Immortal Road.

"."

The three primordial spirits hovered above the black pool, creating a very somber atmosphere.

The Supreme Elder of the Tai Xuan Holy Land gave a wry smile and was the first to break the silence.

"These two youngsters are too reckless. It's not like we can't negotiate any conditions. Sigh! They insisted on rushing into the Earth's core to their deaths, and they won't give us the treasure even when they die. Really."
I don't know what to say about them.

The Sword Master of Minghuang sighed deeply, seemingly having given up hope as well.

"So be it. Those who are destined to possess spiritual objects will obtain them, and those that do not belong to us will never be ours. Let them go, and hopefully there will be a glimmer of hope."

The Star Palace Ancestor, Xing Jinshu, sneered, and surprisingly, she seemed quite pleased with herself.

"A glimmer of hope? Once inside the Earth's core, it's certain death! The Black Reed Fire alone could burn them to ashes. This kid's origins are unknown anyway, so his death is no big deal. It saves me the trouble of catching him! He destroyed my natal star; even being torn to pieces wouldn't be too much!"

Seeing her agitated state, the other two didn't want to provoke her and offered some words of comfort. The Holy Lord of Minghuang wasn't particularly emotional, as he had already obtained a Formless Star Cocoon. However, the Supreme Elder of Taixuan Holy Land looked extremely desolate.

Thinking that all my efforts had been in vain, and that my vision of living a second life would never be realized, I felt a bitter taste in my mouth.

"I gambled on Tai Xuan's last spiritual tide, but I still returned empty-handed. With the Formless Star Cocoon, I probably won't have many more chances. It's all fate."

The Holy Lord Minghuang was somewhat embarrassed. He was the only one who had succeeded, and he felt that anything he said would be showing off.

"What a pity. That kid not only has the Formless Star Cocoon, but also a Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure. It's just buried deep in the Earth's core, and it will probably never see the light of day again. Come to think of it, we shouldn't have pursued him so closely."

"A Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure?"

Xing Jinshu frowned. She had never seen Lin Shan use this thing before, and she couldn't help but be surprised when she heard it.

Now that the two had stopped fighting, they simply recounted what had happened and then, without lingering there any longer, returned to the Red Dust Star Sea.

"Brother Dao, please don't be impatient. The spiritual tide will still be rising in some time. Let's wait a little longer; perhaps we'll gain other benefits as well."

Beneath the black pool.

Lin Shan and the Kong family patriarch arrived at a vast underground world!

The surface here is hollow and as bright as day. Thousands of feet below, the massive Earth's core burns fiercely, radiating intense light. Countless red ribbons connect it to the outside world, transmitting the spiritual energy of this realm.

They extinguished the red flames on their bodies and looked back on what had just happened with lingering fear.

"The Black Reed Fire lives up to its name. If it weren't for the lotus seeds given to me by Sect Leader Lin, I would have lost half my life even if I had only been touched by it!"

In the hands of the patriarch of the Kong family, a lotus seed exhausted its energy and turned to ashes.

Lin Shan also consumed a Lotus Seed. This was a sixth-tier lotus seed that the Red Lotus Ancestor gave him when he visited him for the second time. It contained some lotus power and could activate the Red Lotus Karmic Fire to protect his body at critical moments!
This perfectly counteracted the Black Reed Fire, allowing him to safely descend to the Earth's core and escape the pursuit of the three primordial spirits.

Fortunately, they gave us five in total. We used two and still had three left, which was enough to go back and upgrade the next level.

But the Earth's core is known as a dead end; it's easy to get in but difficult to get out, and how to get back has become a problem!
The pool we just passed has vanished in the blink of an eye; the path we came from has been easily cut off, so we'll probably have to find another way out.

"Leader Lin, please come with me."

The patriarch of the Kong family was confident and unperturbed, strolling leisurely under the mantle as if it were his own backyard.

The reason was simple, and Lin Shan knew it too. This old man had once told him that when he first stepped into the mortal world, he had accidentally entered the Earth's core in an illusion, but miraculously, he managed to escape!

The fact that they dared to bring people down again this time clearly indicates that they had anticipated this, and they put their experience from the illusion into practice.

The two chatted and laughed as they walked close to the top of the rock formation.

"See the burning Earth's core down there? Those things that look like earthworm patterns are actually social creatures that feed on the Earth's core. They are very troublesome, so don't mess with them!"

"The surface temperature of the Earth's core should be high enough to incinerate a spiritual treasure, right? How can there still be life surviving on it?"

"You underestimate the wonders of creation. Legend has it that even the dark side of the sun has demons, and evil spirits reside in both the sun's shadow and the earth's core. It's not surprising that some evil spirits dwell there!"

"Hiss, I see that the rock layer above is extremely dense, and it's as hard as a spiritual treasure. How did you get out of the illusion back then?"

Lin Shan kept knocking and tapping along the way, and found that the barrier between the mantle and the core was extremely strong and could not be broken through at all!
Most importantly, this is the Earth's core, a place with the strongest magnetic field and gravity. They would have to exert all their strength just to avoid being sucked into the Earth's core, let alone break through the rock layers.

Moreover, under the influence of strong gravity, any supernatural power or even magical treasure will be neutralized by the suction force, the magnetic field will dissolve, and even breaking through the void will be impossible.

He tried many times to connect the lightning strike seals and then use his movement technique to open the spatial rift, but found that the world here had been highly condensed and the space was so hard that it could not be torn apart at all!

I just don't know if Xiaodie's intervention will be effective.
After a series of unsuccessful attempts, he stopped wasting his time and became curious about what other solutions he could find. The patriarch of the Kong family stopped at one spot.

A small hole appeared in the Earth's core.

Every now and then a cluster of flames would burst out, like a fountain, sometimes shooting far and sometimes very close.

"This is the Earth's Core Fury, the king of fires, formed in the deepest part of the world. Its power is far greater than any fire we have ever seen! Do not get close, or you will be splashed!"

The patriarch of the Kong family told Lin Shan not to approach, but he himself went over on his own.

He smiled and waved from afar:

"This is about enough. Any closer and we'll melt."

This was the first time Lin Shan had seen the old man so confident, so he watched from a distance to see how he would operate.

"It was originally quite difficult to provoke the Earth's core flames and lure them out to attack the rock wall. I was in grave danger many times in the illusion, and almost got stuck here forever, but fortunately I obtained the Burning Spirit Illusion Fire in the Red Dust Star Sea."

As the patriarch of the Kong family spoke, flames appeared in his hands, and clusters of milky white flames were shaken off, swirling and teasing around the cave entrance. Soon, a deep roar came from inside!

The sound was very much like someone getting angry.

"Roar~~~"

puff! Puff puff!
The raging flames from the earth's core suddenly shot up high, bursting out of the cave and shooting thousands of feet away, startling Lin Shan into quickly dodging.

Whoosh whoosh!
Splash splash splash splash~
Three fist-sized craters were suddenly pierced through the top of his head, sending a bunch of small stones flying. The power was enormous!
The ring of fire at the cave entrance expanded outwards, instantly engulfing all the white flames, leaving none behind.

"Haha, the Burning Spirit Illusionary Flame is indeed capable. It seems we've got this in the bag!"

The patriarch of the Kong family was very optimistic. Having had experience before, he immediately understood the situation when he saw the three small pits on his head.

Next, he kept using the Burning Spirit Illusion Fire as bait to induce the Earth Core Fury Flame to attack, constantly striking the rock layer above his head, making the small pit bigger and deeper.

Lin Shan witnessed the whole thing and couldn't help but admire the talent of the Kong family patriarch. It was hard to imagine that back then, before the Illusionary Flame of Burning Spirit existed, this guy used his own body as bait to attract the Earth's core flames and open a passage for him. How dangerous must that have been?
The slightest mistake could lead to utter ruin!

This process was much more troublesome than expected. It took three whole days to finally clear a passage that was only three feet wide.

The patriarch of the Kong family was pale and exhausted. If it weren't for the great supernatural being's strong endurance, just maintaining the Burning Spirit Illusionary Flame would have drained him dry.

"Let's not delay, this passage won't last long before it's repaired and sealed by the Earth's core and mantle. I bet the Sword Master Minghuang and the others would never have imagined that we could escape from the Earth's core."

"and many more!"

Lin Shan looked down at the boundless Earth's core, stroking his chin with a touch of reluctance. He felt that since he had come all this way, it would be a pity not to take something back with him.

"Does that Earth Core Fury have a source of fire? I happen to be missing a powerful true fire."

"No."

The patriarch of the Kong family shook his head and told him not to be delusional, because this was the fire from the earth's core, and rashly touching it would burn him to ashes.

Lin Shan's eyes darted around, then fixed on the rocks on the surface of the Earth's core.

"Those that can withstand the constant burning of the Earth's core flames must be at least sixth-tier spiritual items, right? Maybe they can be used for refining weapons."

"Don't"

The patriarch of the Kong family quickly grabbed him and told him that these rocks had long been assimilated by the earth's core and were completely soaked in the fire of the earth's core. They could not be collected or stored at all, and they were also subject to widespread fire poison corrosion, which would destroy everything in the storage space.

Lin Shan realized that he didn't have a way to collect and refine the fire on the spot, so he could only sigh and give up.

The two transformed into two streaks of light and soared out along the passage.

Sure enough, when they returned to the fifth level, they did not pass through the Black Reed Fire. It was clear that only in certain passages was there the protection of the Earth's core from the main world. Those passages were extremely well hidden and difficult to detect.

After breaking through the blockade, returning became a little easier. The two of them took turns working and quickly returned to the fifth layer of the Red Dust Star Sea!
However, this place is located on the edge, and is still far from the blue halo in the center.

"Shall we not go?"

The patriarch of the Kong family felt that the main battlefield there was too dangerous and was already considering retreating. In any case, the trip had been completed and there was no need to take any more risks.

Moreover, to be honest, he and Lin Shan sneaked down quietly. Logically, they should have been stationed on the first and second floors, as leaving for an extended period of time risked exposure.

Lin Shan nodded, looking at the bizarre starry sky. Layers of light shimmered in the distance, with countless people floating and sinking within them. Tens of thousands of illusions constantly changed, and countless wonderful stories were unfolding every day.

But none of this has anything to do with him anymore.

Having obtained the Formless Star Cocoon, the final treasure of this spiritual tide has been secured. Having barely escaped from the clutches of a powerful enemy, Zhang Yunxi has already used half of the Star Element Modules she left behind before departing. It's time for her to leave.

The primordial spirits of the five holy lands are currently engaged in fierce battles, fighting to the death. There is also the mysterious ice python; let them continue their fight inside.

Ok?
Thinking of the ice python, he suddenly shuddered and quickly took out the virtual star disc to sense the moon pattern silver sword!
The Kong family patriarch beside him had no idea what he was doing, but his gaze towards the Void Star Compass revealed deep envy. How precious was a Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure? He had never seen one up close before in his entire life!
Just as he was about to take a closer look, Lin Shan quickly put it back into his bag.

"Let's go! The Ice Python isn't far from here. If she senses our location, a fierce battle is inevitable!"

The patriarch of the Kong family nodded regretfully in agreement, without asking further questions about Lin Shan's ability to sense the other party's presence.

It's perfectly normal for a magical artifact to possess some supernatural properties.

The two circled around the outer edge of the Red Dust Star Sea, going a long way back to the entrance of the Yin-Yang Mysterious Ladder of the Vast Sacred Land.

The campsite is still there, and many people are guarding it every moment of the entire journey.

"No problem, I'll do it!"

This time, the patriarch of the Kong family no longer needed to deceive anyone. He directly used the Burning Spirit Illusion Fire to hypnotize a large area, throwing everyone into the illusion to undergo training.

The two of them easily descended the Yin-Yang Mysterious Ladder.

After passing through the fourth level, then the third level, we finally returned to the second level, the Jade Marrow Cold Pool!

Here in the State of Lu, the various factions were still fighting each other endlessly. The two of them casually appeared in front of others again to put on a show, and then returned to their respective camps.

Nothing major has happened at the Xun Gu Sect; everything is under control.

During his report, Lü Xiuming briefly mentioned Elder Huicong of the Ghost Valley Holy Land, who had repeatedly requested to meet Lin Shan, presumably because he had some suspicions but no evidence.

Lin Shan thought for a moment. The battle in the Red Dust Star Sea below was still ongoing and should not be over for a while. He could show his face and make his presence known, creating the illusion that he had always been well-behaved in the upper echelons.

"Call him over here."

Not long after, Elder Huicong rushed over. Upon seeing Lin Shan for the first time, he stared intently at him, trying to determine whether he was truly the real person!

Lin Shan found it somewhat amusing to see the guy's eyes darting around, so he simply didn't say anything and let him look all he wanted.

Finally, after a while...

"Well, Elder Huicong, have you finished reading?"

"Uh, cough cough."

"Don't keep it to yourself, speak up. Is there anything you're unhappy about with me?"

"No no!"

Elder Huicong is a man who, aside from other things, is very pragmatic, knows how to cherish his reputation, and is able to assess situations and advance or retreat as needed. That is why he has survived unscathed as an envoy until now.

Lin Shan had a brief chat with him. When the topic turned to the lower levels, Elder Huicong's words became vague, clearly indicating that he didn't want to say more and was trying to conceal the truth. He obviously didn't want the Xun Gu Sect to get involved, lest he bring up the 20% share again.

But this guy didn't skimp on the profits from the first two levels, clearly a hypocrite to the extreme!
"Well, if there's nothing else, go back first. My Xun Gu Sect wins people over with integrity. Whatever is due to you will be given to you, and we will never shortchange you."

Elder Huicong wisely chose not to heed the obvious implication in the words and respectfully withdrew from the camp.

After watching him leave, Lü Xiuming stepped forward somewhat resentfully:
"Master!"

"Eh~"

Lin Shan waved his hand, not dwelling on these matters.

"Let him go. Some scores can be settled after this matter is resolved. You go back and order the armies in all regions to withdraw and temporarily cease hostilities for rest and reorganization. I need to go into seclusion for a while." (End of Chapter)