Seeking Immortality in a Bizarre World-Chapter 499 - 494 Sect War, Taotie Behemoth_1
"Eh, why has the nature’s spiritual energy lessened?"
Some cultivators were still in meditation when they sensed the nature’s spiritual energy rapidly flowing away, causing a decrease in the Spiritual Energy at their cultivation site.
The Tianling Secret Realm only opens periodically to ensure an abundance of nature’s spiritual energy.
Although it opened ahead of schedule this time, there was no shortage of accumulated nature’s spiritual energy within.
Moreover, this wasn’t a matter of insufficient nature’s spiritual energy; rather, it seemed like a certain area was devoid of Spiritual Energy.
A few cultivators who sensed the unusual fluctuation in nature’s spiritual energy stopped their cultivation and arrived at... an area virtually devoid of Spiritual Energy.
Nature’s spiritual energy vanished into thin air, as if swallowed by something unseen.
With no Spiritual Energy left in this place, nature’s spiritual energy flowed like a river towards the depleted area.
What exactly happened?
Could it be that the Spiritual Energy was so dense it gave birth to an innate Spirit Beast?
They immediately ceased their cultivation and began to search everywhere.
Naturally, they found nothing.
Jia Ren did not exploit the power of the Final Law Treasure Mirror to its fullest. Each time he activated it, he would plunder, at most, the nature’s spiritual energy from a specific area, stopping when he neared the cultivators’ secluded cultivation spots.
He wasn’t acting recklessly, intending to drain all the nature’s spiritual energy from within the Tianling Secret Realm.
If I take the meat for myself, I should at least leave some soup for others.
He employed a hit-and-run tactic, changing locations after each absorption, and only stopped after intercepting about half of the Tianling Secret Realm’s nature’s spiritual energy.
Extracting any more nature’s spiritual energy would make cultivation difficult for the cultivators who had entered the Tianling Secret Realm with him.
Jia Ren didn’t want to incur widespread resentment, lest he bring trouble upon himself.
He found a secluded spot to stop and entered the Heaven and Earth Mountain and Sea Pearl.
The Heaven and Earth Mountain and Sea Pearl had undergone significant changes. Spiritual Energy was so dense it condensed into rain, and pools formed from nature’s spiritual energy were visible everywhere, filled with pure nature’s spiritual energy.
The Spirit Fish in the river waters rejoiced, and in the Spirit Medicine Garden, a vast amount of Spiritual Medicine sprouted and flourished, presenting a vibrant and prosperous scene.
The Demon-Sealing Spirit Tower continuously absorbed nature’s spiritual energy, converting it into Heavenly Treasure Spirit Power.
This was equivalent to him incorporating half of the Tianling Secret Realm into the Heaven and Earth Mountain and Sea Pearl to supply himself entirely.
His cultivation speed was extremely fast, bringing him ever closer to reaching the perfection stage of the Divinity Transformation Stage.
While Jia Ren was cultivating, the war between the Lingbao Sect and the Xuantiandao Sect officially began.
The Xuantiandao Sect set up an ultra-long-range Teleportation Array a thousand li away from the Lingbao Sect, sending a continuous stream of warships towards the Lingbao Sect’s territory.
The Xuantiandao Sect attacked the Lingbao Sect not only for its Spiritual Treasures and resources but also to divert internal conflicts.
The number of cultivators in the Mysterious Realm was increasing, and consequently, the number of disciples in various sects grew.
This was a golden age of cultivation, witnessing a surge in the number of cultivators.
Resources in the Mysterious Realm were limited. As the number of cultivators increased, the total quantity of resources did not grow; instead, the per capita cultivation resources diminished.
Major sects retained their existing resources and Secret Realms, but the share of resources allocated to them annually was also decreasing year by year.
This situation grew increasingly severe.
There were too many cultivators, insufficient resources for distribution, and no new Secret Realms had been discovered.
Problems with internal resource distribution had already emerged.
No one was willing to accept a reduction in their sect’s resources, and the cost of exchanging for treasures within the sects kept rising.
The accumulated problems and resentment within the sects grew, bound to erupt one day.
Ultimately, it all boiled down to one issue.
There weren’t enough resources to go around—too many mouths to feed and not enough to share.
Without reducing internal allocations, the only option was to plunder externally.
A lack of resources was only one part of the problem; there was another issue as well.
Having two Mahayana Realm cultivators in one sect was a good thing, but it also presented problems. It meant... there were two factions within the sect, fiercely vying for power against each other.
The Xuantiandao Sect realized the severity of the problem. They didn’t want internal strife to drag them down and lead to the sect’s decline.
The solution was to establish an external enemy, unite the sect from top to bottom, and use war to divert internal conflicts.
Ordinary sects could only feed on the scraps that fell from between the fingers of the top-tier sects, something the Xuantiandao Sect disdained.
Only by devouring a top-tier sect could they achieve a massive gain, resolve internal disputes, and unite against an external foe.
Among the top-tier sects, the Lingbao Sect was one of the oldest, possessing a profound heritage and enviable resources.
Not to mention, it possessed a unique method for Artifact Refining of Spiritual Treasures, making it a highly coveted prize in the eyes of many sects.
With a Mahayana Stage Cultivator presiding and the protection of the Mysterious Heavenly Spiritual Treasure, no one dared to covet the Lingbao Sect.
As Grand Ancestor Tai Yuan was on the verge of Ascension and no succeeding Mahayana Stage Cultivator had emerged, the sect’s situation was precarious.
Many sects were eyeing the Lingbao Sect, including the Shimo Sect, which had previously engaged in a Secret Realm war with them.
A battle between the righteous and demonic paths?
No, it was purely a battle for benefits.
The victor would seize more resources.
They had probed the Lingbao Sect multiple times, partly out of fear that another sect might seize it first.
This was the true reason the Xuantiandao Sect initiated the war.
The war between the Lingbao Sect and the Xuantiandao Sect had already begun; it was a rare, full-scale conflict in the Mysterious Realm.
For a time, it attracted the attention of many sects.
Many sects watched like tigers eyeing their prey, secretly intending to reap the spoils.
The situation in the Mysterious Realm grew chaotic.
"The Red Firmament Ancestor of the Shenxiao Sect has refused to send reinforcements, claiming he must guard his own sect to prevent others from taking the opportunity to attack it."
Within the Lingbao Sect, this news came from Zhao Zhong, the Mixed Primordial Peak Master, reporting to Tian Lingzi.
He had the best relationship with the Shenxiao Sect and had personally gone to request aid from the Red Firmament Ancestor.
The Lingbao Sect was willing to offer substantial benefits, yet the Red Firmament Ancestor still refused, unwilling to be bound to the Lingbao Sect.
Turmoil was already evident in the Mysterious Realm. Without a Mahayana Stage Cultivator to anchor it, the Lingbao Sect had become a juicy piece of meat in the eyes of many sects and powers.
The Red Firmament Ancestor believed that associating the Shenxiao Sect with the Lingbao Sect would bring disaster upon his own sect.
After all, they were still at war with Samsara Valley, and the possibility of an all-out war could not be ruled out.
"The ancestors of the Supreme Purity Sect refused to meet with me and declined to offer assistance."
Mo Li, the Suppressing Oddities Peak Master, shook his head, his expression grim.
The Supreme Purity Sect had an exceptionally close relationship with the Lingbao Sect, even closer than that of the Shenxiao Sect. Their current unwillingness to meet made their stance perfectly clear.
They were unwilling to join this war.
Perhaps... they are even waiting for the Lingbao Sect to fall so they can feast on the ’corpse’.
In this world, there are no eternal allies, only eternal interests.
When a whale falls, myriad life flourishes.
Only the fall of a top-tier sect could allow many other sects to feast.
"Very well. This is an opportunity to see their true colors."
Tian Lingzi’s face showed no emotion, but the flicker in his eyes was the only indication that his heart was not calm.
The Lingbao Sect possessed many treasures and was willing to offer significant ones to secure external aid, yet not a single sect was willing to dispatch a Mahayana Realm ancestor.
Do they think there are too many top-tier sects in the Mysterious Realm and wish to reduce their numbers?
"A sect’s rise and fall depends solely on itself; outsiders cannot be relied upon."
"Many are willing to add flowers to brocade, but few will offer charcoal in snowy weather."
People naturally seek advantages and avoid harm. With the Lingbao Sect having lost its Mahayana Stage Cultivators, it was only natural for others to target it.
"Sect Master, the Xuantiandao Sect has established a base opposite our Lingbao Sect. We must deal with it promptly."
"Shall we engage?"
The war between the Xuantiandao Sect and the Lingbao Sect was inevitable. Allowing the Xuantiandao Sect to send more forces would only make the battle harder to fight.
"Strike!"
Dozens of Void Refining Stage Cultivators and five Nascent Soul period cultivators struck with the force of a thunderbolt, annihilating all of the Xuantiandao Sect’s arriving forces in one fell swoop.
This signified that there was no longer any room for de-escalation in the war between the Lingbao Sect and the Xuantiandao Sect.
"How dare they?!"
Upon receiving the news, Ancestor Qingyuan was enraged. He had assumed that the Lingbao Sect, intimidated by the Xuantiandao Sect, would cower within its protective barriers, not daring to venture out.
The Xuantiandao Sect’s main forces had been delayed not because they didn’t want to start the war, but because... they were first seizing the Lingbao Sect’s territories.
This war was for plundering resources. They didn’t want to fight to the death only to end up benefiting other sects.
Only benefits firmly in hand are true benefits.
The dispatched vanguard was meant to pressure the Lingbao Sect, ensuring they wouldn’t easily leave their sect and disrupt his forces’ collection of the Lingbao Sect’s territories and resources.
The outcome was different from his expectations. How dare the Lingbao Sect, now without its Mahayana Stage Cultivators, strike first?!
"I will make the Lingbao Sect pay the price!"
The Xuantiandao Sect’s plundering forces, scattered across various locations, regrouped and advanced towards the Lingbao Sect.
The Lingbao Sect’s Markets, territories, and shops all fell into the hands of the Xuantiandao Sect.
Any Lingbao Sect Cultivators they encountered were killed without exception.
In just over half a month, eighty percent of the Lingbao Sect’s territory had been occupied by the Xuantiandao Sect.
The Lingbao Sect dispatched cultivators to intercept them, but five Void Refining Stage Cultivators and the Sixth Elder, a Nascent Soul Stage Elder, were killed in battle.
This elder perished at the hands of Ancestor Qingyuan of the Xuantiandao Sect.
The Lingbao Sect’s disadvantage due to the absence of Mahayana Stage Cultivators became evident.
Unless Nascent Soul period cultivators wielding Mysterious Heavenly Spiritual Treasures went into battle, no one could contend with a Mahayana Stage Cultivator; leaving the sect meant certain death.
The Mysterious Heavenly Spiritual Treasure was the foundation of the sect’s defenses and would not easily be taken away from the sect.
Externally, the Lingbao Sect suffered successive defeats, powerless to resist.
If High-Order Cultivators were dispatched and encountered Mahayana Stage Cultivators from the Xuantiandao Sect, they were highly likely to perish, their Dao vanishing.
The death of a Nascent Soul Stage Elder was a catastrophic blow to the Lingbao Sect.
When Jia Ren left the Tianling Secret Realm, he heard this news, and his expression turned grim.
In any sect, the Body Integration Realm represented the pinnacle of strength.
The Second Elder failed his breakthrough, and now the Sixth Elder is dead...
Jia Ren recalled Ma Tianbao’s words that the war would soon be over, but at this moment, he was deeply skeptical.
He had just entered the Refining Workshop, and his Artifact Refining had only lasted for five days when his Identity Token vibrated; he had received a new message.
"Join the war!"
Jia Ren seriously suspected there was something wrong with his eyes.
Artifact Refiners never participated in wars, with only one exception:
When the sect was facing a crisis of survival!
Jia Ren arrived at the main area of the Lingbao Sect, his gaze piercing through the Sect Protection Array as he looked into the distance.
Outside the Lingbao Sect’s perimeter, hundreds of warships hovered in the sky, each emblazoned with the Xuantiandao Sect’s insignia, their great banners fluttering.
On each warship stood disciples of the Xuantiandao Sect, their eyes filled with unconcealable excitement.
Many Xuantian Dao Sect cultivators didn’t take this war seriously, viewing it as a feast for dividing treasures.
After this battle, the Lingbao Sect will be completely destroyed, fading into the dust of history.
High above, fourteen cultivators stood, gazing down upon the Lingbao Sect.
This was the Xuantiandao Sect’s top echelon of power: twelve Nascent Soul period cultivators and two Mahayana Stage Cultivators.
Facing the aggressive Xuantiandao Sect, the Lingbao Sect would not sit idly by and await its doom.
Jia Ren received an order and cast his several Spiritual Treasures into the Formation.
"Form the Taotie Behemoth Formation!"
Thousands of Spiritual Treasures and dozens of Sky-reaching Spirit Treasures were cast into the Formation.
Light flared from the Formation, and a Taotie Behemoth, ten thousand zhang tall with a large head, a huge belly, and short limbs, appeared outside the sect.
