Immortal Road.

Speaking of this, Venerable Yushe pulled out two broken flagpoles, and everyone's eyes turned to him intently.

This is the signboard of Penglai Holy Land, which has been around for nearly 10,000 years!
The name of the Water Dividing Flag is renowned throughout this realm. Every wave of spiritual tides carries the presence of this heaven-reaching treasure, which has suppressed countless heroes.

Other holy sites would hide their heavenly treasures or keep them at home to stabilize the site's fortune, but Penglai flaunted this treasure everywhere.

From another perspective, it's not hard to guess that there must be other extraordinary treasures in his home, hidden as a trump card.

"It was broken in two, pierced through by that brute Qu Gong! Look at the flag, it's in such a terrible state."

The Venerable Yushe grew angrier and angrier, and almost couldn't resist turning around and fighting with Qugong. He only managed to sit down after everyone intervened.

"You're the one who lost it in the first place, and now you've broken it! Is this how you behave?"

Qu Gong knew he was in the wrong, so he scratched his head sheepishly and muttered under his breath.

"Just tell me, did they manage to get it back for you or not?"

"Is this...is this still usable?"

Lin Shan took it and examined it. He personally inspected the enhancement panel and confirmed that the treasure was indeed severely damaged and could not be used for the time being.

The Holy Lord of Penglai was also very clever. Knowing that Lin Shan had the ability to curse, he simply abandoned the damaged treasure, making it ownerless, so as to avoid being plagued by subsequent curses.

To repair it, the two flagpoles must first be connected, then the internal and external divine restrictions must be restored, and finally the flag surface must be repaired, which is extremely difficult!
"Do you know any master weapon refiners? Perhaps we could have them fix it?"

Everyone shook their heads when this was mentioned.

Venerable Yushe lamented:
"Of all the side professions in cultivation, weapon crafting is the hardest to produce talented individuals!"

"Have you ever heard of a Grandmaster of Alchemy or a Grandmaster of Array Formation? Those are titles that can be bestowed upon anyone who can refine at least one sixth-grade pill or set up a sixth-grade array."

"Theoretically speaking, a Grandmaster of Weapon Forging must forge a Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure to be qualified to be called a Grandmaster of Weapon Forging!"

"Let me ask you this: has anyone in this world heard of forging a heaven-reaching spiritual treasure in the last few thousand years?"

Without even thinking, everyone shook their heads.

How difficult was the creation of the Tongtian Lingbao?
This surpasses even spiritual treasures, is top-tier in the realm, and can be considered the cradle of a holy land's millennia-long foundation. Who could forge it so easily?
Among the known spiritual treasures that can reach the heavens, they are either naturally formed innate spiritual treasures or treasures left behind by ancient cultivators in ancient times.

I've never heard of anyone being able to make this thing themselves.

Then, there's naturally no way to find a grandmaster of weapon crafting.

"Or we could try spending a lot of money to find some master craftsmen to see if we can brainstorm and work together to find a way to fix it. After all, many hands make light work, and the foundation of this heaven-reaching spiritual treasure is there."

"No!"

Venerable Yushe rejected the suggestion outright. He held the thing in his arms with great care and told Lin Shan that such things should not be handled carelessly.

"The natural gap between a master craftsman and a grandmaster lies in their understanding of the void and even divine restrictions. They do not understand the intricate structure and design of such a magnificent treasure. Without sufficient cultivation and knowledge, they will only make things worse. They might even ruin the magnificent treasure, and it will be impossible to repair it later."

"Then what should we do? Should we just let this treasure be damaged? But that would be better, at least Penglai would suffer a great loss."

The Red Lotus Ancestor comforted them, saying that there might be a turning point in the future.

Lin Shan sighed inwardly, inexplicably thinking of his family's Black Skull Demon Lord. That kid was only a master craftsman, and hadn't even touched many spiritual treasures. He thought back to how excited he was when he saw the Void Star Compass.

I reckon all the weapon-refining masters in this world are like that, so getting a Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure is definitely out of the question. I hope they don't do more harm than good. Venerable Yu She's considerations are indeed correct.

But then a thought suddenly struck him!
"Wait a minute? There are no grandmaster craftsmen in this world who can forge heaven-reaching spiritual treasures, but what if they weren't originally from the lower realm?"

"Um?!"

Everyone reacted quickly and instantly understood his implied meaning.

"what do you mean?"

"In our world, there are currently two reincarnated True Immortals who are forming factions and secretly fighting fiercely against each other."

Lin Shan's eyes gleamed as he began to recount the story of the two immortals.

"Whether it's Fairy Qinglian or Layman Jinglian, they both come from extraordinary backgrounds and are very knowledgeable. They may even have different side businesses to rely on."

"Even without that, with the wisdom of an immortal, a little guidance from their superior perspective, or perhaps by bestowing some treasure, might be enough to repair this treasure."

"If we use this as a condition, and include it as a bargaining chip to join the other side, I'm sure the immortal won't refuse."

The group nodded in agreement, finding the statement to be reasonable.

However, which side to join and which camp to choose is still up for discussion.

Venerable Yushe let out a long sigh.

"Alas, the Azure Lotus Fairy of the Black Lotus Sect did send someone to our Northern Sea Aquatic Clan some time ago to seek an alliance. However, at that time, we discussed with the ancestors of each clan and decided to bide our time and observe the situation, so we politely declined. Now that I think about it, we were a bit too hasty."

what?
The Black Lotus Cult has even extended its reach into the sea tribes?
Lin Shan was secretly astonished. The Azure Lotus Fairy was gathering all the help she could get, truly reaching every corner of the continent.

"I can't bring myself to go back and beg Fairy Qinglian again. It seems I have no choice but to contact Layman Jinglian."

Unexpectedly, Venerable Yushe was very concerned about his reputation. He felt that since he had rejected the Black Lotus Sect in the past, it would be too shameful to shamelessly fawn over them now, so he decided to switch sides.

"And you all? I'm sure both sides have contacted you. What's your choice?"

Honglian Patriarch and Qu Gong shook their heads slightly. One of them needed to stay and oversee the Luosong Alliance and couldn't leave, while the other was a free spirit and didn't want to get involved in the commotion. So they both remained neutral and observed from the sidelines.

Lin Shan did not reveal his plan, only saying that he was still considering it. However, he had the contact information of Layman Jinglian. Master Xiongshan had given him two vines before, so he simply took one out on the spot and offered it to Venerable Yushe to see what she would say to Layman Jinglian.

Through the grass and vines, the voice of Layman Jinglian quickly came from the other side.

"Which one?"

Judging from the sounds, there seemed to be a whistling wind and a cacophony of voices. It seems that Layman Jinglian is quite busy, multitasking with different matters.

Venerable Yushe stepped forward and introduced himself.

Jinglian Jushi was initially indifferent, but when he heard that the sea creatures of the North Sea had suddenly contacted him, he immediately took it seriously and first asked how they had found him.

Lin Shan understood that the other party was probably offering different prices to each person, so he needed to ask clearly to avoid being exposed later.

So he stepped forward and said that he had recommended Venerable Yushe. "Oh, I remember you, fellow Daoist, you came to me from your junior disciple."

Jinglian Jushi remembered everyone's promises and, based on the conditions he had initially agreed to with Lin Shan, offered the same price to Venerable Yushe.

"Ten Earth Spirit Pills are the deposit, and fifty more will be added after the deed is done. For every Nascent Soul stage cultivator of the Black Lotus Cult killed, there will be an extra one pill, three for a Great Divine Power cultivator, and ten for a Divine Spirit stage cultivator. All will be settled afterward!"

Venerable Yu She was slightly moved. It was too difficult to cultivate after the Nascent Soul stage. The environment of this world made breathing exercises very difficult, and it was hard to make progress without external assistance.

As a renowned pill for the Nascent Soul stage, she naturally wouldn't refuse the Earth Spirit Pill.

However, having stated these conditions, it was time to offer a preliminary suggestion. He then mentioned that he had a rare and precious treasure that had been damaged and earnestly requested the help of Layman Jinglian to repair it.

You've finally come to the right person!

The Pure Lotus Hermit pondered for a moment:

"A Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure? What is its attribute? Where is it damaged? Tell me the specific extent of the damage, and I'll see if there's any possibility of repair."

Upon hearing that there was hope, Venerable Yushe quickly explained in detail.

After hearing this, Layman Jinglian smiled.

"Fellow Daoist, you're not referring to the famous Heavenly Treasure, the Water-Dividing Flag, are you? Before I awakened my innate wisdom, I lived in seclusion in the East Sea for hundreds of years, and I have some understanding of the secrets of the Penglai Holy Land. This thing is their sect's most treasured artifact. Could it be that your sea race stole it?"

It seems that their disturbance in Penglai had just occurred and had not yet spread, so Layman Jinglian was unaware of it.

Knowing he couldn't hide it any longer, Venerable Yushe could only give a bitter smile, which was tantamount to admitting it in disguise.

After a moment's thought, Layman Jinglian quickly gave his reply.

"It's simple. The flagpole is broken and the flag is torn. The main materials are still there. We can just repair it. It's not a big problem. I can take charge of repairing it for you for free. Bring it over a few days before you leave for the Black Lotus Sect. You might need it when we fight."

"Thank you, layman!"

Venerable Yushe was overjoyed, never expecting things to go so smoothly.

The problem that troubled her was no big deal in the eyes of a true immortal like the Pure Lotus Hermit, and could be easily solved.

With the repair of the water-dividing flag now underway, everyone can finally relax.

Next, we will discuss the retaliation we will face and encounter following this attack on Penglai!
Having suffered such a great loss, Penglai will certainly not let it go easily. It will definitely try to regain its reputation in other ways to boost the confidence within the holy land.

Among those present, whether it was the Red Lotus Ancestor's Pine Alliance, Lin Shan's Lu Kingdom and the Xun Gu Sect, or Venerable Yu She's North Sea Serpent Clan, they were all key targets for attack!
"We will leave tokens to each other so that if one side is attacked, the others can quickly descend from the void to provide support. The three points will support each other."

The proposal was immediately approved without any objection.

Everyone has witnessed Penglai's strength today; no single entity can defeat it on its own, so they definitely need to stick together.

However, the balance of power has shifted. Although Penglai has a strong foundation and many allies, its forces capable of venturing out are not that powerful, so they are not too afraid.

The most dangerous part is the Luosong Mountains.

The main reason is that the Red Lotus Ancestor alone is supporting the country. The Song Dynasty is too close to the East Sea. If this threat is not eliminated, Penglai will also be afraid that the Red Lotus Ancestor will take over its territory.

"You don't need to worry. Once those two kids, Lin Fan and Lin Fan, break through to the Nascent Soul stage, things will be much easier for me."

Lin Shan knew that Lin Fan and Brother Chicken were in seclusion, but breaking through to this realm was not something that could be done overnight. Before the two of them reached their full potential, this place was at its weakest.

Fortunately, Penglai had just suffered a major blow and needed to recuperate. This period of time was enough for them to catch their breath and strengthen their ties.

After some planning and discussion, everyone said their goodbyes and dispersed to return to their own territories.

Lin Shan didn't disturb Lin Fan and Brother Chicken. He used the spatial interlayer to travel back to the Xun Gu Sect early on.

As soon as he returned, Lü Xiuming rushed over, saying that someone had come from the central region of Lu.

It wasn't that something happened at Bailu Academy, but rather that the Kong family sent a letter urgently requesting Lin Shan to come to the rescue!
He opened the letter and saw that the ancestor of the Kong family was about to break through to the Primordial Spirit stage. He had already completed the transformation of the Primordial Spirit and the replenishment of the Divine Essence. All that was left was to travel to the heavens and forget oneself and the external world.

This old guy didn't dare to wander out into the world alone, so he wanted Lin Shan, an experienced man, to give him a hand.

Lin Shan readily agreed.

In the Thunder Wave Sea, the patriarch of the Kong family, together with himself, staged a charade to deceive the four holy lands, and together they ventured into the mortal star sea to seize the Formless Star Cocoon, thus establishing a deep friendship.

Now, almost two years have passed since I returned, and I am quietly on the path to breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage. It is inevitable that I will encounter setbacks along the way. I will try my best to help him, so that I can have another ally in the future to help me protect the State of Lu.

He immediately set off for the Central Region to visit the White Deer Academy.

The third brother, Zhong Shenxiu, has been in charge there for years, and things have been peaceful with no changes or disturbances, so he didn't disturb him and went to take a look at Jingyang Academy.

Since Sailor Moon ascended to heaven, Jingyang Academy has kept a very low profile, focusing on running the academy and training its disciples. It no longer has the same ambition to dominate the State of Lu as before, mainly because the gap between them has widened.

Qianjizi, on the other hand, has cultivated to the mid-Nascent Soul stage and has taken over the reins from Ancestor Yingrong, and he's doing quite well.

Finally, he came to the Confucian family, a prominent Confucian family.

The patriarch of the Kong family personally greeted him and accompanied him to a secret room in the backyard.

"Master Lin, I've been waiting for you for so long, and you've finally arrived!"

"sit!"

The two went to a secluded place to plot and discuss how to continue their progress. When they heard that the patriarch of the Kong family wanted to reach the Tribulation stage in one go, he was secretly amazed by the old man's audacity.

First, one's mind wanders beyond the heavens, forgetting both self and external things.

Lin Shan used his Yuan Nian avatar to help him leave this world, but the Kong family patriarch became extremely timid again, and as soon as he arrived in the void, he fluttered loudly, wanting to return.

"Hold on, the deeper you go, the greater your rewards will be."

However, the patriarch of the Kong family couldn't stand it and felt that it was too risky. He had only been out of the heavens once, and that was enough. He had no great ambitions and just wanted to break through to the primordial spirit realm as soon as possible.

Lin Shan had no choice but to bring this coward back, but this time he couldn't just do it casually. He needed to guide it to a secret realm with a high density of spiritual energy for transformation.

Fortunately, there were many such places in the State of Lu, and they quickly found a good spot. (End of Chapter)