Immortal Road.

In the darkness, everyone could see a blue gale chasing after the ice python, disappearing into the deep, dark curtain of light.

"Hiss~ Is the great Confucian scholar Mei Shafeng planning to clash with the powerful cultivators from other holy lands ahead of time?"

"It's not the final moment yet. This move seems a bit redundant. Exposing our skills and combat power for nothing is probably not a good idea, is it?"

"What do you know? He's a Confucian master, a person of great supernatural powers. How could you possibly fathom the thoughts of such a person?"

"Why can't I speculate? According to the precedent of the first two waves of spiritual tides, the great supernatural beings and primordial spirit masters only appear at the very end. These small skirmishes in the early stages are not worth revealing even the slightest bit of their methods!"

"Which holy land did that ice python come from? It made two moves in a row. It looks like a summoned creature but it doesn't. Could it be some kind of great supernatural power?"

Amidst much discussion.

Seeing that the great Confucian scholar Mei Shafeng had actually left the sacred land's veins to pursue and kill the enemy alone, wouldn't that leave the interior vulnerable, giving them another chance to strike back?
However, this idea was quickly dismissed after just a fleeting thought.

Anyway, after what the Ice Python and Wu Fang did, the Haoran Holy Land suffered heavy losses. The Yin-Yang Mysterious Ladder was already in a terrible state, almost the same as the Ghost Valley Holy Land. There was no need to add anything more.

Lin Shan and Xiong Shan slipped away easily, but then went to the location of the Spring and Autumn Sword Sect, where the same scene unfolded.

In comparison, the Spring and Autumn Sword Sect was the most well-prepared, having even buried hidden mines in the outer mantle layer of the earth's veins!

Two groups of people accidentally stepped inside, triggering a series of explosions that sent people flying.

Subsequently, each faction used summoned items or supernatural abilities to explore the area and clear away the hidden mines.

Then, when they launched a probing attack, it triggered a defensive counter-attack sword formation, forcing them into a flurry of activity.

The people of the Spring and Autumn Sword Sect, however, chose offense over defense and actually charged out!
Half of a certain holy land was wiped out on the spot, and several Nascent Soul stage cultivators died instantly, which startled everyone.

However, because the Yin-Yang Mystic Ladder battle line was too long, the enemy focused their superior forces on besieging one holy land, while the other routes were scattered and patched up, making it impossible to defend against them all.

Lin Shan faced two Nascent Soul True Monarchs from the Spring and Autumn Sword Sect again. When exchanging blows with them, he sent out his Dharma Aspect Emblem, the 'Ten Thousand Year Corpse King,' disguised as the Corpse Spirit Monarch.

This was one of the unfortunate souls who was devoured by the Annihilation Avatar back then.

Master Xiongshan was astonished by the many identities Lin Shan had, and he even made up a fake identity for himself: Shui Lingjun!
This is not an isolated case.

When the other holy sites launched their surprise attacks, everyone tacitly concealed their identities, creating a bunch of fake accounts to deceive themselves.

While they may not understand each other's intentions, they still need to put on a show to confuse the public.

The Spring and Autumn Sword Sect also revealed a heavyweight figure, Orchid Sword Venerable Ping Shuang.

This woman doesn't look very old, but she has already become a great master at a young age, a true prodigy of the holy land!

However, a powerful expert also made a move in the ambush team. It was none other than the Burning Fire Venerable Chi Hong, who had appeared among the alien race!
Since their identities had already been recognized, the alien race simply invited them out to cover their attack on the Spring and Autumn Sword Sect.

In order to prevent the aftermath of the battle from affecting his own territory, Venerable Lan Jian Ping Shuang deliberately led the battlefield outside.

As a result, the Spring and Autumn Sword Sect was busy running around, but still couldn't stop the sneak attacks from the various holy lands, and the Yin-Yang Mysterious Ladder was also destroyed.

At this point, all the teams were eliminated in the first round, but Tai Xuan Holy Land, which was previously at the bottom, has risen to become the current number one!

This dramatic turn of events left everyone at Taixuan Holy Land with mixed feelings of joy and worry.

They maintained strict vigilance for a full half month.

Surprisingly, not a single person came to cause them any trouble!

Because just two weeks later, they fell from their number one position again.

Guigu Sacred Land, Haoran Sacred Land, and Chunqiu Sword Sect, having the advantage of being the first to act, quickly rebuilt their ladders and climbed to the top again.

However, compared to the alien race and the Tai Xuan Holy Land, the gap is no longer that large.

During this period, undercurrents surged in the mantle layer, making it a place for various groups to test each other. Lin Shan and Xiong Shan would occasionally go to other holy sites to freeload and infiltrate other groups to cause trouble.

The fourth level became the main battlefield, while the lava sea on the third level was surprisingly calm.

However, sabotage is ultimately a minor matter. As the ley lines are dug deeper and deeper, the various holy lands will one day open up the ley lines and arrive at the true battleground!

half year later.

Jade shatters in the cold pool, seeking ancient teachings.

"Snapped!"

Lin Shan placed the jade slip on the table, picked up the teacup, and slowly began to drink.

"Master, Elder Mu Yan and Zhong Shenxiu have both disappeared since their battle and have not been found since. We sent people back to Tianfu Mountain in western Shandong to check and found that the Soul Lamp is still there and the person is fine, but we don't know where he has fallen into."

The high-ranking members of the Xun Gu Sect have been discussing this matter endlessly, having long been concerned about it.

Mu Yan's importance is self-evident. They had carefully searched every corner of the upper two floors, but found nothing.

They even wondered if they had fallen into a deep abyss and gotten lost!
"It's alright. That kid has incredible luck and always manages to turn danger into safety. Besides, Zhong Shenxiu is no pushover either. They might even join forces to overcome the difficulties after they fall into danger. As long as the Soul Lamp is still alive, that's fine."

Lin Shan didn't care at all.

For the past six months, the two levels of government have been suppressing the situation, allowing them to live a leisurely life.

The other forces in Lu were all very well-behaved, and no one dared to challenge his authority. They were all like obedient kittens, and the relatively peaceful period passed.

The higher-ups were completely unaware of the progress the Ghost Valley Holy Land was making on the fourth level, leaving the inspection team on the third level.

Other holy sites also did not inform their allies about the situation on the fourth level, which clearly involved the core of the spiritual tide and should not be touched by outsiders.

Their role as watchdogs is simply to guard the gate; due to the special terrain, they don't need to be cannon fodder, resulting in a very poor experience for participants.

Fortunately, he had the annihilation clone to survive, so he wasn't in a hurry to sit back and relax.

Elder Huicong of the Ghost Valley Holy Land was so idle that he was practically a bird in the air. He did nothing all day, wandering around aimlessly, or simply hiding in his room to cultivate.

Occasionally, when supplies were delivered from below, a portion would be shared with the Xun Gu Sect.

"Master Lin, this is 20% of the resources from the lower two levels over the past month. Please check."

Lin Shan didn't even bother to look at it and told Lü Xiuming to just put it away.

Anyway, it's still just a pittance. Without the watchful eyes of the inspection team, the Ghost Valley Holy Land simply smeared a few tiny pieces of earth vein essence on them and that was it.

They really think they're country bumpkins who've never seen the world, thinking they can just casually deal with someone and broaden their horizons, little do they know they're not even worth his attention!
Fortunately, Chief Liang had made solemn promises and sounded very good, but when it came to actually doing things, he was not as sincere as he had said.

"People should be judged not by what they say, but by what they do."

He sighed leisurely, which made Elder Huicong nervous, thinking that the other party was about to have an attack, but in the end, he was fine as usual.

Lin Shan simply couldn't be bothered to retaliate.

Having already engaged in two direct confrontations with the Ghost Valley Holy Land, I had already completed two rounds of probing. I cannot repeat this mistake three or four times.

Since the other party is unkind, then don't blame him for being unjust.

With a slight wave of his hand, Lü Xiuming immediately understood.

"Elder Huicong, this is 80% of what our Xun Gu Sect obtained in the first two levels."

Huicong took it, looked inside, nodded and smiled, praising the profound meaning of Xun Gu Jiao, and couldn't stop smiling.

They failed to notice the wolf-like gaze hidden in the eyes of every high-ranking member of the Seeking Ancient Sect!

We painstakingly looted most of what we got on the first two floors, and it all ended up in your pocket. But on the third and fourth floors, which were such a bountiful territory, all we got in return were a couple of measly scraps to appease us.

The contradiction of unequal distribution has been deeply ingrained, but it has been kept dormant for a long time.

Lin Shan watched the scene unfold with a smile, his mind completely calm and unperturbed. Eighty percent?

It's just temporarily stored in your hands; the old man will eventually take all your gold coins!

When the time comes, you'll have to pay it all back!
"Report——"

A disciple came in to report.

"The patriarch of the Kong family has come to visit. Please grant me an audience with the leader."

"Oh?"

The group was slightly surprised. The Confucian families had been behaving themselves and keeping to themselves with the Xun Gu Sect these days, so they wondered why the sect had suddenly come to visit.

Elder Huicong's eyes darted around, clearly paying close attention to this, and he secretly guessed the purpose of their visit.

After all, he still vividly remembered the last time Kong Kai and Rongjian Zhenjun visited together and tried to poach his employees while he was away.

"please come in."

At Lin Shan's command, a long, drawn-out shout soon rang out from outside.

"Master Lin, I have come without prior notice. I wonder if I have disturbed your enjoyment?"

"Haha, not at all, not at all. Brother Kong, you've taken time out of your busy schedule to come in person. You're a rare guest indeed. Please have a seat!"

With his sleeves billowing, the patriarch of the Kong family unceremoniously found a seat and sat down, chatting warmly with Lin Shan.

The two chatted happily, as if they were old friends who hadn't seen each other for many years.

The high-ranking members of the Xun Gu Sect were very perceptive. They knew that the Kong family patriarch must have important matters to discuss, so they quietly left one after another, leaving the place to the two of them.

Only Elder Huicong pretended to be stupid and remained sitting in his original seat, drinking tea and listening to the two chat.

But there's always an end to chatting, and there's never enough to talk about.

The two of them had their mouths dry, and they had racked their brains to say everything they could think of, but Elder Huicong still wouldn't leave!
"Cough cough."

The patriarch of the Kong family coughed twice, then glanced at him.

There are only three people in the room now, and the atmosphere is slightly awkward.

"Cough cough."

Lin Shan coughed twice, indicating that it was time for him to leave.

When Elder Huicong saw that neither of them spoke and they were staring at him intently, he felt uneasy all over. He felt a burning sensation under his buttocks and knew that he couldn't hide any longer.

"Hehe, please continue your conversation. I just remembered something I need to take care of, so I won't disturb you any longer~"

"Walk slowly."

"No delivery."

The two men looked at each other and smiled after he left.

The patriarch of the Kong family revealed the truth, and his so-called purpose was surprisingly surprising.

"Master Lin, are you aware of the major events that have occurred on the fourth level?"

"I'm not quite sure. I'm on the first two levels, how could I know about the fourth level?"

"If I remember correctly, where is your inspection team?"

"They were left in the sea of ​​lava by the Ghost Valley Holy Land."

"No wonder."

The patriarch of the Kong family sighed and shook his head slightly.

"Ghost Valley Holy Land is untrustworthy. Their promise to allow monitoring was just a pretext. They clearly know that the key to truly penetrating the spiritual tide lies in starting from the fourth level, so they deliberately agreed to let you send people down to the third level to monitor you. This is just to keep you calm for the time being."

"What can I do now that things have come to this? After all, I'm just a gatekeeper for the Holy Land. What right do I have to challenge them time and time again?"

"That's true, things shouldn't happen more than three times."

The patriarch of the Confucius family understood his situation and did not offer any bad advice, but instead returned to the previous point.

"The first major event that happened on the fourth level was that the Inhumans suddenly jumped out and joined the fray."

"The Star Palace Hundred Clans are not to be underestimated. They are powerful and have many experts. The key is that they are supported by the famous Primordial Spirit Ancestor."

"The five holy sites are now gathered together, sabotaging each other and fighting fiercely. After a long period of fermentation, they have become evenly matched!"

"At this point, it's all about having deep roots and experience!"

The patriarch of the Kong family had an inscrutable expression on his face.

"Therefore, I applied for it again and again, but it was not approved. To be honest, the Confucian school's approach also chilled me. They don't share their secrets with others."

Lin Shan was slightly curious.

"Then how did you know about the fourth floor?"

"I have my own clients, and this is something that can't be explained in a short time."

"There's also the matter of the earth's vein essence."

The patriarch of the Kong family recounted the discovery of the earth's essence at the front lines.

Lin Shan nodded. It seemed that the Kong family had a broad perspective, knowing to share information and not hiding anything.

However, the quantity of earth vein essence has long been monopolized by the major holy sites, and they do not tell the people above.

Now that the Kong family patriarch has exposed this, the expected life-or-death chaos did not occur, and Lin Shan appeared quite calm.

anything else?
The patriarch of the Kong family finally dropped a bombshell, a revelation that was no less than a thunderbolt!
"After passing through the Yin-Yang Mystic Ladder, traversing the two major layers of the mantle asthenosphere and mantle, we will soon arrive at the mortal world and starry sea, roaming through the seventy-two trials of the vast world, undergoing trials to cleanse our hearts and cross to the other shore."

"The mortal world and the starry sea?"

Lin Shan was surprised to hear this term for the first time and looked at the patriarch of the Kong family in astonishment.

How do you know so much?

"Hehe, Master Lin may not know, but my ancestors were also elders of the Haoran Holy Land. Later, they left for the mainland and established the Confucian family, the Kong family. Similar to the Meng family, Xun family, and Dong family, they all have the same origin. Therefore, there are records of our ancestors in the clan."

"The Red Dust Star Sea is the lower layer of the Earth's mantle, belonging to the free matter state. Why is it called the Star Sea? We have to start with Lake Leibo above our heads."

“Lake Leibo was not this large before. It was only because a meteorite fell here and crashed deep into the mantle that the lake expanded to thousands of miles.”

"The meteorite entered the mantle and, through long periods of mantle movement and change, was slowly compressed, crushed, and refined into countless stardust, which were distributed deep within the mantle beneath the Thunderwave Sea."

"The Yin-Yang Mystic Ladder passes through the mantle layer and arrives in the mortal star sea. The magnetic field here is extremely strong, to the point that it can reverse vision and create illusions at will. It can be called the fifth layer."

Lin Shan nodded thoughtfully, not expecting such a story.

Then why is it called the Red Dust Star Sea?
"As the name suggests, the Red Dust Star Sea is a place where, after experiencing seventy-two different illusions, one will see through the illusions of the mortal world and cleanse their heart and soul!"

The patriarch of the Kong family added with a smile.

"Moreover, it contains a supreme treasure, born from the earth over countless years, called the Formless Star Cocoon."

(End of this chapter)