands repeatedly and said, "You're too kind, Fellow Daoist Huan Yang, you're too kind. Fellow Daoist Lie Hu's genuine nature is truly commendable; how could I possibly mind?"
"Fellow Daoist Zidian is broad-minded, which Zhou greatly admires."
Zhouyang first praised Master Zidian, then frowned slightly, showing a worried expression as he said, "However, Senior Brother Lie Hu's concerns are not unfounded. When we, as brothers, descended to the lower realm, we confidently assured that we would complete the mission. Furthermore, our Sect's True Monarchs are all waiting for us to report back successfully."
"If we fail to accomplish our mission for a long time and have nothing to report back, who can guarantee that the True Monarchs won't become furious and send others to replace us? That would truly bring disgrace upon us when we return, making it difficult for us to report back!"
At this point, he also stood up from his chair, with a sincere look, clasping his hands towards Master Zidian and said, "Fellow Daoist Zidian, you are highly reputable in the Li Yang Realm, deeply trusted and respected by the cultivators of this world. I humbly ask for your guidance to help us, brothers, accomplish our mission!"
These words were spoken with extreme politeness, without a trace of superiority as a True Immortal from the Upper Realm.
However, Master Zidian's expression darkened repeatedly upon hearing this.
"Fellow Daoist Huan Yang, you think too highly of me!"
"It's not that I'm unwilling to help, it's just that my abilities are too meager to bear the heavy responsibility you'd entrust to me!"
"You should seek someone more capable!"
Helping the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang against "Chixiao Sword Sect" could be considered as betraying the Li Yang Realm, something Master Zidian wouldn't dare do just because of Zhouyang's words.
After all, he has yet to witness the capabilities of the Two Immortals personally, and their words might all be one-sided, unable to verify their authenticity.
How dare he choose sides under such circumstances!
Of course, Master Zidian's refusal was also within Zhouyang's expectations.
At this moment, Zhouyang did not become angry at Master Zidian's stern refusal, and instead, with a smile, said, "Fellow Daoist Zidian, you've misunderstood. Zhou had no intention of dragging you into this matter, simply wished for your assistance in arranging a junior to deliver a letter to Chixiao Sword Sect!"
But Master Zidian was not persuaded by this, continuously shaking his head and waving his hands, saying, "Don't deceive me, Fellow Daoist Huan Yang. If it's merely about delivering a letter, with Fellow Daoist's means, you could easily find a junior to send it to Chixiao Sword Sect, why bother coming to me specifically for this?"
Upon hearing these words, Zhouyang's smile faded instantly, his expression turned solemn, and he said in a displeased tone, "Would Zhou, a dignified True Immortal, speak falsely?"
After saying this, he swept his sleeve, and said in a deep voice, "If Fellow Daoist Zidian is unwilling to help, then my senior brother and I shall take our leave!"
As he finished speaking, the nearby Master Lie Hu, who had been resting with eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes and gave Master Zidian a cold look, then stood up ready to leave.
This made Master Zidian's expression even more difficult to bear.
Of course, he could just watch the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang leave; he might not lose anything.
But once he offends the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang like this, later attempting to seek something from them would almost be impossible.
This was contrary to his initial intention of lowering his stance to welcome the Two Immortals into his grotto.
Therefore, upon seeing the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang actually walking towards the exit, he let out a long sigh in his heart and eventually spoke out to retain them.
"Please stay, Fellow Daoists, I agree to help."
One must give to receive, an unchanging truth.
Master Zidian, having cultivated to his current realm, certainly understood this truth.
Yet, everyone harbors a mindset of wishful thinking, and immortals are no exception.
If one could gain something for nothing, who wouldn't want that!
Now realizing that wishing for something for nothing was impossible, Master Zidian certainly had the courage to make a decision.
After retaining the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang, he had a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the King Yu Sect come to the grotto, carrying the letter Zhouyang provided, to deliver it to "Chixiao Sword Sect".
Once the junior disciple set off with the letter, Master Zidian looked at Zhouyang with an inquisitive expression and asked, "To be honest with you two Fellow Daoists, when you arrived, all the immortals of the Li Yang Realm received a warning from the Heavenly Dao's will, as if intentionally urging us to expel you two; are you aware of this matter?"
"What's strange about this? Though we are also human True Immortals, in the eyes of this world's Heavenly Dao, we are uninviting outsiders; wanting to expel or exterminate us is normal!"
Zhouyang answered Master Zidian's questions calmly and further sighed softly, saying, "Heavenly Dao is merciless; it won't go easy on you just because you are human. Simultaneously, Heavenly Dao is impartial; it won't entirely eradicate you just because you are from the Demon Race!"
Is it really just that simple?
Looking at Zhouyang, Master Zidian was unsure whether to believe or disbelieve, choosing not to dwell on this matter, and soon switched topics to inquire about the True Immortal Realm.
The longing of lower realm cultivators for the True Immortal Realm was well known to Zhouyang.
Equally, he knew well what he could answer and what needed to be withheld from Master Zidian.
In their conversation, the two immortals asked and answered, seemingly ignoring the presence of Master Lie Hu.
However, Master Lie Hu didn't mind at all. Unlike Zhouyang, he didn't have the patience to answer questions about things even a mere Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator in the True Immortal Realm would know.
Thus, after adequately quenching Master Zidian's curiosity through their Q&A, Zhouyang shifted the topic abruptly, suddenly looking towards Master Zidian, asking, "Zhou also has some questions regarding the Li Yang Realm to ask Fellow Daoist Zidian, would you be willing to clarify these for Zhou?"
Upon hearing this, Master Zidian's eyes faintly tightened, yet his tone remained fairly calm as he replied, "Please, go ahead, Fellow Daoist Huan Yang."
"Our senior brothers initially descended at Ju Yang Continent and encountered Fairy Zi Yi of Ju Yang Continent, as well as a Cyan Simurgh True Spirit. Therefore, I wish to inquire, how many Tribulation Crossing True Immortals are there in Li Yang Realm? How many True Spirits of the Demon Race are there? How many Tier Seven existences are there in total?"
Zhouyang's eyes looked deeply at Master Zidian as he slowly voiced his question.
The answers to these questions, if they truly wanted to investigate, they would undoubtedly find.
Now bringing them up to ask Master Zidian, there was an underlying intent to test.
Master Zidian also understood this clearly.
Therefore, after Zhouyang finished asking, he pondered briefly before honestly answering, "To my knowledge, including myself, the Li Yang Realm currently has five active human True Immortals, and there are seven True Spirits of the Demon Race, along with three other Tier Seven existences from other alien races!"
Fifteen Tier Seven existences, is this the foundation of the Li Yang Realm?
Zhouyang and Master Lie Hu couldn't help but exchange glances, perceiving a trace of solemnity in each other's eyes.
Then Zhouyang proceeded to ask, "May I ask Fellow Daoist Zidian about the cultivation levels of each human True Immortal, Demon Race True Spirit, and other alien Tier Seven existences, their true forms, and taboos, so my brother and I may have an understanding!"
"This..."
Master Zidian hesitated and did not answer for a long moment.
"If it's inconvenient for Fellow Daoist Zidian to answer, consider I never asked!"
Zhouyang smiled lightly, waved his hand, and moved past the topic.
However, as Master Zidian tried to inquire about the True Immortal Realm, Zhouyang progressively answered fewer of his questions.
After encountering several setbacks, Master Zidian wisely chose to ask no more.
Just at that moment, several messages were received almost as if they had been arranged, arriving one after another in Master Zidian's hands.
After reading these messages, his expression began to change unpredictably.
Upon seeing this, Zhouyang couldn't help but ask, "What's the matter? Has Fellow Daoist Purple Lightning encountered any trouble?"
Master Purple Lightning shook his head slightly and said, "Not really, it's just that Fellow Daoists like Fairy Zi Yi have heard that the two of you have come to visit me, and they specifically sent messages wanting to come chat and meet the two of you. I'm wondering if the two of you would be willing to grace us with your presence!"
"Since there are fellow cultivators wanting to communicate, my senior brother and I naturally welcome them. Fellow Daoist Purple Lightning, you can let them come."
Zhouyang's eyes gleamed brightly, agreeing without hesitation.
Master Purple Lightning hadn't expected him to agree so quickly. Hearing this, he looked at Zhouyang with a hint of surprise before nodding, "Since Fellow Daoists Huan Yang and Liehu don't mind, I will notify them to come over."
Afterward, he sent messages to inform Fairy Zi Yi and others.
In less than an hour, Fairy Zi Yi, along with the cyan-clad woman transformed from the Cyan Simurgh, first arrived at King Yu Sect.
After half a day, two human race True Immortals and three demon race True Spirits arrived at Master Purple Lightning's cave.
With this, aside from the Two Immortals from Chixiao Sword Sect, the other three True Immortals of the human race in the Li Yang Realm were gathered here.
Once everyone was present, it was natural for Master Purple Lightning, as the host, to introduce and provide some background for the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang.
He stood up respectfully, cupped his hands toward Zhouyang and the Two Immortals, and said, "You have already met Fairy Zi Yi, I won't elaborate here. Please allow me to introduce the other immortals to the two of you."
He then gestured toward an elderly man in a black robe, introducing him, "This is Master Cangming, who cultivates alongside Fairy Zi Yi on Ju Yang Continent, and he's currently the most senior member of the human race in Li Yang Realm."
"You flatter me, Fellow Daoist Purple Lightning. I'm just a few years older than our fellow immortals, and I can't bear being called 'senior,' nor would I dare to flaunt my seniority in front of visitors from the Upper Realm."
The black-robed elder shook his head repeatedly and politely cupped his hands toward the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang, "Cangming of Li Yang Realm greets the two of you."
Seeing this, Zhouyang and Master Liehu also politely returned the gesture, saying, "Huan Yang (Liehu), greets Fellow Daoist Cangming."
After introducing the two human race True Immortals, Master Purple Lightning then gestured toward a burly giant with a shaved head and introduced him, "This is Dragon Whale True Saint, who cultivates on Dragon Island."
The burly giant, who was at least three zhang tall, sitting there even exceeded Zhouyang in height while standing. When the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang looked at him, he merely nodded slightly toward them in acknowledgment, "Dragon Whale greets the Two Immortals from the Upper Realm."
Compared to the polite human race True Immortals, this demon race True Spirit's attitude toward the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang was undeniably cold.
The Two Immortals of Zhou Yang sensed this, remaining polite outwardly while growing vigilant internally.
Master Purple Lightning, of course, noticed this too, and to avoid any tension, he quickly introduced someone else, pointing toward a young lady in cyan clothes and saying, "This is Cyan Simurgh True Saint, who cultivates on Cyan Spirit Mountain in Ju Yang Continent."
Although both were demon race True Spirits, the cyan-clad lady was much more polite than the burly giant, immediately bowing slightly toward the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang, "Cyan Simurgh greets the Two Immortals."
After introducing those present, Master Purple Lightning gestured toward the last figure, a middle-aged man with dragon horns and dressed in golden armor, and introduced, "This is Heaven-Sundering Dragon Saint from the Dragon Saint Palace."
"Heaven-Sundering greets the Two Immortals." The golden-armored man nodded slightly, offering a greeting that was neither overly cold nor overly warm to the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang.
Usually, the most important figures arrive last.
Moreover, Zhou Yang and Master Liehu had heard of the "Dragon Saint Palace" as one of the most enduring powers among the demon race in Li Yang Realm, where every generation possesses Tier Seven Dragon Blood True Spirits suppressing their foundation.
This middle-aged man with dragon horns was undoubtedly one of the rare Golden Flood Dragons among the Jiao Dragon Race based on his appearance, and although he wasn't a True Dragon, he was certainly not to be underestimated.
Most importantly, his cultivation had reached Tier Seven Middle Grade, equivalent to a Mid-stage Tribulation True Immortal of the human race!
This was the first time since descending to the lower realm that the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang had encountered a being with cultivation equal to theirs, and feeling no pressure would be impossible.
Zhouyang's thoughts swirled, and after the introductions were complete, he proactively asked, "Being able to meet each of you today is an honor for my senior brother and me, but I wonder what guidance you have for us in coming here?"
As soon as Zhouyang spoke, apart from Master Purple Lightning, a few True Immortals and True Spirits couldn't help but fall into contemplation.
They naturally had many questions they wanted the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang to answer.
But they were not foolish and understood that the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang wouldn't give away answers for free.
Thus, considering how to approach this matter became necessary.
"Since Fellow Daoist Huan Yang brought it up, I won't stand on ceremony. May I ask what your purpose is for coming to Li Yang Realm?"
After a moment of silence, Dragon Whale True Saint was the first to voice his curiosity.
Once he spoke, aside from Master Purple Lightning, the rest all fixated their gazes on the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang.
Seeing this, Zhouyang couldn't help but smile faintly, "This question was previously asked by Fellow Daoist Purple Lightning, and I'll repeat my senior brother and my response to you all."
He then reiterated the answer he had previously given to Master Purple Lightning.
Indeed, upon hearing his answer, the expressions of those present didn't differ much from Master Purple Lightning's earlier reaction. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
They likely never expected that the renowned "Chixiao Sword Sect" in Li Yang Realm was also entangled with powerful forces from the Upper Realm.
"No wonder! No wonder Chixiao Sword Sect has repeatedly fallen and risen again! No wonder Red Star and the others are inexplicably powerful! It turns out they indeed have such fortune!"
Heaven-Sundering True Saint from Dragon Saint Palace murmured inwardly with a solemn expression, looking at the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang with a hint of dread.
The others likewise appeared utterly shocked and enlightened upon hearing Zhouyang's disclosures.
At this moment, the cyan-clad woman suddenly asked Zhouyang, "However, to my knowledge, Fellow Daoists Red Star and Cloud Sword from Chixiao Sword Sect seem unwilling to return the inheritance left by the predecessor, and even barred you access to the mountain gate. May I know your plans regarding this matter?"
Is this also true?
The remaining two demon race True Spirits were both taken aback, looking at the cyan-clad woman and then at Fairy Zi Yi, Master Cangming, and other human race True Immortals.
These human race True Immortals showed no surprise. As the cyan-clad women's question unfolded, they intently watched the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang, awaiting an answer.
This made the two demon race True Spirits exchange glances, secretly communicating with each other.
Back to Zhouyang, facing the cyan-clad woman's focused question, his expression remained calm as he replied, "On this matter, I've already entrusted Fellow Daoist Purple Lightning to send a letter to Chixiao Sword Sect, and soon, more specific information will arrive."
With Zhouyang's words, Fairy Zi Yi and Master Cangming gave Master Purple Lightning peculiar looks.
The three demon race True Spirits also flashed their eyes at Master Purple Lightning, their minds swirling with thoughts.
Master Purple Lightning inwardly cursed seeing this, wanting to explain but fearing more suspicion with each word, leaving him in a predicament.
Fortunately, at that moment, Fairy Zi Yi turned her beautiful gaze to Zhouyang, softly speaking to relieve the tension.
"Fellow Daoist Huan Yang, I have matters I'd like to consult with you, and I hope you won't hold back your guidance!"
"Please, Fairy, speak."
...
Chixiao Sword Sect.
While the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang and Master Lie Hu were busy dealing with the various True Immortals and True Spirits of the Li Yang Realm, Liu Changfeng, a Late-Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator from the King Yu Sect, finally arrived at the gate of the Chixiao Sword Sect after a journey of three days.
He was able to reach the place so quickly, thanks to the help of the Teleportation Array, otherwise, it would have taken two to three times longer.
As a renowned Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator of the King Yu Sect, and coming with the decree of his sect's Tribulation Crossing True Immortal, Liu Changfeng was naturally granted easy entry into the Chixiao Sword Sect, where he met with two of its Tribulation Crossing True Immortals.
By this time, the news that the Two Immortals of Zhou Yang had been taken in by Master Zidian at King Yu Sect had already reached the ears of Master Red Star and Master Yun Jian of Chixiao Sword Sect.
Upon seeing Liu Changfeng, Master Red Star wasted no time in asking directly, "What plan does Zidian have by sending a junior like you here? Has he already decided to throw his lot in with those two foreign True Immortals?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Changfeng's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly bowed and answered, "Please forgive me, Zhenren. The Ancestor only ordered me to deliver a letter and did not mention anything else!"
Hearing his response, Master Red Star snorted coldly and said, "Hmph, if that's the case, then when you return, pass on this message from me to Zidian: If he dares to betray this realm and cooperate with outsiders, I will chase him and your King Yu Sect to the ends of the earth without mercy!"
"I-I will definitely convey your words truthfully, Senior!"
Liu Changfeng replied tremblingly, then swiftly produced a Golden Treasure Pearl to offer, before taking his leave from the gate of Chixiao Sword Sect.
Master Red Star, of course, wouldn't pay much heed to such a junior. After scrutinizing the Golden Treasure Pearl offered by Liu Changfeng, he snorted coldly and said, "Hmph, let's see what those two are up to!"
With that, he tossed the Golden Treasure Pearl forward, activating the Divine Fragment of Zhou Yang inside.
A burst of golden light flashed, and suddenly, a Zhou Yang clone composed of golden spiritual light appeared in the hall.
Once the clone took shape, it surveyed the two Tribulation Crossing True Immortals of the Chixiao Sword Sect in the hall, then slightly cupped his hands and said, "You two must be Fellow Daoist Red Star and Fellow Daoist Yun Jian of Chixiao Sword Sect. I am Zhou Yang, from Chixiao Immortal Palace in the True Immortal Realm. Along with my senior brother, Master Lie Hu, we have come to the Li Yang Realm under the decree of Li Yang True Monarch to seek the legacy of Ancestor Chi Xiao. Would the two of you be willing to form a friendly alliance?"
Upon hearing this, Master Red Star and Master Yun Jian's expressions changed drastically.
Quickly, Master Red Star's face turned murderous as he glared at Zhou Yang's clone and said, "What Chixiao Immortal Palace? I've never even heard of it. The legacy of our sect's Ancestor is absolutely not something to be handed over to outsiders!"
Hearing this, Zhou Yang's clone lightly waved his hand and said, "Fellow Daoist Red Star, there's no need to be so upset. It doesn't matter if you haven't heard of Chixiao Immortal Palace, but you must know that it is the direct lineage inherited from Ancestor Chi Xiao, recognized by all the major powers of the True Immortal Realm!"
He continued earnestly, "If you now agree to return the legacy of Ancestor Chi Xiao, not only will it not affect the status of Chixiao Sword Sect in the Li Yang Realm, but when you ascend to the Upper Realm, you can directly recognize your ancestors and return to our sect, joining our upper ranks without starting over as a mere Loose Immortal!"
To newly ascended cultivators in the True Immortal Realm, Zhou Yang's offer was undeniably generous.
He remembered that when he had first ascended to the Immortal Realm, it was as if he was blind, not knowing where to go.
Were it not for the Qianyang Treasure Pearl and Master Qianyang, which allowed him to join Chixiao Immortal Palace, he might still be wandering aimlessly somewhere in the Immortal Realm, stuck at the early stage of Tribulation Crossing.
Now, Chixiao Sword Sect just had to hand over the legacy left by "Chixiao Dao Ancestor" to secure a reliable backer in the Upper Realm, which was certainly not an unacceptable prospect.
After all, with the immense distance separating the two worlds, handing over the legacy truly held no detriment for Chixiao Sword Sect in the Li Yang Realm.
However, after being initially shocked and doubtful over Zhou Yang's clone's words, Master Red Star quickly looked at him with a cold gaze and began to sneer.
"Hmph, how ridiculous! Do you really think that with just your words, you can make me hand over my sect's Ancestor's legacy? You must be daydreaming if you think I'd fall for such a trick!"
With that, the originally tempted and fantasizing Master Yun Jian beside him instantly snapped back to reality.
Master Red Star was right; everything they had learned so far was merely Zhou Yang's clone's own words, how could they take it seriously?
"Fellow Daoist Red Star's suspicions are not unfounded, but if Fellow Daoists agree to return Ancestor Chi Xiao's legacy, I, Zhou, would naturally provide tangible benefits to both of you, proving that I am not just trying to reap where I did not sow!"
Zhouyang's clone first nodded slightly, explained a few things regarding Master Red Star's suspicions, then shook his head and continued, "Furthermore, both Immortal Friends need not suspect Zhou about lying in this matter. One must know that a True Immortal descending to the lower realm is not an easy task. If it weren't for the knowledge that the Chixiao Dao Ancestor's inheritance was lost in the Li Yang Realm, how could our sect be willing to spend a high price to send Zhou and Senior Brother Lie Hu down here!"
It's reasonable!
Master Yun Jian, listening to Zhouyang's clone, couldn't help but nod slightly, then before Master Red Star could speak, he transmitted his voice, "Senior Brother Red Star, regardless of whether this person is truthful or not, we don't have to reject him completely. Perhaps we could first ask if he has a way to assist our ascension to the upper realm."
Upon mentioning this, he also fervently said, "If we could ascend to the upper realm, giving them the Ancestor's inheritance would completely be worthwhile!"
Seeing him like this, it's clear he was moved by Zhouyang's words.
Unexpectedly, after listening to him, Master Red Star vehemently rebuked through voice transmission, "Junior Brother, do you know what you're saying? The Ancestor's inheritance is the foundation of our sect. Without it, how would our sect lead the human race in the Li Yang Realm in the future? If it falls into decline, how could it recover? As a True Immortal of our sect, how can you have such thoughts!"
"I…"
Master Yun Jian, looking at Master Red Star with a difficult expression, never expected that his good intentions would result in such a reprimand.
After fiercely scolding Master Yun Jian, Master Red Star coldly addressed Zhouyang's clone, "I advise you not to dream anymore. The Ancestor's inheritance concerns the continuation of our sect's Daoist tradition. As long as I live, I absolutely won't allow any outsiders to touch it!"
Upon finishing, without waiting for Zhouyang's clone to speak, he directly waved and cast a Flame Sword Qi, extinguishing Zhouyang's clone.
After extinguishing Zhouyang's clone, Master Red Star turned to look at the gloom-faced Master Yun Jian, speaking in a low tone, "Junior Brother, I understand your thoughts, but there is no need for us to follow the path provided by others!"
"If we want to know the method of ascension, isn't killing them and soul-searching the same?"
"Don't forget we still have that trump card!"
...
Yu Wang Mountain.
When Master Red Star of the Chixiao Sword Sect activated Zhouyang's clone, his real body temporarily ceased communication with other cultivators and entered a quiet chamber provided by Master Zidian to focus on distant communication with Master Red Star.
Only after Master Red Star made a move to extinguish the clone did he open his slightly closed eyes, a trace of gloom flashing within.
Seeing this, the guarding Master Lie Hu immediately transmitted his inquiry, "How is it? What did the Chixiao Sword Sect say?"
"That Master Yun Jian was somewhat moved, but regrettably, the decisive Master Red Star firmly disagreed and even destroyed my clone!"
Zhouyang calmly answered Master Lie Hu, having already restrained his inner anger.
However, Master Lie Hu was provoked by Zhouyang's words and snorted coldly, "Humph, since they're refusing the respectful approach and demanding the harsh one, let's directly take action."
Speaking of this, he further transmitted his suggestion, "I see Master Cangming as an excellent point of breakthrough. With his lifespan nearing exhaustion, he might be willing to pay any price for ascension to the upper realm!"
"Senior Brother Lie Hu is right, Master Cangming is indeed a breakthrough point. Also, Fairy Zi Yi, who eagerly wants to know about the True Immortal Realm, is likely to assist us!"
Zhouyang nodded slightly, quite agreeing with Master Lie Hu's suggestion.
Seeing this, Master Lie Hu clapped his hands, "Isn't that great? If we could persuade these two immortals to stand on our side, those ignorant fellows from the Chixiao Sword Sect wouldn't know what hit them!"
"Let's do it then, try to persuade as many to join us as possible, and crush them with overwhelming force without giving them a chance to seek help!"
Zhouyang's eyes turned fierce, finally deciding to complete this matter through force.
After the two immortals fixed their strategy, they directly left the quiet room, calling together the True Immortals and True Spirits in Master Zidian's grotto to outright begin recruitment.
