Inquiry about immortality

Bai Yujing.

Si Tianjian.

*Click! Click! Click!*

'Crash...'

Accompanied by the sound of gears turning and water cascading, the armillary sphere suddenly began to operate.

Everyone in the Imperial Observatory was drawn to the armillary sphere, and they all looked up at the sky. They saw the Milky Way flowing faster and faster, and the stars intersecting as the constellations shifted and the sky was filled with starlight in an instant.

Someone muttered to themselves, "Why is it the north again..."

Just then, thunderous sounds suddenly emanated from the celestial globe, and a person beside him exclaimed in surprise, "This is... the Dao Court... Thunder Ancestor!"

Everyone was stunned.

Although the Daoist court was destroyed, the fame of the Heavenly Venerable of Universal Transformation of Thunder and Lightning of the Nine Heavens had long been deeply rooted in people's hearts. Although the Great Zhou Dynasty destroyed mountains and temples many times, the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty still worship him to this day.

'Shuh! '

A middle-aged man suddenly appeared before the armillary sphere. Upon seeing the scene before him, his expression changed instantly. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something, turned around, and sternly said to the people in the hall, "I will go and report to the Supervisor right now. Anyone who dares to spread this matter will be punished!"

……

Qin Sang could understand why the Dao Court did not choose to monopolize the Qilin Cave Heaven.

The Thunder Ancestor's arrival served two purposes: first, to intimidate the demon race, and second, to demonstrate the determination to reclaim lost territory. The Daoist Court's primary task now is to establish a foothold in the Great Wind Plains, not to engage in a fierce battle with the demon race. This move, a combination of carrot and stick, is both an invitation to leave and a gesture of goodwill towards the demon race, thus testing their attitude.

Qilin Cave Heaven is, after all, the legacy of the demon race.

As the order to leave was announced, Qin Sang was also secretly worried. The new Demon Court had intended to form an alliance with the Dao Court, but the trouble was whether Dragon Island Phoenix Pavilion was willing to hand over the Great Wind Plain.

"Ha ha……"

The Wood God's laughter broke the silence, drawing the attention of the Demon Saint True Lord.

At this moment, the Wood God Envoy was in a very good mood. Although he failed to find the Ancient Demon Court, he successfully attracted the Dao Court, and the Dao Court's attitude was more important than expected.

Once the alliance is established, the Demon Court will be located in the North Pole, while the Dao Court will be stationed in the Great Wind Plain. With one in the south and the other in the north, facing each other across the sea, the Demon Court's isolated and helpless situation will be greatly improved.

"We were impolite first, but Lord Qin is very magnanimous. We are ashamed! We will not bother you any longer today. We will prepare congratulatory gifts in the future to congratulate Lord Qin on his ascension to the position of the Hetu Dharma Master..."

Before the Wood God Envoy finished speaking, the star ropes wrapped around the Azure Dragon sprang up.

'Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!'

The star bolt shot down, heading towards the desert wind.

Strands of starlight stretched from the heavens to the earth, reaching the starry sky above and overlooking the abyss of raging fire below.

‘Crack! ’

The starlight shifted, the star ropes tightened like hooks, instantly causing mountains to crumble and the earth to split, forcefully lifting a large chunk of the Abyss of Blazing Fire.

As the Star Chains began to retract, they lifted up a large mass of boiling lava, as if dragging a star core, and slowly flew into the sky. The lava contained fragments of the Qilin Cave Heaven.

Deep within the lava, golden light shone. Qin Sang recognized it; it was the golden light from the secret realm contained within the Qilin Cave. The fact that even these lights were gushing out indicated that the Qilin Cave Heaven had almost completely collapsed, and countless treasures had been destroyed by the fire before they could even be born.

This action caused a massive earthquake, but it slowed the expansion of the Abyss of Fire.

The molten lava flew higher and higher, eventually disappearing into the depths of the starry sea, where it was surrounded by stars and the fire gradually subsided.

No one stepped forward to stop the Demon Court. The three demon saints looked at the molten flames in the starry sea and cursed inwardly, thinking, "Who doesn't know that you've been in cahoots for a long time?"

The Wood God's pretentious act was clearly an attempt to solidify the Dao Court's position as the true master of the Great Wind Plains, and to declare that every single one of them was an unwelcome guest!

The azure dragon let out a low roar, its body circling in mid-air. In the end, it did not choose to take the opportunity to attack into the starry sky, for their struggle was now meaningless.

The fire phoenix flew back to the Taiyan Phoenix Tree Forest, and a group of Phoenix Clan demon saints appeared in the sky above the Taiyan Phoenix Tree Forest.

The Empress and the Lord of Chi Island exchanged a glance, then looked south, their gazes falling on the Lord of Yao Pavilion.

The Pavilion Master Yao lowered her gaze slightly, avoiding contact with them, seemingly wanting to disregard them.

The battlefield fell silent again, with the Abyss of Blazing Fire continuing to roar. Neither the Dragon nor the Phoenix clans made an immediate statement; they were waiting.

After a long while, they did not receive the imperial edict.

The Empress and the Lord of Chi Island exchanged another glance. Their ancestor must know what happened here. The ancestor's thoughts were unfathomable. He neither showed himself nor could he be persuaded. It seemed that he wanted to sit back and watch the Dao Court take over the Great Wind Plains, and then listen to its words and observe its actions.

Although this is the old territory of the Dao Court and not a particularly important place, allowing a human force to interfere will always sow the seeds of future trouble. Once the Dao Court gains power and is watching from the sidelines with predatory eyes, it will be difficult to expel them.

Are they worried that the Dao Court and the Demon Court have already formed an alliance, and that forcibly expelling them would trigger internal strife?

However, the current Daoist court can no longer be regarded as the Daoist court of the past.

The Dao Court has fallen to its current state. Although the demon race was involved back then, the trouble originated in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Therefore, they all found it unbelievable that the Dao Court seemed to be joining forces with Qianzhou. Now, looking back, it seems more like Qianzhou was first used by the Dao Court and then ruthlessly discarded...

With the emergence of the Dao Court, countless people in the Great Zhou Dynasty are restless and unable to eat or sleep properly.

The Empress was filled with various thoughts. The pressure Qin Sang was putting on her was growing, and she still hadn't received the ancestral decree. She already understood what was going on.

Suddenly, a dragon's roar was heard.

The azure dragon treads on wind and clouds, soaring through the abyss of raging fire, with clouds and mist rising behind it, transforming into a sea of ​​clouds and mist that then spread across the sea of ​​fire.

'Crash...'

Suddenly, a torrential downpour began.

The rainwater evaporated into white mist in mid-air, while a continuous stream of water vapor was transported in, and the sea of ​​clouds hung low, covering the fiery abyss.

The rain intensified, but even the fierce winds and torrential rains were insufficient to extinguish the flames in the Abyss of Fire. However, the rainwater gradually converged into rivers, which flowed into the Abyss of Fire, where they intertwined and formed a net amidst the sea of ​​fire.

As the water network grew denser, the Abyss of Fire trembled violently once more. The water network that had seeped into the Abyss of Fire solidified into an ice ball, sealing the molten flames within it.

'boom! ’

The ice hockey puck soared into the sky.

This is a giant sphere composed of ice and fire, with an outer layer of solid blue ice and an inner layer of molten lava, exuding an eerie beauty.

At that moment, a streak of light flashed beneath the ice ball and flew out of the Abyss of Blazing Fire along with it; it was none other than the Night Dragon Demon Saint.

He was in a sorry state at this moment, and the other Dragon Palace cultivators were all filled with panic. The spiritual light still enveloped several unconscious people, including the Tenth Prince Ao Chen.

The removal of the Qilin's essence accelerated the collapse of the cave. When the Night Dragon Demon Saint found the cave, he did not obtain the Qilin's treasure. Instead, he was the first to be hit by the fire calamity. Ao Chen and the others, who were also in the formation at the time, were in even greater danger. Fortunately, the Night Dragon Demon Saint possessed great supernatural powers and managed to save their lives.

Night Dragon Demon Saint's expression was somewhat gloomy, but he also knew that this situation was beyond his control. Without saying a word, he led the cultivators into the body of Azure Dragon.

With a flick of its tail, the azure dragon unleashed a giant ball of ice and fire, soaring northward through the clouds.

Wherever the Azure Dragon passed, torrential rain poured down, turning the earth into a swamp, and the demon realm to the west of the Wind Desert also experienced a violent earthquake.

Shenji Mountain.

The sacred site of the Suanni clan.

The Suanni clan is recognized as the overlord of countless demon clans in the Great Wind Plains. With a thunderous roar, the boundless Divine Ridge Mountain rose from the ground and ascended into the sea of ​​clouds, following the Azure Dragon northward.

The Suanni clan, which had roamed the Great Wind Plains for countless years, actually migrated as a whole, even moving their sacred grounds!
On the summit of Mount Shenji, many Suanni cultivators stood before the cliff, gazing at their gradually receding homeland with a sense of melancholy.

……

'Bah! '

The cry of the phoenix resounded throughout the Great Wind Plain.

The Taiyan Phoenix Tree Forest was set ablaze, and a phoenix chariot flew out of the sea of ​​fire. As it passed the Abyss of Blazing Fire, streams of molten flame were drawn out of the abyss by an invisible force, transforming into countless fireballs of all sizes that hovered behind the phoenix chariot.

Wherever the imperial carriage passed, a shower of meteors and fire appeared, creating a magnificent scene.

Nobody picked and chose; everyone just cut off a large piece whole. How much they harvested in the end depended entirely on luck.

As the phoenix carriage passed the Zhaofeng clan's dojo, flames blazed across the land, instantly shifting mountains and rivers and relocating the entire Zhaofeng clan's dojo.

The demons, including Xuan Ying, had already been brought back to the Daoist temple by the Demon Saint of the Zhaofeng Clan. Now, standing in the Daoist temple, they looked at the boundless and majestic figure on the horizon, which was also vaguely familiar, and their expressions were extremely complicated.

It's hard to believe that this is really the person I know.
……

Seeing the actions of the Dragon and Phoenix clans, Qin Sang felt a little relieved, and then looked at the four Azure Phoenix Demon Saints in the south.

"Since everyone who sees it gets a share, we shouldn't refuse."

"The Pavilion Master Yao said fiercely."

They moved with lightning speed, appearing above the Abyss of Blazing Fire. Lü Leiling and Palace Master Qi attacked together, using azure lightning as blades to cleave through the molten flames.

Yao Pavilion Master and Qin Sang exchanged glances, hesitating to speak, but finally couldn't help asking, "Lord Qin, where is Senior Junyang now?"

"Senior has always been elusive, and I know nothing about him," Qin Sang replied.

The Pavilion Master Yao did not press further. Whether Junyang secretly helped the Dao Court take control of the Great Wind Plains or chose to join forces with the Dao Court for the sake of the Ancient Demon Court, it showed that Junyang and the Dao Court had a close relationship.

Could this be the reason why the one in Yayoi Cave Heaven is indifferent to the Dao Court?

Thinking of this, the Pavilion Master Yao's heart stirred slightly, and she said, "I cannot accept rewards without merit. Just now, we discovered an ancient altar in the Xunfeng Sea, which should be the altar of Yongquan Mountain..."

Upon hearing this, Pavilion Master Yao felt the angry gazes shooting from the phoenix carriage, but she paid no attention to them.

Yuan Zhenjun bowed deeply and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Pavilion Master Yao. I will definitely visit you in person to express my gratitude in the future."

The Pavilion Master Yao's gaze narrowed slightly. Even her own name was known. It seemed that the Dao Court was not truly indifferent to worldly affairs.

At this moment, Lu Lei and Palace Master Qi had finished collecting the tokens. She nodded slightly and then vanished in a flash of light. Meanwhile, the starlight in the sky gradually disappeared into the darkness, and the Wood God Envoy returned to the Demon Court.

As various forces gradually withdrew from the Great Wind Plains, the situation finally settled down, but the chaos in the Great Wind Plains had only just begun.

The fact that the Dragon and Phoenix clans took the Suanni and Zhaofeng clans away together means that the Demon Clan returned Dafeng Plain to the Dao Court, and the half-demons who were originally oppressed by the Demon Clan have now become the masters.

The demons of the Great Wind Plains were terrified upon learning the truth. Even if they were unaware of the Dao Court's supernatural powers, the Dao Court's demon soldiers were renowned in ancient times, and the Dao Court's takeover of the Great Wind Plains was definitely not a good thing for the demons.

Suddenly, dust billowed up across the wasteland, and a dark swarm of rats burst forth.

Among the demon races living in the Great Wind Plains, the Suanni and Zhaofeng clans are the strongest, but in terms of sheer size, none surpasses the Kan Jing.

Almost every large wasteland has the lair of Kan spirits underground, some even right next to the dojos of other demon races. These Kan spirit clans are scattered throughout the Great Wind Plains, but each clan is related by blood and shares a common ancestor.

As if they had received a command at the same time, large and small swarms of rats rushed out of the ground in an instant, a scene comparable to a rat plague.

On a desolate plain, swarms of rats surged out of their burrows like a tide. Among the rats, there was a group of robust rat demons, fully armed and surrounded by a throne in a ceremonial procession.

"The mighty king has emerged from his cave!"

"The King has come out of his cave to patrol the mountains!"

"..."

The rat demon on the throne had already transformed into a round, fleshy ball, with platters of sumptuous delicacies piled up in front of him, almost taller than his head. Fortunately, the pallbearers were all demon cultivators, so the throne remained perfectly still.

This mighty king seemed oblivious to the danger, still stuffing food into his mouth, his mouth dripping with oil.

'Snapped! '

The Great King of Divine Power suddenly rolled to the ground, a palm print appearing on his face, and the little demons' singing stopped abruptly.

Above the throne appeared a short, dark-skinned, and wiry old man who cursed at the little demon, "Sing, sing, sing! Are you trying to mourn me? If you sing another note, you'll be dead!"

The demons fled in terror.

The old man grabbed the Great King of Divine Power by the back of the neck and flew westward through the air. When disaster strikes, everyone flies away; these lesser demons can only accept their fate.

Not every demon has the ability to leave the Great Wind Plains; many more demons, like the lesser demons, are lost and confused.

……

"We pay our respects to Lord Yuan Zhenjun."

The half-demon lord finally emerged from his hiding place and bowed to Yuan Zhenjun.

Yuan Zhenjun was very hospitable to them, and hurriedly returned the greeting, saying with a smile, "Fellow Daoists, there's no need for such formalities. Envoy Qin has already mentioned you all. You have stayed in your homeland until now, enduring countless hardships, protecting the altar and the seal of merit. Your contributions are invaluable, and the Dao Court will certainly not treat you unfairly..."

The half-demon lords were overjoyed upon hearing this. They knew their own situation best; it was clearly Qin Shijun who had found the altar and the seal of merit. They all cast grateful glances at Qin Sang.

……

Qin Sang noticed the chaos among the demon race but did not stop the demon cultivators from escaping.

If the Daoist court wants to establish a foothold here, the system of demon soldiers must be changed; at least for now, it is inappropriate.

Moving her gaze downwards, Qin Sang found the Vermilion Bird amidst the underground fire veins surrounding the Heavenly Cang Kingdom.

The Vermilion Bird folded its wings and curled up into a fluffy ball, fast asleep.

He smiled slightly, guided the Vermilion Bird back to the small grotto, and then pointed his fingers toward the Abyss of Blazing Fire.

'boom! ’

Thunderbolts, sharp as swords, pierce through raging flames.

Those demon saints were quite sensible; they didn't take all the treasures from the cave. They divided the Qilin Cave Heaven among themselves, leaving a portion for the Dao Court as well. The treasures were already theirs, so there was no need to rush to collect them.

The thunder was like a solid wall, standing firm before the raging tide of fire. In an instant, the fire was greatly suppressed, and the Abyss of Fire finally stopped expanding. Although the flames were not yet extinguished, they were gradually compressed inward by the thunder's power, thus averting a calamity for the Great Wind Plains.

Thick layers of crimson essence gradually formed on both sides, sealing the flames inside and creating a vast, narrow rift in the center of the Great Wind Plains, like a gaping maw, within which the flames burned eternally.

(End of Volume 9!)

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1. Volume 10, "Love's Tribulations," is coming soon.

2. The scene of Qin Sang undergoing her tribulation was one of the images I envisioned when I started writing the book. Although there were many additions and deviations in between, thankfully it didn't go astray in the end. However, I didn't expect at the time that I would be able to stick with it until now, driven by a momentary interest.

3. With the year-end approaching, let's just take two days off this time, to save for the New Year celebrations. (End of Chapter)