Stealing the Heavens.

Chapter 113 Integrating Righteous Qi
Thirty thousand cultivators set off from the Fire Cloud Mountains and entered the primeval forest directly, heading towards the Illusionary Sea where the storms had subsided.

Even Feng Qingwu, who had been to the Fire Cloud Mountains before, couldn't stand the heat here. Zi Dong and Zhou Xinyu could only wrap themselves in their true energy.

All the cultivators of Guangyan Sect had fused with the Phoenix Flame and were already accustomed to the intense heat of the Fire Cloud Mountains.

Ordinary people hid in caves and forests, making a living by hunting and gathering medicinal herbs, and had to buy most of their food.

The Huoyun Mountains are perpetually shrouded in fiery red clouds, even during the rainy season, and the rainwater turns into hot springs.

"Don't the people here farm?!" Zhou Xinyu was very surprised, as land is the lifeblood of ordinary people.

“This area is all mountains and forests. Cultivating the land would require a huge investment, and often there would be no harvest. It’s better to just buy it,” Feng Qingwu explained.

"Are there few ordinary people around the Fire Cloud Mountains?" Zi Dong hadn't seen many people along the way.

"Most of them migrated north. Those who remained mostly took pills from the Guangyan Sect and became cultivators, while some joined the Witch Clan," Feng Qingwu sighed.

"The pills from Guangyan Sect are that powerful?!" Zi Dong and Zhou Xinyu exclaimed almost simultaneously.

"It's not that Guangyan Sect's pills are powerful, but that most of those who survived have some talent!" Feng Qingwu glared at the two of them.

Zi Dong originally thought that it would be cooler near the Illusionary Sea, but it just got hotter and hotter.

Soon, the Guangyan Sect cultivators who were leading the way were caught off guard by the Witch Ancestor's sneak attack, and even the Wang family cultivators who were covering the rear were not spared.

"Sect Master Huo Qing, doesn't your Guangyan Sect have a good way to deal with the Witch Clan?"

Looking at Huo Qing who had come to discuss things with him, Zi Dong couldn't help but suspect that the guy was deliberately making things difficult for him.

Guangyan Sect has faced the Wu Clan for many years, so they must have a way to deal with them; otherwise, how could they have established themselves in the Huoyun Mountains?

"Because of the Ancestor's flames, the Witch Clan dares not approach the Fire Cloud Mountains, but this place is already far away, and the Ancestor's flames are no longer able to reach it!" Huo Qing explained helplessly.

"Haven't all the cultivators of the Guangyan Sect already fused with the Phoenix's flames?!" Zi Dong was even more puzzled.

"Although all the cultivators of my Guangyan Sect have fused with the flames of our ancestor, they still cannot withstand such consumption!" Huo Qing glared angrily at Zi Dong.

"Find a small mountain and gather all the cultivators there!" Zi Dong pondered for a moment before making the decision.

The purple aura from the east allowed all cultivators in the Zi Dong Gang to integrate their righteous energy, which was also the basis for his confidence in sending Zi Dong to the Southern Continent.

Huo Qing didn't ask any more questions and quickly found a small hill, gathering the Guangyan Sect cultivators around it.

Wang Gun acted quickly, gathering all the Wang family cultivators together, who sat cross-legged on the periphery of the Guangyan Sect cultivators.

Standing atop the mountain, Zi Dong glanced at the afterglow of the setting sun, then immediately sat cross-legged and began cultivating his profound body.

The forest was briefly quiet at dusk, and the sky quickly darkened, making the already golden Xuan Body even more radiant.

The birds and beasts that were resting became even quieter, and even the insects dared not breathe. Xuan Ti was like a great sun.

As Zi Dong cultivated, the golden light grew increasingly intense, spreading outwards from the small mountain and enveloping all 30,000+ cultivators.

Lacking any offensive capabilities, the cultivators felt as if they were basking in the midday sun, experiencing only endless warmth.

"Integrate with the righteous energy!" Zi Dong shouted through his Xuan Body, his voice echoing throughout the mountains and forests like a morning bell and evening drum.

The righteous and awe-inspiring spirit is vast, upright, and peaceful, making it the easiest force for Taoist cultivators to integrate with.

Huo Qing was the first to begin the fusion process, a rare opportunity that offered the chance to comprehend the cultivation insights of the Eastern Dao Ancestor. The others, who had long been eager to try, quickly followed suit upon seeing Huo Qing's fusion.

However, the purple aura from the east kept controlling the righteous energy, preventing these cultivators from integrating it even slightly.

Even Huo Qing, a cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Void Breaking Realm, couldn't do it, let alone gain any insight from it.

"Lord Zidong, how can we enter the Southern Continent and contend with the Witch Clan if we only combine this little bit of righteous energy?"

Huo Qing and Zi Dong withdrew their righteous energy into their bodies and immediately shouted loudly. Everyone echoed them, including Wang Gun.

"Sect Master Huo Qing, no matter how much righteous energy you merge with, it will all be consumed. This little bit is enough."

Zi Dong didn't explain further. Of course, he knew what these guys were trying to do. No matter how much they merged, they still wouldn't be able to comprehend the realm of the Eastern Dao Ancestor.

"Lord Zidong, this bit of righteous energy can only kill a few Gu worms, right?!" Huo Qing was still unwilling to give up.

"Sect Master Huo Qing, this wisp of righteous energy isn't to help you deal with the Gu worms, it's to let you contact Dao Ancestor Donglai!" Zi Dong shouted loudly.

The Huo Qing group exchanged glances, suddenly feeling a bit worried. Would they be controlled by the Eastern Dao Ancestor?
Zi Dong didn't explain further and continued cultivating until dawn. He then ordered the troops to continue their journey to the Southern Continent.

The group was not attacked by the Wu tribe again along the way, as Zi Dong had made too much of a commotion earlier.

Moreover, every cultivator possesses a righteous spirit; after all, this is the Eastern Continent, and the Witch Clan has no desire to seek death.

Although there are no storms in the Illusionary Sea between the Southern Continent and the Eastern Continent, the waves are still quite large, and even a Void Breaking Realm cultivator needs to plan their route carefully.

Huo Qing had already arranged the boats and chosen a route with many islands so that they could frequently stop and rest.

Because the winds are stronger at high altitudes, making it unsuitable for flying, they can only travel over the sea.

Each large ship can hold a thousand people, and Huo Qing prepared more than forty ships to guard against losses caused by attacks from the Wu tribe at sea.

These large ships are all engraved with formations, which can withstand the wind and waves on the sea, and they are also very fast under the control of cultivators.

Zi Dong, Feng Qingwu, and Zhou Xinyu led the Demon Hunter team aboard a large ship, which was located at the center of the entire fleet.

Huo Qing led the way as always, while Wang Gun led the Wang family cultivators to cover the rear. The fleet sailed majestically into the depths of the sea.

Faced with such a massive fleet, even the siren dared not come out to launch a sneak attack, let alone other sea creatures.

The ships are all operated by cultivators of the Guangyan Sect, who are closely connected with each other. If a ship encounters an emergency, the surrounding ships will immediately come to its rescue.

Along the route led by Huo Qing, they encountered an island every other day, allowing the fleet to take a short break.

On the islands near the Eastern Continent, cultivators from the Guangyan Sect are stationed to guard against a large-scale invasion by the Wu Clan from the Southern Continent.

Before setting off, Ai Shang repeatedly instructed Zi Dong to search for rare and precious materials on these islands, especially the inner cores of sea monsters.

These rare and precious materials in the Illusionary Sea are excellent for alchemy and weapon crafting, and can fetch a good price in the Eastern Continent.

However, Huo Qing only made brief stops on these islands and did not allow Zi Dong and his group to enter the islands.

These islands are resources of the Guangyan Sect, and Zi Dong cannot forcibly search for and hunt them; he can only wait for those islands to be entered into the deep sea.

(End of this chapter)