Inquiry about immortality

Chapter 2540 The Scenery Here Is Uniquely Beautiful
"The world is in complete chaos!"

In the new capital of Jiaosheng Kingdom, in a sacred garden within the inner palace, Yuanzuo and Ningye were playing chess in a pavilion.

Although it is called Lingyuan, it actually contains strange peaks and a mirror-like lake, and winding streams outside the pavilion, all of which are beautiful sights that are hard to see outside.

The two former mortal enemies have both come under Qin Sang's command and now serve as the left and right national advisors of Jiaosheng Kingdom, respectively. They can now sit together and play chess in peace.

Qin Sang went into seclusion to cultivate and remained aloof from worldly affairs. Bai Ying'er no longer interfered in matters outside the Five Thunder Sect. The two held high positions of power and controlled the court. The entire country of Jiaosheng now only knew the Grand Preceptor and not the King.

Yuan Zuo placed a white piece down and uttered this sigh.

"Where is it this time?" Ning Ye raised his eyelids, his expression still focused, hesitating about where to place the piece.

He and Yuan Zuo had a clear division of labor: he was in charge of domestic affairs, while Yuan Zuo was in charge of foreign affairs.

Over the years, more and more immortal kingdoms have been drawn into the chaos, with internal and external troubles erupting at the same time. The situation changes every day, and new news comes back almost every day. Ning Ye has become somewhat numb to it.

"Of the ten Ghost Kings of Xingtu Ghost Continent, three have now submitted to the Netherworld Kingdom." Yuan Zuo picked up the jade cup beside the chessboard and took a small sip.

"Oh? That's big news."

Ning Ye then raised his head, becoming slightly more serious. "The Netherworld Kingdom caused great chaos in the Cangwu Kingdom last time, and now it has subdued three Ghost Kings. It already has the aura of a hegemon."

“Not bad! The Netherworld Kingdom sounds just as eerie as the Punishment Ghost Continent. Birds of a feather flock together,” Yuan Zuo sneered.

Hearing this news, they were still able to remain relaxed because the Netherworld Kingdom was a newly rising immortal kingdom located between the Punishment Ghost Continent and the Cangwu Kingdom, far away from the Horned Life Kingdom. No matter how the Netherworld Kingdom caused trouble, it would not affect them.

Ning Ye thought for a moment and said, "The Netherworld Kingdom... I wonder if you still remember, there used to be a celestial kingdom called the Netherworld Palace."

"You mean the Netherworld Palace, the overlord of the previous era? No wonder it's called 'Netherworld Corpse,' so you're a descendant of the Netherworld Palace!"

Yuan Zuo's eyes flashed with surprise. "You actually figured out the origins of the Underworld Kingdom in one sentence. And who were your ancestors?"

Ning Ye placed a piece, smiled without saying a word, indicating that it was Yuan Zuo's turn.

The Crimson Rong Kingdom possesses a dragon vein, and their ancestors were no ordinary people. When it comes to the secrets of their past generations, few people know more about them than he does.

The dragon vein of the Horned Kingdom was obtained from the Crimson Melt Kingdom, but this secret is still little known to the public.

Yuan Zuo lost interest in playing chess, staring absently at the chessboard, and continued to press, "Tell me again about the Nine Elephant Kingdom, what is its origin?"

The Netherworld Kingdom, the Nine Elephant Kingdom, and the Horned Birth Kingdom are the three immortal kingdoms with dragon veins, in addition to the Five Superior Kingdoms.

Among them, the rise of Jiaosheng Kingdom was the fastest and most astonishing. It replaced the Zhuqian Dynasty, one of the Five Great Kingdoms, in one fell swoop and became the new hegemon.

Then there's the Kingdom of the Underworld, which has risen to prominence in recent years and is the most likely to dominate a region after the Kingdom of Horned Life.

The Nine Elephant Kingdom, however, has not shown any particular prowess.

This is also related to the situation surrounding these three immortal kingdoms. The fact that the Horned Bone Kingdom was able to accomplish the feat of swallowing an elephant like a snake is inseparable from the Battle of the Forbidden Land. People generally believe that the Horned Bone Kingdom got a great deal. The same is true for the situation surrounding the Netherworld Kingdom. The internal strife among the ten kings of Xingtu Ghost Continent and the instability of the Cangwu Kingdom gave the Netherworld Kingdom an opportunity to fish in troubled waters.

Only the Nine Elephant Kingdom, located northeast of the Great Geng Kingdom and southeast of the Heavenly Fox Kingdom, is not sandwiched between the two kingdoms, but they are not far apart.

Although the Celestial Fox Clan and the Moon Fox Clan of the Celestial Fox Kingdom had long been enemies, it had not yet escalated to the point of full-scale war. After the fall of the Zhu Qian Dynasty, the Great Geng Kingdom benefited second only to the Horned Beast Kingdom, greatly alleviating its internal conflicts. This forced the Nine Elephant Kingdom to bide its time and prepare for war.

However, since the Nine Elephant Kingdom possesses a dragon vein that has not been taken away, it cannot be as simple as it seems.

"Hard to say!"

Ning Ye shook his head, his gaze fixed on the chessboard. He had lost more often than he had won against Yuan Zuo, and it was rare for Yuan Zuo to be distracted. This time, he should be able to win a game.

"The things that the Nine Elephant Kingdom has revealed are very complicated. I made several guesses before, but they were all vague and unreliable. I guess they did it on purpose. To find out their background, we have to wait for the Nine Elephant Kingdom to fight a major war and show their fangs."

Yuan Zuo chuckled, "The ancestors of the Nine Elephant Kingdom were not only royalty, but at least kings and marquises of great kingdoms. In fact, over the years, the dragon vein has been circulating among those powerful clans."

“Only powerful tribes have the right to compete for the dragon vein. What’s so strange about that? It’s the sect leader who is an anomaly. He didn’t have a powerful tribe behind him and conquered this land all by himself.”

Ning Ye couldn't help but sigh.

Although the dragon vein of the Horned Kingdom was stolen from him, the sect leader's power must be acknowledged. If the dragon vein had remained in the Crimson Melt Kingdom, given their strength, they might not have had a chance to rise in this chaotic era, and would have had to continue to bide their time.

Yuan Zuo also showed a look of deep agreement, "Putting everything else aside, the leader's grasp of the situation is unparalleled!"

If the annexation of the Crimson Melody Kingdom was due to the powerful states and the three kings of Zhu Qian being trapped in the forbidden area, allowing Qin Sang to exploit an opening and engage in battle with the Zhu Qian Dynasty, then Qin Sang truly demonstrated his understanding of the situation. Those familiar with the history of the Horned Blossom Kingdom would find that battle unbelievable upon reviewing it. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slipped away in an instant, yet the Horned Blossom Kingdom seized it precisely, turning the impossible into reality. People can only attribute this success to national destiny; it's hard to imagine anyone could achieve such a feat.

After the initial amazement came regret: "What a pity!"

Yuan Zuo opened his mouth but didn't continue speaking, though Ning Ye could guess what he was thinking.

After annexing the Zhu Qian Dynasty, the Jiao Sheng Kingdom only paid a price in the final battle for the capital. In the end, the Zhu Qian Dynasty surrendered, so the Jiao Sheng Kingdom did not suffer too much loss. Now it is at its peak. If the leader's ambition is a little bigger, the Jiao Sheng Kingdom can continue to expand eastward and actively join the chaos. At least it can take back the territory lost by the Zhu Qian Dynasty.

Moreover, judging from the leader's attitude, he doesn't seem to be conserving his energy; he's truly satisfied.

Ning Ye smiled slightly, "That's fine too! Observing the world's affairs from here, the scenery is uniquely beautiful."

Now, the Kingdom of Horned Life dominates the West, and all the surrounding immortal kingdoms bow down to it.

The Heavenly Fox Kingdom is preoccupied with its own problems, the Great Geng Kingdom is a land of constant warfare, and the Cangwu Kingdom is in a state of chaos due to the troubles caused by the Underworld Kingdom. These three kingdoms are only worried about the Horned Beast Kingdom taking advantage of their weakness, so they dare not provoke the Horned Beast Kingdom.

It can be said that the Kingdom of Horned Blossom is the most peaceful place in the world today.

In recent years, more and more tribes have voluntarily migrated to Jiaosheng Kingdom in search of stability. Ning Ye, who is in charge of domestic affairs, can feel that everything is thriving.

"That makes sense, but I'm still... unwilling to accept it!"

Yuan Zuo looked up and sighed deeply.

What he was unwilling to accept was that Qin Sang and Jiao Sheng Kingdom clearly had the strength to continue vying for supremacy over the world. The chaotic era had only just begun, so why stop now? Only by constantly annexing other immortal kingdoms could they seize more dragon veins. If they could gather all the dragon veins into one kingdom, it would be an unprecedented and unparalleled feat!

Yuan Zuo didn't care about leaving a mark on history; all he sought was the dragon vein.

It is said that dragon veins may harbor hidden dangers, but no one can clearly explain what those dangers are or what causes them. This could be due to inherent flaws in the dragon veins themselves, or it could be because there are too few dragon veins. Yuan Zuo, after reviewing historical records, discovered that even the most powerful immortal kingdoms of a certain era had never managed to gather all the dragon veins.

If we could gather all the dragon veins, perhaps we could resolve the hidden dangers?

"In that case, Imperial Preceptor Ning should no longer have any concerns, right?" Yuan Zuo stared at Ning Ye.

Over the years, Ning Ye's cultivation level has not improved much, which means that he has not refined the Mountain and River Thunder Tower.

Yuan Zuo and Ning Ye jointly attacked the Zhu Qian Dynasty. Yuan Zuo learned that Ning Ye had entrusted the Thunder Tower of Shanhe Town to a member of his clan, whose cultivation level was originally lower than Ning Ye's, but had now surpassed him.

He made a different choice, personally refining the Mountain and River Town Thunder Tower, and truly experienced the benefits of the dragon vein.

Not long after refining the Thunder Tower of the Mountains and Rivers, the bottleneck that had troubled him for many years was easily resolved. When he encountered difficulties in his cultivation, he often had a feeling of enlightenment, and he made significant progress in almost every seclusion.

The feeling is so wonderful and addictive that it's hard to give it up, even knowing there might be hidden dangers in the future.

This made Yuan Zuo even more excited, wondering if gathering all the dragon veins would bring even more unexpected and miraculous effects.

"Perhaps! However, even if all the dragon veins belong to the Horned Kingdom, I would like to try it myself first. How can one rely on external things in cultivation? Otherwise, even if one is lucky enough to break through to the Integration Stage, there will still be a Heavenly Tribulation after the Integration Stage. Can one really rely on the dragon veins to break through to the Mahayana Stage?"

Ning Ye's words had a heartfelt tone.

Yuan Zuo forced a bitter smile. "I admire the character of the Grand Preceptor Ning, but unfortunately, I have been trapped by a bottleneck for too long, which has worn down my will and made me lose such ambition. My only wish in life is to take another step forward and live for tens of thousands of years. I dare not dream of the Mahayana realm. No matter what it is, as long as it is useful, I will not let it go!"

Upon hearing this, Ning Ye remained silent.

He wasn't trying to persuade Yuanzuo; once someone has cultivated to their level and made a decision, they can't change their mind because of a few words from outsiders.

They chose two different paths, but no one could say which one was better, because hope was equally elusive. The most likely outcome was that both of them would perish at the border, neither of them able to take that step.

Ning Ye was using the sect leader's choice to convince himself; since the sect leader hadn't refined the dragon vein, he wanted to give it a try too.

The topic was too heavy, and for a moment the atmosphere in the pavilion became oppressive.

'Snapped! '

Yuan Zuo made a move, startling Ning Ye from his reverie.

Realizing that he was the one who had been distracted first, Ning Ye shook his head inwardly and decided to change the subject. He then focused his attention back on the chessboard and asked about the current situation of the Da Geng and other countries.

Yuan Zuo said, "The Heavenly Fox Alliance will have a great battle sooner or later. Not long ago, both the Heavenly Fox and the Moon Fox sent envoys, and you should have met them."

Ning Ye nodded. "They wanted to see Fairy Bai, but were turned away. I heard they're still guarding outside the Five Thunder Sect's headquarters."

"You've been together day and night, yet you haven't fought?" Yuan Zuo grinned. "Both sides have sent messages, willing to hand over the benefits they've gained from the Zhu Qian Dynasty. As long as the leader nods, without even actually sending troops, I, Yuan, can easily win them over with a few tricks."

“It seems that the Yuan State Preceptor has become obsessed! There’s no need to mention this matter again. If we had interfered in other countries, we wouldn’t have the peace we have now,” Ning Ye said in a deep voice.

Yuan Zuo's expression turned solemn. "Thank you for your warning, fellow Daoist. I almost became a demon in my heart! Let's leave the Heavenly Fox Kingdom aside for now. The Great Geng Kingdom may seem stable, but in reality, it's as precarious as a pile of eggs..."

……

Yuan Zuo and Ning Ye discussed the affairs of the world.

At the Five Thunder Sect's headquarters, Qin Sang and Bai Ying'er, master and disciple, are in seclusion.

Bai Ying'er has already cultivated to the Yang God realm. With Yu Ying's assistance, the spiritual network is also gradually growing stronger, nourishing Bai Ying'er. In addition, with the help of the dragon vein, Bai Ying'er's cultivation is progressing by leaps and bounds, far surpassing Qin Sang's realm in the "Taiyi Ling Shu Jing".

This was also related to Qin Sang's reluctance to be distracted. The news brought by Green Ivy made him feel increasingly urgent, and he devoted himself to comprehending the "Purple Star Sword Scripture".

At this moment, Qin Sang completely abandoned the idea of ​​creating his own sword formation and comprehending the sword domain. He no longer rejected the Seven Souls Killing Formation. As his realm improved, his understanding of the Seven Souls Killing Formation became more and more profound.

The Seven Souls Killing Array, as the innate divine power of the Purple Star Sword Scripture, was created for the Dharma Domain and is the foundation for cultivators to comprehend the Dharma Domain.

This foundation was laid a long time ago. Although Qin Sang has not used the Seven Souls Killing Formation many times, after such a long time, even if his talent is poor, he will be able to comprehend the true essence of the Dharma Domain more easily than other cultivators by using the Seven Souls Killing Formation.

This is the true power of the "Purple Star Sword Scripture" in the Refinement of Emptiness realm. Many cultivation methods in the world, even if one can cultivate to the late Refinement of Emptiness realm, leave the cultivator clueless about breaking through to the Integration realm and comprehending the Dharma Domain. Cultivators need to start from scratch and explore. However, the "Purple Star Sword Scripture" has provided guidance from the very beginning.

Regardless of the level of mastery, the Ziwei Sword Scripture is undoubtedly a top-tier martial art, even with its many hidden dangers.

The problem isn't with the technique itself, but with the practitioner!

As Ziwei Tongzi said, Ziwei Sword Master walked through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and could create such a technique even without the Jade Buddha. Later generations could not cultivate it, and could only blame themselves for being too untalented.

If Qin Sang hadn't wanted to retain some of her own identity, she would have been able to experience the domain of power generated by the Seven Souls Killing Array long ago.

As his cultivation level improved, Qin Sang increasingly realized that the domain cultivated by the Ziwei Sword Scripture was a sword domain, but it was not entirely a sword domain. Just as this technique had always given people the impression of integrating the way of killing into the way of the sword, its essence was the way of killing.

He initially thought it was a sword domain, influenced by the sword light of Master Tianyue. In fact, what he ultimately cultivated should be a killing domain!
The Seven Souls Killing Array utilizes the seven souls. Qin Sang knows his seven souls very well, but he doesn't know how to make them form a domain. He can only keep trying to understand it in his spare time.

On the altar, Qin Sang's figure vanished into thin air and appeared in the small grotto. Every time he deduced the Seven Souls Killing Formation, he would escape into the small grotto to avoid being seen.

With a flicker, seven figures separated from Qin Sang's body, which were seven sword spirits. As soon as the sword spirits appeared, the killing intent in the small cave sky soared into the sky.

The Seven Souls Evolution Sword Formation is not as complex as the Four Symbols and Nine Luminaries Sword Formation; in fact, it can be described as simple, with each move having a traceable pattern, truly a return to simplicity.

Yet, Qin Sang made new discoveries with this seemingly simple sword formation every time, making it utterly unfathomable.