Recruit black physique to start practice in wasteland

Chapter 2378, Chapter 2473 Nightmare - Chapter 74 Birth and Death (Two-in-one chapter, please vote)
Chapter 2473 Nightmare (Second Update)
Minning Zhenzun could not possibly agree to Rajan's request. After everyone finished their exploration and returned, they were about to organize manpower to develop this place.

Taking such a well-known person to Houde Realm would only create a lot of unnecessary trouble.
Moreover, although Rajan is considered relatively sensible among the tapirs, he is only not that annoying, not enough to make everyone want to lead him.

So Minning casually remarked that they might have to stay for a while longer, and it was uncertain when they would return.

However, there's no need to tell the tapir clan the relevant details, since they're no longer on the same path.

The group of Star-Burning Venerables felt very uncomfortable hearing this, but there was nothing they could do; things had developed to this point.

In the end, Rajan said: "How about I accompany you around and see how many alien races you can kill?"

As long as the quantity is approved by me, you can take the flag, and I will not stop you from leaving whenever you want.

This is the last attempt it can make. Since they can't reach an agreement, they should try their best to maintain the relationship between the two sides.

As for that damaged spiritual treasure, it has already caught the eye of cultivators, and it will likely cause them a lot of trouble in the future.

Since that's the case, please ask the other party to do their best one last time and give it away as a token of appreciation. That way, it will leave a good impression, won't it?
Ultimately, the Zerg and the Tree Clan are the common enemies of the cultivators and the Tapir Clan, so there's no point in making too clear a distinction.

Its attitude left the cultivators speechless, so they met together and agreed to its suggestion.

However, Min Ning also emphasized that the matter should end here, and if you say one more word, the agreement will be null and void.

What else can Star Tapir do? Achieving this result is already quite good.

However, the Venerable Lata quietly asked the Venerable accompanying him, "How did things turn out this way?"

They really couldn't understand how the cooperation between the two sides, which had been "good" to begin with, had become increasingly distant.
The cultivators had become too lazy to pay attention to them anymore, and instead continued to focus on the violent spatial fluctuations ahead.

The Star-Burning Venerable also knew that the commotion here was orchestrated by the other party, and while he was amazed, he was also quite curious.

However, after waiting for a few days, they found that the cultivators were not making any moves, so they dared not wait any longer.

The current war situation remains tense, and with so many Grandmasters stranded abroad for extended periods, the consequences could be disastrous if something were to happen.

Only Rajan remained, and Ratna the Great gave him the damaged sacred banner.

More than ten days later, the violent energy weakened somewhat, and more importantly, many spatial rifts showed signs of closing.

“We can enter now,” suggested Wenxian Zhenzun. “Wait a little longer, and the spatial rift will begin to disappear.”

Exposed spatial rifts are not scary, but hidden ones are terrible.

However, this is something that must be experienced during the self-repairing process of the spatial rift.

Moreover, the spatial cracks are not stable during this process and may shift at any time due to mutual interactions.

The current internal situation presents a "better-than-usual" outlook, making it seem like making a move now would be a bad idea.

But there's no other choice; this is the best time to get inside. After a while, the danger will increase significantly.

The key point is that no one can guarantee that the next stroke of good fortune will improve again—it might even decrease.

Because Rajan was present, only Han Li, Min Ning, and Jin Ge from the five-person team were deployed, while Qu Jianlei and Wen Xian remained outside on guard.

The vast interior space was riddled with spatial rifts, and the three Immortal Venerables moved with extreme caution.

It's not too difficult to perceive and memorize all the spatial rifts with astral projection, and planning a route is also not difficult.

Unfortunately, spatial rifts are quite hostile to divine consciousness; one can easily have a wisp of it "eaten away" if one is not careful.

Moreover, although the spatial rifts have not yet disappeared, they will still shift from time to time due to their mutual interaction.

Therefore, the three immortals really couldn't move too fast.

Qu Jianlei and Wen Xian weren't worried about the three of them; their attention was focused on the perimeter, fearing that the insectoids and tree-like beings might approach.

Because the surrounding spatial energy is still extremely violent, entering the sub-layer of space for observation is not only difficult but also very costly.

Therefore, the two chose to expose themselves directly in space, with Wenxian simply releasing a defensive array.

Otherwise, the impact of spatial energy alone would cause considerable losses, which is really unnecessary.

Seeing this, Rajan also shamelessly came over and offered to provide the spirit stones needed for the defensive array.

Cultivators aren't so petty about this; they let the string in, but emphasized that you're not allowed to speak carelessly.

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed, and suddenly, Wenxian had a sudden whim.

He did some quick calculations with his fingers, then raised an eyebrow. "Success!"

"Send them out and take a look?" Qu Jianlei suggested. Now that his teammates had succeeded, it would be enough to just check the surrounding area.

There's not much need to go in and provide support right now, and they're not familiar with the area either.

Wenxian Zhenzun calculated Hanli again, which can be considered as providing the other party with coordinates.

He didn't sense that Han Li had encountered any risk, so he nodded and said, "Okay."

The two separated this time and released their subordinates, greatly expanding the scope of their exploration.

Although the fluctuations have lessened considerably, they are still quite unfavorable to Nascent Soul cultivators, and Golden Core cultivators simply cannot withstand them.

Qu Jianlei's team mainly consists of three regimental-level ships, but he himself did not board a warship.

This is a habit formed from being a protector; it's an instinctive urge to protect other cultivators, and being inside a warship is always a bit inconvenient.

However, at a very instant, a strange fluctuation rushed towards Qu Jianlei's brow with incredible speed.

Qu Jianlei was completely unprepared for this turn of events.

He had been extremely careful, but this fluctuation was so strange, it seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

The key point is that he didn't sense anything amiss, and you have to understand, his sixth sense is quite sharp.

The fluctuation entered his brow, and in an instant, his body trembled slightly, and he froze in place.

"Holy crap..." Qu Jianlei's ruler, upon seeing this, was immediately startled. "What was that just now?"

It also sensed the fluctuation, but the fluctuation appeared too strangely and too fast.

From the moment the fluctuation appeared until it entered Qu Jianlei's brow, less than a breath had passed, leaving no time for him to react.

Most importantly, although the fluctuations weren't particularly strong, the subtle aura they exuded made it seem like something very dangerous to provoke.

Sunset wasn't sure if her fear stemmed from the creature's superior speed, its greatest strength.

However, it's almost certain that the ruler is the key, and this is something I can't handle myself.

So it grabbed Qu Jianlei and flashed to the side of a warship, saying, "Boss is in trouble."

A figure flashed by; it was True Venerable Wenxian, who arrived first despite being behind. "What's going on?"

He sensed the fluctuation as well; despite the harsh environment, it couldn't hide it from him.

But just like Xizhao, he didn't even have time to make a move before he noticed Xiao Qu's body pause for a moment, and then she instantly flashed to the side of the warship.

Then, upon sensing the situation, he was surprised to find that Xiao Qu had fallen into a coma.

"I..." Before Xi Zhao could explain, Jing Yuexin appeared in a flash.

She sensed Qu Jianlei, and without saying a word, dragged him into the cave.

"I..." Xi Zhao said speechlessly, "Immortal Venerable, you should have sensed it too, what was that?"

"I really didn't know," Venerable Wenxian said, utterly speechless. "There wasn't even a warning sign, really..."

The next moment, Jing Yuexin reappeared, and she said expressionlessly, "It was just a small accident, nothing serious."

Wenxian Zhenzun roughly knew that this was the second-in-command of Xiaoqu's team, and that his relationship with Xiaoqu was quite unusual.

Hearing this, he nodded slightly. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

“No need, thank you, Immortal Venerable,” Jing Yuexin shook her head first, then couldn’t help but ask again, “But what exactly happened?”

During her vigilance and reconnaissance, she kept a close eye on the leader, which is why she noticed the anomaly in time and hurriedly exited the cabin.

But she was completely clueless about what exactly had happened to the eldest sister.

"I'm also puzzled," Wenxian Zhenzun said somewhat embarrassedly, but still asked, "How can you be so sure it won't be a problem?"

“Well… a senior colleague has already said so,” Jing Yuexin replied after a moment’s hesitation.

She led her people into the cave and immediately sought advice from Canfu—she knew it was inconvenient to disturb him rashly, but what else could she do?
It's not advisable to take action with the ritual implements recently, but they are not dormant. Although the irritable obsession doesn't interact much with outsiders, Xiao Qu's matter is a different story.

He assessed the situation and said there was nothing seriously wrong, only that his soul was trembling a bit, and he would be fine in a few days.

Jing Yuexin had great faith in the ritual implements, and upon hearing this, she asked Duo Gan, who was recuperating in the cave, to look after them while she came out again.

Wenxian naturally knew who the senior she was referring to was. After thinking for a moment, he nodded slightly, "It's good that you're alright."

Qu Jianlei felt as if he had a very, very long dream.

He dreamed of a supernova explosion—or a cosmic cataclysmic explosion—and of the beginning of chaos, of the first faint ray of light…

He also dreamt of things like mayflies, which live only a day and die at dusk; he dreamt of flowers blooming and withering, tides rising and falling, the waxing and waning of the moon...

He also dreamt of the end of the universe, where order collapsed and rules crumbled, leaving only black and white, and a profound sense of despair...

Finally, his eyelids twitched slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes. "Fellow Daoist Duogan, thank you for your trouble!"

Although he was in a coma, he was not completely unaware of what was happening around him.

However, it really felt like sleep paralysis; he could feel it, but he couldn't react at all.

He knew that the ruler had taken him away, that Jing Yuexin had sent him to the cave, and that Duo Gan was watching over him.

Moreover, Dorgon wasn't fully recovered to begin with, and the seal on the Dao Stele was broken, causing a slight rebound in her injuries.

Fortunately, there was a Dao stele, from which wisps of Daoist energy flowed continuously, finally suppressing the nightmare and allowing him to break free from the dream.

"Boss, you're awake?" Dorgon was overjoyed to hear this. "It seems you're really alright."

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Chapter 2474 Birth and Death (Third Update, Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"Wait a minute, let me figure this out first," Qu Jianlei rubbed his temples, feeling a splitting headache.

"How long have I been asleep?"

He can sense the situation in the outside world, but he really has a hard time judging the passage of time.

"Is it a deep sleep?" Dogan was slightly surprised; she had thought her boss was unconscious.

But that's alright, since she didn't do anything inappropriate during the whole process. "It's been two days already."

"Oh, thank you," Qu Jianlei replied groggily, then asked, "Senior, are you there? What's wrong with me?"

He still vaguely remembered that it was Li Qi who proposed using the Dao Stele to protect himself.

"Good thing," the usually irritable and obsessive tone was surprisingly calm, "the opportunity has actually fallen on you!"

"Was it a stroke of luck?" Qu Jianlei was taken aback upon hearing this. He had a vivid memory of the situation at the time and had indeed not sensed any malice.

But to say that this drowsy fluctuation could be an opportunity seemed absurd to him. "But I don't sense anything!"

"Who says you can always sense an opportunity?" the hot-tempered senior said dismissively. "But you need to suppress your aura."

"So what exactly... what kind of opportunity is this?" Qu Jianlei asked curiously.

"An opportunity to leave the body!" The hot-tempered senior seemed unwilling to say more.

"Out-of-body experience...me?" Qu Jianlei was stunned. "Impossible, right? Wasn't it said that only those with extremely good fortune could have such an opportunity?"

The hot-tempered, obsessive man retorted, "What level do you think an opportunity to leave one's body would be for a Nascent Soul Immortal?"

"Moreover, the level of this opportunity is constantly changing. I didn't expect that you would still benefit the most."

"Out of the body... an opportunity?" Qu Jianlei was still a little incredulous, so he asked, "Then can I go into seclusion to advance to the next level?"

“I advise you not to be reckless,” said the hot-tempered man with a touch of emotion. This was the first time he had advised the little guy to be careful since he had known him for a while.

In the past, the little guy was as steady as an old man, and his occasional adventures were only when he found a good opportunity in battle.

"Do you think this world... is friendly to you?"

“That’s true,” Qu Jianlei nodded slightly upon hearing this, then asked, “Will my current aura be detected?”

“Of course,” the hot-tempered senior replied without hesitation, “some of the kids with you are not easily fooled!”

It must be Han Li! Qu Jianlei wasn't surprised by this. In fact, he felt that Han Li's methods were no less than those of his predecessors.

"The key is to suppress your aura; it's absolutely necessary," the irritable obsession continued. "If you let it run rampant, you might go berserk!"

"Thank you for your guidance, senior," Qu Jianlei said, surprised. This was indeed something he had overlooked.

He had heard too many stories of people going astray in their cultivation, but strangely enough, he always felt that such cases were far removed from his own life!

Now it seems the distance is really not far, it could very well be just a matter of a single thought. "So how should I suppress it?"

"I'll give you a set of mental techniques," the hot-tempered guy replied casually.

However, for these long-established spirits who have left their bodies, there is no shortage of cultivation methods to suppress the Nascent Soul from breaking through to the body.

Only those who have suffered losses can learn from past mistakes. Which Nascent Soul Immortal would not want to walk the same path again?

After he finished speaking, he emphasized again, "When suppressing your aura, avoid making a move if possible!"

So... I'm just like the ritual vessel now? Qu Jianlei nodded slightly, "Thank you for your guidance, senior."

The mental techniques given by the irritable senior are easy to grasp; they are actually just a few methods of circulating energy, which can be practiced with a little effort.

Of course, this is also because Qu Jianlei has accumulated enough experience and is proficient in various micro-operations. Changing to a Nascent Soul cultivator would really not be enough.

He spent about an hour familiarizing himself with the method, but compared to learning this, what was even more deadly was the splitting headache.

Half a day later, Jing Yuexin entered the cave. "Boss... is he awake now? That's great!"

The three True Venerables, including Han Li, have returned and seem to be in good spirits. They are very concerned when they learn that Master Qu Ling has encountered an accident.

However, even if Xiao Qu is only a Nascent Soul cultivator, his cave dwelling is not something that Immortal Venerables can enter at will. Everyone can only wait for a reply.

When Qu Jianlei is not around, the decisions of the Hongyeling team depend on Jing Yuexin.

However, her status in the eyes of the Immortal Venerable of Thought was much lower—even the Lord of Quling felt immense pressure facing this team.

Jing Yuexin did say that her eldest son was indeed inconvenienced, but everyone was very concerned.

Especially Jin Ge Zhenxian, who wished he could just barge in—this friend, Shu Zun, is truly a man of action when trouble arises!

Upon hearing about this situation, Qu Jianlei didn't hesitate and immediately rushed out, only to find himself still engulfed in the raging energy.

The four great venerables were quite relaxed, chatting and laughing amidst the turbulent currents, while a Star-Burning Great Venerable was watching furtively from afar.

"Huh, she's out?" Jin Ge Zhenxian was the first to react. "Her complexion seems fine, right, Min Ning?"

“Hmm,” Venerable Minning nodded, “I think there’s no problem. Why do I feel… there’s a sign that things are about to turn around?”

"There was a slight mishap," Qu Jianlei chuckled dryly, then raised his hand in a gesture of respect, "Congratulations to the esteemed immortals on your triumphant return."

"What a triumphant return! We didn't get anything," Jin Ge Zhenxian said dejectedly. "I still think the seven millstones were a bit too much."

This wasn't him complaining about what had happened before; the arrangement of the seven millstones had been unanimously agreed upon by everyone.

He simply felt regret, because when the three of them entered the core of the space, they discovered a large mass of gel-like object brimming with spiritual energy.

The three acted quickly, extracting more than a dozen rules from the gel-like object, and then... nothing more.

There are rules of destruction, but also new life, chaos, and slaughter...

There are quite a few rules, and they definitely deserve the title of "auspicious," but everyone can feel that a lot of them have been lost!
The description by Jin Ge Zhenxian was very apt: "It's like a broken celestial beast egg... If only it weren't broken!"

However, he also admitted that the surrounding environment was too harsh, and even without the seven millstones, this opportunity might not have been complete.

As I said before, the fact that opportunities come and go as they please already shows that the surrounding circumstances are unstable, so whether there is a grinding wheel or not doesn't make much difference.

But this still couldn't help but bring regret, which is why Jin Ge sighed.

“These rules… are actually quite good,” Qu Jianlei said in a deep voice. “Destruction, chaos, rebirth, slaughter—they’re all too rare.”

"I feel like even if you destroy a newly formed small world, this is probably all you'll gain?"

This is the absolute truth. Once you reach the state of being out of your body, rules and such are no longer particularly rare.

However, with so many rare rules appearing in one place, it can't be called a great harvest, but it's certainly worth the trip.

"But... the biggest benefit was taken by you, wasn't it?" True Venerable Han Li finally spoke.

He looked at Qu Jianlei with a half-smile, "Almost advancing... and you can't suppress it anymore?"

"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, Jin Ge Zhenxian turned to look at Qu Jianlei in surprise, "You're about to advance?"

"It was that strange fluctuation," Qu Jianlei answered frankly, "that struck my soul."

He didn't blame Han Li for speaking out directly. As the person in charge of a team, if you want to treat everyone fairly, it's best not to hide anything.

Moreover, they stated it clearly and openly, which is the kind of frankness a team leader should have.

However, he had nothing to hide—he just suddenly fell into a coma, so is it my fault?
He had no ulterior motives whatsoever, and the attack he suffered was even because he wanted to protect a low-level cultivator!
Even Venerable Wenxian didn't understand what happened at the time. It can't be that his methods were superior, can it?
So he bluntly stated, "My elders said it was both an opportunity and a calamity... but I really didn't force it!"

“If you can take it by force, I’ll admire you,” True Venerable Hanli replied without hesitation. “This kind of destiny cannot be forced!”

Minning Zhenzun said, "I don't understand what you're saying at all. So this opportunity... Xiao Qu took the lion's share?"

“I didn’t design this,” Qu Jianlei said frankly, spreading his hands.

He didn't try to deny it, saying that the opportunity might have come from elsewhere, which was a bit far-fetched. If that were the case, he could join the Tapir tribe.

“His opportunity has arrived,” True Venerable Hanli sighed softly. “Opportunity chooses its master; there’s no need to dwell on that.”

All opportunities obtained by the exploration team must be shared equally; any that cannot be divided will be used to make up the difference for the others.

However, when such an opportunity arises where the seller chooses its owner automatically, even if the price difference is paid, it will only be a small token amount.

Just like the innate Dao talisman that True Venerable Wenxian obtained, it was originally the most suitable for him, but it was Qu Jianlei who discovered it.

Therefore, Wen Xian must pay a corresponding price.

If the innate Dao Talisman actively chooses him, even if others want to take advantage of him, they will be too embarrassed to ask for too much.

Min Ning looked at Qu Jianlei and asked curiously, "What kind of opportunity is this to leave the body? I'm just curious."

"I really don't know," Qu Jianlei replied helplessly, spreading his hands. "I'm completely clueless. Maybe Immortal Venerable Hanli knows?"

Immortal Venerable Hanli gave him a deep look, "You really don't know?"

"I really don't know!" Qu Jianlei nodded, then added after thinking for a moment.

"If the consequences are not serious, Immortal Venerable, please tell me, I would like to hear it."

“It is birth and death…” True Venerable Hanli uttered three words, sighed softly, and said no more.

"Birth and death..." Qu Jianlei's eyes were blank, then he looked thoughtfully at Jin Ge Zhenxian, "Master of Arts, teach me!"

“It really is…it might be birth and death,” Jin Ge Zhenxian didn’t pay any attention to him at all, his eyes were full of thought.

"But what about birth and death for him?" Min Ning said, somewhat puzzled. "Could it be an opportunity to leave the body?"

"Master Quling has already mastered the power of time!" True Venerable Wenxian also realized this and spoke calmly.

"Time is the source of life and death; it does not leave the body, so who can leave the body?"

“Well,” Qu Jianlei looked at him thoughtfully, “if I were to leave my body, Immortal Venerable Wenxian, you would undoubtedly be my protector…”

"So could you please... keep this quiet? By the way, isn't birth and death the Great Dao? Doesn't it conflict with the Great Dao of Time?"

(Three updates for three consecutive days. If you still have your guaranteed monthly votes, please vote for them. There will be no double bonus this month.)